Month: March 2018

In recent years, a boom in sales of SUVs and crossovers has seen manufacturers come up with new and alternative ways to capitalise on the trend – spawning classes of car previously never thought.

SUV-inspired city runabouts may have seemed a wild idea a decade ago, but now, they’re fast becoming one of the most popular segments on today’s market. Here, we take a look at the seven best on sale today.

Vauxhall Viva Rocks

Vauxhall’s latest offering definitely Rocks! (Sorry).

The Viva Rocks joined the British firm’s line-up late in 2017 and has instantly become one of its most interesting offerings. It’s well-equipped, offers good levels of equipment and is a genuine joy to drive. It maintains all the practicality and usability of the base Viva too, making it a perfect tiny tearabout.

Ford Fiesta Active

How do you take Britain’s best-selling car and have even more driven off forecourts? Add a crossover version, of course.

This is the Fiesta Active, new for 2018 and guaranteed to be an instant sales success. It takes the already-excellent Fiesta platform, and adds more ruggedness – as well as more kit, including selectable driving modes, meaning drivers will be ready no matter the conditions.

Kia Picanto X-Line

The Kia Picanto is a cheerful little machine, and the Korean manufacturer has brought even more personality with this – the X-Line.

It adds a funky look to the little hatch, as well as more customisation options to give buyers an opportunity to create something unique and reflect their personalities via the means of a small crossover.

Suzuki Ignis

Suzuki are the masters of the city car, and the Ignis is definitely not an exception to this rule.

It’s the only car on this list built from the ground up to be a little city tear-up that can also take a little bit more on if need be – especially so when paired with the firm’s excellent Allgrip four-wheel-drive system.

Dacia Sandero Stepway

Good news! Budget brand Dacia offers a rugged version of its popular Sandero city car.

This budget machine is pretty basic, but as a result, it’s cheap and also boasts plenty of character. If you want something that can take just a bit more than the city runabout, then this is one of the cheapest – and definitely not the worst – way to do so.

Citroen C3 Aircross

Citroen wouldn’t be Citroen if it didn’t have a quirky option in its line-up, and this is the latest.

The C3 Aircross takes the already eccentric C3 and adds a little more pizzazz, with an increased ride height, beefier bodywork and – for the full lifestyle look – colour-matched roof rails.

Fiat Panda City Cross

The Fiat Panda is getting pretty old now, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not one of the most interesting offerings on the market – with the Panda City Cross only adding to that.

This is more than just marketing to make it seem like a tiny off-roader – featuring an all-wheel-drive system and skid plates designed to protect the car from any terrain thrown at it. It’s a surprisingly capable little machine, and one we adore.

Having a valid MOT is crucial for a car to remain legal on UK roads – but recent research has revealed that millions of drivers each year forget to renew on time, leaving them at risk of a hefty fine.

A survey, commissioned by AA Cars quizzed 21,000 people on their MOT habits and found that when extrapolated the data could mean as many as two million Brits have been late renewing their MOT by a week – while of them, one million forgot to review it for up to a month.

The MOT test is no cakewalk – over a third of cars fail their first MOT test, with dangerous faults sadly common. The AA’s data shows that most drivers with a fault classed as ‘serious’ on their cars were unaware of it before the test.

Vehicle being used without a valid MOT. Expiry was September last year #T3TacOps #checkthedate pic.twitter.com/HWo1Vh8UTo

— Lancs Road Police (@LancsRoadPolice) March 23, 2018

This means that the millions of motorists who forget to renew their MOT certificates could be driving cars with undiagnosed serious faults.

Driving a vehicle without a valid MOT puts a driver at risk of a £100 fixed penalty notice, which could rise to £1,000 if the fine goes to court.

But even having a valid MOT certificate won’t protect you from driving a shed, as being in control of a vehicle with a dangerous fault could land you a fine of up to £2,500, three points on your licence and a potential driving ban, depending on the seriousness of the incident.

