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Why car buyers should still care about depreciation

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

PCP deals have put depreciation out of mind for most motorists, but it could soon bite back

Whatever happened to depreciation?

There was a time when it was car buyers' main concern. Now, not so much. Perhaps the popularity of PCP finance deals is the reason. With the car's minimum future value guaranteed, a vague promise of equity at the end of the term to put towards the next one and lower monthly payments than hire purchase, PCPs might just have brushed the spectre of depreciation under the carpet.

"If you're buying on a PCP, you're not looking at the value of the car at the end of the term, you're looking at how much you're paying a month," says Paul Toomer, founder of Car-Pod, a used car dealership near Southampton. "Plus, assuming the dealer pays enough for your old car, you've got a cash-free deposit and you're in a new one."

So yes, depreciation may have been brushed under the carpet. However, like everything under there, sooner or later it will come back to the surface. The fact is that cars still depreciate, mainly because there are too many of them chasing too few buyers.

"Supply and demand is always key in the used car market," explains Derren Martin, an automotive consultant at vehicle data firm Cazana. "Put a lot of new cars into the market and in three years' time they will be back as used cars. If their numbers are more than the market can reasonably absorb, they will depreciate fast."

Factor in a weak image, an unpopular specification, doubtful provenance, poor condition or a high mileage and watch a car depreciate faster still. But again, with a PCP to rescue them, do car buyers actually care?

"From a consumer's point of view, depreciation is probably less important, because on a lease such as a PCP they're not taking any risk," says Chris Plumb, new car valuations expert at another automotive data firm, Cap HPI. "However, within the industry, depreciation is still a hot topic. Manufacturers are certainly becoming more attuned to it, because if your cars are performing well in the market and you're doing everything to maximise their residual value, that translates into their forecast value from people like us and from your finance houses, so you can support your vehicles less."

With a PCP, your monthly payments are a combination of the interest charged on the car's total price plus its depreciation during the finance term. If the car were forecast to be worth nothing at the end of the term, the size of the monthly payments would be through the roof. The finance company or the manufacturer would have to subsidise them by slashing the purchase price, offering a big deposit contribution or by shoring up the car's value with its own money.

In fact, some manufacturers and their finance companies are having to deal with this very problem. It's not that their cars are forecast to be worth nothing, rather that they have depreciated far faster than was predicted, turning what was hoped to be an asset into a liability.

"It has been a tough time for finance houses in recent years, especially with the big falls in EV values to deal with," explains Martin. "In response, they've become masters of their own destiny, setting their own residual values rather than referring to forecasters such as Cap HPI. One of the big things they're doing is secondary leasing - sweating the asset a bit more by putting it back on lease rather than putting it into the used market."

Manufacturers and finance companies would rather not have to throw their cars a lifeline - which is why they're careful how they market their new cars to large fleets.

"The decisions car makers take today influence depreciation tomorrow," says Plumb. "So, for example, they avoid being over-represented in the daily rental market. It puts bums on seats but, when the cars are moved on after six months, there's a risk they will swamp the used market, depressing values."

It's estimated that there will be around 80 car brands on the UK market by the end of this year. However, sales of new cars are expected to grow by only around 1.4% to a little over two million. The result is that manufacturers are under more pressure to move metal. There are reports of discounts approaching 27% on some models.

"For consumers, 2026 will be the year of the deal," says Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, one of the UK's biggest new car dealership groups. "The offers for consumers will be unbelievable and, in my opinion, even uneconomic for dealers and manufacturers, they will be that good."

Plumb says that he recently saw a popular, three-year-old SUV with 26,000 miles on the clock being advertised by a car supermarket on a three-year/30,000-mile PCP, with a £2500 deposit and an APR of 10%, for £410 per month. Elsewhere, on a popular leasing website, he found a brand-new example of the same model and over the same term but with an APR of 0% for £277 per month.

"People are looking for value for money," says Plumb. "They're asking what the monthly payments look like and whether they can come out of their three-year PCP and be offered a new car on similar terms. On the strength of these examples, they can."

Bumper discounts, deposit contributions, low-rate finance: on the surface, they're great news for car buyers financing new cars on a PCP. However, at the end of the term, the return of these cars en masse to the market could have a depressing effect on future used car values.

"New car offers are so good, especially those being offered by the new Chinese brands, that when all these discounted new cars return as used ones in 18 months' time, who will buy them and what will they be worth compared with a new one?" asks Martin. "Electric cars especially are likely to have outdated tech that buyers don't want; values will fall.

"How used cars are resold to consumers will be critical. If they end up with car supermarkets, they risk being sold more cheaply, undermining their values and fuelling depreciation." Toomer is wary of cars less than three years old: "In my experience, the heaviest depreciation occurs in the first three years of a car's life. On its third birthday, a car with average mileage is worth about half what it cost new. It means that any car we stock that is two years old is still depreciating quite quickly and, if it doesn't sell for a few months, all of a sudden we face selling it at a loss."

Looking ahead, declining brand loyalty and mounting pressure from Chinese newcomers threaten to worsen depreciation for some legacy brands and certain sectors of the market.

"The arrival of cheap new cars from China will threaten the values of many existing used ones," says Martin. "Take the Chery Tiggo 4, for example. It's a genuinely impressive car for just £19,995 new. If you've a used car that's equivalent to it but it costs more, its value is likely to drop.

"The China effect also threatens to depress the values of used models from some of the legacy brands. Honda and Suzuki could be at risk."

These are dark clouds on a horizon that threatens to become cloudier. Depreciation may appear to be hidden under the carpet at present, but there are signs that it could bite back.

Current used market trends

Despite the pressure they face, used cars are generally worth more today than they were at the turn of the decade. In part this is due to the scarcity of three- to five-year-old cars, caused by the collapse of new car sales during the Covid pandemic and delays to car supplies resulting from parts shortages when the Ukraine war began.

At the same time, rising new car prices have boosted used car demand. In its latest market analysis, Cazana reports the average values of used cars at three years old have increased by 1.7%, adding around £340 to retail prices. One-year-old cars are up 0.7% with five-year-olds up 1.4%. Even 10-year-olds, the bedrock of the budget car market, have risen 0.5%.

At all price points, all fuel types have increased in value, with hybrids leading the charge at 2.3%, while EVs are up 1.4%. The star performers? The promise of warmer weather has inflated used convertible values by 2.6% - and, owing to lower numbers and rising demand, estates and MPVs are up 3.4% and 2% respectively. These bullish numbers are reflected on the forecourts, says Car-Pod's Paul Toomer: "I'm still having to pay high prices for stock. I can't get anywhere near what [other] dealers are bidding for cars on the online buying platforms and then paying a £400 charge on top for the service."

However, although its effects are partially masked by finance products such as PCPs, depreciation is still happening, and Chris Plumb at Cap HPI suspects its previous seasonal highs and lows are returning. "It's all to do with supply and demand, and there's a lot of supply," he says. The lesson is that if you have a quality used car to sell or part-exchange to offer, ignore the doomsayers and hold out for the highest offer you can get while it's still on the table.

Top 10 Slowest-Depreciating Cars At 3 Years and 30,000 Miles

	Car Model	Avg. New	Avg. Used	Retained
1	Lamborghini Urus	£159,925	£178,655	111.7%
2	Suzuki Jimny	£15,941	£17,080	107.1%
3	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	£142,244	£128,858	90.6%
4	Volkswagen California TDI	£54,236	£48,579	89.6%
5	Porsche 718 Cayman	£53,113	£47,359	89.2%
6	Bentley Bentayga PHEV	£130,500	£114,635	87.8%
7	Jeep Wrangler	£44,527	£38,322	86.1%
8	Porsche 718 Boxster	£50,407	£42,988	85.3%
9	Dacia Duster	£14,004	£11,828	84.5%
10	Audi RS3 Saloon	£47,775	£39,991	83.7%

Top 10 Fastest-Depreciating Cars At 3 Years and 30,000 Miles

	Car Model	Avg. New	Avg. Used	Retained
1	Polestar 2	£49,990	£20,991	42.0%
2	BMW i3	£35,896	£14,552	40.5%
3	Audi A8 Hybrid	£76,716	£30,486	39.7%
4	MG ZS EV	£27,275	£10,348	38.0%
5	Mercedes-Benz EQC	£71,407	£26,653	37.3%
6	Vauxhall Grandland X PHEV	£39,679	£14,426	36.4%
7	Hyundai Kona Electric	£36,295	£13,088	36.1%
8	Vauxhall Corsa-e	£29,167	£9,858	33.8%
9	Nissan Leaf	£31,643	£9,965	31.5%
10	Jaguar I-Pace	£72,776	£20,175	27.7%

How many Chinese car brands can actually survive in the UK?

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:38:58 +0100

When even car journalists struggle to keep up with new Chinese entrants, does the industry have a problem?

I suppose it finally had to happen. An entire vehicle brand has been launched in the UK before I realised it even existed.

Retailers started offering this maker's cars only four days before I found out about it, but still.

I feel like I've failed. The car market has left a self-confessed car bore like me behind to the extent that there are not just models but now entire brands (okay, this one sells only one model at the moment) that can arrive and remain below my radar.

My fault, I think, for having a holiday towards the end of April when, during the week we reviewed the Aion V, I was watching short-oval racing in New Hampshire (Ford Crown Victoria single-make races a particular highlight).

Otherwise I like to think/pretend I'd have spotted the V's existence. But it continued to skim beneath my consciousness until a colleague today prompted me for my thoughts about one. What do I think? Honestly couldn't say. A bit embarrassing.

So welcome to the UK market the Aion V, which the internet tells me is a car made by a company that's part of GAC, or Guangzhou Automobile Group. And, yes, I have heard of that because it's one of those Chinese state-owned conglomerates that has been around for decades.

GAC is one of China's top five car makers, producing almost two million vehicles last year, and has joint ventures with Toyota and Honda.

So although the Aion brand is new, the car is unknown and by the end of the year there will be only 25 UK dealers for the V (which, in case you missed it or have forgotten already, is a mid-sized electric crossover), it is not really a shock to find out that Aion knows a thing or two about building cars.

The V, which has 201bhp and a 317-mile range from its 75kWh battery, is by all accounts not bad.

But if I don't know about it, how are customers expected to? Buying a car isn't like going on Amazon to select a new electric razor or doorbell camera where it doesn't matter what it's called, you can buy one with one click and it will be with you tomorrow. This is spending £36,000.

On the one hand, this means prospective buyers will be more inclined to do some research. But on the other, it also means having a recognisable name is all the more necessary. A car needs a hook, a reason, a story: to be, if it can't be an actual Range Rover, the Temu Range Rover.

These can't all last, can they? This scattergun, market-overwhelming approach, like Uber in the taxi market, is bad news for a lot of established players. But sooner or later it will be clear that some are here to stay, and others are not.

My 85-year-old Jeep is perfect for driving to the shops

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Ready for action: Simple and reliable Jeep is easy to work on and appreciate

"We always get the first car parking space at Asda!" jokes Ian Watson about his Willys Jeep, which he has owned for 10 years.

"With the machine gun mounts - I have a couple of 30-calibre guns at home that fit them - it looks pretty serious." I hope he removes the - fake? - hand grenade attached to the dashboard when he and wife Viv pop into the supermarket.

Ian's Jeep is an early example - a 1941 'Slat Grille' (when Ford also began producing jeeps for the war effort, it swapped the grille for a simpler piece of pressed steel to speed up production).

"It was shipped out to the South Pacific just two days after Pearl Harbour," says Ian. "After the war, the Americans abandoned much of their equipment, and this Jeep remained in the Philippines. Eventually, it was run into the ground, but a museum in Manila, recognising its value as an early model, bought and restored it. When the museum closed, all the exhibits were sold off on eBay, which is how I came to buy it. It was more or less in its current condition and cost me £17,000, but today an early 'slat grille' Jeep goes for around £34,000, so I haven't done badly."

Ian's Jeep is powered by the Willys 'Go Devil' engine that most Jeeps used. It's a 2.2-litre inline four-cylinder flathead, or sidevalve, motor. "It leaks oil like a sieve, and because it was used in a hot country, it has a second radiator to keep it cool," he says.

"It makes only around 60hp but just a little more than 100lb ft at 2000rpm, so it pulls well from idle. In fact, it feels a bit like a tractor! It's certainly as slow as one, with 45mph the fastest I've had out of it. Not that I'd want to go much faster. The brakes are hydraulic but aren't very good. It has cart springs at the back, too, so you do get thrown about. You have to hang on; I'm conscious I might fall out, so we've fitted door straps. Soldiers back in the war were a lot smaller and could cling on more easily than a big fella like me."

Ian's Jeep has a three-speed manual gearbox and, being permanent four-wheel drive, a transfer box with high and low ranges. The handbrake works on the driveshaft and, says Ian, holds the vehicle securely. He adds: "A Jeep is a reasonably simple thing. I can do most jobs on it, but those I can't I farm out to a Jeep specialist in Milford, near Godalming. Spare parts are easy to come by. Because so many Jeeps were made, it's possible to get almost any bit that you need. It might be original too, although there are many new parts now coming out of India."

Ian and Viv do around 500 miles a year in their Jeep. "Because it's quite slow, it can be frustrating for those drivers following us, but people do love to see it about. When we first bought it, a lot of veterans would come up and reminisce, but they've passed on now. I keep it in my garage, one half of which has military memorabilia associated with it. The other side, where I park my 1968 Mini Moke, has 1960s memorabilia."

Alien encouter: visiting the UK's Area 51in a Maserati MCPura

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Exploring Britain's own Area 51 in the latest flying object from Modena: Brace for close encounters

Do you believe?

YouGov surveys suggest three-quarters of British people adjudge that alien life exists somewhere in the universe, while a whole third think those extraterrestrials have visited Earth at least once. Seven per cent of our population say they have seen a UFO. But I'd happily wager those figures swell at least a little in this hilly, happy valley in West Yorkshire. The market town of Todmorden is the unofficial UFO capital of the UK - think Area 51 with less Nevada desert and more craft shops.

It's the perfect place to introduce Maserati's latest land-borne craft to British roads. The MCPura represents a nip, tuck and light rebrand for the wondrous MC20 supercar after five years on sale. To the eyes of dedicated car folk, little has changed - reprofiled bumpers and new wheel and paint options summarise its visual makeover - but this car will remain a UFO (unusually fabulous object) to many onlookers. Not least with its dihedral doors and the hugely theatrical folding roof of this Cielo cabrio, it makes even its everyday manoeuvres resemble the extraordinary.

Its dynamic elements are unchanged, a carbon tub at its core and a 621bhp twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 perched beneath its pert, Trident-stamped deck. It drives the rear wheels only through a snappy eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The MCPura feels distinctly old-school for its lack of hybridisation and there's naturally an awful lot to like about that - particularly on roads as stirring as these.

Todmorden (pronounced Tod-muh-dun) sits at the confluence of three Pennine valleys, and while it doesn't inhabit the more famed driving meccas of the Yorkshire Dales or North York Moors, the Calderdale region it dwells in has a charm all of its own. Hills dominate the horizon in every direction, punching well above their official elevation figures with sweeping consistency and rich textures. Bleating sheep and topsy-turvy dry stone walls etch detail into the picture while wind turbines pepper many of the region's peaks to twist a useful positive from its often inclement weather.

Colin Lyall has owned a second-hand bookshop in Tod, as the locals call it, for 25 years. "Tod is open, welcoming and accepting," he tells me. "It's always been alternative - a nest of counterculture where people come to escape the elements of a more mundane society." Its philosophy clearly embraces a wide spectrum of views about what may occupy the skies above us.

Tod's most famous tale dates back to November 1980 and the apparent abduction of police officer Alan Godfrey as he performed an early morning search for some missing cows. There are copious books and resources that dig gleefully into the finer details (the BBC's Uncanny podcast explores the story with particular eloquence) but Godfrey claims to have seen a large, lit diamond in the sky - 20ft wide and 14ft tall, stationary save for an anticlockwise rotation on its lower section - before losing 25 minutes of his morning and finding himself 100ft farther down the A646, with no recollection of what had occurred in the interim.

Rational explanations abound, but Godfrey has steadfastly stuck to his story for nearly 50 years. And his is far from the only ethereal event on these roads. Reports of silver balls, beams of light and phantom Zeppelins roaming the sky date back to the early 1900s, when the pragmatic suggestion of military aircraft manoeuvres can't quickly shrug off the paranormal twist on events.

"Alan's experience is the big story, the one that centres it," says Colin as he divulges Calderdale's reputation for "high-strangeness events". Ghosts, witches and vampires also star in local legends. It's all up for discussion at his monthly Todmorden UFO Meet, open to all in the Golden Lion pub since 2017. It's well known among the UFO community and attendees have travelled from all over the world to tell their story. So does Colin have an experience of his own? "In Manchester, ironically! I had to go out of town to have mine," he says, laughing. "I saw a silver ball move across the sky very slowly. And I thought: 'Well, what is that?' There was no propulsion system with it. At the altitude that I could see it, it must have been pretty big."

Back in the MCPura, it feels like I'm in danger of triggering my own disturbance, because the car erupts with a histrionic blare each time I push its stark blue starter button. My momentum against the Millstone Grit buildings of Tod town centre feels rather brazen and its open roof alerts me to plenty of "bloomin' hecks" (and other utterances) as I potter around while photographer Sim takes some pictures.

In moments like these, I improbably wish for the hybridisation of its closest supercar rivals - or the fully electric MC20 Folgore, which Maserati promised at launch but cancelled, citing lack of demand. We come in peace, after all, and a mite more subtlety would be welcome. So I'm grateful when the chance arises to whisk Sim back into the Maserati and continue our clockwise loop towards the exact spot where PC Godfrey had his close encounter.

When we reach it there's no plaque, and with the sun shining and turbine blades spinning it's difficult to imagine a domineering craft hovering ahead to halt our progress. So I instead lean into the fast, gentle curves of the A646 to dig deeper into the MCPura's potential. On warm, dry Tarmac, it exhibits little of the savagery I've experienced in wetter conditions in its MC20 forebear. There's grip to spare and I'm quickly notching through the drive modes to sharpen its focus.

The damping is supreme across undulating Tarmac and you can quickly shrug off the more languid vertical movements of GT mode to indulge in the tighter-fisted feel of Sport or Race. This also sharpens the shifts of its already impressive dual-clutch 'box, and with the car's prodigious performance inevitably tricky to wring out on public roads, you instead play tunes on its Nettuno V6 by flick-flacking up and down the gears, feeling the car transform from mild to wild with a couple of choice downchanges.

Consecutive right turns at Cliviger onto The Long Causeway serve up tighter corners and more breathtaking dips and crests for enjoying Maserati's slightly ragged interpretation of the modern supercar experience. The MCPura's best work happens below its limits and there's great satisfaction in achieving a smooth, consistent flow, feeling its mid-engined balance and subtly rearward weight bias inform its cornering attitude rather than govern it. I'd have far busier hands and feet if the sun wasn't so golden, mind. And I don't once gel with its soft, unprogressive brake pedal, which clearly wishes to be stamped hard to the bulkhead on a racetrack rather than carefully modulated on a twisting B-road.

It's not the only imperfection, and while you can sense the influence its engineers took from rival supercars, the MCPura is unashamedly its own, unique thing. As you might well hope at a whisker under £300,000 as tested, with its generously ladled options. Yet it looks twice its asking price with the sun dancing across its multi-layered Fuoriserie paint and the flying buttresses on the Cielo's rear deck more than justifying its sacrifice of a glass cover above the V6.

This is a design more emboldened in drop-top form and I doubt its coupé sibling would have been any more thrilling across the moors. Its handful of niggles are much easier to tolerate with the sun beaming down and the chuffs, whistles and bass of its boosted V6 so easily populating the cabin.

We reach Hebden Bridge - a place brimming with its own UFO sightings - before turning right at Mytholmroyd to tackle Cragg Vale Incline, the longest continuous road ascent in England. Its 968ft rise across 5.5 miles earned it a place in the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France. It's naturally a mite easier with 538lb ft of Italian muscle to call on and the MCPura makes light work of our climb towards Blackstone Edge and the border with Greater Manchester.

Darkness is gradually draping itself across the scenery and an immediate chill prickles our arms as stars begin to pepper the sky and bright lights beam ominously across the valley. "Must be tractors," we both mutter hopefully to one another. Believer or sceptic, it's hard not to glance through the Cielo's targa top with intrigue: the breadth of phenomena across these sprawling moors is enough to carve a glimmer of possibility in even the most closed minds. And should extraterrestrial life not extend a friendly hand to shake, we have the ideal getaway car.

Drive it yourself

Our 'Tod Triangle' takes in 32 miles and 1hr 10min of glorious Pennines scenery, delays caused by unplanned abductions or time slips notwithstanding. Tally your visit with the third Tuesday of the month to attend the Todmorden UFO Meet at the Golden Lion — friendly sceptics very much welcome.

Plentiful pubs or cafes can be tapped in as waypoints, but the towns of Todmorden, Mereclough, Hebden Bridge and Littleborough are your key anchors to replicate our route. Bridestones Moor and Stoodley Pike allow you to park up for a dramatic hike among the scenery (and a closer peek to the skies) safe in the knowledge that you can soothe any aches and pains afterwards with the hot and cold contrast sauna at New Delight Inn (iglusauna.co.uk).

Short, worthwhile detours include Mankinholes, a ruggedly rural spot with numerous otherworldly occurrences to its name (though narrow lanes to negotiate), the towering structure of Baitings Reservoir dam and the unlikely inland beach of Hollingworth Lake, complete with fish 'n' chip shops, an ice cream parlour and an amusement arcade.

Maserati MCPura Cielo
Price	£227,070
Engine	V6, 2992cc, twin-turbo, petrol
Power	621bhp at 7500rpm
Torque	538lb ft at 3000rpm
Gearbox	8-spd dual-clutch automatic, RWD
Kerb weight	1560kg
0-62mph	2.9sec
Top speed	199mph
Economy	24.1mpg
CO2, tax band	265g/km, 37%
Rivals	Ferrari 296 GTS, McLaren Artura Spider

The most powerful American production car engines of all time

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 04:39:44 +0100

There's no replacement for displacement, and this lot of hugely powerful and often massive engines prove that

Internal combustion engines are far more complex than electric motors, and it’s correspondingly more difficult to make them produce a lot of power.

As the 2011 horsepower Lotus Evija demonstrates, the most powerful cars of the near future will be EVs, but remarkable outputs have nevertheless been achieved with engines fuelled by petrol or diesel.

Here we’re looking at 20 of the strongest examples created in the US, all of them available in cars or non-commercial trucks sold to the public for road use (so no 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragsters, for example).

They’re listed in ascending order of their quoted outputs, with the caveat that there was a change from gross to net horsepower in 1972, which muddies the waters considerably.

Only the most powerful unit from any family is included. This means that what you’ll be reading isn’t a top 20 in the usual sense, since many engines have been ignored because they are outpowered by close relatives, but it adds variety, and we all like variety.

Chrysler FirePower: 390 horsepower (gross)

The FirePower was the first of three generations of Chrysler V8 engine collectively known as Hemi. Introduced in the 1951 model year, it was the only engine fitted to the first four models in the 300 letter series, each of which was produced for just a single year.

It was discontinued after the 300D of 1958, in which it produced 380 horsepower from 6.4 litres if fitted with twin four-barrel carburettors. Optional fuel injection raised the output to 390 horsepower, the highest achieved in any FirePower.

It’s important to note that this was a gross figure, measured when the engine was not burdened by power-sapping ancillaries necessary for it to function in a car. The net figure, as used from 1972 onwards, would have been lower, but still comfortably over 300 horsepower.

Chrysler RB: 400 horsepower (gross)

The RB was a big-block V8 offered in capacities of up to 7.2 litres, but the most powerful version fitted to a road car measured 6.8 litres. This was used in the 300F of 1960, in which it normally produced 375 horsepower gross. As an extra-cost option, customers could order a 400 horsepower version, which was mated to a four-speed manual gearbox rather than the usual three-speed automatic.

The highest gross figure for a 7.2 was 390 horsepower. The Max Wedge variant was rated at 420, but this was intended only for use in drag racing.

Ford MEL: 400 horsepower (gross)

The MEL (which stood for Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) was Ford’s rival to the contemporary Chrysler RB. In 7.0-litre form it was easily capable of producing 360 horsepower, which was the standard output of the Mercury Park Lane.

In 1958, however, Mercury offered an uprated version with three two-barrel carburettors. Known as the Super Marauder, it produced 400 horsepower, and was an option on every model Mercury sold in that year.

Oldsmobile Rocket: 400 horsepower (gross)

In 1970, the final model year of the first-generation front-wheel drive Toronado, Oldsmobile created the optional W-34 package to boost the output of its second-generation V8, which by that time had reached its maximum capacity of 7.5 litres.

As standard, the V8 was rated at 375 horsepower, which you might have thought would be about enough. The uprated camshaft and dual exhaust system included in the package raised this to 400, and for good measure Oldsmobile added “special transmission calibration for quicker acceleration”.

Cummins B Series: 420 horsepower

The first and only six-cylinder diesel on this list is a 6.7-litre member of the long-running B Series family, supplied by Cummins to Stellantis for use in its Ram heavy duty trucks. The Standard Output version produces 370 horsepower and is available in the 2500 and 3500, but the 3500 also has the option of the High Output derivative which produces 420 horsepower, 10 more than the 6.4-litre petrol Hemi V8 in the same range.

In terms of torque, the High Output easily surpasses the others. It produces 1075 lb ft, well above the Standard Output’s 850 lb ft and the Hemi’s 429 lb ft.

Chrysler Hemi: 425 horsepower (gross)

Originally intended only for racing, the first Chrysler V8 officially called Hemi (and nicknamed Elephant) later became available in several Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge road cars – including the aerodynamically adventurous Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird – and also in the Monteverdi Hai built in Switzerland.

Measuring 7.0 litres, it was always officially rated at 425 horsepower gross, though in 1971 Chrysler and Plymouth also published a more realistic net rating of 350 horsepower.

PICTURE: Dodge Charger Daytona

Ford FE: 425 horsepower (gross)

The FE V8 made its debut in the 1958 model year, when the 5.9-litre version was fitted to several models produced by the ill-fated Edsel brand. Two 7.0-litre variants arrived later, of which the more powerful was known as the 427, even though its capacity in non-metric units was actually 426 cubic inches.

The 427 was available in two power outputs, the higher being 425 horsepower. In this form, which first appeared in 1964, it was fitted to the Ford Galaxie and Fairlane and the Mercury Comet, Monterey and Park Lane.

PICTURE: 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL Sportsroof

Ford Godzilla: 430 horsepower

The Godzilla is a petrol-fuelled V8 introduced in the 2020 model year with a capacity of 7.3 litres, and has since become available as a 6.8. It’s fitted to larger vehicles, and usually has an output of under 400 horsepower.

The exception is the version fitted to the F-Series Super Duty trucks, which are in what’s known as the Heavy Duty class. For this application, the 7.3-litre Godzilla produced 430 horsepower, and 485 lb ft of torque.

Chevrolet Big-Block: 450 horsepower (gross)

Chevrolet has been producing big-block V8s since the 1950s, though latterly they have been used more for load-hauling vehicles than for passenger cars. In 1970, the 7.4-litre version normally produced 360 horsepower, but it could optionally be uprated to 450 in that year’s Chevy Chevelle (pictured).

Another member of the same family which you can buy right now is the 10.4-litre ZZ632. This produces 1004 horsepower (net) and 876 lb ft of torque, but it’s a crate engine not fitted as standard to any production model, so for the purposes of this gallery it doesn’t count.

GM Duramax V8: 470 horsepower

The L5P became the newest member of the 6.6-litre turbo diesel Duramax V8 family in 2017, when it produced 445 horsepower at 2800rpm and 910 lb ft at 1600rpm. For 2024, it has been upgraded to 470 horsepower and 975 lb ft at the same engine speeds.

It’s fitted to two very similar Heavy Duty pickup trucks – the Chevrolet Silverado HD (pictured) and the GMC Sierra HD, the latter being more or less the same as the former but with different badges and styling details.

Ford Power Stroke: 500 horsepower

Also known as the Scorpion, the 6.7-litre turbo diesel Power Stroke V8 was introduced in 2011, replacing an earlier 6.4-litre engine from the same family, and has gradually become more powerful. Its 475 horsepower and 1050 lb ft were both best-in-class and a High Output version arrived in the 2023 model year with 500 horsepower and 1200 lb ft.

The High Output is standard in the top-spec Limited versions of the F-250, F-350 (pictured) and F-450 Super Duty trucks, and an extra-cost option in others.

Cadillac Blackwing: 550 horsepower

Codenamed LTA, the Blackwing was a 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8 available very briefly in the Cadillac CT6 luxury saloon. In the CT6 Platinum, it produced 500 horsepower and 574 lb ft, while a version in a higher state of tune fitted to the CT6-V (pictured) made 550 horsepower and 640 lb ft.

Introduced in 2019, both models lasted only until the CT6 range was discontinued the following year. Today, Cadillac makes Blackwing versions of the CT4-V and CT5-V, but neither they nor any other vehicle use this engine.

Chrysler Viper: 645 horsepower

The Viper V10 engine was only ever used in the Dodge Viper sports car. As launched in 1992, it already measured a formidable 8.0 litres, but its capacity was gradually increased over the years, finally reaching 8.4 litres.

The power and torque outputs rose too, peaking at 645 horsepower and 600 lb ft in 2015.

Ford EcoBoost: 660 horsepower

Of the many Ford engines wearing the EcoBoost badge, the twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 is by far the strongest. As far as road-going applications are concerned, the ultimate version was the one fitted to later examples of the Ford GT, which produced 660 horsepower and 550 lb ft of torque.

Still higher figures have been reached, but only in GTs built specifically for track, rather than road, use.

Ford Modular: 760 horsepower

The most powerful engine in the Modular family is also the most powerful ever fitted to a production Ford. Known as the Predator, the supercharged 5.2-litre V8 produces 760 horsepower and 625 lb ft, and has only ever been fitted to the Mustang Shelby GT500 introduced in 2020.

Another version called Carnivore made its debut in the 2023 F-150 Raptor high-performance pickup truck. Developed with off-roading in mind, this has slightly less power – a still more than reasonable 700 horsepower – but a superior torque rating of 640 lb ft.

Chevrolet Small-Block: 772 horsepower

Of the many Chevrolet V8s bearing this name over the past 70 years, the most powerful fitted to a production car has been the supercharged 6.2-litre LT5 introduced in the 2019 Corvette ZR1. Its standard output was 755 horsepower, but it made 772 horsepower when fitted with the optional Performance Intake system.

At the time of writing, no current-generation mid-engined Corvette produces anything like this, though that may be about to change.

Chrysler Hemi third generation: 1025 horsepower

The SRT Demon 170, the seventh and final Last Call special edition versions of the Dodge Challenger, was powered by the most monumental production engine in Hemi history. If it sensed that it was running on E85 fuel, the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 could produce no less than 1025 horsepower and 945 lb ft of torque. On E10 fuel, the figures were a still astonishing 900 horsepower and 810 lb ft.

At launch, Chrysler said that production would be “limited to at most 3,300 units”, 300 of which would be sold in Canada and the remained in the US.

Saleen LM: 1500 horsepower

All versions of the Saleen S7 were powered by a 7.0-litre engine derived from the Ford Windsor V8. Power outputs varied considerably depending on how much, if any, forced induction was involved, but in twin-turbo form it was said to be as much as 1300 horsepower.

That claim was superseded by one made in 2019, when Saleen reported that the figure had been raised to 1500 horsepower and 1328 lb ft of torque.

SSC V8: 1750 horsepower

The Tuatara hypercar produced by SSC North America (formerly Shelby SuperCars) has a mid-mounted twin-turbo 5.9-litre V8 engine whose output depends on what fuel it’s running on. According to its maker, it produces 1350 horsepower on 91 octane petrol and 1750 horsepower on ethanol or methanol.

A video released in 2022 shows the engine apparently achieving just short of 1900 horsepower on the Nelson Racing Engines dyno, though this is not an official figure.

With a performance upgrade, and only if running on methanol, the V8 is reported to be capable of 2200 horsepower in the Aggressor variant, but this is a track-only car whose performance, according to the SSC website, is “not possible in the street legal versions of the Tuatara”.

Hennessey Fury: 1817 horsepower

Hennessey’s Venom F5 is available in four forms – Coupe, Roadster (pictured), Revolution Coupe and Revolution Roadster – of which the first and third had been sold out at the time of writing. All four are powered by the Fury engine, a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V8.

In each application, it produces 1817 horsepower and 1193 lb ft of torque, which makes the Venom F5 the most powerful non-electric road-going production car not only in the US but in global automotive history.

Ford's most controversial cars

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 04:39:17 +0100

We count the biggest troublemakers that landed the illustrious blue oval in hot water

There are many kinds of controversy, and a car manufacturer which has been operating for 120 years, as Ford Motor Company has, will inevitably have experienced most of them.

Here are 40 examples of the company’s models which have caused disputes of one kind or another. They’re listed in chronological order, and were marketed either by Ford itself or by brands Ford owned before 1950, but not ones it acquired after that year.

Ford Model T (1908)

The Model T is now perhaps the most celebrated car Ford ever produced, but to get the full picture we have to consider how cars in general were viewed when it first appeared in 1908. Although they developed an enthusiastic following, they were also considered by many people to be noisy, smelly, frighteningly fast and terribly dangerous.

The T wasn’t necessarily a specific target, but by its very existence it was part of a large controversy, and became central to it as sales skyrocketed. Henry Ford was however criticised for hanging onto it for too long, as it stayed in production for 19 years, and during the latter half of its life General Motors overtook Ford in the US market.

Lincoln Zephyr (1936)

The Zephyr was a remarkable car for 1936, not least because it had – remarkably for its relatively low price – a V12 engine related to (but not simply an enlarged version of) the Ford flathead V8.

The V12 was the car’s most appealing, but also most controversial, feature. Its most serious flaw was that the exhaust gases were ported through the cylinder blocks, and heated up the water which the radiator was trying to cool down. Lincoln later made amends, but the Zephyr never quite lost its reputation for unreliability.

Ford Parklane (1955)

Sometimes a controversy can arise between a manufacturer and its customers. This was the case with the Parklane, a two-door station wagon which sold so poorly that Ford offered it only in the 1956 model year.

Ford tried again with the very similar Del Rio, which was more successful in the limited sense that it lasted for two whole model years (1957 and 1958) before being canned.

Ford Taunus (1957)

The P2 generation Taunus, sold from 1957 to 1960, must have come as quite a shock to people who had been accustomed to earlier German Fords of the same name. While the previous models appeared relatively staid, this one had lots of chrome, prominent tailfins, a frontal resemblance to the contemporary Mercury Monterey and in some cases two-tone paintwork, the different colours appearing above and below a line which resembled Buick’s ‘sweepspear’.

All this flamboyance led to the P2 being nicknamed Barocktaunus, or baroque Taunus, in reference to a highly decorative artistic style of the 17th and 18th centuries. More positively, it was also known as the fliegende Teppich, or flying carpet, in a tribute to its excellent ride quality.

Edsel (1958)

Possible reasons for the failure of Ford’s calamitous Edsel brand, which was introduced in 1958 and axed just two years later, include incoherent marketing, a change in customer preferences towards smaller cars, low quality, dubious styling and a horrendous recession in America which saw new car sales halve.

