BBC TopGear August 2023

THREE LIONS

TALLY-HO! WE DRIVE THE NEW ONES FROM ROLLS, ASTON AND BENTLEY...

WHO MAKES BRITAIN’S BEST LUXURY CAR?

There’s more than one way to consume the world’s best car content

Editor-in-chief

@jack_rix editor@bbctopgearmagazine.com

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Gone are the days when talk of 2,000bhp, a £2m pricetag, neck crippling acceleration and being fully electric were enough to shock and amaze... and sell magazines. Those numbers are all routine for a booming hypercar industry these days, so to successfully spanner a few million from someone’s hand you need to offer something genuinely different. Raw performance claims won’t cut it.

I have no doubt that Porsche’s target of a road car Nürburgring record and more downforce than the GT3 RS for its new EV hypercar, the Mission X, will be met... but that’s the bare minimum, surely? It’s given itself roughly four years to develop the car, to find that X factor, because right now what does it offer, besides whiplash, that a 918 Spyder doesn’t? With no gearbox for the driver to engage with and no engine to deliver the sound and fury, it’s going to have to find new ways to make electric cars exciting. If anyone can take a technology and make it sing, it’s Porsche, but it’s not going to be easy.

Once we had a strong hunch that a new Porsche hypercar was coming, a mini sweepstake in the TG office ensued: would it have an engine or not? Personally, I’m glad Porsche is taking on the EV challenge, because the tech drip here is real and direct. Faster 900V charging, battery and torque vectoring developments, new ways of playing with sound, vibrations or some other kind of feedback to the driver... it’ll all end up in lesser Porsche EVs down the line.

It’s just a shame we won’t be getting the Holy Trinity part two: Ferrari vs Porsche vs McLaren, the EV Edition. Ferrari is working on an electric supercar for 2025, but word is the LaFerrari successor halo car will be a V8 hybrid. Is that progress from the V12, e-boosted LaFerrari? We shall see. McLaren appears to be playing it safe too, leaning towards a V8 hybrid for the P1 replacement and saving pure electric for its first SUV.

Right now, if I were a billionaire, would I take a Mission X over something like a Valkyrie or GMA T.50? Probably not because the powertrain isn’t nearly as compelling, but Porsche has a while to get it right and as its glittering 75-year history proves, it usually does.

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“WHAT DOES IT OFFER, BESIDES WHIPLASH, THAT A 918 SPYDER DOESN’T?”

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Stainless steal.

In 1972, famed designer Gérald Genta created an oxymoron. Priced more than many precious metal rivals, the ‘luxury stainless steel timepiece’ was not an immediate success. But eventually its tough, elegant body, integrated bracelet and patterned dial caught on. A watch that dressed up for dinner. Or down, at the pool. Today’s 41mm, base automatic of that original watch costs £22,850 more than the new ‘Twelve’ - named for its dodecagon-sided bezel and rear lock ring. Our watch is thinner, goes deeper and offers a choice of C1/BL Grade X1-lumed dials. A polished, brushed and sandblasted case of daylight (and night time) robbery? Do your research.

christopherward.com

CONTENTS

ISSUE 374 / AUGUST 2023

048 ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

Is the best car in the world now electric? We take Rolls new coupe for a waft around wine country

056 ASTON MARTIN DB12

“The world’s first super tourer,” says Aston Martin Ollie Marriage heads to Monaco to see if it deserves the tag

064 BENTLEY BATUR

Why the £1 6 million Batur is the greatest daily driver you (and we) will never own Because they’re sold out, obviously

080 PORSCHE MISSION X

There’s a new electric hypercar in town, and it’s set its sights on being the fastest road legal car around the Nürburgring

092 RENEWABLES ROADTRIP

Plenty of noise has been made around where the electricity that powers our EVs comes from Paul Horrell investigates

100 JEEP IN MOAB

Editor Rix scares himself silly in a Wrangler with no doors in the world’s most incredible off-road playground

SINGER DLS-T · VW ID

BUZZ LWB · VOLVO EX30

The full lowdown on Singer’s DLS-T, Volkswagen s seven-seat ID Buzz, our favourite videos p us all you need to know on the Volvo EX30

008

SUPERMINIS· ASTRA ELECTRIC NOBLE M500

It s Dacia Sandero vs Skoda Fabia vs Vauxhall Corsa in battle of the supermin s plus Astra Electric Noble M500 and MC20 Cielo

030

111 048 100

VISION ONE-ELEVEN · RICCI’S GARAGE

Mercedes rev sits its experimental C111 concept from 1969 Mark gets the Shogun some new shoes p us Range Rovers old and new 111

TOYOTA GR86 · RANGE ROVER XC40 RECHARGE

We welcome the Toyota GR86 and Range Rover but wave goodbye to the Renault Megane E ectric Vauxhall Astra and Volvo XC40

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT SINGER’S

GONE BIG

Thought the DLS was wild? The DLS-T adds turbos... and wing

“ I’M NOT SURE I’VE EVER HAD A CAR DELIVER MORE OF AN OPTICAL HAYMAKER”

Let’s just marvel at this one for a while shall we? I suspect you have been already. Maybe you’d like some more time? Go back, just check that rear arch is as mad as it looks?

It is, take it from me. I saw this car a few months back as a clay model. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a car deliver more of an optical haymaker. The proportions, the width, the haunches, the rear wing... OK, the wings – I’ll come onto that shortly.

Right, pick your jaw up, it’s fact time. This is the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study – Turbo, an amalgam of Singer’s last two interpretations of the Porsche 911. Those were the DLS and last year’s Turbo Study. In other words it’s a turbocharged DLS, although as your eyes are informing you, this is clearly not just a matter of bolting a pair of puffers onto the 4.0-litre flat six and shoving it out the door. Not least because this engine is a 3.8.

You can tell where inspiration has been drawn from, can’t you? Seventies Le Mans – but specifically a car that didn’t compete there, but in IMSA racing in the USA: the Type 934/5. That car swept the Group 4 board in 1977, winning six of the eight races. “From a design standpoint, my one criticism of that car is that it looks a bit anaemic at the front,” says Singer’s founder Rob Dickinson, “and I wanted our car to be muscular at the front to compete with the back – and I really wanted to go to town on the back.”

Wondering how on earth the Loop spoiler is road legal? In some countries it won’t be. Or maybe you just don’t want something so... outlandish. In which case there’s a ducktail instead. The front end is different according to which you choose – it’s all about the visual balance and offsetting the rear end madness. But you’re not limited to either/or. You can choose both.

“The idea is that some owners prefer their restoration to be track focused, with a larger rear wing and more aggressive front bumper, while others prefer a road focus, with the ducktail,” comments Dickinson, “however, if the owner wants ultimate freedom of choice, they may request both, and the extra front and rear will come in a set of flight cases.”

The aim is extra downforce, of course, “but not crazy, super downforce, it’s not a racecar or a car focused on lap times,” says Singer’s CEO, Mazen Fawaz. Of course it’ll be deeply fast, “but while the aim of the DLS was perfect balance and connection, here we wanted to recreate the vibe of an old school super sports car... and the car I have in mind is a Ferrari F40. The idea is that you have this bonkers, high boost, manual car, but you can wield it, you don’t have to be a racing driver.”

So the DLS-T will have all the latest safety and stability systems, but at its heart lies a 700bhp twinturbo flat six that revs to 9,000rpm. The changes over

the DLS are considerable. This is not a purely air-cooled engine any more – it now has water-cooled cylinder heads and cooling fan is mounted vertically drawing air down from the rear window intakes. It’s also electrically powered, not mechanically driven from the crank.

The naturally aspirated DLS needed those rear window intakes to cram as much air into the engine as possible, “but the turbos generate enormous suction, making the DLS-T a vacuum cleaner, so we can pull engine air in from the deck lid,” says Fawaz. Meanwhile there are side exit exhausts – something not seen on these shores since the TVR Sagaris.

A new six-speed manual gearbox was needed to cope with the torque. It’s currently in development with Ricardo – “It’ll have an exposed linkage, and hopefully be as nice to use as an original G50 box,” says Dickinson. Drive is to the rear wheels only. Wouldn’t be anything like as fearsome if it went to all four now, would it?

The front suspension design is carried over from DLS, “It’s technically not a double wishbone front end,” Fawaz reminds me, “but an upper wishbone with a lower multi-link.” The set-up will be track-oriented and bespoke remote adjustment dampers will be available.

Singer’s timing with Porsche is always interesting –they developed the DLS suspension around the same time Porsche equipped the GT3 with double wishbones

at the front. Now, the latest 911 GT3 RS has lost its front boot to extra cooling requirements – and so has the DLS-T. Luggage will have to travel in the car with you.

The brakes are carbon ceramic, contained within forged magnesium centrelock wheels. The alternative is a stunning set of BBS deep dish rims. The fronts are 19s, the rears 20s, the latter fitted with 345/30 tyres from Michelin – either Cup 2s or Cup 2Rs.

As with the DLS, the turbocharged cars will be restored at Singer’s UK facility in Oxfordshire. Singer’s workforce has more than doubled in the past year, and now employs more than 500 people worldwide, with around 350 at the assembly centre in Los Angeles. The waiting list for its restored Porsche 911s now stretches out to the end of 2027.

Singer restored 75 964-generation 911s into DLSes, and such was its success that the plan is to commission 99 DLS Turbos. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but given the DLS was upwards of $2 million, it’s safe to assume this will tip past that. It doesn’t matter. The demand for everything that comes out from Singer is seemingly insatiable, and this promises to whip up a frenzy of excitement beyond anything else the company has done. Until now its cars have been beautifully executed, but relatively surreptitious. The DLS-T goes down as one of the wildest and most outrageous cars of the last decade. Bring on the wing. Ollie Marriage

“SIDE EXIT EXHAUSTS HAVEN’T BEEN SEEN ON THESE SHORES SINCE THE TVR SAGARIS”

COFFEE BREAK

What we’re watching/ listening/doing, while we should be working

HONDA UNIBOX CONCEPT

K.S. Rhoads

Search for this all-round musical genius from Nashville on your socials and you’ll be gifted some awesome impressions of “kids’ favourite jams by their dads’ favourite bands”. Mumford and Sons singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ is a banger. You’re welcome

Sure, 2001’s Unibox concept resembled a Meccano project assembled in the dark. Sure, it looked like it could be dismantled by a car crim wielding nothing more than a 5mm hex key. But that didn’t make it a fail. Self-assembly chic, very in right now.

Nor was the Unibox a fail because it failed to spawn a production car. In FOTC’s opinion, any concept that morphs into a recognisably similar production car was too damn dull to be classified as a concept in the first place.

Its woeful aerodynamic profile? Also not an issue. FOTC has had quite enough of air getting its own way, and it’s high time someone stood up to it.

Festival season is upon us Glasto (watch it all on the BBC!). Latitude. Tramlines. Camp Bestival. Kendall Calling. Bluedot. And more. Hope you packed sunblock and wellies (not a bad band name that)

No, the reason for the Unibox’s #epicfail status was... those transparent lower body panels. Great for bringing light into the Unibox’s cuboid cabin, but also great for giving passersby, and fellow motorists, an untrammelled view of its occupants’ nether regions. As a society, we’re just not ready for that level of sharing.

TopGear magazine fix

You can download the latest edition and back issues direct to your phone or tablet from the App Store. Because when life gives you lemons... settle in and read TG

One of the very joys of driving is having one’s downstairs area tucked safely from public view, leaving one free to rearrange undergarments that require rearrangement, to loosen one’s belt, to commute wearing pyjama trousers should one damn well please. Some corners of life must remain private and sacred, including one’s own Ginstersstrewn thighs.

Ashes to Ashes

On to the next big test at The Ashes. England continues to test Australia at the next round of test matches at the Ashes test series. A test of nerve, a test of character and skill. As testimony to all the big tests that have come before, the winner will receive a tiny trophy

TopGear TV, BBC iPlayer

Don’t forget that ALL of TopGear telly is ready and waiting on iPlayer

BIGGER BUZZ

VW’s three-row electric bus has arrived, and it promises room for all the family

At long last, Volkswagen has revealed the new ID.Buzz long wheelbase, complete with up to seven seats. The seating options run five (two up front, three in the back, big boot), six (two up front, two in the middle, two in the back, smaller boot), or the full seven (two/three/two, tiny boot).

The second row is a bench but can be optioned as two chairs, while the two back seats can be folded, angled and moved back or removed completely if you want a proper electric van. It also gets the biggest panoramic roof ever fitted to any VW.

The rear drive chassis can now accommodate a slightly bigger 85kWh battery, taking claimed range to around

VOLKSWAGEN ID BUZZ Z

If ever there was a car which didn’t suit the imagination-free ‘murdered out’ look, it’s VW’s cheery electric Buzz It simply begs for two-tone paint. Annoyingly, Volkswagen knows this, so of course it’s a chunky £2,790 option

300 miles, together with a more powerful e-motor delivering 282bhp. There’s more torque – 413lb ft – while top speed rises from the current Buzz’s 90mph to a heady 100mph. Perhaps more important than the LWBuzz’s 0–62mph time (7.9secs, FYI), is its 10–80 per cent charge time. Find a rapid charger and VW reckons you’ll do it in just 25 minutes. It gets battery preconditioning fitted as standard, and the onboard satnav will add in charging stops if your destination exceeds your range.

VW says the turning circle beats the standard version – 11.8m vs 11.1m – and it retains the same suspension set-up. More importantly, this is the variant that’ll spawn the camper we’re all craving.

Procrastination ahoy! Six videos worth watching on the web this month

’RING RECORD... BREAKER?

The Porsche Mission X picks up where the 918 Spyder hypercar left off but ditches the V8 Word from Stuttgart is it’ll be the fastest ever road car around the Nürburgring Jack gives it the once over

ONE LAST BLAST

Welcome to the Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate, the final DBS of its generation Inevitably, there’s more power, but there’s also much more besides Ollie Kew explains why this is the finest V12 GT the company has produced

NOBLE M500 PROTOTYPE

The M600 was enormously fast, enormously expensive to manufacture and enormously ‘exciting’ to drive We needed a safe pair of hands to test the successor to the beast, but only Ollie Kew was available

GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT

The first fully electric modern Rolls-Royce has arrived In the chaos and commotion of a Californian street Ollie Kew immerses himself in the peace and quiet of the Spectre Then goes for a strangely serene glide

RIVIERA RAPIDS

Doesn’t get more glamorous than driving (another) Aston Martin around Monte Carlo and its surrounding hills But Ollie Marriage had some Important Business to do, checking whether the DB12 ‘super tourer’ is as super as they say it is

BATUR UP

Aston might have ditched its V12, but Bentley’s venerable W12 nears its swansong in the bonkers new limited run Batur – a £1 7m coupe that has the distinction of being the most powerful and most expensive Bentley ever

WATCHES

BACK TO BASICS

Raw, uncompromised, stripped back –it’s a formula that works for watches too

Driving a skeleton car has very obvious pros and cons, as any Ariel Atom owner will tell you. It saves weight and looks cool. But it’s also noisy and lets in all of the weather. Skeletonising a watch does not come with these disadvantages, but the process of stripping it back to the essentials has long been a great challenge.

The reason for early skeleton clocks was simple. Nowadays if you want to let people know how well business is going, you can buy a Bugatti. Around 200 years ago a good way of making people jealous was a fancy clock. Just owning one set you apart from the masses, but clockmakers, looking for new ways to stand out, hit upon the idea of stripping away the metal casing so you could admire the gears and springs at work.

Pocket watches were also given the skeleton treatment – the most famous is a masterpiece made by Abraham-Louis Breguet for Marie Antoinette. It was commissioned in 1783 by an unknown admirer of the young queen, with a fully skeletonised movement boasting 823 tiny components. It was so intricate that 10 years later, with the French Revolution in full swing, the queen was executed before she ever got to see it. Breguet, as a friend of the royal court, was himself lucky to escape the guillotine. He survived until the age of 76, but died before the watch was finished. It was finally completed by Breguet’s son, more than 40 years after it was ordered.

When wristwatches took over in the early 20th century, skeletonising was rare, bar a few pieces by the likes of Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe. Then in the late 20th century something changed. Quartz became better in every measurable way than mechanical watches, so the traditional industry was forced to pivot. This meant making a virtue of the analogue innards: if you take the dial off a quartz watch, you see an ugly battery and circuit board, on a mechanical watch you see the watch’s little heartbeat.

This saw open-worked wristwatches start to take off in the late Nineties. And coupled with the trend for open casebacks, that meant many watches allowed you to admire the movement from both sides. Now any watch company worth its cogs has at least a few skeletons in the cabinet. So whatever your budget, a pared back watch is within reach. And without the drawbacks of a skeletonised car, less really is more.

Roger Dubuis specialises in aggressively skeletonised watches, often with automotive inspiration like the strut bars across the open-worked dial. This one was developed in collaboration with Lamborghini for the launch of the Huracán Sterrato. In-house automatic movement in 45mm carbon case, water resistant to 50m. £59,500; rogerdubuis.com

UNDER £10K

The square-cased Monaco was a slow seller until it was photographed on the wrist of Steve McQueen during the filming of the cult 1971 movie Le Mans. The actor helped transform the watch into an instant icon and it became one of TAG Heuer’s most enduring and easily recognised designs. This new skeletonised version was released as a celebration of 2023’s 80th running of the Monaco Grand Prix. Available in three different colours, each with 39mm grade-2 titanium case, water resistant to 100m. Combined rubber and leather strap. The in-house automatic chronograph movement has an 80-hour power reserve. £9,800; tagheuer.com

Some watches favour a peekaboo style of skeletonising, removing part of the dial, like this one. The remaining dial has a twin layer, suit inspired surface with contrasting herringbone and paisley patterns, with 41mm case water resistant to 100m. £829.99; orientwatch.co.uk

Bulova is best known for its early electronic watch the Accutron, as well as being one of very few companies to put a watch on the moon. This skeleton watch is from the Classic collection and has an automatic movement in a 46mm case, water resistant to 100m. £429; uk.bulova.com

THE KNOWLEDGE

Need-to-know nuggets of automotive news

GAME OF THE MONTH

SILVER BULLET?

Battery tech start-up Nyobolt has hired Elise designer Julian Thomson to update his classic 1996 design to show off the firm’s fancy niobium batteries, which it says will recharge in just six minutes using existing rapid chargers

F1 23

The official F1 game, out now on Xbox, Playstation and PC, returns along with its 200mph soap opera mode Braking Point It’s more complex this time around with more mid-race objectives, a narrative that’s more reactive to your actions and there’s more depth to the off-track decision making It’s a slower burn than before, but better for it And yes, there’s still plenty of histrionic paddock bickering F1 World, meanwhile, is the game s tilt at a FIFA Ultimate Team money spinner and sees you building your own car with a unique performance profile by opening unlockable or purchasable ‘packs’ If you can bear to race against people who have built a faster car because they spent more real world cash, it could become a serious time sink Otherwise, you’ll still have fun getting to grips with the new, more hustle-able handling while lapping the distractingly spectacular new Las Vegas circuit Three day hangover optional

PEP RALLY

Ford has announced it’s taking on the Dakar Rally in a Ranger Raptor the firm describes with a straight face as “bad-ass”. The 2024 event will be more of a test, followed by a ‘proper’ effort at the race in 2025

GEAR

APPLE VISION PRO

Looking like something straight out of a Black Mirror episode or a skiing holiday, Apple recently announced the Vision Pro – its first ever ‘spacial computer’ (buckle up, there’s going to be a lot more of that kind of chat). The Vision Pro is essentially a mixed reality headset, so once it’s on you can see the world

around you, although the picture is live and is created using lots of teeny cameras. You can then control apps, watch telly or play games using only your eyes and hand gestures And yes, you will look absolutely ridiculous to anyone who walks into the room in the real world apple.com; $3,499

WEDGE OF GLORY

The Aston Martin Bulldog was a 1977 production car speed record project, but was slow, too pricey and got canned. It’s finally reached 205mph after a two-year restoration by its current classic dealer owner

ONE SMALL YEP FOR MAN

General Motors has been building horrid cheap little cars via a joint venture in China since 2002, but the cute little Baoyun Yep electric SUV is the first one you’d actually want to have. And for £9k (in China)!

ROAD CARS WITH A CENTRAL DRIVING POSITION

We had to start here Gordon Murray says he had the idea of a centrally positioned driver as far back as the Seventies, but couldn’t realise his tri-seat supercar dream until the Nineties, with the iconic McLaren F1 Naturally his new T 50 keeps the layout – but is easier to climb in and out of

This could’ve been Japan’s McF1: a Formula One inspired carbon lightweight with a 10,000rpm V12 in the back and a tandem central seating arrangement just ahead. Only three were made before the project was kiboshed by the early Nineties recession

Is it a car? Is it a bike? Whatever it is, the Dutch entry in the urban transport solution battle is this charmingly bizarre leaning contraption, which has now swapped petrol power for electric propulsion Naturally, the driver sits right in the middle, with space for a brave passenger behind

365 P Berlinetta Speciale

If you want to sit slap bang in the middle, most carmakers favour a narrow cockpit with the passengers lined astern, to reduce frontal area and improve aerodynamic That was Czinger’s philosophy for its hybrid hypercar But, what if you

fancy being more sociable with your passengers?

Then you need to go for something rarer Ferrari too has dabbled with an arrowhead seating arrangement, with this 1966 concept car Only two examples of the 375bhp tre-posti (three-seater) design were produced, before Ferrari reverted to a more conventional two-seat set-up

Even Citroen has had a go, in the twilight of its glorious experimental period At the 1980 Paris Motor Show, it revealed a super streamlined gullwing concept car that looked like the love child of a DeLorean and a greenhouse It remains one of the all-time great French concepts

McLaren Speedtail

Demanding a French middle-seater from the here and now? Then you’ll have a pretty short shopping list, featuring mostly Renault’s Twizy thingy Like the Carver, the driver sits centrally and their passenger contorts into the back like some sort of extreme daredevil yoga enthusiast

Of course, if you want to sit in the middle and couldn’t care less about carrying a tandem passenger, because you think friends equals ballast, then the Briggs Automotive Company Mono is, well, the clue’s sort of in the name One ‘seat’, zero compromise

When Gordon Murray heard McLaren was building a ‘successor’ to the F1, development of the T 50 was halted in case the result was too similar No fear of that then. McLaren’s hyper GT twist on the threeseater format is the fastest way to move three people on land – this side of a high-speed train

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE...

NEWS VOLVO EX30

The new small Volvo is an electric crossover with some clever thinking

IT’S THE GREENEST VOLVO EVER

The EX30 might sell on its looks, but for Volvo it’s what’s on the inside. A quarter of the aluminium is recycled, nearly a fifth of the steel too, and the same proportion of repurposed plastic. You can even spec carpets made from reclaimed plastic bottles. With its production under scrutiny, Volvo insists no car can beat the EX30’s footprint from factory to 200,000km.

3IT’S ALSO THE FASTEST VOLVO EVER

The range topping Twin Motor Performance version has 422bhp and will leap from 0–60mph in just 3.4 seconds. Even the base rear drive version has 268bhp and will match a Honda Civic Type R to 62mph, taking less than 5.5secs. So like most electric vehicles, this sensible small family car is way more rapid than it needs to be.

IT HAS TWO BATTERY OPTIONS

Volvo says pick a battery depending on the range you need. The entry level single motor car gets a 51kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery, which is cheaper to make. The fancier dual motor cars get a 64kWh lithium-ion battery, taking range from 213 miles to nearly 300. They all charge at about 150kW, so a 10–80 per cent top up takes less than 30mins.

IT’S SMALLER THAN AN XC40

2 4 5 1

Volvo’s new entry car, the EX30, is a bit smaller than the rather good XC40, and the looks are smoother too, like it’s been crossbred with a pebble. The old ‘paint the roof black’ trick makes it look lower and sleeker, but this isn’t one of those sporty aggressive SUVs – it actually looks quite cute from some angles.

IT’S CHEAPER THAN YOU THINK

The sensible batteries mean a UK launch price below £34k – for the mid-range Plus. The top spec Ultra is over £40k, but more interestingly the entry Core model will come in about £32k. Bear in mind a Merc EQA is £52k and the cheapest BMW iX1 is £53k. They’ve got more range, but Volvo wonders if you really need it.

Now go and watch the video on topgear.com

TOPGEAR’S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING

MYTH BUSTER

ARE CHEAPER TO TAXANDRUN”

We have a fixed date to switch new cars to ZEV We’re neglecting to plan other necessary changes Electric drivers pay little tax at the moment. It’s just five per cent VAT for the energy if charged at home Petrol drivers pay something above 100 per cent in duty and VAT For company car drivers the difference in BIK is even starker. A 40 per cent taxpayer choosing between a 4-Series Gran Coupe petrol and the equivalent i4 would be £8,000 a year better off if they went electric.

The government – which means the people, assuming we are a functioning democracy – wants to encourage electric cars. Two problems. First, the tax breaks help only those who can afford a new car. Second, if the incentives work and people switch to EVs, total fuel tax revenue will fall, meaning less money for the NHS, schools and pensions. The RAC Foundation predicts a £5bn drop as soon as 2028. For context that would be about 0.5 per cent of total tax revenue by then.

