The BMW 3 Series may be the staple of the 1980s but the new model proves it’s slicker than ever September 28, 2015 Back in the 1980s, the BMW 3 Series was the car of choice for up-and-coming types in the City. A 325i was as de rigueur as red braces and a Filofax; if your trades hadn’t quite earned you the hot six-cylinder one, you could have a 316i and take the badges off (a trick so [...]
Motoring review: Superformance GT40 September 14, 2015 Supercar or historic racer? Or another one of those pastiches, built in a workshop by enthusiastic but ultimately misguided engineers who don’t know a business case from a briefcase? The Superformance GT40 is none of these, though it’s easy to see how it could have been. This is a road-going version of the famous GT40, [...]
Motoring review: Fiat 500 1.2 Pop Star September 7, 2015 IT’S s a city car, so you need to drive it in the City”, they said. Fair enough. So why am I aboard a boat, admiring the view of Tower Bridge exchanging small-talk with a fashion blogger while sipping a virgin cocktail? Well, I’m at the launch of the new Fiat 500, of course. By [...]
Motoring review: Fiat 500 1.2 Pop Star September 7, 2015 IT’S s a city car, so you need to drive it in the City”, they said. Fair enough. So why am I aboard a boat, admiring the view of Tower Bridge exchanging small-talk with a fashion blogger while sipping a virgin cocktail? Well, I’m at the launch of the new Fiat 500, of course. By [...]
Does the Mazda MX-5 still deserve to be called a sports car? August 28, 2015 The Mazda MX-5 is the world’s bestselling sports car, but it’s never been the quickest. When it launched in the UK in 1990, it offered an enjoyable driving experience combined with top-down convertible thrills for the relatively inexpensive price of £14,500. But the MX-5 failed to move with the times. It cared more about being [...]
Will the new Evora 400 revive Lotus? August 24, 2015 Would you spend £72,000 on a Lotus? It’s a key question for the British car company and the answer may determine its future in the luxury motoring market. One man praying that the answer is yes is new head honcho Jean-Marc Gales, who has serious industry history, including a stint as president of Peugeot-Citroen. Over [...]
Jaguar’s XF is a practical beast August 17, 2015 When Jaguar launched the XE, it brought London to a standstill. It was helicoptered over the Thames, chased by a flotilla of speedboats, then escorted through the city by classic Mark II Jaguar police cars. Arriving at a celeb-packed Earls Court, it was serenaded by pop princess Emeli Sande, who performed a new song written [...]
Car review: New Bentley Mulsanne Speed is silent but speedy August 11, 2015 We’ve all been there. You’ve booked to go to the theatre or a restaurant with friends and the day before, they cry off. This time it was down to a rugby tackle from a small child to the side of my friend’s knee. The result was strapping, crutches and a level of pain that rendered [...]
Not convinced? August 10, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… ASTON MARTIN DB9 PRICE: £133,495 0-62MPH: 4.6 secs TOP SPEED: 183mph CO2 G/KM: 333g/km MPG COMBINED: 19.8mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Two Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars MERCEDES S 65 AMG COUPE PRICE: £181,305 0-62MPH: 4.1 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 279g/km MPG COMBINED: 23.7mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN [...]
Car review: New McLaren 675LT is fast, furious and everything you could hope for in a supercar August 4, 2015 Those 500 people who took a gamble on signing up for McLaren’s new £259,500 supercar before test-driving it can breathe a sigh of relief: the 675LT is sensational. Sensational to look at, sensational to drive and sensationally fast. But first, a quick lesson on the McLaren stable: there’s the core 650S range, offered as [...]