Lifestyle

  • Jaguar’s new lease of life
    Wednesday, 1st September 2010
    The new Speed Pack ramps up the XKR in a big way, and the result is a luxe thrill-ride
    RYAN BORROFF
    IT might have been disappointing but it came as no surprise that there was no chance for me to test the maximum speed of Jaguar’s fastest XKR yet, even at Goodwood’s race track. Jaguar’s latest optional Speed Pack really turns up the heat. Underneath it’s the usual Jaguar XKR with its 503bhp supercharged V8 but now the volume is turned up to eleven. Top speed is elevated to 174mph – after some clever tweaking with the engine control unit (ECU) – from the usual restricted 155mph. The result is an XKR that is even more extreme to drive and look at plus it puts the car firmly in supercar... [Read more]

  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 1st September 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    PEUGEOT’S FULL HYBRID DIESEL This is the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 Crossover, the first full hybrid diesel production car. With its 2.0 litre diesel engine plus a 37bhp electric motor, the car can achieve... [Read more]
  • Feisty, fun, and a little confused
    Wednesday, 25th August 2010
    Mazda’s new MPS car is sporty and has pep. But it’s marred by some strange features
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE Mazda3 MPS was once the most powerful front-wheel-drive hot hatch you could buy, an accolade that now belongs to Ford’s Focus RS. Even so, it’s quite possible you may not even be aware of its... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 25th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    CITROEN’S LIMITED EDITION HOT HATCH This is the DS3 Racing, the latest hot hatch from Citroën. With a specially tuned 1.6-litre 207hp engine, a top speed of 146mph and a 0-62mph time of just 6.5... [Read more]

  • A very grown up car indeed
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    With an interior like a luxury hotel, it’s hard to relax in this beautiful but conservative new convertible
    RYAN BORROFF
    Like an ageing playboy, this Lexus has a handsome face, but is let down somewhat by its rather bloated rear end, inflated no doubt by the installation of its excellent folding tin top roof. Maybe an... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    VAUXHALL NEW WARRANTY Vauxhall has announced a new lifetime warranty on all its new cars, trumping Kia which offered the best warranty up until now. The Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty applies to the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    OPERA AND DINNER UNDER THE STARS Dining outdoors in a frescoed courtyard while being entertained with soaring opera is pretty much a win-win plan for an evening, right? If you agree, then nab the... [Read more]
  • A car with a very high iQ
    Wednesday, 11th August 2010
    Toyota’s tiny little newcomer feels a lot bigger than it looks
    RYAN BORROFF
    MOST motorists can appreciate that there’s something outrageous about one person commuting to the City in a car designed to carry at least four grown ups in it. Whichever way you look at it, it’s... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 11th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    NISSAN’S BRAVE NEW WORLD UK order books for Nissan's LEAF car open on 1 Sep. The LEAF – which stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car – has a top speed of 87mph and a... [Read more]
  • Safe & sound
    Wednesday, 4th August 2010
    Safety is still the foremost feature of this newly glamorous Volvo. Nothing wrong with that
    RYAN BORROFF
    DRIVING along in the new Volvo S60, I am so engrossed in conversation with my passenger that I’ve completely taken my eyes off the road. This is why I don’t see a pedestrian in front of me.... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 4th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    PORSCHE’S GREEN LEAD Dreams can come true...Porsche has announced it will build its astonishing 918 Spyder concept for the road. The mid-engined plug-in hybrid super-sports car should have a top... [Read more]
  • Hallelujah: Peugeot’s latest car really, truly makes sense
    Wednesday, 28th July 2010
    The 3008 combines total convenience for families with a good bit of fun under the bonnet. Marvellous
    RYAN BORROFF
    OK, I’m going to come clean. I distrust crossover cars, or crossover utility vehicles (CUVs). In the past when I’ve driven them I’ve tended not to like them. Neither one thing or another, they have... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 28th July 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    SUZUKI’S SWIFT GETS BETTER This is the new, third generation Suzuki Swift which goes on sale in the UK in the autumn. Can you spot the differences with the outgoing model? No? Neither can we...but it... [Read more]
  • Show the world you’ve made it
    Wednesday, 21st July 2010
    BMW’s new saloon car is a dynamite mix of luxury, performance and heft. If only it made more noise...
