Sommaire pour 1616 de Auto Express

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk ● Performance brand’s first standalone model ● Plug-in hybrid offers 31 miles of pure-electric range THIS is the all-new Cupra Formentor, the first unique model to be launched by SEAT’s performance arm since Cupra became a standalone brand. Measuring 4,450mm long and 1,511mm tall, the Formentor is 87mm longer and 104mm lower than the Ateca. This lends it a sportier, coupé-SUV-like appearance, while more flamboyant creases around the wheelarches give a more dramatic look. At the rear, there’s a full-width light bar – a feature seen on the latest Cupra Leon. The Leon also lends its dashboard design to the Formentor; copper highlights are dotted around the interior, on the seat trim, air-vent surrounds and steering wheel accents. The dash itself is dominated by a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system.…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk ● Concept previews EV tech ● Body extends to boost space THIS is the Renault Morphoz, an electric concept car that features an extending wheelbase and battery-swap technology. The Morphoz previews Renault’s new scalable electric CMF-EV platform, which is due to reach production by 2022. But the concept also allows users to temporarily extend the size of the car, as well as boost its range and power by adding extra batteries. The installation process takes a matter of minutes, says Renault; the wheelbase grows to reveal extra cell storage beneath the car, before the batteries are inserted. Parts of the bodywork are designed to hinge or flex, allowing the Morphoz’s various panels to extend or retract at the touch of a button. In its shorter ‘City’ setting, the Morphoz…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk THIS is the Citroen Ami, a radical new city car created for urban dwellers who want sporadic access to electric transport. The Ami project is, in effect, a production version of the AMI One concept that made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. That car’s core looks have been retained, including a simple design that uses common body panels front and rear. The boxy two-seat vehicle is just 2.41 metres long, 1.39 metres wide and 1.52 metres high. The Ami’s specs are designed for use around town, particularly because it is classified as a quadricycle and so can, in theory, be driven by 14-year-olds without a licence in some European countries. It has a 5.5kWh lithium-ion battery, giving a range of up to 70km (44 miles).…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC New Hyundai i20 FROM: Antonio Pili WHAT an absolute beauty. The front is more menacing than a Lamborghini Urus and the back looks like a Porsche Cayenne. Those wheels are epic, too; they remind me of an Audi RS 6. Hyundai dealers will need to recruit more sales staff. FROM: Tony Williams IF it’s 24mm lower, 30mm wider and 5mm longer than the old i20, it’s just going to be more difficult to fit into tight parking spaces and even harder for tall, older people like me to get in and out of. Cars need to be taller and narrower. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “It’s a shame the UK is…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk “The Electric delivers as much enjoyment from behind the wheel as any fast MINI” Electric motor Power/range 181bhp/144 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/93mph IT should be a marriage made in heaven: one of Britain’s most iconic cars that’s small, nimble and with famous ‘go-kart’ handling, paired with an all-electric powertrain that brings instant acceleration and low running costs. So is it? We were impressed when we first drove the car in Miami this year (Issue 1,611), but now, at last, it’s time to find out what the MINI Electric is like on home turf. The simple answer is really good. As you’d expect, the fun factor is raised a notch; we had as much enjoyment behind the wheel as in the many fast MINIs we’ve driven before. Nothing…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk WHEN the original X5 appeared just over 20 years ago, it was launched in the USA at the Road Atlanta racetrack. It was a bold move by BMW, but then the X5 has always been an SUV that justifies the Sport tag as much as the Utility Vehicle one. Now we’re back in the US – where all X5s are built – to drive the latest version, and the latest BMW to wear an M badge. M Division has worked its magic on the X5 twice before, but this takes it to a different level. Almost every part of the car has been tweaked, with a new M-designation for each new feature. At the heart of every M car is the engine, in this case a 4.4-litre V8 with…

