Table of contents for January 15, 2025 in Autocar

An electric version of BMW’s flagship X7 SUV will be the biggest EV the car maker will offer, superseding the iX. Underpinned by the same reworked CLAR platform as the new X7 due in 2027, the iX7 will be positioned as a rival to the likes of Lotus’s Eletre. It is expected to arrive around the same time as its combustion stablemate, which, like the X5, is likely to be sold with a full cohort of ICE options, from pure-petrol and hybrid to, suggests BMW, hydrogen. Expect design cues to come from the BMW iX3, the production version of the Neue Klasse X that will be revealed in September.…

THE MAZDA 6 will return to UK showrooms in early 2026 as a sleek, rear-wheel-drive, electric fastback to rival the Tesla Model 3. Named the 6e, it will offer two motors and two battery packs. The entry-level car has 241bhp and a 68.8kWh battery, which yields 300 miles of range and a 0-62mph time of 7.8sec. The range-topper gets 254bhp and an 80kWh pack, giving it 345 miles and 0-62mph in 7.6sec. The smaller pack can be charged at rates of up to 200kW, allowing a 10-80% top-up in 22 minutes, but the larger one is limited to 95kW, taking 45 minutes. Unlike the MX-30 electric crossover, the 6e won’t be offered with a petrol range-extender powertrain. The 6e ushers in the next evolution of Mazda’s Kodo design language, with…

The Xpeng G6 will be sold in the UK in two forms. The entry-level Standard Range car takes 254bhp from a single rear motor and has a 66kWh battery for an official range of 270 miles, while the Long Range model gets 281bhp, 87kWh and 354 miles. They are expected to be priced between £40,000 and £45,000, undercutting the equivalent versions of the best-selling Tesla Model Y. We had a brief go in the Long Range on battered country lanes around Solihull, pending a full road test in the coming weeks, and came away impressed. It’s agreeably swift off the mark and commendably quiet at a cruise. The ride feels markedly less fussy and more composed over rough ground than the Tesla Model Y’s, too. There’s little life to the…

The UK may be pressured into imposing tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, mirroring those levied by the European Union. The EU now imposes a tariff of up to 35.3% on EVs arriving from China, on top of a pre-existing 10% import tariff. The new tariff is intended to counter low prices made possible by Chinese government subsidies. When the EU finalised the new tariff last October, the UK opted not to follow suit. UK trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he had concerns about mooted retaliatory tariffs from China. But Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, warned that the government may be pushed into changing its policy when US president-elect Donald Trump comes into power, given his vocal contempt of Chinese-made products. Currently, the US has a…

Honda plans to develop a new platform for small EVs so that it can expand into the burgeoning affordable EV market – but not until next decade. While its focus is on developing its 0 Series EVs, with seven models planned on a bespoke platform, they can’t go smaller than the ZR-V-sized ‘entry-level’ SUV. Katsushi Inoue, boss of Honda’s electrification unit, said “the small EV market is growing and we are thinking about it”, with reference to making sub-$30,000 (£24,000) EVs. To do that, Toshihiro Akiwa, head of Honda’s BEV development centre, said: “We will need to develop a new platform.” Honda has previously sold a small EV, the E, but a short range and a high price yielded poor sales.…

A British Overseas Territory is aiming to be the first territory in the world to switch entirely to EVs. St Helena, an extremely remote volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is home to just over 5000 people, many of whom run decaying Ford Fiestas, Ford Transits and Land Rover Defenders. But the local government wants to wean itself from these older, more polluting cars in favour of EVs run on green energy. Supporters of the scheme say St Helena is arguably the perfect place for EVs, as it’s never too hot or too cold to affect batteries and its location means green energy is easy to obtain. Currently 25% of the island’s energy comes from a single modest wind and solar farm, with the rest generated by…

“GOD HELP YOU,” says Kia America COO Steve Center when asked what he thinks of the UK’s ZEV mandate, which forces car makers to sell a set proportion of their overall cars as EVs, regardless of demand. “You can tell manufacturers what to make but you can’t tell consumers what to buy.” We could probably say the same back to Center, who like all executives in the US this week will be braced for just what awaits them when Donald Trump returns to the White House. Policies he has mooted include enormous tariffs on all cars imported into the US and a reversal of both buyer incentives and manufacturer subsidies for building EVs and battery factories in the US. Center is diplomatic in not talking personalities or political parties yet…