    RYAN BORROFF
    IT doesn’t seem so long ago that you’d go round to someone’s house and know they had a few quid because they’d have a telly with doors on it. Since then, TVs have got thinner and the cathode ray... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 21st July 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    PEUGEOT'S NEW LOOK Take note. This is the new Peugeot 508 which is the biggest indicator yet of how much more handsome Peugeot cars are going to become. The 508 replaces two cars in the Peugeot range... [Read more]
  • £97,000 worth of fun
    Wednesday, 14th July 2010
    Sure, it’s not cheap. But Aston Martin’s new joyride is both beautiful and muscular
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE reason that Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage is so well-loved is all to do with a little valve in the exhaust system. Around town and driving normally, the V8 Vantage delivers the usual Aston Martin... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 14th July 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    RENAULT’S BRAVE NEW WORLD This is Renault’s latest concept car, a two-seat sports coupe called DeZir. It's the first car created under new design chief Laurens van den Acker and it’s a stunner.... [Read more]
  • Real men only apply
    Wednesday, 7th July 2010
    This pickup-style truck is for City guys who see themselves as tree surgeons
    RYAN BORROFF
    For a while, a few years back, it looked like the US trend for vast trucks and pickups was going to catch on here. Stateside rappers wearing signet rings the size of dinner plates applied the same “... [Read more]
  • Get your top off
    Wednesday, 30th June 2010
    BMW’s new convertible is a luxe blend of wind-blown fun and serious, practical driving
    Weather like we’ve been having lately in the Big Smoke might make you yearn for a cruise out of town with the wind ruffling up your hair. But then this weather is a bit of an anomaly because, frankly... [Read more]
  • The Cayenne goes green
    Wednesday, 23rd June 2010
    It’s light, clean and efficient. Say hello to Porsche’s most eco-friendly car to date
    RYAN BORROFF
    ONCE deemed a horrendous diversion by Porsche purists, the Cayenne has gone on to become the single biggest-selling model in the Porsche range with more than 280,000 of them sold worldwide since the... [Read more]
  • Vroom vroom: say hi to the real deal
    Wednesday, 16th June 2010
    Good, old-fashioned driving is finally back with this nifty newbie from Suzuki
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE first car I owned was a Mini, a 1973 Mini Mk II with an 850cc engine. Even though it was pretty much the only car I had ever driven, I knew it was unusual. If you wound it up it would do 80mph... [Read more]
  • The car that delicately sips its fuel
    Wednesday, 9th June 2010
    The new Volvo lacks space and beauty, but it’s a knockout if you’re after serious petrol economy
    RYAN BORROFF
    IF YOU’RE the kind of driver that gets their kicks out of economy and efficiency and can’t wait for the advancing wave of super economical electric vehicles to get here, then Volvo’s C30 1.6D DRIVe... [Read more]
  • All roads to all people
    Wednesday, 2nd June 2010
    The Allroad is far trendier than your average estate car, with great design to match practicality
    RYAN BORROFF
    The Audi A4 Allroad has been launched into another new segment that Audi seems to have created. You can probably count the number of four-wheel drive estates you know of on one hand. The others are... [Read more]
  • PREVIEW | MOTOREXPO 2010 AT CANARY WHARF
    Wednesday, 2nd June 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Docklands is going to become petrolhead heaven next week as the area plays host to the annual Canary Wharf London Motorexpo. The free event see Canary Wharf’s spaces filled with displays of many of... [Read more]
  • Sport & spark
    Wednesday, 26th May 2010
    Infiniti’s curious EX37 crossover drives like a sports car and looks like a coupé on steroids, but exactly who is it for?