Simon Benson, director of motoring services at AA Cars, said: “For drivers across the country, MOT tests should be part and parcel of car ownership – or so we’d have thought. Despite the MOT test being an annual statutory obligation for cars over the age of three, it’s the sort of thing that can easily slip through the cracks.

“It is crucial that drivers book their test in advance – they are not just a routine checkup, but a legal imperative to make sure your car is still fit to be on the road.

“You can get the MOT up to a month early and still keep the same renewal date – so there’s nothing to gain by leaving it to the last minute. Either set your own reminder or sign up to the government’s MOT reminder service – you just need your vehicle registration number, email address and mobile number at the ready.

“It is worth noting that your MOT is a snapshot of time and regular servicing is vital to keep your car in a safe condition all year round.”

The MOT test – which annually checks a car’s roadworthiness – is changing on May 20 with diesel cars coming under closer scrutiny.

If your diesel emits any smoke whatsoever it’ll immediately fail and testers will put the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) under inspection to ensure it hasn’t been removed or tampered with.

Some diesel car owners remove the filters to boost performance and increase fuel efficiency, but as it regulates the gases produced by the engine it is damaging to the environment if it’s taken out.

Now, if a car was fitted with a DPF as standard, its removal would mean an instant MOT fail. While testers will thoroughly check the housing to ensure the internals haven’t been removed.

The biggest update to the test, though, is the way faults are classified – they’ll now either be dangerous, major or minor.

Minor issues will be recorded and the owner advised to get them fixed – but the car will still pass. These faults will also be added to the MOT certificate and online recording system.

Anything resulting in a dangerous or major classification will mean an immediate fail.

For example, a minor issue would be a problem such as oil leaking from the steering. However, this would escalate to a major if the leak was so bad as to be dripping.

AdBlue systems will be inspected as part of new checks for emissions control equipment while any leaks that pose a risk to the environment will be frowned upon.

Cars first used after March 2018 will also have their daytime running lights and front fog lights inspected.

New checks on prop shafts, rear drive shafts, the security and condition of bumpers, reversing lights, and closer inspection of the brakes than previously, will also come in.

The RAC has voiced concerns that the new system could lead to problems, though.

A spokesman said: “The new system creates the potential for confusion as testers will have to make a judgement as to whether faults are dangerous, major or minor.

“This will surely be open to interpretation which may lead to greater inconsistency from one test centre to another.

“Motorists may also struggle to understand the difference between dangerous and major failures. The current system ensures that any vehicle with a fault that doesn’t meet the MOT requirements is repaired appropriately before being allowed back on the road.”

Sometimes when all else fails, car design is a case of throwing things at a wall to see what sticks. After all, with such unpredictable customers as ‘the general public’, there’s no telling which innovations will become the next massive hit – and which will simply flounder at the bottom of the sales charts, waiting for the manufacturer to kill them off and let time simply forget them.

Not all innovative cars are commercial flops. In fact, some were very successful indeed, but were so inimitable that it took the rest of the industry years and years to catch up.

We’ve rounded up eight of the most radical and interesting cars below.

Matra-Simca Rancho

Lots of people credit the Nissan Qashqai with inventing the modern crossover segment back in 2006. It certainly popularised it in the UK and Europe, but for the real beginnings of the fastest-growing market sector in the world you need to go back almost three decades further, to the 1977 Matra-Simca Rancho.

What makes a crossover? A car-based platform? Check. Rugged looks and raised ground clearance? Check. A spacious, clever interior? Double check. Pretty much the only thing the Rancho didn’t have was four-wheel drive, a trait that’s filtered down to most of the crossover market today.

Tucker 48

American inventor Preston Tucker had bold ideas about safety, and they’re exemplified in his short-lived and ill-fated Tucker 48. The rear-engined car debuted safety features we take for granted today, such as a padded dashboard, front-end crash protection, and even swivelling headlights to help see around corners.

Tucker even envisioned other ideas, such as magnesium wheels, disk brakes and fuel injection, though these never made it past prototype stage. Ultimately, this innovative vehicle was scuppered by a heavily publicised fraud trial which, while proven baseless, damaged the company’s reputation too far, and it folded.

