Indice dei contenuti per February 23, 2022 in Autocar

BMW has yet to launch a full-fat M version of its largest saloon, but the XM and nextgen M5 are unlikely to be the only models in the portfolio to use the new electrified V8, meaning an M7 hybrid with supercar levels of power and pace could become reality. Such a model would serve as a direct rival to Mercedes-AMG’s upcoming S63 E Performance – itself a rapid luxury saloon with an electrified V8 – and in effect replace the V12-engined M760i, which finally goes out of production later this year.…

JEEP WILL DITCH purecombustion engines in Europe later this year, leaving just hybrid versions of its Compass, Renegade and Cherokee on sale – alongside the 375bhp Grand Cherokee PHEV flagship, which is available to pre-order from this week. The move comes as Jeep confirms plans to introduce a pure-electric car in every SUV segment by 2025, by which point 70% of its global sales are forecast to be electrified. CEO Christian Meunier outlined the brand’s electrification strategy to reporters, confirming that the EV roll-out extends to only “true SUVs, not raised hatchbacks”. This suggests that Jeep will continue to focus on off-road ability as it switches to an allelectric line-up. The Wrangler-based Magneto concept hints at what to expect, said Meunier, although he confirmed that there will be “a few…

EVs may be helping to save the planet but they’re doing little to balance the books of UK plc because they attract neither road tax nor fuel duty, and as the 2030 ban on the sale of new pure-ICE cars approaches, this will become a shortfall the country can no longer afford. One solution, suggested by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee (TSC), is road pricing, which was first raised by UK policy makers in the 1964 Smeed Report when they recommended congestion pricing on UK roads. With improvements in technology and experience of schemes such as the London congestion charge, road pricing’s time may have come. We explain what it is and the challenges it’s likely to face. How much tax is raised from vehicles and how is…

TWO-STROKE ENGINES have become topical again after news emerged that Mazda has applied for a patent on a supercharged two-stroke engine design. Two-strokes differ from four-strokes (all current production car piston engines) in that each cylinder in a two-stroke engine produces power twice as often as a four-stroke for the same number of cycles. The most traditional two-strokes have no camshafts, poppet valves or any other kind of moving machinery in the top end of the engine, which makes them lighter, cheaper, simpler and able to generate more power per kilogramme. Because of that, they’ve been ideal for motorcycles, producing more bangs for the buck in a lighter package. Instead of valves letting air in and exhaust out, the most basic two-stroke designs have transfer ports in the cylinder barrels…

WAGONS ROLL FOR G70 We felt honoured when Genesis designed the handsome new G70 Shooting Brake specifically for Europe, but now it turns out we’ve got to share the BMW 3 Series Touring rival with other markets. Chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke told Autocar: “We did the G70 Shooting Brake for Europe but then all the markets said ‘we want it as well’. Even the US said ‘we don’t want any wagons here’, then they said ‘oh sorry, can we revise that?’ They saw the car and they decided they wanted it. “Korea, as well, is not a wagon country but now we are introducing the Shooting Brake there.” In the future, the brand will take a global approach to product roll-out. “As soon as you invest in something and…

Concerns are growing among motor dealers that the reduced servicing and maintenance requirements of electric cars, plus the high cost of training and equipping technicians, will affect the profitability of workshops and diminish the aftersales experience for customers. Evidence from leading fleet companies suggests that due to their simplified mechanicals, lightly used braking systems and higher levels of reliability, the service, maintenance and repair costs of EVs are around half those of petrol and diesel vehicles. In addition, most electric cars have longer service intervals, while some, such as certain Audis, have no limitation on mileage during each two-year scheduled service period. Manufacturers make maintenance savings a key part of their electric car offer to customers. Nissan, for example, claims owners can cut their costs by 40% compared with an…

