Revealed: New Peugeot E-208 GTi Is Now Ready for Showrooms
Peugeot has unveiled the production‑ready e‑208 GTi, the first GTi‑badged model since the 308’s retirement. The electric hot hatch packs a 278‑bhp front‑mounted motor, delivering 0‑62 mph in 5.7 seconds – a 124‑bhp jump over the standard e‑208. It sits 30 mm lower, with widened tracks and a limited‑slip differential for sharper cornering, and will hit UK showrooms by year‑end at roughly mid‑$30,000s. The debut coincides with Peugeot’s 100‑year Le Mans anniversary, underscoring its performance heritage.
Setting Sun: Japan's Car Makers Deprioritise Europe as China Races In
Nissan announced that Chinese firm Chery may take over one of the two production lines at its under‑utilised Sunderland plant, underscoring a broader retreat of Japanese automakers from Europe in favour of Japan, North America and China. Honda and Mitsubishi...
The Rise of the Virtual Gearbox: Why EV Sports Cars Are Faking It
Hyundai pioneered the virtual N e‑Shift gearbox in the Ioniq 5 N, deliberately reproducing the feel of a dual‑clutch transmission with engineered drag torque and intentional imperfections. The system caps motor speed at 8,000 rpm to mirror familiar combustion‑engine rev limits, delivering a...
How the RAF Helped Make Britain a Sports Car Mega-Power
Britain’s dominance in sports car engineering traces back to WWII RAF airfields repurposed as race circuits, most famously Silverstone. The post‑war surplus of aluminium from military aircraft gave innovators cheap, lightweight material for bodies and chassis, fueling projects like the...
Audi Nuvolari Is Far More Special than a Big TT or Muffled Lambo
Audi unveiled the Nuvolari, a limited‑edition V8‑powered supercar positioned to outshine the R8 and challenge Lamborghini’s flagship models. Built on the same architecture as the Lamborghini Temerario, it adds a full carbon‑fiber body and extensive electronic tuning for a distinct...
Exclusive Wells Vertige Road Test: £75k A110 Rival Is a Lightweight, Purist Gem
Robin Wells' Vertige, a hand‑built British sports car priced at £75,000 (≈ $95,000), aims to fill the gap left by the Lotus Elise. Weighing just 963 kg kerb, it packs a 2.0‑litre Ford Duratec delivering up to 247 bhp, achieving 0‑60 mph in 5.5 seconds....
How High-Tech Simulators Save 12,000 Tyres a Year
Bridgestone has deployed VI‑grade’s DiM500 driver‑in‑the‑loop simulator to evaluate virtual tyre prototypes, eliminating the need for up to 12,000 physical tyres each year. The system blends high‑fidelity physics, real‑driver feedback and AI‑driven data analysis, enabling earlier, more accurate design choices....
"Product Is King": Stellantis Pivots Back to Volume in Bold Growth Plan
Stellantis unveiled its Fastlane 2030 plan, pivoting from the ambitious EV‑centric strategy of former CEO Carlos Tavares to a volume‑driven approach anchored in product breadth. The company will roll out more than 60 new vehicles and 50 significant refreshes worldwide,...
Tsars and Their Cars: When World Leaders First Took the Wheel
The first official automobile used by a U.S. president was a steam‑powered Pullman bought in 1907 under William Taft. Across the globe, early 20th‑century rulers—from the Ottoman sultan’s British electric dogcart to Afghanistan’s emir ordering £30,000 (≈$3.1 million) of British cars—embraced...
Fiat Grizzly SUV Unwrapped as Grande Panda's Bigger Brother
Fiat unveiled the Grizzly, a larger sibling to the Grande Panda, to compete in Europe’s crucial C‑segment. The model will launch later this year in two body styles—a conventional SUV and a sportier Fastback—and will be sold in Europe, Latin...
Siemens to Partner 2026 Autocar Awards
Siemens is back as the official partner of the 2026 Autocar Awards, a collaboration that began last year. The awards, the UK’s longest‑running automotive honors, will culminate with a ceremony in central London on 9 June and winners announced on 10 June...
How Stellantis Tie-Up Can Protect JLR's Crucial US Business
Stellantis announced a strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to create product and technology synergies focused on the United States, including the possibility of JLR building vehicles in Stellantis' U.S. factories. The deal addresses steep import tariffs—10% on UK‑built cars...
