Car manufacturing hits its highest level in 17 years – as auto makers slash investment January 26, 2017 UK car manufacturing hit a record high in 2016, new figures have shown – just as car manufacturers slashed the amount they invested in the UK. Figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed the UK made 1.7m vehicles in 2016, up 8.5 per cent on the year before and [...]
US giant Ford criticised after Mustang sports car scores just two stars in crash tests January 25, 2017 US car giant Ford has been criticised by industry body Thatcham Research after its Mustang sports car achieved just two stars in official European crash tests. The Euro New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) puts all new cars through thorough crash tests and awards them a star rating out of five. Recent changes have made it [...]
Audi R8 Spyder review: The soft-top supercar threatening Lamborghini’s supremacy January 23, 2017 When did Audi become the ultimate ‘cool’ car manufacturer? It could have been around the end of the last decade, when the original TT was launched, along with the futuristic A2 compact MPV. But all this paved the way for 2006, when Audi launched its R8 supercar, along with bold claims about it being a [...]
British sports car maker Zenos has gone into administration January 20, 2017 The Norfolk-based manufacturer of lightweight sports cars, Zenos, has revealed that it’s entered administration – citing a downturn in sales for it ceasing trading. The start-up company has been punching above its weight since it launched the brilliant E10 in January 2015. Journalists raved about the £26,995 Lotus rival – but, ultimately, it wasn’t enough [...]
Lotus Evora Sport 410 review: Short, sharp bursts of pleasure that the Porsche can’t come close to January 16, 2017 W hen former PSA Peugeot Citroen boss Jean-Marc Gales took over as CEO of Lotus in 2013, things were looking a little desperate. His predecessor, Dany Bahar, had made a hasty departure amidst court cases, the company was losing money hand-over-fist, and it simply hadn’t got the cash to replace its ageing model line-up. Since [...]
Driverless cars are hitting the streets of London next month January 13, 2017 London drivers, beware: Nissan's first driverless cars will hit the streets of the capital next month, it said today. The car manufacturer said it will bring "real-world demonstrations" of autonomous cars to London, with "live environment" tests of a modified Nissan Leaf. The tests will be Nissan's first on public roads in Europe – although [...]
McLaren 675LT Spider review: We take the fastest car around the Top Gear test track on the roads of Sussex and Surrey January 9, 2017 Hard to believe it’s just seven months since Chris Evans burst onto our screens as the new host of Top Gear. Yet five tumultuous weeks later, he’d quit, ego and reputation irrevocably dented. Evans did gain something positive from his double-act with Matt LeBlanc, though: a McLaren 675LT. Driven by the Stig, the fluoro-green supercar [...]
In pictures: VW has given its classic camper van a futuristic, driverless revamp with the ID Buzz January 9, 2017 Volkswagen's classic camper van has been a symbol of hippie-dom for decades now – but flower power types may find it hard to love its sleek new update. Forget snazzy new supercars – VW presented its ID Buzz concept at the Detroit Auto Show, which began yesterday, dubbing it a "multi-functional vehicle of a new era". The [...]
In pictures: Bentley has just unveiled its macho Continental Supersports, the world’s fastest four-seater January 6, 2017 If your kids' looks of terror during the school run aren't abject enough, here's a manly new way to put the fear of god into them: Bentley has just unveiled its fastest and most powerful production model – and it's a four-seater. The decidedly macho Bentley Continental Supersports is the world's fastest four-seat car, it reckons. With a W12 [...]
Silverstone owners threaten to drop British Grand Prix January 5, 2017 Silverstone's management is threatening to drop the British Grand Prix because of spiralling costs of running it. John Grant, chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), owners of the racing track, has written to members warning of the "potentially ruinous risk" of hosting the loss-making event. In a letter, seen by ITV, Grant said he wanted to "preserve [...]