Inhaltsverzeichnis für September 21, 2022 in Autocar

DACIA BELIEVES IT is on the cusp of becoming one of the most relevant and popular car makers in Europe, as buyers switch towards seeking greater value for money amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. To that end, the firm has launched a new brand strategy hot on the heels of a new styling direction and a new logo earlier this year. It centres on three mantras: making cars that are ‘essential but cool’, ‘robust and outdoor’ and ‘eco-smart’. While perhaps rooted in marketing speak, the overall theme of the new strategy is clear: to ensure Dacia focuses on making cars that are offered only with the equipment they need and no more, which in turn keeps down prices and ensures outstanding value for money. “We’re in a new…

THE DESIGN OF the new Maserati Granturismo has finally been revealed in a new suite of official images that show a twin-turbo V6 variant lapping Modena ahead of the car’s imminent full debut. The latest images show Maserati’s long-awaited Mercedes-AMG SL rival completely unwrapped, giving the clearest look yet at the successor to the V8-powered Granturismo, which bowed out in 2019 after a successful 12-year production run. The V6 car pictured here uses a variation of the raucous, twin-turbocharged Nettuno unit first deployed in the midengined MC20 supercar and Grecale SUV. Like the Grecale, the combustion-powered Granturismo will be offered in Modena and range-topping Trofeo forms, the latter likely to be tuned to match the MC20’s 621bhp and rival similarly potent, bigger-engined rivals like the SL, Aston Martin Vantage and…

RENAULT WILL REVIVE the classic 4 at the Paris motor show next month. It will be likened to the famous 1960s hatchback in name only and sit above the upcoming Renault 5, a retro-styled Peugeot e-208 rival that has previously been mooted to have an £18,000 starting price. The new 4 will go up against the Peugeot e-2008, taking Renault into the burgeoning – and commercially thriving – electric small SUV segment. Due on sale a year after the 5 in 2025, it will, like its supermini sibling, be based on the CMF-BEV platform for small EVs and have similarly “retro-modern” styling. The 4 will benefit from new battery and electric motor technology being developed by the Renault Group, although the firm remains tight-lipped about specifics. Also in Paris, Renaultowned…

THE FLEET INDUSTRY has called on the government to shake up its reimbursement rates for electric car drivers, as spiralling energy costs have left the majority out of pocket. Advisory electric rates (AER) were introduced in 2018 as a simple way to refund business mileage for EV drivers. They are the equivalent of the advisory fuel rates (AFR) for petrol and diesel cars. Initially four pence per mile, the AER was increased to five pence in November 2021 after an industry campaign – but this year’s energy price rises have affected people further. Mina, which specialises in helping businesses with EV billing, told Autocar that the average cost of charging works out at eight pence per mile and said 79% of more than 100,000 of its members pay more than…

ELSEWHERE IN THE supercar world, Ferrari has been putting the firm’s upcoming entry-level convertible, a sibling to the Roma coupé, through its paces. Spotted on the road for the first time, the heavily camouflaged Roma spider gives nothing away in these latest images. Ferrari has yet to reveal which type of roof the convertible Roma will be launched with. Other brands, such as Aston Martin with its V12 Vantage, are opting for a soft-top approach, although the Roma spider could follow the examples of the Ferrari Portofino and California with a hard-top. Little is expected to change under the skin, so the Roma spider will get the same 612bhp 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 driving through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as the current coupé. Likely to be priced above the coupé,…

SATURDAY Good things come in threes – or did today. First, I dropped into P&A Wood, the world’s finest Rolls-Bentley emporium, because they were launching a long-awaited book about their history, written by the brilliant David Burgess-Wise. Second, I was able to invite my son, who had not been before and loved the place. Third, this was an early stop on our traditional late-summer motorbike tour and the coffee was very welcome. I love the P&A Wood story. In the mid-1960s, two teenage Rolls-Bentley apprentices, twins Andy and the late Paul, acquired an Austin Seven to drive in local fields. They spotted a disused Rolls 20/25 in a nearby street and hatched a plan to buy it. They restored and sold the A7 and some other bits and pieces to…