MONDAY A Bentley has arrived and all is right with the world. It’s not just any Bentley but a Continental GT V8 in single-tone dark grey with beautiful tan leather buckets, my favourite colour for seats. I’ve got plenty of driving for work to do this week, but I’ll also make sure I do the A424 that connects Burford to Broadway near my place, just for fun. It’s not a big driving challenge, but it reminds you with every mile what a wonderful view of the world you can get if you travel by car. It has been 20 years since some of us were smuggled into a dimly lit auditorium to see an original Continental GT styling buck, before the company launched production cars the following year. The Bentley…

‘PAYBACK’ WAS HOW Pascal Wehrlein described his and Porsche’s first Formula E win, which came at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (on a shorter layout than that used by Formula 1). The German has history in Mexico, having missed out on victory in the final metres in the past, while last year he crossed the line first only for his Porsche to be disqualified on a silly tyre technicality. How he set the record straight, with team-mate André Lotterer shadowing him home, was immensely “satisfying”. That sense of satisfaction was increased for the team by its execution of strategy. As the clock ran down on the 45-minute duration, the drivers were told to push for the line before the time was up to ensure the field needed to complete not one…

The first-generation 2 Series Active Tourer never sat well with BMW traditionalists, but it sold some 430,000 units worldwide over the past eight years, so a secondgeneration model was inevitable. It is no surprise, then, to find the second-generation model follows its predecessor closely. New detailing and tauter surfacing gives a much sharper appearance, and it is more aerodynamically efficient. At 4386mm long, 1824mm wide and 1576mm high, the new Active Tourer is just 67mm longer and 25mm wider but a good 142mm higher than the latest 1 Series hatch. The generous height and wideopening doors make for easy entry to both the front and the rear seats. Inside, the new BMW is modelled closely on the new iX. The interior has a more premium feel, with a curved screen…

It’s a mark of how far EVs have come and how usable their ranges have got that manufacturers are now starting to launch short-range versions of existing models. As battery tech matures, it’s to be expected that cars are updated with larger packs, but Volkswagen seems confident enough in its ID 4 that it’s now introducing a cheaper version with a 52kWh battery pack called Pure. The headline figures are a starting price of £34,995 and 213 miles of range – £6435 and 100 miles less than the ID 4 with the 77kWh battery. By the standards of conventional cars, that might not sound like great value, but it’s actually cheaper than the entry-level versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq. It’s pretty well equipped, too. That’s where…

The first Nissan Skyline GT-R, introduced in 1969, was a bland-looking saloon that spawned an only slightly more exciting coupé in 1971. But they were powered by a 2.0-litre straight six that directed 158bhp through a fivespeed gearbox to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. In terms of output per litre, that put it approximately on par with its contemporary and then the world’s fastest car, the V12-engined Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’. I will gloss over the similarly powered second-generation car of 1973, because the oil crisis meant it was abandoned after fewer than 200 had been built. And that seemed to be the end of it. It would be the end of the following decade before the next Skyline GT-R came along. This 1989 R32 model established the…

I don’t tend to feel queasy in car simulators, but within a few seconds of sitting in one at sim company Dynisma’s Bristol headquarters, I’m going a bit green. It isn’t the sim’s fault. It hasn’t even been started up yet, so it isn’t moving. Actually, that’s the problem. On the big screen in front of me, the car I’m simulated to be sitting inside is gently rolling down a pit straight, so my eyes are telling me one thing and my backside quite another. I shut my eyes until the technicians actually boot up the system. Problem solved. In part, the relationship between eyes and body is what’s key to making a simulator feel natural to the people sitting inside it. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m…

RARITY ALONE DOESN’T make something a future classic, but it sure helps. What sealed the deal for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio’s invitation to our winners’ circle is that it’s one of the most soulful cars on sale today. It is utterly sublime to drive, it is a car whose like we don’t see often and it is simply adored by those who love it. Any BMW M3 is great, but there have been lots of M3s in the past and there will probably be a better, quicker one in a year or two. In contrast, after decades of greatlooking but disappointing cars, the Giulia was intended to be the first product of a reinvigorated Alfa. To find the last truly great Alfa before it, you probably need to go…