MODEL TESTED: BMW 530e M Sport PRICE: £50,120 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl & e-motor, 249bhp THERE are two versions of the 530e. While these pictures show the four-wheel-drive xDrive, our figures are for the two-wheel-drive model. In M Sport trim, it’s closely matched to the E 300 e, at £50,120. Design & engineering BMW updated the 530e model last year with a slightly more energy-dense battery, increasing its capacity to 12kWh. The firm didn’t make any changes to the rest of the car, so its performance is unchanged, although the xDrive model was added to the range for those after four-wheel drive. We’d stick with this rear-wheel-drive variant because it’s cheaper and you rarely need four-wheel drive in the UK. This 12kWh battery has a useable capacity of 10.4kWh, which is…

Volkswagen T-Roc R Discover Navigation Standard Key features: Nav, smartphone link THE Volkswagen’s eight-inch screen includes sat-nav and smartphone connectivity. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work well on the screen, because it’s responsive to the touch, and the screen is big and bright. The built-in graphics are sharp and modern-looking, with plenty of useful functions. There’s also a digital instrument cluster as standard, which is a great bit of kit that can show all sorts of info directly in front of the driver, including nav directions. It’s customisable using buttons on the steering wheel. All of this is very similar to the set-up on the Cupra. There’s very little difference between the two systems, because even the menus are laid out in a similar way, despite having a slightly different…

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Great Cars: Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé Rinsey Mills (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk) Price: £60 IT’S impressive to see a volume with such high production values and so much detail about a car that’s so rare – only six Daytona Coupés were built. It’s a well researched story, and as always we enjoy this series’ selection of high-quality studio shots at the end of the book. An English Car Designer Abroad Peter Birtwhistle (Veloce, veloce.co.uk) Price: £25 THE world of car design is never more interesting than in the words of a designer. Author Birtwhistle had spells at Porsche, Audi and GM, and was Mazda’s head designer for more than a decade. That makes this a pretty interesting read, even for non-designers. We’d have liked to see his work done justice with…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q Lower mileage on MoT A USED car I was looking to buy had fewer miles on its odometer than its most recent MoT certificate said it should. I walked away from the sale, but was I being over-cautious? Annie Heston, E-mail A ITS mileage may have been wrongly entered by the tester during the MoT test. This can be corrected at the testing station within 28 days of the MoT, or by the DVSA after that. But with around half a million used cars for sale, there is no reason to buy one with this issue; you were being prudent, not over-cautious. Q Why aren’t screens illegal? WHY is it using a mobile phone when driving is illegal, but there is no law prohibiting…

● Battery-powered city car will have near-200-mile range ● Launched as cabriolet, but hard-top version is expected THE Fiat 500 has been a city-car icon since the reborn model was launched in 2007. It has been kept relevant mostly with colour and trim upgrades since then, but now it’s time for the biggest revolution in the car’s history: the all-new, all-electric 500. The revisions required to make the 500 EV are sufficient enough for Fiat to call this model the third generation – following the 2007 rebirth and the original Cinquecento made between 1957 and 1975. There’s a new platform that results in a slight increase in size compared with the Mk2, so the EV is 60mm wider and 60mm longer. The car’s wheelbase has grown by 20mm too, but…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk VOLKSWAGEN has revealed the Mk8 Golf GTI, alongside the latest version of the diesel-powered Golf GTD, and both cars will go on sale in the UK this summer. When they do, they’ll form an important trio of ‘GT’-badged cars, alongside the latest plug-in hybrid GTE model. Last year, hot Golf variants – including the even faster Golf R – accounted for 40 per cent of all UK sales. VW has avoided any major alterations to the Golf GTI recipe, and unlike the similar Skoda Octavia vRS (below), it has kept it free from hybrid assistance. As with the last GTI, there’s a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, which is a fourth-generation version of VW’s ‘EA888’ motor. It makes 242bhp and 370Nm of torque and sends power to the…

