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Everything you need to know about cars this week: 3 Mar '19
Much Geneva news in this week's round up
The quickest version of Peugeot's new 208 is electric
"This is the new Peugeot 208, and the big news is it’s gone electric. Or at least the e-208 version has. Fully electric, too; a 100kW (134bhp) motor teams up with a 50kWh battery to deliver over 200 miles of real world range, not to mention an 8.5sec 0-62mph time, making it quicker than any of the petrol or diesel options currently available."
Advertisement - Page continues belowWill the real Hispano Suiza please stand up?
"So, two supercars but just one classic Spanish carmaking name from the 1920s. And the weird bit? They’re absolutely nothing to do with each other. In fact, it sounds like there’s beef."
Seat’s made its very own Renault Twizy
"Looky-here, urban estate agents and promoters of fizzy energy drinks. Need a new town runaround for your business? Battery getting a bit tired on your Renault Twizy? Fear not! Help is at hand! From the Seat Minimo. It’s like a Twizy, but Spanish. And a concept car."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThe VW T-Roc R might make the Golf GTI feel insecure
"The VW Group doesn’t tend to keep a profit-swelling idea exclusive. Take the brainwave of small-ish, quick SUVs, kickstarted with the likes of the Audi RS Q3. Within a matter of months we’ve had the not-a-Seat Cupra Ateca, Audi SQ2, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS, and now there’s this – a VW hot hatch that’s very much not a Golf R. Because it’s a T-Roc R. Grrr…"
Lewis Hamilton wants to create a faster AMG One 'LH Edition'
"Speaking to TopGear.com at Petronas’s tech centre in Italy (at the launch of the new Syntium range), the five-time world champion confirmed that he’d expressed his desire to build a custom One to AMG. That car of course, carries Hamilton’s F1 engine in the back."
Review: Bentley Continental GTC
"Indeed, there aren’t many differences between the Continental GT Convertible - or GTC - and the coupe on which it’s based. Except the roof, obviously, which brings with it strengthening in the form of much bracing and metalwork. The structure is five per cent stiffer than before, while aluminium panels mean the body is 20 per cent lighter."
Mercedes-AMG’s F1 boss wants to set a ‘Ring record in a Porsche
"Toto Wolff is the head of Mercedes-AMG’s Formula 1 team. He’s steered them to five consecutive constructors’ titles, and driver titles for Lewis Hamilton (4) and Nico Rosberg (1). Turns out, he’s a massive petrolhead in his own right."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThe Skoda Kamiq is today’s VW-ish crossover SUV
"Here’s a firm favourite for Most Normal Car In Show: the new Skoda Kamiq. It’s the third and final member of Skoda’s SUV family, and the smallest."
Peugeot's returning to America, so let's watch Climb Dance
"Peugeot is returning to North America. It’s been announced on the back of a record year for PSA – the company that comprises Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and Vauxhall – as we’re promised a staggering 116 new models between them by 2021."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThe next Porsche Macan will be fully electric
"The next wave of Porsche Macan models will be built exclusively as electric cars, says Porsche. Which means goodbye to the various sprightly Macans – GTS, Turbo and the Performance Package."
The Lamborghini Huracán Evo: now available minus a roof
"The roof’s unchanged from the last Spyder – a canvas job that takes 17sec to retract at up to 31mph. Hopefully Lambo’s been able to do something about the appalling driving position in the old car, caused by the chassis strengthening girders forcing the seat too far forward."
VW loves diesel again with the monstrous Touareg V8 TDI
"Somehow now visible through that monumental grille is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel motor. It’s not the Audi SQ7 engine – this one does without electric turbo compressors to reduce lag – and it’s down a whole pair of turbos on the new BMW X5 M50d. But the stats, predictably, are still potty."
The Mercedes GLE 53 is a seven-seat AMG hybrid
"Rather than being some sort of plug-in that focuses on emissions-free driving, the electricity’s focus is instead on background work, smoothing out the stop/start procedure, reducing turbo lag and shaving off a bit of fuel consumption, though it can also provide a 22bhp boost when you need it. The GLE 53’s benchmark stats are 0-62mph in 5.3secs and a 155mph top speed."
Jaguar's new XE borrows the I-Pace's interior
"The Jaguar XE is a good saloon car. Handsome. Good to drive. While it might not have the heavyweight sales of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, it remains a desirable thing. Here’s the facelifted version."
Review: McLaren 720S Spider
"All the best bits of the coupe, now with added fresh air"
The Honda Urban EV is alive! This is the E Prototype
"Honda, we salute you. Despite a crushing weight of expectation, you’ve managed to turn the coolest concept car of the last few years – the 2017 Urban EV – into an almost-production model that retains a flavour of the concept’s retro-future fusion, and its blend of pared-back simplicity with cutting-edge tech. In other words, we still want one."
The Lister Knobbly is back. Possibly
'"A few years ago the company said it would build a handful of continuation cars faithful to the original’s specification, but now it looks like things are about to get a bit more high-tech. Enter Lister boss Lawrence Whittaker, who in a Tweet revealed the “Knobby Concept” his company has been “working on”.'
This is a new 200mph Ginetta supercar
"Using parts and knowledge from Ginetta’s 2019 LMP1 car, the West Yorkshire marque has cooked up this eye-poppingly angry-looking supercar. Here, you’ve got eyes. What do you think of how it looks?"
Meet the Polestar 2, Volvo’s Tesla Model 3
"You probably know a bit about Polestar by now – the racing team that became Volvo’s tuning arm, that became a standalone electric performance brand in 2017. You might even have gazed longingly at the company’s first car, the Polestar 1, a 600bhp plug-in hybrid coupe costing €155,000 and limited to 1,500 units. But frankly the 1 is just eye candy - in Polestar’s masterplan, the 2 is the one that matters."
Mercedes has barely tweaked the GLC and that’s a good thing
"Don’t waste precious seconds gazing at the new Mercedes GLC trying to spot sweeping changes to the looks. There aren’t any. Fresh LED swooshes and a dab more chrome have been the order of the day for Merc’s rival to the BMW X3 and Porsche Macan."
Arrivederci, 488GTB: welcome to the Ferrari F8 Tributo
"This is the new Ferrari F8 Tributo. Not only the most powerful mid-engined V8 Ferrari supercar in history, but also a rosso-liveried haymaker aimed at Woking. Watch out 720S: the 488’s successor is here."
The el-Born is Seat's first proper EV
"Based on the same VW Group ‘MEB’ electric car platform as the Volkswagen I.D, which will go on sale later this year, the el-Born has a 62kWh battery that can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in just 47 minutes using a 100kW DC charging station. It gives as much as 260-miles of range, while the 201bhp motor allows for 0-62mph in around 7.5 seconds. Slower, less-rangey versions might also be in the pipeline."
The ‘base-spec’ $35,000 Tesla Model 3 is finally on sale…
"The new Model 3 ‘Standard Range’ will go 220 miles between recharges, get from 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds and top out at 130mph. Its $35k price converts to around £26,000 at current exchange rates, but there’s no word on a confirmed UK price for the right-hand drive version just yet."
Review: Superformance Cobra 427
"Because life is better when there’s a 7.0-litre V8 in front of you"
Is Bugatti preparing a one-off Chiron inspired by the Type 57?
"Bugatti’s Instagram feed has been mysteriously busy this past few days. It’s the company’s 110th anniversary this year so expect some serious heat around that, but right now the focus is firmly on the Type 57 Atlantic, arguably the most desirable and valuable car on the planet."
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