“IT’S NOT A proper Defender! It’s too posh! It doesn’t have a hose-out interior!” There will always be those who think that once a car has nailed its colours to the wall and defined its place and role in the world, that’s what it has to be forever. Nonsense. Cars have always had to move with the times in order to stay relevant, and this is a brilliant reinterpretation of Land Rover’s classic. What makes it a future classic in the eyes of our judges is that, despite taking inspiration from the original car, it’s also fresh-feeling and so well executed that it effortlessly escapes any sense of being a modern pastiche. This car is instantly recognisable as a Defender, for example, and yet it’s not retro. The three-door 90…

I agree with Steve Cropley’s worries about the future of Jaguar (My Week In Cars, 19 January). Even with hindsight, I struggle to accept the cancellation of the electric XJ at such a late stage or the lack of proper promotion, development or expansion of the I-Pace. Surely it needs a more affordable singlemotor, rear-wheel-drive variant with a smaller battery; and a more powerful and glamorous variant, especially as [contract builder] Magna Steyr eats into its profitability? It wouldn’t cost a lot to deliver this, and on a car that’s said to be part of Jaguar’s future. Instead, we’ve heard nothing of significance for more than a year, offering no reassurance to Jaguar’s many fans. Why not some outrageous designs concepts? Something to offer hope for the future – please!…

M2 COMPETITION Perhaps the most keenly anticipated and highestprofile launch on BMW’s agenda for this year is that of the G87-generation M2, which will take the formula of the acclaimed Mk1 model and uprate it across the board to strengthen its position as a leader in the sports coupé segment. The reinvented Porsche 718 Cayman rival is due in dealerships by the end of the year, which means a reveal is only months away. The secondgeneration 2 Series coupé on which it is based is already on sale, still with rear-wheel drive as standard in nonperformance models and with a four-wheel-drive M240i, which packs 369bhp and 369lb ft, topping the line-up. Power for the M240i comes from BMW’s B58 straight six, but the M2 will use a variant of the…

In 2009, Singapore was the first to launch electronic road pricing aimed at reducing congestion. Sensors mounted on overhead gantries communicate with an in-vehicle unit affixed to each car’s windscreen into which the vehicle keeper inserts a pre-pay card. Charges fluctuate according to the time of day, with peak times being the most expensive. London’s congestion charge zone was inspired by it, but a road pricing system on the scale of the UK’s would need to be GPS-based.…

Jaguar Land Rover has partnered US software giant Nvidia to introduce heightened connectivity and advanced autonomous driving functionality to all cars launched from 2025. Forming an important part of JLR CEO Thierry Bolloré’s bold Reimagine transformation strategy for the car maker, the new “multi-year” partnership means the two firms will collaborate on software development, rather than Nvidia supplying its technology off the shelf. Nvidia’s Drive software architecture will be integrated into all new Jaguar and Land Rover cars, supplying them with “next-generation automated driving systems, plus AI-enabled services and experiences for its customers”. Specific details of the system’s functionality remain under wraps but JLR suggested that active safety, parking systems, occupant monitoring, advanced visualisation and uprated safety aids will be among the headline features. A crucial component for JLR’s business…

My house has a perfectly good central heating system, so clever and efficient that if I turn a knob on the wall, the rooms get hotter. Yet still sometimes I will stack a pile of logs into a container in the front room and set fire to them instead. This is stupid. If I sit too close, I will get so hot that I will take off a jumper: another mistake, because the fire convinces the thermostat that there’s a heatwave and to switch off the central heating, leaving the rest of the house stony cold. And it’s worse than that. The burner is dusty, it clouds the room with particulates that are bad for me and those coming out of the chimney are bad for anyone nearby – which…

LAUNCHING A NEW car company without an electric vehicle these days is nigh-on impossible, given the tight rules surrounding fleetaverage CO2 emissions in the European Union and the UK, but that’s exactly what Ineos Automotive hopes to do when Grenadier deliveries begin. But how? The answer: study the rules extremely carefully and exploit the grey area between cars and commercial vehicles. Ineos has yet to reveal the exact CO2 figures for the Grenadier, but with power coming from a BMW straight six, either petrol or diesel, the number is going to be high. Both the EU and the UK require an average CO2 figure of 95g/km across all cars sold, with a few grams of leeway given to brands that make heavier vehicles. There are, however, special dispensations offered to…

