Motoring News

What's the best car you've ever driven?
From the Enzo to the Veyron, Sutters has driven most of the world’s finest cars. But which one’s his favourite, and why? Alongside 'do you want to swap mate' the 'so what’s the best car you’ve ever driven' question is the one I get asked most frequently as a motoring journalist. Especially at dinner parties. And my answer is always the same.'The Ferrari F40' I will reply, hoping secretly that the speed and confidence of my answer will force the conversation in another direction. To which the person who originally asked the question will inevitably ask 'Why?'Thinking about it now, I’m not entirely sure why I always say it’s the F40 – because I’ve driven many cars since that are 'better' than the Ferrari in every conceivable way, ie faster, roomier, sexier, better sounding, more economical and so on. Yet the F40 is always the one I come back to. I think this is because it’s the car that left its mark on me the most the first and only time I drove it, which was on a cold and empty piece of road that winds its way across the moors just north of a town called Kirkymooreside. It terrified and thrilled and excited me, all in equally overwhelming terms, and all at exactly the same time. It freaked me out to be honest, and for a while all I wanted to do was climb out of it and be somewhere else.But it’s the memory of driving it that has remained so rich in my mind. It’s a memory that may well have chang

Renault Megane Knight special edition revealed
Limited-run Knight costs from £17,095 — it will be sold until autumn Renault has revealed a new limited edition of its Mégane, dubbed the Knight.The special edition adds 16-inch chrome alloy wheels, new 'GT' bumpers at the front and rear, a chromed rear diffuser and extra tinted rear windows and tailgate. The Mégane Knight is available with a choice of two engines - either the 1.6-litre petrol or dCi 110 diesel with stop-start and CO2 emissions of 90g/km. The diesel produces 192lb/ft of torque and can achieve 80.7mpg. The car is available in white, red, blue or black metallic paint.Prices start from £17,095 for the hatch, rising to £17,595 for the Coupe and £17,895 for the Sport Tourer - which also includes 1600 litres of storage space.The car will be sold from today until autumn this year.

Drivers stumped by simple car maintenance
Changing a headlamp or replacing a fan belt was once a routine task for many motorists, but now even the simplest maintenance job is beyond most car owners.    

Video: Renault Clio Renaultsport - road car vs race car
The latest Clio Renaultsport meets its race car sibling The launch of a new Renault Clio Renaultsport inevitably means an all-new race car in the Renault Clio Cup championship. Matt Prior compares them back-to-back

Aston Martin Zagato special editions revealed
News 23 Jul, 2013 Aston Martin Zagato special editions revealed at centenary celebration event in London

McLaren MP4-12C Spider facelift spotted in Germany
Facelift for 2014 model year spotted testing at the Nurburgring A facelifted version of the McLaren MP4-12C Spider has been spotted testing at the Nürburgring.Believed to be in development for the 2014 model year, McLaren has been testing two camouflaged models of the Spider in recent days. Extra shielding around the front of the car suggests changes to both the front bumper and light cluster may have taken place.Rumours also suggest that McLaren is working on a more powerful engine than the twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 used in the current model. The V8 currently puts out 616bhp at 7500rpm. McLaren could tune the engine to put out around 641bhp.  

It’s the estatey Seat Leon ST
The booted version of Spain’s finest car for years has landed…

Jaguar XFR Sportbrake spotted
First spy shots of the fastest XF Sportbrake ever show testing at the Nurburgring Jaguar is working on an XFR version of its XF Sportbrake, but the model is not destined for series production.Early test mules of a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 version of the XF Sportbrake have been spotted testing, including this model which was spotted at the Nurburgring. The car comes complete with a lowered chassis, large wheels and styling modifications in line with the XFR saloon.Although technically possible, the XFR Sportbrake remains a project of Jaguar’s Engineered to Order (ETO) ‘skunk works’ division and is not destined to be a regular production model any time soon because demand is not strong enough.However, ETO could still make the car in a limited small-series run should enough interest emerge.

Official: Bentley will build an SUV
Fourth model in Bentley line-up confirmed, built in Crewe, on sale in 2016…

SEAT unveils estate version of Leon
SEAT unveils estate version of Leon

Roewe E50 first drive review
This small electric Chinese supermini is ready to take on competition from Europe Why, you might ask, should you be interested in an electric car that is not and will not be sold in Europe, let alone the UK?The answer is because it is made by Roewe, the luxury car arm of SAIC Motors, which also happens to own MG. Oh, and, to jump the gun a little, because it is really rather good.SAIC’s history hasn’t always promised so much. It purchased the rights to the Rover 75 and Rover 25 after the 2005 collapse of MG Rover, and thus when the first Roewe car was born; called the Roewe 750, it was a reworked 75.The company produced its first electric car in late 2010, a modified version of the Roewe 350. Suffice to say it didn’t set the world alight. This Roewe E50 followed in concept form at the 2012 Beijing motor show, and then entered production at the start of 2013.