Nestled in the shadow of the famous volcano from which it takes its name, Fuji Speedway was the first home of the Japanese Grand Prix. The speedway was conceived in the 1960s as an American-style oval circuit, and its steep banking still survives as a relic of its past beyond the current turn one. Characterised by sweeping curves linked to a long pit straight, Fuji will forever be remembered for its first Formula 1 grand prix, when James Hunt splashed his way to a dramatic title, finishing third to beat Niki Lauda by just one point in 1976, after the Austrian withdrew in protest over the conditions. Gilles Villeneuve’s cartwheeling accident in 1977, which claimed the life of two spectators, appeared to bring Fuji’s F1 story to a sad close,…

So us neglected souls in the UK won’t have the chance to buy the mighty new GR Corolla. That’s a shame after the impact the GR Yaris has made, but we do at least now have the option of a manual GR Supra. This is an interesting second bite at the cherry for the Supra, which we’ve always regarded as well rounded and capable but never truly gripping. Toyota launched the three-pedal Supra earlier this year and took the opportunity to fettle the BMW Z4-derived chassis. The manual car duly introduces firmer roll-bar bushings, increased damper rates and retuned power steering, all intended to make the Supra feel more direct, controlled and engaging – stiffer competition for Porsche’s 718 Cayman, in short. There are also new wheels and lighter seats;…

When’s a Land Rover not a Land Rover? When it’s a Range Rover. And what separates Range from Land? That has become hard to know. The brand’s line-up overlaps more than Trent Alexander-Arnold, although it is far better at defending. In fact, the rebirth of the Defender as a premium SUV has left many wondering what the Discovery, once a happy halfway house between luxury Rangie and muddy Defender, is now for. The Metropolitan Edition’s arrival probably won’t help matters, as it tops the range at a price of £76,085 (for the P360, a 355bhp straight-six petrol) or £75,475 (for the D300, a 296bhp straight-six diesel, tested here). Not to say it isn’t a very appealing specification to the sorts who like to Disco, mind you. No flares here, but…

MG versus Volkswagen is hardly the most storied rivalry. For the 85 years they’ve co-existed, the two have kept out of one another’s way, the British marque having built its reputation in sports cars and the German marque staying true to its name. At most, we’ve had the odd skirmish. Remember the ZR hot hatch? It was better than its gussiedup Rover 25 looks suggested, making it an interesting alternative to the Mk5 Golf GTI. And perhaps, in the 1980s, certain Austins cunningly rebadged as MGs were targeted at more successful Wolfsburg products. However, they felt more homage than hit job. The Montego even used a Volkswagen gearbox and the Maestro’s front-axle design was pinched from the Golf. Phoney war, if anything. However, in 2022, the relationship shifts dramatically and…

rom the price of a new Volkswagen Golf to the price of a modest detached five-bed F house in Surrey, there’s a supercar for every budget. You know all the usual suspects, so we’ve ditched the hordes of Ferraris and Lamborghinis that could have packed out our 20 slots in favour of more makes and a few surprises, all in the name of variety and avoiding duplication. Buckle up… PORSCHE 911 TURBO 2000-2005 £32,000-£70,000 Supercar? For many, the addition of ‘Turbo’ on the boot is sufficient to grant a 911 admittance, which is why this 996 is here. Today’s daft prices mean it isn’t the bargain it used to be, but as a manual with a full Porsche history, it will always be desirable. One we found Porsche 911 Turbo,…

What’s going on? You publish a road test on the Genesis GV60 (24 August) and I don’t get a mention, not even among the road test rivals. “Fast and refined and the first of its kind from a European manufacturer.” You said that about me and gave me four and a half stars in the same issue. Remember? Look at the stats: 398bhp and 0-62mph in 4.5sec for £65,000. What’s not to like? And what’s more, I think I look great. I’ve got a decent face, not a blank expression (hi there, Tesla) or a face like a baboon’s bottom (hallo, BMW). Talking of faces, I love to see my owner’s smile in the rear-view mirror when he selects Dynamic. But he’s an elderly gent, so I don’t let him…

A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost any circumstances, but the Autocar road test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model. It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making every week. Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while…

Dacia has previewed a series of new features that it hopes to offer on its future models on a bold new concept car that is set to star at next month’s Paris motor show. The Manifesto concept is a rugged off-road buggy, similar in size and style to the Ariel Nomad. While the two-seater doesn’t directly preview any future production model, it is a statement of intent in terms of how the Renaultowned budget brand sees itself evolving, as well as a technological showcase in what Dacia calls a “lab for ideas” – hence the name. Dacia design director David Durand said the new concept is a “super-compact open-air vehicle blended in with nature”, adding: “It’s a great way to brainstorm ideas without the pressure of production.” The concept’s arrival…