CRITICS may scoff at the Ami’s sparse cabin, but it feels functional and logically laid out. There are no plush materials; this is a car built to cost, and one that will need to withstand the abuse of multiple users. Our driver gives the Ami a quick burst of acceleration as we round the corner to the back straight, and while it doesn’t pin us in our seat, there’s enough shove. As a hop-in-hop-out, zero-commitment car-sharing solution for urban dwellers, it’s surely the blueprint all others must follow.…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Which?: 01992 878329 Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0330 159 0364 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk THIS is the new Audi RS 4 Avant. As the defining estate car of the past 20 years, little else on the road has managed to deliver the same mix of pace, comfort and practicality. And now, there’s an update for 2020. The changes fall in line with the revisions applied to lesser A4 models last year. From the outside, there are some subtle styling upgrades; the headlight graphics gain a more modern look, while the air intakes in the front bumper are ever-so-slightly reshaped. The most obvious change is the three slim fake air vents on the bonnet’s leading edge, mimicking those on the iconic ur-Quattro. New tail-lights freshen up the rear, and of the eight paint colours on offer, Turbo Blue and Tango Red are new to…

Mercedes E-Class Audio 20 Standard Key features: Nav, dual screens THE E-Class uses Mercedes’ Audio 20 set-up as standard. This comes with all the tech you need, yet has a couple of key omissions in the plug-in hybrids: there’s no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay here, despite them being standard on all other E-Class models. The 12.3-inch displays look great and are easy to use, with a rotary dial on the centre console rather than the fiddly touchpad on newer Mercedes like the A-Class. The digital instrument cluster is just as sharp as the main screen and is loaded with info. It’s less precise to use, because the touch-sensitive pads on the steering wheel are the only way to flick between settings, but you don’t have to interact with them…

MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen T-Roc R 2.0 TSI 4Motion PRICE: £38,450 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 296bhp THERE’S only one model and trim level for the T-Roc R, and it costs £38,450. It joins the Golf R as one of Volkswagen’s quickest models, but unlike in the Golf range, there’s no T-Roc GTI version. Design & engineering THE T-Roc is based on the VW Group’s MQB platform, just like the Ateca, and this means both cars share parts not only with each other but also with all sorts of models, including the VW Golf, the Skoda Octavia and the SEAT Leon, all of which have their own hot variants. It means the cars’ powertrains here are not just similar, but virtually identical; there’s a bit of tuning that goes on at Volkswagen and…

INTERIOR THE T-Roc R’s interior falls well short of what buyers of a £40,000 SUV will expect. The plastic used for the dashboard and centre console is more in line with the quality you see in a supermini-SUV than a mid-sized one. Better-quality materials make the Cupra Ateca more upmarket, although given the price tags, we would still like to see more attention paid to this area in both models here. POWERTRAIN BOTH cars have the same 2.0-litre-engine and four-wheel-drive system, and the most impressive aspect of this setup is how fast it is off the line. The automatic launch-control system in the VW and Cupra models holds revs at an ideal point, then when you let go of the brake, it works out where best to send the power…

Otis_Clay@dennis.co.uk Running costs 41.0mpg (on test) £64 fill-up/£145 or 27% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 467/1,410 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/136mph IT’S almost time to see off our Skoda Scala, as it nears the end of its time on our fleet. But before it sets sail to shores anew, I had one last ferrying job for our bargain family hatchback. My dad recently bought a boat from the Netherlands, which he is now renovating in West Sussex. Although he drives a Skoda Superb, which is even more spacious than our Scala, he needed some help transporting parts and tools for the big job. Our Scala seemed like the perfect companion for the trip, because I knew – after months behind the wheel – that it would be up to…

Mountune turns up the heat on Fiesta ST TUNING firm Mountune has worked its magic once more on the very latest Ford Fiesta ST. It’s launched the m235 package (above), which brings peak power to 232bhp and peak torque to 350Nm. The complete package includes calibration to improve no-lift shifts, a high-flow induction kit and an OBD adaptor giving access to Mountune’s SmartFlash app, which allows for on-the-fly tuning and calibration. The full package costs £575 and can be ordered at www.mountunestore.com. Tour an Audi factory without leaving home EVER wanted an Audi factory tour, but don’t want to go all the way to Germany? The answer could be Audi’s livestreams. By visiting audi.stream, you can book on to a live, virtual-reality tour of the Audi factory, in German or English. Selected…

