Ad Feature
List
Everything you need to know about cars this week: 14 Feb '21
A new electric Audi, Porsche breaks a record and we drive last-off-the-line Lotus
Review: Vauxhall Crossland
"Presents enough rational arguments that it'll insinuate itself deep into many families' lives. But feels its age in many respects. There are better, more interesting cars in this class."
Advertisement - Page continues belowRBW EV Roadster review: electric MGB driven
"Possibly the ultimate culture clash; a restomod classic MGB with added electric. An upgraded and re-engineered pure electric version of a classic hobbyist project that’s usually more infamous for bleeding out slowly on the driveway, or gently composting itself in a lonely barn."
Opinion: modern cabins are far too complicated
"Touchscreens work for smartphones. But they’re designed, at most, to be operated while you’re walking, and that’s a much lower jeopardy activity than driving."
Advertisement - Page continues belowLotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition review: the last Elise
"OK, let’s tackle this first. Because there have been a lot of limited edition Lotuses in the last few years, each with a tickle more power than the last, an extra flick of aero or new colour scheme. But this really is it. The last Elise. Lotus needs to stop building it and the Exige (and, although they haven’t admitted as much yet, the Evora) in order to focus on the Type 131, Evija and other new stuff coming down the pipeline."
F1: Hamilton signs on for 2021 with Mercedes-AMG
"It’ll be Hamilton’s ninth consecutive year racing with Mercedes-AMG; he joined in 2013, the year before Merc’s record-breaking run that has dominated the current turbo hybrid era of F1. It’s all change next year, of course…"
Jaguar F-Type review: Heritage 60 Edition driven
"While numerous special editions lob in a load of extra equipment to justify the extra outlay, this F-Type is trading purely on appearance, rarity and the fact the finishing touches are applied by Jaguar’s SVO team rather than the end of the regular production line."
Check out Audi’s new RS3 touring car
"This is the second-generation Audi RS3 LMS touring car, and its looks are a whole lot more fighty than we’ll ever see on a road-going RS3. That mega grille might make production, but don’t expect huge bonnet vents in Audi’s upcoming hot hatch. Shame."
Advertisement - Page continues belowLotus Exige Sport Final Edition review: farewell, Exige
"Other sports cars are quicker, almost all are more powerful, many have more downforce and other track-related headlines to grab at. But very, very few indeed are more rewarding and engaging to drive than the Lotus Exige. And this is your last chance to own a new one."
Peugeot's hired three F1 drivers for its new Le Mans car
"Peugeot has unveiled the driver line-up for its new Le Mans hypercar programme. And it’s strong: three drivers with Formula One in their recent past, numerous class wins (and an outright victory) at the Le Mans 24 Hours, a WEC world championship and two Formula E titles, to name just a few etchings on their cumulative CV."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThis is the new Audi e-tron GT
"A Porsche Taycan too sporty for you? An RS7 to petrol-y? Well, the new Audi e-tron GT is right up your street. It’s not the first pure-electric Audi of course, that title goes to its ever-growing line-up of e-tron SUVs, but the first based on the J1 platform shared with the Taycan. The Taycan is Top Gear’s 2019 Car of the Year, remember, so this commonality is a Very Good Thing."
Revealed: the new-old Land Rover Defender V8 Trophy
"This is the Land Rover Defender Works V8 Trophy, which is a long name for a car that celebrates a long history: a V8-powered off-roader built to celebrate the classic Camel Trophy Landies etched into the annals of car lore."
Skoda Octavia vRS iV review: hybrid hatch tested
"Plug-in hybrids are rife right now with diesel dying slowly in the corner and full electrification on the horizon. And the VW Group, with its handy MQB plug-in box of bits, is taking full advantage. For its pokiest plug-ins (Cupra Leon eHybrid, VW Golf GTE… and now this) that means a 148bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine plus a 113bhp motor for a total of 242bhp and 295lb ft of torque – numbers more than worthy of Skoda’s spiciest badge. This is the most potent vRS model ever, no less."
The world’s fastest Jaguar E-Type is currently up for sale
"Underneath is a 1971 Series 3 E-Type, whilst the wild aero addendums are made from a mix of aluminium, fibreglass and carbon fibre. That rear wing is actually off a Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9."
Hyundai’s ‘TIGER’ concept is a four-legged autonomous robot thing
"Developed by the company’s ‘New Horizons Studio’ division in California, the TIGER is for getting things to hard-to-reach places. It does this by walking – yes, walking – over terrain it’s just not possible to drive over."
What would you fit a Honda Civic Type R crate engine into?
"Back in 2017, Honda announced a limited run of Civic Type R crate engines in the USA, but they were only to be used by Honda Racing Line members and race teams, and only included the long block, the alternator, the turbo and the starter motor. Now though, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is offering all American folk the chance to fit a K20C1 engine into their track car project, with the release of something called the ‘Controls Package’ alongside the crate engine."
The Citroen C3 Aircross is very angry about its facelift
"Thankfully, Citroen still seems to prefer comfort levels to cornering. Part of this facelift includes the introduction of the larger C5 Aircross’s Advanced Comfort seats. They certainly look inviting, and there’s an extra 15mm of foam compared to the old C3 chairs."
This Porsche Taycan just did 103mph INDOORS
"Keen hit 102.6mph in a Taycan Turbo S in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans, Louisiana, beating the 86.99mph record set by Mikko Hirvonen in 2013. Rules stipulated by Guinness meant Keen had to start from and brake to a standstill, all within the confines of the building, for the attempt to count. He could have no run up, nor could he aim for an open door. If Keen outbraked himself he would simply punch a Porsche-shaped hole in the convention centre’s far wall."
Review: Peugeot 3008
"Tangibly more practical and interesting than a 308, this is SUVs done properly."
This is the first prototype of the £9m Bugatti Centodieci
"That great lump of unobtanium scaffolding pictured above will eventually Megazord into a) a rolling homage to Roman Artioli’s underappreciated EB110 from the Nineties, and b) something capable of inflicting a Streetfighter II-style ‘Perfect’ on your wallet."
Roush reveals most powerful ever Mustang with 775bhp
"This is the most powerful ‘Stage 3’ Ford Mustang ever offered by storied modifier Roush Performance. It is big, mighty and really quite fast."
Mercedes-AMG E63 S review: a sports saloon wonder
"The headline tweaks have come courtesy of a few extra layers of tech – including ‘AMG Dynamics’, a smart stability control setup that works as helpfully and discreetly as Ferrari’s – as well as, perhaps most notably, softer suspension. Adaptive damping flicks between Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes, as it did before, there’s just an edge that’s been taken off the way each reacts."
Trending this week
- Car Review
