Motoring News
30 December 2015S Korea targets Hyundai cross-holdings
Regulator responds to public pressure over chaebols’ opaque ownership structures
read moreMazda MX-5 - my best car of 2015
Lightweight, fun, great value and perfect for UK roads - the MX-5 is the essence of what an enthusiast's car needs to be
It won’t come as a huge surprise to some of you that my favourite car of the year is the Mazda MX-5. I’ve already gushed enthusiastically on another blog about it being one of the three cars I’d rank as the best in the world right now.So, in the name of variety, I got to thinking about what else I could cover under the banner of my favourite car of the year. I considered the all-round astonishing Tesla Model S P85D, the raucously brilliant Mercedes C63 S AMG Coupe, the achingly polished new Porsche 911 or maybe the Honda Civic Type R, which responds to no-holds-barred driving like a dog seeing a tennis ball.However, I couldn’t make any of them my favourite car of the year. Only the Mazda MX-5 deserves that honour. I find both the 1.5 and the 2.0 equally joyous to drive, but I favour the 2.0 since it’s still low powered enough that you can rinse it out without fear on UK roads, but has a bit more muscle when you want it. The handling is a delight; lively enough to thrill, even on track, but accessible enough not to frighten you even on awkward, unforgiving British back roads. It’s even easy to live with, thanks to the fairly soft suspension (don't bother with the Sport model and its Bilstein dampers) and nicely appointed cabin.There is only one problem, and that is the driving positi
read moreOur top car photos of 2015
Radical RXC by Luc Lacey
Our photographers have captured a great selection of cars over the past 12 months. Here are some of their favourite images
It's been another hectic 12 months for Autocar's duo of staff photographers, Stan Papior and Luc Lacey. They've split their time between foreign launches, Autocar's famous road test at Millbrook and some of the tastiest group tests on UK roads."It doesn't get much better than seeing 'New Ferrari, Italy' in the photographers' diary with your name on it," says Lacey - and he picked the rig shot of a 488 Spider, above, as the standout image from his trip.Lacey also caught this twin drift shot of the BMW M4 and Lexus RC F during a gorgeous sunset, after foul weather earlier that day. "With cars coming straight for you at 60mph-plus, it's nice knowing your colleagues are on their game," he says.Stan Papior's static shot of the Ferrari F355, Honda NSX and Porsche Cayman GT4 was taken at a location he'
read moreThe cars of McLaren - what do the workers drive?
What do McLaren’s employees drive outside of work hours? The company car park holds many surprises
It would be nice to think that McLaren’s company car park in Woking might be full of tatty F1 mules, PCP-expired P1s and maybe something secret swathed in camouflage and powered by teabags. The reality is actually rather more exciting, as Autocar finds out when we wait for the ladies and gentlemen of McLaren to arrive at work in their daily drives and weekend wheels.“I have always liked pick-up trucks, so when the chance to buy a Ford 150 Harley Davidson came up, I took it,” says Gavin Latham (job: final inspection), who introduces me to the least McLaren-like motor, which at least runs on LPG to make life slightly less expensive.Another attention-grabbing Yank is a blue Ford Mustang GT convertible. Owner Gavin Dykes (lead engineer) says he “fell in love with the aggressive look and the rumble of the V8. The drop-top makes the five days of UK summer [he’s from New Zealand] just that little bit more enjoyable.”Just as I am recovering from seeing a truck and a ’Stang, I notice split-screen Vee Dubs. Three of them. Mike Trotman (functional lead quality) has a rather yellow camper that’s pretty standard but lowered. Merrill Burton (special operations workshop manager) has a pick-up that he “found rusting outside a garage in Italy and then rebuilt it into my
read moreNew Volvo XC40 to lead small-car push
Compact SUV will spearhead a new family of small Volvo models starting in 2017
Volvo will launch the XC40 SUV to lead a major expansion of its small car line-up, starting in 2017.The Swedish manufacturer started revamping its model range at the top end, first with the XC90 and then the S90, but by 2019 the first of those cars will be the oldest model in the company’s line-up and its baby cousin, the XC40, could well be the firm’s biggest seller.Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson confirmed the plan to build a small SUV and extend the ‘40’ range at the recent S90 launch. “We want to build ?a broader range of ‘40’ cars,” he said. “Today we only have the hatchback, but we want more, and with the new technology that we’re working on, we will have the means to expand the line-up.“Highest on my list is a small SUV, because that’s where the market is going,” he added.The XC40 will sit on Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which is being developed in partnership with the brand’s Chinese parent firm, Geely. CMA is designed to be premium enough to allow Geely to develop more upmarket products while supporting a more profitable, wider range of Volvo’s 40-series models.These will include a successor to the Volkswagen Golf-rivalling V40 hatchback and a small saloon called S40, in effect a rival for the Audi A3 saloon and BMW’s upcoming 2 Series saloon.However, the charge is likely to be led by the XC40,
read moreTOTD: Favourite old touring cars
A break from the festive-themed threads to celebrate the best tin-tops of yesteryear
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