We could persist with fuel duty but raise electricity tax. EVs are webconnected so you could report their kWh use to HMRC. Or we could end fuel duty and have road pricing. Just report your mileage, like you report your earnings. The tax per mile could be adjusted for whether it’s ICE or electric, with potential for other more subtle factors including weight of the car, income, and even postcode so rural villagers who have to drive more don’t suffer.

NOW LATER WHO KNOWS?

RING STING

Tesla has reclaimed the ’Ring EV lap record in a Model S Plaid Track Pack: 7mins 25.231secs. Your move, Porsche

H2GO

Toyota’s new GR H2 Racing Concept could bring hydrogen to Le Mans in three years’ time. Good luck finding a filling station...

FUTURE FOCUS

Renault’s H1st concept will organise your parking, call a doctor or even power your house during a blackout

“EVs

AMY’S TIPS

Easy ways to help your engine stay in top condition

SMOOTH RUNNING

Engines are complex beasts. So complex, in fact, we sometimes assume there’s little we can do to take care of them beyond keeping the oil topped up and resisting the urge to rev it to the max. But being a little more proactive in your day-to-day engine maintenance – and keeping an eye and ear out for any potential gremlins – could save you a bucketload of bellyaches in the future.

From topping up the coolant and driving more smoothly to showing your car a little love with Shell V-Power, here are car photographer and Jag restorer Amy’s top tips for keeping your engine running smoothly.

LOOK INTO THE LIGHT

It might sound obvious, but if your engine warning light comes on, you have a problem that needs resolving immediately. Even if it’s a relatively minor issue, don’t be tempted to make it tomorrow’s problem, as it will soon become today’s…

DON’T RUN ON EMPTY

Sediments from fuel form at the bottom of the tank over time, which can enter the fuel system and engine, causing poor running and lasting damage. So, next time you’re into the last quarter on the fuel gauge, take your pride and joy for a top up at the garage.

NEW AND IMPROVED SHELL V-POWER

While you’re there, show your engine you care. New and improved Shell V-Power now up to 100% cleans critical engine parts to rejuvenate performance with every fill, keeping your engine running like new. My husband and I use it for every car we drive – from the classics in our garage to our everyday run-arounds – and it really does make such a difference*

TAKE IT STEADY

You don’t necessarily have to drive more slowly, but practising smoother braking and accelerating could mean you spend less time at the higher end of the rev counter. Honestly, your engine will thank you for it.

05

PLAY IT COOL

Always keep the coolant expansion tank topped up to the correct level with the coolant that’s best for your car. Be careful if you’re diluting it, as impurities in tap water can cause deposits, which can block the engine internals, making it run inefficiently.

For more of Amy’s tips and tales from the garage, scan the QR code

If you want to look after your car’s engine, but aren’t exactly Mechanic of the Year, Jaguar restoration whizz Amy Shore is here to help

BRAND NEW!

CAR CHAT, INTERVIEWS, SPECIAL GUESTS AND GAMES – ALL BROUGHT TO YOU FROM THE TEAM BEHIND THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE CAR MAGAZINE

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Criticism of the BMW M2 has been widespread and ferocious. When the first photographs were leaked online everyone pointed at their screens and yelled “It looks bloody dreadful and it weighs as much as Saturn”. I was one of them. On paper, the M2 is a dud – a car that has lost sight of its original intentions and sold its soul. In reality, it’s brilliant and I much prefer it to my old M2.

But that’s not the reason we’re here. We’re here today so I can indulge in some therapy. Because I’m not sure I want to review cars any more. It has occurred to me during my many miles in the M2 that the last thing anyone needs is a ‘review’ of its stumpy little arse. The relationship between car and reviewer and owner is now so convoluted I’m not sure I want to try and untangle it.

If the concept of a near 1,700kg M2 appals you to the point of a physical reaction, me telling you that it just doesn’t feel that heavy won’t alter your feeling towards it. And I won’t even begin to explain how I’ve somehow managed to shift from thinking it looked tragic at first, to now full of admiration for BMW’s bravery in making it look like Mike Tyson’s chin. Think of it as BMW’s Alfa SZ moment – Il Mostro from Germany. Das Monster

You won’t care about the fact the gearchange and clutch are a big improvement over the old car, that the cabin is excellent and that, with its fancy carbon sports seats, BMW is now the

undisputed king of bottom nurturing in the two-seater compact sports arena. Actually, you’ll object to the word compact being used in the context of something this big – but again, not something I feel qualified to alter.

You see we’ve reached a point, as the roads slowly fill with electric vehicles, where I’m just not going to allow myself to criticise a carmaker that is selling a RWD, 454bhp coupe with a manual gearbox. I have this nagging feeling that if I did, five years from now when the only BMW I could buy was a hybrid and changed gear itself, I might have a moment of retrospective shame.

These are the last days of an empire that has existed for a century. An epoch that gave us machinery that needed skills to be driven, and in doing so reciprocated by making us smile. That will soon change into something newer and more automated. I think anyone deep into middle age like me spends a lot of time reflecting on whether we understood the significance of the things we experienced in our younger years. I was paid to criticise motor cars to a degree that at the time made me feel proud to go about my task. But some of that now feels meanspirited. Yes, the Alfa 156 GTA was mostly terrible – but the world needs bad Italian cars fitted with magnificent engines.

I can’t even begin to list the cars I now need to apologise to, and of course I know that a collective apology from the pantheon of motoring journalism, delivered to the internal combustion engined motor car, isn’t, and wasn’t ever, going to save it from becoming the focus of so much hatred.

But I will say this – the pedals are just too offset in the context of the nutcracker bucket seat. There is the potential for testicular numbness over long periods. And, no, I don’t view that as indiscriminate nastiness – it’s a public health announcement.

Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life?

All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer

“I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO LIST THE CARS I NOW NEED TO APOLOGISE TO”

It’s time we stopped criticising cars for what they’re not and appreciating them for what they are, says Chris

Seismic motoring news from my home county of Cornwall, where this month a pothole filling vigilante pensioner hit the headlines, thus giving me the happy chance to use the phrase ‘pothole filling vigilante pensioner’.

Here’s the story. In the (very) small, (very) quiet country town of Lostwithiel, there was a pothole. A massive pothole. Fifteen feet across and more than a foot deep, some say. Early this year, the locals told the council of this pothole. The council closed the road. But the council did not fix the pothole.

So, after several months of roady closey but no pothole fixy, an incognito local pensioner took it upon himself to fill the chasm himself, and at his own expense. “I spent seven hours and £1,000 hiring the equipment, and buying materials,” he informed the Daily Mail, on condition of anonymity.

A generous, public minded gesture, you might think. The council was less impressed. It responded by reclosing the road, publicly reprimanding the undercover road mending retiree, and urging the local community to turn him in.

The council’s beef, it seems, is that the work wasn’t carried out professionally. But surely a hole filled with concrete, however imperfectly, is still better than a hole filled with... nothing?

Lostwithiel’s bitumen Batman isn’t the only OAP in the freelance pothole patching game. Rod Stewart (77, extraordinary hair) was last year photographed picking up the shovel to fix the craters on his local street. Tarmac tidying pensioners: they’re everywhere!

And here’s the point. The authorities shouldn’t be battling this epidemic. They should be embracing it. We have an ever increasing number of potholes. We have an ever increasing number of pensioners. Pensioners want to contribute to society. Society hates potholes. Let’s hit up this supply with this demand!

To be clear, I’m not thinking, like, national service. Forcing nanas into gruelling roadwork is the sort of policy even Vlad Putin might consider a bit punchy. But how about a proper, voluntary, nationwide scheme: training, high-vis jackets, industrial quantities of Rich Tea biscuits?

Great way for our often isolated older generation to get out the house and in conversation with the youth. Possibly conversations that begin with, “Grampy Joe, is that our cat under all that wet concrete?” and end with a bawling child, but still, a chat’s a chat.

And, if you think about it, there are many synergies between pensioners and pothole workers. Both enjoy a sturdy fleece jacket. Neither like to rush through a project. Both drink a lot of tea. And what is a ride-on road roller if not a heavy duty mobility scooter?

Forget Dad’s Army. It’s time for Grandad’s (Road Maintenance) Army: fixing our nation’s generational divide, and crappy roads, one pothole at a time.

Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer

“WHAT IS A RIDE-ON ROAD ROLLER IF NOT A HEAVY DUTY MOBILITY SCOOTER?”

What are we to make of the EU’s exemption from its 2035 ban on new petrol cars, to allow those that run “only on e-fuels”? See, a litre of e-fuel is – even at the molecular level – identical to a litre of the petrol that began down an oil well. That’s its entire point. So if a car can run on e-fuel, it can also run on the old stuff.

How will they police this? Each litre could have its own blockchain to ensure traceability. But the computing energy behind blockchain is itself carbon intensive. Or maybe they could use the same method as farmers’ diesel. Diesel dyed red, on which there’s low tax, is for tractors. Road diesel has more tax. If a farmer’s Land Rover has a red stained fuel filter, he’s up before the beak, big time.

But e-fuel is a pretty silly way to decarbonise most people’s new cars, even if it works in the high cost world of supercars. More important is it could be a good way to avoid having to chuck away all our perfectly good nearly new ICE cars. Today’s most high profile e-fuel manufacture involves two main ingredients got via green electricity: hydrogen electrolysed from water and carbon captured from the air or industrial chimneys. But it’s horribly inefficient compared with driving the cars directly on

electricity. Hydrogen very much has its place in cutting CO2, xbut mostly in industry, powering furnaces and processes.

This is a car magazine so we talk a lot about CO2 from cars. It’s also big in the general public conversation. But guess what. Not that much of the world’s manmade CO2 comes from cars. Road transport is about 12 per cent. Remove goods transport from that, and what’s left is just seven per cent of the global CO2 emission coming from cars, buses and two-wheelers.

So let’s get some perspective. A much bigger proportion, 17 per cent, comes from the production of iron, steel, aluminium, chemicals and cement. We don’t see those as much as we see cars, because we don’t want to live next door to a steel mill or cement works. But those sectors are big, and aren’t known as ‘hard to abate’ for nothing. They’ll need investment in hydrogen power and carbon capture from the chimneys, because limestone emits CO2 in its transformation to cement. The heat, light and power in buildings is another one to watch, as it accounts for 18 per cent of CO2. Again, that’ll come down with insulation, plus switching away from gas and greening the grid.

Green electricity is easy and cheap. Some of the cheapest solar electricity in the world, at about a penny per kWh and falling, comes from a giant 3GW array in the UAE desert. It’s part-owned by local oil company ADNOC, which sees which way the figurative wind is blowing. The wind in the UK is giving us 5p/kWh power, nine times cheaper than UK gas-fired electricity.

So here’s the TL;DR. For most new cars, the European e-fuel exemption is largely a distraction. We should use the green energy for other things first.

TG’s eco-conscious megabrain, Paul Horrell, is one of the world’s most respected and experienced car writers. Has attended every significant car launch since the Model T

The EU’s exemption on e-fuels from 2035 isn’t as big a story as it first seems, reckons Paul

“IF A FARMER’S LAND ROVER HAS A RED STAINED FUEL FILTER HE’S UP BEFORE THE BEAK BIG TIME”

Thebigtest: superminis

After nearly 50 years, the Ford Fiesta is dead, so long live the... wait, which of the current crop of superminis should we go for?

VES

SKODA FABIA COLOUR EDITION

£19,240 / £22,155

RIP – after 47 years of ubiquity Ford’s Fiesta has come off sale (cutthroat business this, no room for sentimentality) thanks to barely controlled inflation. Not the economic kind, though that can’t be helping, rather the fact that cars are getting too big. People want high riding SUVs, or more spacious, well appointed hatchbacks. Throw in ever stricter emissions rules and making a supermini at lower volumes is getting too expensive. Can’t blame Ford for deciding it couldn’t be bothered.

The Fiesta was long the default choice –you could recommend it to anyone and they’d be happy. There’s no obvious natural successor, but we’ve brought together the cheap one, the all-rounder and the current UK bestseller (although it was dethroned by the Ford Puma while we were writing this) to see if the crown fits any of the rivals, or whether the Fiesta’s demise marks the end of an era. The cheap one is the £14,795 Dacia Sandero in top spec (as if it makes a difference) Expression trim, showing off its recent facelift courtesy of the budget brand’s nimble lifestyle-oriented pivot. Not the

kitesurfing and spelunking that rivals seem to think we get up to at the weekend, but rather tramping about in the woods with the dog while the kids ride their scooters into a tree.

Skoda must be fuming – fewer people saw Dacia’s Soviet-spec output lumbering about Romania in the early Nineties in the same way the likes of the Skoda Favorit haunted middlesized British towns. But Skodas are right posh now, even if it’s taken a while to pull off – the Fabia’s the fanciest here, but not the most expensive. It’s £19,850 in penultimate Colour Edition spec and we know it’s a great all-

“THE BUDGET PRICED SANDERO IS THE SPREADSHEET CHOICE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES OR THE ELDERLY”

1 Practical cars, rather than desirable ones... 2. Dacia’s new lifestyle logo looks like a Christmas cracker 3. Ice scraper in the fuel filler cap present and correct Everyone else wishes they’d thought of it 4 You don’t often see an exhaust pipe these days Corsa’s will end up being swapped for something noisier

rounder because that’s the award we gave it back in 2022 – it’s become the automatic suggestion of an inoffensively pleasant new car to go for since the Volkswagen Golf was edged off into the rough.

The bestseller, surprisingly, is the Vauxhall Corsa, but then someone has to be in first place, that’s how lists work. The Fiesta’s ignominious toppling from its (very) long-time sales chart domination is the thing here, made all the worse by being at the hands of its archenemy. Supply issues, economic malaise, COVID-19, bad weather – there are all sorts of factors involved in the decline of the UK new car market – and the Corsa’s numbers haven’t dropped as far or as fast as others. At £22,135 it’s the most expensive here, so there must be some secret sauce to its popularity, because it isn’t the low, low prices.

Interestingly these three are notable by something the Fiesta never managed – platform sharing. The Corsa shares its bits with the likes of the Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3 thanks to the E-GMP platform at Stellantis, while the

Fabia’s MQB platform underpins dozens of Volkswagen Group models. The Dacia Sandero’s CMF-B engineering is a bargain bin version of what they use in the Renault Clio and Nissan Juke, among others.

So what are these cars actually for? They seem to occupy a similar portion of the market, but then they appeal to seemingly very different audiences. The Corsa’s always been your classic first car, the latest Fabia positioned ready to catch people downsizing from larger cars and the Sandero is the spreadsheet choice for young families or the elderly. Anyone who sits 5mph below the speed limit, really.

All three come fairly well equipped at these trim levels – such niceties as Apple/ Android connectivity, aircon and touchscreen infotainment (8.0 inches in the Dacia and Skoda, 7.0 in the Vauxhall) as standard, but with differing vibes to go along with the snap judgements we’ve made before getting in. The Corsa’s cabin fails to live up to the promise of the exterior styling, offering no discernible personality save for some GS trim-specific

VAUXHALL CORSA

1 The 7.0in touchscreen feels a bit small here, looks like an afterthought on the dash

2 Glovebox silliness means there’s no room for the manual 3 We like the buttons and knobs for the aircon

4 The digi dash is all a bit lacklustre – why ditch the dials for something worse? 5 Closest thing to stylish design in here and you’ll be sitting on them the whole time 6 The gearstick fits nicely in your palm, but it’s awkwardly shaped to use any other way Auto option is a good shout

DACIA SANDERO

1 Sure, the fabric trim on the dash is there to disguise the cheapo plastics, but it actually looks quite stylish

2 Air vents mirror Dacia’s new logo – we weren’t expecting design for sub-£15k 3 Dials and buttons feature heavily. They’ll never go wrong 4 The sandpaper texture on the gearstick was a bit too rough for our soft hands 5 There are audio controls hidden down here You’re welcome

6 Integrated phone holder, meet touchscreen with Apple/Android Eh?

06 06

01 01

02

03

05 02 05

04

SKODA FABIA

1 Keep it out of the sun and the infotainment is the best here 2 Apart from having to use the touchscreen to change fan speed That’s well annoying 3 These shiny bits reflect in the windscreen in the sun – not a problem at night 4 Wireless charging pad angles outwards, which makes your phone more distracting when it

red stripes across the dash and chairs. There’s some perfunctory storage, and at least the virtue of physical controls for the heating and ventilation. Rear space isn’t brilliant, either –best save those lifts for city jaunts, let grandma sit in the front. It’s a functional car that’ll blur into the background of the everyday.

So it’s down to the Skoda to bring the pizzazz – what’s great about this generation of Fabia is that it feels like some people have sat down together and brainstormed ideas that’ll genuinely make your life a fraction better. The little parking ticket clip on the windscreen, the pen loop by the gearstick or the surprise and delight features you’ll be showing your friends – the umbrella in the driver’s door and ice scraper in the fuel filler cap. You can go crazy on the options list and get a little bin for the door pocket or a cargo net that goes underneath the rear parcel shelf. It’s not all great inside – this car had the same heinous squeaking rattle from the nether regions of the dash as the long-termer we ran towards the end of 2022, and the morning after our night shoot the car had been sitting in the sunshine and the infotainment and digital dashboard were incoherent until we’d run the aircon for 15 minutes or so and calmed things down. It can be a bit of a Stepford car, this. No sparkle in the Sandero, just the fuzzy glow of money saved. Buzzes and creaks

aplenty, but that only adds to the thrift-soaked ambience. Sorry Skoda, we don’t make the rules. Dacia doesn’t have a Little Details sub-committee though, you’ll take what you’re given. The plastics here are a league below the other two, but the fabric on the dash is a neat attempt at disguising it. There’s a nice little phone holder next to the central touchscreen... which then mirrors your smartphone anyway. The USB socket behind the touchscreen means wires trailing about the dash, the seats are a little flat, the clutch pedal a bit high... the Sandero is perfectly fine for dashing about town, but the longer you spend in it at once the more you’ll be wishing you spent a little extra on something more rounded. There’s more rear seat space in here than any of the others, though.

These three are all great urban companions – each of them fairly wieldy, coming in at a smidge under 1,100kg (practically nothing by today’s porky standards) and suitable for chucking around side streets and gyratory systems. The Corsa’s handling is a surprise if you’ve driven older versions, much keener than it’s ever been. The Sandero has a sharp turn-in too, albeit let down by a touch of lean. Parking’s a cinch – they all have rear parking sensors, the Sandero even throws in a rear camera.

Venture beyond the suburbs and they’re surprisingly grown-up at a cruise too. Well,

“VENTURE BEYOND THE SUBURBS AND THEY ARE SURPRISINGLY GROWN-UP AT A CRUISE”

Skoda’s smallest is by no means perfect, but it’s a great all-rounder with some nice little touches

The Sandero’s schtick is its budget price, so the new lifestyle branding is odd, but the car has a certain charm

Vauxhall’s big seller remains as average as ever –

the Corsa and the Skoda are, the Dacia not so much. The Corsa’s quiet on the motorway, feels stable at a clip and has lovely manners. You wouldn’t think twice about taking it home to visit your family, however far away. Same story with the Fabia, even if its five-speed manual is one short of the Vauxhall. It’s the one you’d spend the most time in – sensible and well thought through, you know you’re in safe hands. The Sandero isn’t bad on a long journey per se, it just feels like it’s from a generation or two ago. The driving position is nigglingly off and there’s nowhere to shove your clutch foot when it’s not busy. The Dacia’s a good 50mm taller than the Fabia, looms over the Corsa by 70mm – it’s practically an SUV, but that has a knock-on effect when it comes to side winds, cornering lean, etc.

When we say cars like the Corsa or Fabia feel grown-up to drive, that’s in contrast to cars like the Sandero. They’re all three-cylinder small capacity petrols with turbochargers, but the Corsa feels the perkiest, at 9.3secs to 62mph from rest. The Fabia is 1.3secs slower than that, the Sandero 1.6secs further behind with a

12.2secs run. The first two are confident around town, zipping around with a little in hand where the Sandero feels wheezy, always catching up. The Skoda has the most pleasingly mechanical gear change, where the Dacia’s feels crunchy, with slack in the stick that means you don’t always know what gear you’re in. All three smother city potholes and speed bumps surprisingly well.

There’s a sophistication to the Fabia and Corsa – you can feel that they’ve been up against the class leading Fiesta for years, and drawing inspiration from larger, more accomplished cars on the market – the Dacia’s more of an arriviste. None drives as well as the Ford, but we’ll have a plentiful secondhand supply of those for a while yet if handling is the ultimate priority. The Sandero’s focus is elsewhere – costs, perhaps. Not insignificant now, with the pressures people are under – its list price is miles below the other two, now one of four cars on the market below £15k (along with the Fiat Panda, Citroen C3 and Kia Picanto). On a three-year plan, with 10,000 miles a year and six months’ worth of payments

down the Sandero can be had for £238 a month, versus £319 for the Fabia and £349 for the Corsa. There are of course cheaper versions, and lower payments with a bigger deposit. All three sit squarely in VED Band G thanks to 120g/ km-ish CO2 emissions – £210 in the first year and £180 after that. Their fuel consumption is broadly similar – the Sandero’s on top with 53.2mpg, the Fabia tight behind at 53.1mpg. The Corsa’s 49.6mpg is the least impressive on paper, but with its six gears it’ll sip along the motorway. Conversely the Sandero loses out if you’re having to thrash it to keep up with traffic.

And the Fiesta’s crown? The Corsa has managed to talk itself out of contention here by being so relentlessly average – a successful sales strategy, we suppose, but not one that we admire. There’s a facelift coming later in 2023, though we’re not sure it’ll address many of the Corsa’s issues. The winner here ultimately comes down to whether you put the priority on useful everyday practicality or outright cost. There’s little wrong with the Dacia that can’t be excused by its price... but then we do love that little umbrella in the Skoda’s door.

“THE WINNER IS DOWN TO WHETHER YOU PUT THE PRIORITY ON EVERYDAY PRACTICALITY OR OUTRIGHT COST” RA TIC LI OUTRIGH O T

Light fantastic

You might dimly remember the Noble M600. Come to think of it, Noble itself is hardly a household name, so let’s start there. It sprung to prominence in the early Noughties, producing mid-engined sports cars with remarkable chassis fluency. Being a British cottage industry marque it then stuttered before coming back a decade ago with a supercar, the aforementioned M600. Again one with a supple chassis, but this time the twin-turbocharged Ford V6 had given way to twin-turbo 4.4-litre VolvoYamaha V8 and 350bhp had become 650.

It was mighty. The looks were perhaps a touch simplistic, so Noble only ever sold a couple of dozen. Shame. It’s one of those cars that’s much more than the sum of its not very exotic parts. It was terrifically, thunderously fast, chattered with feedback, but wasn’t the sort of car that held your hand. You needed to know what you were doing. And being carbon-bodied it was also expensive to produce.

So Noble has gone away, regrouped and come back with this, the M500. The aim is to deliver a similarly enticing driving experience, but at a lower price point, hopefully around £150,000. It’s still at the prototype stage at the moment, but uses plenty of carryover from its bigger sibling: same steel spaceframe chassis and double wishbone suspension, same wheelbase and

hydraulic, not electric, power steering. However, it has reverted to a twin-turbo Ford V6. Not from a Mondeo now, but a brand new 3.5-litre twin-turbo from a Ford Raptor. It’s given Noble some issues as Ford recently changed the engine specification, moving the manifolds so that they interfered with the rear chassis rails. Just a part of the development process for a small volume manufacturer.

The engine isn’t short of power, though. 506bhp and 550lb ft of torque is masses in a car that will only weigh around 1,200kg in final guise. At the moment it’s a couple of hundred kilos heavier than that chiefly due to prototype body panels. Those will be fibreglass for final production: heavier than carbon, but a whopping cost saving.

The best news as far as you and I are concerned isn’t the engine, but the gearbox. It’s a manual, the Graziano six-speed from the original Audi R8, click-clack open gate and all. Obviously it’s rear-drive only, and production versions will have a limited-slip differential, plus traction control. ABS brakes still won’t be offered though. That’s a potential oversight that those otherwise tempted by the M500’s more natural driving experience may not be inclined to overlook. Time will tell.

It’s a more sophisticated, shapely car than the M600. Sharper lines emanate from the nose, rising past Ferrari-esque headlights.

The cabin and lower body are connected by a flying pillar that at the top channels air across the back deck, and lower down feeds air into the radiators. Its C-shape has something in common with the Bugatti Chiron. The rear engine cover maybe sits a little high, but otherwise this comes across as what it is: a light, small, agile car.

And a versatile one. Under the nose there’s a luggage compartment easily a match for anything Porsche has managed to carve out in the front of a 911, and it’s well trimmed to boot. Arf. The cabin is an Alcantara bolthole, with a couple of little quirks. The steering wheel is flat bottomed to aid access but looks a little odd, those

Spot on driving position, odd shaped steering wheel. You win some, you lose some

with big feet might find their toes scraping the underside of the steering column and that seat needs to go a fraction to the left to line up perfectly with the steering. Or the wheel to the right.