Autocar magazine 24 July preview
Alfa Romeo Spider details; Aston Martin's centenary celebrated; Mercedes-Benz GL road test; BMW 4-series driven; Audi RS7 tested; BMW Z4 used buying guide This week's issue of Autocar, dated 24 July 2013, kicks off with an update on Alfa Romeo's forthcoming Spider, which look set to blend lightweight engineering and modern styling with an accessible chassis and a power output of 168bhp when it goes on sale in late 2015.To tie-in with Aston Martin's centenary, we've dedicated 12 pages to say happy birthday to one of the world's most revered brands. Andrew Frankel takes a V12 Vantage to Goodwood circuit and looks back to Aston Martin's most thrilling sports car race victory at the West Sussex venue. Steve Cropley uncovers Aston's secret service department and the man behind it, while Lewis Kingston explains how owning a used Aston doesn't always have to come with a six-figure price tag.The mighty Mercedes GL gets the most thorough assessment in the business as our road test experts scrutinise every nut, bolt and claimed performance figure. We also provide our first impressions of the striking BMW 4-series, the

New Bentley SUV to be built in the UK
Bentley's new Range Rover rival will be built in Crewe and will go on sale in 2016.    read more

Bentley SUV confirmed
News 23 Jul, 2013 Bentley has officially confirmed it will build an SUV model at its UK factory in Crewe, due on sale in 2016

Ford Evos concept to be on display at Salon Prive
Dramatic Evos concept shows off Ford's future design direction Ford's Evos concept will be on display at Salon Privé this September.The concept, which is said to preview future models from the Blue Oval, uses Ford's 'Kinetic' design language. The four-door, four-seat fastback is a plug-in hybrid, using a lithium-ion battery to power an electric motor in conjunction with a conventional engine. Engine sizes, displacements and power outputs are not yet known.Inside, Ford is keen to draw attention to the Evos's 'personal cloud' - which allows the driver to store information over a wireless network. Given that technology would require a mobile phone signal, it is expected that the Evos will also offer drivers a personal wireless internet hotspot.Salon Privé will be featuring the Evos in its new Concepts and Prototypes display.

Bentley invests £800m in UK car sector
Move follows similar decisions by premium brands to invest in UK car factories, reinvigorating an industry thought to be on its last legs a decade ago

BMW i3 prices revealed
Prices for the BMW i3 will start from £25,680, including the Government's plug-in grant.    read more

SUV still planned, says new Seat boss
A Seat SUV is still part of the company's product plan, confirms new boss Seat’s new boss Jürgen Stackmann has hinted that a new SUV from the firm is very much still in the product plan following his arrival.Stackmann took over from James Muir less than three months ago. Muir had previously confirmed that a Seat SUV would be on the market in 2015, a year or so after a concept car previewing it would appear at a European motor show.The project has been “signed off in principle” by the Seat board, Muir said last November.Although Stackmann was less candid than Muir when quizzed by Autocar on the SUV project, he said nothing to suggest that the project had been put on the back burner.

Italy: where it really is Life on Mars
Car production in Italy is beginning to resemble Britain in the ’70s, which could have dire consequences for Italian car workers The first shipload of Fiat 500L production models has just arrived in the USA - from Serbia.Why Serbia? Originally, Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Fiat, wanted to make it at the Mirafiori plant in Turin (readers of a certain age may remember the Fiat 131 Mirafiori, named after its birthplace). However, some Italian trade unionists, who live in the same universe once inhabited by Arthur Scargill, promised a wave of strikes, saying that the rights of the workers were being threatened by new working practices.In 2010, Marchionne ran out of what little patience he possesses, and announced that production would move to Serbia. The result is that the Italian workers lost the prospect of making 190,000 cars a year.Expats working in Italy say it is like going back to Britain of the late 1970s. For example, last March, there was a month-long strike of car transporter drivers. During the strike, a militant Fiat union, FIOM, called a separate strike, but found its members had already been laid off. The union then complained bitterly that it would have to delay its own strike until the first one had been settled.There is a brilliant Anglo-Italian documentary called Girlfriend in a Coma, with the girlfriend being a metaphor for the country. It includes a horrifying list of It

Official: Bentley SUV for 2016 launch
Bentley has announced it will build an SUV, as part of an £800m investment in the firm Bentley has confirmed it is to build an SUV. The new model line will be built in Crewe and will go on sale in 2016.Bentley will invest more than £800m in its Crewe headquarters and the development of new models. The move will create more than 1000 jobs.The forthcoming model, which will become the firm’s fourth model line will be a “thoroughbred” Bentley, which will represent the brand’s “hallmarks of luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship”. Bentley claims it will be the most powerful SUV on the market.The announcement of a production SUV follows the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, which was shown at the 2012 Geneva motor show. It is likely to share its platform with the next-generation Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.A Bentley spokesman said the firm was still discussing pricing, but it would attract "a premium price as you would expect from a Bentley". In March, Bentley's sales boss Kevin Rose, told Autocar it would be priced above a high-end Range Rover, suggesting an entry price of at least £125,0

SEAT SUV a priority for new boss
News 23 Jul, 2013 New SEAT Chairman puts SUV at top of his list but rules out a sports car

Silverstone Classic 2013 preview
The British motorsport summer continues this weekend with the Silverstone Classic.    read more

Ferrari 196S 'Dino': Time for Tea?
One of Ferrari's rarest sportscar racers on video - and it's for sale on PH!

Renault Sport Spider: Spotted
We've finally found one, and this Sport Spider comes with an intriguing aftermarket accessory

Renault Clio Cup Racer: Driven
The roadgoing Clio Cup has matured, so what about the racer? Harris finds out

Bentley SUV - green light, go
2016 debut for Bentley's Range Rover challenger, with 1,000 jobs being created

BBR tweaks Mazda diesels
For those who need more zoom-zoom in their oil-burning Mazda. A lot more zoom-zoom in fact...

Ford Focus ST-3 Estate: PH Fleet
Navigational disputes aside it's domestic bliss in the Focus still

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