New BMW M2 Gains Four-Wheel-Drive Option for £74k
BMW has unveiled an xDrive version of its M2 sports coupe, adding all‑wheel drive for the first time and pricing it at £74,255 (about $95,000), roughly $4,000 more than the rear‑wheel‑only model. The new M2 retains the 3.0‑litre S58 turbo‑six...
Bentley Flying Spur Gets Fresh Look and 671bhp S Variant
Bentley has refreshed the Flying Spur with a twin‑lamp front fascia, bringing its look in line with the Continental GT. The S‑model returns as a plug‑in hybrid, pairing a twin‑turbo 4.0‑L V8 with an electric motor for a combined 671 bhp and 686 lb‑ft...
Kia EV4 Hatch Now Cheaper than Smaller EV3 Due to Upgraded Grant
Kia’s EV4 hatchback qualifies for the UK’s full Band 1 Electric Car Grant of £3,750 (≈$4,760), lowering its entry price to £30,995 (≈$39,000). The grant makes the larger EV4 £560 (≈$710) cheaper than the smaller EV3, which only receives a £1,500...
Supermini vs SUV: Is My Seat Ibiza Better than Its Arona Sibling?
The Seat Ibiza and its larger sibling, the Arona, sit on the same platform, differing only by modest increases in length, height, and interior space. The Arona offers an extra 110 mm of driver legroom and 60 mm of headroom, while rear-seat...
A2, Defender, Super 3: Prior's Bought a Morgan to Create Dream Fleet
Matt Prior has added a Morgan Super 3 to his personal collection, joining an Audi A2 and a Land Rover Defender in a three‑car showcase. The Super 3, Morgan’s first clean‑sheet model since the 2000 Aero 8, features a super‑formed aluminium monocoque and...
How Is a Range-Extender Different to a Plug in Hybrid? And Which Is Better?
Range‑extender (REx) vehicles and plug‑in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) both pair a gasoline engine with an electric motor, but they use fundamentally different hybrid architectures. A REx is a series hybrid where the engine acts solely as a generator for...
Used Lamborghini Urus 2018-2024 Review
Lamborghini’s Urus, the brand’s first SUV, retails for about $214,000 and packs a 641‑bhp 4.0‑litre V8 that launches the 2.2‑tonne vehicle from 0‑60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Built on a Volkswagen Group platform, the Urus blends supercar performance with ultra‑luxury SUV...
Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2014–2021 Review
The 2014‑2021 Mercedes‑Benz C‑Class, built on the lightweight MRA platform, combines a premium cabin, a powertrain range from a 1.6‑L four‑cylinder to a 4.0‑L V8, and high‑tech features such as Airmatic suspension and an optional Burmester audio system. In a...
"Hey Grok, Find a Charger and Tell Me the Plymouth Score": Tesla AI Bot Changes Driving for Good
Tesla has rolled out Grok, a large‑language‑model voice assistant built into the Model Y. By long‑pressing the steering‑wheel mic—or simply saying “Hey, Grok”—drivers can ask complex, multi‑step requests such as routing to a destination, scheduling charging stops and even checking sports...
Sub-£15k Fiat Panda and Citroen 2CV EVs "95%" Certain for UK
Stellantis announced that its revived Fiat Panda and Citroën 2CV will debut as electric city cars from 2028, built at the Pomigliano plant in Italy and priced around €15,000 (approximately $16,300). European chief Emanuele Cappellano said there is a 95%...
The Luxury EV Dilemma: Ferrari Luce's Slippery Shape Is From a Pre-China Era
Ferrari’s new Luce electric sedan boasts the lowest drag coefficient of any Ferrari road car, yet its 122 kWh battery delivers only a 329‑mile range, translating to a relatively high 2.7 kWh per mile. The sleek, wind‑cheating shape was designed to appear...
New Seat Cars on Horizon as Brand Diverges From Cupra
Seat has refreshed its Ibiza supermini and Arona crossover and will introduce mild‑hybrid versions next year, marking the first new models in years. CEO Markus Haupt emphasized that Seat will not simply rebadge Cupra electric vehicles, keeping the two brands...
Gucci Racing Alpine: Ex-Renault Boss Reunites with Old Firm for F1 Bid
Gucci, now led by former Renault chief Luca de Meo, will become the title sponsor of the Alpine Formula 1 team beginning in 2027, replacing BWT. The partnership will rebrand the outfit as the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula 1 Team and introduce an...