Then the good news – and there’s a lot of it. The driving position is spot-on, visibility is good, the seat is superb. You’re instantly comfortable in the car. And it’s a delight to pilot. There is a little bit of lag, then the turbo comes in quite hard and fast, but you’re not intimidated by the power delivery, it doesn’t feel like torque is going to overwhelm traction. And even if it did, you’d be able to cope because you’ve already worked out the chassis and steering have got your back.

The M500 isn’t the hairy proposition that the massive chested M600 was. But it’s got similar chassis fluency, it rides lightly and dextrously and is slick to operate. That open gate R8 gearbox is a delight, the lever snicks crisply through the gate, the pedals are perfectly positioned, the steering is accurate and bubbles with feedback even if it is too sharp just off centre at the moment and suffers a bit of deflection on bumpy roads.

I suspect it’ll struggle to find a wide market because it’s not technically advanced. But picture it as a manual McLaren, or a Lotus Emira with a thump more power (and less weight...) and you start to see the appeal.

“THE M500 ISN’T THE HAIRY SCARY PROPOSITION THAT THE M600 WAS”

Forget me not

£87,650

FOR Superb engine, monster point to point pace, the looks

AGAINST A110 and Cayman still better drivers’ cars, sold out

Here is a car that celebrates one of Audi’s very finest designs and the less is more philosophy it proudly exhibits. In 2023, the TT marks a quarter century of service having first burst onto the scene in 1998 with one of Ingolstadt’s most alluring shapes.

Which is of course why this special edition features motorsport inspired aero addenda bolted onto every visible flank. Perhaps we don’t understand Bauhaus after all.

For the record, the ‘Aerokit’ as Audi calls it, has been honed in a wind tunnel and is comprised of a lot of new pieces: a new front apron with side flicks, a new splitter, new blades in the front air intakes, gloss black side skirts, an RS-specific rear diffuser, a pair of exhaust pipes and a fixed carbon rear wing.

The aero additions are complemented by a suite of expensive looking interior upgrades – two-tone sports seats, lots of Alcantara and leather, that sort of thing – but aside from these and the 20in wheels, the core technical content remains as per the regular TT RS.

Which means a 395bhp 5cyl engine allied to Audi’s own 4WD system and 7spd DSG. Which means it’s not a ‘new’ car per se, merely a newly outfitted MkIII. Which of course is no bad thing at a distance. The TT RS remains devastatingly quick, and that 5cyl blares and pulls with an old school turbo charm. Sounds fairly ferocious, too.

It carries the MkIII’s chassis and that’s the best TT chassis of all three generations. Yes,

it’s stiffly sprung and on the 20s of the Iconic Edition it will challenge your patience, even in Comfort setting. No, it won’t entice you to explore the finer nuances of its balance like its chief rivals do. The Alpine A110 and Porsche Cayman are leagues better in this regard.

But what both of those cars lack is bludgeoning power and grip. The Iconic Edition simply monsters the road ahead. There’s no desire to dance through a corner or enunciate great tales through the steering, but a sense of just blasting through it as quickly as physics allows. Press throttle, hold on tight, eat corner, repeat.

The same could be said of a regular TT RS without the aero trinketry too, and this is where it all comes undone. When it was announced towards the end of 2022, each one cost £87,650, a fair whack over a regular TT RS Coupe. Audi will only ever build 100 of these cars, and of course the UK’s allocation of 11 cars has all sold out. Like we said, perhaps we don’t understand.

Sky sports

£231,885

FOR Gorgeous looking, great to drive, supple and quiet

AGAINST Not enough bootspace for the long journeys it invites

Maserati is confident. It’s invested a lot in the MC20 and come out punching. Mainly on price. You’ve seen how much it is. As tested this one was £306k. Hitting Ferrari head on.

But with a very different car. Many of its rivals are so fast, so stiffly suspended and harsh, they’re a painful frustration on real roads. The MC20 is more languid. That doesn’t quite suit the coupe – well, not

if you’re intent on fast driving, where the brakes, gearbox and steering struggle to keep up. But the Cielo drop-top has a different remit. Open up and say “ah”. Relax, let the cowslip covered hedgerows slip by. You’ll be glad of the opportunity to chill having just battled an electric roof switch buried in the touchscreen. Can be operated at up to 30mph, says Maserati. Not on a bumpy road, where finger jitter causes the lid to pause midway, says us. That’s a good look.

So do the roof at a standstill, and while you’re there get out and have a good look over the MC20. This is a corking looking supercar. Not overtly flashy or edgy, just silkily stylish. And that’s the way it drives too. The suspension is fluent and stable, the twin-turbo V6 delivers its power breezily, it’s calm yet quick. It’s not the sweetest engine to listen to, but there’s more volume in the convertible – especially if you keep the roof up, but drop the rear window.

There is a downside to this soft centre, though. On a bumpy crested B-road the soft springs and low ride height conspire to have the underbody regularly scuffing the road surface. Be very tentative around level crossings. But also enjoy the way it swings into corners, pivoting right beneath you, then flits out the other side with little apparent effort.

At the core of the MC20 is a carbon tub. That’s good news because carbon retains its

rigidity better than aluminium when the top comes off. Rag-top Ferraris are prone to a bit of shake. McLarens aren’t, and on the whole neither is this Maserati. You feel the odd shudder, but it’s slight.

The interior does slightly let the side down – it’s fairly plain and simple after the glamorous bodywork, and clearly isn’t where the investment has gone. The seat is also fairly flat and you sit too high, which puts you more in the way of air turbulence than is ideal. Raising the side windows mostly cures that. Ollie Marriage

Sitting comfortably?

£39,995

FOR Looks great, super quiet inside

AGAINST Jiggly ride, £10k more than a petrol Astra

Astra. There aren’t many more recognisable names in the heartland of British motoring, and there’ll be even fewer when Ford inevitably decides that it’s time up for the Focus.

But the retirement home doesn’t beckon just yet for the Astra. It’s now in its eighth generation and going strong. So, instead of creating a whole new model just for the sake of an electric powertrain, Vauxhall has stuck a load of batteries and e-motor into its hatch.

Under the floor is a 54kWh battery that can accept 100kW DC rapid charging to top up from 10 to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes. Said battery feeds a motor that drives the front wheels with 154bhp and 199lb ft of torque. Vauxhall (or rather Opel) says that the Astra Electric is ‘Autobahn-proof’ too with a top speed of 106mph, while the 0–62mph sprint takes 9.2 seconds. Not exactly rapid.

And with 1,679kg to shift, there’s never that punch-in-the-chest acceleration that we’ve become used to with EVs. That’s just fine though, because the Astra is a humdrum hatch that doesn’t need 400bhp and AWD.

Unfortunately, although it’s supremely quiet inside thanks to the presence of double glazing and the lack of a synthesised soundtrack, it’s also firmly sprung and jiggles down a bad road. It’s not crashy, but it struggles to settle and isn’t exactly relaxing.

The range isn’t world beating either, with a WLTP figure of 258 miles comparing to 266 miles for the VW ID.3 and 280 miles for the

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. We managed 4.5mpkWh, but given the price people could be cross-shopping the top spec Astra Electric Ultimate with an entry level Tesla Model 3, and that’ll do 305 miles before you need to stop for juice. Yikes. Plus, the same Ultimate spec Astra with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and a 6spd manual gearbox is £32,820.

Both the petrol and electric versions get exactly the same interior too, complete with one of the most comfortable driver’s seats around and that striking glass panel up on the dash with two 10-inch screens. And although the Electric doesn’t lose any bootspace compared to its plug-in hybrid sibling (there’s 352 litres) it still loses out to things like the ID.3 (385 litres) and Megane (440 litres).

It’s not that the Astra Electric is a bad car, it’s just that it isn’t really world beating in any area. Except for the seats. Seriously –get down to the dealership just for a sit. You might even enjoy looking at the outside of an Astra whilst you’re at it. Greg

NEW DS 7

PARISIAN SAVOIR-FAIRE

DSautomobiles.co.uk

– FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 FIGURES FOR NEW DS 7: MPG L/100KM: COMBINED 48.7/5.8 TO 250/1.1, CO2 EMISSIONS: 106 - 26 G/KM. ELECTRIC ONLY RANGE UP TO 43 MILES (WLTP).

The fuel consumption or electric range achieved, and CO2 produced, in real world conditions will depend upon a number of factors including, but not limited to: the accessories fitted (pre and post registration); the starting charge of the battery (PHEV only); variations in weather; driving styles and vehicle load. The plug-in hybrid range requires mains electricity for charging. The WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) is used to measure fuel consumption, electric range and CO2 figures. Figures shown are for comparison purposes and should only be compared to the fuel consumption, electric range and CO2 values of other cars tested to the same technical standard. The figures displayed for the plug-in hybrid range were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. Information correct at time of going to print. Images shown for illustration purposes only. Some features may be standard or optional extras available at additional cost depending on specification. Visit www.dsautomobiles.co.uk for further details.

IN PARIS, STYLE IS NOT AN OPTION. IT’S STANDARD.

MUST TRY HARDER

£45,700

VAUXHALL’S NEW PERFORMANCE CAR SUBbrand was announced late last year, with the GSe range here to replace the GSi badge of old. To date, the available variants consist of the Astra, Astra Sports Tourer, and this, the Grandland.

It gets a 296bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain, recalibrated steering, a unique suspension set-up complete with Koni dampers, and a couple of styling tweaks. So far, so good.

Except... it’s not quite the sports SUV Vauxhall would have you believe. Sure, power is up 74bhp over the regular PHEV courtesy of an additional electric motor driving the rear wheels, resulting in a 0–62mph time of 6.1 seconds, but the eight-speed gearbox is jerky and slow to respond when you ask too much of it, rather diminishing the fun factor.

The steering itself also feels far too artificial, and as with the regular version, the ride is just too firm. The new suspension set-up at least offers improved cornering ability and reduced bodyroll, but this is a family SUV, not a track warrior.

Dulland void

£39,495

FOR Unpretentious, comfortable, and above all, great value

AGAINST Bland looks, dull drive, small-ish boot, avoid the hybrid

We like this hybrid set-up in the Civic and it’s still mostly excellent here. In town the ZR-V is quiet, comfortable and able to run with the engine off for a good amount of time, and even with the 4cyl brought to life it’s never that intrusive. We managed 45mpg on a mixed route, and steering wheel paddles alter the level of regen to add some interest to the drive. The ZR-V is weightier than the Civic though and could do with a little more power – the whole set-up sometimes feels strained having suddenly been asked to move a medium-sized crossover. The steering has some heft to it as well, while the ride is too firm for a family SUV.

Inside you get the same horizontal dash design as the Civic with a 9.0in touchscreen planted on top. This we like, but the strange curvy centre console looks more like it should belong in a Nissan Juke. Yuk.

It doesn’t come cheap either, with prices starting from over £45k. Hmm. Low CO2 emissions mean it falls in the eight per cent BIK tax bracket, but petrolhead company car buyers can undoubtedly find better family kicks elsewhere.

The ZR-V is the first of three crossovers Honda will introduce in 2023. Boo. And yet, that’s what the people want, so the ZR-V is here to fill the gap between the HR-V and CR-V. No, we didn’t know there was a gap there either. Quite why Honda didn’t pick any of the letters between C and H for the name is a mystery.

Generally the ZR-V is a fairly plain crossover though, which does raise the question as to why Honda went quite so controversial with the design. It’s not pretty. Selecting the Sport trim does improve things with a better grille and bumper, but who thought giving the front end a Nigel Mansell tache was a good idea?

The ZR-V borrows much from the Civic eHEV, so there’s the same complex hybrid (not plug-in) powertrain that sees a 2.0-litre engine paired with a small lithium-ion battery and two e-motors. One of those motors drives the wheels with 181bhp most of the time, with the petrol unit only kicking in as a generator to top the battery up. However, the engine can also drive the wheels when that’s most efficient, like at motorway speeds. Clever. Plus, although there’s often no physical connection between it and the wheels, Honda has simulated gearchanges so the engine sounds familiar.

Small but perfectly formed reviews. The best of the rest from this month’s drives

MERCEDES-AMG

£186,015

FOR Big luxury, bigger power, rounded ability AGAINST Big price, somewhat subtle looks for an AMG flagship

Battery power and an e-motor join a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 for a combined output of 791bhp and the promise of the best of both worlds. And it does exactly what you hope it might, being a peerless luxury car and surprisingly agile and able when the roads get interesting. Around 20 miles of EV range is useful, as is the extra punch the e-motor adds. A clever if weighty and expensive solution to justify the sacking of your chauffeur. KF

£8,095

FOR Quirky, cheapest 47 miles of range you can buy AGAINST Still slow, uncomfortable and noisy... is it fit for purpose?

Yup, it’s a delivery version of the loveable Citroen Ami. Although ‘Cargo’ is pushing it: it’ll hold 260 litres of stuff, up to 400 if you include the storage bins. Ami Purse would be more apt. Does it actually work as a last-mile machine? The plastic shelves are shoddy and the door doesn’t stay open – annoying when loading and unloading. And is £8k a tempting price over a moped (or five) that can slip through traffic? Swing and a miss, this. JH

GENESIS GV60 FACIAL RECOGNITION

£53,905

FOR Difficult to catch out, biometric data isn’t uploaded from the car AGAINST Takes it a few seconds to recognise you

Genesis is the first car company to introduce facial recognition.

A B-pillar camera reads your face and unlocks the door. A fingerprint sensor inside then lets you start the car. It’s not as fast as your phone and there’s only one camera, so if you want to open the boot, you have to visit the B-pillar first. Otherwise it works well and is now standard on all GV60s. Useful but no game changer, because it mostly reminds you how sensible a remote control fob is. OM

FORD RANGER RAPTOR

FOR Willing V6, posh interior, seriously capable suspension AGAINST Polar opposite of frugal, wider than most counties

The new Ranger Raptor is here, and our main gripe with the old pickup has been tackled: the 2.0-litre diesel is out and a V6 petrol is in. It’s willing rather than rapid, but at least the sporty trim feels authentic now. The Fox Racing suspension is supreme, but means a paltry payload and no CV tax break. Annoying, because you’ll need an entire farm to drive one with ease –threading this along a back road is a blood pressure nightmare. JH

Ghostlusters

While Aston Martin and Bentley make the most of their remaining tanks of petrol, Britain’s poshest marque is whispering its way into the plug-in future. Over to our man in California...

This isn’t a car that requires a review. Rolls-Royce customers do not concern themselves with the views of the unwashed proletariat. If they did, they’d have waited to hear what it’s like, instead of already ordering so many it’s sold out until the middle of 2025.

The car is the Rolls-Royce Spectre, and it’s not just the first fully electric product of the modern Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd which BMW seeded in 1998. Since Charles met Henry 119 years ago, no production spec car in their marque’s potted history has been battery powered.

Occasionally, Rolls-Royce itself likes to pay attention to journalists. In 1907, a writer in Britain’s The Autocar declared the underwhelmingly named 40/50hp model was “the best car in the world”. Granted, he only had about three to choose from back then, but Rolls was only too happy to adopt that verdict as the company’s semi-official slogan, emblazoning it prominently on its marketing materials for most of the ensuing century.

Claude Johnson, the cofounder who styled himself as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce, also saw the value in pinching a hack’s nickname for his marketing car, which was decorated with aluminium-coloured paint and polished brightwork. That’s how the 40/50hp became the Silver Ghost. So, the latest Rolls named after a supernatural apparition might not need validation, but you never know. Could come in useful...

The Spectre is a truly immense coupe. That glinting grille is lower and wider than a Phantom’s Parthenon-esque facade and the corners of its bonnet taper gently downwards instead of standing as upright as a bearskin-topped guardsman, but these nods to slippery aerodynamics don’t diminish the gravitational presence this mighty two-door generates even when painted one colour rather than the oddly indecisive combo of Salamanca Blue with Arctic White in Aero Two-Tone.

Behind a newly streamlined flying lady, the vast bonnet doesn’t conceal a clever front boot or some sort of foldaway dinner set. Just a dressed cover for one of the motors and control electronics, which could double as a medium-sized aircraft carrier. During the lunchtime stroll it takes to travel down the front wing you pass waist high 23-inch wheels with the usual non-rotating centre caps.

“THE SPECTRE GLIDES ALONG IN REVERENT, CURATED SILENCE. IT’S UNCANNY”

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

Price: £330,000

Powertrain: two e-motors, 576bhp, 664lb ft

Transmission: single-speed, AWD

Performance: 0–62mph in less than 4.5secs, 155mph

Battery/range: 102kWh/329 miles

Weight: 2,890kg

Sometime before tea you’ll arrive at the sort of handle banks use on maximum security vault doors. You’ve earned a sit down. Rest now and journey to the boot later.

Tug the hefty handle and the rear-hinged door glides outward with electric assistance, fanning out to right angles with the thickset sill. The Spectre beckons you aboard. You’re literally going up in the world. Rolls likes to think this is a low slung, driver oriented coupe but once seated upon the fabulously supple captain’s throne you’re eyeballing local Dodge Ram drivers and lording it over puny Teslas.

From here the cascading bonnet is a problem – only the fabric billowing behind Eleanor Thornton balanced on the nose hints where your bodywork ends. Very much a car that depends on its surround view cameras and sensors, this.

A Spectre driver doesn’t do anything so vulgar as strain a sinew to close their own door. Simply squeeze the brake pedal and it swings silently to an exacting soft close as if pushed by an invisible butler. A switch on the centre console allows you to shut the passenger door simultaneously. It’s worth noting the doors are so long and heavy that if you park on a slope, their whispering mechanisms aren’t strong enough to overcome their weight plus gravity, so keep a real life butler handy in just in case.

If you’ve boarded the Spectre in, say, a busy northwest Californian street, something odd will have just become apparent. You’ve gone suddenly and catastrophically deaf. As the double glazing seals, the Spectre banishes noise. There’s nothing digital about it – none of the Ghost’s active noise cancellation here. In fact, Rolls-Royce has sought to ‘filter’ some ambient noise into the cabin because the soundproofed Spectre is so inherently quiet, the prototypes made test drivers feel disoriented. Unnerved. The peace is immediately spellbinding.

Rolls-Royce has made a very deliberate decision in here not to lavish its first EV with a futuristic interior. Yes, the doors are automated, there’s an attentive voice assistant and for the first time in a Roller the instrument dials are entrusted to a screen instead of physical clock faces. But – thank gawd – there’s no wall to wall ultrascreen. The infotainment display – a tastefully reskinned and simplified version of the latest BMW iDrive – is indeed a touchscreen, but this is minimalism done properly. A volume knob. Swivelling discs for interior temperature. Organ-stop vents. Buttons to heat, cool and massage your backside. A button to start proceedings, indeed.

The starter button itself, subtly located next to delightfully tactile switches for the lights and display brightness, curiously still reads ENGINE. Pushing it conjures a harp string flourish. Ahead there’s the delightfully understated power reserve dial, which now reads beyond 100 per cent to account for the Spectre’s regenerative

braking. There’s a speedometer with no numbers on the face (just a big numerical readout below the needle) and a range meter.

I never got the chance to sample a Spectre with a full battery, but with an 80 per cent charge it offered 265 miles. Claimed endurance is 329 miles, and I can promise you no EV in the world’s range matters less. Owners don’t do range anxiety. Or any anxiety. When Rolls-Royce consulted its clientele over its upcoming offering’s circa 300-mile range, the faithful replied, “Ooh, that should be plenty. If I needed to go more than 300 miles in a day, I’d take my jet. Or my boat. Or one of my helicopters.”

To set off, you tug a quaint stalk behind the wheel. You don’t go anywhere, but the windscreen gets doused in a localised downpour. Whoops. Turns out if you don’t frequent Rollers it’s easy to confuse the transmission lever with the windscreen wiper stalk. They’re centimetres apart. Find the correct one and there are only two settings: drive or reverse. No Sport mode. No regen adjustment paddles adorn the back of the extra large steering wheel. If you want one-pedal driving with strong regen, try the B button on the stalk. The one for the drive, not the wipers.

The first few miles in a Spectre are an exercise in calibrating your brain to accept something completely alien. The inherent noises, vibrations and imperfections you associate with driving are absent. Your eyes recognise the scenery being drawn past the pillarless windows. Your muscle memory knows that a steering wheel ahead and pedals underfoot mean you’re in a car. But nothing about life inside reconciles with what you’re used to as ‘driving’. It’s more like boating on a millpond, or turbulence free low level flight. The Spectre glides along in reverent, curated silence. It’s uncanny.

EVs are usually quiet, but this is sensory deprivation. You know it’s merely basic physics – the 700kg battery acts as a sound blanket and there’s noise retarding foam inside the tyres – but the refinement is so enchanting that pointing out the method is like spoiling a sleight of hand trick. Just enjoy the magic. Only above 70mph does wind rustle attacking the blocky mirrors expose the fact that the Spectre doesn’t travel in its own private vacuum.

Hush is nothing without plush. For a car wearing such gargantuan, Brunelian wheels, the Spectre rides gorgeously: stunningly compliant yet remarkably controlled. The engineers took the system they’d perfected for the Ghost and threw away the upper wishbones, deemed unnecessary because the Spectre’s battery backboned chassis is record breakingly stiff.

Only at very low speeds do the realities of such a heavy wheel meeting a poor, innocent pothole make themselves felt. When you’re barrelling along in a straight line propelled by a splendid 664lb ft of all-wheel-drive torque, the anti-roll bars decouple themselves so one side of the car isn’t upset by something the opposite flank is dealing with. Handy, when you’re taking up a

1

2

“THE LEGACY OF CHARLES, HENRY (AND CLAUDE) CAN REST EASY”

lane and a half’s worth of space. Feed in the oily slick steering and the anti-roll bars re-engage to stop the car keeling over. This is undoubtedly a Rolls to drive yourself, even though passengers are well catered for – it’s a generously spacious four-seater with surprisingly glassy rear quarters. Up front you’ve got the responsibility of arresting just shy of three tonnes, but the brakes are beautifully judged to mete out power harvesting without a hint of judder.

It’s terribly clever, but all the more gratifying because anyone aboard is completely unaware of the mathematical clash of titans occurring below decks. Again, no modes. No option to lower this or adjust that. Rolls-Royce fundamentally understands something that so few other carmakers realise –the greatest luxury is not ‘more choice’. It’s having tasks taken off your plate. Delegated out of sight to free your time and your mind.

Also unseen is the price. Rolls-Royce is always prudish about quoting numbers – preferring to deem power ‘sufficient’ instead of quoting 576bhp and 0–62 in 4.5 seconds, and simply suggesting the Spectre is priced between the Cullinan SUV and Phantom flagship. Budget at least £300,000 after tax – the boss reckons most heavily individualised cars will trade for around half a million euro, or £435,000.

To come over all ‘workers of the world unite’ in my grasping, aspirational sort of way, the Spectre bloody well ought to be nigh-on perfect for such titanic money. And yet I suspected that I’d miss being dimly aware of 12 perfectly balanced cylinders

whirring away in the middle distance. Perhaps an e-Roller would be sterilised, or an anachronism. But if anything, they’ve done the impossible here. Electric has enriched the Rolls-Royce.

Don’t mistake this car as an eco character transplant. This is not Rolls-Royce trying to woo Greta. It’s surprisingly efficient at around 2.4 miles per kWh and the cells are produced using green electricity, but don’t expect to see many Spectres sporting a hemp vegan interior or veneers fashioned from recycled festival wristbands. It’s still a galloping, oceangoing, 24-carat indulgence, but with a tasteful specification it’s just about possible to swerve absolute vulgarity.

When a potentially controversial new car arrives it’s tempting to wonder what the company’s deified founders would’ve made of it. What would Enzo reckon to a Purosangue? Would Ferruccio rate the money printing Urus? Of course he would, since he also owed his fortune to tractors. Colin would probably enjoy an Emira. Meanwhile the legacy of Charles, Henry (and Claude) rests easy with the Spectre.

It’s rich in the decadence of the so-called glory days but gratifyingly simple to operate for a product of 2023. While other manufacturers wrestle with the conundrum of transposing their family heirloom values into an electric future, the age of electric propulsion will suit Rolls-Royce very well indeed.

Suppose this is the time for a verdict. Here you go then – the Spectre is the new luxury benchmark. The finest motor car in the world, if you like that kind of thing. But you probably didn’t need me to tell you that.

The underwhelming DB11 has been given a new lease of life... can the new ‘super tourer’ DB12 right all of its wrongs?

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

IT’S 4AM AND MONACO, THE VAMPIRE PRINCIPALITY THAT COMES OUT TO PLAY AT NIGHT, IS DEATHLY QUIET.

Maybe they all overdid it at the weekend. That was the Grand Prix. This is the aftermath. I weave past lorries, forklifts and workmen, all out here stripping the F1-woz-ere evidence from the scene. Monaco clearly doesn’t want this unsightly spectacle happening during the day, so the teams operate like grave robbers, creeping around in the dark.

The DB12 weaves through. I can already tell it has fundamentally moved the game on from the DB11. Amazing what you can learn about damping from a speed bump. The composed compression and slick rebound, the tight control of the body, it bodes well for what comes later. But cars like this spend their lives in cities, so that’s where I’m starting. With a twist.

Fernando Alonso sent his AMR23 round here in just 71.449secs during qualifying. Aston needs its road cars to build on its current sporting success, so let’s see how the DB12 fares on a Monaco GP city/track test then.