If deepening the relationship with customers and keeping their cars for longer within the franchise is one way dealers can increase their EV servicing revenue, then locking those customers into service plans could be the way to do it. Tying a customer into a service agreement that is paid monthly by instalments avoids the pain of paying a lump sum each year (or two years in the case of many EVs) and reduces the risk of buyers shopping around for a cheaper alternative. They also allow dealers to remain in contact with the customer and maybe sell a replacement vehicle rather than losing them to another franchise. Service plans are big business. EMAC boasts 16 OEMs on its books plus many large dealer groups. It claims to have 1.8 million…

This early production Peugeot 308 was made available to us for Car of the Year assessment (the winner of which title will be announced on 28 February). On the seven-car shortlist, it’s the only internally combusting competitor, and although there’s a plug-in hybrid variant and a fully electric e-308 coming, they don’t get more internally combusting than this Puretech 130 GT variant. It has a 129bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine driving via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A manual ’box is available abroad in lower specifications, but all UK cars will be auto-only. The 308 is a traditional small family hatchback – that most conventional and still appealing sector of the market. An estate, badged the SW, will arrive at the same time as the hatch in April. It’s a…

MODEL TESTED vRS 2.0 TSI 245PS 4x4 DSG Price £46,035 Power 242bhp Torque 273lb ft 0-60mph 5.9sec 30-70mph in fourth 9.9sec Fuel economy 29.5mpg CO2 emissions 199g/km 70-0mph 59.2m It wasn’t so long ago that diesel shook off its reputation as HGV fuel and simply became the fashionable, economical choice for any kind of car. Everything had to be diesel-powered, from city cars to supercars, to the point that Audi at one stage seriously considered a V12 diesel R8. How quickly that’s changed. A handful of diesel performance cars remain, like the Audi SQ5 and the BMW M340d, but the tide has rapidly turned. The BMW M550d is long gone and the Ford Focus ST diesel won’t return after the facelift. Skoda has a long history with performance diesels – the…

I am powering through the first corner at Brands Hatch, the incredibly steep and treacherous offcamber Paddock Hill Bend, clinging onto my machine as it maxes out. I hit the bottom and start the climb towards the Druids Hairpin. Gravel and kerbs rush past. The incline kicks in and my machine slows from its gravity-assisted maximum. Yes, the 25kph readout on the speedometer becomes 24, 23, 22, 20, 17, 13… and I start to scoot. My leg starts to hurt. The turn is still a very long way away. The idea was simple. Autocar’s publisher has set up a new website called Move Electric (moveelectric. com) to cover (you guessed it) all forms of electric mobility. To celebrate the launch and highlight its broad remit, the team has decamped to…

THE JUDGES DEBATED and agonised over some of our finalists, but the Alpine A110 wasn’t one of those cars. Even those who had never driven it recognised its claim as a guaranteed future classic. For those who had enjoyed the experience, the certainty was all the clearer. This is a very rare and special car indeed: a compact sporting two-seater for the car enthusiast cognoscenti that will always have a following. Something great looking and also right looking: tastefully retro, purposefully low and compact and genuinely beautiful in this era of increasingly aggressive and aerodynamic sports cars. The A110 is probably the most critically acclaimed and influential sports car to have been introduced in the past decade – and yet it almost didn’t happen. It made our winners’ circle when…

YOU MIGHT THINK the GR Yaris is just a frenzied version of Toyota’s stylish supermini, but it’s so much more. Following the GR Supra coupé, it was the second performance model to bear the now-venerated Gazoo Racing tag. It reinjected some muchneeded life and spark into the hot hatch segment – and it has done even greater things for Toyota’s reputation as one of the ruling powers of the affordable driver’s car firmament. You might already have a grasp on how much we love the GR Yaris. Our testers gave it a perfect five-star score in both its first drive and road test, and it went on to secure the title of Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car back in 2020. In the year of its launch, there wasn’t a more…