WRITE TO autocar@haymarket.com SCRAPING THE BARREL In your final report on your long-term Skoda Kamiq (31 December 2024), mention was made of the many thoughtful features the car has. However, a feature that I was very disappointed to see was the position of the handbrake, which is clearly set up for left-hand drive. You seemingly didn’t even notice this. If I were buying this car, I would prefer Skoda to put the handbrake where it should be, rather than giving me an ice scraper. Thomas Farrelly Via email MONKEY ON TESLA’S BACK I feel we’re reaching a point where Tesla must distance itself from its CEO Elon Musk. A few years ago, Musk was taken to court by a group of Tesla shareholders who alleged that he had misled them…

“Fun? Not exactly. For that, it lacks sharpness and adjustability” It was bound to happen once Alfa Romeo got folded into the Stellantis family: no more super-expensive, bespoke, rear-wheel-drive platforms like the one that it developed for the Giulia and Stelvio. Now the brand’s job is to take the same bones as Citroën, Vauxhall, Jeep, DS et al and somehow make something with them that feels like a true Alfa. A tough job. Enter the Alfa Junior. Small crossovers are what the people are buying, and small crossovers are what they will get. Underneath, it’s the same car as the Peugeot 2008, Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600 and a few others, but Alfa makes much of its sporty character, talking of “symbiosis” and “authentic emotions”. We’ve previously driven a few Elettrica…

It’s that time of year when four-wheel drive would seem a sensible addition to any new car. Right now, you would probably add it to the bedraggled old slippers that you wear to put the bins out, if you could. When it comes to the very smallest, supermini-based SUVs, however, it’s still only about a 50/50 shot to be even available, with as many manufacturers reckoning buyers prefer a lighter, simpler and more efficient front-wheel-drive car to a 4WD one whose marginal capabilities may seldom be needed. Brands with some proper 4x4 equity can still be relied on to offer it, though. In the case of the Vitara, which Suzuki has just lightly updated, you can actually get Allgrip with either engine, meaning there’s a three-pedal, turbocharged 1.4-litre mild-hybrid 4x4…

During 2025, Autocar will subject around 100 cars to full and exacting road test scrutiny at Horiba MIRA proving ground, and for some manufacturers it will be the very first time. However, for one much-loved marque, we can say for sure that the reverse will be true. In December, Alpina – formally Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co KG – will cease to exist as ownership of the brand name transfers to the BMW Group and the workshops in Buchloe cease to make contemporary BMW-based creations. In what precise direction BMW chooses to take the Alpina brand will become apparent in due course, but what is certain is that the Alpina as we have always known it will be consigned to the past. It means this is the final year…

The seventh-generation BMW M5 super-saloon is, right now, lurking ominously in my rear-view mirror as the winter dawn breaks slowly on the westbound M4. That car has much to prove and today it should have some great roads to prove it on, and a fair, modern rival against which to compete – rather than being weighed down by many decades of wonderful, celebrated and broadly irrelevant performance car heritage. On which topic, I wonder if the M division management might now consider it a mistake to have rolled out so many old-generation M5 ‘heritage vehicles’ on the international press launch of this new model a couple of months ago. Naivety? Misplaced confidence? Hubris, even? Reactions to this car from those at the event have been a little varied. But few…

MILEAGE 2111 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To generate a progress report on the evolution of the old-school Merc coupé “That’s not the CLE AMG, is it? Oh my God!” “That is a truly lovely car, mate. Beautiful.” “Love that. Wow. That’s the nicest car I’ve seen in ages.” All three of those interactions with complete strangers happened within 48 hours of each other, and they aren’t uncommon when I’m out and about in the CLE 53. Maybe it’s just how vast the Mercedes range is and how hard it can be to keep up with the flow of new models, but the specialness of the CLE, particularly in AMG flavour, had passed me by a bit. This really is a stunner. Usually you have to be in exotica like an…

The Tesla Model 3 overcame the stereotypes to prove that EVs could go toe to toe with the very best combustion cars – and range anxiety be damned. Six years on from its UK launch, this sleek saloon still has bags of appeal, thanks to its practical interior, class-leading technology and impressive long-distance credentials. The Model 3 was the product that Tesla had always wanted to make: a high-volume, low-cost EV that would enable families to wave goodbye to their oil-burning wagon and embrace ‘clean’ propulsion. And that prospect has proven hugely appealing: it has found more than a million homes worldwide to date and continues to sell strongly. Now that prices have tumbled to just £12,000 for earlier examples, it’s a great time to snap up an example of…