The twin-turbo V8 burbles peacefully up the hill from Sainte Devote to Massenet. Enough to make its presence felt, but not raucous. I waft past the first of four police cars before sweeping cautiously into Casino Square. Someone shoots me an appraising glance, then turns away – presumably having worked out she’d have more chance of a customer if this was a Lamborghini. The DB12 feels taut and athletic from Mirabeau down to Portier, there’s little sag in the suspension, it’s behaving confidently. More importantly, Aston has cleared out the area between door mirror and A-pillar, so you’ve actually got better visibility in tight turns and at junctions. I see the scooter at the Grand Hotel Hairpin when he clearly doesn’t see me.

More police in the tunnel ensure my speed stays a tenth off Fernando’s, while crane activity means no Nouvelle Chicane for me. Instead I cut through a gap in the barriers just before Tabac. From here to La Rascasse the turns are more GT-ish – just guiding the Aston through with my wrists. And then back up the start/finish straight before pulling a hard left at Sainte Devote and sneaking away

just as the first traces of indigo break the darkness. Four minutes, 25 seconds.

I’ve already got the sense the DB12 is the most accomplished Aston I’ve ever driven. There’s something in the way it responds to throttle and steering, does what I ask calmly, easily. Is this what Aston wants though? The world’s first super tourer is the claim, but that’s a tag that we’ve bandied around before to describe cars such as the Ferrari Roma and Porsche 911 Turbo. Cars with more intensity about them than the DB12 currently suggests.

The DB11 wasn’t a bad car, but it dated quite quickly. The dash was fiddly and congested, the Merc-sourced infotainment was clunky and although its relaxed gait made it a great car up to seven-tenths, when pushed out of corners it would squat, twist and recoil, losing traction and drive. The main mission here is to tackle those areas.

The styling suggests not much has changed. Visually it’s more assertive, but steers just wide of the DBS’s brutishness. It has less muscle, more tone, but it could be a good facelift rather than a whole new car. The money must have been spent underneath.

The platform is the same, but with extra bracing to boost rigidity, and the double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension layout is carried over too. The headline is what’s not there: this has neither V12 nor hybrid. Emissions caught up with the former, the latter would have been prohibitively costly to develop. So it uses the twin-turbo V8 first introduced in 2018, but with a plethora of mods boosting it to 671bhp and 590lb ft. Yes, that is plenty. All of that gallops out of the back wheels via an eight speed automatic gearbox that now boasts a shorter final drive for better sprinting. Zero to 62mph in 3.6secs since you’re asking.

I’m now on the A8, easily one of the twistiest autoroutes anywhere, plunging in and out of tunnels across the back of the Côte d’Azur. The DB11 did well on this sort of stuff bar one chief niggle – it actually suffered from quite a bit of tyre noise. Not so the DB12, which features Michelin’s latest Pilot Sport S 5 tyres with foam inserts to reduce noise. It’s masterly along here. The gearbox instinctively selects the right gear, even when there’s so much torque any will do. The improved visibility means there’s less head ducking and diving when changing lanes and it feels crisper in my hands, yet more settled too. Not quite as imperious and isolating as a Conti GT, it retains a sense of sporting behaviour, but if, instead of exiting in 20 miles, I was aiming for Calais, I’d think nothing of it. I’d be happy to sit back and listen to the

“THE DB12 IS THE MOST ACCOMPL

ASTON MARTIN DB12

Price: £185,000 (approx)

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, 671bhp @ 6,000rpm, 590lb ft @ 2,750rpm

Transmission: 8spd auto, RWD

Performance: 0–62mph in 3.6secs, 202mph

Economy: n/ampg, n/ag/km CO2

Weight: c1,820kg

Before taking on Monaco’s famous hairpin, Ollie was keen to practice away from prying eyes

engine woofle away, maybe investigate the new Bowers & Wilkins hi-fi when the roads flattened out.

The cabin arguably makes more difference here than the dynamics. This is a car inwardly transformed. The view forward is clean because the big centre screen doesn’t sit high and upright on the dash, but reclines below the vents. It’s less intrusive and vulgar, helps reorient the cabin away from a tech focus into materials and quality.

But it’s also Aston’s first touchscreen, quick to react and not overcrowded with menus. And it’s all Aston’s own work, not nabbed from a two generations old Mercedes. The design of the centre console, however, does seem to owe something to someone else: Porsche. It’s the toggle gearlever and sloping deck lined with buttons. More tactile here with rotary barrels for the temperature adjustment and volume, but definitely a nod in Stuttgart’s direction.

The ergonomics are vastly improved, there’s more storage, it’s less claustrophobic and the driving position, tucked down behind a pleasingly rounded steering wheel on a seat that’s so beautifully shaped that I can’t see why you’d want the optional carbon bucket, is perfect. You get in and marvel at how far Aston has moved the game on.

OK, it’s no more spacious for those unfortunates confined to the back seats, and the boot remains compact and awkward to access because the lid doesn’t open far enough and it’s easy to bang your head when leaning down. But two of you will really enjoy this space, this atmosphere.

natural feel – although I’m not sure it needs it, because it engenders confidence – and the optional carbon ceramic brakes suffered a bit of fade and a soft pedal when they got very hot. Spec them for the 27kg unsprung weight saving, not their added dynamism.

The engine isn’t explosive or strident, it just digs deep everywhere and pushes you forward with oodles of oomph. After a second or two you realise there’s still another couple of inches of throttle travel there for the taking. Welcome to supercar speed, delivered with GT dignity. It’s wonderfully forceful this upgraded V8, singing throatily, but even when given everything, there’s no sense of the DB12 waving goodbye to its comfort zone. It’s very together. Even when I unshackle the traction and let it cut loose around a too-tempting hairpin.

We end up in Gréolières les Neiges, an out of season ski resort of the type that will surely be bidding adieu to all snow within the next decade. We stop, take pictures. The DB12’s styling may not be a revolution and the grille is very, very big now, but Aston knows how to design a handsome machine. And pick a colour. Iridescent Emerald looks tremendous as the sun softens, the shadows lengthen.

TO SUPERCAR SPEED, DELIVERED WITH GT DIGNITY”

Funny how people only think about the coast down here, when inland you’ll easily find some of the best driving roads known to humanity. The Col de Vence wriggles and writhes its way north from the autoroute, heading northwest and linking up with the D2 that takes us over towards the Route Napoleon. These are roads to test the DB12’s mettle.

It’s unflappable. The engine and chassis work far more harmoniously than before, so you climb with each complimenting the other because the handover between the two is so clean you can’t tell where chassis ends and engine begins. It doesn’t matter how tight or open the corner is, from the moment you turn in you feel the rear axle compressing and supporting as well as the front, so both outer wheels hold a neat line. And when you get back on the power there’s no slack that needs to be taken up, the power feeds through and out crisply and easily. It’s fuss free handling with proper control and conviction.

And it’s engaging. Not as tense and determined as a Porsche 911 Turbo, nor as hyperactive and excitable as the distinctly overcaffeinated Ferrari Roma, but it’s richly satisfying. The thrills maybe aren’t as visceral and immediate, but you’ll look back on whole drives fondly. It propels itself over the Col de Vence eagerly, then the road opens up and it gets into a real rhythm, sweeping back and forth. Criticisms? The steering doesn’t have that much

As the crow flies it’s only 25 miles from Gréolières to Monaco. They could be different worlds, but then everywhere outside of Monaco is. It’s quiet up here, though the Aston seems just as content as it had growling around Monaco 15 hours earlier. In this green and gold combo It would still strut its stuff proudly if Monaco had its fangs out.

The drive back that evening reveals more about the Aston’s sheer competence. It’s not the most dramatic machine to drive, but I just can’t catch it out. Whatever I do, it’s there, ready for my next move. It’s obedient, steady, has real poise and composure. This may sound like I’m not enthralled and, yeah it’s not as vivid and tenacious as the Porsche and Ferrari. They lean heavily towards the super, while a Bentley Conti GT tilts towards tourer. Which leaves the DB12 sitting centrally. It’s got ability in all areas, the kind of car that’s always well behaved.

In a final bid to knock it off balance, the following morning I drive it up some of the Monte Carlo rally stage roads. Width and a long nose, that’s all that undoes it. I don’t miss the V12, because it wasn’t as responsive as this and would, I suspect, feel lazy in this crisp new chassis. Nor do I want hybrid. That would likely mean losing the V8, and gaining a whole heap of weight.

I end up in an ancient square in a little village. I munch a croissant, consume coffee, and consider. This is Aston Martin on song. The Valkyrie, somehow, wasn’t – too many teething issues and compromises. But this... well it would simply be a wonderful car to live with and drive. It’s admired wherever it goes, a car that wouldn’t ask much of you, but would reward greatly. A car I’d love to roam about in. Probably give Monaco a swerve though.

“WELCOME

ABSOLUTELY

Do you find a standard Bentley a bit mass produced? Well, meet the very exclusive (and very purple) new Batur

BATURED

hus far, the Bentley Batur is the most expensive and most powerful production Bentley ever produced. It costs upwards of £1.6 million before local taxes and options, and accommodates one of the final iterations of a 6.0-litre W12 bi-turbo engine that’s nearly two decades old, made ‘more efficient’ by people with big brains and complicated spanners. Though ‘more efficient’ in quaintly demure Bentley speak translates as ‘more powerful’ than ever before –730bhp, with 737lb ft of torque (1,000Nm if you prefer numerical cleanliness), delivered from 1,750rpm until 5,000rpm on a torque curve that looks like a park bench. It is gravely expensive, exclusive, powerful and very, very fast.

Which hurts. Because for the past four hours, I’ve been doing a maximum of 35mph in torrential rain, deploying about 60 of the available horsepower. Visibility is down to roughly 20 feet, and you get the feeling that just beyond the thick duvet of mist might be actual views, if only because the climbing, serpentine roads are dropping heavy hints. But Storm Oscar wrapped suffocating and soggy arms around Tenerife as we arrived and all bets are off – the

roads might be interesting, but with this kind of weather the Batur is horribly overendowed. The backpack nuke of holiday hire cars.

At least it gives time to ponder what is a strangely compelling thing. Released last year as an 18-car coachbuilt limited edition by Mulliner, the Batur is both a sister car to the roofless Bacalar and a nod to the forthcoming vision of electrified Bentleys – in style, at least. A two-seat coupe – the rear seats are now a bench which can house a bespoke fitted luggage set – designer Andreas Mindt’s Batur features carbon bodywork that apes the Continental GT Speed on which it is based, but plays with the shapes so that it resembles a Conti from a sci-fi movie set in 2035. Which it kind of is.

Only the windscreen, the header rail and a few interior shapes remain of a GT Speed, the new face featuring slimmer LED headlights flanking a more upright grille. A pair of spines slash back from just above those lights, drawing back all the way to the base of the C-pillar, what Bentley calls an “endless bonnet”, and a feature that lengthens the car’s profile. The usual billowing haunches give the car bulk, and a neat, tucked up rear end – again with tighter lights

– provides athleticism, slash cut titanium exhaust tips a nod to the powerplant up front. It’s surprisingly subtle for a car with this kind of pricetag, much more striking out in the real world where camera lenses can’t steal the perspective.

And yet, millions for a car based on a £230k GT seems daft. The interior feels like an intensely lavish version of the Speed, albeit with gorgeous finishes including 18-carat gold organ stop vents and rotary controls – also available in titanium – sustainable leathers and tactile textures. The optional Naim Audio stereo is possibly the best in-car audio in existence, but then again it should be for £50k. But it’s still recognisable. The outside may be entirely different, but once you’ve clocked the badge, you won’t need to interrogate the DNA very hard to figure out the parentage.

But when you spend a couple of days in one, you realise that the Batur is more than just the sum of the one-off parts and familiar bones. It’s on the second day that revelation arrives, and it has more to do with the weather than anything else. Driving through Tenerife’s rainforest-lite on the way up the mountain, the landscape gets

BATUR IS SCYTHING AROUND LIKE A LEATHER LINED

progressively less lush and more Martian, and as the elevation changes, we pop out through the clouds and find... sunshine. Glorious, weighty sunshine, heavy with afternoon gold. And a volcano.

It’s an epic backdrop and the Bentley steps up. The Batur’s paint suddenly deepens, expands, comes alive. The details resolve and the shapes define. The future shape of electric Bentleys? It still seems a bit farfetched – that long bonnet screams internal combustion. But away from the Batur’s suddenly revealed grace, the trees have disappeared, replaced by crunchy volcanic bone as far as the eye can see, great swathes carved out of the hill. Mount Teide might be dormant at the moment, but the last time the volcano spoke, it left the mountain with scars. Still, it’s harshly beautiful, and the morning’s percussive rain has driven off the tourist population, presumably now lightly sautéing in Piz Buin down on the beach. Bar a couple of hardy souls in rented Seats, the roads in this national park are essentially empty. And the roads are good.

There are, however, issues. The storm has jammed watery paws into the rockfaces and dug various bits of mountain free, all of which

follow gravity’s lead until they come to rest on the roads. Which brings up a couple of proper heart in mouth moments. Finally with some forward vision and less snaky grip, the Batur is scrolling along at a not inconsiderable pace, scything around like a leather lined bobsleigh and being impressive and calmly speedy. And then we round one corner and find the road covered in rocks. Big rocks. Rocks the size of beach balls, which definitely won’t sneak under the car between the wheels. A sharp intake of breath, allow the first fist-sized stones underneath the car and then a sharp jink to the right, followed immediately by another swerve to the left, and more dodging of flinty bullets strewn across the carriageway. A geological elk test on a damp road with a 60m drop to one side, in someone else’s million pound car.

In a vehicle that weighs more than two and a half tonnes, this should have ended with an awkward conversation with the insurers and a respray, if not a trip to the beach the quick way. And yet the Batur lunged like a hot hatch, and we simply flickered through the impromptu chicane with nothing more serious than an elevated heart rate and slightly soiled ego.

“THE

BOBSLEIGH”

It would be nice to say that the skills of the driver helped avoid disaster, but that would be a lie. The Batur simply managed to convince physics to glance the other way by having every mechanical and electronic trick at Bentley’s disposal tucked under Mulliner’s body. There’s air suspension with 48V active ride control. There’s an e-diff, and four-wheel steer, as well as that four-wheel drive, and massive carbon-ceramic brakes. And while you’ll always be vaguely aware of the Batur’s mass, it’s happily concealed by engineering efficacy. Probably only 10–15 per cent more than a GT Speed, but enough to feel, enough to impress. And that feeling intensifies the more you push. The Batur has different turbos to the Speed, different breathing for both inhale and exhale, larger chargecoolers. It’s not night and day different, but the way that power simply arrives and hangs around means that pulling smartly through the first four of the eight speeds is far and away too much for these wandering roads – even on the straights. And yes, the launch control is reliably spectacular – the Batur feels ever so slightly faster than the official figures. Be warned though, this is no rapier, all light and precise,

BENTLEY BATUR MULLINER

Price: £1.65 million (plus taxes)

Engine: 5998cc twin-turbo W12, 730bhp @ 5,500rpm, 737lb ft @ 1,750rpm

Transmission: 8spd auto, AWD

Performance: 0–62mph in 3.5secs, 207mph

Economy: 23mpg, 311g/km CO2

Weight: 2,715kg

but a cleaver that can cut a corner into bloody chunks. Mind you, in a fight, I’d always be more afraid of a cleaver.

Bluntly, a big fat Bentley really shouldn’t shine on twisty mountain roads like this. What feels like a blousy, comforting GT has no real right to be able to grit its metaphorical teeth and bear down like it does. It’s got near silent waft and bellowing blue murder at the flick of a gold-rimmed dial. Possibly the most expensive real world daily driver in existence. So is it worth the price of admission? Well, some would argue that it’s not outrageous or extreme enough to warrant the cost, but a product is only as valuable as the price someone is prepared to pay, and all Baturs are already sold. Very rich people are still rich, as it turns out. The Bentley Batur is a car for those people who have moved through the showing off stage of rich and are now comfortably into stealth wealth. For whom bespoke is the norm, and couture is the need. It’s a shame that most will languish doing low miles or in collections, because for once, this isn’t some highly strung nearly car made of cobwebs and marketing, but a solid daily. At the end of the day, isn’t that the least you can ask for 1.6 million quid?

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race – you may have heard of it – an endurance event held on an 8.4-mile track in the French countryside. Its venue, Circuit de la Sarthe, combines public roads and private track that weave through the woods on the outskirts of town, and the race features prototypes and sports cars – vehicles with huge speed differentials, all fighting to win their respective classes while dodging each other day and night.

Le Mans is a big deal. This year, 62 cars and 186 drivers signed up. They’ll swap in and out of cars for the next 24 hours, resting in-between to stay alert. Some will crash. Some will have mechanical failures. Some will win.

But that’s a discussion for later. Right now, everyone is fresh and new. The race will begin soon. We’ve decided to stay awake the whole time, not to document what’s happening on track – you can look up race recaps on topgear.com for that. I, an American raised on a diet of NASCAR and a Le Mans newbie, want to find out what it’s really like to be here, to soak in every sight and sound... and we want to take you along for the ride.

Tick tock.

Most amazing part of the weekend was when these vintage racers appeared in a puff of smoke...

The hours before Le Mans

Le Mans doesn’t start until 4pm local time, allowing for a huge buildup but also keeping everyone awake an extra six to eight hours before the countdown clock begins. I wake up at 8am on Saturday and get to the track around 10. We pull into the parking lot, and the significance of the race starts to set in.

16:00

The grid walk – which is less of a ‘walk’ and more of a mob of people – is over. The track is clear. The cars peel off for the parade lap, while basketball star LeBron James prepares to wave the start flag.

High above are planes with streams of blue, white, and red smoke trailing behind, forming a hazy French flag. At our level, the prelude to Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ – cemented in popular culture by its use in 2001: A Space Odyssey – blasts on the speakers.

The music picks up as the cars approach the start.

They zing by as LeBron waves the flag. Then comes a deep, earthshaking roar: the Garage 56 car. Garage 56 is Le Mans’ experimental class meant to show off technology, and the car racing in it can’t officially compete to win.

This year’s Garage 56 car is a NASCAR Chevy Camaro with a roaring V8. It looks like a brick in a sea of pebbles, and it sounds like the earth splitting open. We all laugh.

Almost immediately after the start, a Cadillac Hypercar crashes. Everyone yells.

17:00

It’s been an hour. Everyone still laughs when the Garage 56 car goes by.

18:00

I’ve wandered off to the fan village, which is lined with shops and food tents. There’s one for Garage 56, with a duplicate of the Le Mans NASCAR car parked outside.

The Garage 56 shop is an actual building with windows and doors, and it’s full of merchandise commemorating this race and NASCAR’s 75th anniversary. They’re selling a plastic chain with a foam diamond on it for €40. My jaw drops when someone buys it.

19:00

I’m still in the fan area. One of the food tents appears to be selling beer and baguettes half my height. I ask for one of each, and the person at the counter says, “Sandwich?”

“Just the bread,” I respond. They raise their brow, shrug, and set a loaf on the counter without a wrapper or a napkin. I take it, feeling too French for even the French.

20:00

I’ve lost Huck, who said he was going to charge his phone. I hope to find him in the next 19 hours. Did you know the sun doesn’t go down until 10pm here?

21:00

We’re five hours in. Hertz Team Jota’s No38 Hypercar, which started at the back of the grid after failing to set a time in qualifying, is now leading. The team did a pitstop at the beginning of the race, knowing that eventually, safety car procedures would group everyone by class for the restarts – cycling the No38 into the top 16 with the other Hypercars. With early crashes, that happened almost immediately.

The No38 car is leading when its driver, Ye Yifei, loses control. The crash rips the bodywork off, forcing the driver back to the pits. Huck runs over to photograph the repairs, which cost the team several laps.

22:00

Huck and I are sitting at the final corner of the track, right before the start-finish line. The grandstand isn’t full, but it’s still crowded enough to choke out any phone signal. A downpour begins. We sit down just in time to stay dry.

Just the one dedicated journalist at this year’s Le Mans. No surprise there

23:00

Circuit de la Sarthe has an iconic Ferris wheel that acts as a backdrop for photos throughout the race. I drag Huck to it, insisting that we haven’t fully experienced Le Mans without the carnival rides. We pay €12 to go around four times, the cars thundering below us.

While on the Ferris wheel, I hear screaming and techno music below. It’s from a nearby carnival ride – two people load into an open air orb, which flings them up, down, and in circles like a giant rubber band. It looks horrifying.

I tell Huck we’re doing that next. He obliges

00:00

Huck and I visit the Hertz Team Jota suite to charge our phones. The room is empty. Everyone is gone for the night.

I take a seat by the suite’s giant windows, which overlook the pit boxes. There’s no screen separating me from the open air. Each time a car starts up after a pitstop, I rush to plug my ears with my fingers. It’s loud. Visceral. I look out, wondering if anyone’s ever dropped their phone on a car.

01:00

We leave the suite and go downstairs. Two women are walking near the paddock in those silly Tyrannosaurus rex costumes, clawing at the air and saying “Rawr” each time someone asks for a photo. I can’t help myself.

02:00

Huck and I decide to get a feel for the campsites at Le Mans, but we struggle to find them in the dark. We hike through several car parks before finding one, but there’s a fence separating us. Instead of going around, we find a break and squeeze through.

At first, the camps are calm. Sleepy. Huck’s goal is to capture the drunker, rowdier side of Le Mans, but I begin to think we never will.

That’s when we see a glowing tent with colour changing lights: pink, orange, red, green, purple, blue, repeat. There’s an abandoned grill outside with meat still on it. Inside, there’s a group of men surrounding a makeshift wooden bar. They ask if we want something to drink, smelling one of their red plastic cups and washing it out for us. Most of the men are in camping chairs, while one – a younger guy – stands behind the bar in nothing but his underwear. He poses for a photo with two thumbs up, then invites me to do karaoke. We put on ‘Hotel California’ and only get about half the words right. When the guitar solo comes on, he grabs the mic and repeats “doo-doodoo-doo-doo-dooooo” until it ends.

The group asks for an encore, and I choose ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ by John Denver. While I find it on Spotify, the guy in his underwear (whose name I never got) puts on a bear onesie. He returns as my hype man, yelling “LET’S GO” while we wave our arms back and forth. Other people in the tent use a soundboard to add air horns to an otherwise peaceful melody. “This is Le Mans,” I think. When the song ends, the group asks us to stay. But for the sake of the story, we have to go. I cherish the time we had.

03:00

My feet ache. My legs throb. I’m shivering from exhaustion, not cold. We find a friend’s Ferrari Purosangue SUV and sit inside, opting for the massage seats. We turn on Radio Le Mans, only to laugh when we learn the Garage 56 car is just as loud on the broadcast as it is in real life.

04:00

The hardest part about 4am is remembering you’re only halfway through.

Some fans relocate their entire living rooms to France for the weekend

05:00

There’s a DJ at Carlsberg, a bar in the fan village that has lights so bright it feels like daytime. (It will be soon. Darkness doesn’t last long here this time of year.)

The DJ has been going since at least 4:15am, when I walked by and briefly felt alive again while ‘Every Time We Touch’ by Cascada thumped in the background. There’s a huge crowd jumping up and down with the music, drinking, and dancing on stacks of shipping pallets. Not everyone is wearing a shirt.

The energy I get from the DJ is short-lived. I regress into exhaustion and hunger, spotting a pasta stand that’s still open. I buy a bowl.

There’s a giant television showing the race on the patio, but each time it shows a car’s headlights, it feels like staring into the sun. For some reason, I sit in front of it.

I’m too tired to move.

I eat with squinted eyes while people at a table nearby fall asleep. I wish I could join them.

06:00

I’m by the iconic Dunlop bridge, where photographers take sunrise photos of cars on Sunday. There’s no sunrise today, only a gradual lightening of the cloudy sky. We find a spot of gravel to sit in, and each of us feel our heads drooping with exhaustion. The only thing jolting us up every four minutes is the screech of the Garage 56 car.

07:00

We’ve reached the 15th hour lull of Le Mans, when cleaning crews start vacuuming and mopping the displays to prepare for the big finish. Members of race teams are in power nap mode, the DJ has finally packed up. We have nine hours to go.

08:00

Garage 56 lets us on an observation deck that overlooks its pit box. The team does a NASCAR-style pitstop directly below us, changing all four tyres in about 10 seconds while the team does a driver change.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson climbs out of the car through the window, not a door, to swap with two-time Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller.

09:00

I get a few minutes with Johnson and ask him what it’s like to drive a big, loud, ridiculously American car at Le Mans. He tells me the other cars are so small, he has to look over the top of his door to see them.

While some slept, others removed their trousers and looked delighted

10:00

Huck and I walk to the Le Mans museum. We find the building and notice a huge line, where we discover two things: everyone is filing back in for the finish, and we’re too tired to stand that long. We sit under a tree instead.

After a few minutes, Huck says we need to move along.

“Get up, then,” I tell him.

“I’m following your lead.”

“Count me down,” he sighs.

“Five, four–” “No, from 10...”

11:00

The sun is out. I’m basking in it while ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreet Boys echoes from a tent nearby. I no longer feel like a reptile. I have warmth in my body again. I’m a new person.

0

12 00

a e

We re past noon I can make it now.