FEATURE 24 hours in a McLaren GT The GT is McLaren’s most rounded car yet. So rounded that you could spend a whole day in one, sleeping bag and all? ROAD TEST BMW iX The flagship iX is the blueprint for future BMWs. We give it the full eight pages INTERVIEW Matt Windle Lotus boss picks the 12 cars that have defined his career EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE Toyota bZ4X Toyota’s first battery-electric car is a family SUV. We rate it CULT HERO BMW Z3 M The ‘other’ M with a 3 in its name comes under our expert eye SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p22…

MILEAGE 2499 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if a mid-engined supercar really can work as a commuting grand tourer Most commutes start early – and that’s where the McLaren GT initially comes unstuck. This isn’t a car to make you popular with the neighbours. The cold-start procedure drops a V8 whap into the quiet of 5am, waking the local feral cats and most of the houses on our street. There are worse cars out there (the Jaguar F-Type springs to mind), but it’s not the most social way to set off. Still, it’s only a brief musical interlude for the village before the commute proper starts. In these cold times, it takes a while for the GT to warm through properly, so a gentle throttle is required for the…

There’s something deliciously decadent about a large, powerful and uber-luxurious twodoor coupé, especially if it’s one that’s based on a four-door saloon. After all, it summarises what a coupé is – literally a carriage cut short – and it says to the world that the owner (or at least the original owner) had enough money to spend a little more on a little less, merely in the name of style. So, meet the gorgeous Mercedes-Benz CL, a shorter and lower S-Class and a haut-de-gamme grand tourer with a huge amount of technology and unimpeachable road presence. Three generations were made from 1996 to 2014, and we’re focusing on the last of them, introduced in 2006. In the metal, the C216 is dramatic as its devilishly handsome C215 predecessor was, with…

To say the Toyota Corolla is still going strong would be something of an understatement. Almost six decades after its initial launch, the model is now in its 12th generation and the world’s best-seller. A great choice for those craving a stylish but economical all-rounder, today’s Corolla is available in three bodystyles: a traditional hatchback, an estate (the Touring Sports) and, no longer available as a new car, a saloon. A 118bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine was offered with a six-speed manual gearbox at launch in 2019, along with two CVT hybrid powertrains: a revised version of the dependable 1.8-litre from the Prius (offering 120bhp and up to 65.9mpg) and a 2.0-litre producing 178bhp for 0-62mph in 7.9sec and 60mpg. Around 90% of Corollas sold were hybrids, prompting Toyota to…

For decades, companies have invested vast sums into new cars only for the plug to be pulled before they enter production. And sad to say, British marques are far from exempt. We’re now a year on from one of the industry’s most shocking cancellations: that of the all-new, all-electric Jaguar XJ. Here are some other famous home-grown cars you should have been able to buy but were denied the chance. Jaguar XJ 2021 A reimagined XJ limousine was meant to be unveiled in 2021, joining the I-Pace as Jaguar’s second EV. But in February last year, the firm announced that the virtually completed car had been cancelled after a rumoured £300 million had been spent on it. The new management said: “We concluded that the planned XJ replacement doesn’t fit…

THE NEXT-GENERATION Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid, due next year, will be the BMWowned brand’s most powerful series-production model yet. The Countryman will share its FAAR front-driven architecture with the all-new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (First drives, p29) and be produced alongside that model and the upcoming X1 crossover in Leipzig, Germany. It is set to use the same range of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the most potent of which will be a four-wheel-drive PHEV set-up with a combined output that shades even that of Mini’s current JCW GP hot hatchback. The powertrain will pair a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a 174bhp electric motor for a combined output of 322bhp, making the model substantially quicker than today’s 217bhp Countryman Cooper S E All4. A 14.2kWh (usable) battery will…

