Some like it yacht: The Abarth 695C Rivale is a hot hatch inspired by a luxury boat September 3, 2018 The original Fiat 500 was Italy’s answer to the Mini, Citroen 2CV or Volkswagen Beetle: a ‘people’s car’ that mobilised the masses. In recent times, the practical Panda has answered this need for back-to-basics transport, while the 500, like many of the London streets it inhabits, has become gentrified. Today, it’s more premium than proletarian. [...]
Mercedes-Benz SL R107: The best classic Merc you can buy February 19, 2018 All cars eventually become classics, but not all classics are created equal. The ‘R107’ Mercedes-Benz SL is a case in point. This luxurious grand tourer – we’ll stop short of calling it a sports car – was a cut above the automotive norm when new, and remains so today. Indeed, it’s one of the best [...]
Porsche 964 Carrera RS review: Tim Pitt lets Porsche’s road racer off its leash, but is this the ultimate 911? March 20, 2017 The Porsche 911 is the greatest sports car ever made. There, I’ve said it. This Darwinian survivor has evolved over five decades, transcending humble VW Beetle origins and shrugging off attempts to replace it. From air-cooled originals to today’s turbocharged Carrera, every 911 is iconic, idiosyncratic and unfailingly brilliant to drive. But which is the [...]
We revisit the brilliant BMW M3 CSL, the lightweight 2003 classic that’s rocketing in value February 27, 2017 Imagine for a moment you’re in an upmarket restaurant and the conversation is flowing as readily as the red wine. You finish your starter and main, then summon the willpower to skip dessert. But you’re presented with a bill for the full three courses, plus a hefty service charge. That was BMW’s sales pitch for [...]
We drive an updated model of the classic 90s roadster to see if its new retractable roof is as reliable as it is ravishing February 20, 2017 F or such a lightweight, the original Mazda MX-5 packed a mighty punch. In 1990, when the original MX-5 finally arrived in the UK, this feather-light and affordable roadster upset the establishment. It was the closest thing to a great British sports car since the death of the MGB in 1980. Sure, Lotus beat Mazda [...]
How to buy a classic car: The Ferrari 328 GTS is a sound investment and a surprisingly sensible classic January 30, 2017 Welcome to the first in an occasional series of classic car reviews. We’ll highlight some of London’s most desirable used cars, classics that are great to drive and likely to offer a healthy return on investment. And where better to start than with one of motoring’s blue-chip brands? Ferraris make up seven out of the [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Caterham Seven Sprint review: This limited-edition car isn’t as old-fashioned as it looks October 10, 2016 Whether it’s retro cars, vintage clothes or Instagram filters on photos, making new stuff look old has never been so popular. Perhaps we yearn for simpler times – or maybe we’ve just run out of ideas. Either way, if the retro-future looks half as good as the Caterham Seven Sprint, I’m all for it. The [...]