Dear Luke, I need to replace my car with one that’s well suited to carrying my two dogs. My budget is £17,000; what do you recommend? Carole Swaby, E-mail Contact: Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk • THE GO-ANYWHERE CHOICE LR Discovery Sport FOR: Seven seats, plush image, official dog pack AGAINST: Clunky infotainment, questionable reliability THE Discovery Sport has a well earned reputation for practicality, and this is improved further with Land Rover’s official Pet Packs, which comprise rubber floor mats and cage dividers, and can be fitted to used models. This budget gets a 2015 187bhp 2.2-litre SE Tech car, or a newer (but less well equipped) Pure version. Most Disco Sports are diesel, and 2015 cars may not meet London’s ultra-low-emission-zone standards – something to consider if you plan to drive in…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk ●Five-door car only at launch ● Mild-hybrid engine available AUDI has revealed its all-new A3 hatchback, which is due to go on sale in the UK this summer, with prices set to start from around £24,000. The outgoing A3 is the oldest car in the brand’s UK line-up, but the changes for this Mk4 car aren’t revolutionary. It requires a trained eye to spot the differences outside, but at 1,820mm wide, this A3 has grown a fair bit, while it’s also longer from nose to tail, at 4,034mm. Yet it’s no taller than the Mk3, and the wheelbase hasn’t grown. Its exterior gets a makeover straight from Audi’s latest design guidelines, with a larger hexagonal grille, new LED headlights and tail-lamps, plus aggressive styling for S line models. The…

DS reveals concept ‘for the electric age’ THE DS brand has unveiled an all-electric pseudo-SUV concept called the Aero Sport Lounge. DS says this concept previews a new bodystyle for the electric age, and it’s been designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible. The concept is powered by Formula E-derived 670bhp electric motors and a 110kWh battery, which combine to give the concept a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds and a range of around 400 miles on a single charge. Study: posh cars don’t stop for pedestrians DRIVERS of expensive cars are less likely to stop for pedestrians than those in cheaper models, the Journal of Transport & Health has found. Researchers observed 500 cars at zebra crossings in America and found just 129 cars stopped for pedestrians, despite…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk BMW has given us a thinly veiled glimpse at its upcoming pure-electric Tesla Model 3 rival with the unveiling of the Concept i4. The production car is due to arrive in showrooms next year. Underneath, the Concept i4 shares its basic structure with the next BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé. It features a handful of styling tweaks, such as a larger radiator grille, updated headlamps, a revised rear end, and a range of blue styling elements, in a bid to distance this electric saloon from BMW’s conventionally powered line-up. To maximise the car’s range, BMW has also fitted a range of aerodynamically conscious features, such as the wide-spoke alloy wheels and blanked-off ducting for the front bumper. The lowered side skirts also conceal the battery pack, while a rear…

Limited edition marks Pininfarina’s 90th PININFARINA has revealed a special edition version of its all-electric Battista hypercar, intended to celebrate 90 years of the firm’s name in coachbuilding. Just five examples of the Battista Anniversario (above) will be built, each priced from £2.2m. Four on-board electric motors mean a power output of 1,874bhp, with 2,300Nm torque on tap, too. As well as this, the Anniversario sports a unique livery, and is 10kg lighter than the normal Battista. Legal action may see buyers’ compensation DRIVERS who bought a new car between October 2006 and September 2015 may be entitled to up to £60 compensation. That’s after a legal action was launched claiming five companies fixed prices for transporting new cars to the UK, overcharging dealers for delivery, with the extra costs…

New i30 is here to rival Golf, Focus THERE’S no denying that Hyundai is on a roll. Hot on the heels of the new i20 is this facelifted i30, packing plenty of changes you can see, and even more that you can’t. But are these revisions enough to challenge the likes of the Focus and Golf? Alex Ingram had an exclusive preview to find out. youtube.com/Autoexpress BMW X5 xDrive45e This SUV has the longest electric range of any plug-in hybrid today, making it one of the lowest-emission PHEVs, despite its six-cylinder engine. Vicky Parrott drives it to see if that zero-emissions mileage can make the big BMW the best luxury PHEV of all. youtube.com/drivingelectric You can watch any of our videos on your phone Simply scan this QR code.…