General Motors EV1

If asked what the first truly usable electric car was, you’d probably think of the Tesla Roadster, or perhaps the mass-market Nissan Leaf. But way back in 1996 General Motors produced a car with an impressive 100-mile range – and wasn’t exactly a slouch, with a featherweight body and 137bhp on tap.

Named the EV1, it was never released commercially. Poor reception led GM to recall all 1,200 prototype models to a facility in Arizona to be crushed. And with the cars, dreams of an all-electric future were crushed, too – with some blaming GM’s very public lack of faith for a general apathy towards electric vehicles in the US that’s only begun to be repaired in the last few years.

Citroen DS

What is there to say about the DS that hasn’t been said already? Here was a luxurious offering from a brand not frightened of innovation – one that broke the mould in every way imaginable, and a few others too. With incredibly sleek and beautiful styling, the DS (pronounced in French as déesse – the word for goddess) debuted features which have yet to be bettered today.

The car’s hydraulic suspension was a masterpiece, suspending occupants in unimaginable comfort at any speed. It set new standards in handling, and as the first car equipped with disc brakes it stopped as quickly as it cornered.

Honda FCX Clarity

Hydrogen is somewhat of a buzzword today, as buyers seek to combine the environmental aspects of a pure electric vehicle with the range and convenience of conventional fuelling. Though outwardly, the Clarity wasn’t exactly exciting, its hydrogen fuel cell’s only tailpipe emission was pure water.

The FCX Clarity’s failure wasn’t because it was a bad car – far from it. However, it was only released to a few buyers in California, and the infrastructure for refuelling simply did not exist to turn it into a mass-market product.

NSU Ro80

The Ro80 was absolutely ahead of its time – the problem is, we haven’t arrived at its time yet. The Ro80’s rotary ‘wankel’ engine was still in its infancy, but the benefits of incredible smoothness, high power-to-weight ratio and simplicity were plain to see.

Unfortunately, the engines also drank fuel and had an alarming habit of eating through vital parts at high speed. Mazda, which licensed use of the technology, persevered through the years, but it had to concede defeat in 2012 with the RX-8. It continues to research the technology though and will bring it to market as a range-extender for an electric vehicle. Could this herald a return?

Cadillac Fleetwood V8-6-4

The 70s and 80s in America were a miserable time for performance cars. Strangling emissions regulations bought on by the 1973 oil crisis meant massive 5.0-litre V8 engines often produced less than 150bhp. Cadillac’s answer was the V8-6-4 – an early example of cylinder deactivation technology.

The idea was that the engine could run on fewer cylinders under light loads, saving fuel and allowing the 6.0-litre V8 to operate as a 4.5-litre V6 or 3.0-litre four-cylinder depending on conditions. In reality, the technology was just too primitive, and owners were often left stranded by the hideously unreliable engines. Many later had them converted to run as standard V8s.

Porsche 959

A glance down the spec sheet of the Porsche 959 reads like a modern supercar rather than one first built in 1986. A twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine produced 444bhp, and was capable of 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds. It could also reach 197mph. Sounds exciting, no?

The 959 also featured four-wheel drive – one of the first outings of this tech on a high-performance vehicle, and one that would set the template for future 4WD Porsches. It had sophisticated aerodynamics, electronic tyre-pressure monitoring, controllable ride height – high-tech features even today, and unheard of on a car of the time. A true pioneer.

Chinese shopping centre Tmall and Ford have partnered to offer people the convenience of picking up a car from a giant vending machine.

Alibaba Group, which owns Tmall, opened the Super Test-Drive Centre in Guangzhou yesterday, allowing potential buyers to pick from 100 cars using their mobile phone and take one for a three-day test drive.

‘We are looking for ways to simplify customers’ lives and give them the ultimate try-before-you-buy experience,’ said Dean Stoneley, vice-president of marketing at Ford Asia Pacific, at the launch event.