13 00 Huck finds an extra seat on the famous Goodyear blimp and goes for a ride I find a chair to sit in. My legs thank me.

14:00

Huck and I realise that through all of our adventures, we’ve only explored one side of this 8.5-mile track. We find a shuttle and head toward Indianapolis, a 90° banked corner on the back half of the circuit. The corner not only got its name because it resembles Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but because there’s actually a layer of brick under it – just like at Indy.

We then do a tour of the Mulsanne, a 3.6-mile straight interrupted by two chicanes. The Mulsanne is buried deep in the trees, and the cars zipping by look like they’re on the run from something through the wilderness.

15:00

An underrated part of exploring the Le Mans circuit is how much perspective it gives you. Our tour lasts about two hours, and most of it involves driving on narrow dirt paths criss-crossing through the woods. The trees are so thick that when you’re in the car, it’s dead silent.

The whole time that we’re out here, I think “How does this driver know where we’re going? Does this driver know where we’re going?”

16:00

We make it back to the paddock for the finish. I walk to the media centre and get a spot at the window. I assume it’ll be busy, but it’s not – most people are gone, asleep, or fine with watching it on television at this point.

But for me, this is the best part. It’s the moment you realise that after all these hours and all this exhaustion, the cars are still going. It’s a feat of humanity.

The final lap begins. The people in the garages below flood into the pitlane like ants, eager to watch the Ferrari hypercar win Le Mans in its return to the top class after a 50-year absence.

The cars take the chequered flag and slow down. I relax my shoulders. It’s over. I take a seat, realising the extent to which I’m covered in sunscreen, sweat and grease. I can’t wait to take a shower.

But that’s just Le Mans. We’re all here for 24 hours. Some of us will crash. Some of us will have mechanical failures. Some of us will win.

By making it to the end, I feel like I’ve done all three.

“I’M COVERED IN SUNSCREEN, SWEAT AND GREASE. I CAN’T WAIT TO TAKE A SHOWER”

MISSION

Porsche’s 75th birthday surprise is an EV It’ll be faster, sure, but more of an event?

WORDS OLLIE MARRIAGE

IMPOSSIBLE

successor to the 918 Spyder hypercar. That’s the million dollar question...

A car covered in a sheet. That’s what I’m looking at, but beyond that... well, it’s clearly not an SUV. Assuming it’s pointing the right way the proportions are cab forward, the front arches pronounced, the rear deck flat and wide. If I’ve got it the wrong way round, it’s Vision Gran Turismo or Hot Wheels all the way.

Normally we’d already know what lies beneath. There are very, very few genuine surprises nowadays – information and images are released to media early on the understanding we’ll abide by an embargo. But not this time: no early teasers, no leaks, nothing. All we have is rumours.

Pretty educated ones. Ones that were reinforced when we arrived on the roof of the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart to find three cars lined up in front of us – a 959, a Carrera GT and a 918 Spider. Porsche’s hypercars. A 40-year timeline of talent and technology. A proper clue. Just in case we were thinking Porsche would invite people to its 75th anniversary celebrations only to unveil some new headlights for the Macan. But what form would it take? Some voices expected a plugin hybrid. But that was the 918, there’d be no point in repeating. So it must be electric.

Oliver Blume, Porsche CEO (also CEO of the whole VW Group, effectively making him his own boss), came on stage. The show began, information drip fed on screens to pumping beats and rotating lights: a power to weight ratio of 1:1, the fastest hypercar around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, 900V charging (definitely electric then), GT3 RS-beating downforce. Juicy stuff.

The music crescendoed, the lights span red, then it went dark. And then there was the Mission X. And I didn’t know quite what to think. Unbidden, my brain sprang into action: “It’s a sludgy browny/green. Like something scooped from the bottom of a pond.” Yeah, the colour. Bit challenging. Silver has always served Porsche well, I’m not convinced Rocket Metallic is a colour that’s going to have the same longevity.

“THE LIGHTS SPAN RED, THEN IT WENT DARK. AND THEN THERE WAS THE MISSION X. AND I DIDN’T KNOW QUITE WHAT TO THINK”

“THERE’S A SUITABLY FARFETCHED COCKPIT WITH MOULDED SEATS AND A YOKE TO STEER WITH”

Now go and watch the video on topgear.com

It takes me a few minutes to see past it and absorb the shape underneath. It’s relatively clean, unadorned – the downforce is obviously all going to happen underneath – but I don’t see that much Porsche in it at the moment. That’s likely to change. The Mission X, when it goes into production in maybe three to four years (we can be confident it will), is likely to have inspired the next Cayman, Boxster and Macan that should arrive in the meantime. The car it reminds me of is the Mission R electric racer first seen about 18 months ago, which also seemed a little... bulbous, maybe? Not as lean of arch and spare of flank as it could be. The other car I recognise in here is the Ferrari SP3 Daytona. It’s the long rear arches leading into that wide, flattened wing, and the bubble-like canopy. Maybe aero and engineering is forcing Porsche down a similar path.

Blume is talking. The Mission X has an actual mission already: to be the fastest road legal car round the ’Ring. Road legal. So this isn’t a track special, it will abide by regulations. Facts are thin on the ground. The 1:1 power to weight target could give it anywhere between 1,500bhp and 2,000bhp and the same number of kilos. I suspect the truth will lie about halfway between there. In whispered conversations afterwards I learn the aim is weight roughly equivalent to a 911 Turbo S. With well over twice the power. And potentially a tenth of the charisma. If this is going to be Porsche’s flagship, we should assume it’ll be working on how to make electric more of an event.

Let’s presume it’s 4WD. I suspect one motor on the front, two at the rear. Zero to 62mph will be deeply uncomfortable, top end will depend on how it’s geared for the near 1.8-mile Döttinger Höhe straight. Let’s guess at 1.7secs to 62mph and a 230mph top end. It could well have a two-speed gearbox to benefit both aspects. The Taycan already does.

Online commenters immediately jumped to the conclusion it’s simply a Rimac Nevera in drag. Not a chance. Of course it will have Rimac input, given Porsche’s involvement with the Croatian EV specialist, but this will be a generation further on from the Nevera. And have a different remit. The Nevera is a fast GT. OK, hugely fast given the 23 straight-line speed records it set in a single day recently. The Mission X is off to set lap records.

Records that may not be where they are by the time this gets there. Currently the ’Ring road car record belongs to the Mercedes-AMG One in 6:35.183. Come 2027, who knows what else might have come along? Would the Lotus Evija fancy a crack? The Valkyrie ought to be pretty rapid if Aston gets its act together. What about the Bugatti Bolide? That should be along in 2024. Porsche will have planned for all such eventualities. Maybe the Mission X will target the outright electric record currently held by the VW ID.R at 6:05.336? Don’t forget Porsche already holds the all-time record, set back in 2018 when the 919 Hybrid Evo LMP1 car lapped in 5:19.546. This won’t go that fast, I’ll guarantee you that.

Downforce is key, the plan is that it betters the latest GT3 RS, which boasts 860kg of extra air glue. The Mission X does a good job of hiding where that might be generated. Perhaps fans will be involved inside those giant rear diffusers. More interesting for those who like to look beyond this car into potential trickledown is the fact it uses 900V architecture that should enable it to charge twice as fast as a Taycan. That could mean 5–80 per cent in about 11 minutes. Utterly gamechanging if that makes it into a Macan or Cayman.

“THE AIM IS WEIGHT ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO A 911 TURBO S. WITH OVER TWICE THE POWER. AND POTENTIALLY A TENTH OF THE CHARISMA”

Blume leaves the stage. There’s applause and we’re allowed an audience with the car. I’m starting to come round to it now. The width of the skirts, the narrowness of the cockpit that exaggerates the arches. I do think the wheel should sit more tightly in the front arch, though, but I seem to be alone in liking the upright front LED light stack. It’s only afterwards when flicking through my pics that I spot the little camera stalks sitting behind the doors. Those, by the way, swing up to reveal a suitably farfetched cockpit with moulded seats and a yoke to steer with. Do I spy shift paddles behind it? I do – brake bias tweaks on the right, regen level on the left we learn.

The key facet is how low you sit. The battery is chest, rather than skateboard, mounted behind the seats (in what Porsche calls an “e-core layout”) rather than underneath them. Overall height is just 1.2 metres. It’s also compact at 4.5 metres long by two wide. Similar dimensions to the 918 Spyder. It uses 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels, those at the back feature aeroblades. The show car doesn’t wear extravagantly wide rubber – just 255s on the front, 315s at the back. Here, they’re Michelin’s stickiest Cup 2Rs.

The pebble-like canopy is worth further investigation. It’s glassy and curved, with nowhere for the air to get caught between window and carbon exoskeleton. I turn round and bump into Mark Webber. Did he have any inkling this is what we were seeing today? He looks slightly shifty, then says, “Yeah, I’ve known for a little while.” Is he involved with development? He makes his excuses, something about having to drive old cars, and bolts. Later, he’ll be pounding some of Porsche’s historics up and down the road outside the museum. Not just for lols, but because there’s more to the 75th celebrations than just the unveiling of the car. After 20 minutes or so the Mission X’s minders have had enough and we’re ushered out.

Initially down into the ever fascinating museum to browse new exhibits, then afterwards outside to witness not enough car action and too much management interaction, and too frequently an actor on stage talking to the front of the building which springs into life Siri-style. Porsche makes cool cars. Here was a reminder it doesn’t do everything with the same panache.

“PORSCHE WON’T HAVE FORGOTTEN IT STRUGGLED FOR A LONG TIME TO SELL ALL 918 OF THE 918 SPYDERS”

APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE

SIX OTHER ELECTRIC HYPERCARS THE MISSION X NEEDS TO BEAT

LOTUS EVIJA

Easily the best looking electric hypercar, and the one that should prove they can be fun to drive. Announced four years ago, none of the 130 cars have yet been delivered... 2,011bhp from quad motors promises 0–186mph in 9.1secs – a tenth faster than the Nevera.

ASPARK OWL

More eagle than owl, the Aspark is the oldest of these six, first announced in 2017. The plan is a production run of 50, each costing around £2.5 million. It’s Japanese, but built in Italy. Claims 0–186mph in 10.6secs. Sluggish. This one looks the least likely to succeed.

RIMAC NEVERA

The only one you can currently buy. And likely to have direct influence on the Mission X. Mind-bending speed: 0–62mph in 1.8secs, 0–100mph in 3.2 and capable of 256mph. Uses quad motors and a single speed gearbox, generates 1,914bhp. Just 150 will be built.

TESLA ROADSTER

It’s now six years since the Roadster was announced and the once record breaking performance claims (0–100mph in 4.2) have already been outstripped by the Nevera. Features a 200kWh battery, and will be the cheapest of this lot, costing around £200,000.

ARIEL HIPERCAR

Quad motors for Ariel, but ‘only’ 1,180bhp. It’ll keep up because it’s lighter, using a battery a quarter the size of the Tesla’s. That’s charged by a range extender – a jet engine on the back deck. Still fast, claiming 0–60mph in 2.0secs and 100mph in about 4.0secs.

McMURTRY SPÉIRLING PURE

The track-only production version of the Goodwood record breaking marvel – 100 cars at £984k each. Tiny, held on the ground by giant fans, and promises a better than 1:1 power to weight ratio of <1,000kg:1,000bhp. Deliveries start in 2025.

BLOODLINE

A refresher on the big shoes

Mission X has to fill

PORSCHE CARRERA GT PORSCHE 918

Having weathered an existential crisis in the early Nineties, Porsche was feeling bullish by the decade’s end. When Walter Röhrl drove the Carrera GT concept from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre on 28 September 2000, the world went crazy for it. Over to a small team in Weissach to justify the business case, then figure out how to engineer it.

Porsche had a few tricks up its sleeve. An entire Le Mans project in fact, codenamed 9R3, and intended to race in 2000 but abandoned on cost grounds. The Carrera GT’s 5.7-litre V10 actually had its roots in a forgotten F1 project, and its spec included sodium cooled exhaust valves, Nikasil coated bores, titanium conrods and forged pistons. The whole unit weighed in at a ridiculous 215kg, its low rotational mass a characteristic it shares with the McLaren F1. Then there was its carbon-fibre monocoque

and subframe, the first time anyone had gone this route. The result is a car of formidable structural rigidity.

The Carrera GT was primarily a road car, though, and Porsche’s engineers figured that bolting this mighty engine directly to the chassis would be a step too far. Even so, this remains a very senior supercar. The lightweight ceramic clutch was so tricky that getting the car off the line needed Röhrl-level technique. Neither did Porsche fit any electronic stability control, because it reckoned the chassis was sufficiently good to have no intervention. This may have been true in the right hands, but let’s just say not all of the 1,270 that were made have survived...

The Carrera GT is perhaps the last great fully analogue Porsche. It’s unfiltered, uncompromising, and intense. No wonder they’re rocketing in value.

The concept car 918 Spyder was a beautiful thing, and Porsche claimed some otherworldly performance numbers. Porsche sometimes does claim mad figures for its concepts, but it habitually goes on to make the claims real. Even so, everyone was suspicious. A hybrid hypercar? Remember this was early 2010 and we’d never seen anything like it. Every observer agreed this was just going to be a fast heavy overcomplicated Prius.

Then Porsche announced more numbers. A production run of 918, the first one to be made on 18 September 2013, which is 9/18 in German date-speak.

In the meantime I rode in the first prototype, a messy bodyless mule. The engineers explained to the sceptical journalists the hybrid system would improve it as a supercar by adding a big hit of torque to the crazy revvy race designed

V8, and gave 4WD for faster laps. Anyway the weight gain wouldn’t be too much because it had no turbos, intercoolers, starter, alternator, or propshaft to the front. I was strapped in, and to feel – as well as hear – it accelerate certainly made the point.

Porsche needed to do this PR because 918 is a big limited edition number for a hypercar and it hadn’t yet sold out. Even as production began, there were slots left. But to help it along, it became the first road car to duck under seven minutes around the Nordschleife. All promptly sold.

Its historical context can’t be separated from those other members of the awesome triptych, the LaFerrari and McLaren P1. Maybe it wasn’t quite as enchanting as the first, certainly not as savage as the second. But it was the most clever, complete and capable. The most Porsche.

Porsche’s designers and engineers will now scurry back to their dark corners to continue their work, while upstairs men in more tightly buttoned shirts will conduct feasibility studies and work out how many and what price. Maybe a thousand? Probably less. It’s well known that uptake on electric hypercars has so far been... limited. Wealthy car collectors probably have a Tesla somewhere but they still see real value in mechanical thrash and combustion, not the chitter of electrons. And Porsche won’t have forgotten that it struggled for a long time to sell all 918 of the 918 Spyders, and it’ll have kept a beady eye on Mercedes’ and Aston Martin’s travails with their hypercars. Price isn’t worth speculating about. We know it’ll be millions.

Of course Porsche hasn’t even admitted it’s going into production. But you don’t give yourself a present like this and then bury it in a dusty warehouse for eternity. But we likely won’t see more for a few years. Remember the Mission E? That was the 2015 concept that became the Taycan four years later. So don’t expect the Mission X before 2027.

It’s this day, 8 June, the day I watch the wraps tugged off, that Porsche has identified as the day. It was 75 years ago precisely that the 356 ‘No 1’ Roadster received its road licence. The first car ever to feature the Porsche crest. It chuntered merrily up and down outside the museum that evening, looking most like an upturned bathtub. But it was genesis. Now we must wait for revelation.

“THE AIM IS WEIGHT ROUGHLY A TENTH OF THE CHARISMA”

Where does the electricity that powers our EVs really come from?

Paul Horrell and his trusty Megane Electric sidekick investigate

ELECTRIC CARS RUN ON POWER THAT’S PRODUCED IN FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS, SO THEIR OVERALL CO2 PER MILE IS HARDLY LOWER THAN PETROL CARS. IF WE DID HAVE A WIDESPREAD CONVERSION TO EVs, THE GRID WOULDN’T COPE ANYWAY. BESIDES, THE BATTERIES WON’T LAST, SO A CAR WILL NEED TWO OR THREE IN ITS LIFETIME AND THAT IN ITSELF MEANS HUGE MANUFACTURING CO2 AND WASTE DISPOSAL HEADACHES. WHO’D HAVE ONE ANYWAY, GIVEN THEIR RANGE IS INCONVENIENT AND CHARGING SPOTTY? ALL PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE CONCERNS... IN 2013.

A decade on, those objections have all pretty much gone away. What makes electric cars so fascinating is the speed of change. Whatever you knew about them is wrong. Whatever you know now will soon be wrong too.

Let’s go for a drive to look at some of the reasons. It’s a route of 750 miles in two days, going to some remote places, and in sketching it out beforehand my attitude to charging the car is basically, “What could possibly go wrong?” This, I tell myself, isn’t foolhardiness. It’s experience. I’ve done several similar trips in this same Renault Megane lately and had no trouble.

So, from London up the A1 to Gridserve’s solar installation near Easingwold in Yorkshire. I’m a farm boy and think in acres, but you probably think in football pitches and a pitch (two acres) of solar farm can power about two million EV miles a year. There are 70 pitches’ worth in this giant reflective shimmering blue plot, the panels automatically pivoting to best catch the sun arcing across the sky. They do nothing at night, of course, so alongside is a row of shipping containers full of batteries. But they don’t need as much battery capacity as you might think, because Gridserve’s business

is on the go rapid charging, and most of that happens by day because most long journeys are by day. By contrast, the overall majority of electric vehicle charging is the slow sort, which happens at night when the grid is less stressed and relies more on wind. That’s why night electricity is lower priced as well as greener.

But by day, solar is now very cheap electricity. Panel prices have dropped to about a hundredth of their level two decades back. This solar farm was built in a matter of five months – a blink of an eye compared with the public enquiries and build time of a fossil or nuclear power station.

Most solar farms are on fairly low-grade farmland, and Gridserve sows meadow plants beneath the panels, boosting biodiversity and sequestering carbon. But if you’ve been worried about solar panels carpeting the country and stealing food production, you needn’t. Expected growth of solar equals about 0.5 per cent of Britain’s farmland, or half the area of its golf courses. I think we can live with that, eh? Then there are roofs. To put it on a more personal scale, panels that fit on a small terraced house (mine) produce enough to drive 5,000 miles a year.

“THE PANELS AUTOMATICALLY PIVOT TO BEST CATCH THE SUN ARCING ACROSS THE SKY”

After Easingwold’s glistening lake of solar panels, Ferrybridge, half an hour south along the A1, looks distinctly industrial and carries the universal aroma of bin lorry. Instead of harvesting energy from the sun, its input is rubbish. Literally. Little more than half of the contents of the country’s bins are recycled. The rest usually goes to landfill. They’re just burying the problem, and besides they produce methane which is an extremely aggressive greenhouse gas. Enfinium’s twin power stations at Ferrybridge take the post-recycling waste, nearly 1.5 million tonnes a year, and turn it to energy. A steady convoy of artics decant the garbage into a vast hopper whence it’s conveyed into the furnace to produce hot gas. This boils steam to drive turbine generators, kicking out between them 170MW, five times the noonday peak of the Easingwold solar farm. That’s enough for 370,000 homes and businesses, it claims. Or in our language, to power 1,100 ultra rapid car chargers at 150kW all at once around the clock.

Now this isn’t exactly renewable energy, because it comes from stuff humans have made at energy cost. But we’re throwing it away, so until we stop the waste, we really should recover the energy in it. Apart from the electricity, ash comes out of the bottom of the furnace. Among it is metals that are captured and recycled, then the remaining

ash goes to make aggregate for concrete. The smokestack is cleansed of NOx with urea, like AdBlue for diesels. Waste to power might once have been a subsidised utopian project, but the number of these plants has doubled in a decade because they run at a profit. The price of landfill is rising, no surprise, so power plants can charge councils for taking the rubbish, while getting paid for the electricity too.

Then we’re back in the Megane, now 300 mostly motorway miles into the trip and having had one 80 per cent battery charge and one shorter one. In both cases they happened when we needed sandwiches and coffee and were over by the time we were ready to go on. In a petrol or diesel car on the motorway, the engine isn’t the loudest noise, so you might assume that an electric vehicle won’t be much more peaceful. But it is, because the low resistance tyres and low drag body and thick floor all mean less other racket gets through. The Megane adds seats that suit me and an excellent control layout with hard buttons for the climate control and driver assist, plus good maps integration – either its own or your phone’s. But across the wonderful high Pennines section of the M62 motorway I’m thinking about the scenery not the road testing. All the more so as we turn up onto a moorland track north of Bolton.

“FERRYBRIDGE LOOKS DISTINCTLY INDUSTRIAL AND CARRIES THE UNIVERSAL AROMA OF BIN LORRY”

Many people don’t like wind turbines on their horizon. I find them an uplifting sight, and not just because of what I know they’re doing to drive my car and power my life. Their hypnotic rhythms evoke yachts or flying swans. Up close they’re even more captivating, not least because of their sheer immense scale and elegance. The ones at Crook Hill are 125m to the tips. If you’ve ever been in the London Eye, you’ll know that’s a seriously long way up. There are 11 turbines at Crook Hill with a full strength capacity of 37MW between them.

They produce about the cheapest electricity. Far cheaper than gas at the moment, but of course gas is high because there’s a war on. That’s the thing. Build your wind turbines or your solar farms and the price of wind and sun stays the same – zero. Build a gas station and you have to keep buying gas, at the prevailing and wildly fluctuating international price. And gas stations haven’t got any cheaper to build, while solar panels have plummeted in price and wind turbines are falling too.

As I say, I’m in the minority and land-based windfarms aren’t popular with the neighbours – although opinion polls suggest if local people were given discounted electricity they’d relent. Instead, giant forests of offshore turbines are where it’s at, and being surrounded by continental shelf helps Britain a lot. Around the time the first Renault

Zoes were coming onto the road, renewables accounted for just a tenth of Britain’s electricity, so saying “electric cars are driven by coal and gas” was a fair point. At that time nearly half the electricity came from dirty old coal, the remainder gas, nuclear and cross-Channel imports. Nowadays coal has essentially disappeared from the grid. So far this year we’ve got 42 per cent of our electricity from renewables and 33 per cent from gas. By 2030 the National Grid is planning on finding between 75 and 88 per cent of our electricity supply from renewables.

Magically, as your EV gets older its CO2 per mile is falling, as the grid gets less carbon intensive. Which is why the lifetime CO2 impact assessments are too high: they calculate the driving phase emissions on the basis of the electricity mix in the year of the car’s launch. (Even on those pessimistic calculations, an EV has about half the lifetime CO2 of a petrol. Yes, the ones whose batteries are made in China.)

Ah but will the grid itself, the wires and transformers, melt down?

Well, if we had 10 million EVs in Britain, a good estimate for 2030, they’d only use about six per cent of the grid’s capacity. And most EV charging happens during overnight slack. So National Grid is planning on using two-way EVs to balance demand when there’s no wind. They’d form a giant distributed smoothing battery. There would be handsome

“WALES IS LOOKING LOVELY AND ITS GORGEOUS ROADS ARE EMPTY. THE MEGANE IS GENUINELY FUN”

incentives – charge at cheap times, sell back at peak rates. We’re beginning to see other sorts of demand management in a connected world, with variable prices encouraging people to set washing machine timers for when electricity is in surplus. People are taking to it.

Perhaps nothing’s really new. I’m off to Wales next to see a grid storage system that’s been running for 60 years. Ffestiniog power station is a reversible hydro plant. In times of grid surplus, water is pumped up above the Stwlan dam. When they need power, they open the sluices and up to 27 tonnes a second deluges back down to turbines at the lower station. That gives them 360MW within a minute, and if it starts full, it’ll power the whole of North Wales for several hours.

There are a couple more of these in Britain, but it’s likely they’ll be the last, despite the need to smooth a fluctuating renewables heavy grid and the simple elegance of the idea. Thing is, batteries are cheaper now. Also, tests are under way to fill underground reservoirs with hydrogen. Electrolyse it when there’s surplus electricity; reverse the process in fuel cells when it’s needed.

A little coda. Standing on the Stwlan dam I can see about five miles down the valley the twin hulks of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station’s reactor buildings. I went there on a school trip. It’s stopped generating since – too old – but it’ll take to the end of the century before the radioactivity has decayed enough for them to flatten the buildings, and literally hundreds more years of careful storage of the waste. These are the costs of nuclear that taxpayers, not commercial generators, always pay. Yet here we are building a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset. The government agreed in 2013 to underwrite a price for that electricity that was slightly less than what wind cost then, but several times wind now. The Hinkley plant will be largely owned and run by the Chinese state, which in hindsight hardly looks like national security genius on Britain’s part. The building cost has ballooned to two and a half times the 2013 estimate, delays are lengthening, and everyone’s throwing good money after bad.

Still, now’s not the time to get angry. Wales is looking lovely and its gorgeous roads are empty. The Megane is genuinely fun. Sure there are no gears to shift but petrol cars have largely ditched manuals. Instead I’ll take the ever ready instant hit of an e-motor, and use it to nip and tuck the Megane through these captivating corners. It’s agile and keen and not so grippy that it isn’t cheeky – not quite a great GTI, but it is a very good hatch. Its handling reminds me of a Mazda 3 (roughly the same price with slightly less power and an auto) partly because the Megane is relatively light, and it wouldn’t be if it had a humongous and materially profligate battery. Another interesting EV-specific challenge comes in modulating the brakes, pressing just hard enough for max regen without bringing the discs into play. So consumption in this slap and tickle driving is no worse than on the motorway.