Nearly 70 years later, the exact cause no longer matters. What does matter is that Edsel was Ford’s first major disaster, and a sign that even an enormously wealthy company with talented staff can sometimes get things very badly wrong.

Ford Anglia (1959)

The last of many European Fords to bear the Anglia name is probably best known now for its appearance in the Harry Potter films, though it’s also notable for being the first car fitted with an engine from the Kent family. Its most controversial feature, which applied only to the saloon versions, was a reverse-angled rear window, which one authority has described as being given “short shrift by customers who could see no rationale for it beyond a perverse desire to be different”.

That might well have been the case when the Anglia was launched in 1959, but in the following eight years Ford had reason to build more than a million examples, so the car’s other qualities seem to have overcome early distaste for its unusual appearance.

Ford Taunus (1960)

The appearance of the P3 Taunus was approximately as controversial as that of the ‘baroque’ model it replaced in 1960, but for completely different reasons. American influence had been eliminated, and the car’s shape was so unusual for the period that it became known as the Badewanne, or ‘bathtub’.

Even more remarkably, the P3 had lozenge-shaped headlights. These would have had to be replaced if the car had been exported to the US, since it was illegal to use anything other than round headlights there at the time.

Ford Consul Classic (1961)

While Ford of Germany was removing American influence from the Taunus, Ford of Britain adopted it in a big way for the Consul Classic. By UK standards, the front end was brash and the finned tail was enormous, while the reverse-angled rear window was carried over from the Anglia.

Despite early concerns, the Anglia quickly became accepted, but the even more unusual Consul Classic never was. Production lasted only from April 1961 to September 1963.

Ford Consul Capri (1961)

It’s difficult to say if the Consul Classic looked stranger than its coupe equivalent, or the other way round. The first Ford model with Capri in its name was lower than the saloon, and although its rear window sloped the ‘correct’ way, this also emphasised the length of the car’s tail even more.

At under 20,000, sales of the Capri were less than a fifth those of the Classic, though in fact the Capri remained on the market for slightly longer, until July 1964. It’s possible that Ford needed a replacement for the Consul far more urgently than it did for the Capri.

Ford Corsair V4 (1965)

The Consul Classic was replaced by the far more conventional-looking Corsair, which was relatively cheap to develop because it shared all its mechanicals and part of its structure with the Cortina. Launched in 1963, it remained uncontroversial until late 1965, when Ford decided to replace its Kent engine with the Essex V4. Also available in the Transit, the Essex was larger and more powerful than the Kent, but it was also heavier.

While the Corsair’s performance certainly improved, it was now also less economical, didn’t handle as well (due to the extra nose weight) and sounded harsher. Demand fell to such an extent that Ford needed to build slightly fewer V4 Corsairs in four years than it had been obliged to manufacture Kent-engined versions in just two.

Ford Thunderbird (1967)

The glory days of the Thunderbird were already behind it when Ford introduced the fifth-generation model in 1967. The T-bird was now larger than before, there was no convertible derivative, a saloon was added to the range, and Ford returned to the old-fashioned body-on-frame construction method for the first time in a decade.

Customers were unconvinced. Sales were reasonably strong at first, but dropped to just over 36,000 in the 1971 model year, the lowest figure for the nameplate since 1957.

Ford Torino Talladega (1969)

The Talladega was the subject of a motorsport controversy rather than a general motoring one. Based on the Sportsroof fastback version of the regular Torino, it had a more aerodynamic front end which reduced drag – a very useful feature on high-speed NASCAR oval tracks.

In early 1969 Ford built just enough road-going versions to qualify for that year’s NASCAR series. David Pearson (1934-2018) won eleven rounds and his third title. Other manufacturers followed Ford’s lead until the aero warriors, as they were known, were legislated out of contention, a sure sign that someone had had a better idea than the rule makers were expecting.

Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II (1969)

The Spoiler II was the exact equivalent of the Ford Torino Talladega homologation special, built in similar numbers from the same material and for the same reasons. It was also equally competitive, at least potentially – LeeRoy Yarbrough (1938-1984) won two rounds in a Spoiler II in 1969, but competed more often in a Talladega, in which he won five.

The contrasting results achieved by the two models were appropriate, and possibly deliberate. While the Spoiler II gave Mercury a lot of publicity, the idea of the junior brand beating the senior one across a whole season might not have sat well with upper management.

Ford Pinto (1971)

Ford’s first North American subcompact sold in very high numbers throughout the 1970s, but it’s more famous now for its tendency to burst into flames if the fuel tank was ruptured in a rear-end collision.

While there are differing views on just how dangerous the Pinto really was compared with similar cars built in the same decade, there is no doubt that it was an extremely costly car for Ford in terms of both money and reputation.

Ford Falcon GTHO Phase IV (1972)

Along with high-performance versions of the Holden Torana and Chrysler Valiant Charger, the GTHO Phase IV was one of the most controversial cars ever developed for road use. All three were created as homologation specials for the 1972 model year, and were expected to battle it out on Australian race tracks in that season.

However, a newspaper article in the Sydney Sun-Herald gave rise to what has become known as the supercar scare, which led to these cars being strongly criticised by politicians. Within days, each manufacturer had abandoned its project. As a result, very few GTHO Phase IVs were actually built. In 2021, one of them set a new auction record for an Australian-built car of $1.75 million.

Ford Granada (1972)

By far the most controversial thing about the first-generation European Granada introduced in 1972 was its name. The Granada Group, a large UK media and catering conglomerate (including operating motorway service areas ), took Ford to court over this, on the grounds that members of the public might think it had something to do with the car, which was described in court as “an unfair and unlawful incursion into [the Group’s] goodwill”.

The judge, Justice John Graham, decided Granada had “failed to produce evidence that satisfies me that such is likely to be the case”, and found in favour of Ford. The car went onto great success in Europe, becoming the car to aspire to for any senior manager, before German brands inevitably came calling for that market…

Ford Mustang (1973)

The second-generation Mustang, introduced in the 1974 model year, is widely regarded as a poor substitute for the first, which had made its debut a decade earlier. Media reaction was mixed, and often hostile – journalists complained at the time, as later commenters have also done, that it just wasn’t sporty enough to be a ‘real’ Mustang.

The controversy made little difference to customers. Mustang sales in 1974 were higher than they had been since 1967, and over the course of five years the car found more than a million buyers. Whatever people think of it now, it was successful in its day.

Ford Escort (1980)

The Escort launched in 1980 was a completely different machine from the two versions built over the previous 12 years. It was available as a hatchback, it had front-wheel drive, and it came with a new engine called the CVH, which had an overhead camshaft and hydraulic lifters. After more than a decade of rear-wheel drive and overhead-valve engines, it was all rather exciting – or, if you were a traditionalist, rather alarming.

Reviews were mostly favourable, but there was immediate criticism of the poor ride quality, which Ford responded to by revising the suspension. In 1982, the new Escort became the most-registered car in the UK, according to figures collated by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and remained so (if you include the fourth-generation car, which was really just an update of this one) until 1989.

Ford Mustang (1980)

The third Mustang arrived around the time of the second global oil crisis in six years. In an effort to keep fuel economy favourable, Ford smothered its Windsor V8 engine, reducing its capacity to 4.2 litres and its power output to just 120bhp.

In this form, the engine was available in the Mustang from 1980 to 1982. Cars of that period had miserable performance, and are now regarded as the low point both of V8-powered Mustangs and of the generally respected Windsor.

Ford Sierra (1982)

A section of the British motoring public, familiar with the Ford Cortina for two decades, reacted hotly to the arrival of the Sierra in 1982. It had a silly name, they said, and it looked like a jelly mould.

The controversy eventually died down, and the Sierra became as familiar as its Cortina predecessors had been. The high-performance RS Cosworth and later RS500 variants added glamour to what, by the end of the decade, was regarded as a very conventional car.

Ford Bronco II (1984)

The Bronco II, a compact SUV sold from 1984 to 1990, developed a terrible reputation for falling over due to its combination of a small footprint and a high centre of gravity. Other vehicles of the same type have had similar problems, but the Bronco II became the poster child due to a series of high-profile cases.

The total cost to Ford is difficult to determine, but a magazine report published in 2001 included an estimate that the company had had to pay “approximately $2.4 billion in damage settlements”. Its follow-up model, introduced in 1991, became controversial in another way when a 1993 example became involved in one of the most famous - albeit slow-speed - car chases in history when it carried OJ Simpson, in Los Angeles in 1994…

Ford Probe (1988)

The controversy surrounding the Probe was over and done with before the car went on sale in 1988. This compact coupe was designed in collaboration with Mazda, had front-wheel drive and was powered by either a four-cylinder engine or a V6, all of which seemed acceptable.

The problem was that it was originally planned as the new Mustang. Both inside and outside Ford, it was felt that front-wheel drive, partly Japanese heritage and the lack of a V8 option simply didn’t add up to something that could be called Mustang, so the car was launched as the Probe instead. The then-current Mustang wasn’t replaced until 1994, by which time the Probe was in its second generation.

Ford Escort Mk5 (1990)

The European Escort entered a new generation in 1990. Compared with its immediate predecessor, the car was roomier, better equipped and only slightly more expensive. Customers liked it, and it was a big success for Ford.

This happy tale is spoiled only by the fact that early models were heavily criticised for their ride, handling, gutless engines and appearance. Ford reacted very quickly to the complaints, and introduced a revised version in only slightly more than two years, making the new Escort the car it should have been in the first place. Luckily perhaps for Ford the market, and competitor cars, were more forgiving then than today.

Ford Scorpio (1994)

The final European Ford in the Granada/Scorpio line, launched in 1994, was a conventional large saloon/estate which in normal circumstances wouldn’t have offended anyone. The abnormal circumstance which made it one of the most talked-about Fords ever (in an entirely negative sense) was its design.

Commentators fell over themselves trying to out-do each other with ever more insulting remarks about the car’s appearance. Ford couldn’t do much about this without starting again from scratch (too expensive to contemplate), but it did give the Scorpio a minor facelift in late 1997, which helped slightly.

Ford Aspire (1994)

Like the much earlier Parklane, the Aspire was an example of a mild controversy between Ford and its customers – the former wanted the latter to buy it, but the latter weren’t interested.

This inexpensive little hatchback was co-developed with Kia, which sold it as the Avella. It was introduced in North America in 1994, but dropped three years later due to lack of interest.

Ford Explorer (1995)

The second-generation Explorer SUV went on the market in 1995, and quickly became notorious due to a series of major accidents. This led to a legal battle between Ford and tyre supplier Firestone. In February 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it had denied a request by Firestone to open a safety defect investigation into the handling and control characteristics of the Explorer if the tread of a rear tyre came away from the rest of it.

The NHTSA stated that analysis of claims data showed there was “no significant difference in the likelihood of a crash following a tread separation between Explorer vehicles and other compact SUVs”. The affair led - among other things - to the exit of Ford CEO Jac Nasser.

Ford Fiesta (1996)

The 1996 Fiesta (also sold as the Mazda 121) was largely the same as the previous one apart from a new engine, less weight and a mild restyle. The last of these was perhaps the least successful and caused adverse comments, some of them including the word ‘fish’.

Fortunately, it didn’t last long. Ford adopted its New Edge styling for the facelifted version, which looked significantly better.

Ford Ka (1996)

The original Ka, which made its debut in 1996, was only mildly controversial, but there has always been disagreement about how to pronounce its name – with a short ‘a’ as in cat, with a long ‘a’ as in ‘car’, or even spelling out each letter as if they were intials (which is not the case).

Then there was the question of its styling. The Ka was the first production Ford with a New Edge design, and while it looks innocent enough now it was quite startling at the time, especially to people who hadn’t seen pictures of the similar Saetta concept car.

Ford Racing Puma (1999)

The 1999 Racing Puma was a special version of the Fiesta-based Puma coupe developed by Tickford. Among other modifications, the standard 1.7-litre engine was uprated from 123bhp to a still less than startling 153bhp, though the emphasis was more on handling. Two race drivers, one of whom later became a British Touring Car Champion, agreed that it suffered from understeer on a circuit, but this was not apparent in road use.

The most controversial thing about the Racing Puma was its price. Ford charged £22,750, at a time when a Subaru Impreza WRX cost significantly less and a Lotus Elise only slightly more. Sales were understandably low.

Ford Excursion (1999)

At 5758mm (226.7in) from end to end, and weighing around four US tons, the Excursion remains, nearly a quarter of a century after its debut, one of the largest, heaviest and least economical SUVs ever to go on sale.

Onlookers concerned about safety and the environment reacted with alarm, and came up with several nicknames for the vehicle, including Fordasaurus, Ford Saddam and Ford Valdez. The last of these was a reference to the Exxon Valdez supertanker which dropped ten million US gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1989.

Ford Focus RS (2001)

The first of what would become three series of Focus RS arrived in 2001, and was immediately impressive because Ford (for either technical or cost reasons, depending on who you spoke to) had made it front-wheel drive like the standard model rather than four-wheel drive like the versions competing in the World Rally Championship.

Torque steer, which happened only if you were driving very hard, was a controversial issue, and unfairly blamed on the car’s Quaife limited slip differential, which wasn’t in fact causing the problem. The second Focus RS – also front-wheel drive, and also fitted with the Quaife diff – behaved far better because of its superior front suspension geometry, which Ford achieved by developing the ingenious RevoKnuckle system.

Ford Thunderbird (2001)

After building Thunderbirds in ten generations for 42 years, Ford discontinued the nameplate in 1997, but then brought it back five years later. Like the original T-bird, but unlike any of the nine in between, this version was a two-seat convertible, and was based on the same platform as the Jaguar S-Type and Lincoln LS.

After an initial flurry of interest, sales fell sharply, leading to the cancellation of the model after just four years. Perhaps a truly modern Thunderbird would have been more successful than a retro tribute, and perhaps also Ford had been right to abandon the two-seat convertible configuration in the late 1950s, and wrong to bring it back in the following century.

Lincoln Blackwood (2002)

Ford’s luxury brand made the unusual decision to produce a pickup truck in 2002. Based on the contemporary F-150, it was resoundingly unpopular, and stayed on the market for just one model year in the US and one more in Mexico.

Lincoln’s next effort, the Mark LT, was barely more successful. Even in combination, they didn’t come close to GM’s equivalent, the Cadillac Escalade EXT, which wasn’t exactly a big hit either. The message seems to be that no matter how much you want to put a luxury pickup on sale, don’t do it.

Ford Five Hundred (2004)

Ford’s second largest saloon of its period, after the Crown Victoria, was sold only in the 2005 to 2007 model years and was based on a platform inherited from Volvo, which made this car a slightly unlikely sibling of the Volvo XC90 Mk1. The Five Hundred’s lack of success has been attributed to its conservative styling, which was widely criticised. Ford designer J Mays admitted that the look of the Five Hundred was problematic. “It’s just lacking in the emotional appeal that we should have put into it,” he admitted in one interview, though this was not the whole story.

In another interview, talking about the same car, he hinted at another reason by saying, “I've been at the company 13 years and I've been through five CEOs. Some of those CEOs have had more conservative tastes than others.” Ford’s latest CEO, Alan Mulally who arrived in 2006, ordered an immediate re-design and the revival of the Taurus nameplate, which he said had much greater brand equity, having been around between 1986 and 2005; this seemed to improve sales, especially when an all-new Taurus arrived in 2010.

Ford EcoSport (2014)

“It’s been a long time since a new Ford was as bad as the EcoSport,” we said in 2014. Launched in other markets two years earlier, the model had been developed in Brazil and built (for Europe) in India (and also in several other places), where it suited local conditions, and brought over to Europe, where it definitely didn’t, to allow Ford to compete in the highly competitive compact SUV sector.

With question marks over its ride, handling and interior quality, the EcoSport at first sold poorly in the region, though Ford made amends by improving it considerably in later years. It sold reasonably well in the US, despite being very small for that market – but at least it was cheap.

Lincoln Continental concept (2015)

The concept version of what would become the new Continental caused quite a flurry when it was revealed at the 2015 Detroit Show. Bentley design chief Luc Donckerwolke (born 1965) thought it bore a suspiciously close resemblance to his own company’s car of the same name, and vigorously conveyed his objections on social media.

Lincoln made some adjustments (which would probably have happened anyway) before the production Continental went on sale two years later, but the basic shape remained the same.

Ford Focus RS (2012)

The third and last Focus RS was the only one in the series with four-wheel drive, which wasn’t controversial, and a setting called Drift Mode, which was – at least in Australia.

Representatives of the Pedestrian Council of Australia and the National Roads and Motorists’ Association, along with a former head of Australian Medical Association, all expressed concerns about Drift Mode. Ford responded to calls for it to be disabled by not disabling it, and there the matter rested.

Ford GT (2015)

In order to prevent ‘flipping’ (selling a car for a vast profit shortly after purchasing it) Ford required buyers of the second-generation GT to keep it for 24 months. Not everyone did, which led to various lawsuits.

Two particularly high-profile examples – one involving Mecum Auctions, the other wrestler John Cena – were amicably settled out of court. Ford donated the money it received to charity in each case.

Ford Mustang Mach-E (2020)

The full name of the Mach-E, which went on sale in the 2021 model year, was not welcomed by people who felt that a Mustang should be a high-performance coupe or convertible, as it had been for the past 57 years, and not an all-electric SUV.

Ford stuck with it anyway. ‘Traditional’ Mustangs are still available (a new one, the seventh in the series, has recently been introduced) and manufacturers can call their vehicles anything they like, within reason.

Ford F-Series Super Duty (2023)

The enormous size of some North American pickup trucks is an increasing cause for concern in their home markets, and regarded as madness in other parts of the world. Since they are built by several competing manufacturers, Ford is only part of the problem rather than the cause of it, but the current F-Series Super Duty certainly contributes to the controversy.

In its most extreme, long-wheelbase F-450 Crew Cab form, the Super Duty is a leviathan – 6762mm (266.2in) long, 2960mm (105.9in) wide including its mirrors, 2085mm (82.1in) tall, and with a kerbweight of 3895kg (8587 pounds). Perhaps one day legislation will be introduced to prevent vehicles of this size being available to American private users on standard licences, but there’s no sign of it at the moment; certainly in many other countries such as the UK a heavy-goods vehicle licence would be needed, with extra driving training and testing required.

Video | Is the Skoda Enyaq vRS the ultimate one-car garage?

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0100

Looking for the perfect blend of weekday skills and weekend thrills? This electric family SUV could be the answer

The perfect two-car garage. It’s a fantasy motoring enthusiasts have debated for decades.

Not familiar with the concept? It’s simple: if you had to choose two cars – one for everyday duties like commuting, the school run and shopping trips, and another purely for weekend B-road blasts – which would you choose? If you’re ever stuck for conversation with a fellow enthusiast, pose this question and watch the sparks fly.

But, alas, in today’s economic climate, the dream of running two cars – particularly when one is reserved almost entirely for Sundays – is becoming harder and harder to justify. And that means more and more drivers are starting to search for one car that’s capable of covering all bases: sensible when it needs to be, fun when it doesn’t.

Watch the video below as we explore whether the 335bhp all-electric Skoda Enyaq vRS really can deliver the best of both worlds.

Skoda Enyaq vRS: the electric family SUV that can do it all

There’s a particular genius to the vRS badge. Since the first Octavia vRS arrived in 2001, those three letters have stood for meaningful performance, real-world practicality and strong value. It’s the everyman performance car formula, refined over decades and now applied to Skoda’s electric family SUV flagship.

The Enyaq vRS continues that tradition with 335bhp, 697Nm and dual-motor all-wheel drive, delivering 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. But it’s not just about straight-line pace. Dynamic Chassis Control, lowered suspension and revised steering calibration give it a level of composure and adjustability that no electric SUV this size has any right to, allowing it to switch between relaxed motorway cruiser and pulse-raising B-road blaster at the touch of a button.

Crucially, it remains an easy car to live with day to day. The 84kWh battery delivers up to 344 miles of range (WLTP), while 185kW DC charging enables a 10–80% top-up in around 26 minutes.

Inside, that signature vRS DNA injects sporty flair into an otherwise plush, minimalist cabin. There are vRS-specific sports seats, a bespoke sports steering wheel and contrast detailing. As you’d expect from a Škoda, equipment is generous, with a large 13in infotainment screen, augmented reality head-up display, heated seats and a 12-speaker CANTON sound system all included as standard.

Practicality remains a core strength. A 585-litre boot, generous rear space and Skoda’s trademark ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ touches – including an ice scraper in the tailgate and an umbrella in the door – ensure it can still deal with everything hectic family life throws at it without breaking a sweat. Maybe it’s time you try it for yourself.

Learn more about the Skoda Enyaq vRS

Next-generation Hyundai Elantra brings striking new look

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:49:44 +0100

New Elantra adopts 'Art of Steel' design principles and comes with a choice of petrol or hybrid

Hyundai has revealed the next iteration of its Elantra saloon, which brings a dramatic new look.

Named the Avante in its home market of South Korea, it is the most extreme example of the brand’s new 'Art of Steel' design language yet, with a number of sharp lines and aggressive angles across its bodywork.

It is slightly larger than the rival Skoda Octavia, owing to a 30mm increase in its wheelbase compared with the previous-generation Elantra. The saloon has also grown 30mm wider and Hyundai said it has prioritised improving interior space.

Inside, it has been designed to be “cozy and comfortable”, according to Hyundai. The dashboard and door cards’ designs cocoon around the seats, with customisable LED backlighting.

As in the recently revealed Ioniq 3 hatchback, the driver’s display is set high on the dashboard. This is intended to keep important information in the driver’s line of sight, so they do not have to divert their attention away from the road to check their speed or remaining range.

A large infotainment touchscreen, measuring either 12.9in or 14.6in, takes centre stage. It runs on Hyundai’s new Pleos operating system, which will allow new functionality such as installing navigation and music apps in the screen, rather than having to use smartphone mirroring. An array of switches and dials for the climate control system sits just below the main screen.

In South Korea, it will be available with two powertrains: a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder with 147bhp and a 1.6-litre hybrid with 155bhp.

The hybrid also brings a new predictive regenerative braking system that reads the road ahead and automatically adjusts the strength of the regenerative effect, helping to keep the battery topped up.

In addition, it gets a ‘stay mode’ that allows the small traction battery’s reserves to power the climate controls and infotainment system while parked, in similar fashion to an EV with a larger battery.

South Korean deliveries of the new Elantra will begin in the coming weeks, although Hyundai has yet to confirm whether it will be sold in mainland Europe or the UK. The previous-generation car was not made available in those regions, despite having been tested there. However, Autocar understands that it has not been ruled out for the latest iteration, suggesting Hyundai may have had a change of heart.

It also remains to be seen whether the high-performance Elantra N will return – and whether it too could make it to Europe.

Callum Design reinvents Jaguar XJ220 for new era

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:06:11 +0100

Ian Callum's design consultancy is poised to reveal its take on the legendary supercar

The eponymous consultancy of acclaimed car designer Ian Callum has reinvented the Jaguar XJ220.

The new take on the XJ220 has yet to be revealed in full, but a side-profile image published by Callum Design showcases a dramatically different styling direction compared with the original.

It is notably sharper around its haunches and there is a greater slope at its rear end.

However, several cues remain intact, including the egg-shaped side windows and air ducts along its flanks.

Callum Design described the reimagined XJ220 as a “concept” and a “design study”, emphasising that there are no concrete plans to build a road-going car. But it added that the project “shows what’s possible” when working with the company, suggesting that a client with enough cash to spend could commission their own car.

The reworked XJ220 is expected to be revealed in full in the coming months. October marks the 35th anniversary of the production XJ220’s unveiling at the Tokyo motor show and that could provide Callum Design a fitting opportunity to celebrate the supercar.

Ian Callum, who was director of design at Jaguar from 1999 to 2019, has in recent years put his own spin on several historic cars. These include the Wood and Pickett Mini and the Aston Martin Vanquish – the latter of which he also originally designed. His consultancy has also been responsible for building a road-legal version of the Jaguar C-X75 concept, the ill-fated successor to the XJ220 and a car originally created while he was Jaguar's design chief.

Renault 4 and 5 due extra power and range in 2027

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100

New ‘Gen 2 Evo’ motors made their debut with the Twingo but will be soon be rolled out in larger cars

The Renault 4 and 5 will be updated next year, bringing more efficient and more powerful motors.

The R5 arrived in 2024, and it was followed by the R4, its crossover twin, in early 2025. Both models are based on the AmpR Small platform and use Renault’s second-generation externally excited-synchronous (EESM) motors, which are available in two configurations.

The R5 Urban Range pairs a 121bhp EESM with a 40kWh battery, while the Comfort Range gets a 148bhp motor and a 52kWh battery pack. In the UK, the larger R4 is only available with the Comfort Range set-up.

These powertrains enable the R5 to deliver a range of either 192 or 252 miles. The latter figure is reduced to 250 miles in the chunkier R4.

Renault is now ready to roll out updated ‘Gen 2 Evo’ motors for the two models, drawing on its learnings from developing third-generation drive units for the next Scenic and Megane that are due in 2028.

“We are still working on how to improve the efficiency and power [of the Gen 2 motors],” said Marianne Bataillon, Renault’s director of EV motor and battery development. “We are going to apply these [changes] at the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027.”

Bataillon highlighted the motor’s inverter and reducers as points of improvement that have netting greater efficiency and improved power outputs.

The new motors will help to keep the R4 and R5 on a par with newer rivals on technical terms. The incoming Volkswagen ID Polo outdoes the R5 in the range stakes, offering either 204 or 283 miles between charges, depending on which powertrain it is fitted with. The same is true of the new Skoda Epiq: it yields either 190 or 272 miles of range, with the higher figure beating the R4.

Renault’s new Gen 2 Evo motor made its debut in the Twingo, which arrives in the UK at the end of this year. In that car, however, its output is reduced to 80bhp, owing to its city-focused remit.

Hyundai exits family hatch game with no plan to replace i30

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

"The business case is not extremely compelling," says Hyundai boss about the prospect of a new i30

Hyundai is set to retire the i30 hatchback with no direct successor as demand for traditional petrol hatchbacks continues to fall in Europe.

The i30 has been off sale in the UK for a year while remaining available in some European markets, but it will soon be axed for good – and any replacement is set to take a different form.

Asked about plans for the i30's future – following the unveiling of a new-generation i20 supermini earlier this month, and the launch of the similarly sized Ioniq 3 EV – Hyundai's Europe CEO Xavier Martinet hinted that no fourth-generation i30 is in the works.

"There might be a reason why we don't talk much about it," he said of the company's petrol-powered Volkswagen Golf rival.

"The problem is that in this segment the demand is not growing, and it's also a vehicle that historically was mostly a fleet vehicle, on which the profit is not so high."

The small proportion of retail sales was not enough to compensate for the low-profit fleet sales, he added, because "the price was lower, so the profits [were as well].

"When you put everything together, the business case is not extremely compelling."

In recent years, several of the i30's closest rivals have also been cancelled, including the Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and Renault Megane.

Strong-selling stalwarts including the Volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 308 and Toyota Corolla continue, but the segment accounts for far fewer European sales than it once did, with mid-sized crossovers becoming the default choice as practical family runarounds.

Opel-Vauxhall boss Florian Huettl voiced similar sentiments to Martinet recently when he hinted at plans to replace the i30's Astra rival with a less "traditional" C-segment offering – potentially some sort of SUV.

Hyundai could take a similar route as it looks to fill the gap left by the i30, Martinet suggested: "We might still have some answers coming, but it might be a different answer to the one we've got so far.

"I might be a bit cryptic in my answer, but at some point in time we have to know when to stop and how to do the next generation – this is one of the question marks we have."

Toyota Aygo X used buying guide: The most reliable £6000 car?

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

Tiny crossover is a brilliantly frugal city car, even without hybrid power

If you're after a tiny, frugal, practical city runaround, your choices on the new car market are currently quite limited.

Razor-thin margins in this segment and increasingly costly regulations sent most manufacturers hurtling towards the exit door a few years back, leaving only a few faithful defenders to choose from today.

Toyota is one of these holdouts, and its Aygo X happens to be among the best of the breed - but if you haven't bought a new car in a while, the new hybrid model's £21,500 price might come as a bit of a shock.

Happily, you can pick up a four-year-old pure-petrol model for as little as £6500. These pre-facelift cars are still capable of 60mpg on a run, and most have a snickety five-speed manual gearbox that makes them surprisingly fun to punt around.

When the Aygo became the Aygo X in 2022, it moved onto an entirely new platform and was repositioned as a sort of pocket-sized SUV: still dinky but larger in all dimensions than before, with a raised seating position and the requisite lower body cladding.

So it's slightly longer and wider than conventionally styled rivals like the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10 and therefore more spacious inside, yet it remains easy to park and thread along country lanes and tight city streets (with a 9.4m turning circle that's one of the tightest this side of a black cab). Plus, because you sit a bit higher, you don't feel like you're so vulnerable when hemmed in by buses or trucks.

The Aygo X weighs less than a tonne, too, which means that its 71bhp 1.0-litre atmospheric three-pot doesn't feel especially minuscule in everyday driving, and its tiny 35-litre fuel tank can still hold enough for 450 miles if you go easy. You do have to work it quite hard to keep up with traffic (0-62mph takes about 15sec), but it's at least quite good fun to rev out with the manual. The optional CVT drones on but is smooth. Further benefits of the Aygo X's trim kerb weight include genuinely fun handling, although the ride can get a bit choppy over rough stretches of road.

Space up front is good, and the seats provide plenty of support for longer drives. Adults will be fine in the back for a bit, so long as they're not especially tall and you don't have the head room-robbing canvas roof option - and kids will be fine either way (if maybe miffed that their windows only pop out).

In basic Pure trim it lacks any real visual clout, but step up to mid-spec Edge (as most buyers did) and you gain 18in diamond-cut alloys and eye-catching two-tone metallic paint. Exclusive trim adds desirable LED headlights for a smarter and more contemporary vibe.

All versions get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - on a 7.0in, 8.0in or 9.2in infotainment touchscreen, depending on spec - plus adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers, automatic lights, automatic high beam and a reversing camera.

Edge trim brings climate control, privacy glass and front foglights, while Exclusive adds a wireless phone charger, keyless go and parking sensors front and rear.

The Aygo X is a reassuringly traditional small car that still manages to feel modern and capable enough to rival its newer alternatives - scant few as there may be - while retaining a touch of charm and panache that makes it easy to love.

What to look out for

Warranty: Toyota has a great reputation for reliability and - as you will see in this section - the Aygo X conforms to type, with an exemplary record in reliability surveys. Almost all used examples will still be covered by the standard warranty (five years or 100,000 miles), which you can extend a year at a time by servicing the car at a Toyota main dealer (up to 10 years old).

Engine: The 1.0-litre VVT-i engine has been powering Aygos for more than two decades and is known to be very reliable. That doesn't mean you shouldn't check the oil before buying, however, and be wary of any cars without a complete service history.

Body: This is a city car, so check for kerb damage to the alloy wheels and scuffs around the body.

Insurance: Like many of its small car classmates, the Aygo is among the cheapest cars to insure, ranging between groups five and seven. Our quote of £307 for a year was for a 35-year-old professional male with a clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon.

Also worth knowing

Special editions are numerous, although none received chassis or powertrain alterations. The Limited Edition added Army Green paint and orange highlights, quilted leather heated seats and the canvas roof. The Undercover Edition, created in collaboration with a Japanese fashion designer, had blueish-grey paint and red accents, plus 'Chaos' and 'Balance' logos on the roof and the floor mats. Its red seats are a bold touch.

The JBL Special Edition gets a premium sound system from JBL, which was otherwise an option. It's worth seeking out if you're a music lover. There's even a subwoofer under the boot floor.

Air Edition was based on Edge trim (the others used Exclusive as a base) but had the canvas roof as standard and came in a few more colours, such as Brass Gold. Annual VED is £195 on all cars.

How much to spend

£6500-£8499 A few 100,000-milers, which is a testament to Aygo X reliability. Also plenty of write-offs, many with a tenth of that mileage and in top trims. Check the severity of the damage before you buy.

£8500-£10,999 Mostly early Pure models with average mileage for their age (40,000-50,000), although a few Edge versions stand out.

£11,000-£12,999 Plenty of Edges and Exclusives, some with the CVT gearbox or the roll-back canvas roof.

£13,000-£20,000 Lightly used special editions, nearly new cars and even a few unregistered examples with delivery mileages.

An owner's view

James Smyth "I bought my Aygo X Edge in 2022 as a runabout for the city, and it has been brilliant. It looks fantastic - much more premium than other small cars - and the high driving position gives great visibility. It's surprisingly comfortable on longer trips too, although the engine does need to be worked hard on motorways. The infotainment is a big step up from my old Aygo. And fuel economy is excellent: I regularly see 60mpg without trying. Servicing has been cheap and reliability faultless so far. It's a small car that doesn't feel cheap, which is exactly what I wanted."

JLR to keep moving away from volume "killing fields" in push upmarket

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0100

JLR will steer customers into ever-more expensive versions of its SUVs following a difficult year

JLR’s strategy following a difficult year is to move further away from the “killing fields” of the premium volume market and steer customers into ever more expensive versions of its SUV line-up, the company told attendees at its annual investor day.

JLR had a bad time of it in the financial year ending March, earning just £200 million profit before tax compared with £2.5 billion the year before.

That was down to a series of shocks that included the September cyber attack, half a billion quids’ worth of additional tariff bills to sell cars in the US and the continued collapse of China as a profit centre. “The world is not much fun out there,” chief financial officer Richard Molyneux told investors at the June event.

The answer, it said, will be to rise further above the fray. “We will keep moving [our brands] away from the killing fields of mass automotive, into a luxury space based on feeling, on desire, on want, rather than necessarily need,” Molyneux said. “Because that's where we can win.”

JLR will endeavour to do that in a number of ways, including borrowing the playbook from luxury brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce by adopting a new focus on bespoke via its network of House of Craft centres.

China, once JLR’s biggest market but now ground zero of the premium killing fields, becomes another niche buyer of top-end Range Rovers. The company’s main focus switches to its newest biggest market of the US, where it will put a much stronger focus on wooing the country’s hordes of stock-wealthy millionaires, including with new, market-specific models.

Despite JLR’s woes last year, its average selling price (based on revenue per model sold) moved up again to a record £74,400. That number was down at £47,700 for the 2019 financial year, back when it was competing at the vicious heart of the premium market with combustion-engined Jaguars and smaller Land Rover SUVs such as the Discovery Sport.

These days JLR’s focus is almost entirely on its trio of big hitting, high-margin SUVs: the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender. These accounted for three-quarters of all JLR’s wholesales (sales to dealers) last financial year, up from 68% in the year before. The Defender still leads the way, despite coming up to its seventh birthday. The Discovery brand, meanwhile, accounted for just 8% of sales.

That means the company already has a luxury focus, but it thinks it can go further, especially in its new largest market. “We're pivoting the entire organisation towards the US,” CEO PB Balaji told investors. “We believe there are significant growth opportunities that can come out of that.”

The CEO, who joined from parent Tata Motors in November last year, signalled his displeasure at JLR’s current performance in the market, which accounts for around 100,000 of JLR sales annually. “Our penetration now is nothing to write home about,” Balaji said, pointing out that the US buys 1.3 million cars priced over $80,000 annually. Earlier in June the company waved goodbye to its long-time US head, Joe Eberhardt, in advance of the new strategy.

