Carmakers to skirt a crash in £11bn motor finance redress Economics UK carmakers are set to curb a hefty hit in the City regulator’s forthcoming redress scheme for the motor finance scandal. Captive lenders, in-house lenders of manufacturers, are to be granted some reprieve by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) after relentless lobbying that the scheme could hamper investment in the UK. The FCA was forced [...]
BMW M3 CS Touring review: A case of sense and sensibility Life&Style Powerful estate cars have traditionally been Audi’s territory, but BMW is fighting back. The first ever M3 Touring was launched in 2022, followed by the larger M5 Touring last year. Now there is a faster, more focused ‘CS’ evolution of the M3 wagon. If you want to outpace Porsches on a circuit, then lug an [...]
BMW i7 review: Flagship luxury saloon suits being electric Life&Style Let’s just gloss over how it looks. Style is subjective, after all. And without wanting to inflame international tensions, I suspect this BMW wasn’t designed with European tastes in mind. Besides, you can’t see that gigantic fake grille when you recline in one of the i7’s heated rear armchairs. Instead, your field of vision is [...]
Motor finance: BMW sets aside over £200m for car mis-selling September 22, 2025 BMW’s UK car finance arm has set aside over £200m to cover a potential hit from the motor finance scandal. The firm joins a batch of British lenders and motor companies, which have been forced to prepare provisions with millions of drivers eligible for compensation. In July, the Supreme Court handed City banks a lukewarm [...]
Rolls-Royce banking on bespoke cars to attract super-rich July 23, 2025 Wealthy buyers seeking to personalise their new Rolls-Royce helped boost the luxury car brand’s profit in 2024 despite falling sales. The Hampshire-based business, which is owned by BMW, said its bespoke service reached a record level last year with a 10 per cent increase on average per car year-on-year. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added the rise [...]
BMW X3 M50 review: hot family SUV hits the spot June 16, 2025 The X3 has been part of BMW’s range since 2003. That means brand purists have been grumbling about this compact SUV (or ‘SAV’ in BMW-speak) for more than two decades. Clearly, as it launches a new fourth-generation model, BMW feels differently. The X3 consistently ranks as one of the best-selling models in its range. Perhaps [...]
Mini Aceman is an electric SUV with more character than most April 30, 2025 It has been nearly a quarter of a century since BMW revived the Mini. Reinterpreting an icon held close to many hearts is a risky business, as proven by Jaguar’s controversial rebrand and Ford’s attempt to revive the Capri. However, BMW’s Mini is one of the most successful comebacks for a classic name, making the [...]
BMW M5 2025 review: The hybrid super saloon with V8 muscle April 10, 2025 I was there, and 1984 was nowhere near as terrible as George Orwell would have you believe. Ghostbusters and The Goonies ruled the box office, Prince released Purple Rain, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood topped the chart with Relax, then again with Two Tribes. In Munich, meanwhile, BMW pulled the wraps off the world’s first [...]
Mini Cooper SE 2025 review: Minimum emissions, maximum fun February 24, 2025 Cast your mind back to 2001. As a new millennium got underway, the Mini brand was dramatically relaunched under BMW ownership, starting with the first-generation Mini hatchback. Time has moved quickly, with the Mini now into its fourth generation. Electrification is now core to the range, with the latest Mini available in both petrol and [...]
BMW pauses £600m electric vehicle Mini production February 23, 2025 BMW has confirmed it is delaying the reintroduction of electric vehicle production at its Oxford mini plant, citing “multiple uncertainties facing the automotive industry”. The decision has put a £600m investment on hold and raised questions about the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. The German carmaker, which has owned Mini 2000, had announced the investment [...]