The BMW iX5 will arrive in 2026 as the first of six new launches in three years that will fully electrify the German firm’s SUV line-up. This engineering programme is being described as one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken by BMW and its M performance car division. Notably, a hydrogen-powered iX5 will join the line-up in 2028, using a powertrain co-developed with Toyota. This version will be followed by multiple other fuel cell variants of existing models by the end of the decade. Alongside the pure-electric iX5 due next year, there will be a new, fifth-generation X5 – BMW’s original SUV, with 2.2 million sales since 1999 and counting. The new X5 will be fitted with upgraded petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Unlike the upcoming iX3, which will…

The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is one of the most powerful drop-top sports cars on sale following an extensive, performance-focused upgrade. With 656bhp and 590lb ft from a reworked version of the existing twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, the new Roadster packs substantially more power than its 505bhp predecessor and has been set up to be a more dynamic proposition. Now more powerful than rivals such as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet and Ferrari Roma, the Aston’s new power levels even push it to vie with some models in the class above, such as the Maserati MC20 Cielo and McLaren Artura Spider. The new drop-top follows the coupé that was launched nearly a year ago and was described by Aston as “the most driver-focused and fastest Vantage in the…

BYD HAS CONFIRMED the European specification of its new Atto 2 crossover, positioning it as a rival for the likes of the Renault 4, Vauxhall Frontera and Toyota Urban Cruiser. At launch, the Chinese EV will be available with a single motor that sends 174bhp to the front wheels, with power drawn from a 45.1kWh battery for a range of 194 miles. For reference, the entry-level Renault 4 (which isn’t offered in the UK) packs a 118bhp motor and a 40kWh battery that yields 190 miles between charges. The battery is fitted to the car using cell-to-body construction, which is claimed to boost chassis rigidity. A smaller sibling to the existing Atto 3, the new Atto 2 measures 4.31m long, 1.83m wide and 1.68m tall, positioning it to serve as…

Honda hasn’t ruled out the prospect of a hot 0 Series range-topper that could carry the fabled Type R badge. Toshihiro Akiwa, head of Honda’s BEV development centre, said: “With a battery model that has different torque characteristics, you cannot come up with something that is exactly the same as before. “With EVs, you have to ask how you can provide the joy of driving. We haven’t given up, but it’s not a simple case of adding horsepower. You need to think about sound, vibrations and the feelings a human can expect. We are looking at solutions to that and we wanted to come up with a proposal.”…

The Solterra turned out to be the perfect EV to test on St Helena. Why? Because, surprisingly, the island has a bustling Subaru culture. Despite being 1200 miles from the nearest land, a few brave souls have imported some Japanese-market classics, including a dozen Subaru Impreza WRXs – perfect for the handful of switchback mountain roads, all of which would make sublime rally stages. The local Subaru owners gathered to see the Solterra. Alex Hudson, who is in his third Impreza, a UK-market 2006 WRX, said: “With all the steep bends on the roads here, all-wheel drive is perfect, so Subarus have kind of got under our skin on St Helena. “They used to be cheap, but now they have gone up in value, which is nice. “I like the…

The new 2025 Tesla Model Y has been officially revealed as sales of the updated electric crossover begin in China. Codenamed Project Juniper and spotted testing in Europe earlier this month, the facelifted Model Y arrives as Tesla faces intense competition in all global markets. Broadly, the upgrades match those made to the Tesla Model 3 last year and are focused around improving the Model Y’s efficiency, refinement and quality. The headline change for the world’s best-selling electric car is its freshly redesigned exterior, which is differentiated from the current car by wraparound light bars at the front and rear and subtly reshaped bumpers. The crossover’s immense commercial success makes it Tesla’s most important asset and the American EV maker will look to leverage it in an attempt to move…

Those of us who use LPG in the UK are really trying to get the press to do some digging into the practices of Motor Fuel Group (MFG). This company is trying to do away with LPG on its forecourts, and it has been buying up a lot of them (to the point where many of us actually feel that the monopolies commission should be looking at them). Recently overnight, all MFG forecourts put LPG up to pretty much the same price as petrol, making it utterly pointless to use LPG. I think the amount of protests they received made them reduce the price, but it hasn’t been by much. Independent LPG suppliers are still charging 80-90p per litre, but Morrisons supermarket forecourts – all 337 of which were acquired…