Somewhat perversely, given President Donald Trump’s aggressive rollback of EV incentives and emissions regulation, all five of JLR’s new launches over the next 18 months – its first model launches for four years – are all electric. But instead of writing off much of its electric investment, as rivals like Porsche have done, JLR is bullish that US customers, particularly on the West Coast, are keenly awaiting models like the delayed electric versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

The company said around half of the 78,000 expressions of interest for the two models are from the US, where it will give JLR access to ‘micro-markets’ in which it currently doesn’t play a role. “In LA, you'll find a lot of our products," Balaji said. "But just go a little bit up north into San Francisco and you will not find us. We are not there in Seattle. The reason they don't want us is that there's no electric vehicles.”

Meanwhile the company has picked New York to launch the electric Jaguar Type 01 in October, a city that predominantly buys Range Rover Sports now.

Again bucking fashion, JLR doesn’t think EVs will be a drag on the average selling price. In fact, quite the opposite. “We will actually price our electric cars higher than our combustion engine cars,” chief commercial officer Lennard Hoornik told the crowd at JLR’s HQ in Gaydon.

“We're really trying to go against what is happening in the market trend,” he added, before listing the ways the Range Rover Electric is better than the combustion-engined version, including boasting more power at 550bhp.

JLR hasn’t ignored the US’s pivot back to combustion under Trump, however. Balaji said the company re-engineered its EMA electric platform to underpin the replacement for the Velar and the new smaller Defender in order to incorporate hybrid combustion engines and meet market needs in the US. Both models will launch as EVs towards the end of next year, with hybrids coming later, attendees were told. All replacements for current midsize models, such as the Evoque and Velar, on EMA will cost more, Molyneux said.

Engaging Stellantis to help engineer US-specific Defenders is another response. No details were given about that, but it potentially allows JLR to create a chunkier, more retro Defender to both challenge top-end Ford Broncos and see off the Ineos Grenadier, which is having some success in the US market.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa has said the deal could include local production, allowing JLR to reduce its tariff bill.

As chief brand polisher, Hoornik was the one to outline steps to push the luxury angle, including launching a network of 25 bespoke 'House of Craft' studios globally. Hoornik described these as “critical” to elevating pricing, and he pointed to the creation in Dubai of a bespoke Range Rover, called 'Sky’s the Limit', that featured 24-carat gold badging on the front and which sold for $504,000.

JLR already woos customers in wealth hot-spots such as Biarritz using brand-specific pop-up holiday camps called Defender House and Range Rover House. But it wants to make the buying process more luxurious by handing more processes to a dedicated app combined with a “white glove delivery experience”, group chief strategy officer Balaje Rajan said in his US-specific presentation.

One area JLR has pledged to resolve before it can turbocharge its US growth is warranty costs, which hit the company with a £1.5 billion bill last year. “It's a market that can be punitive if you don't play that card well,” CEO Balaji said.

Despite this emphasis on the US, which is already JLR’s biggest profit centre, the CFO said the company was actually moving the financial emphasis away from standard regional reporting and towards the brands – Defender, Range Rover, Jaguar, Discovery - that are given control of their own balance sheet. “The brand directors can take the choices in terms of their capital allocation,” Molyneux said. "This is what luxury companies do."

JLR has some hurdles to climb first. One is that tariff bill to sell into the US, which is only going to climb if sales go up, even with Stellantis’s help on production. The company can’t charge much more to compensate, because most of its rivals have not raised their prices, Molyneux said. Second, the company is currently having to spend more on marketing, including discounts. “Partly, I think, [because] some of our vehicles are approaching six, seven years old,” Molyneux added.

Rising costs, including raw materials, have pushed the company’s breakeven point – where it begins to make a profit - to 380,000 vehicles produced per year, up from its targeted 300,000. Last year the company retailed 352,389 cars.

Cost reductions totalling £1.7 billion over the next two years will put it back to 300,000, JLR told investors, without going into much detail where the cost reductions will come from.

Overall, JLR targeted a margin before tax of 4% for the financial year ending March 2027, up from essentially zero last year.

Long-term targets were folded into parent company Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles as part of a push to better integrate the two companies. JLR has long had an outside influence on Tata’s finances by generating around 80% of revenue, so the midterm figure of an 8% margin (for FY28) and long-term of 10% (FY31 and beyond) mostly falls on the shoulders of JLR.

Still the ultimate EV? I lived with a £134k, 650bhp BMW iX

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0100

We liked this luxury EV at launch, but has it been improved enough to remain BMW's flagship five years later?

The descriptor 'flagship model' is used a lot in this industry and at a base level is really easy to understand. It's the top car in a brand's line-up—the biggest, fanciest and most luxurious option.

The BMW iX certainly fits that bill: it's the biggest, most expensive car in the brand's electric car line-up, loaded with tech and intended to push BMW into the true luxury sphere. But for BMW, its real flagship purpose was to push and develop its EV technology.

We ran an iX on our fleet in 2023, when editor Mark Tisshaw was won over by the car's ability to deliver true electric luxury to the point that he even forgave the styling of that grille. But much has changed in the years since then. Because while the iX has just had a substantial mid-life update, it's no longer the shiniest, newest EV in BMW's range.

That would be the iX3, which sits on an all-new platform, heralds a new design language and introduces a raft of new electric and digital technology—technology the iX was used to pioneer and develop. So while the iX remains BMW's most luxurious and expensive EV, in some aspects it's no longer a technological flagship.

So what role does it now serve in BMW's line-up? That's what we're here to find out. And if we're going to see if the iX is still a true flagship, then it makes sense to run the top version. Last time we ran the mid-spec xDrive50, but this time we've opted for the full-fat, full-performance M70 xDrive.

If you follow your BMW model codes closely, you might note that's different from the previous range-topper. The change from M60 is a reflection that the M division's engineers have been working quite hard. Hard enough to make you wonder, really. Who, for example, looks at a 2.6-tonne electric SUV with a peak output of 610bhp and says: "You know what that needs? More power." BMW M engineers, that's who. Bless them.

For the most part, the iX M70 produces 570bhp from its pair of electric motors, but if you select the launch control system (because every luxury SUV needs launch control), that leaps to a slightly ridiculous 650bhp. With that sort of power, we're thankful BMW fits a hefty battery: it's 108.9kWh in capacity, and has been developed specifically for the high performance required. Fast charging at speeds of up to 195kW will surely prove useful, especially as the official efficiency is a mere 2.6mpkWh for a range of 326 miles.

Despite the extra power, the £114,305 starting price of the M70 is actually cheaper than that of the old M60. But there has been some judicious option box ticking on our car that raises its list price to £134,255. Given this is supposed to be a flagship, we felt it worth paying £4500 for the Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system and shelling out for the Comfort and Technology packs, which add features like ventilated front seats and parking assistance.

The Frozen Deep Grey paint - which looks more of a matt black in some lights - wouldn't have been my choice, but it certainly would help the iX fit in in a Premier League training ground's car park. Still, the dark paint and dark grille design does somewhat mask the still contentious big grille design - at least in the daytime. At night an LED frame lights up and, well, it's a choice. More on that another time.

Inside, the iX still feels like a proper luxury car. The seats are deep and comfortable, the steering wheel is chunky and pleasing (M models also get a round version, rather than the unusually shaped one on other iX variants) and the physical switchgear is pleasingly tactile.

The infotainment system has plenty of tech but is generally easy to use - especially because the iX retains a rotary controller. I'm very much a fan of this, although it's somewhat incongruous, given that later versions of BMW's iDrive system, such as that introduced on the new iX3, have gone without.

Early impressions are positive: even on 22in wheels, the iX has a notably smooth ride - very luxury flagship-and it steers amazingly for a near-five-metre-long SUV. Its standard rear-wheel steering is a huge help in that regard. Those early impressions match well with Tisshaw's verdict from running the pre-facelift iX three years ago, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing it as a slice of luxury in the coming months - even if I suspect I'll rarely exploit all 650bhp.

In fact, as ever with EVs, my worry is that the sweet spot in the range remains the xDrive60 below, which has less power but an official range exceeding 400 miles. The other question to answer is whether BMW's engineers have done enough to keep the iX up to date: EV technology is progressing relentlessly, and what was cutting edge just a few years ago can quickly become pedestrian - especially when there's a model below it in the line-up that's now shinier and newer.

Update 2: Pre-heat function is welcome in winter

Being able to turn on a car's heating remotely isn't new, but it's still a marvellous function once you've got used to it. After an early flight into Heathrow on a freezing morning recently, I felt deep joy when I started to warm the iX's cabin from the passport control queue. It meant that when I clambered in to drive home, I could enjoy the car's premium sheen from the off, rather than shivering initially.

Mileage: 1603

Update 3: Showing off without being a show-off

Can a car be understated yet brash at the same time? I'm not sure, but if any car can, I reckon it's our BMW iX. Clearly it's a whopping great big BMW with a massive kidney 'grille' (sensor panel) on the front.

The car is so substantial that it has presence even when parked, in part because it has a propensity to fill every available centimetre of even larger parking spaces. Yet some of my family insist the iX is quite subtle. It's the paint, I think: the frozen deep grey finish has a slightly matt effect and as a result tends to suck in the light in much the same fashion I'd imagine a black hole does if I were smart enough to understand science.

Add in a black grille, wheels and details and it definitely gives off 'move on, nothing to see here' vibes. Except, well, you still notice it, because it's big and black and it's impossible not to. It's about as subtle as a stealth fighter: sure, the F-117 Nighthawk was designed to disappear when flying high above Earth but, given its size and matt paint, I'm pretty sure you would spot one parked right in front of you.

But I think that's the intended effect. Surely if you're buying a £130k luxury SUV you want to be noticed a bit? But you maybe don't want to admit that. So I reckon, after some criticism of the styling based on the big grille when the iX was originally launched, BMW now enables you to spec it in a way where you can at least pretend you don't want to be noticed.

This occurred to me recently when I had just finished reversing into a space in a Tesco car park. As I exited the iX, a man more or less ran over to ask me about it. He wanted to know if the paint was a factory option. Yes, I told him: it's a £3000 BMW Individual option.

Which cheered him greatly, because his Mercedes-Benz EQC was coming to the end of its lease and he had read positive reviews of the upgraded iX, and he was basically sold on his colour choice when he saw mine in a car park a few days earlier. So when he saw it a second time, he detoured from his journey to find out more.

The attention on me while reverse parking also made me very grateful for the iX's rear-wheel steering. As noted, this is a big car that fills parking spaces, so, not wanting to be antisocial, I'm always keen to get as squarely into a space as possible. And the turning back wheels give the iX impressive manoeuvrability for a car of its size. The excellent reversing cameras and sensors help too, even if the rear sensor is a bit overly cautious.

Admittedly, when going forward at slow speeds the rear-steer system does occasionally make the iX feel slightly unnatural to manoeuvre, but that's a minor issue. And at speed it's far more assured and subtle, helping to give the car a little extra agility without robbing it of driving feel. But it is reversing in car parks where I most notice the difference, especially because no matter how subtle the iX wants to be, people can't help noticing it.

Mileage: 1692

Update 4: It's not all just touchscreens

You can't accuse the BMW iX of skimping on physical controls. The centre console is full of them, including a rather blingy crystal- effect rotary dial that has wowed a couple of passengers. I'm more taken with the genius design feature just ahead of it: a small slot in which you can stand a mobile phone, with a small hole at the bottom through which you can feed a charging cable.

Mileage: 1784

Update 5: Exploring the M part of our M70

In my time driving the BMW iX, I've come to revel in its remarkable refinement and cosseting, enveloping interior. This car was conceived as BMW's luxury flagship, and it really delivers on that score: most of my journeys are pleasingly calm and relaxing. The thing is, I was concerned that I must be missing out, because my iX isn't just a luxury cruiser: it's the M70 version, developed with performance in mind.

And enjoying its relaxed cruising credentials barely stretches the 650bhp offered by its dual electric motors, nor the specially tuned air springs, adaptive dampers and anti-roll bars that M division engineers added to keep its 2655kg weight in check.

Time, then, to head to a favoured driving road, switch from my preferred Efficiency setting into Sport and experience just how M the M70 is. Selecting Sport turns the LED cabin lighting a moody shade of red, but the visual reminder isn't necessary: you know which mode the car is in the moment you touch the accelerator.

The response is sharpened dramatically and if you press the pedal hard you really feel the torquey electric acceleration. It's that vaguely unpleasant instant whack of car sickness sensation, rendered more surreal for the silence of your surroundings and just how comfortable the seat that you're being involuntarily squished into is.

That, I should note, is without even messing with the launch control system, which deploys the full 650bhp and allows the iX M70 to hit 62mph from standing in 3.8sec. I will try it at some point, I promise: I just need to build myself up to it and find somewhere wide open and safe enough.

Of course, 'powerful EV accelerates faster than you would ever need' isn't exactly a revelationary finding. Where many performance EVs struggle is when they reach the twisty bits, where outright acceleration plays second fiddle to poise, chassis balance and handling - areas in which you wouldn't expect a 2.6-tonne, large SUV to shine.

But the M engineers have done a remarkable job, because you really can tackle corners in the M70 in a surprisingly spirited fashion. Sport mode also sharpens the steering and firms up the air suspension, and with the rear-wheel-steering and powertrain set-up, there's a slight rear bias to the handling that gives you confidence in corners. The M70 is relatively agile, too, which is something I really hadn't expected to say, given its size and weight.

Mind you, there's emphasis on the word 'relatively' there: the laws of physics remain undefeated, no matter what M's engineers try. But they have tried hard. In fact, the anti-roll bars and suspension keep the iX so calm in corners that it's almost unnerving. A fun performance car? Well, yes, sort of. There's a remarkable poise and agility to the M70, but you never forget its size, especially on tight and uneven British roads.

You really can't push the car to anywhere near its potential, either, and frankly nor would I want to. More to the point, while it's enjoyably spirited to hustle, it's far nicer to cruise along in relaxed comfort, because the M70 is just better at being a luxury car than a performance SUV - which is the opposite of how a good M car should be.

Mileage: 2375

Update 6: The iX's helping hand

My BMW's personal assistant really wants to help me out. It occasionally tries to show me the benefits of reversing assistant, in a way that makes me wonder if it has analysed my parking and thinks I need help. The other day, a prompt even popped up randomly when I was on the M4, suggesting I employ the assisted cruise control. I did take its advice on that one.

Mileage: 2492

Update 7: Climbing the national leaderboard for efficient driving

I tend to think the concept of gamification - adding a fun or competitive element to an everyday task-to be rather silly. Surely the satisfaction should come simply from doing something, not by turning it into a contest? Except, well, a few months back the My BMW phone app showed me I was driving less efficiently than my fellow iX M70 drivers, and I've become a little bit too obsessed with trying to address that.

Like many car makers' apps, My BMW contains a host of features designed to help the driver, ranging from the slightly gimmicky - such as access to the 'BMW community' (basically just a bunch of photos of people's cars), locking or unlocking the car without using the key and remotely turning on the headlights - to the genuinely useful. These include the ability to control charging, turn on the pre-heating, find a local service centre and, most pertinently, a record of all my trips and my driving efficiency.

If you're the sort of person who is wary of the amount of data that big corporations can hold about your life, you might not welcome the 'trip history' section. Yes, you can look back at every journey you've made, the app having stored not just how far you travelled but the time of day and your destination.

Before you get too paranoid, the app does offer extensive control of your privacy settings, and it seems that nobody else can really delve into your personal data. But having all that information does let BMW compare your driving efficiency with the community average-which apparently is defined as everyone in your country with the same model variant as you. And that's where I've become locked into a weird personal battle.

At the time of writing, my average has reached 2.5mpkWh-and while that might not sound a particularly impressive figure, I can tell you it has been hard-earned. As noted before, the sheer power offered by the M70's performance-honed set-up means this isn't a tremendously efficient car in the outright sense.

But that's a trade-off many will be happy to take for the power, so I was prepared to accept it not being that efficient when, a few months back, in the winter, I was struggling to hit 2.3mpkWh. That seemed fine to me - until I looked at the community average in the My BMW app and found that the average consumption was 2.4mpkWh. And, really, how are other people driving M70s that much more efficiently than me?

Since then, I've been selecting Efficient mode wherever possible, feathering the accelerator, coasting towards traffic lights and working harder than ever to spot gaps to neatly merge into. I've become hyper-competitive about hypermiling-and I realise that I'm not doing it in some effort to lower my running costs but because I'm really annoyed that others are driving more efficiently than me.

My efforts are paying off: in March my average was 2.5mpkWh, which was an 8% improvement on February and, most crucially, 1% ahead of the community average of 2.4mpkWh. Even better, so far in 2026 my average of 2.4mpkWh is 3% above that community average.

So I can relax now, right? Not a chance. I've got a lead over the community and now I want to build on it. Gamification, you see. It's stupid, but come on, fellow M70 drivers: can you top my efficiency?

Mileage: 2519

Update 8: Large proportions make for tricky parking

I know the iX is a great big SUV, but such is the ease of driving it that I often forget just how chunky it is. Then I found myself parking next to a Peugeot 107 in a Lidl car park (other supermarkets are available but don't have quite such random offerings in the middle aisle) and, well, it was quite the contrast. Given it took me several goes to ensure I backed into the space fully inside the lines, it was dispiriting to see how easily the 107 owner could swing in - leaving a short walk between it and my car.

Mileage 2684

Update 9: Divisive? Distinctive? The grille will always split opinion

It may be somewhat tempered by a combination of black trim and dark matt paint, but the most distinctive design feature of the BMW iX remains the whopping kidney grille. That's especially true at night, because my M70 model features the firm's 'Iconic Glow' - basically LED strips that surround the grille to ensure everyone can see it at night. And, I'm sure, quickly form an opinion on me.

It's part of the contradiction of the way this iX has been specced. As mentioned in my first report, the matt Platinum Grey paint isn't technically showy in the way that painting a car like this pink or orange or green would be, but it's still really distinctive.

Same with the grille: the darkened surface suggests it's trying to be demure, but after dark it beams into life with all the subtlety of a lighthouse. Still, judging by the number of iXs I see on the roads, plenty of people don't mind the design, and I respect BMW for not playing it safe, at least.

Besides, it's worth remembering why the grille on the iX is there: in fact, it's not really a grille at all. In BMW parlance, it's a 'digital intelligence panel', housing various cameras, radar units and sensors for all the car's whizzy high-tech functions. By putting all that behind a panel, BMW says it can integrate heating elements and cleaning systems to help ensure they aren't rendered useless in the cold or if they get dirty - and it does seem, from my mileage so far, that they're less prone to being 'temporarily disabled' than similar systems in other cars.

BMW also claims the grille has a self-healing layer that can repair minor scratches, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to test that by deliberately damaging someone else's £130,000 car.

Of course, when you're in the iX, you can't see the grille, so the main issue with it from a driver's point of view isn't one of style but about how well all the sensors and systems it houses work. This car is a 'tech flagship' after all. Probably the area most drivers will notice is adaptive cruise control merged with a lane keeping aid, and the system in the iX is generally really very good.

It adjusts speed both when you close in on vehicles in front and approaching posted limit changes (when it recognises them) and is generally fairly smooth in doing so. In some countries, the iX is even capable of 'hands-free' driving in certain scenarios, but that level of autonomy isn't yet legal in the UK. Still, subtle lights on the steering wheel glow green when the lane guidance is active and turn yellow when there are any issues, making it easier to spot when you might need to take back full control.

Another interesting use of the cameras behind that grille comes with the 'Augmented View Navigation'. You can set the digital instrument cluster to show the images from the front-facing camera, on which are overlaid sat-nav directions, such as turn arrows. Quite neat, even if the warning telling you not to look at it while driving does rather highlight the limitations of the system.

It's also odd, since the iX features a reasonably decent head-up display that puts things like your speed and sat-nav information in your line of sight. Which is useful, even if it's a small display and it's taken a lot of adjusting to get it right for me.

It's even more odd that you can, if you wish, have the augmented reality display and head-up display active at the same time. Do you prefer your augmented reality in the form of limited information projected into the real world or lots of information shown on a fancy digital display?

Ultimately, I choose to trust neither and rely on my eyes.

Mileage: 2782

Update 10: Predictably practical, but where's the frunk?

A family visit combined with an airport run gave me a chance to really test the iX's 500-litre boot capacity. It's predictably capacious, and the flat floor means it's easy to make good use of that space. Removing the parcel shelf took a little bit of dexterity, mind you. There's a useful underfloor store for charging cables, but I'm still confused about why a car this big doesn't have a frunk.

Mileage 2841

Update 11: Public charging woes

There's lots to say about the BMW iX, but it would be remiss not to start with this: not one person comes to my door without commenting on it. Most spoken about is the matt black finish, which certainly adds a certain je ne sais quoi (for £3300). One delivery driver persevered for quite a while to understand how one washes such a paint finish. It looks slightly drug dealer-esque for my tastes, but clearly there's demand and it does seem to suit the aggressive, quirky (if you're being kind) design of the car.

Speaking of which, when I first saw pictures of the iX a few years ago, I wasn't a fan. Now? I can't say I think it's a masterpiece of modern car design, but I've adjusted to it and now find it as decent-looking as many models on the road today. Between its looks and its size, the iX feels a bit of a beast-but then I parked it next to a Land Rover Defender recently and it looked like a compact SUV. Perspective and all that.

Since custodian James Attwood kindly loaned me this iX a few weeks ago, I've been thoroughly enjoying it. It's deeply comfortable throughout, ultra-premium in finish and a pleasure to drive with the BMW driving dynamics we've come to know and (broadly) love.

A few little things of note from living with it. The front central storage lacks practicality: there are two cupholders and a wireless phone charging place and then the large central compartment, but for the driver that isn't accessible without turning quite pointedly sideways. I want somewhere for my keys, so they go in one cupholder; my water bottle goes in the one nearest me.

And my phone goes in its natural place. But then, when I want to get the keys, it's practically impossible without having to move the bottle, because the control panel juts out (well placed for its purpose, to be fair). It's a small thing but it has become a daily annoyance.

The lack of fitted rear sunshades seems an oversight for this level of car and is something I've noticed with my little boy present. However, one piece of simple, analogue and neat design in the back is the rotating suit hook.

My biggest problem caused by living with the iX is one that won't concern most owners: a lack of a driveway with an EV charger. I've been driving to my closest fast charger at a Shell garage, which isn't awfully fast. It has faulted as many times as it has worked; typically it seems to stop charging randomly, which if you leave the car charging – as I have on occasion – is highly problematic. (I should add that our iX hasn't experienced similar charging issues elsewhere.)

This stuff just needs to work without fail to get everyone on board with EVs. And even if the vast majority of owners have home chargers, this could still happen on a long journey.

In part, I'll be glad to return the iX to Attwood, because I feel conspicuous having a £135k matt black car on my humble suburban street. But on the other hand, this ticks so many boxes; it feels like the ultimate driving companion (touché), marrying enjoyable driving, performance and handling with great ride quality, practicality, space, interior luxury and more. Enjoy it while you can, Attwood.

By Rachel Burgess

Mileage: 3020

Final report: Divisive styling outweighed by grace, pace and comfort

Particularly with electric vehicles, automotive technology is advancing at a rapid pace. What was cutting-edge five years ago can easily seem very pedestrian.

So even with the benefit of a chunky mid-life update, you might think that the BMW iX, launched back in 2021, would be showing its age. It has new direct rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne Electric, Polestar 3, Lotus Eletre, Volvo EX90 and more, while BMW itself has launched its true next generation of EVs with the Neue Klasse iX3.

Faced with all those newer cars, can the iX still serve as a luxury flagship? Based on the past few months, my answer is an unequivocal yes. The iX is ageing incredibly gracefully.

Actually, 'graceful' isn't the right term because, well, it's not, is it? Look at it: it's big, brazen and brash, especially in matt black. Whatever you think of the styling, and you will have an opinion, we can all agree that it's not graceful. Normally after a few months with a car I grow accustomed to how it looks and it blends into the background of my life.

But having switched the iX for a Mazda 3 for a few weeks recently, on swapping back I was struck afresh by just how imposing this BMW is. Then, of course, I clambered back inside and remembered just how nice and cosseting it is too.

Because this really is a convincing luxury flagship, albeit in a very modern sense. In this top-spec M70 form, our iX costs about £130k after options, which is pretty rarefied air. But it definitely feels a step up from other cars in the BMW range. It's a new type of luxury, though, built around digital screens and technology rather than acres of leather and wood. But it works really well. It feels spacious and there are lots of nice touches.

That said, some of those features work better than others. I really like the slot at the end of the centre console where you can pop a phone in upright: it made it much harder to forget to pick up at the end of a journey. But I was annoyed by how the protruding centre console made it difficult to reach the cupholders. Generally, though, everyone who had a go inside the iX commented on what a quiet, comfortable and plush cabin it is.

Similarly, I liked that the iX retains a physical rotary controller for the infotainment - although I still found myself using the touchscreen for a lot of operations, just because there are so many functions on the operating system that it was quicker to do so. The Mazda 3 also features a rotary dial, and because the infotainment was simpler, I used it a lot more. As ever more software functions are added, you can see why firms like BMW are taking such controls out of their cars - but there's a balance to be struck.

As noted, the iX recently received a facelift to keep pace with newer rivals, including considerable work to up the power and range of the various versions. We opted for the top M70 level, which produces 570bhp from its dual motors-rising to 650bhp with launch control. That's a lot of power, even if the Cayenne Turbo Electric does now offer something close to twice that, and as a result our iX didn't want for speed or urgency. Boot the throttle and the acceleration was, frankly, a bit unpleasant. Even with a bit more care the iX was astonishingly quick and responsive for a car of such heft.

Happily, it wasn't just the sort of performance car that's only quick in a straight line: for a big SUV, it's actually reasonably engaging to drive. The steering is firm but precise and well weighted, while the suspension keeps things stable but is not overly firm. It does respond well to some spirited driving, and the single brake regen setting is well judged and trustworthy.

That said, as I wrote in previous reports, the iX always feels its size, so it's hard to ever really relax when you're pressing on. And it's such a comfortable cruiser that it's almost better at a more sedate pace, gliding along in near silence in Efficient driving mode. The various ADAS functions work well too, especially the excellent adaptive cruise control.

Not that the iX M70 is a spectacularly efficient car. Its official range is 326 miles, but even when fully charged the display never showed anything close to 300 miles, and my average efficiency of 2.4mpkWh was down on the official figure of 2.6mpkWh. Things did improve as the temperature rose during my time with the car but, as usual with these things, I'd think the ideal iX is one in a lower spec with a bit less power and more range.

If anything, that relatively low efficiency is the only area where the iX is really showing its age in any meaningful way - especially compared with its new iX3 sibling, which is close to half the price yet can do nearly twice the miles.

Still, if the range works for you, the iX M70 is the sort of car that conveys a sense of occasion. It may still be a bit jarring to look at, but from behind the wheel it is actually graceful and it's ageing well.

Even so, the arrival of the iX3 still feels significant. In a way, the iX was a test bed for the next-generation BMW tech developed for that big new arrival. So I'm keen to find out if it's worth sacrificing a bit of the iX's luxury to access that newer technology and longer range.

Test Data
BMW iX M70 xDRIVE
Mileage
At start	1410
At end	5012
Prices
List price new	£114,305
List price now	£114,205
Price as tested	£134,255
Options
Bowers & Wilkins stereo £4500, Individual Frozen Deep Grey paint £3300, panoramic sunroof £3200, Amido interior design suite £2650, Technology Pack £2300, Comfort Pack £1650, 22in M bicolour jet black wheels and sport tyres £900, Clear and Bold interior £800, soft-close doors £650
Economy and Range
Claimed range	326 miles
Battery	111.5/108.9kWh (total/usable)
Test average	2.4mpkWh
Test best	2.9mpkWh
Test worst	1.8mpkWh
Real-world range	261 miles
Max charge rate	195kW
Tech Highlights
0-62mph	3.8sec
Top speed	155mph
Engine	Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Max power	570bhp (650bhp with launch control)
Max torque	749lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, 4WD
Boot	318 litres
Wheels	9.5Jx22in
Tyres	275/40 R22, Pirelli P Zero
Kerb weight	2655kg
Service and Running Costs
Contract hire rate	£766 pcm
CO2	0g/km
Service costs	None
Other costs	None
Fuel costs	£604.80
Running costs including fuel	£604.80
Cost per mile	17 pence
Faults	None

Why do UK drivers pay more for fuel than in other European countries?

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Sharp rises in fuel costs have hit UK drivers' wallets, but that isn't the case everywhere

British drivers are paying significantly more at the pumps than drivers in several other European countries.

According to RAC data, petrol currently costs around 156p per litre in the UK, compared with roughly 136p in Cyprus, 130p in Spain and 116p in Malta.

Drivers don’t have to refuel too many times before the difference starts hitting their wallets. According to the RAC, filling a 55-litre tank in a typical family car now costs around £87 for petrol and just over £100 for diesel.

Elsewhere in Europe, Polish drivers pay just 122p per litre for petrol, while a litre of petrol costs Bulgarian motorists 131p. If European countries access the same global oil market, and face the same geopolitical challenges, why are petrol and diesel so much more expensive in the UK?

For Luke Bosdet of the AA, the answer is simple. “It's a tax thing,” he said. “Some countries load their tax onto car ownership – car tax and the like. Others load it on to car use – duty on fuel. And others combine the two.”

At this week’s average petrol price of 152.7p per litre, UK drivers pay 26p in VAT and 53p in fuel duty, according to the RAC. That means 79p of every litre sold is tax, equivalent to just over half of the pump price.

Compare that with Spain, where the cost of a litre of fuel is around 130p. RAC figures show why Spain is cheaper. The fuel and retailer margin account for about 76p in both countries. But rather than the 79p in duty and VAT paid by UK drivers, those in Spain pay 53p.

The Malta outlier

But there are outliers too. In Malta, for example, petrol costs just 116p per litre. Yet based on RAC figures, tax accounts for 56% of the pump price, not dissimilar to the UK tax take despite the much lower pump price.

However, if British drivers think they are hard done by, spare a thought for Dutch motorists who pay 193p per litre of petrol and 182p per litre of diesel.

For Stuart Adam, a senior economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), “the UK is roughly in the middle of the pack in terms of prices and slightly above average in terms of tax rate”.

He said that 20 years ago, the UK had “easily the highest tax rates in terms of both petrol and diesel” but “a series of real-term cuts to fuel duties” has meant that’s no longer the case.

So why is petrol and diesel cheaper in Spain, Malta, Poland and Bulgaria? Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “More often than not, the fact that fuel prices are cheaper in southern and eastern European countries is likely to reflect government policies, including state-owned fuel production, designed to keep fuel prices down where average wages are also relatively low.”

Take Malta, for example. A spokesperson for the Central Bank of Malta told Autocar that fuel prices have remained stable in recent years due to a "fixed energy price policy". Through energy subsidies, retail fuel prices have been "maintained at fixed levels despite fluctuations in global oil prices", the spokesperson said.

Duty and VAT: why doesn’t the government cut it?

In the UK, however, the focus has been on fuel duty. Adam said ministers could reduce it if they wanted to, but it would come at a cost.

"The obvious downside is that it costs the government money and the government has been scratching around for revenue in difficult circumstances for some time," he said.

Fuel duty and VAT currently raise around £30 billion a year for the Treasury. Adam noted that if this revenue is reduced, the government would have to raise money elsewhere or accept a lower tax take.

Others think ministers should start by cutting VAT on fuel. The RAC Foundation has calculated that since the US-Iran war began in February, the government has taken more than £741 million extra in VAT from higher pump prices, as part of what it calls the “war premium” in terms of the higher costs motorists have faced.

But in Spain, the government reacted to the war in Iran by temporarily reducing VAT on fuel from 21% to 10% in March. Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, said VAT is “a tax on a tax” because, unlike fuel duty, the amount of VAT collected rises whenever pump prices increase. He added that the government could do something similar to Spain if it wanted to.

“Instead of announcing summer giveaways such as cheap meal deals and days out at the zoo, the government could have helped everyone by introducing a 10% cut in VAT on fuel,” he said.

Adam disagrees. He argues that removing VAT from fuel duty would make very little difference if the overall tax take remained the same. He said: “As things stand we put VAT on the price of fuel including the duty. However, you could equally well have VAT on the price excluding the duty and make up the revenue with a higher duty rate. But you would end up in a very similar place.”

In response, the Treasury told Autocar that the 5p fuel duty cut has been extended until the end of the year and that mileage rates for people who drive for work have increased from 45p to 55p. It also pointed to Fuel Finder, which is designed to help drivers identify the cheapest forecourt nearby.

Taxes don't tell the whole story

Yet fuel prices are only one part of the cost of motoring. Professor Nigel Driffield, a professor of strategy and international business at Warwick Business School, said: “It is inadvisable to look at one tax in isolation.” He added: “You can compare excise duty and VAT in different countries, but if cars or companies are taxed differently, then the aggregate impact may differ.”

Balmer agrees. He said that several European countries rely much more heavily on toll roads than the UK. "You can actually say the price of fuel is lower, but don't forget they also charge road tolls. If you are looking at it in terms of motoring, you need to take all of the various taxes into account," he said.

For Adam, the bigger question is not how fuel taxes compare across Europe, but why governments tax fuel in the first place.

“The more fundamental question is why we have a specific tax on fuel or, for that matter, a specific tax on driving and cars at all?” he said.

Adam said fuel taxes should not simply be used “to raise revenue or support particular groups of motorists”. Instead, he argued that governments should use them to reflect the wider costs of driving, “including carbon emissions, air pollution and congestion”.

Whether motorists agree is another matter entirely.

20 of the best front-wheel-drive cars ever built

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:49:53 +0100

The cars that prove you don't need rear-drive balance to have fun

When handling is mentioned, it’s usually rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive cars that get time in the spotlight.

This is because of the amount of grip and balance offered. But hey don’t hold a monopoly – and many excellent cars to drive have been built whose engines drive just the front wheels – these are some of the best:

Ford Puma

In the 1990s, Mazda had the MX-3, Vauxhall had the Tigra, Fiat gave us the Barchetta, and in 1997, Ford offered the Puma, designed by Ian Callum. While it was available in 1.4, 1.6 and 1.7-litre variants, the 123bhp Yamaha-developed 1.7-litre was the option people favoured and would haul the 1039kg kerb weight to 62mph from rest in just over 9sec.

Underneath was a chassis from a fourth-generation Fiesta with uprated suspension and a lower and wider track, which gave darty handling. A rarer Racing Puma arrived in 1999, to meet rally homologation regulations, with wider arches, uprated camshafts and exhaust, as well as stiffer suspension, and around 30bhp extra.

Honda Integra Type-R

Described by many as the best-handling front-wheel drive car ever made; the Integra Type R was the benchmark for Type Rs that would follow for years to come. The large rear wing reduced lift by 30 percent while an aero lip at the front kept things stable at higher speeds. Its chassis had a reinforced subframe and additional spot welds to boost rigidity, 15in alloys helped the double-wishbone suspension to find its flow and the windscreen was 10 per cent thinner to help keep weight low.

Mini Cooper

Mini has come far with the Cooper range nowadays but the original Cooper was where it earned its famous go-kart handling and ‘giant killer’ status. A rubber cone suspension set-up was used instead of conventional springs which gave a raw and bumpy ride and all four wheels were pushed out to each corner while a low centre of gravity, and short wheel travel, allowed the Cooper to deliver sharp cornering. More powerful ‘S’ models were released in 1963 with a more powerful 1.1-litre powerplant and larger disc brakes.

