Volvo V40 Cross Country T5 review: A car that defies categorisation for motorists that defy categorisation December 19, 2016 We love to label things. “The tendency to classify and categorise objects is a deeply ingrained aspect of human nature,” Dr Scott Barry Kaufman once wrote in Psychology Today. Maybe you were the kind of person who took pleasure in arranging your CD collection in alphabetical order, or perhaps labelling people is the sort of [...]
BMW 530D XDrive SE review: When a car is this good to drive, why let it drive itself? December 12, 2016 B MW flew me out to Portugal to drive the new 5 Series and made such a song and dance about its Autonomous Drive technology, you’d think it had reinvented the self-steering wheel. Frankly, I hated it. Yes, the 5 Series will drive itself for 30 seconds at a time on straight roads, and will [...]
A new Tesla dealership is opening in West London today December 9, 2016 Tesla fans, take note: a new dealership will be launched in Chiswick today. The new dealership, on Hogarth roundabout, will have both the Model S and the Model X on show – although not yet the much-anticipated Model 3, which was unveiled by the company in April but has yet to roll off the production line. [...]
Tesla Model X SUV review: Elon Musk takes a break from Mars mission to make a killer self-driving car November 29, 2016 No car brand knows how to build hype like Tesla. This relatively recent start-up (in terms of car manufacturers) has a boss who can generate hundreds of column inches just by tweeting. Every time one of its vehicles is involved in a serious crash, online forums are awash with rumours about the cause. And a [...]
Volvo S90 review: A nice car for nice people November 21, 2016 When Grey Advertising was given the unenviable task of changing the public perception of motorcyclists in America, the firm came up with the memorable 1960s ad campaign: “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” Five decades on, these nice people would feel right at home in a Volvo S90. The S90 and its sibling, [...]
Jaguar has lovingly remade the XKSS, aka the world’s first supercar – a snip, at £1m November 17, 2016 If you're a sucker for classic cars, look away now. For while Jaguar has lovingly remade one of its most iconic motors, there are only going to be nine of them, and they've already been sold – for more than £1m each. Jaguar debuted the first "genuine" Jaguar XKSS in almost 60 years at a Los Angeles museum (because [...]
Mercedes-Maybach has just unveiled a ridiculously plush, limited edition, £260,000 convertible November 16, 2016 Thought convertibles couldn't get more luxurious? Think again: Mercedes-Maybach has just unveiled its first cabriolet, and it's ridiculously plush. And so it should be: with a limited production run of 300 vehicles, the S 650 Cabriolet comes with a price tag of €300,000 – that's £260,000. It's essentially an adaptation of the S-Class, but with a [...]
McLaren’s legendary boss has been ousted – but says he’ll launch a technology investment fund next year November 15, 2016 Legendary McLaren boss Ron Dennis said today he has been "required to relinquish his duties" as chairman and chief executive after pressure from shareholders. Last week it was reported that Dennis had backed a £1.65bn takeover bid for the Formula One team and the technology arms of McLaren. However, shareholders TAG and Mumtalakat weren't impressed, [...]
Volkswagen Passat GTE review: The car the autumn statement is out to get November 14, 2016 A few years ago, company car drivers cottoned onto the tax advantages of the hybrid Toyota Prius, with its low CO2 emissions. Then, suddenly, they were everywhere – no longer limited to being the eco-warrior’s favourite mode of transport. The same happened with double-cab pick-up trucks, as company tax rules classed most pick-ups as commercial [...]
Audi TT RS review: Ferociously fast and deeply desirable, the new Audi TT RS is a potent package November 8, 2016 A hotted-up hatchback for hairdressers or a half-price Audi R8? The TT RS splits opinion, at least as far as preconceptions are concerned. In reality, the flagship TT is a serious rival for the Porsche Cayman and, on paper at least, every inch the junior supercar. One figure in particular stands out: 3.7 seconds. That’s [...]