What’s the main message that we should take from this new brand mission? “The big message is that the world is changing. We don’t change, but the world is changing. Fifteen years ago, we were known as low-cost, for poorer people who could not afford more. People would say: ‘[Dacia] is not for me, as it’s from eastern Europe.’ With time, we’ve proven that we’re reliable and the cars are working well. People renew with Dacia 60% of the time and keep the cars a long time.” What’s Dacia’s key point of difference? “We do cars simply and in a modern manner, with 3000 engineers working on the right content. However, weight is at the heart of what we do. This drives fuel consumption and now CO2 emissions. Our Jogger…

Peugeot has revealed the e-308, an electric Volkswagen ID 3 rival with the choice of two bodystyles and more than 248 miles of range. Available in hatchback and estate forms, the e-308 rides on familiar Stellantis EMP2 architecture but introduces a new electric powertrain. A front-mounted motor endows the hatchback and SW estate with 156bhp and 192lb ft. Power is supplied by a 51kWh battery that uses a new chemical composition for improved efficiency. It can be charged at up to 100kW, giving a 20-80% top-up time of less than 25 minutes. Due on sale next year, it is expected to be priced from around £35,000.…

LAND ROVER WILL mark 75 years since the launch of its first model in 2023, and it is starting celebrations with a uniquely styled special edition of its brand-defining Defender, priced from £85,995. The latest special edition of the L663-generation Defender, available in both three-door 90 and five-door, longer-wheelbase 110 forms, gets retro Grasmere Green paint and colour-matched 20in alloy wheels. Other unique features of the Defender 75th Limited Edition include bespoke commemorative graphics across the body and contrasting Ceres Silver bumpers. It is the latest in a line of “highly collectible Defender” models (see right), and the price reflects that. The special starts at £85,995 in 90 guise (rising to £89,995 in 110 form) – a lofty £24,055 more than the HSE-trim Defender on which it is based. “This…

WITH THE SPECTRE of colossal electricity bills looming over us like some sort of fully charged Grim Reaper, there’s plenty of talk about how the cost benefits of running EVs might be about to suddenly disappear. But quite apart from the fact that fossil fuel prices will only keep increasing, could there be more to the energy benefits of running an EV than merely the cost of a unit of energy? The demand for domestic solar systems is ramping up to the extent that waiting lists for reputable installers are growing fast. With a cheap (or in Scotland, government-backed interest-free) loan, the cost of installing a solar system with battery storage could soon fall below that of paying household energy bills. Systems fitted by certified installers are also VAT-free. Given…

PAGANI’S SNAP CHAT Hot on the heels of its V12-powered Utopia hypercar, Pagani has unveiled another product: a special-edition camera, yours for £65,000. Created in partnership with large-format camera specialist Gibellini – which happens to also be based in Modena – the GP810HP is made with materials found in the Huayra, such as carbonfibre. It features Pagani branding and cues throughout its design, too. Just 75 will be made, and 30 of them (although this is still to be confirmed) will be offered to current Pagani owners to purchase. “This project is dedicated to extremely demanding clients who love beauty for its own sake regardless of whether they are photography enthusiasts or not,” said Horacio Pagani. IT’S GOOD TO TALK For EV infrastructure to advance, car makers need to open…

You’re looking at the most successful BMW 3 Series of all time. The G20 first went on sale in 2019, and has since sold 1.1 million units globally – more than any other 3 Series over the same period, despite all the global crises to contend with. It also achieved the full five stars in the Autocar road test. Impressive stuff. So you can see why BMW has opted for an understated mid-life refresh. If it ain’t broke, and all that… Key differences include a freshened front with completely redesigned, slimmer headlights and a tweaked kidney grille that gets a new ‘double bar’ design but – thankfully – isn’t any bigger. M Sport models also gain new air vents at the extreme corners of the front to emphasise the width…