Ford’s hardcore Ranger Raptor pick-up has swapped its 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine for a substantially more powerful 3.0-litre petrol V6 and undergone a radical redesign influenced by the US-market F-150 Raptor. It will be the first version of the new fourth-generation Ranger to go on sale in Europe, with deliveries getting under way in late summer. The standard truck, revealed in 2021, will follow by the end of this year. The new 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 puts out 284bhp – a 74bhp hike – and 362lb ft. Although Ford has yet to reveal performance figures, the new Raptor is expected to comfortably outpace the previous version, which needed 10.1sec to hit 62mph from rest. However, the current 2.0-litre diesel engine will also be made available in the Raptor from 2023.…

Asked if JLR had concerns about Nvidia’s existing partnerships with other car makers, including Audi, Mercedes and Volvo, JLR strategy director François Dossa said: “The important thing is that all OEMs have their electrical architecture and they’re all different. In our case, we call it EVA. “This is a very sophisticated architecture and we are going to work with Nvidia to integrate its technology within our architecture. Of course, other OEMs don’t have the same architecture, so it will be different. For us, it’s a non-issue not to have the exclusivity.” He emphasised that JLR is not buying Nvidia’s software, but rather working with the firm as a technical partner.…

Lotus Cars is pushing ahead with plans to float its Lotus Technology division on the stock market in a move that would value it at £5-6 billion, the company has said. Lotus is in the middle of a roadshow that started in China and is currently in London to give potential investors a sneak preview of next year’s electric SUV, codenamed Type 132 and due to be revealed this spring. The Geely-owned brand told investors that it plans to sell 100,000 cars per year by 2028, of which 90,000 will be electric saloons and SUVs produced by Lotus Technology. The purpose of the roadshow is to “take the temperature” of investor enthusiasm for buying Lotus stock, said a spokesman. He said the company favours an IPO (initial public offering) over…

Camper. Bulli. Hippie van. That Volkswagen’s secondmost-recognisable vehicle, the Type 2 of 1949, has been known by so many names in so many different places around the world is evidence of just how widely and well loved it was and of the many purposes that it served. But the nickname that’s most relevant to us now is another one again: Microbus, or just Bus for short. That’s the one to which Volkswagen now refers with the rather cutesy handle of its much-anticipated, all-electric modern successor for the celebrated Type 2: the ID Buzz. The finished version is slightly less cutesy to look at than it has been in concept form, however, or that the memory of the Type 2 might make you expect. There are reasons for that, some of…

It may be more exciting to get to choose (as a car buyer might have done in 1985) from a 2.0, a 2.3, or a 2.8-litre V6 than it is picking a mild, full or plug-in hybrid, but the plug-in option arguably makes a bigger difference to the driving experience and how one might use the car. We’ve previously driven the pure-petrol and full-hybrid versions of the new Kia Sportage. Now it’s the turn of the plug-in hybrid. The drivetrain, shared by Hyundai and Kia, is a fairly familiar recipe by now. A 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor drive all four wheels through a six-speed torque-converter automatic. Power for the electric motor is provided by a 13.8kWh battery pack – fairly sizeable and good for an electric range…

They used to call it Godzilla, because it was big, scary and bit hard. But now there’s now another reason: like the aforementioned mythical theropod, the Nissan GT-R is bloody old. Fifteen years old this very year, no less. Think about that for a moment. The R35 GT-R was launched at the 2007 Tokyo motor show. We’ve had five different prime ministers since that year began, and the way things are going with the current incumbent, by the time you read this, we may be well on the way to six. This was also the year in which Kimi Räikkönen won the Formula 1 title for Ferrari. It hasn’t taken one since. It was also the year in which a handy little device called the iPhone went on sale, Madeleine…

The problem with using an EV on a race track is the power that it needs. Ariel, which is developing a rangeextender supercar, estimates that track driving uses 10-12 times as much fuel as fast road driving. Low single-figure MPG readouts are common in sports cars on track, draining even a big tank frighteningly quickly. That’s no big deal if you can put petrol back in in two minutes, but it is a problem for EVs, even with the fastest rapid-charging rates. EV track days, then, are rare (the first EV-only track day was last year, see Autocar 22 September), and some tracks won’t allow EVs to participate on general track days. Few circuits have fast chargers, too. However, Eskate Shop boss Tim Wood, who supplied us the Predator, still…