Morgan Supersport 400 Review
The Morgan Supersport 400, now priced at £135,558 (≈$172,000), is the British marque’s most powerful roadster, delivering 402 bhp and a 344 bhp‑per‑tonne power‑to‑weight ratio. It uses a tuned BMW B58‑derived inline‑six paired with an eight‑speed ZF automatic, and offers an optional bespoke...
Pouch Cells: Innovative Battery Tech Links Mk1 Leaf and Cayenne EV
Porsche’s new Cayenne EV adopts a pouch‑cell battery architecture identical in cell count to the original Nissan Leaf, but with dramatically larger cells that deliver 113 kWh of energy. The pack comprises 192 pouch cells arranged in six modules, each assembled...
Alfa Romeo Channels Giulietta for New Hatchback – with ICE and EV
Alfa Romeo announced a new C‑segment hatchback that will sit alongside a next‑generation Tonale SUV and a bespoke Bottega sports car. Built on Stellantis’s STLA One (formerly STLA Medium) multi‑energy platform, the model will be offered with both internal‑combustion and...
New Lotus Emira 420 Sport Sheds Weight, Boosts Agility for £106k
Lotus unveiled the Emira 420 Sport, a lightweight variant of the Emira Turbo that trims 25 kg to a curb weight of 1,421 kg and boosts output to 414 bhp. The car accelerates from 0‑62 mph in 3.9 seconds and tops out at 186 mph, thanks...
Ultimate Fuel Crisis Car? I Took My Toyota Prius to the MPG Max
The Autocar test drove a Toyota Prius plug‑in hybrid for roughly 500 miles, achieving a combined 62.4 mpg and 39% of the distance on electric power. Refueling the 40‑litre tank cost about £60 (≈$76) and yielded 467 miles, while a public‑charge top‑up of...
Confirmed: Cupra Tindaya to Enter Production as BMW iX3 Rival
Cupra has confirmed that its radical Tindaya sports SUV concept will move into production as a flagship electric vehicle, positioning it against the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60. Priced at roughly £60,000 (about $77,000), the model will sit above the...
How Heavy Traffic Could Hinder the Autonomous Cars of Tomorrow
Researchers at the University of Glasgow and Heriot‑Watt used a digital‑twin of a 160‑metre urban road to examine how traffic density affects 5G connectivity for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). The simulation showed that heavy congestion can degrade the primary...
The End of Bings and Bongs? Euro NCAP Overhauls ADAS Testing
Euro NCAP announced a major overhaul of its ADAS testing, shifting from controlled crash labs to on‑road evaluations across three European nations. The new programme equips test vehicles with extensive interior and exterior sensors to log real‑world reactions over roughly...
Wild Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Mythos Heralds Return to V8s
Mercedes‑AMG is reviving its V8 heritage with the upcoming CLE 63 Mythos coupé, the second model in the exclusive Mythos line. The powerplant will be a tuned version of the 4.0‑litre twin‑turbo V8 first seen in the facelifted S‑Class, likely pushing...
"Sensory Overload": How Wild Track Car Made 400bhp Feel Slow
The author recounts a track test that began with an ultra‑responsive, high‑tech wild car before moving to a more conventional rear‑wheel‑drive coupé boasting over 400 bhp. The extreme responsiveness of the first vehicle created a sensory overload that made the powerful...
Polestar "Will Do Buttons" As It Tunes Into Owner Feedback
Polestar announced it will reintroduce physical buttons, starting with clearer steering‑wheel controls on the Polestar 3 next year, after owners demanded tactile interfaces. The automaker says its close‑contact, 60,000‑member owner community lets it quickly fix software glitches, such as the digital‑key...
Are Plug-In Hybrids Reaching the End of the Road?
Plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) sales in China dropped 22% in April, shrinking their market share to 19% while pure electric vehicles rose to 40%. The decline follows the removal of purchase‑tax exemptions and higher oil prices, hitting even premium brands like...
Kia Seltos
South Korean automaker Kia is preparing to introduce the second‑generation Seltos to the European market, aiming at the compact SUV segment dominated by the Nissan Qashqai, Škoda Karoq and VW T‑Roc. The model, which sold 300,000 units globally in 2025,...