Lotus Elan M100

While we’re used to Lotus giving us rear-wheel drive sportscars, the M100 was Lotus’ front-wheel drive answer to the big-selling Mazda MX-5. Lotus used a lightweight composite body which was attached to a rigid steel backbone chassis, the front suspension had a double wishbone set up and a “compliance raft” was attached to the chassis with stiff bushes to help reduce torque steer. Unfortunately, many purists couldn’t see past the idea of a front-wheel drive Lotus and sales flopped with only 4700 cars being produced. Kia later picked up the design and sold 1056 examples in South Korea and Japan.

Renault Clio 182 Trophy

While many Renaultsport cars could make our list, the iconic 182 Trophy offered the compact feel of the Williams with modern 200 Cup performance. Renault Sport engineers took the already fizzy 182 Cup and added Sachs remote reservoir rally-like dampers to the front axle, giving optimised body control and little to no flex under hard cornering. Renaultsport then added hydraulic bump stops and chopped 10mm from the ride height. Vigorous cornering meant the 182 Trophy would lift its rear rather than understeer.

Peugeot 205 GTi

Available with either a 104bhp 1.6-litre or a 130bhp 1.9-litre, the 205 GTi had McPherson front struts and a compact trailing arm setup at the rear, combined with communicative steering, allowing it to rival some bigger and more powerful cars in handling. The 1.9-litre offered suspension tweaks to reduce pitch and roll and combat the understeer that could be found on earlier 1.6 cars. It became increasingly popular because of its price-performance ratio and is still considered one of the world’s best front-wheel drive cars to this day.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S

The Honda Civic Type R and Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy-R were extreme but Volkswagen took it a step further when they upped their GTI and removed the rear seats, freeing up 30kg. 306bhp and bespoke damper tuning, more camber, a lightweight front aluminium subframe and bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres meant the Clubsport S was the quickest front-wheel drive Golf yet. A front splitter and rear wing generated a little amount of downforce which neutralized the 60kg of lift that was once produced by the GTI Performance. This gave the Clubsport S impeccable chassis balance and even promoted oversteer.

Ford Focus RS500

Just as everyone was getting used to the Mk2 Focus RS, Ford then added 45bhp and resurrected the RS500 badge which, as the name suggested, meant only 500 examples of the Focus RS500 would be built. Although the chassis remained untouched from the base Focus RS, an LSD was equipped to help manage the extra power and claw the car around bends, and it would even lift the rear wheel if pushed hard enough. By trailing the brakes toward a corner with the ESP turned off, you could encourage the rear into helping adjust the cornering line.

Ford SportKa

From the 90s the 2010s the compact hot hatchback market was booming, with cars like the Suzuki Swift Sport and Fiat Panda 100hp being vastly popular. Whilst the original Ford Ka lacked performance with its 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre engines, Ford extracted 94bhp from the 1.6-litre for the SportKa. It then underwent chassis changes such as a 22mm wider front track to improve road holding, stiffened bushes, extra bracing, a suspension drop of 14mm and an anti-roll bar that was stiffened by 60 per cent. This meant the SportKa was eager to respond to the slightest of input.

Alfa Romeo Alfasud

Claimed to be one of the best-handling cars of the 1970s, the Alfasud was let down by questionable build quality which later led to the Golf GTI becoming the favourite. The Alfasud was amongst the first cars to boast four-wheel disc brakes and roll-free handling thanks to its low-slung boxer architecture, MacPherson front strut suspension and a cleaver beam rear axle tied to a Watts linkage which acted as a giant anti-roll bar. This resulted in a well-planted and chuckable car with great road holding.

Renault Megane R26R

By adding a roll cage and a carbon fibre bonnet, replacing the rear windows with polycarbonate, removing the rear seats, and removing the radio and the passenger airbag, Renaultsport managed to shave 123kg from the old Megane RS with the R26R. The spring rates, front and rear, were over 10 percent softer while the uprated dampers and springs gave better stability and control through the corners. Renault kept the differential from the normal car but fitted the R26R with Toyo tyres which gave it masses of grip.

Seat Leon ST280

When Seat opted for a front-wheel drive layout for the ST280, they used an electronic differential that could send up to 100 percent of its torque to the outside wheel via a hydraulic clutch. This meant that speed could be preserved at all four corners and that the driver could flatten the throttle out of a bend and experience very little torque steer. The ST280 sat 25mm lower than the regular Leon S, allowing it to hug the road, but buyers could have an optional Performance Pack, aimed more at a track day audience, which included 2.1kg lighter alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Sport Cup 2 rubber.

Ford Mondeo ST200

Ford created a fast family car with the Mondeo ST200; it was something that had sharp, responsive steering and firm suspension, carefully set up by Ford engineers, and sat low enough to take corners with gusto while also providing passengers with comfort. 17in wheels sat firmly inside the arches, helping to create the ST200’s aggressive stance. The 2.5-litre V6 was revised from the ST24 which saw the power rise from 167bhp to 202bhp.

Honda Civic Type R

You can’t go wrong with any Civic Type R in Honda’s range; they’ll all offer sublime handling and reliability – but we’re focusing on the FK2 here. Honda adopted a dual-axis front suspension set-up with adaptive damping to help control all 306bhp that’s fed through the front wheels. Grip was provided by 19in wheels that were wrapped in Continental tyres. The +R mode chilled the ESP a bit and stiffened the suspension by 30% which, on smooth tarmac, made for a driver-involving experience.

Abarth 695 Biposto

Fiat claimed that the Abarth 695 was the world’s smallest supercar. Buyers could opt for a dog ring H-pattern gearbox mated to a limited-slip differential while racing seats with a four-point harness, roll-cage and 187bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre were standard. By removing the rear seats and adding rally-like netting, Fiat saved 38kg, giving the 695 a total weight of 997kg. An additional 5mm of offset was added to either side which gave an increased track width of 10mm, while the Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres offered a plethora of grip.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1

It was only fair that the Mk1 Golf GTI had its place on our list due to its sure-footed stability and nerve-holding stance when it came to bigger rear-wheel drive cars of the same era. In comparison to the normal Golf, Volkswagen gave the GTI stiffer suspension (both dampers and springs), anti-roll bars and they dropped it 20mm closer to the road. Its unassisted steering offered plenty of feedback and the car could make decent pace down a B-road thanks to its 840kg weight and 110bhp on tap – helping to start a legend that, with blips along the way, continues to this day.

Peugeot 106 GTi

While there were a few front-wheel drive cars to choose from in the 1990s, the Alfa 145, Seat Ibiza Cupra and Renault Clio Williams among many, Peugeot raised the bar for the hot hatch market once again with the 306 GTI-6 and 106 GTi. The 106 GTi was gifted with the usual hot hatchback recipe: MacPherson struts linked by an anti-roll bar, a torsion bar, and an additional anti-roll bar at the rear. Peugeot extracted 120bhp from the 1.6-litre powerplant, which only had 950kg to cart around, resulting in a small but capable car in a B-road blast.

Toyota Celica T-Sport

The Celica T-Sport was the flagship in the range and the chassis was described by many as both brilliant and alert. It was introduced just as the Integra Type R and Ford Racing Puma were leaving the party, earning its “best handling front-wheel drive” title rather quickly thanks to its low-slung physique and engine-speed-sensing power steering system, which allowed the driver to tune in to the front wheels. While the chassis remained untouched from previous Celicas, the engine power was raised from 143bhp to 190bhp.

Volkswagen Lupo GTI

Like the Golf and the Polo, the Lupo GTI gained quite a cult following due to its downright feistiness and high fun factor. It received uprated springs and dampers and the ride height was dropped by 20mm over the normal Lupo giving it a road-hugging stance. Fat tyres and a small wheelbase made for sharp turn-in which in return made it a hoot to drive while understeer was predictable. The 1.6-litre pumped out 125bhp and gave an 8.2sec 0-62mph time.

Hyundai i20N

There are various choices for a modern hot hatch but if you can pry yourself away from the popular and well-priced Fiesta ST then the Hyundai i20N may be worth a look. 206bhp is channelled through a limited-slip differential while the 18in alloys are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tyres as standard. Sturdier front knuckles plus more negative camber and more chassis bracing mean the i20N can provide great cornering confidence albeit with mild torque steer on more cambered roads.

In pictures: the Alfa Romeo story

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:22:18 +0100

Alfa has long been one of the most-loved Italian marques for Autocar readers, and here we celebrate its history

Some people say that every true petrolhead has either owned an Alfa Romeo or, at the very least, wanted to.

Alfa was founded in Milan, less than a hundred miles from its current home in Turin. The actual date was 24 June 1910, but as we’ll see the Alfa Romeo story in fact began a little earlier than that. Let's take a look at this famous firm through the lens of its most famous cars:

The Darracq connection

The company we now know as Alfa Romeo arose from S.A.I.D., which was created in 1906 to build French Darracq cars for sale in Italy. By 1909, S.A.I.D. was in trouble, and its directors decided to try a new approach and build cars of their own.

The new organisation was given the descriptive name [Società] Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, which approximately translates into English as Lombardy Automobile Factory Limited. For convenience, it was referred to by its initial letters, A.L.F.A.

The logo

The A.L.F.A. logo was designed by Romano Cattaneo. It has been redesigned several times over the years, but two elements have remained throughout: a red cross representing Milan and a grass snake taken from the coat of arms of the Visconti family, which ruled the city until 1447.

The 24 HP

A.L.F.A. hired ex-Fiat man Giuseppe Merosi as its chief engineer, a post he held until 1923. He designed the company’s first car, a four-seater with a 4.1-litre engine known as the 24 HP (pictured). It was followed almost immediately by the smaller 12 HP. Production of the 24 HP continued until 1914.

Two 24 HPs were entered in the 1911 Targa Florio race, but both retired on the third and final lap of the 91-mile road course, one because of the accident which befell Nino Franchini and the other due to the exhaustion suffered by Ugo Ronzoni.

Nicola Romeo

In 1915, entrepreneur Nicola Romeo bought a controlling stake in A.L.F.A., which spent the remaining war years building military equipment. Romeo soon became the full owner of the firm, whose name was changed in his honour to the current Alfa Romeo in February 1918.

Romeo left in 1928 and died ten years later at the age of 62, but he is still commemorated in the name of the company and those of streets in several Italian cities, including Milan.

The 20-30 HP

The 20-30 HP, introduced in 1914, was a development of the original 24 HP. Production was interrupted by the First World War, so many cars started before hostilities began were completed only in 1920.

A sports version of the 20-30 HP was the first model ever to be badged as an Alfa Romeo.

The RL

The Alfa Romeo RL was in production for five years starting in 1922. There were four grades called Normale, Turismo, Sport and Super Sport (pictured).

In addition to those, Alfa built several lighter and more powerful race versions named after the Targa Florio road race. Drivers included Enzo Ferrari, who won a major event at Ravenna in June 1923.

The cloverleaf

Hoping that it would bring him luck in the 1923 Targa Florio, Alfa racing driver Ugo Sivocci painted a four-leaf clover on his RL. It seemed to be effective. Sivocci won the race, but later died at Monza while practising in another car which did not have the clover on it.

The clover, known as quadrifoglio, was added to Alfa Romeo race cars from then on in Sivocci’s honour. The logo and the name began to be used on high-performance production cars in the early 1960s.

The 6Cs

The RL was replaced in 1927 by the first of a series of sports models called 6C because they all had six-cylinder engines. Giuseppe Campari won the 1928 Mille Miglia race in a competition version, and road models appeared with several engine sizes and a great many body styles, mostly created by independent coachbuilders.

A new 6C went on sale in 1934, a year after Alfa Romeo, by now in serious financial trouble, came under the control of Italy’s Institute for Industrial Reconstruction. Its replacement was produced from 1938 to 1952.

The 8Cs

Similar to the 6C, the 8C, built throughout the 1930s, was available in many road-going and competition forms, all with variants of an eight-cylinder engine designed by Vittorio Jano.

A streamlined 8C coupé (pictured) led the 1938 Le Mans 24 Hour race by the almost unbelievable margin of 14 laps before retiring with engine failure two hours before the finish.

A famous victory

Alfa Romeo’s new Grand Prix car for 1932 was known variously as the Tipo B or P3. It was very successful to begin with, until the technically brilliant Mercedes and Auto Union machines collectively known as the Silver Arrows arrived in 1934.

Despite this, Tazio Nuvolari achieved possibly the greatest result of his career in the 1935 German Grand Prix, driving a P3 in terrible weather at the Nürburgring. Recovering from a bad start and a disastrous fuel stop, Nuvolari took the chequered flag first ahead of eight Silver Arrows, to the disgust of the high-ranking Nazi officials present.

The last 6C

The final 6C model, whose 2.5-litre engine was the largest in the series, was introduced in 1938. The chassis was offered in three sizes, the longest being used for the 2500 Super Sport (pictured).

The 6C was both the last pre-War and the first post-War production Alfa Romeo, remaining on sale until 1952.

The 1900

Alfa’s first post-War design was the 1900, which differed from previous models in that it was built on a production line and had a structural body rather than a separate body and chassis.

Aimed at a larger market than previous Alfa Romeos, it was quite successful. Over 20,000 were built between 1950 and 1959.

World champions

The F1 World Championship was created in 1950. Alfa Romeo immediately dominated it, winning six of the seven rounds (the exception being the Indianapolis 500, which no European team entered). Giuseppe Farina won the title that year and was succeeded by Juan-Manuel Fangio in another Alfa.

Fangio’s car was a 159 Alfetta, a derivative of Farina’s 158 which had itself been designed back in 1937. Alfa Romeo temporarily retired from F1 at the end of the 1951 season. None of its returns led to the success it had enjoyed in the early 50s.

Disco Volante

Officially called the 1900 C52, the Disco Volante (‘Flying Saucer’) was an experimental sports racing car of which just five were built in 1952 and 1953. Some of the mechanical components came from the 1900, but the spaceframe chassis and the astonishingly aerodynamic body, developed in partnership with Milan-based Carozzeria Touring, were new.

Alfa Romeo and Touring collaborated again on a new Disco Volante, based on the 8C Competizione, which was revealed in 2013. A convertible version appeared three years later.

Giulietta

Alfa Romeo has used the Giulietta name three times. The first model, manufactured from 1954 to 1965, was available in saloon, coupé (pictured) and roadster forms, along with a very rare estate called the Promiscua.

Most of them had the same 1.3-litre twin-cam engine with power outputs of up to 99bhp for road use. Competition versions could reach 118bhp. Alfa celebrated the building of the 100,001st Giulietta in 1961, and total production is believed to have exceeded 170,000.

The French connection

Echoing its early relationship with Darracq, Alfa Romeo built the Renault Dauphine (pictured) under licence in Italy from 1959 and the Renault 4 from 1962. Production of both stopped in 1964.

The Dauphine’s successor was the Renault 8, which bore a close resemblance to an Alfa prototype called the Tipo 103. The two cars were, however, completely unrelated mechanically (not least in that their engines were at different ends), and the Alfa version was never put into production.

Giulia saloons

Known as the Type 105, the original Giulia saloon, built from 1962 to 1977, had a boxy body which was far more aerodynamic than it appeared.

Nearly all versions had 1.3- or 1.6-litre petrol engines, but a late model introduced in 1976 was Alfa Romeo’s first diesel-powered passenger car.

Giulia coupés

A series of coupés based on a shortened Giulia saloon platform was launched in 1963. Engine sizes ranged from 1.3 to 2.0 litres, and the cars had several names, most of which included the letters GT.

The GTAm (pictured), built by Alfa Romeo’s motorsport division Autodelta, was built specifically for racing. Dutch driver Toine Hezemans won the 1970 European Touring Car Championship in one.

2600

Produced from 1962 to 1968 and a development of the earlier 2000, the 2600 was the last of what would have been described at the time as the ‘classic’ Alfa Romeos, with a six-cylinder engine.

It was offered as a saloon with Alfa’s own body and as a Spider (pictured) and coupé with bodies by Touring and Bertone respectively. Overall, the 2600 was not a great success, and there was no direct replacement.

Spider

Of all the cars based on the 1962 Giulia, by far the longest-lived was the Spider. Styled by Pininfarina, it was launched in 1966 and featured in the following year’s movie The Graduate (dubbed with a completely inappropriate V8 engine noise) driven by Dustin Hoffman.

This sort of publicity in the first year of a model’s production is the sort of thing manufacturers can usually only dream of, but even Alfa Romeo can hardly have expected at the time that it would still be building essentially the same car (though with several updates) as late as 1993.

33 Stradale

This was the street-legal version of Alfa’s Tipo 33 sports racer, stradale being the Italian word for ‘road’. It had butterfly doors and a 2.0-litre V8 engine with a remarkably high output of 227bhp, only about 40bhp short of what it produced in the race car.

Only 18 were built from late 1967 to early 1969. Survivors are estimated to be worth over £8 million each.

Montreal

When Alfa displayed an un-named concept car at Expo 67, the public called it the Montreal after the host city. Alfa kept the name for the production model, which differed from the concept in many respects.

For example, the original 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine was abandoned in favour of a larger (2.6-litre) but detuned (197bhp) version of the V8 used in the 33 Stradale. The Montreal was produced from 1970 to 1977 but did not sell particularly well, partly because of its high price.

Alfasud

The Alfasud got its name from a government policy to increase manufacturing and employment in the poorer, southern part of Italy (sud being the Italian word for ‘south’). This radical small car, the first front-wheel drive Alfa Romeo, was built in a factory near Naples from 1972, and unfortunately developed an early reputation for rust.

More happily, it also became known for its excellent handling, helped by the fact that the boxer engine layout gave the whole car a helpfully low centre of gravity.

Alfetta, GTV and Giulietta

Launched in the same year as the Alfasud, the Alfetta was named after the 159 Alfetta Grand Prix car of the early 1950s. Unusually, the production car had its engine mounted up front and its gearbox at the rear in an attempt to make the weight distribution as even as possible.

The Alfetta saloon was the basis of the GT and GTV (pictured) coupés. More powerful examples had V6 engines, rather than the more common four-cylinder ones, in sizes of up to 3.0 litres. Yet another derivative was the second-generation Giulietta, built from 1977 to 1965.

33

The Alfasud’s replacement was the 33, which like its predecessor had a choice of four-cylinder boxer engines, in this case from 1.2 to 1.7 litres, plus a 1.3-litre three-cylinder diesel supplied by VM Motori.

Though less fondly remembered than the Sud, the 33 remained in production for twelve years, from 1983 to 1995.

164

Development of the 164 began when Alfa Romeo was still owned by the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction but went on sale after the company had been bought by Fiat.

Notable for its wedge shaped, created by Pininfarina, the 164 was one of four cars based on the Type Four platform, the others being the Fiat Croma, the Lancia Thema and the Saab 9000. The Alfa was the last to reach the market, in 1988, and went out of production nine years later. US sales stopped in 1995. Alfa would not have a presence in the North American market for two decades after that.

SZ/RZ

The SZ coupé was closely related to the 75 (sold in the US as the Milano), and used the 3.0-litre V6 engine used in high-performance versions of that car. It was built from 1989 to 1991 and followed by the RZ convertible manufactured until 1994.

No other Alfa Romeo before or since has looked quite like these cars, which were nicknamed Il mostro (‘the monster’), but their six headlights arranged in two sets of three would make a comeback in the 21st century.

155

Given the new Fiat connection, it was reasonable enough that the front-wheel drive 155 compact executive should share a platform with the Fiat Tempra and Lancia Dedra. Production began in 1992 and ended six years later.

The car was very successful in motorsport. The 155 Silverstone, launched in 1994, was created specifically to give Alfa Romeo an advantage in that year’s British Touring Car Championship, which it dominated. Other 155s would win Touring Car titles in Germany, Italy and Spain.

145/146

Alfa’s small family hatchbacks of the mid to late 1990s was divided into two ranges with similar mechanicals but different characters. The 145 (pictured) was the more youth-oriented three-door, while the 146 had five doors and more conservative styling, and was aimed at people who might previously have bought a 33.

Like the 33 and the Alfasud, the 145/146 was available at first with boxer engines, though these were discontinued. In hot hatch form, both cars were offered with 2.0-litre TwinSpark engines producing around 150bhp, but only the 145 version had the Quadrifoglio/Cloverleaf badge.

GTV/Spider

Like the 145/146 whose platform they shared, the GTV and Spider (both using names from Alfa Romeo’s past) were broadly speaking the same car, respectively a two-seater sports coupé and its convertible equivalent which were built from 1993 to 2004.

Alfa offered several four-cylinder and V6 engines. The most unusual was a turbocharged 2.0-litre V6, which was approximately as powerful as the 3.0-litre version but put the car in a lower tax bracket for Italian customers.

156

The 155 was replaced by the 156, which was in production for ten years from 1997. It was offered in a great many forms. Engines ranged from a 1.6-litre Twin Spark through a common-rail turbo diesel to a 3.2-litre petrol V6, body styles included saloon, Sportwagon estate and Crosswagon semi-off-roader, and there was a choice of front- or four-wheel drive.

The 156 was very well received. In 1998 it became the first Alfa Romeo ever to win the European Car of the Year award, easily beating the new Volkswagen Golf and Audi A6.

166

While Alfa Romeo was doing well with its small and medium-sized cars in the late 1990s, it would be difficult to say the same of its largest model. The 166, which used the same platform as the Lancia Kappa, replaced the 164 in 1996 and staggered on until 2007 before being abandoned without a direct successor.

In August 2009, we reported that the 166 was the worst-depreciating car in the UK, worth just 14.4% of its sale price after three years.

147

Alfa Romeo rationalised its small hatchback range in 2000, replacing both the 145 and the 146 with the 147, which was available with three or five doors. In 2001 the 147 became the second and so far last Alfa to be named European Car of the Year, beating the Ford Mondeo by a single point.

For the hot hatch GTA version (pictured), Alfa fitted a big V6 under the bonnet, as Volkswagen later did with the Golf R32. The 3.2-litre engine produced 247bhp and gave the car a top speed of 153mph and a 0-62mph time of 6.3 seconds.

GT

Described by its maker as “a true Gran Turismo sports coupé in the classic Alfa Romeo tradition”, the GT was a sleeker version of the 156 introduced in 2003. A 1.8-litre Twin Spark, 2.0-litre direct injection and 3.2-litre V6 petrol engines were on offer, along with a 1.9-litre turbo diesel.

“It’s a likeable car, the GT,” we reported, speaking of the 2.0, while also noting that “dynamically, it still falls some way short of a BMW 3 Series”.

159

The 159 replaced the 156 in 2004 and remained on the market for seven years. It was based on a platform co-developed by Fiat and General Motors, though only Alfa Romeo used it for cars that went into production.

The outstanding design feature of the 159 was its array of six front lights, three on each side of the car. This had last been seen on the SZ/RZ (though the lights were now circular rather than square) and would be used again in the near future.

Brera/Spider

The Brera coupé and Spider convertible were based on the 159 and were in production for five years from 2005. The Brera in particular looked very dramatic (the six-light arrangement definitely helped), but it was criticised for its dull handling, caused by considerable weight and underdamped front suspension.

Alfa Romeo commissioned UK company Prodrive to work on this, and the result was the lighter, lower and more stiffly sprung Brera S. “Really, this is the Brera that Alfa should have built from day one,” we said. “Shame, then, that there’ll be only 500 expensive examples.”

MiTo

The MiTo’s name refers to the cities where it was designed (Milan) and built (Turin, or Torino in Italian). Launched in 2008, it was based on a General Motors/Fiat platform also used for the Fiat Grande Punto and the Vauxhall Corsa, among others.

The MiTo was one of the first cars to use the MultiAir intake system devised by Fiat Powertrain Technologies and licensed to German company Schaeffler. Under a different name, the same technology is used on Jaguar Land Rover’s Ingenium engines.

8C

The 8C Competizione and its convertible derivative, the 8C Spider, were produced from 2007 to 2010. Both had a carbonfibre body and used a 444bhp 4.7-litre version of the F136 V8 engine also found in several Ferraris and Maseratis.

Only 500 of each were built. Ninety 8C Competitiziones were earmarked for the US, making this the first Alfa Romeo sold in North America since the 164 was withdrawn from that market in 1995.

Giulietta

Alfa Romeo brought back the Giulietta name in 2010 for a new family car which replaced the 147. It was the first model based on the Fiat Compact platform also used by Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, all of which are related to Alfa Romeo following the creation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014.

The Giulietta finished second in the 2011 European Car of the Year awards, Alfa’s best result since the 147 won ten years before and since equalled by the Giulietta in 2017.

4C

Alfa displayed the 4C as a concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and then in production form at the same event two years later. Like the much more expensive and exclusive 8C, it has a carbonfibre body which helps keep the kerb weight down to almost exactly 1000kg.

The mid-mounted 237bhp turbo petrol engine is one of many Alfa Romeo units in history with a capacity of around 1750cc, the exact figure in this case being 1742cc. Available in coupé and Spider forms, the 4C was the first series production Alfa to go on sale in North America in the 21th century.

Giulia

In 2016, Alfa Romeo launched the Giulia, its first saloon since the 159 and first front-engined rear-wheel drive model in nearly a quarter of a century.

Mostly sold as an executive car, the Giulia is also available in high-performance Quadrifoglio form. This version’s turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine produces a maximum output of 503bhp, making the Quadrifoglio nearly twice as powerful as any other model in the range.

Stelvio

By the mid 2010s it had become almost impossible for any car manufacturer not to have an SUV in its line-up. Alfa Romeo’s entry into the sector was the Stelvio, named after the famous Italian mountain pass and related to the Giulia, with a similar range of engines.

The Stelvio made its public debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, and was launched on the US market, along with the Giulia, the following year. As a result, annual Alfa Romeo sales in the region reportedly shot up from a few hundred to over 12,000.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

The Tonale SUV arrived in 2022 as a smaller alternative to the Stelvio; it's a sister car to the Jeep Compass and the Dodge Hornet. It comes with a range of engine options, including a diesel.

Alfa Romeo Junior

Alfa Romeo launched an even smaller SUV named Junior in 2024. It was originally going to be named Milano, but a member of the Italian government objected, since the car is built in Poland; five days after the unveiling the name was changed. Available with a petrol engine, it's also sold as a fully electric car, and as such is Alfa's first EV. A new era for the famous Alfa Romeo name begins...

Semi-solid vs solid state: Decoding the future of electric car batteries

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Battery breakthroughs will narrow the gap between ICE and EV, making charging as quick as pumping petrol

As battery technology improves, so the terminology gets more confusing, but soon it may pay to understand the differences when choosing an EV.

Renault and MG have announced forthcoming updates to their respective technologies, with both edging closer to solid-state lithium-ion from conventional liquid electrolyte technology.

MG says it will be the first brand to mass-produce a semi-solid-state battery, called SolidCore. It will be introduced in European MG EVs at the end of this year and is claimed to offer a longer range and faster charging with enhanced cold-weather and all-round performance. MG says the cells contain solid and liquid electrolytes, with around 5% liquid content. Other manufacturers developing semi-solid tech often use an electrolyte gel, which differs from MG's approach.

Earlier this year, Renault's EV and software arm, Ampere, announced a deal with Basquevolt to fast-track development of lithium metal-based lithium ion batteries. Basquevolt's lithium metal battery tech will form the basis of the development for what will be a solid-state battery technology using 'solid-state-type polymer' electrolyte, rather than the conventional liquid electrolyte, to enable the use of lithium metal anodes.

Anodes (negative electrodes) of lithium ion batteries are usually graphite, often with some silicon content to improve energy density. Were they made from lithium metal (like early prototype lithium ion batteries), the battery's energy density by weight would increase substantially. But lithium metal has so far presented insurmountable difficulties for use in large EV batteries.

Examples include the formation of dendrites, needle-like formations that branch out through an electrolyte until it reaches the cathode (positive electrode), shorting out the cell. Another challenge is that a lithium metal-based cell's volume increases and decreases during cycling, which poses a challenge within the tightly packaged confines of a battery pack. Research into the design and materials is ongoing, with several different approaches being taken.

Ampere and Basquevolt have been collaborating for the past year and Basquevolt is said to be demonstrating already that its tech can achieve high energy density while reducing battery pack manufacturing costs.

The safe adoption of lithium metal anodes would result in step changes in both battery capacity and charging speeds, taking manufacturers closer to achieving parity with (if not matching) the time taken to refuel an ICE car.

Semi-solid-state batteries are a more mature technology and MG started mass production of the SolidCore battery last year. But many of the big names are developing all-solid-state as well, with Nissan promising to launch an EV powered by one in 2028, while others, including MG, snap at its heels.

Inside JCB’s plans to smash hydrogen land speed record

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:33:22 +0100

The British engineering firm’s Hydromax challenger has topped 208mph in testing

British engineering firm JCB’s new Hydromax land speed record challenger has reached 208mph to exceed the current speed for the faster hydrogen-powered combustion car as its testing programme wraps up.

The firm is aiming to set a new hydrogen land speed record with the machine on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in August, repeating its success in setting a diesel land speed record with its Dieselmax challenger in 2006.

The car has reached 208mph during its testing programme in the UK, which already eclipses the current mark for a hydrogen-combustion car – although the record is unofficial because it wasn’t during a sanctioned event. Regardless, the ultimate goal is to eclipse the current record for a hydrogen fuel cell car.

Steve Cropley visited the team during testing to find out how the project is developing.

Inside JCB’s UK test programme

For a week and a half the weather at RAF Wittering was hardly ever right, varying from driving rain to extremely gusty crosswinds; both entirely wrong for a long, narrow land speed record car urgently aiming to crack 200mph.

The JCB Hydromax team had set up a tent base for their all-British record breaker beside the pristine 1.7-mile main runway at Wittering, near Stamford, with the aim of getting as close to 200mph as possible before packing the car up and flying it to Wendover, Utah, nearest city to the Bonneville Salt Flats that are the home of world land speed record-breaking.

In the early days of August, a couple of weeks from now, the car is scheduled first to take part in the Southern California Timing Association’s time-honoured Bonneville Speed Week, its two turbocharged hydrogen digger engines each producing 600bhp, 200 below maximum.

Then in the second week, with the engines now making full power, Hydromax will tackle official FIA-sanctioned world records, on the way speeding past the 350mph mark set 20years ago by the slightly heavier, less sophisticated and 10% less aerodynamic JCB Dieselmax of 2006 which, while burning now-unfashionable diesel fuel, was similar in size and layout to Hydromax.

It’s of zero importance to history whether Hydromax beats Dieselmax; their different fuelling puts them in very distinct record categories. But there’s a big physical similarity between the pair — and JCB engineers make no secret that their Dieselmax experience was a major aid to the hydrogen project.

The cars are both very long, needle-nosed single-seaters — and both are built to contain the powerful physique of the redoubtable Wing Commander Andy Green, go-to land speed record driver of the past three decades and the world’s only man to have beaten the sound barrier on land (which he did at 763mph in 1997).

Apart from the tyre valves, Green wryly points out that he is the two cars’ only common component. His job is to beat the current record for hydrogen cars, set at 302.877mph in 2009 by a fuel cell streamliner, the Buckeye Bullet 2, designed by a team of Ohio University students and elevate it as far as possible. The current record for a hydrogen combustion car stands at an enticing 185.5mph, set by a BMW research prototype in 2004. With a bit of luck, they might have beaten this at Wittering.

JCB’s eye is particularly on pulverising this piston record; in fact they might have beaten it at Wittering. Fuel cells in vehicles are all very well, but after a five-year, £100million research programme that is about to bring hydrogen engines into diggers, its technical staff has reached the firm conclusion that hydrogen piston engines are by far the best option on compactness cost and durability grounds, among others.

The hydrogen units can be surprisingly similar in construction, affordability, component supply, power output and operator procedure to the 185,000 engines the company already makes annually.

Hydromax and Dieselmax share the same wheelbase and are both four-wheel drive designs with each wheel-pair driven by its own much-modified version of JCB’s 4.8-litre four-pot digger engine. The two engines “talk” to one another electronically to deliver matched revs and power, and each drives its wheel pair through an XTrac six-speed transaxle (modified from racing applications). The whole thing weighs around 2.8 tonnes, a few percent lighter than its predecessor.

Aero requirements plus the need to accommodate the Hydromax’s bulky twin 700bar hydrogen tanks has required an increase in Hydromax’s 9.75-metre overall length by 560mm, while the cabin has been moved forward 450mm, also for packaging reasons.

The massive tubular chassis and amazingly compact mult-link independent suspensions are the work of Prodrive, the Banbury race engineering group, who also designed and built Andy Green’s hugely strong carbon composite driver’s cell carried inside the chassis.

The tyres look similar to those from Dieselmax, but are new Goodyear units that as well as advancing the safe speed (JCB won’t say hope far) use more modern carcass construction and more sustainable materials, Engineers say that where Dieselmax was “limited on tyres”, Hydromax is not.

Hydromax’s CdA is 10% lower than its predecessor mostly through the assistance of CFD (computational fluid dynamics), a science that shapes and predicts airflow over cars much better than it could 20 years ago.

Among bigger tweaks, its results encouraged engineers to lengthen Hydromax’s tail for minimum departure turbulence, and to position its fin ideally for high speed stability. The rear extremity of the car is complex in design; it contains two parachutes (regular and reserve) for braking from high speed, and is reinforced sufficiently to allow it to be propelled to 40-50mph by a Defender Octa, after which it accelerated rapidly away in first gear.

Despite having to obey aerodynamic rules, Hydromax’s looks considerably more modern and sophisticated than its predecessor, mainly through the influence of JCB’s design director, Ben Watson, whose daunting day job is to make diggers look desirable. He gave Hydromax its “jet fighter” cockpit, lowered the nose, raised the body on its tyres (because they “grow” in circumference at high speed), refined the surfacing and ditched Dieselmax’s ugly snorkel airscoop in favour of a subtly-placed, low-drag NACA duct.

Nobody at JCB or Prodrive wants to talk top speeds, but given that the new car is lighter, more slippery and more powerful in its ultimate form, there’s good potential for Andy Green to exceed Dieselmax’s 20-year old mark of 350mph in the new car.

But success, everyone points out, can be as much down to weather and surface, as man and machine. The track, usually about 11 miles long, has been as short as five miles. The surface itself can vary in consistency, too, and past Bonneville Speed Weeks have been cancelled due to flooding. Small wonder the crew at RAF Wittering were frustrated by difficult weather…

Experiencing the Dieselmax at speed

When we arrived, they’d already been on site for a week and a half, with a few days to go. We heard a lot about JCB’s rationale for preferring hydrogen piston engines to fuel cells (the central rationale for building the car) and had plenty of chances to study the car’s graceful shape, and to see its wonders under the skin Engineers were having trouble with two things: the fit of a new set of panels that carried a new livery to dramatise our photographs, and a problem with the bleeding of the all-important cooling system that depends on a replenished ice supply rather than airflow.

But finally, around 3pm, we spectators were invited into a pedestrian corral halfway down the big runway to see the car go. This was to be Run No14, we were told, but the earlier ones hadn’t been energetic like this. They were just to get the wheels turning.

The pushing Octa (the team name for it is evidently Octa-pushy) got the car fairly slowly up to speed, then the engine fired, a deep bass bellow — or farther, two of them — and the action began. The long Hydromax, tiny but highly visible because of its new livery, shot off the front of the Defender and began to bolt for the horizon.

Without ceremony, with barely any impression of the violence of performance, it rushed past and away towards the horizon. There was no need to batter walls of air aside; it just cleaved it like an arrow. We kept needing to refocus, because it kept going faster until out of sight. The crew, some apprehensive and some a bit morose, suddenly perked up.