‘It’s about having them try Ford vehicles and ultimately buying the vehicle at a Ford dealership.’

The customer can search for a new Ford on the Alibaba app. The system then uses face recognition when the customer arrives at the vending machine and the car is delivered straight to them.

When the partnership was announced in December 2017, Ford Motor Company executive chairman Bill Ford said: ‘China is not only the largest car market in the world, it’s also at the heart of electric vehicle and SUV growth and the mobility movement.

‘The progress we have achieved in China is just the start. We now have a chance to expand our presence in China and deliver even more for customers, our partners and society.’

China is the biggest car market in the world. But the most exciting thing about this market isn't that people are buying a lot of cars — it's how people are buying them. Alibaba's #Tmall partnered with @Ford to launch this “Super Test-Drive Center” in China. Take a look! pic.twitter.com/R070YDq2by

— Alibaba Group (@AlibabaGroup) March 26, 2018

Last week, Ford of Britain announced a partnership with Next stores to increase its representation in a similar way but on a much smaller scale – and without the vending machine.

It will start with a five-car showroom in the refurbished Next store in Manchester’s Arndale shopping centre, where test drives will be available and new cars can be handed over.

The hope is also that Alibaba’s analytics and marketing resources can be used by car brands and distributors to better target car buyers.

Gu Wango, general manager at Tmall Auto, said Alibaba would release the vending machine’s technology to the entire industry so that it could build stronger connections with consumers and support distributors ‘in the hope of helping upgrade the automotive sector as a whole’.

Cao Zhenyu, a senior executive at Changan Ford Automobile, the manufacturer of Ford passenger cars in Chongqing, China, added: ‘If we lengthen the duration of test drives, consumers can make buying decisions with more confidence and ease.

‘We want consumers to take our cars out travelling and on their daily commutes for them to fully experience our products, and eventually have that translate to sales at our physical stores.’

This car vending machine isn’t the first to be put into practice, with Carvana opening a 24-hour machine in the United States in 2017.

You could soon be picked up by a driverless Jaguar I-Pace at the touch of a button, as the British car manufacturer is teaming up with American firm Waymo to build up to 20,000 autonomous units of the electric SUV.

The Google-owned company has developed an autonomous system that will be fitted to the I-Pace, joining its development fleet before the company launches a driverless ride-hailing service later this year.

Waymo, which was founded in 2009 and was originally known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, claims to be the only transport company to have a fleet made up entirely of autonomous vehicles.

Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said: “With the Jaguar I-Pace we have a world-beating car that’s captured the imagination of customers around the world. Our passion for further advancing smart mobility needs expert long-term partners.

Introducing the world’s first premium electric self-driving vehicle – the Waymo @Jaguar Self-Driving I-PACE. pic.twitter.com/BKhofAAahV

— Waymo (@Waymo) March 27, 2018

“In joining forces with Waymo we are pioneering to push the boundaries of technology. Together we will deliver the self-driving Waymo Jaguar I-Pace with the grace, space and eco-pace that customers expect.”

John Krafcik, chief executive of Waymo, said: “While we’ve been focused at Waymo on building the world’s most experienced driver, the team at Jaguar Land Rover has developed an all-new battery-electric platform that looks to set a new standard in safety, design and capability. We’re sure Waymo riders will enjoy the safe, premium and delightful experience that the self-driving I-Pace will provide.”

This isn’t the first time Jaguar Land Rover has been involved in autonomous vehicle testing. Last year, the British firm began testing a number of cars fitted with driverless technology in its home city of Coventry – a first in the UK.

What is it?

This is the facelifted and fettled version of the wildly popular Mk3 Mini. Having occupied a position in the UK’s best-selling cars charts on and off for many years, the Mini has a dedicated and choosy fan base who love its pastiche of retro design elements, perky engines and sporty driving dynamics. With a brand-new Volkswagen Polo GTI on sale now, and the latest version of Ford’s Fiesta ST on the way, this high-performance Cooper S model has its work cut out for it.

