VW Golf R 2026 long-term review: Final verdict on a classic hot hatch Life&Style 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 Golf R: RIP to the ultimate hot hatch? Life&Style A decade ago, when its Mk7 predecessor roamed the roads, the Volkswagen Golf R faced a plethora of hot hatchback rivals. These included the Ford Focus ST and RS, Honda Civic Type R, Peugeot 308 GTI, Hyundai i30 N and Renaultsport Megane. All have since been quietly euthanised and not replaced. The venerable Audi RS3 [...]
Volvo ES90 review: Forward-looking tech in a trad saloon package Life&Style Volvo is back in the luxury saloon game, with the fully electric ES90 offering an alternative to its range of SUVs. John Redfern discovers how it measures up. During the past decade, Volvo has made SUVs central to its model lineup. It makes the new ES90 something of an outlier – and a reminder of [...]
Race a McLaren at the UK’s most exhilarating track day April 27, 2026 At the UK’s most exciting track day, you can sample a McLaren GT4 race car, a Formula 3000 single-seater and much more, says Tim Pitt The gift was kindly meant, but I found it hard to hide my disappointment. Some 20 birthdays ago, my parents bought me a supercar experience. You know the sort of thing: [...]
Punchdrunk Theatre founder: These video games changed my life April 23, 2026 Punchdrunk is the company that put immersive theatre on the map. Since it was founded more than a quarter of a century ago, it has built a reputation for creating vast, intricate, freeflowing productions in which masked audience-members are allowed to roam freely through its spaces. Hits include The Drowned Man (2013), Sleep No More [...]
Volkswagen Golf R 2026 long-term review: First report April 20, 2026 The Volkswagen Golf R ticks a lot of boxes on paper, but what is this 333hp hot hatchback like to live with? Tim Pitt finds out. If you could only own one car, what would it be? My initial impulse says a Ferrari F40 – the poster I had blu-tacked to my bedroom wall. However, [...]
Has YouGov been barraged by Farage? March 25, 2026 Nigel Farage has never been shy in locking horns with big business. Just ask Dame Alison Rose, whose stint at Natwest came to a sharp halt after a row with Farage over a debanking. The British banker resigned after Natwest admitted to “serious failings” in closing the Reform UK leader’s account at its high-net-worth subsidiary [...]
As we prepare for the Nothing Phone 4, we took the 3 for a spin February 5, 2026 The rumour mill says London-based phone company Nothing is set to release a new handset as early as March. To get you in the mood, we took its current flagship device, the Nothing Phone (3), for a test drive. In 2007, the mobile phone landscape changed forever. When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, he [...]
Best cars 2025: Our brilliant and bonkers highlights of the year December 5, 2025 These are difficult times to be a car company. Cheap Chinese imports, costly US tariffs and the UK Government’s muddled approach to policymaking have all slowed sales and impacted the bottom line. And that’s before you factor in cyber attacks, semiconductor shortages, the cost of living crisis and the reluctance of many motorists to embrace [...]
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N 2025 review: Electric that pretends to be petrol November 17, 2025 As many a YouTube drag race can attest, electric cars aren’t deficient when it comes to straight-line speed. After that sugar-rush of giddy acceleration wears off, though, you may be left feeling empty and unsatisfied. Going fast doesn’t necessarily equate to having fun. Many believe that EVs are too heavy and too complicated, smothering the [...]