Currently reading: Autocar’s week in review: 31 July-6 August

Catch up on our top news, reviews, features and video from the past seven days

Even at the height of the summer holidays, the car industry never stops – and nor does Autocar (well, a few staffers have snuck off on their hols, but most remain planted in the office).

There are always rumours to be chased, deals to be reported and cars to be tested and evaluated. With so much going on, it can be easy to miss an important news story, a first drive of a brand-new car or a really entertaining video or feature. So every Sunday, we’re going to produce a quick round-up featuring the best and most popular content on autocar.co.uk from the past seven days.

This is our week in review: perfect reading when you’re settled down on the sofa with a cup of tea after your Sunday lunch. Enjoy - and let us know your highlights from the past week in the comments below.

Most-read news story: LEVC TX London black cab on sale from £55,599

Autocar readers love a good black cab, it would seem, with plenty of you reading up on the finer details of the new LEVC TX.

The £55,599 price tag for the zero emission-capable cab might raise eyebrows, but LEVC is offering the model with a five-year finance plan for £177 per week and the firm reckons it will cost drivers who do an average of 115 miles a day only around £50 per week in fuel. 

Wir 1 black cab

Other major news stories

2018 Aston Martin Vantage shown in near-production form

PSA Group purchase of Vauxhall and Open completed

All Maserati models to use electrified drive from 2019

Most-read first test: Exclusive Porsche Cayenne prototype drive

Porsche has yet to finish development, or even reveal, the new Cayenne but (with some trepidation) it agreed to let Andrew Frankel drive a few early examples. Read his exclusive early opinion of the Cayenne here.

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Wir 2 porsche cayenne

Most-read review: Jaguar F-Type 2.0-litre

The Jaguar F-Type two-seat coupé has gained a punchy 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine and, it is claimed, greater agility for less money. Is it too good to be true? You can find out here.

Wir 2 jaguar f type

Other big reviews and first drives

Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.2D Milano Edizione

Nissan X-Trail 2.0 DCI 177 Tekna

Most-read feature: The cars with the shortest production runs

Remember the Fiat Croma? How about the Nissan Cube? Or the Chrysler Delta?

If not, that’s because they’re all largely unloved cars that had unusually short production runs in the UK. Richard Bremner rounded up the best (or worst, depending on your point of view) short-lived production cars from recent years for this gallery.

Wir 4 chrysler delta

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Other feature highlights

Epic road trip: Driving the Land Rover Discovery to JLR’s new Slovakian plant

The meaning behind car makers’ emblems

The not-so-curious case of the Ferrari 488, the Autocar road test and the ‘cup’ tyres

This week's big video: Audi RS5 vs Lexus RC F

Conventional thinking says you’d buy a BMW M4 or Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupé ahead of either the new Audi RS5 or the Lexus RC F. But we’ve never been too worried by convention, so we put the two ‘alternative’ four-seat coupés head-to-head – and filmed the results.

Check out our YouTube channel for hundreds more videos, including a review of the Porsche Panamera Sport and our version of the the Carol Shelby $100 bill game.

And finally…

Air pollution-absorbing motorway canopies under consideration

It might seem a little counterintuitive that sticking a roof on a motorway could help cut air pollution – but that’s what tests conducted by the Highways Agency suggest.

It fitted an air-quality barrier to a 100-metre stretch of the M62, which features a special material that can absorb emissions from tailpipes. After positive results, the organisation is looking to expand the scheme. So could we all be driving through eco-friendly tunnels in the future? 

Wir 6 motorway

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

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