Then came news that Andy Green had managed to snap into third gear and accelerate, not possible before. As a result, he’d scored 177mph, not far short of the practical limit on this track, even with two parachutes and four large motorsport-spec discs to calm your forward motion. Two-point-eight tonnes creates plenty of inertia at 177mph.

Having proven it can beat the hydrogen piston mark the project now moves to Utah to do so at an officially sanctioned venue. Can this JCB-Prodrive alliance again prove the strength of British engineering? We’ll know soon.

Electric car vs heatwave: Can my Renault 4 cope in 34 degrees?

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100

We know EVs take a range hit when the temperature drops - but hot weather isn't all good news

Like for a lot of people, the novelty of the 30deg C-plus temperatures and fearsome sunshine are wearing off pretty quickly for me. It wasn't long into this latest heatwave before I was practically kneeling in the street and begging the skies for a summer downpour – if only for the sake of my new hydrangea.

Compounding this heat-induced frustration is that once the mercury gets past a certain point, it overshoots the ideal operating window for an EV battery and you start losing the efficiency benefits that come with warmer weather.

The impact isn't quite as drastic as you might see in the depths of winter, but according to Renault's official range calculator, my R4 could lose as much as 35 miles of urban range when the temperature jumps from 20deg C to 35deg C.

That has certainly borne out when I've been pottering around over the past few days, with my average efficiency dipping as low as 3.3mpkWh to give a range of 172 miles – and that's with low-speed driving. I saw a similar percentage drop from the Alpine A290 – with the same basic powertrain – in the coldest weeks of winter.

I wanted to pootle around for a few miles with the air-con off and the windows open at the weekend to see if reducing the draw on the battery markedly increased efficiency, but my distinctly less curious passenger advised that she was liable to abruptly expire or exit the vehicle if I turned the fans off, so that experiment will have to wait until the next heatwave.

In any case, the efficiency hit hasn't really been drastic enough to impact my driving style or cause any charging worries while I've been out and about. The heat, though, has alerted me to an irritating quirk that made me briefly extremely uncomfortable – although I am partly to blame.

Like a lot of electric cars, the 4 can be connected to your phone so you can control and monitor things such as the central locking, the charging system and – most usefully – the climate control, so in theory whether it's Baltic or boiling outside, you can make sure the cabin is at a pleasant ambient temperature before you have even left home.

The trouble is, it seems I have previously made an account for this system and I can't remember my details, which is especially annoying because it takes ages to type my email address and possible passwords into the car's touchscreen.

There's a 'forgot your password' option in the app, but it doesn't seem to like any of my new suggestions for some reason. I'll keep trying to suss it out, because it would be really useful to pre-condition the car and check the state of charge remotely, but with all the advancements in in-car connectivity of late, why can't the car just flash up a QR code for me to scan and log in automatically?

Otherwise, though, I'm getting on swimmingly with this cheery little crossover. Quite aside from the practicality advantages it offers over its hatchback sibling, the Renault 5, it's also a generally more agreeable thing for nipping around town in, by dint of its smoother ride and improved visibility.

It's just as easy to park, too, and because it's so closely related under the skin, it's almost as much of a laugh when you pick up the pace a bit.

I have a few big drives on the horizon, and they will give me more of a chance to test the 4's cruising credentials and dynamic character on faster, more flowing roads. I'm hoping that by the time you read this the weather has relaxed into a more June-typical state of temperate mildness, and I can focus on enjoying my time at the wheel rather than enduring it.

Vauxhall given new freedom to adapt Opel cars for UK roads

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Vauxhall will get more room to meet "the specific needs of UK customers" amid Stellantis brand overhaul

Opel will give UK subsidiary Vauxhall more engineering freedom to adapt its cars for its home market, in line with an ongoing commitment to preserving the British marque's role in the Stellantis group.

Stellantis – parent company of Opel-Vauxhall, as well as other European marques Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS, Fiat, Lancia and Peugeot – recently announced that it would channel the bulk of its future investments into its four best-performing global brands, raising questions about the viability of others.

It chose Peugeot, Ram, Jeep and Fiat on the basis that their "multi-regional presence" gave them "the greatest scale and the highest potential for profitability", while also announcing that DS and Lancia would be repositioned as "specialty brands" focused on their home markets of France and Italy.

The move would seem to represent a rationalisation of Stellantis's sprawling portfolio aimed at reducing complexity - but Opel boss Florian Huettl says the Bedfordshire-born Vauxhall marque will continue to play a "very clear" role in the company, and its cars in the UK could become more bespoke than they have been in more than four decades.

Vauxhall has not made its own cars since effectively merging with Germany's Opel in the early 1970s and has been a UK-only operation for almost as long, sparking questions over its continued viability as a marque in its own right.

But asked whether there remains a place for Vauxhall in the new Stellantis corporate structure, Huettl told Autocar: "Opel and Vauxhall have a very clear identity and a very clear role within the group," referencing Opel's performance in Germany – where it is Stellantis's best-selling brand – and in the UK, where the Corsa and Frontera both rank in the top 10 most popular cars.

He added that the brand will in fact take on an expanded engineering role as part of a move to boost its competitiveness in its historic UK homeland, where it is currently outsold by French sibling Peugeot.

"There's no doubt about the importance of Opel and Vauxhall," said Huettl, "and what we will again discuss with you in due time is that we intend to give more possibilities for more differentiation and more adaptation of Vauxhall to the UK market than what has probably been done in the past.

"We have a specific project together with our Vauxhall team [...] to make sure that the cars, when it comes to the execution especially of the chassis specificities, clearly respond to what we need," he added, in possible reference to the far worse state of UK roads compared with Germany's.

He did not give specifics about the extent of work that will be possible, and it remains to be seen which model will be the first beneficiary, but he emphasised that the company will work to meet "the specific needs of UK customers".

Top 10: World’s longest road tunnels

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0100

Top 10: World’s longest road tunnels

Tunnels are used to carry traffic through some of the most extreme terrain on the planet and they help ease journeys with reduced travel time.

While most tunnels offer a short underground burst of driving, some are much longer. Here are the world’s 10 longest road tunnels that use cutting edge technology to make their construction possible and to keep drivers alert while passing through their extended subterranean length.

Ryfylke Tunnel, Norway – 8.98 miles (14.46km)

The Ryfylke Tunnel is the longest undersea road tunnel in the world at present and stretches some 8.98 miles between Stavanger and Ryfylke. Norway developed the Ryfylke Tunnel to reduce reliance on ferries. It is now part of its Rogfast project to connect several islands with undersea tunnels, and this means Ryfylke is likely to relinquish its title as this building work continues.

Opened in 2019, the Ryfylke Tunnel took seven years to build and a toll is charged to help recoup the cost of construction.

By the time the Ryfylke Tunnel started operating, it had cost 6.4 billion Norwegian Kroner (£460 million) to complete. Electric cars are subject to a 50% discounted toll charge.

Descending to 285-metres under the sea at its deepest, the Ryfylke Tunnel consists of two separate tubes to carry traffic in opposite directions. Each tube has two lanes and the tunnel is capable of carrying up 10,000 vehicles per day.

Zigana Tunnel, Turkiye – 8.99 miles (14.48km)

Close to the northern coast of Turkiye, the Zigana Tunnel runs through rugged mountain rock to bypass the Zigana Pass that becomes blocked by snow in the winter.

Work started on the Zigana Tunnel in 2016 and it was finished in 2023. It is Turkiye’s longest road tunnel at 8.99 miles long and it reduces the journey via the exposed Zigana Pass by five miles. It also cuts the journey time in summer months by around 20 minutes.

Consisting of two separate tunnels to keep traffic flows apart, the Zigana Tunnel was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. This system adapts to the rock as excavation continues and uses a spray-on concrete to create the walls.

There are 16 laybys in each of the tunnel’s tubes, as well as six ventilation shafts. It was also built with 40 connecting tunnels between the pair of tubes, plus nine transformer rooms to house the Zigana Tunnel’s electric power.

Muzhailing Tunnel, China – 9.46 miles (15.22km)

A great many challenges faced the designers and builders of the Muzhailing Tunnel in China’s Gansu Province. For starters, it’s built at high altitude and also in an area of active seismic activity, which means it’s prone to earthquakes.

Although not ideal conditions for creating one of the world’s longest road tunnels, the build used a technology called NPR anchor cabling. This secures the structure into the surrounding rock and allows the tunnel to withstand deformation as the ground moves.

In common with most modern road tunnels, the Muzhailing Tunnel consists of two separate tubes, each carrying the stream of traffic in the opposite direction to the other.

Construction work on this tunnel started in 2016 and reached its finish in 2024, with further complications to the build caused by the thin air at its high altitude and its effect on the workers.

Now complete, the Muzhailing Tunnel is widely studied by tunnelling experts for the way it deals with such difficult terrain.

Tiantaishan Tunnel, China – 9.67 miles (15.56)

It cost 2.75 billion Chinese Yuan (£300 million) to complete the Tiantaishan Tunnel, which is something of a bargain in the world of road tunnels. Started in 2016, the Tiantaishan Tunnel was finished and working by 2021, which is again something of a record when it comes to build time.

All of this is even more impressive when you consider the high altitude of the tunnel and the bitterly cold weather in Shaanxi Province in northwest China.

Tiantaishan Tunnel, China – 9.67 miles (15.56)

When construction started in November 2016, there were 2000 workers spending their shifts underground in the Qinling Mountains. They also lived there for the duration of the build work.

As part of the construction of the Tiantaishan Tunnel, a new smart lighting system was developed that delivers a more natural light inside its depths. This set-up also provides different light patterns and designs on the tunnel’s walls to ward off boredom as drivers traverse its 9.67-mile length in either of the three-lane tunnel tubes.

Gotthard Road Tunnel, Switzerland – 10.46 miles (16.84km)

Previously the longest road tunnel in the world, the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland has slipped down the ranking as new projects have overtaken for length. However, the Gotthard has been in operation for much longer than any other in the top 10 as it opened in 1980.

Work started on the Gotthard Road Tunnel in 1970 and it carries traffic to a maximum height if 1175-metres (3855-feet), which is higher than Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) in Wales.

Gotthard Road Tunnel, Switzerland – 10.46 miles (16.84km)

It takes around 13 minutes to drive through the Gotthard Road Tunnel as the 80kmh speed limit is strictly enforced. There is also a toll charge to pay for using the tunnel and it’s capable of carrying up to 24,000 vehicles per day.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is unusual in modern road tunnelling for using a single tube to carry both directions of traffic. In 2016, 57% of the Swiss population voted in favour of building a second Gotthard road tunnel in a referendum.

Jinpingshan Tunnel, China – 10.90 miles (17.54km)

While all of the other road tunnels in the top 10 are open to the public, the Jinpingshan Tunnel restricts what traffic can use it. This is because the tunnel was built to provide access to the Jinping Dam, which is the world’s highest dam, and access between this and another hydropower dam.

The Jinpingshan Tunnel runs through an area noted for its geological activity in south-west China. This is partly why access to the tunnel is limited, and also because of security surrounding the hydroelectric complex at the dam.

Jinpingshan Tunnel, China – 10.90 miles (17.54km)

At its deepest point, the Jinpingshan Tunnel runs 2375-metres beneath the earth’s surface, and more than half of the tunnel’s entire length sits at more than 1500-metres deep.

It took five years to build the Jinpingshan Tunnel and, at the time, was the longest tunnel made with a blind heading. This is where each end of the tunnel is started simultaneously and meet in the middle. Total cost of Jinpingshan Tunnel came to 1.3 billion Chinese Yuan (£146 million).

Zhongnanshan Tunnel, China – 11.21 miles (18.04km)

The Zhongnanshan Tunnel is not far from the Tiantaishan Tunnel but outdoes its near neighbour in overall length and how deep it travels under the Earth’s surface. With a maximum depth of 1640-metres, the Zhongnanshan Tunnel is among the deepest in the world.

Despite this, it still took only five years to complete the tunnel. Work started in 2002 on the Zhongnanshan Tunnel, and it was the longest tunnel in Asia when it opened to traffic in 2007.

Zhongnanshan Tunnel, China – 11.21 miles (18.04km)

It cost around 3.2 billion Chinese Yuan (£350 million) to complete the Zhongnanshan Tunnel. This makes it one of the most expensive road tunnels to date in China. Three ventilation shafts provide fresh air to each of the two tunnels, and each tube carries traffic in the opposite direction to the other, so the streams are never together.

Along its 11.21-mile length, there are different coloured lights and patterns projected onto the tunnel’s roof, and artificial plants to provide stimulation for drivers and prevent fatigue.

Yamate Tunnel, Japan – 11.3 miles (18.20km)

The Yamate Tunnel in Tokyo, Japan is like London’s Blackwall Tunnel but on a grand scale. Where the Blackwall Tunnel is a mere three quarters of a mile long and is as close as 1.7-metres from the riverbed, the Yamate Tunnel runs to 11.3 miles and passes as much as 30-metres beneath the Japanese capital city’s population.

The Yamate Tunnel still holds the honour of being the longest urban tunnel in the world.

Yamate Tunnel, Japan – 11.3 miles (18.20km)

It took 15 years for the Yamate Tunnel to be completed, with delays due to objections from residents and environmental concerns. However, the tunnel was given the go-ahead as it would ease traffic on Yamate Street that runs above the tunnel.

Both of the 11-metre diameter tubes that form the Yamate Tunnel have emergency telephones positioned every 100-metres along their length. There is also a sophisticated filtration system to remove particulate emissions from the air extracted from the tunnels.

WestConnex, Australia – 13.67 miles (22.0km)

The WestConnex Tunnel was finished in November 2023 and is part of a plan to ease congestion in the city of Sydney. To date, the tunnel is the largest road infrastructure project ever undertaken in Australia and the 13.67-mile tunnel is part of a longer overall 20.5-mile stretch of traffic-reducing motorway.

This will eventually link Sydney’s suburbs, airport, north shore, and city centre. The land above the WestConnex Tunnel has mostly been given over to parks, playgrounds, and open space for the city’s inhabitants to relax.

WestConnex, Australia – 13.67 miles (22.0km)

The WestConnex Tunnel is the longest underground stretch of public road in Australia, and it’s thought to have cost A$10 billion (£5.1 billion).

This figure set a new record for transport spending by the New South Wales Government, and it’s estimated the fully completed project will come in at A$45 billion (£23.1 billion). However, the government also states the tunnel contributes to A$22 billion (£11.3 billion) in savings due to reduced travel time and journey reliability.

Lærdal Tunnel, Norway – 15.23 miles (24.51km)

Topping the longest road tunnels in the world is the Lærdal Tunnel in Norway. This 15.23-mile underground construction was started in 1995 and opened to the public in 2000. It took some 20 years to agree to the construction of the tunnel, which cost 1.1 billion Norwegian Kroner (£85 million) to complete, which represents great value in the world of roads tunnelling.

It was so much cheaper to build than most tunnels as the nature of the rock means the tunnel doesn’t need to be lined – and nor does it have to be made earthquake proof as they no not occur with any severity in Norway. The tunnel connects Lærdal and Aurland and consists of two tubes, each carrying traffic in a single direction for safety.

Lærdal Tunnel, Norway – 15.23 miles (24.51km)

While it’s the longest road tunnel in the world, the Lærdal Tunnel is also one of the most lightly used. On a typical day, it carries around 2050 vehicles, which is largely due to its remote location 180 miles to the northwest of Oslo.

To alleviate the monotony of driving through the world’s longest road tunnel – which is also straight throughout - this Norwegian project is divided into four sections, each separated by a large cave with parking areas. The caves have blue and yellow lighting to give the feel of a Norwegian sunrise, which is thought to give drivers’ brains a boost when they are tired. Police cameras have also been installed to combat speeding.

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BMW M3 Touring poised for epic Neue Klasse comeback

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Massive success of BMW's straight-six super estate lays groundwork for a second outing

The M3 Touring will live on in BMW's Neue Klasse era, in part thanks to unexpectedly high demand in markets such as the US and China.

While the M3 saloon is now in its sixth generation, the performance model has only been offered in estate form since the arrival of the G80-generation version in 2021. But strong sales since then have prompted BMW to bring the super-estate back with the next-generation M3, as previewed recently with the Vision M Neue Klasse concept.

The current model is powered by a 523bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six, and a variant of that engine is set to be offered in the next-gen car, alongside a quad-motor pure-electric version.

BMW has already previewed a new electric 3 Series Touring and, unlike rival Mercedes-Benz, it has pledged to offer EV and ICE versions of the standard car in estate form - and BMW M sales boss Sylvia Neubauer said the performance version will remain.

"The M3 Touring is one of the best models that we have in our portfolio," Neubauer told Autocar.

"Normally China is not an estate market at all, but we decided to bring the Touring to China only in the M3 version. So you can't buy a regular 3 Series Touring there but the M3 Touring is a lifestyle statement. And it's been a huge success in China, and the rest of the world."

Neubauer noted that the M3 Touring has also been a hit in the US, another market where they don't offer the standard estate because "it's a market for SUVs and very big cars".

She added that demand for the model was largely organic. "Our dealers are so happy to have this car, because they don't have to push it," she said.

"There's demand, and they're asking for more and more production, so we've been increasing the volume."

Audi Q4 E-Tron

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:01:13 +0100

Big-selling electric SUV looks to boost its well-established appeal Audi managed something many of its competitors couldn’t last year. It hit a 28% share of electric vehicle sales in the UK, 4% north of the average and enough to meet the government’s target. The Audi Q4 E-tron played a pivotal role in the brand achieving that milestone, as Britain’s third-best-selling electric car and Audi’s second-best-selling model behind the A3.Whether rumours of a softening of EV sales targets come to fruition or not, carmakers need these things to sell. Thus, after five years on sale, Audi’s most popular pure plug-in car has received an update.

Driven: Porsche Taycan gets gearshifts - and renewed driver appeal

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:20:49 +0100

Zuffenhausen takes on Hyundai's N division with its own take on a virtual gearbox – and we drive it

Porsche is rolling out a number of major updates to its Taycan sports saloon, most notably a new E-Shift virtual gearbox that has been designed to inject an extra dose of feedback on road and track.

The new virtual gearbox is not dissimilar to that used by Hyundai’s N models and is effectively a simulated eight-speed transmission. Porsche created the system by taking the characteristics of its dual-clutch PDK gearbox and mapping them into the Taycan’s ECU.

Engineers then had to marry up the virtual gearbox with the Taycan’s physical two-speed automatic in order for the system to work seamlessly.

Crucially, Porsche claims that running in E-Shift mode doesn’t limit the Tayan’s power output, nor does it impact its real-world range and efficiency. While Hyundai’s system is tied exclusively to N-badged derivatives, Porsche is rolling out its new E-Shift virtual gearbox across the Taycan’s entire line-up, with each model variant given its own characteristics.

The new E-Shift gearbox works in unison with Porsche Electric Sound, an evolution of the previous engine note available with the Taycan. As Porsche sound design engineer Max Geiger explained, while the team experimented with mimicking a petrol engine, they opted for a synthesised engine note to match the Taycan’s electric roots.

So what is a Taycan E-Shift like to drive? Thumb the E-Shift button on the GT sport steering wheel and the instrument cluster displays a rev counter in the centre of the dash, with the virtual ’box defaulting to automatic. You’ll immediately notice an audible change inside the car, as the Porsche Electric Sound 'idles' much like that of an combustion engine.

In Normal mode, it acts just like a smooth eight-speed PDK. Even in this relaxed setting, the simulated ratios immediately give the Taycan more personality and I could see myself using this even for mundane motorway stints.

Flick the rotary E-Shift button to the right and this puts the car into manual mode, allowing you to virtually shift gears using the paddles on the steering wheel. The gearchanges are seamless and the level of integration is of a very high standard.

Shift too late and, like a PDK 911, the rev needle will bounce off the fake limiter. Stamp on the throttle in a high gear – say, seventh – and the Taycan is sluggish and won’t give you that whipcrack performance. You have to flick it down a few gears before you can deploy all the performance.

Switch the Taycan to Sport or Sport Plus and the gearchanges are far more pronounced, with a discernible kick through your seat as you climb up through the gears. Our GTS’s virtual gearbox didn’t feel as hardcore as Hyundai’s N e-Shift, but the more subtle vibrations and jolts from the gearbox align more with the Taycan’s pseudo-GT character.

That said, I imagine the 1093bhp Taycan Turbo GT with E-Shift would feel more extreme and involving on a track. Ultimately, the ability to control the shifts both into and out of a corner gives you a greater sense of your road speed, allowing you to better judge how you drive the car down a certain road and establish a proper rhythm.

The new E-Shift function is a reasonable £750 option, but this being Porsche, there’s a catch. You need the GT sports steering wheel, Sports Chrono package and Bose surround sound system.

Opt for a lower-rung model, which forgoes these options as standard, and the total price for adding the E-Shift comes to just over £3000. These features come as standard on the GTS and Turbo S, hence the additional cost of E-Shift is lower – or you can go all-out on a Turbo GT and get the simulated ’box as standard.

Given that the Taycan was already an incredibly dynamic and engaging electric sports car, the addition of a virtual gearbox has unlocked a whole new layer of involvement. If you like driving but want an electric performance car, there are only a handful of EVs that will offer as much fun as a Taycan E-Shift.

Porsche Taycan GTS E-ShiftNew virtual gearbox makes one of the most dynamic electric sports cars on sale even more complete as a driver’s car.

Price £119,015 (£750 for E-Shift) Engine Two permanent magnet synchronous motor Power 690bhp Torque 583lb ft Gearbox 1-spd reduction gear (front), 2-spd automatic (rear) Kerb weight 2285kg0-62mph 3.3sec Top speed 155mph Battery 105kWh (total) Range, economy 389 miles, 3.4mpkWh CO2, tax band 0g/km, 4% Rivals Audi E-tron GT, Polestar 5

What if you drove an Autocar? The name that's more than a magazine

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100

The Autocar companies: The auto pioneers, pretenders, and partners who shared our name

Like 'Volkswagen Golf' or 'Citroën', 'Autocar' is an odd name normalised in the public consciousness purely by familiarity.

Like old André Citroën, this magazine (and website) has a valid excuse: while his grandfather had sold lemons, we were predicting what would become the common name for an entirely new invention.

Plenty of people setting up in the 1890s named their endeavours the This, That or The Other Autocar Company, and indeed one was so presumptive as to definitively call his The Autocar Company. He was well-born engineer Louis Semple Clarke, who produced his first car, The Pittsburgher, in 1897 with help from his brothers and their father.

In late 1899, the 32-year-old gave "quite an enthusiastic welcome" to Henry Sturmey, founding editor of The Autocar - a magazine of which he was apparently a "close student".

Sturmey was on a mission from Coventry to survey the incipient American car industry, and from Pennsylvania's industrial capital he reported: "The factory is at present situated on the fourth floor of a tall building, but I was informed that a new factory is now being erected to cover some three and a half acres of ground, and being laid out for an estimated output of 10 carriages per day!" - as if Clarke's ambition hadn't already been demonstrated by $1 million in founding capital (that's roughly £30m today).

Sturmey was treated to a ride in a 4hp, two-cylinder, two-seat runabout-type car "presenting a very neat and handy appearance" and set to cost a very reasonable $500 pre-tax (say £15,000 now). He found it "handled over very bad roads excellently" and "ran very smoothly and satisfactorily, though one of the tyres showed a great inclination to get flat". Recent history made Sturmey doubt that The Autocar Co could hit that low price target, but should it succeed, he felt it would "certainly be producing the cheapest satisfactory car on the market".

By 1911, The Autocar Co was no longer making cars - but not due to the bankruptcy that befell most 'brass era' firms, rather because it found far greater prosperity as the first American truck maker, or so it claims. Yes, claims present tense, because it still exists as a maker of 'severe-duty' trucks in Alabama.

'Autocar' was already an outdated term by the early 1950s, yet that was what an Israeli duo picked for their fledgling nation's first car company.

Autocars Ltd started out making plastic-bodied vans, named Sussita and created by British minnow Reliant. Then, in 1960, co-founder Yitzhak Shubinsky visited London for the Racing and Sports Car Show, where he saw a novel chassis and a quirky plastic kit car body in close proximity to each other. Combining them, he reckoned, could produce a fine roadster for American export.

Having done the required deals, Shubinsky again engaged Reliant to make his idea a reality - and after significant chassis revisions and agreement to buy some 1.7-litre four-cylinder engines from Ford, the result was the Autocars Sabra. Or, if you were British, the Reliant Sabre, Tamworth making a version themselves under their own name. Notwithstanding some criticism of its suspension, our road testers concluded: "It has an acceptable performance, is fundamentally safe, fun to drive and economical to run."

Come 1963, we found Autocars' Haifa plant running at an annual production rate of a little over 2000, having just introduced the Carmel saloon - "the first purely Israeli passenger car", we said, although in hindsight it looks awfully like a Reliant Regal with a fourth wheel.

Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com

"Since 1956 the [Autocars] project has gathered momentum quickly," we continued. "A local maker of steel furniture has taken on the job of making chassis frames, while other local manufacturers have been able to supply glass, trim materials, upholstery and road springs."

Further models arrived through the decade, borrowing parts from Triumph and Japan's Hino, but the Autocars name would last only until 1970 and the firm would fold in 1980.

It had made many thousands of cars by then - although very few of them had found homes in America.

Morgan returns to coupes with stunning Midsummer hard-top

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Extensive redesign creates glass-topped version of Pininfarina special – limited to just nine cars

Morgan has turned its stunning Midsummer roadster into an ultra-exclusive coupé – its first hard-top in more than a decade.

Limited to just nine examples, the Midsummer Coupé is Malvern's first fixed-roof model since the Aero 8 bowed out in 2015 and brings to an end production of the Pininfarina-designed coachbuilt special.

Morgan says all nine cars will be highly individualised, courtesy of the expansive array of personalisation options it offers through its in-house coachbuilding division. No pricing has been announced yet, but the coupé is expected to command a healthy premium over the £200k, 50-off roadster.

While the coupé is technically identical to the roadster – sharing its Plus Six-derived fundamentals and 335bhp BMW straight six – Morgan says it introduces "dramatically different proportions", with a bespoke design that "fundamentally changes the character of the car".

The roof itself is effectively a full glass canopy, split in the middle by a distinctive dividing strip that continues down the whole length of the car.

Morgan says the "roof was never conceived as a purely stylistic addition" but rather to "enhance the ownership experience" by improving refinement, practicality and year-round usability.

Transforming the car from open-roof barchetta to coupé "required significant structural development", the firm adds, highlighting the billet-machined aluminium A-pillars that have been installed to preserve body rigidity.

Morgan chief design officer Jonathan Wells said: "Midsummer Coupé represents the culmination of an extraordinary creative journey. What began as a celebration of coachbuilding, craftsmanship and collaboration has evolved into one of the most ambitious and rewarding projects we’ve ever undertaken.

“Working alongside the team at Pininfarina, together with our own designers and engineers, has been both a privilege and immensely rewarding. Midsummer Coupé marks the closing chapter of that remarkable collaboration, but it also represents a defining moment in Morgan’s coachbuilding story."

The coupé pictured here is car number 0 – a final design prototype that provides the basis for the nine customer cars. After a stint on display at the firm's Malvern HQ, it will be shipped to the Hague in the Netherlands, where it will be put on display at the Louwman Museum – the world's oldest private collection of historic cars.

Call for action as speed limit assist tech fails real-world tests

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Intelligent speed assist misreads up to one in four sign changes, prompting safety body to call for tougher rules

A major UK safety body is calling for revisions to the way in-vehicle speed limit recognition technology is tested and approved after its own tests revealed serious inaccuracies.

Intelligent speed assist (ISA) is one of a number of safety technologies collectively known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It has been a mandatory fitment in new cars sold in the European Union and the UK since 2024.

Using an in-car camera, satellite navigation, electronic map data or a combination of all three, ISA displays the prevailing speed limit and alerts the driver when it changes. In response, the driver can adjust the speed of their car or choose to ignore it. In some vehicles, the system will automatically limit the car’s speed to the new limit, a function the driver can override. According to charity The Road Safety Trust, ISA helps drivers stay within speed limits and reduces the risk of collisions and injury.

To determine the accuracy of ISA systems, the EU regulation governing it (EU 2019/2144) requires cars to be tested over a combination of roads totalling a distance of 250 miles. To pass the test, the system must recognise the correct speed limit for at least 90% of the travelled distance. In addition, it must be able to display the speed limit, at the latest, within two seconds of the vehicle passing the road sign.

However, a new programme devised by UK-based vehicle testing organisation Thatcham Research to investigate the performance of ADAS technologies in the real world has found inconsistencies in the performance of the ISA systems in three cars when judged on their performance at each change of speed limit, rather than over distance travelled, as required by the EU. It says the three systems are representative of 10% of those in new cars.

Ignoring all system response times of up to two seconds, the worst performing vehicle, an MG ZS, achieved 91.3% accuracy across the driven distance or just above the EU’s approval threshold. However, against Thatcham’s performance-based metric, its system was 74.3% accurate.

This means that for roughly one in four events, the MG’s ISA displayed the wrong speed limit. The best-performing vehicle, a BMW i5, scored 98.39% accuracy across the driven distance, comfortably within the requirements of the EU regulation. However, its event-based accuracy was 90.3%, meaning that around one in 10 speed limit changes were either incorrectly identified by the system or not at all. In the case of all the vehicles tested, ISA displayed speed limits that are not legal in the UK. They included multiple instances of 5, 10, 15 and 100mph.

Thatcham Research says ISA systems that misread speed limits can lead to unexpected or inconsistent responses, while in the case of implausible speed limits, they could cause unwanted harsh braking or acceleration in a car also fitted with adaptive cruise control (ACC). Thatcham Research is concerned that, presented with incorrect speed limit information, drivers will lose confidence in the technology and switch it off, meaning its intended safety benefits are lost.

The cars that Thatcham tested were fitted with systems already tested and rated by Euro NCAP, the independent European vehicle safety organisation that awards safety ratings. Its test requires a car to be driven on mixed roads for 60 miles, during which engineers check its ISA responses.

Its responses to a range of speed limits are then also evaluated on a dedicated test track. It awarded the 2024-model MG ZS a four-star rating and reported that its speed assistance systems were ‘adequate’. It didn’t test the BMW i5 separately but bundled it with the 2024-model 5 Series, to which it awarded five stars. However, it noted that its speed assistance systems were also only ‘adequate’.

Euro NCAP is currently introducing revisions to its evaluation programmes that will place greater emphasis on real-world testing. Every vehicle that it tests will be fitted with a suite of exterior and interior sensors monitoring the responses of its ADAS systems, including ISA, to a variety of road signs and conditions over a total of around 1200 miles in at least three European countries.

Commenting on its own ongoing tests, Thatcham Research says the accuracy of ISA systems can be achieved with improvements to camera recognition, GPS map data and sensor fusion. It is calling on regulators and the motor industry to incorporate event-based assessment of ISA performance in its approval framework.

Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, said: “The automotive industry has the capability to deliver ISA that is accurate, consistent and genuinely useful. What is needed now is a regulatory standard that demands exactly that – one that measures performance at the moments that matter, rather than allowing systems to pass approval while failing drivers in real-world conditions.

"Getting this right is not optional. The safety case for ADAS depends on drivers trusting these technologies enough to keep them switched on. We will continue to assess these systems and feed the results into our new Vehicle Risk Rating system for insurers.”

Shell rethinks small electric cars with ultra-efficient concept

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Triple10 promises faster charging and better environmental credentials thanks to battery cooling breakthrough

Energy giant Shell has unveiled its vision for the future of small electric cars, previewing a generational leap in efficiency, charging speeds and weight reduction.

The concept is named the Triple10 Challenge, referencing the project’s three key objectives: a 10-minute recharge from a common 175kW rapid charger; efficiency of 10km per kWh (6.2mpkWh); and life-cycle CO2 emissions of 10 tonnes.

The company’s ambition is to demonstrate how new technologies can be used to build more compelling EVs for the mainstream. It is also intended to demonstrate the firm's range of fluids and lubricants for EVs, with a view to stoking more demand for them from major manufacturers.

Key to the Triple10 is a new fluid-immersed battery developed in partnership with Northamptonshire engineering firm RML.

It is composed of two banks of cylindrical cells that are submerged in a dielectric (non-electrically-conductive) fluid developed by Shell. This chills the cells directly, rather than by running coolant through pipes over the top of each battery module, as is the case in a traditional EV battery.

Immersing the batteries directly in coolant provides much more effective thermal management, said Shell. This means the battery is capable of running at its optimal temperature almost all of the time, the firm said, which brings several benefits.

Toby Rockstroh, Shell’s manager for energy application testing, said many EVs can now yield peak charge rates north of 300kW, but their cooling systems restrict such capabilities to short bursts.

“The battery cells start to go towards 60deg C, the thermal management of the battery reduces the current and the power drops,” he explained.

“It starts degrading because the battery cells simply get too hot. This is something we do not have with our system; the thermal constraint has been removed.”

Shell claims its 32kWh (usable capacity) battery is capable of sustaining a 175kW charge rate for the full time it is charging, giving a 10-80% refill time of 10 minutes.

Better cooling also enables far more effective energy recovery from regenerative braking, said Rockstroh.

This, the firm proposes, creates a virtuous circle for the car’s specification. Better cooling improves electrical efficiency – and therefore outright range – while faster charging reduces range anxiety. This may make a smaller battery like that employed by the concept more palatable to buyers, reducing weight and cost.

The reduced battery temperature also allows it to be connected to the same radiator as the motor and power electronics, rather than requiring a dedicated unit. This shared cooling architecture saves more weight, complexity and cost.

“After cooling the battery, the fluid leaves the battery at about 50deg C, runs to the front of the vehicle (in a front-wheel-drive vehicle) and through the traction motor and the power electronics, which can run at a higher temperature,” said Rockstroh.

“Then it expels the heat through a conventional water-ethylene-glycol radiator. You don’t need special equipment, special pumps, piping, valves or heat exchangers.”

More effective and consistent cooling also helps to protect against thermal runaway events – a violent reaction caused by a cell being damaged, which can lead to fire. This in turn improves safety, said Rockstroh.

Recyclability and repairability are improved, too, according to Rockstroh: “If you've ever opened [conventional] batteries, they are glued together, basically.

“There is thermal paste that ensures there are no air gaps between the cooling plates and the cells, and they have many layers so when you open one up, it's a mess.

“In our battery, in order to get to the modules you drop the fluid, you absorb the fluid – put it into a bucket – you open the battery and you can actually pull out the modules. There's no gooey stuff that you have to get rid of or that you have to try and shred out.”

Aside from the battery, a significant improvement in the Triple10’s environmental credentials is brought by its use of recycled and naturally occurring materials. Its chassis is made from recycled aluminium, which is said to produce 10% of the CO2 emissions of new ‘virgin’ material. Its roof and wheels, meanwhile, are made from recycled carbonfibre and its interior upholstery is derived from flax.

Asked about the practical application of a car in the vein of the Triple10, Lars Nieslen, Shell Lubricants’ global business development manager, told Autocar: “[Those who] buy a big SUV with a long range may not have a fast-charging problem because they may live in a residential area, have a wall box and can charge overnight. Then they have the convenience of fast charging.

“But actually, where would this technology be more appropriate? We think it’s in urban areas, where you don't have access to charging infrastructure all the time so you charge on the go.

