Tabla de contenidos para February 2024 en CAR UK

The connection wasn’t obvious at the time, not least because my grey matter’s now seen 46 summers. But a few months ago aBMW engineer told me something and my train of thought meandered off to a brief drive in Japan nearly a decade earlier. That engineer was Dirk Hacker, BMW M division’s head of development. We were chatting in the then new M2, on a plinth, in the gardens of a hotel. Like you do. And having discussed everything from engines to electronics, F1 to bikes, we got onto the subject of EVs. And at this point Dirk either began lying to my face in the most convincing manner or this veteran engineer and confirmed petrolhead is genuinely excited about the brave new world of zero-emission performance cars. And then…

Urban SUV Concept A battery-electric sibling to the Yaris Cross, with an all-wheel-drive version promised. Real thing launches later in 2024, likely called bZ2X. bZ Compact SUV Concept A bZ3 saloon already exists for China. But this concept will morph into (yet another) SUV for crossover-hungry Euro buyers, likely named bZ3X. Expected in 2025. bZ4X Mk2 One of Toyota's first EVs but far from the best on the market, with poor efficiency, bland dynamics and weird looks in and out. FT-3e likely previews its 2027 replacement. Sport Crossover Concept Toyota’s keen to avoid an all-SUV line-up, so this swoopy four-door will launch as a flagship ‘style hero’ in 2025. The bZ5 or bZ6 name could be used.…

Alpine is so small, and its sole model such an infrequent sight on our roads, that you could be forgiven for forgetting that it’s a real car maker. But not for long. Encouraged by parent company Renault, Alpine is about to add the A290 electric hot hatch, and a ‘crossover GT’ in 2025, on its way to a line-up of seven EVs by the end of the decade. And while it’s delivering this ambitious plan for road cars, it will be expanding its motorsport commitment beyond F1 and LMP2 to include the top class of the World Endurance Championship, its A424 currently testing ahead of its race debut in Qatar in March. That’s a lot for a boutique European sports car maker to take on. Why is it happening, and…

Tell us about your first car… ‘We had started importing some Dodge Ram trucks so that was the first car I drove. Not an easy car in inner-city Germany.’ What achievement makes you most proud? ‘What we have done with Brabus in the last five years, to take it into the next generation and develop it into the brand that we have with a team which I consider the best in the world.’ What’s the best thing you’ve ever done in a car? ‘One of my favourite drives is Highway 1, going from Los Angeles to San Diego or San Francisco. The first time I did it was with a very old Mercedes M-Class.’ Tell us about a time when you’ve screwed up… ‘Which one do I take? I was…

The step from Level 2 to Level 3 self-driving cars is small on paper but hugely significant on the road. Much discussed over the past decade, ‘eyes-off’ systems have not materialised on schedule. Remember the Audi A8 promising Level 3 readiness back in 2017, only to be hit by regulation roadblocks? But 2024 looks like being the year when it really happens, at least in some countries. BMW has just launched its Personal Pilot L3 as a €6000 (£5200) option on the 7-series in Germany, although it’s not yet approved for use in the UK. We tested it at the company’s new autonomous driving R&D base at Sokolov in the Czech Republic. A quick recap on the terminology, which is based on Society of Automotive Engineers guidelines. The L3 bit…

What’s all this then? Ah, you know, not much. Just one of the greatest cars Honda’s ever built and the Hyundai that toppled VW’s Golf GTI, yours for less than the price of a bog-standard new Golf. Actual bargains? Without doubt. Ravaged by gale-force inflationary winds and lashed by exponential price rises, the modern automotive landscape has been battered out of all recognition. If you’re buying new, a budget of between £20k and £25k is painfully inconsequential. A new Polo? Nearly £21k before options, and that’s for a 1.0-litre Life with nothing in it. The power to climb hills? Some handling? Fun? Dream on. So, wind back the clock. The FK8 Civic Type R is hot-hatch royalty; a serial test winner and a car that feels so much like a…

