Cars hijack our obsessive impulses in ways that range from the amusing to the fulfilling to the potentially unhealthy. Sourcing, say, a door card from a specific model year for your Fiat X1/9 is niche behaviour but nothing unusual for people like us. Higher-calibre nerdery might lead you to seriously investigate period-correct Blaupunkt head units… Continue reading This 114bhp per litre hot hatch is my new obsession to keep tabs on
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Glastonbury glamping has nothing on my Duster
If a recently married man tells people he’s going to be sleeping in his car one night, concern, it seems, is the immediate reaction. “No,” I tell them, “this is for fun.” Little do they know that the Dacia Duster I’ve been running for the past few months has been fitted with a fold-out bed, a double(ish) mattress… Continue reading Glastonbury glamping has nothing on my Duster
Kamm’s idea of a Porsche restomod is rather different from most
If you can’t take another Porsche 911 restomod, can I present you this instead? It’s a Porsche 912 restomod. I grant you that’s not 911 unadjacent. To recap, Porsche introduced the 912 in 1965 as a cheaper, four-cylinder alternative to its recently launched 911, which was terrific but priced quite a long way above what Porsche… Continue reading Kamm’s idea of a Porsche restomod is rather different from most
Bonus pod: Autocar meets Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer
Matt Prior meets Skoda’s CEO Klaus Zellmer, as both Autocar and Skoda celebrate their 130th anniversaries. But the pair look forwards rather than backwards, as they talk about the third best-selling brand in Europe, its future in estate cars, how EV sales are progressing, how it makes 8.5% profits when some mass market makers make… Continue reading Bonus pod: Autocar meets Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
Hyundai’s sporty car department is clearly very eager to N all the things, because the Ioniq 6 N is based on the facelifted version of the regular Ioniq 6, which we haven’t even driven yet. There’s a lot to cover then, so let’s start with the mechanicals. By and large, they are familiar from the… Continue reading Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
New Chinese brands in ‘race to the finish line’ for survival
A Geely official once told me that the reason Chinese car groups launch so many brands is because of the lack of brand loyalty among local consumers. We’re still in an expansionist era but it will calm down eventually – and therefore “there’s a race to be in the group that makes it to the finishing… Continue reading New Chinese brands in ‘race to the finish line’ for survival
Are our road safety laws too relaxed?
The government has a big road safety bill in the offing. Need we brace for impact? Perhaps not. As part of it, I understand, we’re likely to get lower drink-driving limits and tougher requirements for over-seventies to prove they are still safe on the road. I’m sure most people would agree that these are overdue – but it’s… Continue reading Are our road safety laws too relaxed?
Elan M100: revisiting the first – and last – FWD Lotus
A one-piece, bespoke foam and plastic-skinned dashboard. A quick-fold hood that didn’t leak and which stowed beneath its own lid. Electric windows good for more than five consecutive rises and falls. Back in 1989, all this didn’t sound like a Lotus. Even more un-Lotus-like was the appearance of a Japanese engine beneath this car’s steeply… Continue reading Elan M100: revisiting the first – and last – FWD Lotus
Renault could cut prices of 4, 5, Twingo if EU’s E-Car class approved
Renault will look to cut the prices of the 4, 5 and new Twingo by up to 15%, rather than create new models, if the European Union’s proposed new E-Car category is brought in next month with certain parameters included. The EU’s proposal is centered around creating a new class of small affordable electric cars –… Continue reading Renault could cut prices of 4, 5, Twingo if EU’s E-Car class approved
Citroën becomes second manufacturer eligible for £3750 ECG
The Citroën e-C5 Aircross has been confirmed as eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) and is only the third car on sale to qualify for the larger, £3750 subsidy. While 38 sub-£37k cars have now been named eligible for the scheme, only two of those – the Ford Puma Gen-E and Ford E-Tourneo Courier –… Continue reading Citroën becomes second manufacturer eligible for £3750 ECG