TESTED 8.1.25, HAMPSHIRE DELIVERIES NOW Say what you will about Ford (and following the launch of the Capri and axing of the Fiesta, plenty have) but it’s still a company with a sense of humour. How else do you explain it still offering a V8 Mustang, a Ranger Raptor and now this: the Mustang Mach-E Rally? You could think of it as Ford’s take on the Porsche 911 Dakar or Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. For some rough-road capability, the Mach-E has been given a range of rally-themed addenda. It’s based on the GT – the 480bhp, dual-motor high-performance version – but it has been given a 20mm suspension lift with reprogrammed magnetorheological dampers. They’re joined by white rally-style wheels that are an inch smaller than the ones on the GT to…

When we road tested the Audi Q6 E-tron, Ingolstadt’s all-new electric SUV, it appeared to be a product of a new, different kind of Audi. One that stepped up its game in terms of driving dynamics, but took the rock-solid interior quality that has long typified the brand and traded it for a ruthlessly modern, screen-heavy approach. Audi is on a launch blitz at the moment and just months after the Q6 come the new A5 and its sporty derivative, the S5. In a sense, the A5 and Q6 are polar opposites within the Audi line-up, because it doesn’t get much more traditional than a compact exec with a range of petrol and diesel engines. So was the somewhat un-Audi Q6 a one-off, riding on the coat-tails of its Porsche…

‘Fitness for purpose’: it’s the criterion that underpins every Autocar test verdict, and it’s a quality that Alpina’s take on the 3 Series continues to nail. The B3 GT is an expensive extravagance and ballistically quick, but its ease of use, versatility and quiet specialness will make it a joy to own whether or not you tap into its epic reserves of all-weather, point-to-point pace. It is the marriage of that pace with comfort and stability that has always defined the B3, and so while we might have liked a touch more dynamic bite in the GT, we can understand Alpina’s decision to prioritise balance to the last. RIVALS 1 BMW M3 TOURING From £87,945 2 BMW ALPINA B3 GT 3 AUDI RS4 AVANT From £85,105 4 MERCEDES-AMG C63 S…

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether this new big estate really is a flawless family hauler “Diesels remain a terrific option for a certain use case” Of the handful of five-star road test verdicts awarded by Autocar in recent years, none surprised me as much as that for the latest Skoda Superb Estate. The thing is, I’m not really sure why. Of course, our testers evaluate cars on a fitness-for-purpose basis, on which this big wagon has always scored highly, offering tremendous value for money, pleasant enough driving, reasonable comfort and more luggage space than your local Big Yellow Self Storage facility, but a big, diesel-engined Skoda estate still seemed like an unlikely entry into the rarefied air of “brilliant, unsurpassed; all but flawless”. Well, I suppose the brilliance…

MILEAGE 9631 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if this supermini still deserves to be a staple of British roads Life with a Corsa Hybrid so far has been pretty pleasant. It’s about as fast as a normal, non-performance small hatchback ought to be, it’s economical and it’s practical enough for daily life, even when lumbered with a full load of camera equipment. People are complimentary about it, too. A friend even remarked that it’s “too nice to be a Vauxhall”. A bit unfair to the brand, I think, but no matter. There is one thing about it that drives me absolutely crazy, though: the ride. I can count on one hand the number of cars I’ve been in that have dealt with lumps and bumps worse than this,…

AN OWNER’S VIEW OLLIE FROUD “I’ve had my 2021 Long Range for six months now, and I love it! I bought it directly from Tesla, which was a great experience, and it has been faultless. I charge it mostly at home overnight, so it’s about 2p a mile to run, which is nearly 10 times less than my previous car. Longer journeys are very easy and we’ve never had to queue for a Supercharger. It’s a great all-round family car.” BUYER BEWARE… BATTERY Degradation is unavoidable, but Tesla claims that after 200,000 miles, the battery in a Long Range car will have lost only 15% of its capacity. Specialist EV dealers like RSEV can carry out checks on the battery to ensure that it’s in good order. Stop charging at…

One of the few January norms that isn’t utterly miserable is the Monte Carlo Rally. First held way back in 1911, it has served as an exciting, snowy-mountainside opener to almost every year since for rallyists. Today, it’s a standard World Rally Championship round, but historically it was an absolute epic, with crews departing from various locations all over Europe to meet in the French Alps and sprint down to the waterfront in Monaco. So romantic was the format for the first-ever WRC event in 1973 – but this was far from an auspicious inauguration. Just a glance at the final classification suggests why: 44 cars finished, 234 didn’t. Yikes! This wasn’t the result of some horrendous pile-up, thankfully. Instead, they were disqualified en masse by the organisers. This was…