Because charging has been quick, we’ve been grabbing stand-up food during most charges. All visits concluded, it’s time for a treat. A row of rapid Instavolts stands in the car park of the Rhug Estate farm shop and cafe. We sit for an agreeable lunch and do a couple of emails. By which time, 55 minutes, the Megane has enough in it for a 205-mile, four and a half hour straight shot back to London.

During those motorway hours it occurs to me that relief from the climate crisis won’t solely lie in some massive coordinated effort of global governments and corporations. Because, when did that ever happen? But it might just come when everyone realises what’s been happening the past 10 years with renewable energy, both its price and rollout speed. Soon surely, pumping hydrocarbon out of the ground and burning it will be just too quaint and expensive to bother with.

C L I F F H A N G E R

If you’re paying a visit to Moab in Utah, it’s only right and proper to indulge in a great American tradition. Just don’t look down

WORDS JACK RIX PHOTOGRAPHY MARK RICCIONI

both mentally and literally, peering over the brow of the obstacle that earned this trail its infamy. A series of giant ledges flanked by some loose looking rocks and several thousand miles of fresh air. When you’re climbing there are off-road techniques to be deployed – left foot braking with smooth dabs of throttle to ensure all momentum is of the forward variety, sawing the steering wheel side to side to find the tiniest sliver of traction and my personal favourite... gunning it and hoping for the best – but on the descent, your only real option is full send with as much mechanical sympathy as possible. Otherwise known as driving forwards and falling off. I drop the nose over the edge, then the rear – clattering the overhang and remodelling the tailpipes into new and interesting shapes. I repeat this three, maybe four times, clenching my buttocks and teeth ever tighter each time, until the world levels out and I breathe a sigh of relief. Then it dawns on me there’s only one way off this death road... the way we came in.

Cliffhanger. The clue’s in the trail’s name. And yet, at no point during multiple pregame meetings with guides and experts did anybody mention to muggins here that we were skiing a diamond black run with sticks of celery glued to our feet. To be fair to our guide, Jim, he did mention the drops were “long enough to read a book on the way down”, but that isn’t a surprise (I have a loose grasp on gravity and plummeting 1,000ft to a valley floor is self-explanatory), it’s the fact we’re squeezing this box fresh and bone stock Wrangler between boulders the size of lorries, pointing it up walls of rock that in any normal circumstances would mark a dead end, and tiptoeing like a sticky hoofed goat along skinny paths carved into sheer cliff face. I thought we were here to admire the scenery, not to become a scorched smear on it.

The irony is, this wasn’t supposed to be some heroic story about jeopardy and survival, it was supposed to be a story about a little town in Utah, called Moab. We’re talking big sky, Thelma and Louise,

red rock and canyons country – America, at its most American. Moab is a mecca for off-road enthusiasts from all over the world, who flock here in their hundreds of thousands every year, to scare themselves witless and lose their no claims bonus. But there’s more to the place than just scrabbling around playing rock, paper, scissors with the Grim Reaper, the town itself is full of good-time vibes. Founded by missionaries and miners, it was once the uranium capital of the world... which is how most of these trails were plotted out in the first place – in pursuit of precious minerals in vehicles far less capable than ours. But thanks to friendly sounding tracks like Hell’s Revenge and Metal Masher it’s four-wheeled tourism that’s taken over, and the town has evolved to accommodate the influx of cash with bars, restaurants, hotels and several hundred novelty T-shirt shops to keep the thrill seekers clothed, watered and coming back.

If you’ve ever been to the Nürburgring you’ll know the experience begins long before you’ve splatted your chipped Golf R into the Armco at turn two... you start noticing the tuning shops dotted around on the drive into town, the density of interesting cars steadily increasing and once you arrive, the track is literally all around you and lined with iconic places to eat and stay. Moab is America’s Nürburgring, albeit with less speed and more axle articulation... there are 4x4 workshops everywhere to get you fixed up and back out on the trail, places to rent wheels if you don’t have anything suitable yourself and you’ll find institutions like Milt’s, Moab Diner and Lin Ottinger’s rock shop rammed full of dinosaur bones and fossils Lin’s been digging up since the Thirties, plus the actual anvil used to make shoes for Butch Cassidy’s horse. I have no reason to doubt this claim.

Our carriage then – it’s a Jeep, less of a car manufacturer around these parts, more of a cult. We could have done this in a Land Rover, Toyota, a Rivian even, but there’s a good chance we’d have been shunted off the edge by a friendly local. So Jeep it is – a Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary 4XE to be precise, a plug-in hybrid with a four-cylinder petrol engine and twin electric motors producing a total of 375bhp and 470lb ft torque – plenty for our purposes. I’ve also got 25 miles or so of electric only range for stealthy ascents.

This anniversary model has a half inch lift over the standard Rubicon model, which is more than enough, I tell myself, with no idea of the severity of the terrain that awaits just a mile or two down the road.

We strip the doors and rear quarter windows off (to save weight, reduce the physical barriers between me and oblivion and, let’s face it, to try and look vaguely cool for the cameras) peel back the sardine tin roof and air down the tyres for maximum purchase. Nothing says midlife crisis quite like a Wrangler in the UK, but out here with spirits high, novelty headwear purchased and sage green paint gleaming, it’s perfect and screwed together twice as well as the Ford Bronco we drove in from LA. We follow Jim – a Moab resident and senior trail guide for Jeep Jamboree (the company hired to keep us alive) – a few miles out of town where a rusty metal sign marks the point where we’re thrown in at the deep end.

Our first obstacle – a set of steps that without Jim cheerily waving me down – I definitely wouldn’t have the nerve to tackle. No need to lock the diffs on the down slopes, but we slot the gearbox into low ratio and suspend our disbelief as the Jeep picks its way down – bottoming out here and there but mostly unscathed. Confidence is high as we round the next corner, enter a water splash at speed and roll to a stop in front of a vertical rockface as high as my belly button. The geometry simply doesn’t make sense. Geometry, as I’m about to discover, is everything – especially tyre size, which dictates how high your axles and diffs are off the ground. We have 35-inch tyres fitted – overkill for a camping trip, but relative tiddlers out here. Jim is convinced there’s a line for us, throws a couple of big rocks on the ground to soften the angles and beckons me forward. To my amazement the front left starts pulling grip from nowhere and the nose rises triumphantly as I throw a fist pump to the cameras... moments before we slide sideways and wedge ourselves firmly between two rocks. The rear arch is resting on the boulder and lacerated, the rear left wheel has been spinning flush on the rock and is now minced, the side sill sliders are doing their job but already scuffed to hell, and I’m wondering how I’m going to explain this one when Jeep’s delivery driver comes to collect. “Here’s the car back, thanks! If you need the rest of it, it’s halfway up that mountain over there!” Cue 10 minutes of head scratching – in which time a group of deranged motocross

“THE REAR ARCH IS LACERATED, THE WHEEL NOW MINCED”

JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON

20TH ANNIVERSARY 4XE

Price: $71,380

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl + e-motor (17.3kWh battery), 375bhp, 470lb ft

Transmission: 8spd auto, 4WD

Performance: 0–62mph in 6.4secs, 124mph

Economy: 69mpg (est), 94g/km CO2 (est)

Weight: 2,362kg

right

rock

Is that a head in arms moment, or a one man Mexican wave?

Who’s to know, really

“Turn

at the

that looks like Elizabeth Taylor and straight on until sunrise”

“WITH EACH OBSTACLE CONQUERED, THE VIEW REVEALS ITSELF A LITTLE MORE”

“THIS IS A JEEP DOING WHAT IT WAS BORN FOR... IN ITS UNYIELDING ELEMENT”

riders fling themselves, semi successfully, past us up the ledge, followed by a group of what I can only assume are very lost mountain bikers. The mind boggles.

All options exhausted, Jim attaches us to his winch and yanks us loose. We carry on, clanking and scraping, collecting battle scars with alarming regularity. We sail over smooth sections washed flat by the rain, sandy tracks that relent for a moment before erupting into savage rock formations, and more ledges from the depths of hell. But we’re still moving and fighting – never more than 5mph, never with anything other than extreme caution, just slow, steady, silent progress. And despite a growing body shop bill, no flat tyres or mechanical mishaps. In London, if I nick an alloy on a kerb I’m having flashbacks a week later – two hours in and already I’m desensitised to the sound of metal on rock, resigned to the fact that this is a Jeep doing what it was born for, an off-road workhorse in its unyielding element.

There are rewards for persistence. With each obstacle conquered, the view reveals itself a little more – fat red skyscrapers, earth’s calendars striped with millions of years of geological history, snow-flecked peaks in the distance despite sweltering temperatures where we are and then we punch out the top for the big finale. The path of first paragraph fame perched above a valley gouged into the landscape by giants’ hands. It’s astonishing, but it’ll have to wait, this is no margin for error territory. Genuinely, I don’t have a problem with heights, I’ve done several bungee jumps and skydives without stress, but that’s because there’s a cord tied securely around your legs, or a parachute and an instructor strapped to your back. Here it feels like one twitch of the wrists, one wobble and ta-da!

The world’s fastest accelerating Jeep. Earlier, having no doors was handy for leaning out and placing your front tyre precisely... now it’s just a constant reminder of an impending and untimely death. I won’t leave you hanging, reader, we survive. We clock Cliffhanger, but before turning around and doing it all again in the opposite direction, we stop for a sandwich on top of the world. It’s breathtaking – the view, not the sandwich, that’s a little dry. The scale, the sense of achievement and the adventure we’ve been on to get here. Sure, we came a fraction underequipped, but Jim and his team saw us through and our Jeep – a Jeep you can waltz into any dealer and buy off the floor – survived. Isn’t that astonishing? Almost as astonishing as a little town in Utah, called Moab.

GUESS WHO’S BACK

Mercedes is looking to the future by pillaging its past... specifically its experimental C111 concept from 1969

WORDS JASON BARLOW PHOTOGRAPHY PHILIPP RUPPRECHT

Disruptive start-ups have set the pace this past decade. Chinese brands few of us are currently familiar with are queuing up to do the same over the next five years. Ask yourself, does anyone still truly care about heritage?

Mercedes-Benz thinks so. “It’s very much about icons. Icons make the difference between mainstream and luxury,” the company’s chief design officer Gorden Wagener tells TG. “Artists and designers always want to make a big statement in history, right?

Whether or not a designer’s work actually becomes iconic only becomes apparent with the passage of time, but icons define luxury. We love sports cars, we love Gullwings, we love low cars, and we love orange cars.”

Enter the Vision One-Eleven, a concept car of such old school flamboyance it’s worth checking you haven’t fallen through a hole in the space-time continuum to 1969. Back

then car designers – mostly Italian, it must be said –jettisoned the curvy sensuality they’d become famous for in favour of radical proportions and wedge shaped silhouettes. Think Bertone’s Alfa Romeo Carabo and Lancia Stratos Zero, Italdesign’s Bizzarrini Manta, and Pininfarina’s Ferrari Modulo. NASA had just put mankind on the moon. These looked like cars you could drive there. Things were getting equally trippy in Stuttgart. Mercedes had spent most of the decade honing a rigorous aesthetic under brilliant design boss Friedrich Geiger, who talked about “horizontal homogenity” and “vertical affinity”. Yep, they had suspect buzzwords back then, too. But the formality was loosening. Bruno Sacco (Italian) and Paul Bracq (French) were rising stars in the design department at the time. Remember also that Mercedes had pioneered one of the signature design motifs of all time on the Fifties 300 SL – gullwing doors. These would be revisited in fabulous style on 1969’s C111, the

“MERCEDES IS PUSHING ITS DESIGN LANGUAGE TO THE LIMIT HERE”

first in a series of Mercedes concepts and experimental cars that would explore rotary propulsion, extreme aerodynamism, and eventually set a handful of world speed records.

It’s the ’69 car that Mercedes references in the Vision OneEleven. The copper infused orange (and black) colour scheme is perhaps the most evocative element, but the head- and tail-light treatment is also strongly redolent of the original. The C111 was mid-engined, whereas the new Vision car features YASA axial flux motors on each wheel and a big battery pack (size as yet unconfirmed). Mercedes plays with the mid-engined typography by pushing its ‘one bow’ design language to the limit here. Previous show cars such as the F 015 and EQXX have showcased the approach but this time the full quota of brave pills has been popped. The result is a car that’s effectively one big surface, whose roof elides imperceptibly into its body, although there are still pronounced – and very sexy – front and rear wheelarches. They’re a nod to the Mercedes-AMG One. The One-Eleven is also a mere 1,100mm tall, as TG discovers when we sit down beside it with

Wagener, on exclusively designed orange chairs. We’re still taller than the car.

“The C111 is an icon and we wanted to bring it back. This isn’t about designing just another car, this is a very special one,” he says. “This one has an aura, it’s not just a styling exercise.” It’s part of Mercedes’ drive to deliver ‘iconic luxury’, in the guise of something with sufficient visual firepower to join the dots via the Sixties C111 all the way back to Carl Benz’s Patent Motorcar in 1886. That one didn’t have gullwing doors, though. It didn’t have any doors at all, in fact. The point being, if you invented the car in the first place you’ve got supreme bragging rights.

Wagener calls his philosophy ‘sensual purity’, and the Vision One-Eleven is strikingly minimalist. The gullwing doors are huge flush fitting jobs, with opaque side windows that feature a pixellated pattern. The smoothly sculpted upper surface is anchored by some strongly graphic aero addenda on the underbody. The lower front wing is more subtle, and has

“THIS TIME THE FULL QUOTA OF BRAVE PILLS HAS BEEN POPPED”

“THE SIXTIES/ EIGHTIES SCIFI MASH-UP CONTINUES INSIDE”

to play second fiddle to a nose whose LED lights reposition the car in an early Eighties vein. In quasi Knight Rider style, the One-Eleven can communicate with other road users. Presumably to say something like, “Out of my way plebs, I’m iconically luxurious.”

The matte black side blades are pronounced and become ever more so ahead of those fat rear wheelarches. They’re also studded with indentations that are backlit in blue. A huge rear diffuser intensifies the drama, but mostly it’s about how much rubber is visible from behind. Like every other car designer TG has ever met, Wagener is a fan of Seventies and Eighties endurance racing cars. The wheels are concept car huge and their design is inspired by the motor windings used in the One-Eleven’s powertrain. More on those axial flux motors – Mercedes bought YASA in July 2021, seduced by the promise of smaller and substantially lighter e-motors that are also more powerful than radial flux ones.

The Sixties/Eighties sci-fi mash-up continues inside. Pop culture fans will clock a cockpit that is part Barbarella, part A Clockwork Orange, with a dose of Stranger Things and early videogame influence. The dash is upholstered in a white fabric made of 100 per cent recycled polyester. Bright orange leather covers the armrests on the sills and centre console, and stretches across the rear into the luggage compartment. The leather’s been sustainably processed and tanned using coffee bean husks. The seats are integrated into the chassis, and the driving position is close to the racily recumbent set-up from an F1 car.

The One-Eleven also plays with the ‘lounge’ concept that’s usually appended to cars with autonomous capability. The user interface is reduced, an oblong aluminium steering wheel hides drive mode buttons, flanked by a small touchscreen. More conceptual showbiz is manifest in the full length pixellated dash, which can display information in QR code form like a news ticker. The information then appears in hi-res on the screen. There’s more – pull on a Magic Leap augmented reality headset and prepare for a new spatial user interface.

“We can’t turn the clock back on the screen,” Wagener says, “so we have to focus on what’s there and create digital luxury around it. The base level is functionality. The second layer is style. At the top of the pyramid are iconic moments, things that surprise you.”

This includes the launch of a lifestyle collection called ‘Limited edition 1 of 111’ that includes luggage and clothing inspired by the car. “Modernity is about the integration of shapes. We also like simplicity, which is harder to achieve than complexity,” Wagener concludes. “Whatever we do will be beautiful, it’s never going to be awkward. We’ll never do strange looking cars. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

We get his drift. There’s one last tantalising thing – Mercedes is expanding its Manufaktur personalisation programme, three new Maybach Night Series models demonstrating what’s possible. But for those with very deep pockets, how about your very own One-Eleven?

CONCEPTS THAT TIME FORGOT

FORD IOSIS, 2005

It is occasionally amusing to think of our naive former ways – like a couple of decades ago, when large saloons were still a thing It was a big deal when Ford came to the Frankfurt motor show in 2005 with a cheeky glimpse at the sexy new Mondeo, set to arrive in 2007

The Mondeo, much like the Vectra/Insignia, was a car that was eternally acknowledged as a slightly dull car with the next version promising an injection of cool, a dash of style, or even (God forbid) ‘relevance’ This was a pretence that a new version of either car could manage in the carefully curated brightly lit isolation of a motor show stand, but would evaporate instantly on contact with the grime of the real world, sitting on cheap steel wheels in an affordable company car trim

That was all to come at this point though The 2005 Frankfurt show was nothing but blue skies and unbridled optimism The four-door, four-seater Iosis saloon concept featured aggressive haunches, sinuous lines and a new design language for the company that it called ‘kinetic design’ The kinetic stylings were supposed to make Fords look like they were constantly in motion because actually moving wasn t enough anymore, they needed something extra The Iosis was definitely an exciting development for the company after the geometric period of ‘new edge’ design that

WE’RE BUILDING A CUSTOM ROYAL ENFIELD

Report2:suspension

We’re finally getting oily. This month, our Conti GT visited British suspension gurus Nitron (of race car and fast Lotus fame) for its first major upgrade

Swapping out the shocks is a simple yet very effective thing to do. With very basic preload, fake reservoirs and limited travel, our stock ones aren’t much cop

had started with the 1998 Focus, or the boring straight lines of the second generation Mondeo that had been skulking around since 2000

And the Iosis maintained the finest concept traditions of showing off cool features with not the remotest intent of them making production

Like the solid aluminium steering wheel, butterfly doors or starter button under a flip lid on the gear shifter, a nod perhaps to the next year’s appearance of the Bondeo in new Daniel Craig flick Casino Royale What a buzz that created, but even that generation of Bond has been ditched with a view to a new version who will inject a bit of style and relevance

There was no mention of the engine inside the Iosis concept, because nothing evaporates glamour like mention of a 2 2-litre diesel And like the humble diesel engine who knew back in 2005 that the Mondeo would only have another two generations inside it before being consigned to the shelf marked ‘irrelevant’? The humble family runabout has been canned, a victim of the relentless onslaught of SUV models But who knows where we’ll be in another two decades? Wistfully acknowledging the passing of the crossovers and workhorses that have eventually done us proud, as they’re all replaced by semi-autonomous ride sharing boxes on wheels, mobility solutions where hope goes to die What a cheery thought Sam Burnett

Nitron NTR R3 Twin Shocks (£1,099) are handmade, with a huge amount of adjustment (24 clicks of rebound, 16 clicks of high-speed compression and 16 clicks of low)

We’ve also swapped the front fork cartridges. Nitron’s triple valves are far more reactive and you can alter rebound and compression like a Porsche GT3 RS

Now to get clicky and dial them in. Top tip: set rebound first, then compression. And go for the fastest rebound before it gets jittery and then finesse

ICCI’S GARAGE

Isn’t it convenient when people who have made millions suddenly announce that the key to happiness isn’t actually money? A statement that is made infinitely easier without a mortgage and with Waitrose staff on a first name basis with you.

And isn’t it convenient when, despite owning several cars worth a decent amount of money, the one you favour most also turns out to be cheapest. Time to donate the GT3 RS to Age UK in that case.

I very nearly started this month’s update with those exact words before realising the man of the people angle wears thin while owning double digit cars. So, we’ll phrase it a little bit different. The cheapest car I (currently) own has been an absolute joy this month. Helped entirely by the fact I don’t need to use it every day, and further improved by the fact it hasn’t cost me a penny in three months. Because it hasn’t moved.

Earlier in the year a MkI Mitsubishi Shogun (Pajero) Wagon popped up on Facebook and, being cheap, quite cool and needing a bit of work, it hit the trifecta of cars not to buy. And while it’s crusty, a weird shade of gold and the interior cultivates fungi, it’s also genesis for one of the best 4x4s ever made. To this day, the Pajero remains the most successful car ever to compete in the gruelling Dakar rally, taking the overall top spot 12 times along with 150 stage

wins. And if you’ve ever seen the work required to make a road-going 4x4 suitable for 3,500+ miles of Dakar, the end result always looks suitably badass. Which is exactly why it seemed like a good idea to buy a set of Dakar-spec Pajero Evo wheels to bolt on the Shogun. They’re made by OZ Racing – the wheels are incredibly light although the 37in

tyres are anything but. Naturally it scrubs on full lock and, without a lift kit any small jump will slam ’em into the arches... but just look at it.

For the same price as a GT3 RS service you can get this entire car. Admittedly the engine now cuts out and there’s smoke on start-up, but it now looks like it’ll mow down any Sahara-shaped obstacles Northamptonshire can throw at it. So, I’m going to say it – my favourite car is also the cheapest I own. Money doesn’t buy happiness.

It does buy a valid MoT certificate however, something the Shogun seriously lacks. I knew it’d fail the moment I hit the wiper stalk and watched the rubber blade disintegrate like an ancient Egyptian curse had been placed on it. But I didn’t realise I’d be getting two pages back from the station outlining words including ‘corrosion’, ‘rust’ and ‘structural integrity’.

So, while the Pajero remains the most successful car at the Dakar, it would seem the greatest challenge of any 4x4 is surviving rural England for a few years. And in two monochrome pieces of A4 paper, the cheapest car I own is now about to become one of the most expensive. Joy.

Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world

Report

36 Mark gets his Shogun some new shoes just in time for some bad news about the rest of it

“I’M GOING TO SAY IT. MY FAVOURITE CAR IS THE CHEAPEST I OWN –MONEY DOESN’T BUY HAPPINESS”

(1971) RANGE ROVER vs RANGE ROVER (2023)

What difference has over half a century made to Land Rover’s luxury off-roader?

AH, THE OG LUXURY OFF-ROADER

Well, sort of. The original Range Rover was tremendously refined for its day, thanks to the velvet glove V8 engine and feathery soft coil springs. But luxury? The Jeep Wagoneer had arguably got there seven years earlier. The first Range Rovers had wind-up windows, PVC seats, rubber floor coverings, manual transmission and muscle straining power steering. But the off-road smarts were certainly there, thanks to huge axle articulation, permanent 4WD, a low-ratio transfer box and centre diff lock.

WE KNOW THE NEW ONE IS POSH

Indeed. During the Seventies and Eighties, Land Rover discovered that every time it added a version with more luxury kit, it became the bestseller. So these days it knows offering a poverty spec car would be commercial stupidity, and doesn’t make that mistake. Every new Range Rover costs six figures, and they top out beyond £200k. This example is near the bottom, with the D350 V6 diesel and standard wheelbase. But it still has a cabin of wonderful leathers and veneer, powered everything, high end digital wizardry and standard fit compelling benevolence. It’s kept in control by four-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension and active anti-roll.

CAN YOU FEEL 53 YEARS DIFFERENCE IN THE DRIVE?

The original’s separate chassis and vague steering box mean it

wanders about if the road is bumpy. The absence of anti-roll bars let it lean like a galleon in bends. The heavy axles shudder after they hit a bump. Wind and transmission noise mostly drown out the V8 burble, though later Classics largely fixed these issues. Yet still, it’s beguiling and engaging. There’s steering feel, and satisfaction to be had from anticipating and managing the body roll.

The new one is day and night quicker, propelled by a sweet syrupy waterfall of torque from its diesel V6 and auto box. It’s much bigger and heavier, and yet easier to manage because so much chassis technology is at your side. On most roads it doesn’t feel its extra width, because the steering is surprisingly accurate and well weighted. Independent suspension and a rigid monocoque have transformed the ride too. The kicker is you’ve lost the connection.

SO WHERE’S THE GOLDEN THREAD BETWEEN THEM?

Both are big soft cars that invite you to relax into their comfortable embrace and enjoy the journey. Whatever the conditions, they’ll get you there. Anxiety and tension melt away. Then there’s the design. The new one obsessively buffs up the planes and tightens the gaps, but the imperious altitude and dignified proportions define the Range Rover across five decades. The high seat and low beltline are part of the signature too – you look down on the world, and it up at you. In that literal sense, the Range Rover remains an elevated form of transport.

OFF-ROAD ESTATES

LESS THAN £3K

Price now: £2,995

Harris says: The king of lifted estates has been around since the C5-generation A6 and is still going strong today This C6-gen from 2007 has a 3 0-litre turbodiesel V6 that’s probably only just run in at 140k miles.

