Rolls-Royce Spectre Series II review: Driving a Rolls on a racetrack – yes, really… Life&Style Hang on, you are cordially inviting me to do what? I re-read the email to make sure, but it’s there in crisp Sans Serif font. It isn’t every day you get asked to drive a Rolls-Royce on a racetrack. Indeed, in 20 years as a motoring journalist, this is the first – and likely the [...]
Renault 5 E-Tech 2025 long-term review – second report Life&Style Lined up on the starting grid at Goodwood, the two cars resemble the ‘before and after’ photos from a bodybuilding magazine. Each one is ostensibly a Renault 5, but the similarities almost end there. On the left is my long-term test Renault 5 E-Tech. Compact and straight-sided, its classic hatchback proportions draw directly from the [...]
Volkswagen California 2026 review: plenty of room at the Hotel California Life&Style Britain’s best-selling vehicle so far in 2026 is the Ford Puma. Visit the south coast in holiday season, though, and you’d swear the Volkswagen California occupies that top spot. Whether trapped in tourist traffic, parked beside the beach or looking cool on a campsite, these things are everywhere. Volkswagen campers have enjoyed cult status since [...]
Renault 5 E-Tech 2025 three month review – first impressions July 18, 2026 My first rendez-vous with the Renault 5 was at a rain-lashed EV charging hub, just off the A1(M) in Stevenage. Not the most auspicious start, you might think, but somehow this little car seemed to prise the sunshine out from between leaden clouds. I was smitten. The occasion was a driving day for UK Car [...]
McLaren 788HS debuts at Goodwood: It’s extreme July 13, 2026 Here’s our first look at the McLaren 788HS, a new British-built supercar and one of the stars of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The V8-powered 788HS is an all-guns-blazing last hurrah for the 720S, 765LT and 750S model line, first introduced in 2017. Developed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the company’s in-house bespoke division, [...]
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C review: Is new 194 mph convertible the car of the millennium? July 7, 2026 Motoring journalists have probably lavished more praise on the Porsche 911 GT3 than any other new car this millennium. It has slain supercars, won comparison tests and consistently been hailed as a benchmark for driving dynamics. Over 28 years and eight generations, it has rarely put a semi-slick tyre wrong. Every new GT3 thus far [...]
Is this £430k hyper-customised Porsche 911 the GOAT? June 29, 2026 From City AM The Magazine, Summer 2026, Theon Design aims to create the ultimate Porsche 911, with a blend of classic character and modern manners. Tim Pitt gets behind the wheel “Luxury is about pleasing yourself, not dressing for other people,” said fashion designer Marc Jacobs. And what goes for clutch bags and sunglasses is [...]
VW Golf R 2026 long-term review: Final verdict on a classic hot hatch June 19, 2026 When I first enquired about running a Golf R, I expected this to be a swansong of sorts. The eighth-generation VW Golf was to be the last, we were told, as the electric ID.3 filled the family hatchback-sized hole in the Volkswagen range. Thankfully, reports of the Golf’s demise were a little premature. Volkswagen had [...]
Volkswagen Transporter Sportline 2026: The van that wants to be a VW Golf GTI June 18, 2026 Imagine an illicit liaison between a Volkswagen van and a Golf GTI. The result, nine months later, might look something like the Transporter Sportline. So, is this flagship ‘sports van’ a welcome addition to the family? If the idea of a sports van sounds like a contradiction in terms, tell that to the thousands of [...]
This Peugeot 205 GTI is the car you remember from your teenage years June 18, 2026 Back in the 1980s, if you were Somebody in the City, you probably drove a Porsche. But if you were an up-and-coming hotshot who’d made some lucky bets on gold futures, you’d splash the cash on a Peugeot 205 GTI. Launched in 1984, this was Peugeot’s riposte to the runaway success of the original VW [...]