What’s new?

The only way this new Mini could shout about its British heritage more is if the horn played ‘Jerusalem’. The latest car is absolutely covered in Union Jacks, with the new LED taillights the boldest implementation of this.

The new Mini is covered in Union Flags. This one's also called Alec – I hope Issigonis, but Baldwin would be fun too pic.twitter.com/bjxMKYCQzF

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) March 23, 2018

Elsewhere, changes are relatively small. UK cars now get full LED headlights as standard, with an unbroken ring of LEDs functioning as daytime running lights. Mini’s new, simpler logo features throughout, and inside there are a few tech upgrades. Personalisation has been ramped up, too, with the Mini Yours program giving buyers unprecedented levels of control over what their car looks like.

What’s under the bonnet?

The entry-level 1.2-litre engine has been replaced by a detuned version of the Cooper’s 1.5-litre unit. The rest of the range is identical in power, though fuel economy has improved.

Our Cooper S model produced a hefty 189bhp. Despite the Mini weighing a fairly porky 1,265 kilos, performance is sprightly, with 0-60mph despatched in 6.6 seconds. Top speed sits at 146mph.

The engine has plenty of low-down grunt, but doesn’t encourage you to rev it hard. The best progress is to be made in the mid-range, thanks to that turbocharged torque. All Minis get an excellent six-speed manual ‘box as standard, with rev-match technology in ‘Sport’ mode.

Most automatic models are fitted with a new seven-speed DCT transmission, which is smooth to shift but seemed too happy to change down unnecessarily. Hot JCW and Cooper SD models feature an eight-speed torque converter ‘box instead.

What’s it like to drive?

The Mini sticks to the road like glue in hard cornering – Mini says it handles ‘like a go-kart’ and has been trading on this since the brand was reborn in 2001. It’s fantastically entertaining on a twisty road, and the relatively stiff suspension ensures the car remains flat.

The steering is nicely weighted – albeit slightly too heavy in ‘Sport’ mode, and offers bags of feedback. It’s not a match for really hardcore hot hatches such as the Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport, but it walks all over the likes of the Audi S1 or Volkswagen Polo GTI.

That stiff suspension does mean the ride isn’t ideal for longer journeys, though. The Mini doesn’t exactly crash into bumps and potholes – it sort of bounces over them instead, courtesy of its short wheelbase.

How does it look?

Those patriotic taillights are the big talking point – they make the Mini totally unmistakeable, even from a distance, and are bound to be a bit of a Marmite choice. The headlights now feature an unbroken ring of LEDs – a far more premium touch – but elsewhere the Mini retains its cute proportions and retro styling. Whether you prefer this to the more contemporary style of cars such as the Audi A1 is a personal choice, but sales figures definitely come out in the Mini’s favour.

The Mini Yours Personalisation programme allows you to add your own choice of design to the projector lights, indicator repeaters, door sills and dash – our test cars were named after the Royal family, and proudly displayed ‘Phillip’ on the front wings.

What’s it like inside?

The Mini’s interior remains a sticking point, as its retro design hinders usability to a point. It’s characterful, but buttons and switches are scattered about the cabin. The small gauge cluster is hard to read, while the central infotainment display looks a bit lost within its vast surround.

Lighting is another sticking point, with an irritating strip in the centre console and a gaudily lit panel in front of the passenger clashing with the rest of the cabin backlighting.

Space for rear passengers and luggage is poor, but this won’t matter to most buyers – there’s plenty of room in the front, with comfortable and easily adjustable seats. Five-door models fix this to a point, but the Mini really isn’t a great family car.

What’s the spec like?

The new Mini features an improved equipment tally, but buyers should be wary of the extensive options list. As standard the car comes with a 6.5-inch infotainment display, DAB radio, LED lights front and rear, air-conditioning, and remote central locking.

Equipment levels increase with engine spec, but most buyers will opt for the ‘Chili Pack’ of options. This adds rear parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers, different alloy wheels, improved upholstery and sports seats.