What’s all this then? Your fantasy garage, Italiano st yle. For weekends, take the Lamborghini Aventador – aka the last gasp of pure V12 Lambo before it all went hybrid. For weekdays, jump in the Giulia Quadrifoglio – aka Alfa’s f irst rear-driven saloon since the 1990s, its BMW M3-beater and one of the greatest four-door performance cars of the last decade. Actual bargains? Well… think value and strong residuals for the Aventador more than low purchase price. The Murcielago successor cost around £250k new back in 2011 and early cars still command £140k or so, both as coupes or convertibles. But wait… for that you get a carbon monocoque, trick pushrod suspension and a f ire-breathing 6.5-litre V12 pushing out 691bhp minimum. Or 759bhp in the case of the…

Giant test: BYD vs Tesla vs Polestar THE DEFINITIVE VERDICT Five years ago this would’ve sounded mad, and even now it seems improbable, but here we are… a triple test in core company-car territory in which all contenders are electric, where Tesla is the best-known brand and from which legacy name plates are purged like CO2 from a greenwashed company report. Then, in a bizarre retro twist, we note that our test cars aren’t even SUVs, but four-door, rear-wheel-drive saloons. The market’s not so much been disrupted as turned upside down and brusquely shaken by the ankles. But our rules of engagement are familiar enough. We’re te sting EVs costing £40,000-£50,000 and offering around 300-400 miles of range with 250-300bhp. Endless driver-assist features and whizzy touchscreens to dwarf iPads are…

For hours we’ve crushed distance with speed, watching in reverential silence as vast landscapes – widescreen valleys between sky-scraping escarpments – slid inexorably from windscreen to windows to rearview mirror. As coarse tarmac rushed beneath warm Michelins and the V12 cantered just off idle for hour after hour, the effect was hypnotic. There was no traffic; no other life, even. Nothing to break the spell of this elemental place. Then, perhaps 20 minutes ago, the road turned and made straight for one of those escarpments. It then began to climb, soaring from scrub-flecked valley to cloudless sky in stacked coils of curves. Now the engine is awake. Now the spell is broken. We’ve traded lazy revs and barely-there inputs for 8000rpm and great sweeps of the throttle pedal, a savage…

Indulge me for a minute here. Imagine a guessing game where I describe a car without naming it, and see how long it takes my opponent to correctly identify the make and model. My take on the ID. 5 would go something like this. ‘It’s a big electric hatchback, with decent range and recharge rates. Anonymous and frumpy styling. Spacious and comfortable cabin but some iffy plastics and finishes. Woeful user interface, and second-rate ergonomics.’ Based on this info, they might well be thinking about the Chinese brands that have recently shaken up the UK market – BYD, Ora or MG. And then I drop the bomb. ‘It’s German and it’s knocking on £60k.’ I’m guessing VW would be the last manufacturer on their list. You just don’t expect aVolkswagen…

Porsche Taycan GTS Month 4 The story so far Four-wheel drive and an EV, but still drifts + Ease of pace staggering -Struggling to get it to charge with office units Logbook Price £111,200 (£126,486 as tested) Performance 83.7kWh battery, two e-motors, 510bhp, 3.7sec 0-62mph, 155mph Efficiency 2.93 miles per kWh (official), 2.97 miles per kWh (tested) Range 301 miles (official), 248 miles (tested) Energy cost 13.0p per mile Miles this month 1114 Total miles 16,887 A few years ago, I was working for a PR agency when Porsche conjured up a stunt involving the recently announced rearwheel-drive Taycan and asked our firm to help out. Chris Harris, who you’ll know from the TV as a very handy wheelman, was asked to try to break the world distance record for…

Some people prefer heavy cars in winter, even if the science doesn’t always stack up. That thought seems all the more relevant in the age of the overweight EV. Traction is one of the few advantages of mass, assuming it hasn’t been dissipated over the greater surface area of a massive set of tyres. At 2310kg this Genesis is far from the worst offender, and it has ploughed through this winter’s appalling weather with utter composure. Despite snow, standing water, potholes bigger than any pot I own and deep, wet piles of leaf mulch the brilliant AWD drivetrain has aligned torque to conditions with a speed and accuracy engines can’t match. It’s wonderfully low on stress. BEN OLIVER Genesis GV70 Electrified Month 2 The story so far Bad weather and…