DS is steadily building and refining its range to earn its place among the premium brands. Now it has treated its best-seller, the 7, to a mid-life update. Some of the changes are standard facelift fare. More conventional LED matrix headlights replace the fancy swivelling items of the original; the daytime-running lights now tumble down the front fascia in slivers; the tail-lights have been made slimmer; and ‘DS Automobiles’ is now spelled out across the tailgate. Very 2022. The interior stays mostly the same but for the latest infotainment software on the 12.0in touchscreen. DS’s Iris system is slick, responsive, customisable and, once you learn its quirks, pretty user-friendly. The only annoying thing is that there are no physical controls for the climate. The biggest change is to the range…

MODEL TESTED T6 RECHARGE R-DESIGN AWD Price £47,225 • Power 345bhp • Torque na • 0-60mph 4.9sec • 30-70mph in fourth 7.2sec • Fuel economy 59.8mpg • CO2 emissions 18-25g/km • 70-0mph 46.9m Three in every 10 new cars sold by Volvo are, as of 2022, electrified Recharge models. Volvo has been investing heavily in fully electric models over the past few years, but its history with plug-in hybrids is now more than a decade old, and has won the company sufficient incremental commercial progress that right now it is selling between three and four times as many PHEVs as EVs. Quite clearly, Gothenburg still considers petrol-electric motoring a key part of its powertrain strategy, and the powertrain in this week’s road test subject proves as much. The Volvo V60 T6…

It’s the third and final banger race of the day, and what resembles a Vauxhall Corsa is tearing around the track at Aldershot Raceway on three wheels. Its fourth, the nearside rear, was bashed sideways early on and now hangs at 90deg. The old nail is still in with a chance, though, albeit a swiftly diminishing one as the pack, smelling blood, closes in. The final of a banger race always brings out the evil eye in drivers. Whereas in rounds one and two competitors may strike the rear quarter of a rival as they round the next corner to turn them harmlessly into the infield (a technique known as ‘nudge and spin’), now it’s absolutely okay to nudge them into the concrete blocks surrounding the circuit, although not aggressively…

To talk about the Mercedes-Benz EQS, we really need to go back to the beginning, all the way to Steve Jobs’ speech at Macworld 2007. Because that’s when Apple launched the iPhone and sent a lightning bolt across the technological landscape. From that moment, the interaction between humans and technology would never be the same again. It was classic Jobs: trademark roll-neck, building up his audience, who responded with plenty of whooping and hollering. (Americans…) We’re still feeling the effects now. That day, the mobile phone was transformed from simply a portable version of your landline into a whole new way of life. And because it was so seismic, it’s inevitable that it has trickled into cars. Touchscreens are everywhere now, along with their fiddly multitude of menus. Jobs’ skill…

FEATURE The future of fun Can electric cars really be as entertaining as piston-powered ones? We find out NEWS Mercedes-AMG C63 The lowdown on Mercedes’ hybridised next-generation BMW M3 rival FEATURE Viritech Apricale A behind-the-scenes look at the world’s fastest hydrogen test bed EVERY WEEK DRIVE Smart #1 Electric compact crossover spearheads brand’s reinvention CULT HERO Lamborghini Gallardo One of the 2000s’ best supercars is now surprisingly affordable SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p22…

MILEAGE 11,960 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if this humble but capable sevenseater is slick enough in day-to-day use I have just returned from a 10-day climbing excursion with friends to the spectacular Gorges du Verdon in the south of France. We put close to 2000 miles on the Jogger over that time, mixing autoroute with minor-road motoring; and camping mainly, with a few short hotel stays here and there. We relied on the car in ways I haven’t previously, and it coped amazingly well for what is a seven-seat family car that costs less than a supermini. Getting 10 days’ worth of supplies and equipment into the Jogger’s boot gave me cause to take the third-row seats out completely for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised how…

Picture the scene. You’re driving in the UK and you find yourself on an unfamiliar B-road. It’s raining heavily. There’s a hairpin bend coming up fast. The road is greasy, cars are coming in the opposite direction and the children are playing I-spy. You arrive at the bend. You smoothly turn the wheel, wishing that your knowledge of the skidpan was as adept as your taste in cars. Do you make it through? Of course you do. You’re driving a Mk3 Ford Focus RS, that’s why. In a purely front-or rear-driven car of similar performance, this could have been an issue. In the Focus RS, though, things aren’t so demanding. Ford’s performance division has form at turning ordinary road cars into some of the most masterful machines money can buy,…

