Mercedes-Benz G-Class review: The sensible status symbol SUV January 24, 2025 The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen has preened and flexed in so many rap videos, my teenage son assumed the ‘G’ stood for ‘Gangster’. Imagine his disappointment, then, when I dutifully pointed out the name is a contraction of the German word Geländewagen – literally translated as ‘go-anywhere car’. Were his eyes not already glazing over at this [...]
Audi R8 V10 GT RWD review: A last blast in a landmark supercar January 18, 2025 The R8 was Audi’s first supercar – and might be its last. R8 production has already stopped and it won’t be replaced. After 18 years, two generations and countless special editions, this run-out V10 GT RWD (one of 333 cars worldwide, and only 15 allocated to the UK) is the end of the road. I [...]
Kia EV3 review: Futuristic family SUV sets a new benchmark January 9, 2025 It would have been unthinkable not long ago, but Kia almost toppled Ford in the 2024 new car sales chart. When the numbers were crunched, the Kia Sportage had notched up 47,183 registrations – just 1,157 behind the first-placed Ford Puma. However, the success of the Sportage is now under threat from an enemy within. [...]
Audi R8 V10 GT RWD review: A last blast in a landmark supercar January 8, 2025 The R8 was Audi’s first supercar – and might be its last. R8 production has already stopped and it won’t be replaced. After 18 years, two generations and countless special editions, this run-out V10 GT RWD (one of 333 cars worldwide, and only 15 allocated to the UK) is the end of the road. I [...]
Porsche 911 Carrera 2025 review: Sensible sports car still sparkles January 7, 2025 For 40 years, the entry-level Porsche 911 has been called ‘Carrera’. Back in 1984, a 911 3.2 Carrera developed 231hp, accelerated to 62mph in 5.6 seconds and cost £31,950. For comparison, the new 911 Carrera driven here serves up 394hp, blasts to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and has a list price of £99,800. According to [...]
Toyota GR Yaris 2025 review: The ultimate pocket rocket January 6, 2025 A normal new car launch goes something like this: fly to the south of France, drive for several hours on glorious mountain roads, check in at a boutique hotel, attend a brief PowerPoint presentation about the car and how profits were up in the last quarter, work through countless courses at a gourmet restaurant, imbibe [...]
Best cars of 2024 – From the new Aston Martin Vantage to the McLaren Artura Spider December 13, 2024 The car industry is facing strong headwinds, from import tariffs to mandated EV sales targets. Despite it all, though, 2024 has produced some genuinely exciting new cars, many of which we were lucky enough to drive. This isn’t a round-up of the ‘best’ cars of the year; many of the vehicles listed here are totally [...]
Kalmar 9X9 review: Exclusive drive of new Porsche-based hypercar December 11, 2024 Britain’s best-selling car in 1986 was the fourth-generation Ford Escort. In aptly named Popular spec, it had a 50hp 1.1-litre engine that could wheeze to 62mph in 18.2 seconds and nudge 90mph. The Escort brochure boasted of plastic head restraints, a lidded glovebox and ‘door panels with the unexpected luxury of cloth inserts’. Meanwhile, on [...]
Callum Skye: first look inside the radical, British-built EV December 11, 2024 Callum has revealed the interior of the new Skye – a mould-breaking, British-made electric off-roader, due in 2026. The Skye’s cabin is surprisingly spacious for a compact car, including two child-sized rear seats that fold down to boost luggage capacity. Its minimalist aesthetic is combined with high-end materials, plus near-endless scope for personalisation. I sat [...]
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge review: Embrace the darkness December 2, 2024 Carbon fibre? In a Cullinan? More often seen in supercars, this lightweight, man-made material looks slightly incongruous inside a 2.7-tonne SUV. The goal here isn’t to save a few grams, though. Rather than fit-for-purpose functionality, this is craftsmanship in carbon fibre. Each of the 23 carbon trim pieces has been woven into a repeating geometric [...]
