We round up our hottest stories, pictures and videos for you to devour in your lunch break

It’s everyone’s favourite part of the working day, lunchtime, and you’re no doubt craving a hefty dose of car-related content. 

So we’ve revived our Autocar Lunchbox feature to bring you our favourite videos, stories, photos, quotes and more all in one place. Here are today’s picks:

HOT NEWS

The future of Smart is far more promising than it once was, according to Mercedes R&D boss Markus Schäfer, as the EV brand establishes itself as a joint venture between Daimler and Geely.

The deal, completed in January, includes production of Smart vehicles in China. The brand will remain focused on electric, urban-centric cars, with an SUV set to join the range by 2022. 

Mercedes: Smart's future is bright thanks to Geely deal

VIDEO OF THE DAY

The BMW M8 Competition could sit in the goldilocks zone between straight-talking sports cars, like the Porsche 911, and traditional grand tourers like the Bentley Continental GT.

To find out, we grouped the three together: the M8 Competition coupe, with its 4.4-litre twin turbocharged V8, the Bentley, with its 4.0-litre twin turbo V8, and the Porsche, with its 3.0-litre flat six (and twin turbos).

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Car review
Ford Focus RS 2019 road test review - hero front

Is Ford’s AWD mega-hatch as special as we first thought? And can the Focus RS beat stiff competition from the Volkswagen Golf R and Mercedes-AMG A45?

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

The split-personality Huracán Evo Spyder is surprisingly easy company but capable of the truly spectacular when you get it on the right road. We did exactly that with Lamborghini's latest arrival, and found it to be a thoroughly worthy contender for drop-top supercar supremacy. 

Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder 2020 UK review​

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony. The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season.”​

The end of an era? Sebastian Vettel has confirmed that he and Scuderia Ferrari will part company after the 2020 Formula 1 season, and is yet to confirm whether he will seek a seat with another team. Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo are the new favourites to race for Ferrari in 2021, but where does that leave everyone else? Full details below. 

Vettel to leave Ferrari F1 team at end of 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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“Unleaded fuel is now an inevitability – sooner or later, we will all be filling our cars with it,” Autocar wrote in its 11 January 1989 issue.

“For environmentalists – indeed, anyone even mildly green-conscious – the widespread use of unleaded cannot come enough.” 

So why did we move away from leaded petrol, and what were the implications? We look back to 1989 for the answers. 

Throwback Thursday 1989: the switchover to unleaded petrol​

POPULAR OPINION

As Ford pulls the plug on the Focus RS hot hatch, our columnist pays homage to the pocket rocket and considers whether, despite its flaws, the flagship Focus was always in a class of its own. 

Matt Prior: Farewell Focus RS, my bold friend

 

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Comments
11

7 April 2020

The nicest 5 series ? Especially the 535 i and M5 pre-facelift.

 

 

15 April 2020

  is that the same ford Biff had in back to the future?

17 April 2020

China should be treated as a pariah state for all sorts of reasons: outrageous copycat car designs, totalitarian government with an appalling human rights record, releasing coronaviruses.....

22 April 2020
streaky wrote:

China should be treated as a pariah state for all sorts of reasons: outrageous copycat car designs, totalitarian government with an appalling human rights record, releasing coronaviruses.....

while some of what you say might or might not be actually true, what your saying about the Coronavirus could be scaled up to something more sinister.....

22 April 2020
streaky wrote:

China should be treated as a pariah state for all sorts of reasons: outrageous copycat car designs, totalitarian government with an appalling human rights record, releasing coronaviruses.....

 

You should have stayed stuck under that rock from which you crawled out from..."releasing"?. You are a significantly dangerous foolish moron, who should be stamped on promptly. "coronaviruses" plural?...name the others apart from covid19?. Pariah, a euphemism for YOU.

289

27 April 2020

....since you seem to have set yourself up as the Autocar 'official' English language moderator....you may like to review your own offering! - "from which you crawled out from"

Really? this qualifies you to be dismissive and judgemental !

28 April 2020
289 wrote:

....since you seem to have set yourself up as the Autocar 'official' English language moderator....you may like to review your own offering! - "from which you crawled out from"

Really? this qualifies you to be dismissive and judgemental !

 

You are correct, though it detracts not a jot from my choosing to post exactly what form of words I like...just as you do...now see below...:)

7 May 2020

Take it slowly - you are f****** idiot. Why? Because Coronaviruses is a scientific term for a group of viruses. And yes, it can be used in plural form.

289

27 April 2020

....totally agree.

Ignore TiS, hes a twat with nothing remotely useful to say.

28 April 2020
289 wrote:

....totally agree.

Ignore TiS, hes a twat with nothing remotely useful to say.

 

Punctuation has no less a place than grammar, so..."hes"?...a slip from your perfect record...try either he's or he is. Now we shall all find out if you are as quick to acknowledge your error and my post, pointing it out, as I was with your comment. Clock is ticking...

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