“You don't want to be standing there for too long: surveys [we conducted] say a good time is up to 10 minutes. We took these elements and decided we need a smaller car, we need to make it more affordable by making it lighter, with less material and a smaller battery, but it needs to be fast-charging. We are addressing that segment, but we do not see such a technology coming in at the moment.”

Pressed on Shell’s commitment to electric vehicle technology and decarbonisation, given that it is one of the world’s largest producers of oil and gas, Nielsen said: “The main business benefiting from this concept is the lubricants business, as well as [our charging] business.

“In the lubricants business, we have a long history of engaging and improving efficiency for our customers, and we are just building on where they are heading. They're heading towards battery electric vehicles, and we are moving in the same direction. [We also want to make] the customer experience at our Recharge sites better – in the UK these are powered by renewable energy.

“So I think we can't shy away from this criticism that may come up, but we can go back factually and say [greenwashing] is not the intent. The intent is actually to carry on on a journey which we started many years ago and to continue on that. For us, it's the technology which we want to show.”

Mazda 6e

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:39:31 +0100

Mazda enlists Chinese help to finally build a long-range EV – can it take the fight to Tesla? The Mazda 6e feels like something of a forced hand for the Japanese manufacturer.Many of us would love for Mazda to merrily keep making MX-5s and a supporting cast of sensibly sized hatchbacks with zingy petrol engines and manual gearboxes, maybe with a couple of straight-six diesels thrown in.But the powers that be have decreed otherwise. Whether it wants to or not, it needs a credible EV. (The MX-30 had charm, but not much else.)If you’re BMW, you can counter any legislative flip-flopping by betting on all the horses: petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric, and tick off hydrogen just in case. But Mazda just doesn’t have the engineering might to do all of it well, so for its new 6e, it has turned to its Chinese manufacturing partner Changan and Mazdafied its Deepal SL03.

Porsche Sunstede Festival: celebrating 75 years of Porsche UK

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:36:50 +0100

Porsche celebrates 75 years in the UK with a very special festival at Silverstone. These are the highlights

“This beautifully streamlined rear-engined sports model is the first German car to be shown in England since the war.”

That car, announcing its maker’s arrival on these shores, was the Porsche 356 at the Earl’s Court motor show in October 1951 and those words were tucked away on page 141 of The Autocar’s 19 October 1951 issue.

Two of those three very examples of the 356 that starred at Earl’s Court were back on display at Silverstone this past weekend (one static, one having been driven there by its owner) at the Porsche Sunstede festival, held to celebrate 75 years of Porsche in the UK.

The UK is typically Porsche’s fourth-largest market and the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone was bursting with owners and brand enthusiasts on its sprawling site, greatly expanded since your correspondent last visited a decade ago.

The track space was packed with every flavour of Porsche from every era, though a leaning towards 997-, 991- and 992-generation Porsche 911s was most evident. A chunk of them were from the centre's own collection, surely one of the UK's if not the world's best collection of contemporary iconic Porsches.

My favourite? A 997 Sport Classic, the car that effectively started the hugely successful business for desirable, limited-run 911s that have followed. The 991-generation 911 R was a close second ("driving it is a spiritual experience" said our Andrew Frankel at the time, words that have always stuck with me).

The SUV and electric Porsches parked among the sports cars didn’t stand out or feel like they didn’t belong. The Porsche Cayenne hybrid I arrived in briefly turned into an attraction in its own right when the heavens opened and I scooped up four colleagues past and present to shelter from the rain. Couldn't have done that in a 911…

On display in the centre’s main atrium was the latest 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition, created specifically by Porsche GB for this anniversary. It looked great and it will sell, but I did wonder if a back-to-basics 911 Carrera might have been a better base for it than a Porsche 911 GT3, especially when it was parked next to the gorgeous simplicity of the 356.

The Silverstone centre is now home to Porsche's 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed statue (a 2014 sculpture from Goodwood now resides atop Porscheplatz in Zuffenhausen) and it was on display in the middle of its handling track.

Around the main Grand Prix Circuit at Silverstone ran high-speed demonstrations from classic racers, including perhaps the most famous Porsche of all, the 917.

The event ran over the whole weekend and was remarkably well attended, as the queues for the shuttle buses returning to the packed car parks will testify. Even on the drive home, the car spotting continued along the M40, where 911 GT3s were as common as Fiestas.

Skoda Peaq: New seven-seater revealed as £51k electric flagship

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:06:10 +0100

Seven-seater brings luxurious features, 390 miles of range and a big price tag

Skoda has unveiled the Peaq as its new flagship - and its most expensive car to date, priced from £51,980.

As the jewel in the crown of the brand's electric SUV range, the Peaq is a high-rise seven-seater positioned as an equivalent to the combustion-engined Kodiaq SUV.

It is also Skoda's largest model yet, stretching the Volkswagen Group's MEB architecture to 4.9m in length and 1.7m in height. The new SUV has been designed to maximise interior practicality and flexibility.

Skoda says it has generous leg room in the second and third rows, while the high roofline is said to boost head room in the rearmost seats. Skoda claims a boot capacity of 299 litres with all three rows in use, rising to 890 with the third row folded flat, or 2075 with only the front seats in situ. There is also a 37-litre compartment under the bonnet for stowing either the charging cable or the parcel shelf.

As Skoda's new flagship, the Peaq also offers a range of features typically reserved for more luxurious models. These include reclining massage seats with footrests, a Sonos sound system and the largest panoramic roof yet offered by the Czech brand-it is capable of dimming or lighting specific segments of the cabin as the driver chooses.

The Peaq features a new 13.6in infotainment touchscreen display with haptic feedback, while physical toggles for the fan speed and interior temperature feature on the centre console.

Key driving information is displayed on a 10in instrument screen, and an optional head-up display will be available on models ordered from next year.

The seven-seater is also the flag-bearer for the 'Modern Solid' design language that was introduced in full with the Epiq, the other bookend to Skoda's electric SUV line-up.

Notably, the Peaq's door handles retract back into the body when the car is locked or moving to improve its aerodynamics performance, which is crucial for improving range in such a large EV. The electronically operated handles, which extend automatically when the car is approached with key in hand, also feature a mechanical fail-safe release for use in emergencies.

The Peaq will be offered with two powertrains from launch, named 90 and 90X. The 90 has a 282bhp electric motor mounted on its rear axle, while the 90X adds a motor up front for four-wheel drive and a combined output of 294bhp. Both versions have an official range of 390 miles.

The Peaq's 86kWh (usable capacity) battery can be recharged at rates of up to 199kW, giving a 10-80% refill in 28 minutes on a compatible charger connection. The pack can also be used to power external devices.

Customer deliveries will begin early next year.

Confirmed: Jaguar to reveal Type 01 in New York in October

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:11:00 +0100

Production version of 1000bhp GT to break cover in US, almost two years after game-changing concept

Jaguar has finally named the date and location of the launch of its hotly anticipated Type 01 luxury electric GT that kicks off the rebirth of the storied brand.

The launch will take place in New York in October, JLR chief commercial officer Leonard Hoornik told participants at the company’s investor day, held on 17 June. “We will launch it… in a very, very special way,” he said, without going into detail.

The decision to pick a US location following the concept’s unveiling in Miami last year shows that JLR still believes America will be a key market for the car, despite the country’s rollback of emissions legislation and the criticism from some commentators over the brand's relaunch.

JLR has reiterated its desire to keep Jaguar electric despite its recent decision to offer hybrid alternatives for its previously electric-only EMA platform, which will underpin replacements for the likes of the Range Rover Evoque and Velar.

“The reason we are saying that is because the kind of performance attributes we want Jaguar to perform against can be delivered only through an electric [drivetrain],” said CEO PB Balaji at the investor day."

The 1000bhp-plus sports saloon, which heralds Jaguar's new era as a maker of pure-electric luxury cars, had previously been known as Type 00 after the preceding concept or X900, its internal codename – but was recently confirmed to take the Type 01 name into showrooms.

This is a name with three significant elements, said the company.

The 'Type' prefix emphasises the new car's place in a succession of "legendary predecessors" stretching back to the C-Type racer that won at Le Mans in 1951 and continuing through the D-Type, E-Type and F-Type.

Each of these cars, said Jaguar, was celebrated for blending "an engaging drive with deep reserves of power, plus refinement and composure" - attributes it aims for the new EV to share.

Meanwhile, the '0' represents its zero-emissions powertrain and the '1' "denotes its status as the first Jaguar of a new era".

Camouflaged prototypes of the Type 01, which Autocar drove recently in Sweden, took to the circuit for a public demonstration ahead of the Formula E race in Monaco last month as part of the build-up to its October launch.

The Type 01 will come to market in the first half of 2027, breaking a circa 18-month hiatus on new Jaguar production that began with the retirement of the F-Pace SUV in December.

The marque is being completely rebranded and repositioned as a more upmarket purveyor of exclusive, luxury-oriented EVs priced well above the relatively mainstream models that made up its most recent rline-up.

Prices for the Type 01 are set to range from around £120,000 to more than £150,000 for high-spec, heavily personalised examples - a window that Jaguar believes pitches itself between more mainstream premium marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz and top-drawer luxury contenders like Bentley and Aston Martin.

Details on further models to follow have yet to be officially confirmed, but Autocar has previously reported that a large limousine and an SUV are likely to be the next cars to use Jaguar's bespoke new JEA architecture - and now it looks like they could take the Type 02 and Type 03 names into production.

Hyundai developing "even more realistic" electric N cars

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

R&D boss confirms next EV platform will host sports cars – and they'll do even better ICE impressions

Hyundai will continue to offer electric performance cars as it moves its EVs onto a new-generation architecture and they will be "even more realistic" than the current Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N.

Hyundai's sporting EVs have won acclaim for not just their driving dynamics and performance but also the perceived authenticity of their synthesised engine notes and gearboxes – the latter of which other manufacturers, including Honda and Porsche, have now moved to emulate in their own latest hot EVs.

Manfred Harrer, who heads global R&D for Hyundai, told Autocar he is "super-proud" of the virtual gearshift function and said the brand plans to develop it further for the next iteration.

"We are leading – we are not following – on this technology," he said. "In the next generation of these cars, I want to make it even more realistic. I want to enhance it further."

He did not give any clues as to what to expect, but said "idling, exhaust backfiring" and "vibration in the car" could be defining characteristics that would "bring in the next level" of engagement.

The move is in keeping, he said, with the N division's prioritisation of driving fun over outright technical and performance supremacy.

"There are so many ideas how you can advance it further, but this is all about experience," he said. "A lot of people say it's fake, but people like it so there is some beauty – and why not play around with it?

"We are not the serious Porsche guys. We are fun to drive. We made a great movement and over the years we will enhance it – and the next platform gets this. The demos are already running."

The next platform he referred to is the 'IMA' architecture that is due to be introduced across the Hyundai line-up in the coming years as the replacement for the current E-GMP structure.

No precise timeline for its introduction has been announced, but Harrer said: "E-GMP was introduced in 2021 and we'll go through a normal life cycle, and the next one is already in development."

The Ioniq 5 was the first car to use E-GMP and will be up for replacement in around 2028, which could be the first outing for IMA.

This new platform will be used as the basis for "enhanced N cars", added Harrer, in line with Hyundai's push to "still be the leader in this segment". However, he did not say which model lines would have performance versions.

It will offer "next-generation 800V technology" for faster charging and new fifth-generation battery technology, which is said to bring efficiency and integration improvements.

"It's not a big step like the first introduction [E-GMP]", said Harrer, "but now we talk about incremental improvements on the thermal management, on the overall efficency of the car, on the cost, on the integration.

"It's not a revolution like the first generation. It's a huge evolution. A lot of things we are enhancing."

The world’s most influential cars

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:07:26 +0100

These are the cars that truly changed the direction of the motor industry, one model at a time

Most cars come and go, causing barely a ripple in the process.

But occasionally something comes along that causes shockwaves; nowadays such products and brands are called disruptors, because they shake up the market leading to new ways of thinking. Such marketing speak was a long way into the future when most of these influential cars were dreamed up but that doesn’t diminish the fact that they all had an impact, often felt for decades to come:

Ford Model T (1908)

The Model T isn’t here because it was a particularly revolutionary car – it wasn’t. But the way it was produced completely rewrote the rules. However, while everybody assumes the Model T was the first mass-produced car, it wasn’t – that was the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, 19,000 examples of which were built between 1901 and 1907. It was the affordable Ford which really made mass-production work though; at one point, over half of the cars on America’s roads were Model Ts.

Lancia Lambda (1923)

Until 1923, all cars featured a separate chassis to give the bodyshell much-needed strength – then came the Lancia Lambda, with its monocoque construction. Stronger, lighter and cheaper to build, monocoque – or unitary – construction wouldn’t be universally adopted by mainstream car makers until the 1960s. That’s how advanced the Lambda was.

Chrysler Airflow (1934)

The fact that it wasn’t a commercial success meant rival car companies initially weren’t keen to copy its aerodynamic styling too closely, but the Chrysler Airflow was still hugely influential. This was the car that switched designers on to the fact that for a car to be truly efficient it had to cleave the air rather better than everything that came before; by the post-war years the Airflow’s sleeker design had become the norm.

Chevrolet Corvette (1953)

Glassfibre (not Fibreglass, which is a brand name) was the wonder material of the 1950s. It allowed low-volume companies to offer bodyshells to reclothe pre-war cars that had rotted away. Meanwhile, in the US Chevrolet was busy building the world’s first production car with a glassfibre bodyshell – a move that would be copied around the globe by lots of other sports car makers.

Citroën DS (1955)

Although Jaguar was the first car maker to fit a modern design of disc brake to its C-Type racer, it was Citroën which brought such technology to the road, with its avantgarde DS. With its power-assisted in-board disc brakes at the front, the DS enjoyed stopping power like no car before; within a year, Triumph was also using disc brakes on its TR3.

Mini (1959)

The Mini wasn’t especially advanced technically; everything incorporated in this tiny marvel had been seen elsewhere before. What the Mini did offer was blend several key technologies into one affordable cutting-edge package with its transverse engine and front-wheel drive. Soon after the car’s arrival in 1959, the microcar market had been killed off, as the Mini did everything bigger and better, often at a lower price.

Chevrolet Corvair (1960)

The Chevrolet Corvair was influential for all the wrong reasons. GM skimped on the rear suspension design which could lead to the driver losing control in an emergency manoeuvre. Activist Ralph Nader latched onto this and he made it his mission to make cars safer; his book ‘Unsafe at any speed’ led directly to the setting up of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which tightened up the rules around car design and production.

Bonnet Djet (1962)

In 1958 the first mid-engined Formula One cars lined up on the grid. Four years later, the same technology reached the road, with Bonnet’s Djet, to create a car with perfect balance. Those mid-mounted mechanicals were all borrowed from Renault to keep costs down, while the light and narrow glassfibre body ensured superb agility. In the coming years all the best sportscars would follow the Djet’s mid-engined formula.

Ford Mustang (1964)

The Mustang was dubbed Ford’s pony car; an affordable sporting machine that could be tailored to suit the owner’s pocket and tastes. When it went on sale in 1964 the Mustang soon became the fastest-selling car in history, which is why it didn’t take long for Ford’s rivals to want a piece of the action. Before we knew it buyers had a much bigger choice of pony cars while the Mustang’s success led directly to the creation of the Capri for Ford of Europe.

Pontiac GTO (1964)

Think sixties American car and you think V8-powered coupé with massive power. Or in other words, muscle car. This is where it all started; the Pontiac GTO of 1964. At first the GTO wasn’t a model in its own right; it was an option package on the Tempest, but by 1966 Pontiac was marketing the GTO as a stand-alone model. Next thing we knew, a whole industry had sprung up around the muscle car.

Renault 16 (1965)

Citroën was the first to offer a front-wheel drive hatchback with its 1939 Traction Avant Commerciale. But the concept didn’t really take off and it was Renault that made the hatchback a commercial success with its 16 of 1965. This was the first mainstream, affordable front-driven hatch and it created a template that’s now used around the globe by every mainstream car maker.

Volvo 140 (1966)

This feature could have been filled with Volvos, the company has introduced so many safety-related firsts, such as the three-point front seatbelt in 1959. In 1966 came the first crumple zones in the 140-Series; it took a while, but in time such safety features would become crucial to car buyers – and save millions of lives.

NSU Ro80 (1967)

NSU had introduced its Wankel Spider in 1964, but the Ro80 was the car which took rotary engine technology and made it relatively mainstream. Sadly NSU couldn’t make the engine work reliably, and the company was bankrupted as a result, leading to a buy-out by VW. If that doesn’t sound like a great legacy, we have the Ro80 to thank for its wind-cheating design; it took aerodynamics to a whole new level.

Range Rover (1970)

Spyker had offered a four-wheel drive car as early as 1903, but it wasn’t until the Jeep of 1941 that mass-produced 4x4s became a reality. That was the thing about four-wheel drive; it was for utilitarian vehicles. Influenced by the Jeep Wagoneer of a few years earlier, the Range Rover of 1970 took the luxury SUV recipe and moved the game on. Here was a luxury car that could go almost anywhere. Today, the Range Rover is still on top of its game and it looks like an all-new fifth generation version will continue that theme.

Triumph Dolomite Sprint (1973)

The problem with engines that feature just a pair of valves per cylinder, is that you can have either low-down torque or high-end power, but not both. Fit a quartet of valves to each cylinder, and you can have your cake and eat it – as Triumph found when it introduced the first mass-made four-valve-per-cylinder engine in 1973, in its Dolomite Sprint. Once again, it would take a while to catch on, but 16-valve engines would become the norm more than a decade later. PICTURE: late model

Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk1 (1976)

Hatchbacks were always meant to be practical family cars; the idea of crossing one with a sportscar didn’t make sense, until a team of Volkswagen engineers created a hot Golf in their spare time. When the Golf Sport was shown as a project at the 1975 Frankfurt motor show, VW’s management was taken by surprise at the reaction. The hot hatch had been born and it wouldn’t take long for a raft of imitators to arrive.

Saab 99 Turbo (1978)

The Saab 99 wasn’t the first turbocharged car; that had arrived 16 years earlier with the short-lived Oldsmobile Jetfire while the BMW 2002 Turbo and Porsche 911 Turbo both pre-dated it. What the 99 did was take the technology mainstream and refined it so that a turbocharged car could be driven on an everyday basis.

Audi Quattro (1980)

The Quattro may not have been the world’s car with first four-wheel drive, but it was the first to match such technology with serious performance. The Quattro would go on to dominate rallying leading to a raft of other high-performance cars with 4WD, from the Citroën BX and Peugeot 405 to the Lancia Delta Integrale and Subaru Impreza.

Plymouth Voyager (1983)

In 1984 Renault would come up with Europe’s first people-carrier, but the previous year Chrysler had introduced the world’s first, in the form of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Offering seating for seven with interior flexibility like never before, few would have guessed how influential – and massively popular – these vehicles would become. This class of car today has largely been supplanted by the SUV – where a seven seat configuration is very popular.

BMW M5 (1985)

The BMW wasn’t the first powerful saloon car but it did introduce a concept that has become much-copied since it arrived. When BMW introduced the first M5, based on the second-generation 5-Series saloon (the E28), few could have seen what the company had unleashed. While those early cars packed all of 286bhp, what made the M5 so intriguing was the fact that it looked barely more sporty than a 518i – it was the definition of a sleeper.

Land Rover Discovery (1994)

You can’t move now for seven-seat SUVs with three rows of forward-facing seats, but it was the Discovery that introduced us to the concept of a go-anywhere people-carrier. Sure there had been SUVs before (including the original Discovery of 1989) with pop-down occasional seats in the boot, but when the Discovery 2 made its debut in 1994 it featured flip-up seats with modern levels of safety and comfort – an idea that has since become much copied but never quite equalled.

Renault Megane Scenic (1994)

Following on from the success of the full-sized MPV a decade earlier, Renault came up with a notion that was initially rather popular – the compact MPV that could seat seven without the need for a parking space the size of a football pitch. Based on the Megane platform (and early cars were called Megane Scenic to reflect this), the Scenic was really a 5+2. It didn’t take long for rivals to launch their own take on the formula and they sold well until their market was stolen by a raft of SUVs which could invariably seat only five.

Toyota Rav4 (1994)

Before the Rav4 made its debut there had been plenty of rugged off-roaders with four-wheel drive; the Land Rover Defender, Suzuki SJ and multiple Jeeps all pre-dated it for example. Plus there was also Toyota’s own Land Cruiser, but it was the Rav4 that wrapped everything up into one very usable package so the benefits of an off-roader were combined with the efficiency of a compact hatch. Today the model is one of the world’s best-selling cars.

Toyota Prius (1997)

It may have featured awkward styling and limited practicality in its original guise, but the Prius created a hybrid template that is becoming the norm. First sold in 1997, the Prius was two years ahead of any rival – the next to come along was Honda with its futuristic-looking Insight. In 2030, the hybrid car will be the only type of fossil-fuel car you’ll be allowed to buy in the UK.

Nissan Qashqai (2006)

The crossover market has been booming seemingly for ever, but the Qashqai is credited with being the car that started the craze. In effect it took the compact SUV formula and refined it further, adding versatility and efficiency so that buyers could enjoy the benefits of an SUV but with lower running costs. From the second generation of this car onwards this car has been sold as the Rogue Sport in North America.

Nissan Leaf (2010)

Since the Nissan Leaf burst onto the scene and in that time the EV landscape has changed immeasurably. Even now too many EVs are based on cars originally designed to run on fossil fuel, but the Leaf showed that with a clean-sheet design it’s possible to build a pure-electric family car that’s space-efficient, good to drive, affordable, and, for urban dwellers at least, a tolerable range.

Tesla Model S (2012)

With its 250+ mile single-charge range this was the first electric car that could comfortably fit into most owners’ lives. Supercar-like performance was the icing on the cake. Ten years after its arrival, Tesla’s mainstream rivals are still playing catch up, but make no mistake: this is the car that truly started the move to the EV future.

The greatest road car engines ever made

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:06:54 +0100

We've picked 50 of our favourite road-going engines, but we could easily have selected twice as many…

Defining the word 'greatest' isn't easy in this context.

After all, it could mean the biggest, the most powerful, the most relevant, the most exciting – or a combination of these things. So when choosing our 50 favourite road car engines, to be in with a chance of consideration each powerplant has to be either built in huge numbers, or really get our juices flowing – and ideally a combination of the two. Let’s take a look at what we reckon are the best, in chronological order:

Ford flathead V8 (1932)

In the 1920s many family cars could barely crack 40mph. Then Ford introduced its flathead V8 and suddenly much greater numbers of car buyers could acquire a car that could sit at 60mph all day long. The flathead V8 wasn't all that efficient but it was simple, tough and reliable, which is why it remained in production in Ford's cars until 1954 but incredibly it was used in Simca military trucks until the 1990s. It was the final major engineering contribution by Henry Ford (pictured) to the company.

Volkswagen flat-four (1936)

The Beetle is one of the biggest-selling cars in history and every one of them was powered by an air-cooled flat-four. Initially it was an 1131cc unit, but by the time the final air-cooled Beetle was built this had swollen to 1584cc, although displacements of up to 2.0 litres were offered in the Type 4. The same engine powered the Type 2 camper and Transporter – and provided the basis for the Porsche 356's powerplant.

Ferrari Colombo V12 (1947)

In a world of 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, the idea of a 1.5-litre powerplant featuring 12 cylinders might seem utterly bonkers. But that was the specification of the first Ferrari engines; the 125 featured a 1497cc unit rated at 116bhp. By the time the Colombo-designed V12 bowed out in 1989, when the 412i was axed, the displacement had grown to 4.9 litres and the power output had jumped to 318bhp. Along the way we'd have numerous iterations of the 250, the 275 and the 365GTB/4, better known as the Daytona.

Citroën flat-twin (1948)

There can be no denying that the Citroën 2CV (pictured) was a landmark car, and part of its charm was the noise generated by the brilliantly over-engineered air-cooled flat-twin that sat in the nose. Initially seen in 375cc form, later would come 425cc, 435cc and finally 602cc versions of this Gallic powerplant, which was also fitted to the Ami, Visa, Mehari, Dyane, Bijou and Acadiane.

Jaguar XK (1948)

First seen in the XK120 of 1948, the Jaguar XK straight-six powered the E-Type, XJ, C-Type, D-Type and Mk1/Mk2 among others, with displacements running from 2.4 through to 4.2 litres. The XK engine gave Jaguar five victories at Le Mans and provided motive power for Coventry's finest right the way up to 1992, by which point almost 700,000 copies had been produced.

BMC A-Series (1951)

In production for half a century (1951-2000), the A-Series engine was first used in the Austin A30 and went on to power a massive array of cars including the Morris Minor, Austin Healey Sprite and MG Midget (pictured), Austin Allego, Morris Marina, Austin Metro and all editions of the Mini. Easy to tune and offered in displacements from 803cc up to 1275cc (but expandable to a reliable 1380cc), the A-Series engine has been enjoyed by millions of drivers – including vast numbers of racers.

Chevrolet small-block V8 (1954)

When Chevrolet introduced its small-block V8 in 1954 it probably didn't expect to build more than 100 million of them in a production run that would last all the way through until 2003 – although you can still buy one brand new if you want to. The powerplant was so called because of its size – it was far smaller than the Chevrolet big-block powerplants, despite the fact that the small-block displaced anywhere between 4.3 and 6.6 litres (262-400cu in). If well maintained, they can be good for hundreds of thousands of miles. PICTURE: 1985 Chevrolet Camaro Iroc-Z28

Ferrari V6 (1958)

Little more than a decade after Ferrari had burst on to the scene with its Colombo-designed V12, it introduced a 2.0-litre V6 designed by Vittorio Jano (1891-1960). First seen in 1958 and campaigned from 1959, the V6 would first be used in a road car in 1967, in the Dino 206GT. In that car the engine featured an aluminium block but in 1969 the displacement was increased to 2419cc and the block was made from cast iron, for the introduction of the Dino 246GT.

Rolls-Royce V8 (1959)

Introduced way back in 1959 in 6230cc form, the Crewe V8 was fitted to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and the Bentley S2. In 1970 the capacity was increased to 6750cc and it was in that form the engine remained in production for the next half a century. Flexible and massively torquey, the Rolls V8 is also capable of racking up inter-galactic mileages if it's looked after. The engine only finally bowed out with the demise of the Bentley Mulsanne in 2020.

Ford small-block V8 (1961)

Ford has built numerous V8s over the years, but we're starting here with the small-block that arrived in 1961 and which would be fitted to the Mustang from its launch in 1964. Nicknamed the Windsor, the V8 was built at that Ontario location until production moved to Cleveland in 1969, while the Windsor and Cleveland engines were produced alongside each other; the small-block survived until 2000 while the Cleveland was killed off in 1982. PICTURE: Ford Mustang Boss 302

Lotus twin-cam (1962)

Lotus launched its all-alloy 907 twin-cam engine in 1973, but the original twin-cam is the one we're going with here. Based on the Ford Anglia 105E cast-iron block, Lotus developed its own twin-cam alloy head to create a brilliant 1.5- or 1.6-litre engine which made its debut in the Elan of 1962. Easy to tune and with 126bhp reliably and easily attained from the 1600 unit in big-valve form, the twin-cam engine was also fitted to the Lotus Cortina.

Lamborghini V12 (1963)

When Lamborghini burst onto the scene in 1963 it was with the 350GTV that was powered by a 3465cc V12 designed by Giotto Bizzarrini (1926-2023). That engine powered every V12 Lamborghini right up until the Aventador of 2011; the Miura (pictured), Countach, Diablo, Murcielago and numerous other GTs featured it. By the time the final Bizzarrini-designed Lambo V12 was built, the displacement had swollen to 6.5 litres.

Porsche air-cooled flat-six (1963)

In production for an incredible 35 years (from 1963 until 1998), the air-cooled flat-six powered all Porsche 911s until the arrival of the 996. The initial displacement was just two litres, but this rose to 2.2 litres in 1969, then three litres and ultimately to 3.3 litres in turbocharged form, before the air-cooled six was superseded by a water-cooled unit in the quest for more power.

AMC/Jeep 'six' (1964)

When AMC launched its in-line six in 1964 it probably didn't think that more than four decades later it would still be in production. Initially displacing 3.8 litres (232cu in), within a year there was a 3.3-litre (199cu in) version. When Chrysler bought AMC in 1987 this straight-six engine was part of the deal and it would go on to power an array of Jeep models until its demise in 2006 – by which point the unit had built a reputation for being pretty much indestructible.

Chrysler Hemi (1966)

Chrysler has produced three different Hemi engines; it's the second one that we're interested in here. Offered only between 1966 and 1971, the Hemi took its name from the hemispherical combustion chamber design. Chrysler chose this so it could fit the biggest valves possible, because under NASCAR rules only two were allowed to be fitted for each cylinder.

Fiat twin-cam (1966)

Designed by ex-Ferrari boffin Aurelia Lampredi (1917-1989), the Fiat twin-cam engine was fitted to a huge number of Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia models. First seen in the Fiat 124 of 1966, in 1297cc form, the twin-cam was also available in most Fiats and Lancias of the seventies and eighties, including the all-conquering Lancia Integrale (pictured).

Rover V8 (1967)

Developed in the late 1950s by Buick (pictured), this 215cu in (3.5-litre) V8 was light, compact and powerful, but not especially reliable or cheap to make, and General Motors lost interest in it. Rover then bought the rights to produce the engine which was first fitted to the Rover P5 in 1967; it would go on to power an array of Rover, Land Rover, MG, Triumph, Morgan, TVR and Marcos models (among many others) before the final example was built in 2006 – by which point it had grown to displace up to five litres and become much more dependable.

Aston Martin V8 (1969)

When Aston Martin launched the DBS in 1967 it was supposed to be fitted with a V8, but the new engine wasn't ready in time so it would be another two years before the DBS V8 would go on sale – and delivered quite a transformation. The Tadek Marek-designed powerplant was the making of the heavyweight Aston, the quad-cam 5340cc V8 pushing out about 400lb ft of torque along with 350bhp – although these would ultimately rise to as much as 600lb ft and 600bhp in the twin-supercharged Vantage V600.

Jaguar V12 (1971)

Surprisingly few car makers have ever offered a V12 engine. In the post-war era it was mainly Ferrari and Lamborghini that offered them, but in 1971 Jaguar switched from a straight-six to a 5.3-litre V12 in the E-Type; a year later the same unit was available in the XJ saloon. Incredibly smooth and durable (if maintained properly), the Jag V12 was truly a landmark engine which remained in production until 1997, in 6.0-litre form.

Audi five-cylinder (1976)

One of the greatest things about the Quattro (a car with quite a repertoire of great things, pictured) was the beat from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine – a powerplant that made its debut in naturally aspirated form in 1976. Known internally as the Type 43, it was the Audi 100 5E that got the 2.1-litre five-pot engine first, in naturally aspirated 135bhp form. By 1989 the same engine in turbocharged form was putting out over 700bhp in US touring car guise – that was the same year that Audi introduced the world's first five-cylinder diesel engine.

BMW M88 (1978)

BMW is famed for its straight-six engines, which it's stuck with when most rivals have opted for more compact V6s instead, which are invariably less smooth and feature a less rousing soundtrack. BMW's M30 six-pot powered the iconic 3.0 CSL and was a brilliant powerplant, but things got even better when a four-valve head was fitted to create the M88 engine, as seen in the BMW M1 as well as the original (E28) M5.

Alfa Romeo Busso V6 (1979)

Designed in an era when an engine bay was worth looking at, this charismatic V6 engine from Alfa Romeo was designed by Giuseppe Busso (1913-2006), and fitted to a huge array of models including the 147, 156, Spider, 75, SZ (main picture) and more. With its polished inlet manifolds and sonorous soundtrack, you could forgive any Alfa Romeo its likely litany of build quality problems every time you explored the redline. Production ran until 2005, by which point displacements had varied between two and 3.2 litres.

PSA XUD (1982)

Peugeot and Mercedes were just a few weeks apart in introducing the first diesel-engined passenger car in 1936, so the French brand knows a thing or two about building great compression-ignition powerplants. Launched in 1982, the XUD engine remained in production for almost two decades and came with displacements of 1.8, 1.9 or 2.1 litres. This engine was fitted to cars as diverse as the Peugeot 205, Talbot Horizon, Lada Niva and FSO Polonez – as well as the Peugeot 405/406 and Citroën Xantia.

Toyota 4AGE (1983)

Toyota has created a raft of impressive engines over the years. We've opted for the unit that was so brilliant in the original MR2, as well as the legendary AE86 Corolla. The twin-cam 4AGE engine displaced just 1.6 litres and generally put out about 120bhp in naturally aspirated form. As such it was light, compact and full of fizz.

Ford/Cosworth YB (1986)

The Pinto unit was Ford's first engine to feature a belt-driven overhead camshaft. Launched in 1970 in the Cortina Mk3 and Taunus, the Pinto engine was developed by Cosworth into the turbocharged, multi-valve double overhead-cam monster seen in the Sierra RS Cosworth and later on the Escort RS Cosworth (pictured). Road cars could draw upon a relatively tame 201bhp – but in racing form more than 600bhp could be extracted from this 2.0-litre unit.

Mitsubishi 4G63 (1987)

The Mitsubishi Evo was nothing less than a weapon on the rally stages and it was pretty good on a fast, winding road too. Its super-natural abilities were down to the fitment of standard four-wheel drive, a stack of electronics – and a turbocharged twin-cam 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that could reliably produce around 300bhp. Known as the Sirius, it was this engine that was fitted to all Evos apart from the final edition, the Evo X, which got its own powerplant.

Honda B-Series (1988)

Honda has produced a whole raft of rev-happy engines that lead the way when it comes to reliability, and in many cases efficiency too. But it was the B-Series that introduced us to Honda's brilliant VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system. Not all B-Series engines got VTEC and this tech was fitted to a raft of other Honda powerplants including the K-Series and R-series – but it was the B-Series that changed things forever.

Subaru flat-four (1988)

Subaru built its first flat-four engine in 1966. That unit, known as the EA, would last until 1994, by which point the 16-valve EJ had been introduced. Launched in 1988, the EJ boxer engine was what gave the Impreza Turbo its characteristic beat. Strong, easily tuned, incredibly reliable and with a low centre of gravity, the EJ engine is still in production and will hopefully remain so for a while yet.

Nissan SR20DET (1989)

As with most Japanese car makers, Nissan has produced a string of highly tuned turbocharged engines over the years, proving that there can be a substitute for cubic inches. Typically tuned to give around 100bhp/litre, the twin-cam SR20DET powerplant was first fitted to the home-market Bluebird in 1989, but is globally best known for powering the Sunny GTi-R as well as the Silvia/180SX/200SX.

Nissan RB26 (1989)

Nissan introduced the RB in 2.0-litre straight-six form in 1985 and production of the 3.0-litre RB30 lasted until 2004. Many reckon that the 2.6-litre RB26 was the sweet spot, as seen in the R32 GT-R. With four valves per cylinder, two turbos and six throttle bodies the engine was officially rated at a conservative 276bhp, although 325bhp was a given – and more than twice this could be reliably extracted from the RB26 engine.

Toyota 2JZ-GTE (1991)

Japanese car makers choose confusing designations for their engines, but that matters not when you've got an intercooled double overhead-cam straight-six with sequential turbochargers, which will give a reliable 700bhp and which can be tuned to produce over 1000bhp. So with just 300bhp or so on tap in regular production form as seen in the Toyota Supra A80 (pictured), the 3.0-litre 2JZ-GTE engine barely broke into a sweat.