Ford has unwrapped its new seventh-generation Ford Mustang, which could be the final model in the icon’s 58-year history. Launched at a huge outdoor event following the opening of the reborn Detroit motor show, the Mustang will hit the UK next year. Featuring a bolder take on the classic Ford model’s look, the new 2023 Mustang remains on the previous generation’s S550 platform – rather than being based on Ford’s latest CD6 architecture, which underpins the current US-spec Ford Explorer. That means the new Mustang, codenamed S650, is more of a comprehensive reskin of the current model and will miss out on not only the long-rumoured electrified powertrains but also the US car brand’s next-generation autonomous driving aids. Both the 2.3-litre twinscroll turbocharged Ecoboost four-cylinder and 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ V8 petrol…

The long-awaited replacement for the Lamborghini Aventador will continue to draw the bulk of its power from a highly strung, large-capacity V12 engine – but with a new hybrid element that, bosses suggest, will make it significantly more powerful than today’s model. Due in 2023, the 12-cylinder supercar will use a totally new combustion engine that will be supplemented with electric motors, in a similar set-up to that used by the limited-run Sián FKP 37 and Countach LPI 800-4 hyper-hybrids. This electrification plan allows the Italian company’s signature V12 engine to “live on”, chief technical officer Rouven Mohr told Autocar, rather than being killed off due to the increasingly strict emissions regulations being brought in around the world. To keep the V12 punch while reducing emissions, Lamborghini will install its…

BMW HAS REVEALED details of its next-era, Gen6 lithium ion batteries, due to arrive in the Neue Klasse series of electric cars from 2025. Thomas Albrecht, BMW’s head of Efficient Dynamics, told Autocar: “Gen6 batteries will give us 30% or more range than our current Gen5, but we won’t go over 1000km [620 miles] of range even though we can. We don’t think that such a long range is necessary.” The batteries will adopt a cylindrical shape – as favoured by Tesla – rather than the flat, prismatic cell shape currently used. DC rapid-charging time is set to be improved to support ultra-rapid charging of around 270kW – on a par with the Porsche Taycan. Weight comes in at roughly 300kg per pack, which is 10-20% less than the existing…

Picture the colour palette of a Bentley social gathering and you would be forgiven for imagining a world of tweed and restrained tones. A sparkling red Continental GT Convertible with a rainbow pinstripe might seem like an interloper of the highest order. Yet that’s exactly what was driven in Manchester Pride’s bustling 2022 parade, with more than 50 Bentley employees on its coat-tails, in a first for the 103-year-old car manufacturer. It was the idea of Bentley’s BeProud network, co-founded by Tom Dawes, an exterior engineer who has been with the firm for eight years. Bentley’s first physical appearance at a Pride festival was something he had been cooking up for a while. Dawes said: “This all started about five years ago when me and my colleague Adam White went…

My family’s Land Rover Defender is like a beloved pet. During the past decade and six-time-saround-the-world mileage, it has been a constant in our lives. Bought as one car to do it all – because it’s spacious inside, compact outside and can tow a lot over rough ground – it pulls trailers with horses or go-karts or animal feed or classic cars on board with frequency and ease. But it has also delivered grownups to work, children to new schools and colleges, and been to weddings, funerals, and on holidays and road trips. Just this week, it took furniture to a new home. It has been green-laning and sat on motorways. I’ve camped out of it comfortably on a Goodwood hillside, and spent an uncomfortable night in it outside a…

WILL POWER HELD his nerve to clinch his second Indycar Series championship, as 2021 title winner Álex Palou blitzed a nail-biting season finale at the wonderful Laguna Seca circuit in California. Five drivers began the day in title contention, but points leader Power always had the upper hand. In qualifying, he beat Mario Andretti’s record for the most Indycar pole positions by securing his 68th, but in the race neither he nor anyone else could live with Palou, in what was expected to be the Spaniard’s final race for Chip Ganassi Racing. The subject of a contract dispute that had gone legal between Ganassi and McLaren, Palou surprised everyone three days after the race by confirming he would stay with the former for 2023. On the track, Power added to…

Zero to hero’ best charts Gazoo ‘Racing’s rapid rise to widespread acclaim. From its 2019 start with the GR Supra to the astonishing GR Yaris that followed in 2020 and then the sublime GR86 coupé, it has earned our love and respect for its unique way of consistently nailing the affordable sports car brief. This year, it has further expanded its portfolio by launching a manual GR Supra (see right), but first it’s time for the headline act: the GR Corolla. Looking every inch a rally refugee, this hot hatch packs the mightiest of visual punches. Nothing is fake about it, and every element serves the single purpose of going very fast indeed. It’s sold in Core, Circuit and Morizo guises, the third one demonstrating how far Toyota’s black ops…