Audi e-Tron GT Month 13 The story so far The (slightly) more affordable of Audi’s two-car e-Tron GT line-up, ours for a full year but gone now + An awesomely talented GT that just happens to be electric -The hairs on the back of your neck will be unmoved Logbook Price £83,285 (£93,575 as tested) Performance 93.4kWh battery, twin e-motors, 523bhp, 5.4sec 0-62mph, 152mph Efficiency 2.89 miles per kWh (official), 2.6 (tested), 0g/km CO2 Range 286 miles (official), 244 miles (tested) Energy cost 12.0p per mile Miles this month 1908 Total miles 10,347 In aviation, stealth technology is the art of evading radar with weird shapes, tiny cross-sections and funky coatings. Rendered in a fetching shade of grey and with none of the visual menace of, say, an RS6, the…

1 BMW X5 50e THE GOOD: Massive 67-mile official e-range; horizon-eating performance THE BAD: Hybrid hardware cuts into boot space to the tune of 150 litres; no seven-seat option THE UGLY: Not much now that the facelifted 50e model with more e-range and power is here THE ONE TO BUY: This one, for £81k 2 PEUGEOT 308 THE GOOD: Bravely avant-garde design; decent fuel economy; different THE BAD: Still persisting with the infernally small steering wheel THE UGLY: Interior layout looks fab but can be a stressfest to use day-to-day THE ONE TO BUY: Starts at £336 per month for the 180. Stretch to 225 spec with extra power and kit if you can GIANT TEST WINNER 3 PORSCHE CAYENNE THE GOOD: Handling; driver focus; choice of body styles; 0-62mph…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Whatever the reason – bloody-mindedness, sound business sense, perhaps even high-minded morality – Toyota was not budging. For years it resisted the surge towards electric cars. Its goal was providing ‘mobility for all’ and ensuring ‘no one is left behind’. Its multi-path approach to powertrains was aimed at ensuring it had cars that made sense in every global market, not just those in the vanguard of the switch to electric. Hybrids, long championed in the mass market by Toyota, had lowered its CO2 footprint, allowing diesel Land Cruiser 4x4s and Hilux pickups to remain part of the line-up. Hydrogen was being explored. But now Toyota is not merely budging from its old position but positively embracing the BEV with the vigour of the late convert. New cars…

TWILIGHT YEARS The current S60 saloon and V60 estate are nearing the end of their life, and have been withdrawn from sale in the UK. ‘Appetite for our saloon and estate models has fallen to very low levels,’ says Volvo UK, as it ‘evolves and consolidates’ its line-up. The focus for now is on SUVs. But there are signs that a new estate is being planned. OPTIONS OPEN Volvo CEO Jim Rowan says: ‘Can we do a nicely designed and intelligent wagon? Of course we can. Should we? Is there enough demand for it? We sell a lot more SUVs these days, and we need to look at the market intelligence we have. We’ll do a new EV every year for the next five years, so watch this space.’ FORM…

NEW CAR MEETS REAL WORLD THE WORLD'S BEST WRITERS IN THE CARS THAT MATTER There’s no outside temperature read-out on the Ariel’s solitary display, but I don’t need a thermometer to confirm what my body is screaming at me – that the biting December cold is no stranger to this beautiful yet frigid corner of South Wales. Rather, they’re on first name terms and I’ve just crashed their little get-together in the most inappropriate car possible. Why? Honestly, I’m asking myself the same thing at this point. It was my idea – I think – or at least CAR editor Ben Miller made me believe as much, but the original discussion went a bit like this. Anyone can drive Ariel’s latest hardcore Atom 4R on a sun-kissed circuit in the…

It’s an amuse bouche for a tougher strain of Audi DNA and a dry run for the engineers tasked with delivering it Never mind Porsche and its 911 Dakar, if anyone has dibs on jacking up a car, fitting knobbly tyres and calling it Dakar in 2024, it’s Audi. As you read this, Team Audi Sport will either be competing in or will have recently completed the Dakar Rally for the third time in the RS Qe-Tron. Now the Q8 e-Tron Edition Dakar sprinkles some of that desert dust on the roadgoing all-electric Q8 e-Tron, though the link is more marketing than mechanical (the racer is a spaceframe prototype that combines all-electric drive with a range-extender petrol engine – the road car isn’t and doesn’t). Perhaps more important is the…