IT’S AMAZING TO me that no other manufacturer has offered to buy the tooling for the i3. Perhaps they have and BMW has simply said ‘no thanks’. This marvel of a modern supermini is due to go out of production in July this year and so only qualifies for our Future Classic award by the skin of its teeth. But, excepting the excellent Porsche Taycan, it’s probably the only electric car on the market right now that was ever likely to be in contention. I’m delighted that it has made the winners’ circle and by doing so proved that life after the internal combustion engine really needn’t be dull and charmless. When the i3 comes up in conversation, a great many people sagely comment that it has been a car…

Unfounded criticism As a petrolhead in my mid-sixties, I have owned many wonderful ICE cars and still run a Jaguar F-Type S, which I love. However, for Sandy Shandro to describe electric cars as “unsuited to so many people” (2 February) is just ill-informed nonsense. Yes, I admit I’m a convert, having recently acquired a Tesla Model 3 as my main daily car, and while I’m no evangelist for the green movement, I have to say it’s absolutely remarkable. The reliable range is 300 miles – far more than I, or I suggest 90% of motorists, travel in a single day. I have a home charger, which means I can have 300 miles of range available each morning. Tesla’s Supercharger network seems 100% reliable and I can add 210 miles…

Stealth fighter lands in Norfolk EVEN 45 YEARS after the flight of the first prototype, the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, often known simply as the stealth fighter, is an astonishing aircraft to behold. Indeed, radar evasion was the rationale for its jagged shape, which has since inspired the look of many things – including a car. The Stealth Tech 1 was made by Jim Router – who had worked on the Lotus Elan and McLaren F1 – and fellow engineer Jerry Booen. Not, then, some shed wannabes. The body was of glassfibre and plywood and finished with matt black paint while power came from Isuzu’s 165bhp 1.6-litre turbo four. Drive went through a Renault 25 transaxle, like on the Elan, and the suspension was all-independent. You entered under a gas-strutted canopy…

MILEAGE 7322 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether Peugeot’s new sporting saloon can hold its own on luxury and performance in this competitive space Having recently done a few motorway stints on weekdays, I have been pondering the viability of the 508 PSE as an executive car, which is, after all, one of its key reasons to exist. Peugeot reckons 65% of sales will be to fleets, stating on its website: “The 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered could be the perfect business vehicle for you, combining performance and low BIK thanks to its plug-in hybrid engine.” Driving long distances in the PSE is a pleasure: I like the driving position, seat comfort and general visibility. It feels very cosseting in a suitably premium way for a car costing not much…

An expert’s view ANTON MONTALBANO, TM MOTORS “The CL is incredibly comfortable and smooth to drive, as you would expect. With regards to what to look out for, the early M273 V8s suffer from worn idler wheels – a costly engine-out repair job – and the V12s can suffer from misfires caused by the two ignition coils, which are more than £1000 each. Also look out for suspension issues; the shocks and pump are also very expensive to replace, and remember these cars are getting older now. The multicontour seats often fail, normally due to air leaks. Finally, there are audio issues; amplifiers can fail and are very expensive to replace or repair.” Buyer beware… ■ ELECTRICS Unsurprisingly, the CL suffers from some of the same electrical problems as the…

IF YOU WERE asked to name a performance car, a Vauxhall MPV is probably among the last things you would think of. Yet the Zafira was one of many Vauxhalls to brandish the venerable VXR badge – and perhaps the most bonkers of them all. The Zafira VXR was fitted with a twin tailpipe exhaust, bulkier side skirts, 18in alloy wheels, a more imposing black front grille, carbonfibre-effect B-pillars and VXR door sill covers. The biggest change was located under the bonnet, where you would find the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine as in the Astra VXR hot hatch, producing 237bhp and 236lb ft of torque and driving through a six-speed manual gearbox. The 0-62mph sprint was over and done with in just 7.2sec and a top speed of 144mph…