The second-gen 508 arrived only three years ago, yet it already feels like an elder statesperson in Peugeot’s non-SUV line-up, alongside the newer 208 supermini and 308 family hatchback, and the forthcoming 408 raised fastback. Time for a bit of a freshen-up, then, although the emphasis is very much on the ‘bit of’. There wasn’t really much wrong with the 508’s styling, so Peugeot has kept the changes minor. Most notably, there are now LED headlights as standard and a dark-chrome grille insert, although it doesn’t even get the new lion crest that was introduced by the 308. Peugeot has also revamped the trim levels, with entry-level Active Premium getting new kit and Allure replaced by Allure Premium. Our test model came in GT trim, which sits below the top…

Happy in my Honda Kris Culmer’s report on his trip to Europe in his Honda HR-V (Our Cars, 31 August) was interesting. I have an almost identical model; I went for the Advance Style as it’s the only grade with the lighter interior. Did you not find the acceleration a little on the slow side for a 1.5-litre engine? I can only imagine how it behaved climbing the Brenner Pass! The other annoying problem, probably not only a Honda one, is this lane mitigation that cuts in when you move slightly out of your lane. Yes, you can switch it off, but would it not be better to switch it on if required? Do you use the paddles for slowing down or just the brake pedal? I don’t understand the…

Toughest test for baby Benz IN 1974, MERCEDES-Benz began work on its first compact car since the 1930s. Nine years and £600m later, the 190E arrived as a rival to the hugely popular BMW 3 Series. What better way to test a model that Mercedes itself admitted was “massively over-engineered”, we reasoned, than to drive it across Europe, from baking Greece to freezing north-eastern Norway? We were guided out of Athens at midnight by Mercedes Hellas’s PR chief and onto the motorway north, where we were impressed immediately by our 190E’s ride. Poor surfaces continued to be no trouble as we wound our way through the hilly countryside of Yugoslavia, averaging 55mph. The least pleasant part of our journey was overtaking lorries on the motorway to Zagreb, the fourspeed auto’s…

If you struggle with the concept of infinity, stick your head in the boot of a Skoda Superb Estate and it might just finish you off. There’s no more capacious derrière in the known universe. But the Superb Estate is a larger whole than just that one, and much more than a pretty space: it’s possibly one of the most useful all-rounders you can buy. Engines? Initially, there was a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol in 123bhp TSI 125 and 148bhp TSI 150 guises. This was replaced with the 1.5-litre TSI 150 in the Superb’s 2018 mid-life facelift. There were also two versions of the 2.0-litre four-pot, the TSI 220 and TSI 280, with 217bhp and 276bhp. The latter became the 287bhp TSI 290 in 2018, when a TSI 190 was…

An expert’s view STEPHEN VINCENT, PERFORMANCE CAR SALES SPECIALIST, HENDY PERFORMANCE “The Focus RS is a brilliant car. It can be antisocial if you put it into Sport mode, with pops and bangs from the exhaust, but it’s a fantastic all-rounder, too. It’s a standard family vehicle – you can drive to work and have heated seats – that on the right road transforms into a completely different car. It puts a smile on your face and makes you feel like a child. Just be aware that cars from 2016 and some from early 2017 had a recall for an issue that would make the head gasket blow up.” Buyer beware… ■ ENGINE Some owners have reported issues relating to a plume of white exhaust smoke on ignition. This is…

Once upon a time, the British car industry was the envy of the world. The Midlands was an automotive powerhouse, its cars benchmarks for rivals to aspire to. It even had not one but two motor cities: Birmingham and Coventry. It’s why many cars that were familiar here were sold in other parts of the world with unfamiliar names. Join us on a whistle-stop tour of some badge-engineered British classics. Roewe 750 There are many examples of Anglo-Chinese vehicles built following the collapse of MG Rover. One was the 3SW, a rebadged Rover Streetwise and the first MG to be built in China. The Rover 75 died following MG Rover’s demise in 2005, but SAIC acquired the car from the wreckage and, with engineering help from the UK’s Ricardo, launched…