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Everything you need to know about cars this week: 10 May '20
The Hyundai i20N is coming, a ridiculous tuned Audi and much more
Change Our Mind #7: electric handbrakes are fine
"I’m willing to give tech the benefit of the doubt in its (relatively) early days, and while there’s something heartening about seeing an old-school handbrake lever in a car – it suggests a respect for driver involvement in other areas, too – I don’t feel an ounce of disappointment when there’s a switch instead."
Advertisement - Page continues belowWe’re in love with this G-Wagen campervan conversion
"Inside there’s refurbished seats up front, whilst the back now features a fold-out bed, auxiliary heating, 220V outlets, a microwave, a combined kitchen and bathroom sink with water tank and a little fold-out table. Thanks to that tall G-Wagen roof it’s more spacious than most London flats too."
The 10 luxury car features you didn't know you wanted
"The hamper setup isn’t your traditional wicker trunk, it sits on a custom-engineered docking mechanism that allows the hamper system to be pulled forward and even removed, the lids providing handy seating at the horse racing, celebrity bowls tournament or wherever you are."
Advertisement - Page continues belowBentley S1 Continental Flying Spur vs new Flying Spur
"You may as well open the driver’s door and use wind resistance to slow you down, for all the good the brakes do. The 4.9-litre straight-six, which is beautifully quiet and smooth, pushes through them like a hot knife through butter (which makes manoeuvering…interesting. The chap from Bentley suggested we leave the handbrake half-on)."
The Tesla Model 3 and Jag I-Pace were best sellers in April
"The numbers are in, and in the UK during April 2020, 4,321 new cars were registered. In the same month last year, Brits bought 161,064 new cars. That’s a drop of 97.3 per cent. Yowch."
Get your copy of TG Magazine now
"It’s now even easier to get your fix of escapism each and every month with the world’s greatest motoring magazine. You can order the latest issue of Top Gear Magazine, our EV Awards Special, direct to your door with free delivery, or you can download digitally to your smartphone or tablet."
Manhart’s wild Audi RSQ8 has almost 900bhp
"The Wuppertal-based tuner has just announced its take on the bonkers-quick Urus-sibling – the RQ 900. Thanks to gearbox upgrades, bigger turbochargers, a new exhaust and ‘extensive modifications to the engine’, the RQ 900 puts out a whopping 887bhp and 797lb ft of torque."
Advertisement - Page continues belowIcon's 1970 Ford Ranger looks original. Isn't
" All the oily bits are new. Power (426bhp, to be precise) comes from a brand-new 5.0-litre Ford V8, which is married to an AOD automatic transmission. An Advance Adapters Atlas II transfer case splits power between Dynatrac ProRock axles, while Eibach springs and Fox shocks keep the BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres (wrapped around custom forged aluminium rims, designed to look like the OEM steel wheels) on the ground."
The Hyundai i20N is (nearly) here to fight the Fiesta ST
"Welcome, Internet, to our first glimpse of Hyundai’s Ford Fiesta ST rival. The i20N hot hatch has been testing in the Arctic Circle, and this is it wearing its winter woolies."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThe Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition is very colourful
"Go on then, which one of these new special Lotus is your favourite? Is it the black/gold, as inspired by the John Player-liveried Type 72D in which Emerson Fittipaldi won five grand prix in 1972? Or maybe it’s the red/white/gold car, which pays tribute to the Type 49B Graham Hill raced in 1968?"
The new Alpina D3 S is predictably gorgeous
"In both Saloon and Touring forms, the D3 S has an extremely healthy 355bhp and 538lb ft of torque. Mmmm, torque. As a result, top speeds are 170mph for the saloon and 168mph for the dog-carrier. 0-62mph times remain as standard, though, meaning 4.6 and 4.8 seconds respectively. Not slow."
Eight EVs you never knew existed
"The batteries alone weighed 350kg so with 43bhp from its Bosch e-motor, performance was…limited. 0-31mph took some eight seconds, while BMW claimed just 19 miles of range in normal stop-start traffic, even though the prototypes had a rudimentary regenerative braking system onboard."
You must buy this filthy Sierra RS Cosworth
"This is a well-used, four-owner, 84,000-mile, dust-covered Cossie which was parked up in a garage back in 1998, only to be discovered and released from its slumber in March this year."
Review: Kia e-Niro
"Absolutely the Niro to have. Far more interesting and even more practical than its hybrid siblings"
Today's history lesson is on Volkswagen vans
"Home schooling isn’t just for the kids, y’know. So welcome to today’s history lesson: the Volkswagen van that isn’t the Transporter."
The beginner's guide to Ford
"Every year since the late Seventies the UK’s best-selling car has been a Ford of some description, and as of 2014 the venerable Fiesta is the UK’s best-selling car of ALL TIME. Meanwhile the F-150 pick-up is the best-selling car in the US (and one of the best-selling globally), while the legendary Transit remains the best-selling van in the whole world. Crikey."
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