#52

CARMAGEDDON

PC, 1997

Price now: £3,775

Harris says: Pretend you’re a detective in a rugged Scandi crime drama with this chunky V70 Cross Country. It comes complete with a 2 4-litre turbocharged 5cyl engine and space in the back for at least 34 dogs

LESS THAN £4K

LESS THAN £5K

Price now: £4,490

Harris says: It might not have as much plastic cladding as the other two, but stick a set of all-terrain tyres on this all-wheel-drive Outback and it’ll manage more off-roading than most modern SUVs

REMEMBERING

RETRO GAMING THE CLASSICS

PC demolition racer Carmageddon was allegedly created when developer Stainless Steel Software decided that racing games were more fun when you drove backwards and crashed into everyone. Really, though, Carmageddon was most famous for the fact that you could mow down swathes of pedestrians with gleeful abandon. Naturally as soon as they heard about the game the tabloid newspapers promptly detonated, with headlines that included ‘Ban Death Game Now’ and, as you’d expect, the game went on to sell two million copies. Who needs a PR agency?

By the time Carmageddon actually landed on British shores in 1997, all the human fender fodder had been replaced with green-blooded zombies, allowing you to plough through crowds of them and retain a clean conscience. In direct contrast to the state of your windscreen.

When all the fuss had died down, the big surprise was that Carmageddon was actually a fun, technically impressive driving game. The dystopian environments were huge, varied and lavishly detailed automotive playgrounds, which ranged from a toxic chemical plant to a slippery ski resort. Meanwhile the crunching vehicle on vehicle impacts required to eliminate your opponents and win a ‘race’ showed off an impressive deformation system that often left your opponents grinding to a halt with a banana shaped chassis.

And those opponents were a motley crew of some of the most colourful characters in racing game history, including a rogue android in a futuristic Japanese coupe, a bloke in head to toe fetishwear driving a green Countach and pair of undertakers in a hearse called ‘The Stiff Shifter.’ As for your own player character, you were treated to their gurning face in a little webcam-style window in the corner as you played, which seems weirdly prescient now that videogame livestreaming is a thing.

Toyota GR86

HELLO

£29,995/£30,960 as tested/£295 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Drifting’s great, but is Toyota’s RWD hero also a great daily? DRIVER

Ollie Kew

PEOPLE ARE TAKING DESPERATE MEASURES TO ACQUIRE TOPGEAR’S Sports Car of the Year. Scrambling to import one from Japan. Pricey, and such hassle. You could save yourself the bother – and pay well over the odds. Of the seven Toyota GR86s for sale in the UK at the time of writing, prices stretch from £37,500 to a wince inducing £48,900.

We’d given up hope of being able to run one for a few months. Then I heard of a chap who could be tempted out of ‘his’, into a new Supra. His name? Ricky Collard, British Touring Car Championship driver for Team Speedworks in the GR Corolla. Would you buy a car from a racing driver?

It’s 5,000 miles old, but doesn’t appear to have swapped any paint with any of Ricky’s sworn enemies. In fact, it seems it’s led a charmed life. “I love this,” he says, gesturing to the patch of suede on the door card. “That’s lovely when you’re just cruising with the window down... Proper physical climate controls too, love that. The fuel economy’s ridiculous. You’ve got a track toy that you can daily without doing 15mpg.”

I’m incredulous that Ricky pays for his own petrol. No wonder he’s delighted the trip computer proudly reports 35.0mpg. “Honestly, that was me,” he beams. “On the motorway, at 70, it’s doing 35–40 per gallon.”

Useful early feedback, but not the introduction I’d expected from a professional speed junkie. Sensing my confusion, Ricky talks up the other

side of the 86’s appeal. “Naturally aspirated, manual, rear drive – it really feels like one of the last cars of this nature.” Too true.

Ricky’s into his stride. “I like that when the traction control is off, it’s off. You go and drive the new M3 or M5 and they’re big and lumpy. Loads of power, and you can show off with your 0–60 chat, but you physically can’t extract that. If you have a moment in an M3, you’re eating hospital food. When this starts to let go, it warns you. It doesn’t snap – it slides.”

Then he goes and ruins it by making me feel disgustingly old. “I’m 26 and it’s pitched at people like me. I went to Costco, put a trolley jack and a few crates of bottled water in it. They told me the boot’s sized to fit four tyres. That’s absolute jokes.”

Things to watch out for? Ricky agrees the clutch is sharp and easy to stall, and I may need to take out some restraining orders against would be owners. I’m warned: “I’ve had three or four people come up to me while I was in the Tesco car park and say stuff like ‘Argh mate I’ve been trying everywhere to get one of these – what would you sell this for?’”

Enjoy your Supra, Ricky. Nobody tell him, but I reckon I’ve got the better deal here. A nearly new GR86, wearing £965 of pearlescent white paint. Genuine mileage. Heated seats. One careful owner.

SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF

All Japanese sports cars look great in white. No difference here.

BAD STUFF

The windscreen’s chipped. Who do you think you are, a BTCC driver?

SkodaEnyaqvRS

REPORT 4

£54,370 OTR/£54,990 as tested/£774 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Is the vRS badge still relevant in the electric age?

DRIVER

Ollie Marriage

YOU’VE HEARD THE ONE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEXT TO A church and wake up in the night when the church bells don’t ring? Well, I noticed the Enyaq when the suspension suddenly smoothed out. A rare patch, a few hundred metres of perfectly laid blacktop and the Enyaq glided across it. No tyre noise, no suspension grumble, no apparent effort. It was calmness personified. Like being airborne.

Back to normal 300 metres later. ‘Turbulent’ describes the Enyaq vRS’s ride rather well. It’s constantly busy, constantly bucking slightly, overreacting to everything, fidgeting. It’s 2.3 tonnes, you’d think it ought to be able to squish stuff, but no, it’s princess and the pea all the time.

So the family don’t like riding in it. OK, the colour and styling has a lot to do with that. But once inside, where things are much more toned down, it’s the unsettled ride that irritates. On really bad patches I’ve found myself apologising. Once we even got into a discussion about why it was like this. I haven’t driven an Enyaq with the Dynamic Chassis Control option (only available as part of the £4,280 Maxx package). Maybe it would transform things, but as it stands the vRS just drives... cheaply. I’m not sure there’s been enough investment in the car’s development, and the components themselves seem budget basic.

Because it’s not just the ride. The handling is weak too. That lack of body control I’ve already spoken about means you’re not quite sure how the car is going to approach a corner, or what it might do during it. Some electric cars manage to feel perky and crisp, have alert steering. This comes across as stodgy, like it can’t be bothered. It feels heavy and like so many modern electric cars, mistakes grip for handling. It has a good amount of grip – but gets it by wearing 21-inch wheels with 255/40 tyres.

SPECIFICATION

GOOD STUFF

BAD STUFF

Vauxhall Astra

GOODBYE

£28,710 OTR/£29,310 as tested/£409 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Does the sharp-suited new Astra prove you don’t need that SUV?

DRIVER

Sam Philip

SO AS THE ASTRA IS RELEASED AFTER HALF A YEAR’S HARD LABOUR in the TopGear gulag, here’s the million dollar question (OK, the twenty something thousand pound question): should you buy one?

It should be on your shortlist, for sure. Not least because the list of new hatches isn’t so long as it once was. If you can find a dealer prepared to offer you a chunky discount, stick it towards the top of that shortlist. No, the Astra might not be a game-changer, but it’s a good car.

Which I realise is, as verdicts go, a bit inconclusive. Apologies. I’d love to have given the Astra the full Emperor Commodus thumbs up or thumbs down. But the reality is, boringly, a little more nuanced.

If I was buying an Astra, I’d be a bit fussy on the spec. The 1.2-litre three-pot I’d keep. Cracking little engine, never feels underpowered even when the Astra’s fully loaded. I’d go manual, however. The eight-speed ZF automatic is smooth at pace, but sometimes a touch lumpy with the really low speed stuff, especially when the stop-start system gets involved, too. Plus the auto box robs a degree of connection from what is a fairly driver focused car. And it costs £1,500. Save the cash, go stick.

I’d give that Vulcan Grey paintjob a swerve, too. The Astra’s a handsome bit of design, and Electric Yellow, Cobalt Blue or Arctic White all show off its smart lines to far better effect. Purely on aesthetic grounds, I’d go for bigger wheels than the 17-inchers of ours, too. I’d also want to be sure that Vauxhall had fixed the infotainment gremlins that afflicted us. All solvable through software updates, I’m sure.

Let’s be honest, for many years the Astra wasn’t a hatch you’d have considered in quite the same breath as, say, a Golf or Focus. Now it very much is. And it’s welcome proof, too, there’s life in the hatchback yet.

SPECIFICATION

DS4

REPORT 5

£41,600/£47,185/£643

WHY IT’S HERE

Is this hatchback where the DS master plan finally comes good?

DRIVER

I HOPE YOU HAVE A PEN AND PIECE of paper to hand, because important information is imminent.

If you are planning to travel to France in your car on holiday, you now need a Crit’Air sticker. You have, in fact, since the start of the year but there was no publicity to tell UK drivers about it. For many large towns and most cities (plus the Alpine tunnels and some motorways) in France all vehicles now need clean air certification. Without the correct vignette you could be fined, and knowing our neighbours, you probably will be.

The marvellous news is that it is simple to apply for and will arrive in a matter of days. Go direct to the French government website to apply, fill in the form – don’t worry, you can choose English as your language – pay the four euro and wait for the postman to deliver your sticker.

There are several rungs on the clean air ladder. The DS is a plug-in hybrid so is granted purple status (the second cleanest after 100 per cent electric or hydrogen vehicles).

Charging up at work means I now get one commute basically petrol-free. Meaning a noticeable improvement in my economy –though not so much with motorway trips. Small wonder the French government considers the DS to be so impressive. So do I.

SPECIFICATION

GOOD STUFF

Tidy handling. The Astra’s sharper to drive than it strictly needs to be.

BAD STUFF

Pinched window line means it’s not the airiest for backseat occupants.

OraFunkyCat

REPORT 5

£31,995 OTR/£32,790 as tested/£398 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Is Chinese domination of the small EV scene inevitable? We find out DRIVER

Greg Potts

THE TOPGEAR GARAGE IS CURSED. SERIOUSLY, SOMEONE MUST HAVE put a hex on the cars that we’re running at the moment. You see, just weeks after Ollie Kew’s Audi S3 was stolen (and eventually recovered) and Sam Philip’s Vauxhall Astra was hit twice by fellow motorists, the Funky Cat has also been in the wars through no fault of its own.

While the car was parked on a London side street, someone clearly decided that they didn’t like the styling of the Ora, and that it would look much better with a hefty dent in a couple of the rear panels. And they didn’t leave a name, number or even a note to say sorry.

The Funky Cat actually seemed to take the hit rather well, and we’re hoping that the damage is merely superficial, but it’s heading to the vets (ie the Funky Cat’s importer International Motors) for a check-up and some cosmetic work. How long this will all take is another question. It’s a shame, because before the hit and run we were getting on rather well with the little thing, despite the rather stern tone that it takes when it butts in to conversations to remind you to concentrate while driving.

Here’s a thought though, wouldn’t it be nice if our poorly Funky Cat came back in rejuvenated Funky Cat GT form? Available in China (where it’s known as the Good Cat remember) the GT is a styling pack that adds fresh alloy wheels, new bumpers, an ambitious diffuser with red accents

and even a rear wing that makes the whole thing look a little like someone tried to describe a Mini GP over the phone. There’s no word on whether the GT will make it over to Europe as an option just yet, but imagine if it did with a twin motor set-up and over 300bhp? That could be a fantastic little electric hot hatch. Just make sure to keep it away from all other road users in the UK, they can’t be trusted.

SPECIFICATION

GOOD STUFF

BAD STUFF

Someone

MazdaCX-60

GOODBYE/HELLO

£48,380 OTR/£50,030 as tested/£629 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Can Mazda join the large/luxe SUV party?

DRIVER

Andy Franklin

NO, YOUR EYES DO NOT DECEIVE YOU: THERE ARE TWO CX-60s IN THIS picture and yes, we’re running another one. It’s goodbye hybrid and hello diesel. Why? Well, I’ve been a bit disappointed with the hybrid but always had this underlying feeling that deep down there’s a decent car in there somewhere. We’ve always been a fan of Mazda – let’s face it if you don’t like the RX-7 then you’re not really a petrolhead – and the majority of the cars we’ve run have also had good reviews. In fact, I was reminded of its strong heritage while I was swapping cars at Mazda HQ thanks to the fantastic array of cars in the lobby.

On paper the CX-60 hybrid had everything going for it: good looks, loads of space, decent range and enough Japanese style and grace that’s refreshing from the usual European cars. A lovely interior too, perhaps a bit Eighties in its colour scheme but extremely relaxing. But it was the driving experience that wasn’t relaxing. Super-heavy steering that constantly felt like you were fighting it, a jerky transmission, and a very bouncy ride. It was almost as if it wasn’t a finished car. I felt it could be a good car with a few final tweaks, which is why I was keen to try another version. This time we’ve gone for the 3.3d AWD Homura Auto in Deep Crystal Blue, which on paper is a lower spec than the top spec PHEV we were running. But actually I think this one looks better.

I love the black wheels and the slightly different grille, and that deep blue really suits the shape. We’ve also added a tow bar (more on that in a future report) and a roof box to aid with some longer trips, which all contribute to a more rugged feel.

Is it any better? Well, it took me precisely three corners from leaving Mazda to answer the question, and if initial impressions are to go by, I think I’m going to enjoy it. Phew. Roll on the next six months.

VWMULTIVAN REPORT 6

£59,545/£65,521/£665

WHY IT’S HERE

Is this the SUV antidote you never knew you needed?

DRIVER

Elliott Webb

IT’S ALREADY BEEN SAID MANY times while we’ve been custodians of the Multivan – it’s the best wagon you’d need for a family. This month’s jaunt was to the Lake District and Coniston Water, with a preamble through the Yorkshire Dales.

We fit in (with room to spare) everything from swimwear and the week’s luggage to a truckload of nappies, the high chair and toddler’s travel cot. Fully loaded with passengers the interior is still spacious enough, especially with the van’s roof height and massive glass roof. This means the best place to travel is in the middle rows as the 360 degree views are immense, if your location plays ball.

I get that the sliding doors are seen as a gimmick by some but if you do have kids or even easily pleased adults, they’re great. Both for an impromptu game of peekaboo or for a spot of wild lunching by the side of vista points in the Lake District.

As we pull away through the crowds of gathered sheep on the moors to start the long drive home, I’m trying to work out what I’d need to sell to afford one of these.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

This month: the VW Multivan’s panoramic roof

Charlie Rose

We’ve previously praised the Multivan’s bright and spacious interior, thanks to its liberal application of windows throughout the cabin. But that was in winter. Now, as we creep into summer, I’m beginning to wonder if our Multivan would be best put to use as the TopGear greenhouse. The vast panoramic roof, although tinted, has no blind to speak of and therefore radiates heat into the cabin. With such an expansive space to cool, be prepared to have the aircon cranked up to combat the sweltering conditions. At least the Multivan continues to be true to its name. Can’t wait for my strawberries to ripen.

SPECIFICATION

0–62mph in 9.0secs, 119mph

2,243kg

37.0

Citroen C5X

REPORT 6

£60,300 OTR/£60,300 as tested/£819 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Has the world finally come around to a non-sporty large French car?

DRIVER

Jason Barlow

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I DROVE A HYBRID – ON ‘OLD’ TOPGEAR I made a film about Honda’s original Insight and the early Toyota Prius. Things have moved on somewhat. My drive down to Le Mans this year was in a Ferrari SF90 Spider, a PHEV whose intergalactic acceleration went mostly underexploited for fear of the omnipresent gendarmerie, but whose ‘blended’ brake by wire and regen capability meant we were able to get from our digs to the track each morning without troubling the 3.9-litre V8. Or even having to plug the car in.

The C5 X obviously sits somewhere else altogether on the dynamic spectrum. It’s very likeable in a number of ways, and would certainly have been more comfortable for the Le Mans trip – the SF90 is many things, but a load carrier it is assuredly not. But its handover between the ICE and the electrical architecture is a little testy. Things are clunky as you approach a junction, and there’s a perceptible pause as you pull away. The powertrain dithers. The 1.6-litre four-pot is far from sonorous under load, but that doesn’t bother me because no one in a C5 X is expecting fireworks in that department. The Sport mode is very rarely engaged. I guess it’s about managing expectations, and on a long journey – the sort you might make across France – this thing’s truly in its comfort zone.

Now the weather has finally warmed up, I’m also getting much closer to the claimed 37-mile range on e-power. If you believe the stats, this should be enough for most drivers to do their average daily mileage without stirring the engine at all. It doesn’t take long to charge the 12.4kWh battery (1hr 40mins on a 7kW wall box), though I don’t always remember to plug the car in at the end of the day. Then it shouts at me for not being socially responsible.

of thing), characterful.

BAD STUFF

Clunky powertrain, hideous lane assist.

RangeRover

HELLO

£137,435 OTR/£144,175 as tested/£1,650 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Is the world’s most luxurious SUV the world’s best luxury car full stop?

DRIVER

Ollie Marriage

HOW DOES RANGE ROVER DO IT? HOW COME IT CAN BUILD A CLEAN lined, square jawed, downright handsome SUV and no one else can? They all just shove massive grilles on the front as a brand identifier then fail to sort anything out behind that. Only Range Rover manages to combine dignity with subtle road presence and desirability. It’s a clever trick.

And it means people react better to the Range Rover than they do to any other SUV. It’s cut some slack where others aren’t. And this one is given extra clearance because it’s a hybrid. One that actually works.

A 31.8kWh battery that can be rapid charged at 50kW and do a claimed 68 miles on a charge. And yes, if you do the maths on that you’ll realise that works out at a little over 2.1 miles per kWh, which is hardly efficient.

But it’s not using any fuel, and that’s what people care about these days. The other morning Rowan Horncastle posed something of a cultural dilemma by driving past a Just Stop Oil protest running silently in electric mode. The protesters weren’t sure what to think: applaud the electric or vilify the SUV.

It’s a P440e, featuring a turbo straight six with a 140bhp electric motor mounted in the transmission. That’s just enough e-thrust to move a claimed 2,660kg of Range Rover about the place. This one is finished in Belgravia Green with just two main options fitted: the 24-way adjustable, hot/cold massage front seats and Executive Class Comfort rear seats (£2,100) and the £3,700 rear seat entertainment. The former has already won me over, the latter I haven’t had a chance to play with yet. Autobiography specification throws everything else in for free. After you’ve swallowed the £140k asking price.

And no, that doesn’t make it too precious to venture off-road. A run across a couple of local byways was a lovely way to round off an evening. Not so much a car as a leather-swathed observation platform. Luxury with a wider scope.

SPECIFICATION

While Rowan’s been busy in America, I’ve had custody of the M8, and I think I’ve pinned down why this car is a bit of an enigma One reason is BMW’s fault: it feels generic A flagship, top of the range model should have a sense of being above the everyday A little bespoke The 8-Series doesn’t But the other reason is it’s an autobahn car In Germay one of these would make a genuine difference to your day to day life Over on the Isle of Brexit not so much In a country where it can’t show off its superpower, it’s just a little too unremarkable everywhere else PH REPORT

GOOD STUFF

The interior. It’s even better than the exterior. Lovely place to spend time.

in 6.0secs, 140mph

2996cc 6cyl turbo + 105kW e-motor, 4WD, 434bhp, 457lb ft 2,660kg

BAD STUFF

The chassis isn’t as stiff, nor the ride as composed, as I expected. More investigation ahead. MILEAGE: 3,314 OUR MPG: 51.0

Since last month’s theft and recovery, I’ve had several phone calls from the police. Each time, I’d hoped it was to notify me they’d caught the lowlifes red-handed and exiled them to Mongolia Sadly, not so One was an amusing ‘satisfaction survey’ to rate the performance of Lincolnshire police during the ordeal I was very happy to note they were exemplary in response time, reassurance, and professionalism The other call? A mental health checkup, to see if I was experiencing any PTSD and would I like any counselling. That’s modern policing for you. OK

VolvoXC40Recharge

GOODBYE

£60,300 OTR/£60,300 as tested/£819 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Is this electrified crossover as good as a bespoke EV from Polestar?

DRIVERS

Jack Rix and Rowan Horncastle

JR: VOLVO HAS RECLAIMED ITS XC40 AND C40 RECHARGE RO, SO AS we’re supposed to be sharing the BMW M8 and electric Volvos I’m curious – how was the whole running an EV for the first time thing for you?

RH: Well, given that I’ve spent most of the time in a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, I’ll chalk this one up as: ‘not well’.

JR: Ah. It worked brilliantly for a family of four like ours: lots of room for two smallish kids and two smallish adults and a decent sized boot. In a few years’ time we’ll need more space for it to be our only car, but right now it was a cracking, no frills family wagon.

RH: On reflection, I’m not sure the basic Core spec of XC40 we had first was very enticing for people like me. It should’ve been the perfect incognito urban runaround, but ultimately it was just a bit basic and short of range. But it’s not necessarily down to the car, it’s the infrastructure.

JR: Yawn! I’ve heard this before.

RH: You’re alright with your wall box AND lamppost charger outside your house. I live in an apartment with a smattering of 7kW EV chargers in the car park. And it used to be fine as most of the time you could get on them, but with the influx of EV sales they’re pretty much always full. This, and the Volvo’s modest range, also rules out off the cuff trips because you have to consider your state of charge and where you can top up before setting off.

JR: Which takes about three minutes. Look, I get it, I just drove a diesel Range Rover Sport through France: 600 miles on a tank, instant top ups, zero stress, it was astonishingly good. EVs still have a long way to go before they can do that, but the tech and infrastructure is improving all the time. And while the XC40 Recharge is a good electric car, it’s not the EV to give sceptics like you a lightbulb moment. I won’t give up on you Horncastle, there’s an EV out there that can change your mind... we just need to find it.

SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF

Want to take a seamless step from petrol to electric motoring? The XC40 Recharge is the EV for you...

BAD STUFF

... so long as you have deep pockets and don’t need to drive hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat like Rowan here.

RenaultMeganee-Tech

GOODBYE

£39,495 OTR/£40,445 as tested/£715 pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

To prove our love of hatches in the face of a crossover-mad world DRIVER

WELL THAT WAS ALL PRETTY UNEVENTFUL. USUALLY OVER THE COURSE of a half year with a car you learn new things about it, or even about yourself. That’s why we do these long-term tests. But not so much here. I liked the Megane when I first tested it, and was looking forward to its arrival here. I enjoyed it for mostly the same reasons, and now it’s gone I miss it.

It’s a fine design, outside and especially in. Inside, it’s not just about quality and materials, but ergonomics including seat, screen graphics and menus. Most of all, the abundance of physical switches improved day to day usage in comparison with cars that pile onto the screen everything they legally may. Yes, hazard and demist buttons are the law.

Someone obsessed with range might say the Megane needs a bigger battery but improved spatial density of rapid chargers means the three-hour non-stop motorway compass is enough. But given the 280-mile WLTP figure on 18in wheels, I’d expected real range of 220 on these 20s. I got about that in summer, but in winter it was much less, 190 mostly but as low as 160 when the car had been standing in the cold for a week. Engineers (from other companies, so this isn’t just a Renault excuse) tell me it takes a week for a battery to cool right down. Drive more often, the battery stays warm and yields more miles. Also, this was one of the first Meganes in the country, lacking the now standard heat pump.

Charging was straightforward. Renault’s phone app let me control, record and keep an eye on it. DC charging was quickish if not blazing, doing 10–80 percent in about 35 minutes. It could also take 22kW AC, which is more useful than I expected when you’re just parked in a town for two or three hours. I don’t have a drive at home so my habit is charging on public overnight street sockets. At no point in 7,000 miles was I stymied by having to wait for a charger – slow or rapid – or messed about by one not working.

EXHAUST

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BUGATTI

From greatest hits to lowest moments, everything you ever wanted to know... and a fair bit you didn’t

What is Bugatti and when did it start making cars?

Bugatti was founded by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace. Not much space here to get into the intricacies of 20th century European politics, but it was in Germany when it started, then France, then Germany and now sits in France.

Bugatti became known for its sleek tourers and roadsters, as well as its elegant racing cars. A privateer Bugatti won the first ever Monaco

GP in 1929 and the firm’s works team won at Le Mans in 1937 and 1939. Bugatti’s test driver son Jean died in 1939 testing a Type 57 racecar, and with the onset of World War Two the company never really recovered.

Ettore’s youngest son Roland tried to revive Bugatti’s fortunes after his dad’s death in 1947. The Type 101 of 1951 is widely seen as the last true Bugatti. Spanish outfit Hispano-Suiza

owned the rights to the Bugatti name from 1963 to 1986, using it to sell plane bits.

Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli managed a reasonable comeback with the EB110 supercar of the early Nineties. The new firm went under too, though, and VW snapped up the brand rights in 1998. Bugatti has grabbed headlines since then, but never made much money. They’ll be hoping 2021’s merger with Rimac changes that.