The new Renault Twingo has edged closer to production with the unveiling of a “90%-ready” prototype at the Brussels motor show, complete with running gear and a full, showroom-spec interior. Due in the first half of 2026 with a starting price of less than €20,000 (£16,600), the 3750mm-long hatchback will be the entry point into Renault’s expanding electric car line-up, sitting beneath the similarly retro-flavoured 4 and 5 hatchbacks, with which it shares the French firm’s Ampr Small platform. Renault aims to take the car from conception to the road in less than two years and has partnered an unnamed Chinese consultancy in a bid to make the engineering and production processes as efficient as possible. In spite of its low projected list price (which puts it in the realm…

The futuristic Xpeng X9 MPV and G9 SUV will join the G6 crossover in UK showrooms from next year as the brand moves towards a five-strong UK line-up of premium, fast-charging EVs by 2028. Solihull-based importer International Motors (IM) – which sells GWM, Isuzu and Subaru vehicles in the UK – has added the technology-focused Chinese EV brand to its portfolio. IM will start delivering the Xpeng G6 crossover (see box, right) in the spring, with prices expected to slightly undercut its chief rival, the Tesla Model Y. IM managing director William Brown outlined to Autocar plans to flesh out the Xpeng model line-up and dealer network over the coming years in a bid to cement the marque as the UK’s “number-one Chinese premium EV brand”. The X9 is a…

The UK is now the largest electric car market in Europe, with more than 380,000 new electric cars sold in 2024. A big reason for the UK’s 21.4% annual rise in EV sales, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, was the scrap between car makers as they strove to get as close as possible to the UK’s zero-emission vehicles mandate target by adding their own incentives and throttling ICE car sales at the end of the year. Surprisingly, the UK outsold Germany, a key market for electric cars in Europe that has experienced years of growth. However, the momentum of EV sales in Germany faltered for two main reasons: its government withdrew incentives midway through the year and there was the arrival of the European…

FUTURE MODELS IN Honda’s 0 Series EV line-up will each receive distinctive styling, although there will be a shared focus on bold and simple design language. The first two of seven new EVs due by 2030 have been previewed by the 0 SUV and 0 Saloon prototypes, shown at this year’s CES tech event. The two share some key design philosophies and a focus on interior space. But unlike many car families, such as VW’s ID range, they will have markedly different treatments for their overall proportions and important styling elements such as the front end and lighting. Toshinobu Minami, head of Honda’s design centre, said the focus on the two initial 0 Series models was to “give them strong characteristics”, because “in a world with a lot of new…

CLAIMS OF REVOLUTIONARY breakthroughs in EV battery technology come and go on a frequent basis. But it looks as though Stellantis has turned a corner with lithium-sulphur technology, which promises to halve the cost per kWh, improve rapid-charging speed by 50% and weigh significantly less. Stellantis says the new batteries are “targeted” to power its vehicles by 2030. The technology is being developed in collaboration with Texas-based Zeta Energy, which was founded to develop lithium-sulphur batteries in 2014 and has been working on them ever since. The key thing with the new battery is the amount of energy it can store for its weight, known as the gravimetric energy density. Energy density figures for lithium ion batteries vary depending on the type of battery and the ingredients used in them.…

THE NEW DACIA Bigster will cost from £24,995 when it arrives in March, making it one of the cheapest SUVs in the C-segment, heavily undercutting rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai (both £30k). Entry-level Expression trim gives buyers a 10.1in touchscreen, parking sensors, keyless entry and 17in alloy wheels. Power comes from Renault’s TCe 140 mild-hybrid engine, a 1.2-litre turbo petrol triple with a 48V electric motor. For £3000 more, the Bigster gets Renault’s Hybrid 155 powertrain, which pairs a 107bhp atmo petrol four with two electric motors and a 1.4kWh battery. In combination with top-rung Extreme trim – which adds roof bars, 18in alloys and a panoramic roof – this tops the line-up at £29,495.…

THE UPDATED PORSCHE 911 Carrera S has been revealed with a new look and a healthy power uplift. Sitting between the Carrera T and the new GTS T-Hybrid, the ‘992.2’ Carrera S is said to achieve performance levels formerly reserved for the previous Carrera GTS. Power has risen to 473bhp from the same turbocharged 3.0-litre flat six, thanks to new turbochargers and an “extensively optimised” cooling system. It can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 3.3sec – 0.4sec quicker than before – and tops out at 191mph. The Carrera S has adopted some cues from the Turbo for a more aggressive look. Pricing starts at £119,800 for the coupé and £129,800 for the soft-top convertible.…