McLaren F1 (1992)

There was so much more to the McLaren F1 than just its engine, but the BMW-supplied 6.1-litre V12 was something of a high spot. McLaren had originally tried to collaborate with its Formula 1 engine supplier Honda, which was asked for a 550bhp engine to power a forthcoming supercar. Honda couldn't commit so McLaren asked BMW instead – and the result was a wonderful powerplant with 77bhp more than requested.

Mercedes OM606 (1993)

The Mercedes engine back catalogue contains some pretty impressive entries, but this is one of our favourites; a 3.0-litre straight-six with twin overhad camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Initially seen in naturally aspirated form in the W124 E-Class, the OM606 was then fitted to the next-generation E-Class, the W210, in turbocharged form. Smooth, indestructible and effortlessly torquey, the OM606 also found its way into the W140 S-Class (pictured) as well as the W463 G-Class.

BMW straight-six diesel (1999)

Even before the arrival of the original 530d, BMW had built some fabulous diesel engines, most notably the 2.5-litre straight-six seen in the 325tds and 525tds of the 1980s. But it was this unit that really put BMW on the map for great diesel engines; the first 530d was fast, sounded great and was decently parsimonious too yielding huge single-tank ranges, all of which quickly made it a police car of choice throughout Europe.

Pagani V12 (1999)

We all know that the original Pagani featured an engine that was built by Merc's AMG division, but so what? It was still a monster of a powerplant which initially displaced six litres and 444bhp; this rose to seven litres before peaking at 7.3 litres and a faintly ludicrous 789bhp. The Huayra sticks with an AMG V12, but whereas the Zonda got Merc's epic M120 powerplant its successor has the twin-turbo M158 unit.

Honda F20C (2000)

We could easily have included the K20 unit that Honda fitted to the Civic Type R, but we've opted for the F20 unit that was fitted to the S2000 because it was such a cutting-edge powerplant. Capable of revving to a motorbike-like 9000rpm, the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre F20 could generate a massive 247bhp, which meant it had the highest specific power output (bhp per litre) of any engine until the Ferrari 458 came along. A bit more low-down torque wouldn't have gone amiss though.

GM LS6 (2001)

We've already had one GM small-block V8 and here's another, although the two aren't related. The LS6 was based on the LS1 that arrived in 1997 to power the Corvette C5. This unit was then developed into the more powerful LS6 specifically for the Corvette Z06, although it would also find its way into the Cadillac CTS-V (pictured). Initially rated at 385bhp from 5.7 litres, power rose to 405bhp before the LS7 took over in 2006.

VW Group W12 (2001)

When it comes to weird engine configurations, the Volkswagen Group is the master. It's produced the narrow-angle VR6, a V5, the W8 and in the Bugatti Veyron/Chiron there's been a W16. Only slightly less mad than that is the W12 which was created by mating a pair of VR6 powerplants to come up with a 6.0-litre unit. First seen in the 2001 W12 coupé concept, that year also saw the first production car application: the Audi A8. The W12 engine would go on to be fitted to the Bentley Continental GT (pictured) as well as Volkswagen's Touareg and Phaeton, the Audi A8 and a pair of Spyker supercars. Smooth and powerful, production of the W12 ended in April 2024.

Volkswagen V10 TDI (2002)

Fitted only to the Touareg and Phaeton, the Volkswagen 5.0-litre 10-cylinder diesel engine was a beast of a powerplant with its minimum of 553lb ft of torque – in the Touareg R50 (pictured) this was boosted to a mammoth 627lb ft. Production ran from 2002 until 2009 and because the cost of building these engines was so high, few cars were ever sold with one fitted.

Honda i-CTDi (2003)

For years Honda vowed that it would never make its own diesel engine, but it finally relented in 2003 when it introduced a 2.2-litre all-aluminium oil-burner for the Accord. And what a smooth masterpiece it was! With a much lower compression ratio than normal, of 16.0:1, the N series engine was also far quieter and cleaner than rivals, while that alloy construction ensured it was lighter too.

Mazda Renesis (2003)

Decades after everybody else had given up on rotary power, Mazda was still persisting with it in its brilliant RX-8 (pictured). The company largely overcame the reliability problems (up to a point), but it couldn't fix the poor fuel economy or the appetite for oil. The Renesis engine also lacked torque but we've included it here because it was light, compact, and brilliantly smooth – plus Mazda should be applauded for doing something different.

VW Group 3.0 TDI (2004)

You've probably spotted that there aren't many diesel engines in this list, not because we don't rate them but because some have been squeezed out by petrol units that we love – or that we think are more significant. One that couldn't be omitted was this jewel of a V6 engine that was first used in the Audi A8 and which went on to be fitted to the A4, A6, Touareg, Phaeton and more. Smooth, frugal and fabulously muscular it really was a landmark engine.

BMW V10 (2005)

Aside from the occasional V12 luxury car, the maximum number of cylinders in most sports cars and GTs is eight – so BMW had to go two better with its V10. Codenamed S85 and seen in the E60 M5 (pictured)as well as the E63 M6, the V10 was thirsty and could self-destruct if not mollycoddled, but when it comes to epic soundtracks and phenomenal power delivery this was an intoxicating powerplant, no question.

Bugatti Veyron (2005)

Any engine that features 16 cylinders and four turbos has to be worthy of inclusion here, just because it's such a ridiculously over the top concept. The first Veyrons packed a 987bhp punch, but owners clearly felt embarrassed by such a trivial number which is why Bugatti turned up the wick in 2010 with the introduction of the 1184bhp Veyron Super Sport.

Audi V12 TDI (2006)

Admittedly Audi's 12-cylinder diesel engine proved to be something of a cul de sac – but we still salute the company for doing something quite so bonkers. Developed by quattro GMBH, Audi's in-house performance division, the V12 TDI engine displaced six litres and was used in the Le Mans-winning R15 TDI – and it was fitted to a handful of Q7s too. Rated at 473bhp and 737lb ft of torque (the latter from just 1750rpm), this monstrous SUV could do 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds and achieve 23.7mpg on the combined cycle.

Audi RS4 (2006)

The original Audi RS4 was a twin-turbo V6 affair and it was okay as far as practical performance cars go. But it was the second take on the formula that really got us foaming at the mouth, because the B7-based RS4 featured a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 that was nothing less than stunning with its power delivery and soundtrack. Capable of revving to a lovely 8250rpm, the RS4's engine was rated at 414bhp which was sent to all four wheels via Audi's quattro transmission.

Fiat TwinAir (2010)

We were a bit hesitant about including this one. After all, the TwinAir unit is an 875cc two-cylinder turbocharged powerplant that often struggles to return more than 35mpg when fitted to the Punto, Panda or 500. But the fact that the TwinAir engine has so much character and plenty of pep are both cause for celebration, so what the hell…

Ford 1.0 Ecoboost (2012)

In a bid to boost efficiency, car makers have put a raft of turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines into production, and one of the first was Ford's Ecoboost unit, used first in the Fiesta (pictured). Compact, light, smooth and fabulously zesty, the Ecoboost engine can also be brilliantly frugal if it isn't maxed at every opportunity – which it's very easy to do as it comes with an engine thrum that puts many four-cylinder units to shame.

Ferrari V8 (2014)

Ferrari hasn't always made the best-looking or sweetest-handling cars, although its hit rate tends to be rather higher than rivals can manage. Where it has managed to be astonishingly successful is with its engines, which have tended to offer sparkling performance with a scintillating soundtrack. That's definitely true of the F154 twin-turbo V8 that arrived in 2014. Drive a 488 (488 Spider pictured) or F8 and this engine will show you that naturally aspirated isn't necessarily best, with its incredible flexibility and phenomenal punch from barely above idle.

Mercedes-AMG V8 (2015)

Mercedes has produced some epic naturally aspirated V8 engines over the years, and we could have picked pretty much any one of them for inclusion here. But instead of a non-boosted 6.2-litre unit we've opted for the current twin-turbo 4.0-litre unit because it's just so damned accomplished. It's flexible, tractable, stupendously powerful yet ultra-clean too. Its predecessors might be impressive but the M176 V8 proves that the fun needn't be over just because of modern emissions regulations.

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Ford could bring F1-inspired 'skunkworks' EVs to Europe

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

As landmark $30k pick up starts testing in US, Ford hints at Europe potential for affordable new EVs

Future models built using Ford's new Formula 1-influenced affordable EV platform could be offered in the UK to complement the company's revamped European line-up.

The new platform, called Universal EV, features "cooler engineering than a hypercar", according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. It has been developed by a 'skunkworks' project in California set up by Ford to work semi-independently.

Universal EV will eventually spawn a range of 'global' vehicles and the first production car to use it will be a US-market pick-up, pictured above, priced at around $30,000 (£22,300).

A teaser video displaying early sketches of the pick-up shows how Ford is rethinking its approach to design and engineering, with dramatically different styling to its existing combustion-engined trucks.

Ford hasn't confirmed whether cars underpinned by the platform will be offered in Europe, but it could be used for EVs that would arrive after the firm's Renault-platformed small hatch and crossover, due in 2028.

Since the project is largely a clean-sheet design, Ford has recruited staff from outside the mainstream car industry – with a focus on motorsport, given the belief that lessons on efficiency and aerodynamics learned in competition can give it an edge over Chinese rivals.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Farley said: "One of the biggest gifts that Formula 1 ever gave Ford was our skunkworks team in California. Almost every one of them either comes from Formula 1 or is a huge F1 fan."

Farley added that the bulk of the skunkworks staff "have never worked in the auto industry before" but "we picked them for their aerodynamic knowledge" - although he acknowledged that had been a challenge.

"It turns out that finding people who love motorsport who want to 'build a buffet in Vegas' – a $30,000 EV that's nice-looking and fun to drive - is hard," he said.

"A lot of people want to stay in F1 and the challenge is picking people from motorsport who can actually design a breakthrough product. But when people see what we did with this skunkworks, they will say: 'Wow, that's cooler engineering than a hypercar. They will be shocked."

Farley said the extreme aerodynamic focus of modern F1 cars was a key attraction in recruiting people for the skunkworks.

Ford claims the forthcoming pick-up-tipped to revive the Ranchero name - is 15% more aerodynamically efficient than any pick-up currently on sale in the US.

"Every bit of aero we can improve will help us reduce the size of the battery, and F1 has the best aero people in the world," he said.

"I can't steal [F1 design guru] Adrian Newey. I asked Adrian (when he was at Red Bull to look at the Cd of some of our EVs, and he said he didn't care about homologation rules. But we needed those skills to come over. It's the same with recruiting people for EV powertrain efficiency."

Farley said the intense focus on aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency would enable the skunkworks EVs to be fitted with smaller batteries, in turn keeping weight down and improving packaging options.

He highlighted this as a particular area where Ford could outperform Chinese rivals, some of which he said "have really cheap batteries, and that's their problem".

He added: "Their control systems – the efficiency of the motors, inverters and gearbox, and how they all work together with the software - aren't that efficient, so they're carrying around a bunch of battery they don't need to. We've found 20-30% gains in efficiency but we had to get people over from motorsport to do it."

Universal EV models will also make extensive use of megacasting, with whole segments of the body cast as single parts, to help reduce the complexity and further lower costs.

The first vehicles on the platform will be built at a new US factory in Kentucky.

Toyota warns of EU 'isolation' if Made in Europe barriers remain

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

New legislation will lock important non-EU nations, such as the UK and Turkey, out of crucial benefits

Toyota has warned that the European Union faces “isolation” and risks losing investment if it goes through with its proposed ‘Made in Europe’ rules.

The remarks came from Toyota Europe CEO Yoshihiro Nakata, who said the EU risks sabotaging the international ties that have long strengthened its automotive industry through the proposals listed in the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). His comments mark a rare broadside from Toyota against the bloc's increased protectionism.

“We do support the intentions of the IAA, but we fear it could lead to isolation or weaken the European industry overall,” Nakata told the recent Automotive News Europe Congress.

The IAA outlines a series of measures designed to protect key EU industries, including automotive and battery making, from increased competition from Chinese firms, which have long benefited from state backing and are now steadily gaining market share from established car brands, rising to 8.8% across Europe this year to the end of April, according to figures showed at the event by Dataforce.

Nakata’s warning was delivered in the same week that three of Europe’s biggest local manufacturers – the Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and the Renault Group – delivered a letter to the European Parliament asking for legislators to delay and water down the IAA, citing the difficulties hitting proposed targets for parts localisation to qualify as ‘Made in Europe’.

“European auto makers face an unprecedented challenge to their competitiveness due to significant technology gaps in strategic areas, intense global competitive pressure and persistently high energy, manufacturing and regulatory costs,” they said in the letter, first reported by the Financial Times.

Toyota along with the Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and the Renault Group want the definition of 'European' to be expanded to take into account of the use of parts and factories within the sphere of influence of the EU but sitting outside its borders, such as the UK.

“European resilience lies not only on local production but also… with key international partners,” said Nakata, listing Japan, Korea, the UK and Turkey as examples. “We believe these kind of trusted partners should be created as equivalent for ‘Made in the EU’ and the IAA. If excluded, we and other OEMs may face severe commercial uncertainty, and also may lose our power to continue the contribution to European society,” said Nakata, warning that this could put future investment at risk.

Car makers operating in the UK, including Toyota and JLR, are deeply concerned that cars built here could be locked out of benefits earmarked for electric cars made in the EU, including inclusion on state procurement lists, eligibility for state purchase incentives and access to the sub-4.2m ‘E-car’ category with its credit bonuses.

“The strict EU assembly rules and EU27 eligibility criteria currently proposed would effectively put UK manufacturers at a systemic competitive disadvantage,” said Mike Hawes, CEO of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, in a statement in March.

Meanwhile, the Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and the Renault Group are proposing a watered-down version in which 70% of vehicles sold in the EU source 70% of their value within their borders, with that value to include everything from engineering to manufacturing.

Rebuilding the European car industry to exclude the low-cost manufacturing bases established in recent years in places such as North Africa doesn’t make sense, argued Renault Group CEO François Provost at the Automotive News Europe Congress. “The new issue is not about having plants in Morocco. Or trading with Turkey. We have been doing this for two decades,” he said. “No, the new issue is the fantastic competitiveness of the Chinese industry.”

Provost argued that the European Union should deal with the Chinese in the same way China did with the European car industry when they provided access to their market on condition they build local partnerships. “This will give time the industry to adapt,” he said.

Car makers that have established Europe as a global export base – such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz – have long been opposed to erecting the barriers to its home market, fearing retaliation. But the signs are their views are now aligning more with locally focused car makers, particularly as the key market of the US quickly erected walls of its own in the form of much higher tariffs.

“Historically, there was a division between the French and the Germans, but I think the barriers are falling, and the points of views are getting closer,” Philippe Houchois, automotive analyst at banking firm Jefferies, told the Automotive News Europe Congress. “I’ve spent a lot of time with BMW management recently, and while their official line is to be open on trade, they recognise there needs to be a level playing field.”

There are signs that the IAA proposals, announced in March, are already having an effect on the Chinese car makers in terms of encouraging local manufacturing despite not being close to ratification.

MG revealed earlier in June that its long-planned European factory will be in Spain, while BYD has reportedly postponed its planned Turkish plant and is instead looking at taking over an existing plant, potentially also in Spain. Leapmotor has expanded its manufacturing tie-up with partner Stellantis with an agreement to take over the company’s Madrid plant.

The Junkyard finds from French Lake Auto Parts, Annandale, Minnesota

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 02:24:20 +0100

Founded in 1956, French Lake Auto Parts (aka Junktown USA) stands as one of the premier salvage yards in the US.

This remarkable site boasts thousands of parts cars, spanning from the 1920s to the present day. The yard is meticulously organized, with everything securely stored on firm ground. Best of all, someone has written the year of manufacture on everything, making identification a whole lot easier.

PLYMOUTH SPECIAL DELUXE - 1949

With row upon row of vintage cars, French Lake Auto Parts truly is a national treasure. It's no wonder classic car enthusiasts from across the US and beyond flock to this place. To give you an idea of its popularity, you can even buy a souvenir t-shirt in the office. This 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe four-door sedan, for example, appears to be in pretty good shape.

BUICK SKYLARK - 1976

Take a look at this stunning vista—there’s plenty to catch the eye here. Front and center is a 1976 Buick Skylark coupe, one of the newer cars in this impressive lineup. Despite a few interruptions in its production, the Skylark remained a staple of Buick's lineup from its debut in 1953 until its final curtain call in 1998.

KAISER - 1954

The heart-shaped windshield hole immediately identifies this as a Kaiser. It’s a Manhattan, and according to the scribbling on the hood it hails from either 1954 or 1955. Seeing as only 270 were registered in the latter year, we’ll assume it’s an earlier example.

The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was founded in 1945 as a joint venture between the Henry J Kaiser Company and Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. Although initial sales were robust, the company lacked the resources to withstand long-term competition with the Big Three.

FIAT BRAVA - 1980

One section of French Lake Auto Parts is dedicated to modern cars, and it’s here that we found a small selection of rare European and Japanese imports. The Fiat 131 was a significant success, with 1.5 million units sold worldwide.

However, only a small proportion made it to the US, where they were branded as Brava and Super Brava. These cars were plagued with mechanical issues, leading to their withdrawal in 1981, a year after this particular example was sold.

DODGE - 1920S

It's rare to find a 100-year-old vehicle in a salvage yard. This car, manufactured by Dodge Brothers, dates between 1923 and 1926, according to scribblings on the vehicle. Founded in 1900 by brothers Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge, the company was only a quarter-century old when this car rolled off the Detroit production line.

LASALLE - 1939

Manufactured by Cadillac between 1927 and 1940, LaSalle was marketed as GM’s second most prestigious brand. This particular model is from 1938 and is one of 23,028 examples built that year. Sales increased to 24,133 the following year, just before the marque was discontinued.

PACKARD PICKUP - 1948

At some point in its long life, this 1948 Packard faced the indignity of being converted into a pickup truck. To make matters worse, the conversion was done on the cheap. The result resembles a wooden outhouse more than a once-luxurious automobile.

RAMBLER - 1962

This 1962 Rambler four-door station wagon hasn't been on the road for over 30 years, making its fabulous condition even more remarkable. It likely sat in someone's garage for a long time, with the owner intending to restore it to its former glory. One thing is certain: it hasn't been at French Lake Auto Parts for very long, or it would surely have lost some of its rust-free body panels by now.

CADILLAC BIARRITZ CONVERTIBLE - 1984

Although Cadillac ceased production of convertibles in 1976, in 1984 they made a return in the guise of the Eldorado Biarritz. Although officially a Cadillac product, the conversion was done by the American Sunroof Corporation. Sales were slow, and only 3300 units found buyers, making this a rarity.

DESOTO FIREDOME - 1956

While the Firedome started out in 1952 as DeSoto’s flagship car, by 1956 when this example was built, it had been demoted to the entry-level model.

This car was powered by a 5.4-litre 230hp V8, which would have taken it to 60mph in less than 10 seconds. This is a four-door sedan, one of 44,909 built that year.

WILLYS AERO CUSTOM - 1955

You will be searching for a long time to find another 1955 Willys Aero Custom in a salvage yard, especially one with this many hard-to-find parts still left on it.

Although this was the final year for Aero production in the US, the tooling found its way to Brazil, where the car was built from 1960 to 1971 and sold at Ford dealerships.

CHEVROLET CAVALIER - 1985

The Type 10 package was only available on Chevrolet Cavalier coupes in 1984 and the 1985, this being one of the latter cars. That giant trunk spoiler certainly looks the part, but it turned this Cavalier into a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Its 2.0-litre engine mustered up just 88hp, which took the Cavalier to 60mph in a leisurely 13.2sec.

FORD COUNTRY SEDAN - 1952

There used to be a 3.9-litre V8 under this 1952 Ford Country Sedan’s now non-existent hood. However, both the engine and the car’s dreams of hitting the highway again are long gone. The Country Sedan, part of the Ford Customline range from 1952 to 1954, saw its sales increase dramatically from 11,927 to 48,384 during this period, despite minimal changes to its body style.

DODGE MONACO - 1969

This Dodge Monaco two-door coupe, built in 1969, marks the debut of the second-generation models. This example is a 500, which included features like bucket seats and a center armrest. It originally came with a 6.3-litre V8 engine producing 245hp, but buyers had the option to upgrade to engines delivering 330hp or 375hp.

LINCOLN PREMIERE - 1957

Someone has already rehomed all four of this 1957 Lincoln Premiere’s doors, but there are still many parts left to reclaim, including its somewhat tatty four-way power seats. Produced from 1955 to 1960, the Lincoln Premiere fitted neatly between the Capri and the range-topping Continental Mark II.

The driving light, originally at the bottom edge of the front bumper, was repositioned below the traditional sealed beam headlight, creating the appearance of stacked dual headlights—a feature Lincoln dubbed Quadra-Lite.

BUICK LESABRE - 1960

It's odd that someone chose to cut off half of this 1960 Buick LeSabre’s trunk lid rather than simply removing the entire thing. Introduced in 1959, the LeSabre remained in production for an impressive 46 years. Although the 1960 models are considered first-generation, they received a major facelift and shared little more than their roofs and trunks with the previous year’s version.

TOYOTA CORONA - 1977

The Corona, named after the Latin word for crown, was pivotal to Toyota’s success. The first model launched in the US was the 1966 Mk3, which impressed drivers with its reliability. Toyota’s triumph paved the way for other Japanese car manufacturers. By the time this 1977 Mk5 was built, it faced competition from the popular Honda Accord.

PONTIAC SAFARI - 1960

According to its license plate tags, this 1960 Pontiac Safari wagon retired after 17 years, and likely hasn’t moved under its own steam for the better part of five decades. In fact, judging by the way it has sunk into the dirt, it’s probably spent much of that time here at French Lake Auto Parts.

PLYMOUTH CRANBROOK - 1951

In contrast to the Pontiac Safari wagon, this 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook survived on the roads until the mid-1980s. It’s got an abundance of rust-free parts, and if you see anything you’d like, give French Lake Auto Parts a call and quote the code scribbled all over the car.

VOLKSWAGEN BUS - 1978

There can’t be a vintage salvage yard anywhere in the US that doesn’t have at least one Volkswagen bus in its inventory. French Lake Auto Parts’ offering is this 1978 version, which has definitely seen better days. Although most of its body panels are too rotten to be saved, there’s an abundance of other spares on offer. That appears to be a VW Beetle chassis perched on its roof.

BUICK - 1937

"Rear end rusted inside" is the least of this Buick’s issues, judging by its appalling condition. Although we couldn't find any identifying marks, our best guess is that it was built in 1937. This was a great year for Buick, with 220,346 cars sold—its best sales performance in a decade, a number that wouldn't be beaten until 1940.

CADILLAC ELDORADO - 1969

This Eldorado is one of just 23,333 built in 1969, accounting for roughly 10% of Cadillac’s production that year. While the average car cost $3270 in 1969, the Eldorado, with its $6710 price tag, was anything but average. Buyers enjoyed numerous creature comforts and a powerful 7.7-litre engine, making it a luxurious choice for the discerning driver.

CHEVROLET 150 - 1955

While the 1957 models often steal the spotlight today, it's worth noting that the best-selling Tri-Five Chevy was the 1955. With nearly 1.78 million units sold, it outpaced the 1956 and 1957 models, which sold 1.62 million and 1.56 million respectively. This 1955 150 four-door sedan still has a lot going for it.

CHRYSLER NEWPORT - 1963

In 1963, Chrysler deleted the Newport's tailfins, but they made a return the following year, as seen here. This car is in exceptional condition for a junkyard gem, appearing relatively rust-free and complete. Approximately 85,000 Newports were built in 1963, the majority of which were four-door sedans like this one.

CHEVROLET CAPRICE ESTATE - 1978

This 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Estate might be riddled with tin-worm, but at least it doesn’t have to contend with wood-munching beetles, thanks to its faux woodgrain panelling. Chevrolet and Dodge were the first automobile manufacturers to introduce vinyl wood-trimmed ‘woodie’ station wagons back in 1966.

MERCURY PARK LANE - 1965

Considering its brightness, this 1965 Mercury Park Lane must have been resprayed fairly recently. However, the peeling paint suggests a poor-quality job. It's rather unusual to find a convertible in a salvage yard with a relatively intact ragtop. With just over 3000 of these built, it’s a rare find.

DESOTO DELUXE COUPE - 1947

There can’t be many of these left in such a decapitated state. This ultra-rare 1947 DeSoto Deluxe two-door, three-passenger coupe is one of only 1950 units built that year. When pushed to its limits, its 3.9-litre engine, with all 109 horses unleashed, would take about 23 seconds to reach 60mph. This is just one of several DeSotos from this era that we unearthed at French Lake Auto Parts.

BUICK ROADMASTER - 1953

Take a look at this trunk lid—it’s in fantastic condition. In fact, it’s just one of many rust-free body parts this 1953 Buick Roadmaster four-door sedan has to offer. The Roadmaster was a staple in Buick’s lineup during three different periods between 1936 and 1996, but it was only between 1946 and 1957 that it held the title of the marque’s flagship automobile.

NAVISTAR PICKUP - 1974

This 1974 International Light Line clearly didn’t roll off the factory floor with such crude bodywork. Founded in 1902, the International Harvester Company initially focused on agricultural machinery before expanding into trucks and other vehicles. Today, the company is known as Navistar International and is owned by Volkswagen.

DODGE CORONET CLUB COUPE - 1950

In 1950, Dodge offered seven different variants of the Coronet, with the stylish Club Coupe emerging as the best-seller. More than 38,000 units were sold, contributing to a record production year of 341,797 vehicles. It was a milestone the manufacturer wouldn’t surpass for another decade.

PACKARD PATRICIAN - 1955

Introduced in 1951, the range-topping Packard Patrician was nearing the end of its run by 1955, the year this example rolled out of Detroit. That year, the Patrician received a significant refresh, though it was done on a tight budget.

The updates included a new wrap-around windshield, an updated dashboard, and distinctive cathedral-style rear taillights, as seen on this car. 1955 also marked the debut of Packard's first and only V8 engine. Despite these changes, sales remained disappointing, with only 9127 units leaving showrooms.

MG MGB - 1976

Despite being off the road for over a decade, this 1976 MG MGB roadster still manages to hold air in all four tires. Built during the ungainly black rubber bumper era, it also features the 1in lift implemented two years earlier to meet new US headlight regulations. While this height adjustment was a cost-effective alternative to a full redesign, like the bulky bumpers, it negatively impacted the car’s handling.

BUICK - 1948

This 1948 Buick boasts several rot-free parts. However, anyone purchasing that rear fender will have three bullet holes and a dent to contend with. In contrast the interior is seriously decomposed, which would indicate that the car has been missing its windows and passenger door for some years.

LINCOLN SPORT SEDAN - 1950

Well, that’s one way to remove a rear windshield without risking shattered glass—just cut it out. Here, we see the remnants of a 1950 Lincoln, likely a Sport Sedan. Priced at $2576, this was Lincoln’s entry-level model and its best-seller that year, with nearly 12,000 units produced.

However, 1950 was a disastrous year for Lincoln, with production plummeting to just 28,190 units—down sharply from the 73,507 vehicles produced the previous year. In stark contrast, rival Cadillac saw its sales rise by 11,000 units.

NASH AMBASSADOR SUPER - 1950

Nash touted its Ambassador Super four-door sedan as offering the best value per dollar in 1950, confidently claiming it outclassed the competition. Buyers also enjoyed the advantage of single-unit construction, which the sales literature hailed as the "greatest safety feature ever built into an automobile."

Judging by the condition of this example, it seems to have stood the test of time remarkably well.

PLYMOUTH SUBURBAN - 1958

The 1957 Plymouths marked a radical departure from their predecessors, showcasing a bold new design by Virgil Exner. This striking look carried over into 1958, with only minimal visual changes, as seen in this example. That year, Plymouth sold a total of 55,865 Custom Suburbans, a mix of six- and nine-passenger models.

Despite its rough condition, this particular Suburban is remarkably intact and offers a treasure trove of spare parts.

FORD GALAXIE 500 - 1964

In 1965, the Ford Galaxie received a major restyle, but that didn’t deter buyers from snapping up the 1964 models. Some 593,533 Galaxies rolled off the assembly line that year, contributing to Ford's impressive total of 1.59 million vehicles produced—the company's best performance since 1957.

This particular 1964 Galaxie 500 still boasts gleaming chrome that shines brightly under the Minnesota sun.

MERCURY COUGAR - 1967

The 1967 Mercury Cougar, built on the Ford Mustang platform but with a heftier price tag, was an instant hit. With a base price of $2854, an impressive 150,893 buyers drove one off the lot in its debut year, exceeding sales expectations.

This level of popularity wouldn't be matched until the fourth-generation models from 1977 to 1979. Over its long production run, which spanned from 1967 to 2002, nearly 3 million Cougars were produced.

NASH - 1942

In early 1942, the US government halted civilian automobile production, directing factories to focus on military vehicles and weapons instead. Nash Motors was no exception, swiftly transitioning to manufacturing aircraft engines, binoculars, and some of the first Sikorsky helicopters.

Due to this shortened production run, only 31,780 cars were built that year, making any surviving models exceptionally rare. This example is remarkably complete, right down to its wheel trims.

OLDSMOBILE DYNAMIC 88 - 1960

Despite the lower half of the doors suffering from severe corrosion, this 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 still has a wealth of spare parts up for grabs.

French Lake Auto Parts is an enormous place with more cars to explore so look out for part 2 of our story on this yard soon.

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The greatest road car engines ever made

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:29:40 +0100

We've picked 50 of our favourite road-going engines, but we could easily have selected twice as many…

Defining the word 'greatest' isn't easy in this context.

Ford flathead V8 (1932)

Volkswagen flat-four (1936)

Ferrari Colombo V12 (1947)

Citroën flat-twin (1948)

Jaguar XK (1948)

BMC A-Series (1951)

Chevrolet small-block V8 (1954)

Ferrari V6 (1958)

Rolls-Royce V8 (1959)

Ford small-block V8 (1961)

Lotus twin-cam (1962)

Lamborghini V12 (1963)

Porsche air-cooled flat-six (1963)

AMC/Jeep 'six' (1964)

Chrysler Hemi (1966)

Fiat twin-cam (1966)

Rover V8 (1967)

Aston Martin V8 (1969)

Jaguar V12 (1971)

Audi five-cylinder (1976)

BMW M88 (1978)

Alfa Romeo Busso V6 (1979)

PSA XUD (1982)

Toyota 4AGE (1983)

Ford/Cosworth YB (1986)

Mitsubishi 4G63 (1987)

Honda B-Series (1988)

Subaru flat-four (1988)

Nissan SR20DET (1989)

Nissan RB26 (1989)

Toyota 2JZ-GTE (1991)

McLaren F1 (1992)

Mercedes OM606 (1993)

BMW straight-six diesel (1999)

Pagani V12 (1999)

Honda F20C (2000)

GM LS6 (2001)

VW Group W12 (2001)

Volkswagen V10 TDI (2002)

Honda i-CTDi (2003)

Mazda Renesis (2003)

VW Group 3.0 TDI (2004)

BMW V10 (2005)

Bugatti Veyron (2005)

Audi V12 TDI (2006)

Audi RS4 (2006)

Fiat TwinAir (2010)

Ford 1.0 Ecoboost (2012)

Ferrari V8 (2014)

Mercedes-AMG V8 (2015)

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Cheap tax increasingly big pull in fleet EV growth

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:53:06 +0100

Survey finds that a desire for employees to reduce tax bills is now almost as big a pull for electrifying fleets as pure environmental reasons

Cheap tax and charging have made employee demand one of the biggest catalysts for the UK’s fast-growing fleet of electric company cars, according to a new survey by leasing firm Arval.

Almost a third (30%) of British fleets are deploying electric cars to fulfil requests from company car drivers, according to the latest Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer.

That share is 50% higher than in 2025, when 20% cited it as a reason to switch, and not far behind reduced environmental impact – this year’s top-rated answer, at 32% of responses.

Ultra-low tax bands for EVs have made them an appealing option for company car and salary sacrifice schemes. The latest British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) data shows half of all members’ business contract hire cars and 77% of new salary sacrifice deliveries were battery-electric in the final quarter of 2025.

Arval’s survey shows broad approval of EVs, with only 11% of fleets facing pushback from drivers (down from 16% in 2025), while only 16% said range was a barrier. One in three (30%) are motivated by improving their company image, compared with 24% in 2025.

John Peters, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said employers are experiencing higher driver demand while leveraging the faster adoption rates for electric cars to balance out a slower transition to battery-powered vans.

That’s supported by a wider choice of vehicles, enabling fleets to be more selective with what they offer and negotiate better prices, without restricting options for drivers. There are 167 different electric cars available in the UK, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), compared with 102 in 2024.

“The proliferation of salary sacrifice is driving a lot of the EV uptake. More companies are adopting salary sacrifice [and] within those fleets, more people are taking an EV who didn’t have one before,” Peters told Autocar.

“We are also seeing more company car fleets electrifying their choices. There's less tolerance now for offering anything other than electric or hybrid, because there's enough choice to justify going down that route.”

Cost sensitivity plays out in Arval’s data, with lower fuel costs (31%) coming a close second to environmental impact (32%) as a reason to go electric. Peters said this is also motivating drivers, who have a heightened awareness of both fuel costs and availability since tensions escalated in the Middle East at the end of February.

Meanwhile, 28% of fleets are deploying electric cars to reduce their tax costs, up from 23% last year, but 33% claimed that adoption was being held up by higher purchase prices while almost one in three (30%) say model ranges are too limited (23% in 2025).

The survey also highlights practical challenges. A lack of public and home charging points were the two most common adoption bottlenecks (41% in each case), while only 27% offer workplace charging points.

Peters said: “The differential on cost for charging your vehicle between home and public is huge. If you're comparing 6-7p overnight with almost £1 per kWh, that is a material differential.

“We are seeing pushback in certain areas, and there you’re looking at companies retaining the option to take a hybrid, or saying if drivers need to charge publicly, then they’ll reimburse suitably for their business mileage. Whatever hit they’re taking on their personal mileage should be compensated by decreasing company car tax.”

BYD to take bite out of UK pick-up market with Shark PHEV

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:53:05 +0100

New pick-up will make its debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed

BYD has confirmed its first pick-up, the Shark, will be sold in the UK.

Offered elsewhere as the Shark 6, it is a plug-in hybrid rival for the Ford Ranger.

The specification of UK-market Sharks remains to be confirmed, but in Australia it is available with a choice of turbocharged 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines.

Both are paired with two electric motors (one per axle) for combined outputs of 430bhp and 470lb ft with the 1.5-litre, or 470bhp and 516lb ft with the 2.0-litre.

In either instance, the pick-up is driven primarily by its electric motors. According to official WLTP testing, it is capable of covering 50 miles under electric power alone. Its 29.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack can be charged at up to 55kW and it can also be used to power external devices.

The Shark is a double-cab pick-up with five seats, a 1450-litre cargo bed and a maximum payload capacity of 835kg. The 1.5-litre model can tow braked trailers weighing up to 2500kg, while the 2.0-litre can manage 3500kg. Both can tow unbraked trailers of up to 750kg.

It remains to be seen whether other bodystyles that are offered globally, such as a chassis-cab, will be sold in the UK.