What’s all this then? The flickering embers of Japan’s once mighty rear-wheel-drive sports coupe niche, onto which Toyota has poured fresh octane and added a little kindling from Subaru and BMW (co-conspirators on the 2012-2021 GT86 and 2019-on GR Supra respectively). If you like your sports cars drifty and affordable, these are some of the last of the breed – and very good too. Actual bargains? Indeed they are. Only the very best GT86s push past £20k, while early cars with well over 100,000 miles dip below £10k. Split the difference for a 2017 facelift on about 40k miles. The Supra arrived later, remains on sale and plays in a niche above the GT86 (though it’s a strict two-seater to the GT86’s two-plus-two). Bidding typically starts from £33k, though nearly-new…

What’s all this then? It should be badged 911 P, for purist. The 911 T could have been one of the all-time greats, an under-the-radar GT-lite where only those in the know really understood exactly what it offered. It’s the knowing wink of the 911 world. Why could it have been even greater? Imagine it with a six-speed ’box and a naturally aspired 3.8-litre engine, instead of its turbo 3.0-litre. The trouble is that would have given a GT3 the sweats and we all know that Porsche has a stricter hierarchy policy than the Royal Family. Actual bargain? Sort of. New, the 991 versions were around £85k and low-mileage examples still command that now (well-used examples, in non-ideal spec, are out there for about £65k). But make the man maths…

Range is key to EV ownership, so it’s important to reiterate that our test took place on a cold day, heaters and lights ablaze, and involved some spirited driving, so you’re looking at close to worst-case figures here. But these figures are revealing, because officially the Tesla has the worst range on test at 318 miles. But our test shows it recorded a best-on-test efficiency figure of 2.9 miles per kWh, good for 175 miles of range. The BYD manages an inferior 2.14 miles per kWh, but its battery allows it to go fractionally longer than the Tesla at 177 miles. Polestar has never impressed when it comes to efficiency, so we hoped the refresh would make it more competitive, but sadly it slips from best officially to worst-on-test with…

Will the warm glow continue over six months? Hello BMW M3 Touring Month 1 The story so far The M3 with a load more + Chassis; performance; practicality; infotainment; good mpg for bhp -That front; price; weight Logbook Price £86,570 (£107,080 as tested) Performance 2993cc twin-turbocharged straight-six, 503bhp, 3.6sec 0-62mph, 180mph Efficiency 27.2-28.0mpg (official), 27.4mpg (tested), 229-235g/km C02 Energy cost 25.9p per mile Miles this month 652 Total miles 7188 The M3 Touring has been one of the cars of the last year. Even as estate cars generally fall from favour, adding a larger boot to Mdivision’s icon seems to have fired people with frothy passion and workdays whiled away on BMW’s configurator. I fully bought into the hype, summing up the M3 Touring as ‘the ultimate one-car garage’, and…

It’s lowered by 10mm and fitted with properly sophisticated Koni dampers for better body control Can the new GSe sub-brand build as much of a fan following as GSi or VXR did back in the day? Does it have the magic something extra needed to create cult appeal? That’s what I’ll be finding out over the next few months as I live with the dramatically Stormtrooper-styled new arrival on the CAR fleet. GSe (which stands for ‘Grand Sport electric’) is essentially Vauxhall’s electrified performance brand, much like Peugeot’s Sport Engineered cars. Vauxhall MD James Taylor says GSe models ‘will showcase that electrified performance and driving pleasure can go hand in hand.’ Everything with a GSe badge will either be a plug-in hybrid or pure EV. So, to push that performance…

