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This week: Nissan Ariya revealed, Bentley Flying Spur road tested, three seats to the wind in the McLaren Speedtail and much more
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4 mins read
15 July 2020

Nissan has introduced the Ariya, the Japanese marque’s second EV and its first SUV to run purely on electricity.

Clever technology, ‘exciting’ handling and a performance variant with up to 389bhp are its defining features, but there’s plenty more to the car that Nissan claims will “mark a new era for electric vehicles”. We lift the bonnet.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Cupra has revealed the new El-Born, dialling up the EV’s sportiness with “significant design and performance upgrades”. Then, Mercedes unleashes its 720bhp AMG GT Black Series, the long-awaited sports car being powered by the most potent V8 engine that AMG has ever made.

Meanwhile, the Lamborghini Sian Roadster variant emerges from the show covers to usurp the Ferrari 812 GTS as the world’s most powerful open-top production car. It produces 808bhp, which is almost double the grunt made by the BMW’s new 2 Series Coupé, spotted stretching its legs in Mexico this week.

This year’s Festival of Speed may have been cancelled but Goodwood is set to host a behind-closed-doors motoring festival in mid-October to “keep the flame alive” and recoup some lost revenue.

Then, LEVC reveals the van version of its TX taxi, the VN5, and opens the order books, BMW chases Jag’s I-Pace with its new iX3, the marque’s second fully electric model which packs a 285-mile range, and Land Rover replaces the V6 and V8 diesel engines for its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models with a new 3.0-litre straight-six mild hybrid.

In this week’s business section, we survey the changing landscape of car sales in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, finding public “appetite for spending remains questionable”. Jim Holder caps the news section by weighing up the pros and the cons of FCA-PSA merger.

Reviews

The Polestar 2 kicks off our first drives this week as Volvo’s new electrified performance brand makes its big introductory statement with a rival to the Tesla Model 3. Then, we get behind the wheel of the off-road Ariel that thinks it’s an asphalt rally car. Is it another gem from the British marque?

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Car review
Here is the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 - the definitive small sports car

Fourth-generation MX-5 heads back to Mazda's roadster's roots, surpassing its predecessor in every area

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The Mercedes-Benz GLB 220d has a stern rival in the Land Rover Discovery Sport, while the AMG GLE 53 4Matic sports bold looks, rippling muscles and honed dynamics and Hyundai takes on the VW Up GTI with the new i10 N Line.

In the Autocar road test, the Bentley Flying Spur comes under the microscope, while its long-standing rival stars in this week’s road test rewind. The second Phantom of Rolls-Royce’s modern era showed itself to be a world-beater.

Features

The McLaren Speedtail has been labelled the spiritual successor to the legendary F1. So it’s only fitting for Andrew Frankel, the man who reviewed the F1 for Autocar all those years ago, to get behind the wheel for a first drive.

Then, from one £1m-plus supercar to several others. James Banks, the man behind ultra-exclusive digital members club LaSource, tells us how he brokers the world’s rarest metal for discrete buyers.

There are cars everyone raves about - and others only diehard fans covet. Our writers round-up their picks from both camps.

Finally, in the motorsport section, we catch up with triple world touring car champion Andy Priaulx, before pondering what awaits for British motorsport after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opinions

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Steve Cropley has been waiting for ages to get hold of the latest-spec Mazda MX-5. But how much of an improvement really is it over his 2015 model? Then again, the real problem may just be our man’s rusty driving. Cue a phone call to Jonathan Palmer, founder and head honcho of Palmer Sport to book a much-needed lesson. Elsewhere, Matt Prior muses on the surprising versatility of the Ariel Nomad R.

Deals

If you’re thinking about dropping £25k to convert your classic car into an EV, our Bangernomics expert James Ruppert advises you to think again. The same dough will buy you some of the most interesting used cars in the world, such as a 2010 Alpina B10 Touring.

We also cast an eye on the Toyota Hilux pick-up, star of this week’s used buying guide and as reliable a workhorse as they come, while the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe can be had for an astonishing £12,000 in our nearly-new guide.

Where to buy

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Digital copies can be downloaded from Zinio and the Apple iTunes store.

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Comments
9

5 April 2018

As usual, this week's edition (dated 04APR2018), is a very good read, and well worth the investment. The road test of the eighth generation of Roll-Royce Phantom - with its "mahogany panelling" - illustrates that moneyed wealth, should NOT be confused with good-taste!

The sales pitch for next week's issue (to be dated 11APR2018), whets our appetite with the Used Buying Guide  . . .  "Mercedes-Benz CLS. Can't afford the new one? Then read our guide to Merc's original style icon".

The original CLS certainly was a style icon, with all the svelte elegance of a Parisian - or Italian - chic designer item.

That streamlined elegance was lost when the original's "facelift" incorporated the bluff, Teutonic, more upright, corporate Mercedes radiator grill.

The new, current, incarnation of the CLS (page 29, of this week's magazine), shares all the style, delicacy, and substantial "presence" of a rugby prop forward!  It is not a case of "Can not  AFFORD  the new CLS?".  More a question of why would anyone wish to purchase such a vulgar and brutish vehicle?

It is (again) a reminder that the ownership of wealth, is NOT the same as the possession of good taste.

RCT(V)

 

 

 

 

289

18 July 2018

....totally agree!

19 July 2018

Why the GT2 RS isn't  a five-star Porsche?

Well, according to the German car magazine Sportauto the McLaren 720 S is the better supercar.

The 720 S is razor sharp and yet poised, while the GT2 RS is a bit unhinged.

22 July 2018

Good overall read this week, except for the iPace vs Tesla review, which is a biased storyline developed clearly ahead of the cars being reviewed.  Essentially, the premise looks to convey an analogy between two passenger jets and how the second to market - the Boeing 707 - went on to lead it. Unfortunately, much like his story, he apply's 20th century motoring thinking to a 21st century ownership problem. In other words, he clearly doesn't get what the shft to electric is about. Not only that, many of the facts are just incorrect, like 0-60 time that amongst the others if they had been published correctly, would make the reader question how the author could possibly have reached such a conclusion. This disregards the fact that the iPace is better compared with the Model 3 (same size). Not only that, but the test cars were over 25% apart on costs - with the iPace being more expensive. Really dissappointing journalism. 

8 August 2018

Oh good... Another JLR product takes the cover spot.  Must be at least an issue or two since the last one. 

8 August 2018

Oh good... Another JLR product takes the cover spot.  Must be at least an issue or two since the last one. 

3 September 2018

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