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE EX37 is perplexing. Most cars are remarkably easy to understand. With one look at the exterior and a sit inside and you can pretty much get a grip on what kind of car you’re in and have some idea... [Read more]
  • French fancy
    Wednesday, 19th May 2010
    The new coupe from Peugeot looks fantastic, is an impressive car to drive and will give its competitors a serious run for their money
    Ryan Borroff
    PEUGEOT is targeting Audi TT, VW Scirocco, even Mini Cooper S buyers with its new 2+2 seater sports car. Even if you’re the kind of car buyer that usually allows your head to rule your heart the RCZ... [Read more]
  • No ordinary Chelsea tractor
    Wednesday, 12th May 2010
    It has always been big, tough and practical. But now Mitsubishi’s Shogun is leaner, greener and cheaper to run
    Ryan Borroff
    I HAVE a confession. I might be a less than ideal person to test the new Mitsubishi Shogun. This is because I live in N4. Off-roading opportunities are few and far between in Islington unless you... [Read more]
  • Live and let drive... Bond-style
    Thursday, 6th May 2010
    Strapped into the new Lotus, Jenny Forsyth discovers the thrills and chills of being 007 for a day (and a half)
    Jenny Forsyth
    FIRST: a confession. I probably should have told the good people at Lotus that I have a slightly unlucky history with James Bond. The first 007 film I ever saw was Moonraker. Dressed up smartly in my... [Read more]
  • Korea Progression
    Wednesday, 5th May 2010
    Small, roomy and surprisingly practical, the Kia Venga is a compact family car that presents a major breakthrough for its maker
    Ryan Borroff
    IF any car proves Korean manufacturer Kia’s star is in the ascendant then it must be its compact car, the Venga. It’s something of an illusion because it’s clear from the moment that you get in it... [Read more]
  • Here comes the night
    Wednesday, 28th April 2010
    Whether in London or Louisiana, the smooth black Mercedes SL350 Night Edition is achingly cool
    RYAN BORROFF
    IF chrome was last year’s paint job of choice, then this year it’s matte black. It’s a look that’s being sported on cars owned by trendy design types, rappers and footballers alike. And it’s now... [Read more]
  • Beauty and the Beast
    Wednesday, 21st April 2010
    Cool design meets the hounds of hell in Aston Martin’s new motor. If only speed limits didn’t exist
    RYAN BORROFF
    IN TODAY’S list of the “world’s most popular goals” by goal-setting website 43 things, 19,131 people said that their goal was to “go on a road trip with no predetermined destination”. The pure... [Read more]
  • Say hello to the new lifestyle SUV
    Wednesday, 14th April 2010
    There’s nothing “budget” about Kia’s svelte, German-designed family vehicle
    RYAN BORROFF
    ITS predecessor was undoubtedly ugly even for a 4x4, but there is no doubt about it: the first, most obvious element of the new Kia Sorento is how attractive it is. It’s one of the first Kia cars to... [Read more]
  • A bike with batteries included
    Wednesday, 7th April 2010
    A new electric scooter is perfect for commuters who want to be fuel-efficient and save time too
    I was once a scooter commuter, before my bike was stolen from my front garden. Scooter travel is convenient and fun. To me, it represented genuine urban freedom. Being able to hop on and off the... [Read more]
  • Comfort & Class
    Wednesday, 24th March 2010
    VW’s sports coupe has brought some much-needed style to the dull, dependable old Passat
    RYAN BORROFF
    SOMEHOW the Passat CC had passed me by, until I overtook one on the motorway recently and found myself doing a double take on what must surely be one of the most surprisingly stylish cars for sale in... [Read more]
  • REVOLUTIONISING the runabout
    Wednesday, 17th March 2010
    Mitsubishi’s eco-friendly entry into the supermini market is a winner
    RYAN BORROFF
    OFTEN it’s the least exciting cars that are the most surprising. Testing an eco model from the most traditionally conservative car segment – the Supermini or B segment – promises to be, if not dull,... [Read more]
  • Supercars go green
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    Even mainstream sportscar makers Porsche and Ferrari are jumping on the eco bandwagon
    RYAN BORROFF
    FOR the last few years, the supercar brands largely ignored the move towards greener motoring. Instead they have continued to produce products and concepts that followed the traditional performance... [Read more]
  • Plug & play
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    Still think electric cars are glorified golf carts? As our new columnist discovers, electric vehicles are no threat to motoring
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE FACTS: TESLA ELECTRIC CAR PRICE: £86,950 RANGE: 236 miles 0-60MPH: 3.9 secs TOP SPEED: 125 mph CO2 G/KM: 0 THE demise of the combustion engine is not something I long for, yet burning through... [Read more]
  • The best way to get around town
    Wednesday, 17th February 2010
    They keep evolving, but scooters continue mixing convenience and cool