BYD has yet to confirm UK pricing for the Shark but it is likely to undercut the Ford Ranger PHEV, which starts from £40,830 (excluding VAT).

Zeekr 7GT

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100

With superfast charging and a 637bhp dual-motor powertrain, can the 7GT really challenge the European elite? This is the Zeekr 7GT, a sleek new shooting brake-styled electric grand tourer from up-and-coming Chinese brand Zeekr.Backed by Chinese powerhouse Geely, Zeekr has already established a foothold across mainland Europe and is set to make its UK debut at the end of 2026, with the low-slung, load-lugging 7GT tipped to be one of the first models to launch in British shores.But unlike the current crop of Chinese newcomers, where value brands like Omoda and Jaecoo have successfully targeted the affordable end of the market with their cut-price crossovers, Zeekr is aiming higher and the 7GT is engineered to pull buyers away from the likes of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen.

Updated Renault Megane brings new face and 310 miles of range

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Fresh new look and bigger battery take fight to growing number of electric hatch rivals

Renault has updated its electric Megane E-Tech hatchback after four years on sale, with a new look and more range among the headline enhancements.

The mid-life nip and tuck for the firm’s first bespoke EV comes as rivals including the Volkswagen ID 3, Cupra Born, Vauxhall Astra and Peugeot e-308 also receive updates to boost their competitiveness alongside the Hyundai Ioniq 3, Kia EV4 and Mini Aceman.

The updates are signalled chiefly by a new front end that brings the Megane in line with the newer Austral and Rafale SUVs, with a more imposing grille and a lower-set Renault badge.

Renault boss Fabrice Cambolive previously told Autocar this refresh would seek to reposition the Megane as a “hot hatch or a hot car”, and the redesign has clearly been influenced by the brand’s previous performance models.

The lower front bumper has been restyled with chequered flag-style daytime-running lights, similar to those featured on the previous-generation Mégane RS, while a more aggressive valance adds visual width. At the rear, the bumper features a chunky integrated diffuser. New ‘power bulge’-style creases in the bonnet and 3D-effect tail-lights complete the exterior makeover.

Battery capacity has been increased to 67kWh from 60kWh, boosting the hatchback’s maximum range to 310 miles from 285 miles. This compares with 309 miles of range for the 58kWh Volkswagen ID 3 Neo.

The height of the battery has increased slightly to achieve the uplift in capacity, resulting in a 20mm increase in overall height: the Megane is now 1520mm tall (roughly 40mm lower than an ID 3 Neo). The new Megane also weighs 100kg more, at 1772kg, 75kg of which is due to the bigger battery, but that’s still more than 100kg lighter than the ID 3.

The suspension and steering have been tuned to deal with the extra weight, but the 217bhp motor powering the front wheels remains the same. Length and width also remain the same, at 4200mm and 2055mm respectively, as does the class-leading440-litre boot.

Other updates include peak DC charging speeds increasing from 130kW to 165kW, giving a 25% reduction in charge time from 15-80%, now a claimed 24 minutes. AC charging speeds remain at 11kW, or optionally 22kW, which also brings vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid capability. A heat pump and battery and interior preconditioning are standard.

Inside, fewer changes have been made, with the same dual-12-inch screens remaining - although now with Gemini AI assistance.

Pricing will start at “no more” than the current car, which kicks off at £31,295 including the £1500 Electric Car Grant. However, Renault says the new model could qualify for the full £3750 grant like its Scenic and 4 and 5 siblings, bringing it under £30,000.

Stellantis priming robotaxi-ready versions of One and van platforms

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

Level-four-ready architectures will be adapted from vans and next-generation small cars

Stellantis’s new STLA One platform, due next year, can accommodate autonomous vehicles after the Vauxhall and Peugeot owner decided to incorporate the needs of robotaxi operators, the company has said.

The global car maker has announced a deal with UK autonomous vehicles software provider Wayve and ride-share company Uber that will see it supplying vehicles for robotaxi trials starting this year in 10 cities, including London.

The first vehicles on Stellantis’s so-called L4-Ready Platforms (L4 meaning level four, the second highest autonomous capability) will be adapted versions of the K0 mid-size van range that includes the Vauxhall Vivaro, but Stellantis is also developing an autonomous-ready van platform, due for launch at the end of the decade, Stellantis technology head Ned Curic told Autocar.

By including all the tech that robotaxis need within the platform, Stellantis will become very popular with operators who don’t have pay for retrofitted vehicles, or so the company hopes.

“For them, they’ll love it because they don't have to think about integration,” said Curic. “The [vehicles] have the cameras. They have the compute. They have the wiring. They have all the redundancy they need. So that's the value they get.”

Bringing all that capability on the STLA One platform – which, Stellantis says, will form the basis of two million cars sold globally per year by 2035 – allows the company to offer the robotaxis companies smaller, cheaper vehicles.

“What we see today in robotaxis is that over 90% of the drives are with a single passenger or two passengers,” said Curic, citing the company’s experience working with Waymo. “We need a car platform that's very small.”

STLA One was originally to be called STLA Small but has been reconfigured to allow bigger cars as well as incorporating robotaxis, with all their requirements for redundant systems such as steering and braking, which will take over if the primary system breaks. Other essential equipment includes additional cameras, wiring, more computing power and even washers to clean the sensors.

“It’s lot of small details that if you do car by car, after the fact in a serialised vehicle, costs in some cases $50,000 per car,” said. Curic. “When you're doing a serial line production, you don't have that problem. You're adding a little bit of a cost, but it's not exponential.”

Stellantis didn’t say when the first STLA One robotaxi will appear but the first regular car on the platform will be the new Peugeot 208, which is expected to be revealed at the Paris motor show in October.

As well as Wayve and Uber, Stellantis also has an agreement to supply vehicles for a partnership that includes Estonian ride-share company Bolt and Chinese AV software company Pony.AI, which will test Stellantis vans in Luxembourg.

By offering turnkey autonomous-ready cars, Stellantis hopes to tap into a robotaxi market that, consulting firm BCG estimates, could grow to between 700,000 and three million vehicles by 2035. Of that, China is expected to see the bulk of growth but Curic also has high hopes for European and US markets, which have a number of robotaxi trials.

Currently, few car makers are able to provide the kind of autonomous-ready cars that Stellantis is offering. Tesla has shown off its two-seat Robotaxi while Geely’s Zeekr brand has built Waymo the dedicated Ojai robotaxi vehicle with six radar sensors, four lidar sensors and 13 cameras. Ten wipers clean the sensors.

Hyundai primes new i20 N in return to affordable petrol hot hatches

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:01:00 +0100

"An i20 N for Europe is a must," says Hyundai's R&D boss, the paving way for a stunning hot hatch comeback

Hyundai has pledged to return to affordable performance vehicles and is set to unwrap a new petrol-powered i20 N hot hatch soon.

The previous performance version of the i20 was launched in 2021 as a rival to the Ford Fiesta ST, Mini Cooper S and Volkswagen Polo GTI – with 201bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

It served as the entry point to a performance line-up that also included the larger i30 N, and later the electric Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N – but it was withdrawn from sale after just three years as Hyundai moved away from petrol sports cars.

But now the comeback is on after Hyundai global R&D boss Manfred Harrer confirmed plans to "bring back entry cars on the N line-up" as a means of broadening the brand's appeal with younger buyers.

"An i20 N for Europe is a must," he said, because "the gap is too big" between Hyundai's previous petrol N models and their larger, much more powerful electric successors, which start at around £65,000 in the UK.

"We need this entry-level back for our fans," said Harrer, adding: "We are working intensively to do this sooner rather than later".

A new version of the i20 N will face a much smaller field of rivals than did its predecessor, with the Cooper S standing as the only petrol hot supermini left on sale, other brands having backed out of this space in pursuit of reduced emissions.

It will, though, be a natural alternative to a growing array of small hot EVs, including the Alpine A290, Volkswagen ID Polo GTI and Peugeot e-208 GTi.

Prototypes of the new hot hatch are already testing, said Harrer, and a launch is "not so far out".

He wouldn't be drawn on any specifics of the new model, but said it would make sense to "use existing technology" as its basis, hinting at power coming from a version of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid that features in Hyundai's more mainstream models.

However, he suggested that the powertrain will be heavily tweaked for performance: "I want to go to the Nürburgring and do really successful lap times – better than the existing one.

"But you have to work on the battery management system to get this done."

Harrer also said Hyundai is investing in making sure the new model apes the character of its pure-petrol predecessor: "It feels sporty – don't worry about that."

A new generation of the Hyundai i20 is being primed for an imminent launch in Europe and is likely to be derived from the new Brazilian-market model that was revealed last week – with a chunkier, higher-riding silhouette than the current car and a completely new interior. Hyundai has not said how closely related Europe's new i20 will be, nor given any indication of timings for the standard car or a performance version.

Confirmation of the i20 N's comeback comes after N division boss Joon Park said last year that the performance sub-brand would not pursue an all-EV line-up.

"The problem that we have is that there is a perception from the media and our fans that Hyundai N is only focusing on the EV world, which is not true,” he said.

"We are not limiting ourselves to EVs."

The history of horsepower - and why it doesn't work as a metric

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0100

You wouldn't want a Ferrari F80 pulling coal from a mine all day, even if it does make a huge 1183bhp

Horsepower has an interesting backstory. If you're a keen petrolhead, however, I'd advise you not to read it, as I have this week. Enjoy your blissful ignorance if you can.

There are only three things you really need to know about it, in any case. First, that celebrated Scot James Watt didn't actually invent it, he just formalised it. Second, that it's more of an idea than a measurable product of an engine anyway - a bit of mathematics. And third (perhaps only academically), that it has actually been misapplied to automotive engines all along. It's simply the wrong kind of measure for any motor that sits within and propels a moving vehicle.

Not that the last bit matters much, because imagining an automotive world without horsepower is almost impossible. Who gets excited by the idea of a new supercar with 883 kilowatts of peak power? How much horsepower has it got? 1184 imperial ponies? Yes, please. Wax on about whacking great torque figures and even add in engine speed ranges if you like (any expression of engine power is only torque multiplied by engine speed and then 'interpreted'), but horsepower is what matters, isn't it? What sells. It's the only real, universal performance car X factor.

Which is lucky, because otherwise why on earth would you choose to measure the output of a modern car's engine based on a pretty arbitrary and disputed estimation of the amount of work that a brewery draught horse could get through in the late 18th century? How has an entirely notional figure, dreamed up to help sell static steam engines to early industrialists, become the closest thing to a global currency for comparing modern cars?

For Watt all those years ago, horsepower was a sales tool - "translational marketing". Before they would sign their bankers' drafts, mining entrepreneurs needed to know not only how much coal they could load into their railway hoppers but also how quickly that coal could be moved from the bottom of the mineshaft to the top of it. Horsepower gave them an idea of how many horses they could put out to pasture for each steam engine they bought-or else, unless they had some very large stables indeed, just how transformative this early form of mechanisation could be for their profit margins.

But here's the dirty truth about horsepower: Watt lowballed his maths. As the story goes, when he observed those brewery draught horses in 1782, his sums were calculated to represent not what a particular horse could achieve when working intensively but what the average horse could sustain for a full working day. He was selling static steam engines, remember, not the kind of engines fitted into moving vehicles, on which load might have been considered a more dynamic (ie ebbing and flowing) factor. He sold engines that just grunted away constantly all day long. That's why, as has been proven since, one fit horse can usually produce a good 15 horsepower when it's really working up a sweat.

I'm not sure exactly how long a working day was in an 18th-century brewery. But imagine loading up, say, a Land Rover Defender Octa with whatever ballast might be needed to stress its engine to maximum load (think a trailer with several dumpy bags of sand on it). Now drive that Defender flat out on an oval, in third or fourth gear and at a steady 6000rpm for eight, 10 or even 12 hours straight (you will have to imagine some clever air-to-ground refuelling system too).

Even allowing for the very finest performance car engineering there has ever been, it doesn't take much imagination to guess what would be likely to happen, does it? Before too long, you would have a very hot, very broken, quite possibly burning Land Rover. And would that seem like a fair way to test the limits of a modern automotive engine? Of course not. Cars simply don't need to work like that – and certainly aren't designed to.

That's why, as romantic as the notion of an invisible team of a thousand thoroughbred stallions pulling along a Ferrari F80 might seem, it's ultimately fanciful for more than just the obvious reason. Vehicle engines have always deserved their own convention when it comes to power output. Here's hoping they never get one.

Ford's most controversial cars

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 14:39:50 +0100

We count the biggest troublemakers that landed the illustrious blue oval in hot water

There are many kinds of controversy, and a car manufacturer which has been operating for 120 years, as Ford Motor Company has, will inevitably have experienced most of them.

Ford Model T (1908)

Lincoln Zephyr (1936)

Ford Parklane (1955)

Ford tried again with the very similar Del Rio, which was more successful in the limited sense that it lasted for two whole model years (1957 and 1958) before being canned.

Ford Taunus (1957)

Edsel (1958)

Ford Anglia (1959)

Ford Taunus (1960)

Ford Consul Classic (1961)

Despite early concerns, the Anglia quickly became accepted, but the even more unusual Consul Classic never was. Production lasted only from April 1961 to September 1963.

Ford Consul Capri (1961)

Ford Corsair V4 (1965)

Ford Thunderbird (1967)

Customers were unconvinced. Sales were reasonably strong at first, but dropped to just over 36,000 in the 1971 model year, the lowest figure for the nameplate since 1957.

Ford Torino Talladega (1969)

Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II (1969)

Ford Pinto (1971)

Ford Falcon GTHO Phase IV (1972)

Ford Granada (1972)

Ford Mustang (1973)

Ford Escort (1980)

Ford Mustang (1980)

Ford Sierra (1982)

Ford Bronco II (1984)

Ford Probe (1988)

Ford Escort Mk5 (1990)

Ford Scorpio (1994)

Ford Aspire (1994)

Like the much earlier Parklane, the Aspire was an example of a mild controversy between Ford and its customers – the former wanted the latter to buy it, but the latter weren’t interested.

This inexpensive little hatchback was co-developed with Kia, which sold it as the Avella. It was introduced in North America in 1994, but dropped three years later due to lack of interest.

Ford Explorer (1995)

Ford Fiesta (1996)

Fortunately, it didn’t last long. Ford adopted its New Edge styling for the facelifted version, which looked significantly better.

Ford Ka (1996)

Ford Racing Puma (1999)

Ford Excursion (1999)

Ford Focus RS (2001)

Ford Thunderbird (2001)

Lincoln Blackwood (2002)

Ford Five Hundred (2004)

Ford EcoSport (2014)

Lincoln Continental concept (2015)

Lincoln made some adjustments (which would probably have happened anyway) before the production Continental went on sale two years later, but the basic shape remained the same.

Ford Focus RS (2012)

The third and last Focus RS was the only one in the series with four-wheel drive, which wasn’t controversial, and a setting called Drift Mode, which was – at least in Australia.

Ford GT (2015)

Ford Mustang Mach-E (2020)

Ford F-Series Super Duty (2023)

Every General Motors V8 engine ever made

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 14:39:43 +0100

We take a look at the highs and lows of the GM V8

Whatever your motoring preferences may be, it’s difficult not to be thrilled by the roar of a V8 engine.

As electrification takes over, there may not be many more of these in future, even though new ones are still being developed today. But when the last V8 goes out of production, we will still be able to look back at the great examples of the past.

General Motors has a particularly fine - though occasionally patchy - history of V8 engines which extends back more than a century. Here we take a look at the good and the bad, in chronological order.

Cadillac L-head (1914)

V8 engines were rare, though not unheard of, in 1914, but the Cadillac engine of that year is regarded as the first to have gone into mass production. It made its debut in a car officially called the Type 51, but generally known simply as the Cadillac V8, and was still being used, after several updates and capacity increases, two decades after it first appeared.

Thankfully Cadillac had recently developed the electric starter; hand-cranking a heavy V8 engine would have been a nightmare for owners.

PICTURE: Cadillac Type 53 pickup

Cole-Northway (1915)

In 1909, the Northway Motor and Manufacturing Company became one of the earliest of many firms to be taken over by General Motors. For several years after this, it was a leading producer of engines for GM’s car brands.

But there was more to it than that. Just a year after the Cadillac V8 arrived, Northway began supplying a similar engine to Indianapolis-based Cole for a high-class model pitched as an alternative to Cadillac. This was a rare, but not unique, case of a company owned by GM providing an engine to a direct rival.

PICTURE: Cole Aero Eight

Oldsmobile Light Eight (1916)

Northway also created the first V8 used by Oldsmobile. The 4.0-litre engine was similar in design to the Cadillac V8 and produced 40 horsepower. It was used in the first two generations of the Oldsmobile Light Eight, which had model names ranging from 44 to 46.

PICTURE: Oldsmobile Light Eight Model 45 Touring

Oakland flathead (1916)

Yet another Northway V8 was adopted by Oakland – which, by a complicated process, can be considered the predecessor of Pontiac – for its Model 50. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this engine bore some resemblance to the Northway units adopted by Cadillac, Cole and Oldsmobile, but it was significantly larger at 6.0 litres.

Chevrolet Series D (1917)

The first of many Chevrolet V8 engines was designed around the time the brand was incorporated into General Motors. Unlike all the units mentioned so far, whose valves were mounted alongside the cylinders, Chevrolet put them in the cylinder head. Although this design is now outdated, it was still novel in 1917, and had been popularised by Buick only 13 years before.

Chevrolet fitted this engine to the Model D, which was in production only very briefly. There were to be no more Chevy V8s until the 1950s.

Oldsmobile Light Eight Model 47 (1921)

The third and final generation of the Light Eight consisted of a single car (with a variety of available body styles) called the Model 47. Some sources suggest that it used that it used the same Northway engine as its predecessors, but in fact its V8 was of a new design, though some of Northway’s ideas were carried over.

While smaller than the previous engine at 3.8 litres, it was also considerably more powerful. In its marketing literature, Oldsmobile reported an output of 63.5 horsepower (“by laboratory tests”) and claimed that it produced the greatest power “per cubic inch of cylinder displacement of any American-made automobile engine”.

Viking (1929)

Viking was one of four GM companion makes, and the only one occupying a higher market position than its associate (in this case, Oldsmobile). It produced just one model, whose 4.3-litre V8 engine was of monobloc construction, with the block and cylinder heads cast as one piece.

This is great for strength and reliability (the head gaskets can’t fail because there aren’t any) but tricky for maintenance. Not many people would be troubled by that in this case, because only around 7000 Vikings were built before the brand was abandoned in 1931.

Oakland (1930)

Oakland returned to V8s in 1930 with a new engine which is sometimes said to be the one developed for the Viking, but is accepted by experts as being the work of a different designer.

Uniquely in GM history, Oakland was dropped in favor of its younger companion make, Pontiac, in 1931. Pontiac used the same V8, with minor modifications, for a little longer before replacing it with a straight-eight.

PICTURE: Oakland Model 301

Cadillac monobloc (1936)

Cadillac joined the monobloc party with a new engine which made its debut in the Series 60 and the larger Series 70. Initially measuring 5.3 litres, it was later expanded to 5.7 litres.

This V8 was also used by Cadillac’s companion make, LaSalle, towards the end of its 13-year existence.

PICTURE: 1939 Cadillac Series 60

Cadillac OHV (1949)

Four years into peacetime, Cadillac finally got around to creating a V8 with the overhead-valve arrangement which Buick had been using since 1904. This OHV engine was the first in a very long-lived family which was modernised several times, though retaining more or less the original architecture.

The capacity started out at 5.4 litres, but by the 1970s it had reached a phenomenal 8.2 litres, as fitted to the Eldorado (pictured). At the time, this was a record for an engine used in a mass-produced car, though more exclusive models had already gone much further.

Oldsmobile Rocket Mk1 (1949)

After the Light Eight was discontinued, Oldsmobile steered clear of V8s for a quarter of a century before returning to the layout with an engine nicknamed the Rocket. Slightly smaller than the Cadillac V8 of the same period, the Rocket was initially offered in 5.0-litre form but would eventually be extended to 6.5 litres. It was still available in Oldsmobiles as late as the 1964 model year.

PICTURE: 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Deluxe Club Coupe

Buick Nailhead Mk1 (1953)

Buick called its first V8 the Fireball, but it quickly became known as the Nailhead because its small, vertically-aligned valves looked like a row of nails. The little valves were part of a plan to make the engine perform particularly well at low revs, a feature for which it became famous and respected.

Early Nailheads had capacities of either 4.3 or 5.3 litres. Buick used them only until 1956 before moving on to a new generation.

Chevrolet Small Block Mk1 (1954)

The Chevy Small Block is probably the most celebrated GM engine of them all. Astonishingly, more than 100 million examples of it have been built, and although it is no longer fitted to a production vehicle it is still available as a ‘crate’ engine for replacements or high-performance conversions.

It first appeared in the 1955 model year Bel Air (pictured) and Corvette. Heavily developed derivatives were still being fitted to GM production vehicles as late as 2003.

Pontiac V8 (1955)

Pontiac’s first self-designed V8, as opposed to the one it inherited from Oakland in the early 1930s, amounted to a family of engines which made their debut in 1955 and survived, with many updates, until the 80s.

Capacities ranged from 4.3 to a mighty 7.5 litres. More extreme examples were known as High Output, Super Duty and the slightly misleadingly named Ram Air.

PICTURE: 1957 Pontiac Bonneville

Buick Nailhead Mk2 (1957)

Buick thoroughly designed the Nailhead for 1957 but retained the original engine’s relatively small valves and big-bore, short-stroke layout. Many of these units were known as Wildcat, though the unofficial Nailhead name is still used.

These engines were also considerably larger than their predecessors. They started out at 6.0 litres, and by 1963 Buick had taken the design to 7.0 litres. This was roughly the same as the contemporary second-generation Chrysler Hemi V8, which was so large it was known as the Elephant.

Chevrolet Big Block (1958)

Known as the Rat motor to distinguish it from the Small Block, which was nicknamed Mouse, the Chevy Big Block was originally intended for use in trucks and heavier cars. It is now regarded as being in its seventh generation, but there is a clear line of gradual evolution between today’s engine and the one introduced in the late 1950s.

As used in production vehicles, capacities have ranged from 5.7 to 8.1 litres, but GM currently offers a crate version measuring 9.4 litres. Sonny Leonard’s Godfather dragster engine, which is loosely based on the Big Block, is even more extravagant at 16.5 litres.

Buick/Oldsmobile 215 (1961)

In the early 1960s, Buick created an all-aluminum 3.5-litre small-block V8. Oldsmobile produced its own version, which differed from the Buick only in detail. Both engines had very short lives in their original forms, but they were taken on and developed by other companies in the UK and Australia.

Rover bought the rights to the Buick motor and transformed it into its own V8, which powered a great many mainstream, specialist and home-built cars for decades afterwards, including the first two generations of the Range Rover. The Oldsmobile became the basis for the Repco V8, which powered the Brabham cars used by Jack Brabham (1926-2014) and Denny Hulme (1936-1992) to win the 1966 and 1967 Formula 1 World Championships respectively.

Oldsmobile Turbo-Rocket (1962)

Oldsmobile turbocharged the 215 for the same reason so many manufacturers use turbos today – to achieve a combination of superior performance with better economy due to the fact that an off-boost turbo engine uses relatively little fuel.

The Turbo-Rocket, as it was known, appeared briefly in the Jetfire, a derivative of the Oidsmobile Cutlass, which was one of the first turbocharged production cars. High cost, poor reliability and consequent disappointing sales limited the Jetfire’s production life to just two years and 9607 examples.

Oldsmobile V8 (1964)

The second V8 designed in-house by Oldsmobile was by far the longest-lived, remaining in production from 1964 to 1990. There were many variants in both small- and big-block forms, with capacities ranging wildly from 4.3 litres (in an economy version introduced in 1975) to 7.5 litres.

In this era, engines created by one GM brand were often used by at least one other. The Olds V8 found its way into Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Pontiacs and even the GMC Motorhome (pictured).

Buick 300 (1964)

The all-aluminum Buick 215 was replaced by the 4.9-litre 300, which had iron blocks from the start and soon gained iron cylinder heads too. The 5.6-litre 340 and the 5.7-litre 350 were larger derivatives of the same engine.

The 300 family was used extensively in Buick models and in the independently-produced Apollo GT sports car. GM even allowed one of its traditional rivals to fit it to Jeep vehicles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In those applications it was known as the Dauntless.

PICTURE: 1968 Jeep Wagoneer

Buick Big Block (1967)

Buick phased out the Nailhead in favor of a new V8 known as the Big Block. This started out at 6.6 litres and was expanded first to 7.0 and then to 7.5 litres. This engine would become a victim of the Malaise Era that began in 1973, characterised by enormous engines which used a lot of fuel and created significant pollution to no great effect.

The 7.5-liter Buick V8, known as the 455, was a typical example of this, and was withdrawn in 1976. Buick has not designed an engine as large as this one since then, and almost certainly never will.

PICTURE: 1975 Buick Electra

Holden V8 (1969)

Australian high-performance cars have frequently been powered by engines from North America, but during the late 1960s GM’s Holden arm developed its own V8. A classic design with a 90-degree angle between the cylinder banks and two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder, it was continuously developed over three decades, and appeared in sizes ranging from 4.1 to 5.7 litres, latterly with fuel injection rather than the original carburettors.

Competition versions were used successfully in Touring Car racing (winning at Bathurst 1000 several times) and in Formula 5000 single-seaters.

PICTURE: Holden Torana LH SLR, 1974

Oldsmobile Diesel (1978)

In response to an increasing demand for good fuel economy, Oldsmobile developed a diesel-fuelled version of its second-generation V8. It quickly developed a reputation for being one of the most terrible engines ever produced by General Motors. Among other problems, it had the same number and type of cylinder head bolts as the gasoline V8.

The high compression ratio typical of diesel engines did a good job of pushing the heads away from the block, which rapidly led to a series of unfortunate events. A V6 derivative was less problematic, but the V8 suggested to North American buyers that diesels were not worth considering for cars. Volkswagen would later try and popularise diesel once again in the early 21st century, with results that can fairly be described as disastrous.

PICTURE: Oldsmobile Toronado

Pontiac 301 Turbo (1980)

Nearly two decades after Oldsmobile had done something similar, Pontiac turbocharged the 4.9-litre version of its V8 engine. This wasn’t simply a case of slapping on a compressor – the block was stronger than that of the naturally-aspirated unit, and there were several internal changes.

The 301 Turbo was available only in the 1980 and 1981 model years, the last two of the second-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (pictured).

Cadillac 8-6-4 (1981)

The name of this engine hints at its party trick: in the interests of fuel economy and low emissions, this 6.0-litre V8 could operate on six or even four cylinders if it sensed that current conditions did not require it to produce a lot of power. Cylinder deactivation was nothing new (the engine in the unique Schebler car of 1908 could operate as either a V12 or, by disabling one of the carburettors, a straight-six).

But Cadillac tried to control it electronically, and the available technology in terms of computer processing power simply wasn’t up to that in a fast or reliable enough fashion. Cadillac dealers quietly told buyers to switch the system off if they didn’t want to spend a lot of time by the roadside, hood up. It would be a long time after 1981 before engine management systems could successfully deal with this sort of thing.

PICTURE: 1981 Cadillac Seville

Cadillac High Technology (1982)

The failure of the 8-6-4 forced Cadillac to bring its new V8 to market earlier than planned. Insufficiently developed by 1982, the original 4.1-litre version known as the HT-4100 became known almost immediately for poor reliability, and it is now referred to in similar terms to those used for the unfortunate 8-6-4 and Oldsmobile Diesel.

The High Technology was later improved and enlarged, first to 4.5 litres and later to 4.9. These engines have a much better reputation than the HT-4100.

PICTURE: 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood

Detroit Diesel V8 (1982)

Better known at the time for its two-stroke engines, Detroit Diesel (then owned by GM) created a 6.2-litre V8 in the early 1980s. This was replaced around a decade later by a 6.5-litre version which was often turbocharged.

The engine was first used in the C/K pickup truck (pictured) marketed by both Chevrolet and GMC. It also found a home in other, quite different vehicles including the Chevrolet Suburban SUV and the Hummer H1.

Chevrolet Small Block Mk2 (1992)

While the original Small Block was still in production, GM introduced an almost completely new successor. Initially rated at 300hp, the 5.7-litre V8 made its debut in the 1992 Chevrolet Corvette. A 330 hp version arrived four years later, and there was also a more economical 4.3-litre short-stroke.

This Small Block was discontinued in 1997, but by then it had appeared in a wide variety of cars, including several Chevrolets, the Pontiac Firebird, the Buick Roadmaster and the Cadillac Fleetwood.

PICTURE: Chevrolet Corvette

Cadillac Northstar (1993)

For a large American V8 of the 20th century, the Northstar was remarkably complex, with twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. It made its debut 4.6-litre form in the Allanté (pictured), and subsequently appeared in many other Cadillacs, often as a supercharged 4.4.

The Northstar was also used in the Pontiac Bonneville and Buick Lucerne, and – as a 4.0-litre twin-turbo producing 650 hp – in a sports racing car which competed in the American Le Mans Series.

Oldsmobile Aurora (1995)

Officially called the L47, this V8 is more commonly known by the name of the only GM-built car it was ever fitted to. Closely related to the Cadillac Northstar, it was also used in the limited-production Shelby Series 1 roadster.

Sharing its 4.0-litre capacity with the Northstar race engine, it produced 250 hp. Oldsmobile created a 215 hp 3.5-litre V6 derivative which has become known as the Shortstar. Both versions were discontinued when GM closed down the Oldsmobile brand in 2004.

Chevrolet Small Block Mk3 (1997)

Often referred to as the LS, the third-generation Small Block had almost no connection with the previous two. It was effectively a clean-sheet design, though unlike the earlier Cadillac Northstar it had the traditional arrangement of two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder.

Available in capacities from 4.8 to 6.0 litres, the LS was produced in many forms, and appeared in all sorts of Chevrolets from the Corvette to the Express (pictured), along with Buicks, Cadillacs, GMs, Holdens and the Isuzu Ascender.

Duramax V8 (2000)

Duramax is a family of V8 diesels built by DMAX, a joint venture between General Motors and Isuzu. The first came off the line in July 2000, and production reached two million in March 2017.

All full-scale Duramax engines (as opposed to the smaller units known collectively as Baby Duramax) are of 6.6 litres, and are used in commercial and private trucks and vans. A 4.5-litre version was announced but then put on indefinite hold shortly after the global financial crisis of 2008.

PICTURE: 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD

Chevrolet Small Block Mk4 (2004)

The Small Block was so thoroughly updated in 2004 that it is considered to have entered a new generation. First available in the 2005 model year Corvette and the Chevy SSR retro pickup, its capacities ranged from 4.8 to 7.0 litres. In power terms, the highlight was the supercharged 6.2-liter version fitted to the Corvette ZR1, which was rated at 638 hp.

Offered with both variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation (or ‘displacement on demand’), the engine appeared in a great many GM products including the Hummer H3 and the Saab 9-7X (pictured).

Chevrolet Small Block Mk5 (2013)

The current Small Block retains the traditional two valves per cylinder and pushrod operation, but is otherwise thoroughly modern, with new cylinder heads, direct fuel injection and active fuel management. It has been used in sports cars, the fastest of today’s Cadillacs, and also in heavier vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade (pictured).

In addition, a naturally-aspirated version of the unit became the first engine placed in the middle of a Corvette, when the eight-generation version of the nameplate arrived in the 2020 model year.

Cadillac Blackwing (2018)

In almost complete contrast to the Small Block, the Blackwing was a 4.2-litre V8 with two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank and two turbochargers. It first appeared in 550 hp form in the Cadillac CT6-V. Only 275 examples were earmarked for production, and all of them were pre-ordered almost immediately. A detuned 500 hp Blackwing was later offered in the Cadillac CT6 Platinum.

The engine was never fitted to anything else. Despite its name, the CT5-V Blackwing was powered by the 6.2-liter supercharged fifth-generation Small Block, to the annoyance of some Cadillac enthusiasts.

Chevrolet LT6/LT7 (2022, 2024)

The current LT6 and LT7 units will perhaps be two of the final V8 engines made by General Motors. Unlike any of the Chevy Small Blocks, the 5.5-litre LT6 (also known as the ‘Gemini’) has twin overhead camshafts and a flat-plane crankshaft, and can rev to 8600rpm. It made its first appearance in the C8-generation Corvette Z06 (pictured) in 2022.

Meanwhile, the LT7 was developed in tandem with the LT6, and retains a displacement of 5.5-litres. However, with a larger combustion chamber, strengthened pistons and a pair of mono-scroll turbochargers, power is boosted to 1064 hp. In 2024, the LT7 debuted in the brand new Corvette ZR1, which has since set a top speed record of 233mph – making it the fastest American production car of all time.

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My 151k-mile Discovery could go pop – it's still the perfect workhorse

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0100

With 151,000 miles on the clock, it's done well so far, but there's still plenty to go wrong

Dan Eve is a member of Surrey 4x4 Response, an organisation formed of 4x4 owners who volunteer their time and personal vehicles to assist local authorities, the emergency services and volunteer agencies during major emergencies and severe weather.

It explains why he owns a Land Rover Discovery 3, but for all its 4x4 capability, is it a vehicle he can actually depend on? "There isn't a good or a bad Discovery," he says.

"They all share the same faults. It's when they happen that differs. Among the faults are water leaks and suspension wear. Mine's currently sitting in off-road mode - about 100mm higher than in its lowest position. Go off-roading in this mode and it's easy to get grit under the suspension airbags, which can puncture them. To avoid that happening, you should always jet wash the suspension after going off-road but people don't.

"There's not much you can do to prevent the crankshaft from snapping on cars from 2008, though. Irrespective of how the engine has been serviced, it will probably let go at some point."

Dan's Discovery is a 2006-reg 2.7 V6 diesel automatic in XS trim. He bought it three years ago with 131,000 miles on the clock. It's now showing a nail-biting 151,000. "I'm a mechanic and had known the car for five years before I bought it, so I knew how much money had been spent on it," says Dan. "It's okay, for now.

"I had a Disco 2 before but the 3 is easier to get child seats into. There's more space through the rear door aperture. Each generation has its pros and cons, although I have less faith in my car than in the Disco 2 because it has so many more electronics. For example, my car's transfer box is electrically operated, as also is the electronic handbrake. It has tyre pressure warning too. Just a bit of water somewhere can cause a world of problems. I certainly wouldn't buy newer than a Disco 3. The 4 has even more electronics."

Dan's not really selling his Discovery to me but then he remembers why he has a 3. "Comfort-wise, thanks to the front and rear air suspension, it's much more comfortable than the 2," he says. "The engine has a lot of power and can put it down very well too. We've done training exercises where we've tried moving all sorts of things and it does so without fuss. It will even pull an 18-tonne truck. I reckon that in low range it would pull a house down if you let it!"

Dan's Disco has the obligatory snorkel but he warns against taking older cars like his into floods: "I've taken this one into water up to the middle of the headlights, which is when you find the door seals aren't as good as they once were Even now, three years after he bought it, he's still discovering things about the car. "Last week I realised that not only are the front seats heated but the rear ones are too," he says.

Dan certainly puts his Discovery through its paces. Most recently, he and fellow Response members were at the Goodwood Revival, helping out. "We towed over 1000 vehicles including lorries, buses and vans, as well as cars, out of the mud," he says. A Discovery may have its faults but when the going gets tough...