FORD has announced its move into the ‘micro-mobility’ market with the European roll-out of Spin, the electric scooter company it bought in 2018. Spin already rents out bikes and e-scooters in 70 American cities and universities. Its expansion will begin this spring in Cologne, Germany, before applying for forthcoming e-scooter permits in Paris, France. Spin will then “explore opportunities to take part in the UK’s pending e-scooter share trials”. A number of other brands – including Peugeot and Audi – either offer production e-scooters or plan to do so, but Ford’s decision to enter the rental market is unique among car manufacturers. What makes Spin different from some shared mobility companies, Ford says, is that its services will only be introduced after working closely with governments and local community groups.…

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk “We do our traditional tests on the drive system here, so how the system works on ice and also the lubrication”ANDREAS MAIR Director of product tech, GKN IF Government statements are to be believed, there will only be 15 years of petrol, diesel and hybrid-engined new car sales in the UK before they are banned, leaving electric cars – and any potential hydrogen cars – as the only option. Car manufacturers know this, but finding cost-effective and practical methods of electrifying their model ranges is a lengthy process that demands huge amounts of financial resources, as well as development time. But what if someone else could do all that hard work? After all, manufacturers aren’t averse to outsourcing the building of new cars to third-party companies – just witness…

Joe_Holding@dennis.co.uk THE first Kia Soul EV appeared back in 2014, following in the tyre tracks of petrol and diesel siblings when it wasn’t clear if electric cars would ever take off. How times change, because the new Soul EV is now the only variant that’s offered in Europe, and this is our first chance to drive it in the UK. Underneath, this latest model uses the same powertrain as the Kia e-Niro. That means a single electric motor sends 201bhp and 395Nm of torque to the front wheels, and it’s fed by a 64kWh lithium-ion battery mounted under the floor. Kia claims a 0-60mph sprint takes 7.6 seconds, and on paper the Soul EV will return 280 miles of range from a single charge. On the road, those performance figures…

MODEL TESTED: Mercedes E 300 e EQ Power AMG Line PRICE: £50,030 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl & e-motor, 316bhp THIS is the first time we’ve tested the petrol version of Mercedes’ E-Class plug-in hybrid. The E 300 e costs from £50,030 in AMG Line trim, which is a close match for the 530e in M Sport form. Design & engineering JUST like the regular E-Class, the plug-in E 300 e variant is based on Mercedes’ Modular Rear Architecture (MRA). This means the car uses a multi-link rear axle, and it even comes with adaptive dampers as standard. You can alter their level of stiffness using the driving mode selector on the centre console. Next to this is a button that lets you adjust how the battery is used. There’s a mode…

POWERTRAIN THE E-Class comes in petrol form as tested here or as a diesel. Which one you go for depends on your usage; those doing lots of longer trips should pick the diesel, although it’s not as efficient as a non-hybrid diesel when the battery isn’t charged. With the 5 Series, your choice is between the regular two-wheel-drive model and four-wheel drive. We’d go for the former and save £2,000. CHARGING THE E 300 e comes with a three-pin charging cable and a Type 2 cable for use with wallboxes. BMW includes a three-pin plug, and offers Type 2 cables for £165 or £237 (single or three-phase). You can also have a home wallbox installed as part of the purchase, costing from £825. Mercedes offers a BP Chargemaster installation for…

MODEL TESTED: Cupra Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive 300PS Comfort and Sound  PRICE: £39,345 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 296bhp THE Cupra Ateca was commended in the 2019 Auto Express New Car Awards, because it was the model that headed a wave of more affordable performance SUVs. It’s still not cheap, though, because this Comfort and Sound version costs £39,345. Design & engineering CUPRA is a relatively new brand, and the Ateca was its first car. The Cupra name was previously used on hot SEATs, but now the firm has decided to use the tag as a brand itself. The Cupra version of SEAT’s Ateca sits 20mm lower and has adaptive dampers as standard, which means it’s better-equipped mechanically than the T-Roc R. Like on the Volkswagen with them added as an option,…