More tyre woes, but thankfully nothing as irksome as Mark Walton’s two punctures in one month. I’ve had that thing where the tyre-pressure warning light comes on and you get a message saying you need to check the pressures. In the past, with other cars, that’s been a red herring. So I drove on, keeping an ear open for any extra juddering or other signs that one of the tyres might actually be losing air. Nothing. Next day, though, I checked the tyres. And, to my surprise, both the lefts were 5psi down on the rights. I can’t in all honesty say I’d noticed anything asymmetrical about the handling, nor that I could discern any difference after I pumped them up. COLIN OVERLAND Cupra Leon Estate 2.0 TSI 4Drive VZ3…

I’ve spent a lot of time lately in the V8-powered Lexus LC500, rather than the Alfa. However, for a recent journey through central London I reached for the Tonale keys – not the GT’s – and it gave me a renewed appreciation of the Alfa. The Lexus is an incredible car, but jumping back in the Alfa was refreshingly simple. Light, quick steering made the Tonale easy to thread through gaps and cramped parking bays, and despite being just 8cm narrower than the Lexus, the Alfa felt like a slip of a thing. Its elevated driving position provided me with a far better view, too. While this wasn’t the comparison test I had in mind for the Alfa, it’s been illuminating regardless. CURTIS MOLDRICH Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.3 PHEV 280…

HOW DOES GBU WORK? CAR’s road testers highlight what’s so good about the best cars in every class… and what could be better GIANT TEST WINNER 1 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R THE GOOD: Feel, feedback, focus: a phenomenal full-sized hot hatch THE BAD: Nearly £50k for a frontdrive hatchback with barely any more power than before THE UGLY: Probably the last of its kind; good job it’s one of the best THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the one model; expect to pay around £470 on a PCP with a £14k deposit GIANT TEST WINNER 2 TOYOTA GR YARIS THE GOOD: A modern-day rally homologation special THE BAD: Road noise like a death-metal gig; joke rear seats THE UGLY: Long waiting list due to high demand; high chairs THE ONE…

GIANT TEST WINNER 1 PORSCHE TAYCAN THE GOOD: Still the best EV to drive; fast, responsive, fluid and even practical THE BAD: You can get better range and efficiency for less money THE UGLY: That Porsche options list can still drain your wallet THE ONE TO BUY: Choose your body style from saloon, estate or the borderline SUV-ish Cross Turismo. Prices start at £79k; the sensible Taycan 4S is £91k, sharper GTS is brilliant and Turbo just bonkers; top models cost upwards of £149,300 2 TESLA MODEL 3 THE GOOD: New lights, new colours, new aero and improved interior: it’s had a refresh, but remains good to drive and easy to live with THE BAD: That refresh hasn’t added the knobs and buttons that would reduce driver distraction THE UGLY:…

THE BONKERS BUGGY Billed as ‘the world’s most beautiful multi-terrain vehicle,’ the Skye from Callum Design is an altogether different affair from pretty much everything ex-Jaguar designer Ian Callum has previously penned. But this isn’t some pipe dream; Callum and his team are building prototypes of this lightweight, electric, all-wheel drive… thing. Madness. NEED TO KNOW What is it? Proof Ian Callum can do more than just beautiful GTs I Tech specs Carbon spaceframe, road and terrain specifications I Aimed at? Oudoorsy types with plenty of disposable income I When can I get one? You can order one in 2024 after some prototype tests THE RAUCOUS ROADSTER AMG’s 4.0-litre V8 is joined by an e-motor and battery pack to create the SL 63 E Performance, good for 805bhp and up…

Constantin Buschmann’s life seems to be the stuff of dreams. Born into German tuning royalty as a result of his father founding Brabus, Buschmann was just 34 years old when he became the firm’s CEO and now lives the sort of glamorous, carfuelled Insta-life that could make Lewis Hamilton jealous. But as with every social-media profile, that element of the story is only skin deep. In reality, Buschmann has had to grow up fast. His father Bodo Buschmann, who owned the company for 41 years, died suddenly in 2018, leaving Constantin to deal with his grief and also plan a future for one of the most famous names in the tuning world. The fact that we’re still talking about Brabus five years later shows that the plan came off. Buschmann…