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    THE Italians have known it for decades, and there was a moment in the Sixties when the British youth cottoned on too – when it comes to motorised transport, there is nothing cooler than a scooter. It... [Read more]
  • French go back to the future
    Wednesday, 27th January 2010
    A revamp of a classic car is a winner, in town and country
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    REMEMBER the Citroen DS, the futuristic sensation born in 1955 and used endlessly in films of car chases in Paris in the 70s? It was all long and pointy, with a Pope mobile–like cabin, such was the... [Read more]
  • The Mini enters a BRAVE GREEN WORLD
    Wednesday, 20th January 2010
    Electric cars are fast gaining ground. This one’s at the front of the pack
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    I had preconceptions about this car before I drove it. Having batteries will mean it will weigh more than a normal Mini and it will be sluggish due to the extra weight. The ride will be harsh, it’ll... [Read more]
  • Four by phwoar
    Wednesday, 13th January 2010
    BMW’s new all-terrain motor is just the ticket when the snow is thick on the roads
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    I’VE just returned from a stint on the East Coast of the USA where I thought we had done quite well with snow. The thing is, it’s no surprise when it arrives over there. “Snow days” tend to close... [Read more]
  • Roar POWER
    Wednesday, 6th January 2010
    This Italian supercar looks the business inside and out, but it’s the noise it makes that really impresses
    VICTORIA BATES
    WHEN I returned home from taking this car for a spin around the local area, I found a post-it note stuck to my front door with a message from a friend who lives locally. “Hi V,” it read. “I realised... [Read more]
  • Up the hatch
    Wednesday, 16th December 2009
    With its latest version of the Clio, Renault is continuing to set the standard for small, nippy hatchbacks
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    WE’VE tested some super-hot hatches on these pages, most recently Honda’s Civic Type R Mugen and earlier in the year Ford’s Focus RS, both of which are stunning performers. Here we have another. The... [Read more]
  • A gripping drive
    Wednesday, 2nd December 2009
    Honda's limited edition hatchback is rough, raw and extremely fast
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    THE LAST time I drove a Civic Type R, I found the ride quite brutal. So I have to admit to being slightly wary of having this one to test on UK roads, but it had to be done, because just 20 of them... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 2nd December 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    TOM WRIGGLESWORTH IN SOHOComedian Tom Wrigglesworth made newspaper headlines after his attempts to help out a pensioner being ill-treated by a train guard resulted in him being reported to the police... [Read more]
  • Best of British
    Wednesday, 25th November 2009
    Bentley's new sports car is not just for show offs it's also a spectacular drive
    I’M CURRENTLY feeling like a WAG. To clarify, this is purely down to my current motor, and not because I’ve hooked up with a Chelsea striker. You see I’m driving around in a Bentley... [Read more]
  • cruise control
    Wednesday, 18th November 2009
    IF I told you that I recently indulged in a spot of mid-week mud-larking, then where would you picture me?  The wilds of Scotland? The Yorkshire Dales? Well, not quite. This time I was in the EJ... [Read more]
  • Fit for James Bond
    Wednesday, 11th November 2009
    Expect people to drool when you step on the gas in this ludicrously powerful, super slick convertible
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    IT’S funny the varied reactions that you get when you are driving around in a supercar. Take a moment when I was parked unloading some things from the boot. A guy came over to the car, looked... [Read more]
  • New Merc is in an (E) class of its own
    Wednesday, 4th November 2009
    This is just the ticket for the school run, and also offers a few little luxuries on the side as well
    I HAD a nice massage today, while driving a Mercedes through the forests on the outskirts of Wiesbaden. We reviewed the new E Class Coupe recently and this wagon is from the same grown-up stable. It... [Read more]
  • Going green in Tokyo
    Wednesday, 28th October 2009
    Traffic-stimulated scent, remote controlled batteries the future is electric, nifty and Japanese
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    TOKYO. I bet a good few of you reading this page will have been to this city.  It’s my first time here, I’ve been itching to go for years and finally I find myself staring out of my... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 28th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    MOTHERLAND Having swept the awards at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Motherland, a play recounting the true stories of women affected by the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, is currently... [Read more]