Bugatti’s greatest hits

After Volkswagen acquired the Bugatti brand in the late Nineties, it felt the need to make a statement So, what better way to do it than with the hypercar to end (or perhaps should that be to begin) all hypercars? The Veyron’s 8 0-litre quad-turbo W16 started an all-out power war

Built between 1924 and 1931, the iconic Type 35 is widely cited as the most successful racing car of all time And not even Red Bull’s current dominant F1 car will surpass its reputation, because the Bugatti racked up over 1,000 wins in its various forms

After taking a modified, longtailed Chiron to 304.77mph at Ehra-Lessien in 2019, Bugatti decided to commemorate the car’s success by selling 30 production versions of the exposed carbon Super Sport 300+, complete with a bonkers 1,578bhp

And you thought a 300mph Chiron was extreme The Type 41 Royale was a monster Just six were made and each had a 4 3m long wheelbase. To move something so massive there was a – get this – 12 7-litre straight-eight engine that made around 300bhp

What is the best looking car ever made? If you’re into your prewar motoring, you would probably make a strong case for the 1936 Type 57SC Atlantic. The SC is French for lowered and supercharged, and that teardrop shape was designed by Ettore’s son, Jean Bugatti

In contrast to the Atlantic, the Type 32 was not a looker And it wasn’t actually that successful But it was certainly ahead of its time, because this 1923 car was one of the first racecars to consider the aerodynamics of its bodywork Its bluff shape earned its ‘Tank’ nickname

Another Bugatti to earn the ‘Tank’ moniker, the 57G was the fruit of the French carmaker’s persistance with bluff aero bodywork. It eventually found success with the approach, the 57G securing the brand’s first ever Le Mans 24-Hour Race victory in 1937

Unveiled at the 1992 Geneva Motor Show, the updated EB110 managed to extract over 600bhp from its quad-turbocharged 3 5-litre V12 It was lighter than the standard car too, and added a few extra aero flourishes to Marcello Gandini’s original design

It’s not just cars that Ettore was fond of – he also designed a high-speed train and the glorious Model 100 aircraft Conceived as a racing plane for the Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup, the 1939 project was halted by the outbreak of World War Two and the 100P would never fly

What’s the cheapest car that Bugatti builds... and what’s the most expensive?

A fancy brand like Bugatti isn’t the sort of place that deals with such prosaic notions of ‘cheapest’ or ‘most expensive’. Mainly because even its most reasonable models will still set the majority of us back more than we’d earn in a lifetime. An off the rack Chiron will cost you just under £3 million, for instance – lottery cash for most. Let’s not even mention the £15m one-off Voiture Noire that was sold back in 2019.

If you want a taste of the Bugatti life at a fraction of the cost (albeit still rather expensive) then you might consider surrending some of your dignity and squeezing into the Bugatti Baby II from the Little Car Company. It’s a beautifully detailed 75 per cent scale tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s Type 35, mostly aimed at children and powered by electricity. It starts at £31k and rises to £55k, so children shouldn’t be allowed near it.

FACTOID

Did you know that Ettore Bugatti set a train speed record in 1934?

He had designed a pioneering highspeed train with a modular, streamlined set-up that was powered by multiples of his 12.7-litre petrol engine. The layouts ran all the way from a 144-seat passenger express train to a 48-seat presidential number. There were 88 of the trains in service between 1933 and 1958, and one of them managed an impressive 122mph on a run in 1934.

What is Bugatti’s fastest car?

Bugatti seems to have set itself the unofficial mission of creating the world’s fastest production cars – since the Veyron broke the McLaren F1’s 11-year record at 253.81mph in 2005 the firm has built ever faster models

to maintain its crown. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ went 304.77mph in 2019, the first production car to top 300mph. A limited run of 30 of them were built to celebrate Bugatti’s 110th anniversary back in 2019.

A new challenger to the Chiron’s crown will arrive in 2024 in the form of the Bolide, which the firm claims will reach an incredible 311mph. Given that the Bolide will cost £3.5m and is intended purely as a track car,

you’d have to imagine that it’s the sort of speed that will remain theoretical, unless you have access to a track with a 5.5-mile straight rather like Volkswagen’s EhraLessien facility over in northern Germany.

NOTABLE PEOPLE

Where are Bugattis built and how many are sold a year?

Where are Minis built, and how many does it build a year?

Bugatti’s headquarters is based at the beautiful Château Saint-Jean on the outskirts of Molsheim. The original factory wasn’t available when Volkswagen took over the Bugatti brand in 1998, but the firm went one better and bought Ettore Bugatti’s old house instead and built a factory in the garden. From the air the assembly facility is the same shape as the company logo. Bugatti has around 300 employees, but a team of 20 assembles each Chiron. The firm knocked out just 80 cars in 2022, but then for an ultra-expensive brand like Bugatti the exclusivity is almost as important as the cars themselves.

What’s the best concept that Bugatti has ever made?

You’d be well within your rights to suggest the EB 18.4, the conceptual origin of the Veyron, but we can’t overlook the gorgeous 16C Galibier concept with its 8.0-litre 16cyl engine, 1,000bhp, four-wheel drive and four doors.

A production Galibier would have been the ultimate Rolls-Royce challenger, marrying

Veyron speed with Rolls luxury. And while we’re not exactly the 0.1 per cent who could actually afford to own a Bugatti, that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t benefit. We didn’t all fly Concorde or ride a rocket to the moon, but that doesn’t mean these creations didn’t form the bedrock of countless aspirations and inspirations.

What was Bugatti’s best moment?

Given the ups and downs of the carmaker, its best moment has to be the revival at the turn of the century following Bugatti’s purchase by the Volkswagen Group in 1998 (the same year it bought up Lamborghini and Bentley, incidentally. Whatever happened to those companies?).

It’s sort of taken as read these days that Bugatti makes mindbogglingly fast, extraordinarily engineered and exceedingly luxurious cars, but think back a little while to the turn of the millennium. Bugatti was just a relic, a brand name held together with nostalgia and weighed down by history and the spectre of two failed companies.

Then along comes Ferdinand Piëch, with the money, team, and strength of conviction to will the modern version of Bugatti into existence. The Veyron was a stupendous invention, obsessive and overblown, a triumph of engineering over physics. The car world hasn’t been the same since.

What was Bugatti’s worst moment?

Bugatti’s worst moment was probably when – and, importantly, how – it fell off the face of the earth for the best part of a quarter of a century. While Bugattis young and old are rightly lauded, the original iteration of Bugatti was treading water by the Fifties and defunct in the early Sixties. That’s partly due to Ettore Bugatti’s death in 1947, but the company’s fortunes began failing in 1939, when Ettore’s son Jean – an integral part of the outfit – met his end testing the Le Mans-winning Type 57G near the factory.

It’d take more than 20 years before an enterprising Italian put together a team of people with exceptional CVs, including the Miura and F40, and made a concerted attempt to revive the brand. And yeah, they didn’t meet with tremendous fortune, either. What they did do was build the niche cool EB110, and get the attention of Volkswagen. Which, it must be said, was something of a watershed moment.

1909

Classic oval logo, resplendent in red. Has exactly 60 little red dots round it, no one knows why

What was Bugatti’s biggest surprise?

Perhaps it wasn’t a surprise to knowledgeable industry insiders and the like, but we have to admit to being surprised when Bugatti teamed up with Rimac. The former’s history stretches back to before World War One, and its cars have always operated under the proviso that performance comes from no holds barred internal combustion. Rimac Automobili, meanwhile, is 14 years old (founded when Mate Rimac was 21), and regards internal combustion the way anyone not from Tennessee regards chewing tobacco.

But both firms make obsessively engineered, ridiculously quick cars, they just approach it from opposite ends of the tech spectrum. Take into account that Porsche owns a hefty chunk of Bugatti Rimac, Bugatti gets Rimac’s astonishing EV tech, Rimac gets Bugatti’s deep well of luxury coachbuilding experience and each brand gets something it wasn’t famous for beforehand. And Porsche gets access to the best of both...

1963

Last ditch attempt at reviving original Bugatti amounts to adding a line around the badge, doesn’t sell any cars

2007

After nine years of ownership VW stamps its mark on Bugatti with a little splosh of grey

2015

Subtle refresh, and it’s time for a spot of ‘Netflix and accelerate to just over 250mph’

2022

Over 110 years and then this? Yikes. Looks like something hastily typed in a Word doc

What’s the most Bugatti car in the back catalogue?

Bugatti Veyron / 2000–2015

People must’ve been confused in 1998 when Volkswagen snapped up the high-performance European trio of Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti like it was playing a round of Monopoly, but there wasn’t too long to wait. The Veyron was previewed by the third of three concepts trailed by VW during 1999, the 18/3 Chiron appearing at that year’s Frankfurt motor show. A sports car, rather than a saloon like the others, it was immediately the more enticing option.

The 18/3 (18 litres, three turbos) Chiron would become the 16/4 Veyron by the Tokyo show, a format that would stick. VW supremo Ferdinand Piëch wanted the first car with over 1,000 metric horsepower (the production car in 2005 managing 1,001PS [986bhp]), and his

engineers in essence fused two V8s to create the W16 format engine with its 8.0-litre capacity. The seven-speed twin-clutch auto sounds quaint by today’s standards, but Piëch ensured the prototypes were punishingly tested to ensure the car was tough enough to meet its full potential. Like the brakes – the Veyron didn’t just rely on discs. Slam on the anchors at high speed and the air brake would deploy, contributing a third of the stopping power by rotating the rear wing to create massive drag. The car needed the extra help – official top speed was 213mph, but a special ‘speed key’ would unlock a further 40mph if you were good.

The Veyron kicked off a speed race that’s only got more intense with the advent of overblown

Baptism of fire

First full throttle engine run on the test bed in 2001 nearly burned the factory down. Same thing happened in 1939

electric hypercars that seemingly anyone can knock together, but the Veyron showed finesse in its crass display of excess, a commitment to the fine art of engineering. Almost everything about it is pub quiz material – for instance, it was named after a real racing driver, Pierre Veyron, who raced for Bugatti in the Thirties and won Le Mans in 1939 then joined the French resistance. Or the fact Bugatti reportedly lost just over £3m on every Veyron sold, having spent over £1bn on developing the car and selling 450 of them. Or maybe that the Veyron needed 10 radiators to keep the 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbo engine from blowing up.

Our favourite bit of Veyron trivia is the fact that a top speed run at the car’s absolute

253mph limit couldn’t last more than 15mins, because that’s as long as the bespoke Michelins last before you have to spend £32k on a fresh set. Although strictly speaking you’d run out of petrol in your 100-litre tank after 12mins (as if to prove Bugattis get faster with each generation, the Chiron can gulp its tank dry in nine). In more sensible driving you would get 11mpg out of the car – certainly enough to induce range anxiety but great for your petrol station loyalty points. There’s barely been a car since that has captured the imagination like the Veyron did back in 2005 – and no one will ever invest so much money and effort into making a petrol powered hypercar go quite so fast again. Next

Used bargain

Worried about the ULEZ?

Despite its 596g/km CO2 emissions the Veyron still qualifies for exemption in the London zone...

HATCHBACKS SUPERMINIS CITY CARS

These small cars are perfect for urban life, but the trade-off is a much lower range

You drive mostly around town, with occasional need for longer distances? Try these for size

A good electric hatch needs decent range without compromising interior space

PRICE: £36,920–£38,120 RANGE: Up to 136 miles

This TG favourite has retro styling and a brilliant interior, but it’s a smidge expensive and the range isn’t great. Somehow we can’t help but love it...

PRICE: £30,195–£34,345 RANGE: Up to 232 miles

The e-208 is competent and stylish, but ultimately you’ll fall into one of two camps: outraged about the tiny steering wheel or you don’t understand the fuss.

PRICE: £35,995–£39,995 RANGE: Up to 292 miles

Renault hopes to bring a bit of va va voom (French for increased car sales) to its electric line-up with this larger electric Megane. Early signs are promising.

PRICE: £30,645–£36,645 RANGE: Up to 199 miles

The latest version of the 500 offers sharper looks, good value and decent range – and a parcel shelf full of soft toys shouldn’t hurt the battery too much.

PRICE: £31,000–£35,050 RANGE: Up to 145 miles

The electric version of the home-grown favourite squeezes the BMW i3’s powertrain into a familiar package. Range not massive, but the car’s still fun.

PRICE: £25,995–£31,495 RANGE: Up to 281 miles

Oh, MG – what’s this delightful looking new electric hatch? The company’s previous EVs have been very sensible buys, now we know that it means business.

PRICE: £7,695–£8,695 RANGE: 47 miles

Say hello to your little French friend. The pared back Ami is the perfect car for the city streets, as long as you don’t have ambitions to go further than that.

PRICE: £29,995–£31,995 RANGE: Up to 239 miles

They grow up so fast, don’t they? The Zoe’s not long turned eight, but a recent refresh has given the car a boost. Make sure you get one with rapid charging.

PRICE: £41,650–£56,095 RANGE: Up to 315 miles

Hyundai’s futuristic hatch is much bigger than it looks in pics, but comes with solid range, loads of space and a host of life-enhancing touches inside.

PRICE: £22,225–£25,795 RANGE: 80 miles

Yes, range is terrible, but as city cars go the Fortwo remains a brilliant package and works well in the city. It’s just not quite as cool as Citroen’s effort...

PRICE: £31,000–£33,735 RANGE: Up to 209 miles

A Peugeot e-208 in a Vauxhall suit – now the EV’s gone fully mainstream. The one to buy if you don’t want anyone to notice you’ve taken the plunge.

PRICE: £36,475–£43,735 RANGE: Up to 343 miles

The Born offers a sporty flavour of VW’s small EV hatch set-up (see also Enyaq). Check out how we got on in our long-termer on topgear.com.

READY TO MAKE THE SWITCH? WE SEPARATE WHAT’S HOT FROM WHAT’S NOT LARGE CROSSOVERS COMPACT CROSSOVERS FAMILY CARS

Small, but perfectly formed. These cars are a perfect second motor or teeny family wagon

Slightly larger electric cars that are designed to cope with everything you can throw at them

These cars need to meet tough demands –plenty of space, a solid image and low costs

PRICE: From £36,500 RANGE: Up to 244 miles

Jeeps are for off-roading, surely? Well this small SUV is perfect for the urban jungle, which is why we’ve named it our overall electric car of the year in 2023.

PRICE: £38,970–£51,765 RANGE: Up to 336 miles

As usual, Skoda offers a down-to-earth and slightly cheaper alternative to whatever Volkswagen is pumping out. To great effect, as it turns out...

PRICE: £57,115–£61,915 RANGE: Up to 258 miles

This retro-infused Kombi reinterpretation comes with an imposing heritage, but it’s a solid family wagon that shows off a different side to VW’s EV platform.

2. BMW iX

PRICE: £43,150–£49,550 RANGE: Up to 394 miles

Undercover Volvo offers Scandinavian attention to detail paired with a level of build quality that would shame a number of much more expensive cars.

PRICE: £51,990–£67,990 RANGE: Up to 331 miles

A Model 3 with more headroom and a seven-seat option. Latest Tesla gets usual blend of innovative disruption and occasionally iffy build quality.

PRICE: £69,905–£116,905 RANGE: Up to 369 miles

A lovely cabin and it’s not too bad to drive – which is great, because inside the BMW iX is one of the few places where you don’t have to look at the outside.

PRICE: £36,745–£43,145 RANGE: Up to 285 miles

The old Niro was already a decent buy, but the new version improves everywhere and is alright to look at too. Great family entry point into electric motoring.

PRICE: £45,245–£57,145 RANGE: Up to 328 miles

The EV6 is based on the same Hyundai Group platform as the Ioniq 5, but they’re very different propositions. The EV6 is stylish and fun, we like it.

PRICE: £62,865–£65,865 RANGE: Up to 285 miles

Slightly stealthier than some of BMW’s more, er, aesthetically challenging EVs, this car is essentially an electric translation of the bestselling X3 SUV.

PRICE: £33,700–£37,650 RANGE: Up to 212 miles

Wait, when did Peugeots become so desirable again? The e-2008 is surprisingly fun to drive and offers a chic interior with lots of nifty touches.

PRICE: £50,830–£74,540 RANGE: Up to 372 miles

The Mach-E isn’t really a Mustang at all, or a men’s razor, but it looks pretty good. It’s definitely a Ford though, so relentless competence is guaranteed.

PRICE: £67,080–£114,500 RANGE: Up to 343 miles

Audi’s flagship e-SUV wears its electricness lightly, it’s a great option if you’re new to EVs. Just have a look at those digital mirrors to see if you like them...

LUXURY EVs

Wafting along in all sorts of style is perfect for a hushed electric powertrain

SPECIAL MENTIONS

“I’VE BOUGHT ONE! WHAT NOW?”

PRICE: £110,545–£137,230 RANGE: Up to 387 miles

The 7-Series has always been the standard setter for BMW’s luxury efforts, and the new i7 is a fearsomely effective limo, with the 31in Theatre Screen a highlight.

PRICE: £69,905–£116,905 RANGE: Up to 369 miles

The iX sets a high bar in terms of interior quality and interesting materials, a wafty ride and gusty pace. But you’d probably park it round the corner still.

BEST FOR WATCHING CAT VIDEOS

Forget

, of course...

You have a home charge point. Don’t you? Well, get one. There’s a grant, so it’ll cost you less than £500. If you don’t have a driveway, to get an overnight or allday recharge check zapmap.com for posts near home or work that give between 5kW and 7kW. Always make sure that you know in advance the supplier for the post you want to use, and register on its app or get its dedicated RFID card.

Rapid (DC) chargers, at a slightly higher price, are best used for long trips, like you’d stop for fuel. They take roughly as long as filling with petrol and having a full English.

PRICE: £105,610–£119,610 RANGE: Up to 464 miles

Phwoar, look at the range on that. The Merc EQS is a proper grand tourer, complete with everything we have always loved about the combustion S-Class.

BEST FOR TRANSPORTING HIPPIES

In winter, keep plugged in until you drive away, as pre-warming the battery and cabin increases range. When possible, choose heated/cooled seats over cabin heating and aircon. Try to drop your motorway speed by 10mph: it’ll hugely increase range, getting you there far more quickly if it avoids a recharging stop.

BEST FOR BIN DAY

PRICE: £77,495–£79,995 RANGE: Up to 292 miles

Sure, it’s getting a bit old and left behind compared with some of its rivals but the I-Pace is where old school class meets cutting edge technology.

Citroen’s Oli concept is trying to set a new focus for EVs on cutting weight and maximising efficiency. How does it do that? It’s made of cardboard. It’s all quite clever, but once you’re finished, stick it in the blue bin.

EV

BAFFLED BY ELECTRIC CAR JARGON?

YOUR GUIDE TO DECODING THE FUTURE IS HERE

Let’s start with a simple one. EV means electric vehicle, as opposed to one powered by petrol, diesel, used chip oil, Chanel No 5 or magic.

BEV

People in the car industry like to use this one. It stands for battery electric vehicle, as opposed to, say, an FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) that’s powered by hydrogen. We just call them EVs.

ICE

The internal combustion engine. Confusingly, ICE can also stand for in-car entertainment (ie the stereo, touchscreen and so on).

PHEV

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a hybrid with a bigger battery that you can plug in to charge, giving you a short, say 20-mile, electriconly range. Amazing taxdodging mpg figures in the official tests, not so amazing in real life... unless you plug in every night and use the car exclusively for short trips.

MHEV

The mild hybrid EV, or MHEV, the very bottom rung of the electrified vehicle ladder. A small electric motor assists the engine, but doesn’t have enough gumption to push the car on its own. MHEVs usually manage a fuel saving of about 10 per cent compared with a pure petrol car.

REX

Refers to range extenders, or small internal combustion engines used as generators to recharge EV batteries on the move. The engine can be run at its most efficient rpm, converting fuel to electricity, which is fed to the motors that supply the motive force.

Volts, amps and watts

We’re going to go full science teacher on you and use an analogy. Imagine a river: the volts are how fast the river flows, the amps are how much water is flowing, and the watts are how easily it’ll carry you downstream.

kW

Logical, metric countries use kilowatt to measure power from petrol and diesel engines. For the rest of us a kilowatt is 1,000 watts, and is the most common measure of power in an EV. A kilowatt is equal to about 1.34bhp.

kWh Stands for kilowatt hours and can cut two ways – how much power you’ve used (which a utilities bill does), or how much capacity there is in a battery. For instance, a Tesla Model S has 100kWh of capacity, of which you’ll be able to use about 90, because fully depleting a battery is a great way to ruin it forever.

AC and DC

AC stands for alternating current, and DC stands for Batman comics... er, wait... direct current. AC’s better for long-distance transmission, because it can easily be transformed (to higher voltage, lower current, so fewer heat losses). Transforming DC power is a faff but, because DC charging stations can be as big as they need to be, they can employ high-voltage power, giant transformers and rectifiers and get huge power – up to 350kW.

Slow, fast and rapid charging

Slow or level 1 charging is when you use a regular wall

plug. Fast or level 2 refers to street chargers and the boxes you can install in your house or office, which go up to 7.4kW on normal 240V single phase AC, or 22kW on industrial three phase. Rapid or level 3 is the high power DC supply, the sort you’ll find at motorway services and dedicated charging areas, from 50kW up to 360kW.

CHAdeMO

CHAdeMO is not the result of a cat walking across a keyboard. It’s basically the fast charging standard Japan came up with. Competing standards include CCS and Tesla Superchargers, which all look reaaaaally similar.

CCS

The DC charger you’ll most likely use across the UK and Europe. Works in everything from a Tesla to a VW.

Supercharging

If it looks like a CCS charger and works like a CCS charger, it could very well be a Tesla Supercharger. But you can’t use it unless you’re in a Tesla.

mpkWh

Not content with the unholy union of litres of petrol and pints of milk, the UK’s uneasy blend of metric and ReesMogg leaves us measuring EV economy in miles per kilowatt hour. So, if you have 50 usable kWh, and run at 4.0mpkWh, you’ll do 200 miles before you’re stranded.

WLTP

Stands for Worldwide

Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. A way to test new cars to see how much fuel, or energy, they use, how much greenhouse gas they expel, and how far they get on one tank/charge. More

accurate than the old NEDC standard, but still optimistic.

Regen

Shorthand for ‘regenerative braking’. Electric motors work by using electricity and magnets to spin a shaft. So, if you were to spin it manually, say, by coasting, you will then generate electricity, because generators are basically motors operating the opposite way.

Range

How far you’ll get in your car from the amount of energy you put into it. So, it’s been fuel from a tank for most of your life, now it’s a battery.

Range anxiety

The fear of being very far from home, on a dark and cold night, without enough power to make it to a charging station. In the short term, the solution is more rapid charge stations, in the long term, better energy density and more efficient cars should ease our furrowed brows.

Li-ion

A contraction of lithium-ion, which refers to the chemical make-up of a typical battery pack. The 12V brick used to start your petrol powered car is a lead-acid battery, but lithium-ion is now the global norm for powering new EVs.

Solid-state battery

The next big step in battery tech – holds more energy than an equivalent-sized li-ion battery, or the same amount of energy but in a smaller and lighter pack. They’re easier to cool, too, which means you can charge them quicker before they get too hot. At least five years until any come to market.

Supercapacitor

Supercapacitors can charge and discharge more quickly than regular batteries – good for bursts of speed – and can tolerate more charge and discharge cycles, but they’re still not as energy dense as batteries, so you’re unlikely to see them as direct battery replacements. More likely to supplement a petrol engine’s performance. See the Lamborghini Sián.

CCZ

The congestion charge zone that covers central London. From 7am to 6pm on weekdays, or 12pm-6pm at weekends and on bank holidays it’ll cost you £15 to drive in this zone. But, with a zero emission car you can fill out a form and pay a oneoff £10 for an exemption that lasts a year.

ULEZ

The CCZ is there to ease traffic; London’s Ultra Low Emissons Zone is to ease pollution. The ULEZ is in effect every hour of every day, and will rain down with great vengeance and furious application of a £12.50 charge if you drive into the zone in a petrol car that doesn’t meet Euro 4 standards or a diesel car that doesn’t meet Euro 6 standards. The good news is that full EVs are exempt.

FCEV

Fuel cell electric vehicles, like the Toyota Mirai. Separating hydrogen and oxygen takes a lot of energy, but reuniting them in just the right way releases energy. You can burn hydrogen, but in a hydrogen fuel cell you generate electricity to drive an electric motor. It’s also easier to move H2 over long distances than electricity.

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WHAT: CAR vs PLANE

WHERE: NICE, FRANCE

Aston DB12 sizes up a fighter jet – we know which exhaust is going to upset the neighbours more when fired up early in the morning

WHO: WEB TEAM

WHERE: LE MANS, FRANCE Vijay’s Angels are assembled and ready to fling themselves at the far corners of the Sarthe circuit. Rolling start in 3, 2, 1

WHO: CHARLIE ROSE

WHERE: LAS VEGAS, USA

TopGear top tip: if Charlie ever offers to grab you a drink and asks you what flavour you would like, the answer is never “surprise me”

WHO: MYSTERY ROCKER

WHERE: LE MANS, FRANCE

Has Ollie Marriage been moonlighting in a rock band at Le Mans? Put it this way, we’ve never seen him and this guitar hero in the same room

WHO: MARK RICCIONI

WHERE: MONUMENT VALLEY, USA Run, Ricci, run – Mark and team recreate their favourite scene from Nineties classic Forrest Gump Requests on a postcard for their next diorama

BEHIND THE SCENES

WHO: CHARLIE ROSE

WHERE: SAN FRANCISCO, USA

You need a half-metre lens to get a driving shot on the Golden Gate Bridge, but if anyone can manage it, TopGear can

MAKING IT HAPPEN

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