Intriguing new cars including the electric Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-Tron using the VW Group’s Premium Platform Electric were scheduled to start arriving in 2022. That’s not happened, because of a series of delays caused by problems including interruptions to the supply chain. The silver lining is that the extra time has seemingly allowed engineers to make PPE even more advanced. The headline stats: PPE has an 800-volt architecture and launches with a 100kWh battery pack. It can handle powerful all-wheel-drive versions, air suspension and rear-wheel steering. Developments in electric-motor tech also mean the PPE’s e-axles are lighter, smaller, more powerful and much more efficient. Beyond delivering on expectations for state-of-the-art premium EVs, PPE has some tricks up its sleeve, starting with ‘bank’ charging, which avoids the need for…

Land Rover chose to launch the V8 version of the Defender 130 on one of those very British days where the clouds throw a hissy fit and blanket us mere mortals in curtains of rain. An already soaked Somerset is swimming in brown puddles, police stopping drivers going any further, pumps spewing the stuff out of houses. You’d think this would be excellent for the Defender, a chance to show just how brilliant it is at coping with extreme conditions. ‘I see you, God, and I raise you river-wading mode!’ Except. Ignoring for the time being the irony of extreme weather while driving around in a 19.6mpg SUV, we’re following a Nissan Note through every single body of water and marvelling at the progress he’s making. These are really deep…

Letter of the month The people behind the car Congratulations on your superb coverage of the Porsche 911’s 60th anniversary. I vaguely thought I knew the history, but in fact there was a lot in there that was new to me, especially about the role certain individuals played, and about the importance to the business of the Boxster at a time when the out-of-vogue 911 wasn’t paying the bills. But the twin highlights for me were Stephen Bayley’s cleverly illustrated contributions. I’ve always valued his insights, but he really excelled himself here with his superb analysis of Porsche design and the 911’s role as a symbol within the culture. You don’t get that anywhere else aside from CAR, do you? As with Gavin Green’s column, reading Bayley’s work always makes…

What’s all this then? The peak before the fall of two German automotive legends. So all hail the last (at least so far) Mercedes-AMG C63 blessed with the bi-turbo V8 engine and the final Golf GTIs before the digitalised Mk8 arrived with its infuriating MIB infotainment. Actual bargains? Yep, the AMG starts from under £30k for 2016 models (often with under 50k miles, reined in by V8 thirst), while even facelifted 2018-on cars can be yours for under £40k – less than half AMG’s new four-cylinder hybrid models. It’s £15.5k to get into a Mk7 GTI with the Performance Pack, which added 10bhp, a locking front diff and upgraded brakes. VW the upped the ante with the 2017 ‘Mk7.5’ facelift that revised the bumpers and lights, boosted the Performance Pack…

What’s all this then? Roll up, roll up – get your ludicrous fast estate while you still can! With Audi’s RS department heading for plugged-in power boosts and later full electrification, and BMW taking subversively brilliant Alpina entirely in-house from 2025, the current RS6 and Alpina B3 Touring look like your last opportunities to get into two of the defining boot badges of the last 20 years. Actual bargains? Very much so. Be like Warren Buffet: look left when everyone else faces right. Because while most of the world’s attention is on the SUV steamroller and the BMW M3’s proboscis, the RS6 and B3 Touring offer knowing alternatives. The RS6 is the bargain of the two. Thank the M3 Touring – because the BMW stole the RS’s limelight, prices have…

After a few months of pootling about purely on electric power, we stretched the Lexus’s legs this month with a trip over the water to the Isle of Wight. Not that the hybrid RX 450h+ fired up its engine until we were on the far side of the island, mind. Which shows just how far 40- odd miles of potential electric power really can get you when you’re able to let the battery run empty; in a pure EV you’d be panicking about finding a plug. But while the Lexus did all the stuff you’d hope for – it was quiet, comfy, and did well on the twisty stuff – the trip wasn’t all sweetness and light. It seems life with the Lexus means an incessant cacophony of bings, bong,…