Audi SQ2 Black Edition PRICE: £38,865 ENGINE: 2.0-litre petrol, 296bhp IF you like the 2.0-litre engine in the T-Roc R and Ateca but don’t like their styling, you’re in luck: it’s also fitted to other cars, including the Audi SQ2. Performance is very similar, and the SQ2 is also good to drive. It’s not as practical as the Cupra, though. Porsche Macan (2018) PRICE: £50,000 ENGINE: 2.0-litre petrol, 242bhp ANOTHER car featuring this engine, albeit in a lower state of tune, is the Porsche Macan. Stretch your budget to £50,000 for a model with around 15,000 miles and you’ll have one of the best-handling SUVs around. It also rides more smoothly than the others here.…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs 27.9mpg (on test) £65 fill-up/£145 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 541/1,576 litres WE’RE just over halfway through our term with the Ford Focus ST Estate now, and it struck me that we’ve eulogised about its practicality more than its on-road behaviour. And that was a bit of a mistake. That’s not to say that the Focus isn’t up to coping with family life. Quite the opposite, in fact; I’ve already become dangerously accustomed to just opening the wagon’s boot and hurling all sorts of clutter in there for days out. My son’s bicycle (and assorted clobber), bags full of wellies, the odd coolbag – you name it, the ST estate swallows it. So yes, the Focus is continuing to impress me with its practicality.…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Giving a steer on cleaner WHAT should I use to clean a leather steering wheel? I’ve tried a leather cleaner/conditioner, but my wheel feels ‘sticky’ afterwards. Peter Austin, E-mail A OUR best results came with a leather cleaner without conditioner, which you can dilute to reduce any stickiness. Protect the dash with towels before spraying, apply to a soft brush or cloth, and work into the leather. Remove grime with a damp cloth and allow to dry. If the finish is dull, use a conditioner sparingly and buff off. Q Top reusable travel mug SINCE coffee shops have been giving discounts for taking your own cup, I’ve been using a travel mug I had at the back of a cupboard. It works okay but gets…

BAK-rak’s Bike-rak and Box-rak combo trounced the opposition in our towball-mounted load carriers test (Issue 1,562), and now there’s an even more versatile version. This new design can be adapted to carry bikes, a storage box, skis or a spare wheel. But does it still have the edge over the opposition? To find out, we put it up against the two podium finishers from our 2019 test. We checked how well each solution worked, their security, the ease of swapping between modes, and their weight, which is a key factor because tow balls have a load limit. The final factor was price. Bak-rak remains our choice here with its well thought-out design and versatile load carrying. Buzz Rack is a cost-effective solution, while the Modula works extremely well, but is…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ● Reliability issues hit Mercs ● Racing Point shows pace MERCEDES was once again quickest as the second three-day pre-season F1 test wrapped up at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Friday. The fastest time of the week came from Valtteri Bottas, who went round in 1:16.196, just short of the 1:15.732 benchmark he set during the previous week’s test session. The chasing pack weren’t far behind, with Red Bull, Renault, Racing Point, Ferrari and McLaren drivers all within 0.6 seconds of Bottas’s week-two effort as the flag dropped on Friday evening. Week two had opened with Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica going fastest on Wednesday, before Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel went round the circuit in 1:16.841 on Thursday. Despite Mercedes’ speed, some chinks appeared in the Silver…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “The Government is seeking the public’s views on ending the sale of new hybrid, petrol or diesel cars and vans” I NEVER thought I’d witness the day a British government announced tentative plans to ban/prevent/prohibit consumers from buying new petrol, diesel or hybrid cars and light commercial vehicles. But it’s happened. Our leaders have expressed a willingness (not a commitment or a guarantee) to soon make such factory-fresh vehicles illegal. With that in mind, 33 Horseferry Road is a place you need to know about and connect with. Why? Because the friendly folks at No. 33 (a 10-minute walk from Parliament) are employed by OLEV – the Office for Low Emission Vehicles – part of the Government’s Department for Transport and Department…