  • Small but perfectly formed
    Wednesday, 21st October 2009
    Futuristic windscreen design makes this car seem bigger than it is
    Along comes another supermini, this one with a windscreen that reaches back to the end of the front doors. The car is cute, highly styled and with lots of chrome to make it look more premium,... [Read more]
  • MERCEDES' NEW COUPE IS A TRUE MILE-MUNCHER
    Wednesday, 14th October 2009
    A typically smooth, attractive ride will please commuters, without setting the world alight
    WITH increasing frequency, I get into a new car and find myself banging my head or elbow on something that’s infringing on the space inside the cabin. Take this latest coupe. As I lean forward... [Read more]
  • Audi's dream-mobile
    Wednesday, 30th September 2009
    It's not the best-looking, but this hatchback is a brilliant drive, and goes easy on the petrol too
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    IS it me or have Audi toned down their design approach? They used to love a bit of flared wheel arch where possible, stance and statement arriving hand in hand. Has the recession blunted their flair... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 30th September 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    RAT PACK AT THE ADELPHINewly opened this week, Rat Pack – Live from Las Vegas celebrates the world of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr in their Vegas heyday. Recreating the glitz,... [Read more]
  • Space shuttle on wheels
    Wednesday, 23rd September 2009
    The new Nissan is a show-stopper even when it's parked
    IF NASA and superyacht designer Wally Power were to design a car together, this would be the result. Staring at the rear end of the GT-R is like looking at the space shuttle. There are four exhaust... [Read more]
  • Even a saloon can be sexy when it's made by Porsche
    Wednesday, 16th September 2009
    It's nimble to drive, intimidating to look at and ridiculously comfortable to sit in. What's not to love about this indulgent four-door?
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    IT was with surprise that we learnt that Porsche was going to build a four-door car. Porsche has always made two-door sportscars, why would it want to sink its teeth into the saloon market? But the... [Read more]
  • Cadbury boss blasts Kraft's sour proposal
    Monday, 14th September 2009
    CONSUMER GOODS
    ASHLEY ARMSTRONG
    CADBURY ramped up its defence at the weekend against a takeover from Kraft after its chairman Roger Carr blasted the bid as “unattractive.” In an open letter to Kraft’s chief... [Read more]
  • CRAZY HORSES beneath the bonnet
    Wednesday, 9th September 2009
    It might not have slick German design, but the new Mitsubishi makes a very beautiful noise
    BENEATH a considerable amount of wing, skirt and angular metal lies a car, the chavmobile that is the FQ 400. I clamber on board the Mitsubishi gunship, turn the ignition key and on comes Radio 3.... [Read more]
  • Not Fiat for purpose
    Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
    Minimal suspension and a radio with its own will are among this cute-looking car's exasperating flaws
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    I WAS driving another car altogether recently with a motoring pal and we got on to the subject of the Fiat 500. We naturally progressed on to this high-performance version of the car. Fiat has taken... [Read more]
  • A car for all seasons
    Wednesday, 19th August 2009
    There's nothing the Land Rover Disco 4 can't handle
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    EPIC is the word. For a person who doesn’t much care for heights, I’m doing pretty well. I’ve just scaled the terra-pod, a 200ft metal version of a hill-climb. Despite the nerves, I... [Read more]
  • Small but perfectly formed
    Wednesday, 5th August 2009
    The new Mini is an improvement on the last one, which means it's a rocking car. It's just too pricey
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    THE FACTS:MINI JCW CONVERTIBLE6-SPEEDMANUAL PRICE: £23,4700-62MPH: 6.9secsTOP SPEED: 146mph (limited)CO2 G/KM: 169g/kmMPG COMBINED: 39.8 THE Met office came in for flak last week after... [Read more]
  • Good-looking but a trifle shallow
    Wednesday, 29th July 2009
    It feels smooth and looks good but the new Sportback just lacks va va voom
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    THE FACTS: AUDI A5 SPORTBACK 3.2 LITRE FSI QUATTRO7-SPEED S TRONIC PRICE: £36,110 0-62MPH: 6.6secsTOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 379g/kmMPG Combined: 30.4/216g/km AUDI is celebrating a one hundred... [Read more]
  • Falling for a Romeo
    Wednesday, 22nd July 2009
    Alfa Romeo's new 8C Spider is a thing of beauty &8194;and then there's the roar of the engine
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    HAVE YOU ever seen anything so beautiful you could cry? For me, it’s this object before me, Alfa’s drop-dead gorgeous 8C Spider. So here I am, at Balocco circuit, Alfa Romeo’s... [Read more]