The Jogger is the Occam’s razor of modern motoring: the simple solution that proves to be the best. Approach the car, key in pocket, and the Jogger unlocks without fail at the exact moment you reach for the handle. Walk away and just as you glance back it reassuringly locks itself again. To open the boot you pull on the handle and – prepare yourselves – actually lift it, and to close it you give it a good old slam. Inside is a clear but unobtrusive touchscreen. When you slot your phone into the standard phone holder, CarPlay boots up instantly. Because it’s wired it just works and doesn’t ever lose your connection. A simple start button brings the dash to life, and you can clearly see your charge, your…

The D350 has cost almost £1200 in diesel over the last five months, or 19p per mile. Is it stone deaf in a cost-of-living crisis to say that’s good value? It’s averaging 35mpg, 4mpg better than the 2013 TDV6 I ran. Aerodynamics play a big part: ride height lowers at speed, the door handles are recessed into the body, the boat-tail rear is better at tripping off air. And then there’s mild-hybrid assistance: rapid-fire stop-start and electric boost to reduce engine demand have improved economy by five per cent. That said my next car – an electric Audi SQ8 e-Tron – will cost £65 to charge for 500 miles; that range costs £110 in the Rangie. Still, the Range Rover EV will be here soon. PHIL MCNAMARA Range Rover D350…

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style SWB 77kWh Pro Month 1 The story so far We live with the hip all-electric VW bus: best of the old world and the new? + Drop-dead-gorgeous style; fine driving manners -Five-seat limit makes you question its value as an MPV Logbook Price £61,915 (£69,265 as tested) Performance 77kWh battery, e-motor, 201bhp, 10.2sec 0-62mph, 90mph Efficiency 2.9 miles per kWh (official), 2.7 miles per kWh (tested), 0g/km CO2 Energy cost 14.9p per mile Miles this month 847 Total miles 5959 Just as Fiat can be relied upon to crank out a fashionable small car and Range Rover has mastered the luxury offroader, so VW knows a thing or two about making cool buses. It’s plain to me that the ID. Buzz is very much in that…

GIANT TEST WINNER 1 PORSCHE 911 THE GOOD: Style, like 911s, never goes out of fashion THE BAD: The base Carrera now costs almost £100k – yet that’s not enough to stop it being a clear class winner; road noise now up to 11 THE UGLY: To some, it’s now more comfy GT than sports car; canny options list pushes you to spend like a lottery winner THE ONE TO BUY: Carrera S with the PDK gearbox for £110k on the nose; the Sport Chrono package is bundled in, but you’ll still pay for the Porsche badges on the wheels to be coloured in GIANT TEST WINNER 2 ARIEL ATOM THE GOOD: A beautiful object as well as a thrilling drive; think of it as a modernised Lotus Seven crossed…

GIANT TEST WINNER 1 LAND ROVER DEFENDER THE GOOD: Reboot brings untold dynamic improvements wherever you drive THE BAD: Second-row access is a pain in the 90; expensive; 130 in particular is very big, so parking can be tricky THE UGLY: Alternatives to white steel wheels are offered. Why? THE ONE TO BUY: Range spans 90, 110 and 130 bodies, with significantly different dimensions but remarkably similar character and the genuine off-road ability that Land Rover always delivers so convincingly. Heart says petrol V8 90, head/wallet say diesel-six D250 110 GIANT TEST WINNER 2 PORSCHE MACAN THE GOOD: Handles better than any other SUV. And some hot hatches THE BAD: Hardly an original choice – but then there’s good reason for that THE UGLY: Be patient – there’s an all-new…

1 BMW M3/M4 COMPETITION THE GOOD: Mighty straight-six; front axle’s never-give-up attitude; dreamy chassis balance THE BAD: No manual; nearly 911 money now THE UGLY: M3 Touring £85k new but changing hands for six figures THE ONE TO BUY: The CS, if you were lucky enough to bag one of the 100 BMW brought here. Now available as an estate: rejoice! GIANT TEST WINNER 2 BMW M5 COMPETITION THE GOOD: An animal when you want it to be; reasonably urbane family transport when you don’t THE BAD: Hard ride on Competition suspension; priced above £100k THE UGLY: CS and Competition both off sale now THE ONE TO BUY: Hurry, hurry. There are some new M5 Comps in stock on BMW’s website 3 MERCEDES-AMG S63 THE GOOD: V8 plus e-motor shows…