FEATURE GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE We meet the brains behind Surrey’s precocious hypercar company – and ride with a motorsport legend in its mighty, V12-engined T50 FIRST DRIVE LAND ROVER DEFENDER OCTA With a 626bhp V8 and four-wheel drive, can the new range-topping Defender manage to be both a supercar slayer and an epic off-roader? ROAD TEST PORSCHE PANAMERA 4 E-HYBRID New-generation V6-engined GT faces the industry’s toughest test EVERY WEEK LIVING WITH A… ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QV Italian V6 super-saloon was wild – and not always in a good way… USED GUIDE PEUGEOT 208 Bag a talented, modern small hatch for only £800. Yes, really CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE…

To the surprise of nobody, Mercedes’ medium-size SUV has been one of its best-sellers ever since its 2016 launch. Part of the GLC’s success is down to its wide variety of hybrid powertrains, from mild to plug-in – and intriguingly, this uniquely includes a diesel PHEV, the 300de, which we’re belatedly driving for the first time here. This combination of compression ignition and electricity seems a slightly confused offering. On the one hand, it’s a heavily electrified PHEV with an official electric range of up to 78 miles, which makes it very tempting for company car drivers. On the other hand, it’s that four-wheeled bete noire, a diesel. However, you could argue that it really does represent the best of both worlds. For most of your daily chores, it runs…

Like most people attending their first session of track driving tuition, I have fallen at the first hurdle. Well, not so much the first hurdle. This is more like not doing up my laces properly. Driving position, vision, braking. These three fundamentals are at the forefront of what I learn at Bedford Autodrome on a slightly wet and greasy Tuesday. And it is the driving position where I let myself down. “Typically, most men tend to sit far too far back,” Christian Vann tells me. Vann is PalmerSport’s chief instructor, a former Le Mans racer and a very patient man. Being too far back leads to an outstretched leg position, which doesn’t provide optimal power from your quads and hamstrings when braking. Also, in the event of a crash, your…

MILEAGE 5244 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Does being the basis for an ICE model compromise the G80 as an EV? I had been driving about happily in the electric Genesis G80 for three months before it occurred to me to do the obvious thing: test it from the back seat. I mean, here’s a vehicle that’s more than five metres long and in whose styling half the car world seems to see echoes of Bentley Flying Spur, yet all I had done was punt it about as any other commuter car. The wrong was righted recently when we decided that the G80’s generous size, quiet ride and decent winter range (260-270 miles, if you’re sensible) made it ideal for a reporting job that needed several participants and a suitable place…

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO Mileage 9306 Last seen 8.1.25 Boring alert. I realised that most of my Giulia reports have been about exciting drives, general enjoyment and a bit of breaking down. So I figured it was actually worth making my penultimate missive about practicality. Here it is at Asda. As you can see, it took all my Christmas shopping in its boot and fitted in the parking space easily. It’s basically a VW Multivan. MSc BMW i5 TOURING Mileage 12,100 Last seen 31.12.24 If you seem tired, the i5 will offer you a pick-me-up: a three-minute routine dropping the temperature, cooling the seats, playing something upbeat on the audio and rolling back the roof blind. The sheer novelty and comedy of it is enough to give you a start.…

He has owned modern classics, including an lfa Romeo GTV, but this TVR Taimar is Neil Swan’s first genuinely classic car. It was built in 1975 and based on the 3000M, so it’s powered by a Ford Essex 3.0-litre V6. The Taimar is a hatchback, which makes it sound practical, but really it just has a hinged glass window over a raised and stretched boot shelf. Indeed, it makes few concessions to practicality, remaining first and foremost a sports car in the finest British tradition: the engine is at the front, its power goes to the rear wheels and the chassis has outriggers supporting a separate body, in this case one made of glass-reinforced plastic. “It’s a proper man’s car,” says Neil – a description that would have gone unremarked…

TVR TUSCAN 2003, 20,500 miles, £34,995 Brutish yet brilliant to drive – when it works. This low-miler seems a safe bet, thanks to an extensive service history and claimed meticulous maintenance by its previous owner. And just look at that Ferrari Grigio Titanio paintwork. TVR SAGARIS 2005, 27,000 miles, £67,995 That this is seemingly the only Sagaris for sale online right now shows just how rare they are. This one gets 406bhp and 349lb ft from a 4.0-litre straight six, which is said to be in good order after a thorough service in 2022. A host of fresh parts, including a new clutch, have been fitted too. TVR CHIMAERA 1999, 84,000 miles, £13,495 This well-used soft-top looks to be in excellent condition for a 26-year-old car. You only need to…