Reborn Itala Brand Taps Ex-Ferrari Tech Chief to Adapt Chinese SUVs
Historic Italian marque Itala has been resurrected after 92 years, unveiling the Itala 35 crossover built on GAC’s Trumpchi GS3 platform. Engineering is overseen by former Ferrari technical director Roberto Fedeli, who refined the suspension and overall dynamics. The model launches at roughly...
BYD to Challenge Defender with New Seven-Seat Hybrid SUV
Chinese automaker BYD will launch the Ti7, a seven‑seat plug‑in‑hybrid SUV, in the UK later this year to take on the Land Rover Defender. The Ti7 features BYD’s new DM‑p powertrain—a 1.5‑litre turbocharged engine, dual electric motors and a 35.6 kWh...
New Kimera K-39 Hypercar Brings 986bhp Koenigsegg V8
Italian boutique Kimera has unveiled its first all‑in‑house hypercar, the K‑39, equipped with a twin‑turbo Koenigsegg V8 delivering 986 bhp. The design nods to the Group 5 Lancia Beta Montecarlo, featuring a Y‑shaped grille and quad headlamps, while an S‑duct generates race‑level...
New Ferrari HC25 Special Introduces Fresh Design Cues
Ferrari unveiled the HC25, a one‑off special built on the F8 Spider platform, marking the brand’s final mid‑engine V8 without hybrid assistance. Designed by Flavio Manzoni, the model showcases thinner headlights, the first fang‑like daytime running lights, and a bold...
Big Facelifts Incoming for Mini Cooper, Countryman and Aceman
Mini’s new design chief Holger Hampf announced major mid‑life facelifts for the Cooper, Countryman and Aceman, with LCI updates expected late 2025 and an Aceman refresh in 2028. He also hinted at an off‑road‑focused Countryman variant to tap the outdoor‑lifestyle...
JCB Targets New Speed Record with 32 Foot-Long, 1579bhp Hydromax
JCB will attempt a new land‑speed record in August on the Bonneville Salt Flats with the 32‑foot Hydromax, a hydrogen‑fuelled vehicle that generates 1,579 bhp from two in‑house combustion engines. The effort is part of a £100 million (≈$127 million) five‑year program developed...
Renault 4 Gets Beach Buggy Treatment for New JP4x4 Concept
Renault unveiled the JP4x4 concept, an open‑sided, beach‑buggy reinterpretation of its electric Renault 4. The model retains the dual‑motor, four‑wheel‑drive system from the 4 Savane concept, adding 15 mm of ground clearance and a 10 mm wider track. Its blade‑like doors, hollow roof and...
Defender 110 Update to Bring Styling Tweaks and Four-Seat Interior
Land Rover is preparing a second major refresh for the Defender 110, featuring revised front and rear bumpers, updated daytime running lights and a subtle roof spoiler. Inside, the three‑seat rear bench will be replaced by two individual captain’s chairs,...
Seven Seats and More Space than a Bedsit: The Ford S-Max Is a £1500 Bargain
Ford’s 2006‑2014 S‑Max, a seven‑seat Sports Activity Vehicle, is now listed for about £1,500 (≈ $1,900). The MPV blends a spacious, flat‑folding cargo floor with a surprisingly dynamic diesel powertrain. Its sliding middle‑row seats and high‑quality interior give it a premium...
How New 10,200rpm De Tomaso V12 Makes 888bhp
De Tomaso has revealed the bespoke 7.0‑litre V12 that will power the upcoming P900 hyper‑car, delivering 888 bhp at 9,500 rpm and revving to 10,200 rpm. Developed with Italtecnica, the naturally aspirated engine forgoes turbochargers and hybrid assistance, emphasizing raw, high‑rev performance. Technical highlights...
Kia Will Build Wild Stinger Successor - but Is Waiting for Costs to Drop
Kia plans to turn its Vision Meta Turismo concept into a production flagship, positioning it as the spiritual successor to the Stinger GT S. The electric four‑door super‑GT sits on a new platform and showcases the brand’s "Opposites United: Evolution"...
Three Countries, One Tank of Fuel: London to Brugges in a 393bhp BMW X3
A reviewer took a BMW X3 M50, a 3.0‑litre straight‑six SUV delivering 393 bhp, on a three‑country road trip from London through France to Bruges, Belgium, and back via the Netherlands. The vehicle’s 37.5 mpg (≈15.9 L/100 km) fuel economy allowed the entire journey...