A pilot, power boater and supremely talented driver, we’re glad Mildred Petre is being remembered Bentley recently revealed its “most driver-focused” car so far, a 675bhp V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive, carbonfibre-covered coupé known internally as… Mildred. No, the codename was not inspired by the long-suffering wife in George & Mildred but a swashbuckling hero of road and… Continue reading Mildred Petre: The hero behind Bentley’s most extreme machine
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Northern Ireland first in UK to introduce graduated driving licences
Northern Ireland will become the first country in the UK to introduce a graduated driving licence system for young and novice drivers, in a bid to reduce serious and fatal collisions. Due to be introduced on 1 October, the graduated driving licences (GDLs) will impose a night-time restriction on drivers aged under 24 for six months:… Continue reading Northern Ireland first in UK to introduce graduated driving licences
How epic failures can help car companies improve
Unsuccessful cars can sometimes be much more interesting than slam-dunk winners. Give me a Leyland P76 over, say, the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf, launched around the same time. It’s not just the vicarious interest of witnessing a metaphorical car crash that captivates me – it’s also the story behind it. No company sets out to make… Continue reading How epic failures can help car companies improve
Peugeot is ‘thinking about’ building a new flagship above 5008
Peugeot is “thinking about” launching a model positioned above its flagship 5008, boss Alain Favey has told Autocar. But to be successful, “it would need to be something really different” so it could stand out against rivals, he said, referencing the difficulties the axed 508 had in a segment that included premium offerings such as… Continue reading Peugeot is ‘thinking about’ building a new flagship above 5008
5000 miles in a Polestar 3: An intriguing car with one ‘key’ problem
Overnight charging wasn’t possible at any destination, so I made a similar stop on the return leg to get home with range to spare. I awoke in my own bed the next day to 100%. This ease of use has all been thanks to the 3’s charging speed, which has allowed me to make those… Continue reading 5000 miles in a Polestar 3: An intriguing car with one ‘key’ problem
New Renault Duster revealed: India’s seminal B-SUV reinvented
Renault has revealed the second generation of its hugely popular Duster crossover for India, as the next step in its £2.2 billion plan to dramatically grow market share outside of Europe. Similar-looking but unrelated to the Dacia Duster sold in Europe, the chunky new addition to Renault’s line-up is the follow-up to a car that Renault… Continue reading New Renault Duster revealed: India’s seminal B-SUV reinvented
Jaguar commits to all-EV future, calling hybrid rumours “rubbish”
JLR has extinguished reports that it will offer a range-extender or hybrid powertrain option for the incoming Jaguar Type 00 – and a senior source has branded the notion to Autocar as “rubbish”. A report over the weekend, citing a source close to the project’s development, claimed that JLR had instructed engineers to develop a petrol-engined system… Continue reading Jaguar commits to all-EV future, calling hybrid rumours “rubbish”
“Completely crazy”: Euro carmakers struggle with cell-to-body move
European car makers are struggling to move forward with a key improvement to their EV construction, in a situation that a key supplier has called “completely crazy” and a “mess”. Cell-to-body construction is a much more efficient way to package the battery in an electric car and has helped Chinese makers including BYD build EVs faster… Continue reading “Completely crazy”: Euro carmakers struggle with cell-to-body move
What’s wrong with a sat-nav that points north?
It’s time, comrades, for the uprising. Time for the overlooked and marginalised to rebalance the scales. We’ve waited too long already. We must act- and we must do it on behalf of good, right-thinking, sensible drivers everywhere. The scourge of the god-awful ‘direction of travel’ satellite navigation display mode has its boot on our throats;… Continue reading What’s wrong with a sat-nav that points north?
The V12 Aston Martin you can buy for the price of a Golf
Aston Martin’s ‘DB’ lineage of sporting GTs began in 1948 with the DB1, the first product under the ownership of David Brown. By 2016 Aston was 12 years into production of the elegant Aston Martin DB9, but that car was starting to feel behind the times, and sales and profits were on the decline. Then… Continue reading The V12 Aston Martin you can buy for the price of a Golf