Personalisation is vast and varied, and with the Mini Yours Pack, it’s possible to have 12 Union Jacks adorning your car. Please don’t specify all of them, though.

Verdict

The new Mini isn’t a big change over the old car, but it didn’t need to be. The updates help freshen up what’s now a four-year old car, and the result is eye-catching and feels premium. The best part of the Mini – the driving experience – has been left virtually untouched, and while it’s no luxury limo it remains amazing fun on a twisting road and more than accomplished in town. Lower-spec Cooper would be our choice over the somewhat pricey Cooper S, but whatever engine or trim you go for the Mini hatchback is a great small car.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Model as tested: Mini Cooper S
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol
Power (bhp): 189
Torque (Nm): 300
Max speed (mph): 146
0-60mph: 6.6 seconds
MPG (combined): 47.1
Emissions (g/km): 138

Suzuki has cancelled its advertising deal with comedy duo Ant and Dec in the wake of Ant McPartlin’s drink-driving charge.

In a statement released today, the Japanese manufacturer, whose sponsorship deal was understood to be worth in the region of £20m, said: “Suzuki are withdrawing their advertising campaign with Ant & Dec. No further material featuring the duo will be aired and Suzuki’s endorsement deal with the pair has come to an end.

“We agree with ITV and Ant & Dec that it was the correct decision not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend. As a car brand we recognise the seriousness of Ant’s charge. We completely support Ant’s decision to seek treatment.”

It comes following McPartlin’s alleged drink-driving incident in Lower Richmond Road, south-west London, on Sunday, which saw him reportedly collide with two other vehicles.

McPartlin, 42, was arrested and released pending further investigation, and was charged on Wednesday. It has since come to light that the presenter will be stepping down from television roles for the “foreseeable future”, as well as returning to rehab for treatment.

The show is due to return on March 31 and April 7 for the last two episodes of the series, with Dec Donnelly presenting it solo, and the manufacturer’s statement added: “Suzuki will however continue to sponsor the last two episodes of this series of Saturday Night Takeaway with our current idents.

‘Suzuki very much supports Dec and ITV’s decision to broadcast the shows, and as headline sponsors we also want to support the competition winners who have won places on the Plane to Florida for the series finale.”

The Ferrari 488 Pista is the latest lightweight supercar to come from the Maranello-based manufacturer, following in a long line of ultra-focused, track-ready models.

According to a Ferrari spokesperson, only 10 per cent of owners are expected to use it on track – but that doesn’t stop the Pista from being as hardcore as possible.

Here, are the key things you need to know.

Engine

The 488 Pista is powered by the same 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the standard 488, but it has been upgraded to deliver 711bhp at 8,000rpm and 770Nm of torque.

That represents a 49bhp increase in power over the engine in the standard 488, affording the Pista with even more brutal performance.

Performance

It only takes 2.65 seconds to do 0-60mph and can carry on to a top speed in excess of 211mph.

Incredibly, that beats the official acceleration time of Ferrari’s LaFerrari hypercar. It matches the figures set by the Pista’s main rival – the Porsche 911 GT3 RS too. The German manufacturer claims a 0-60mph time of 2.6 seconds, as well as a top speed of 211mph.

Gearbox

The 488 Pista features a gearbox capable of high-performance shifting, which is available in the race position.

This reduces shifting time and allows for more positive acceleration when a higher gear is engaged. Large gearshift paddles are located behind the steering wheel, allowing for easy shifts.

Lightweight interior

The 488 Pista’s cockpit has been designed to feel like the inside of a racing car. There are no luxuries, with lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre and Alcantara being used as much as possible.

Triangular- patterned hand-stitching, tread plates and heel rests are included, but the glovebox has been removed as part of weight-saving efforts in the under-dash area.

Strong exterior design

The design of the 488 Pista was guided by aerodynamics, as the car is totally geared towards performance. The S-duct at the front of the car was used by the designers as an opportunity to shorten the vehicle’s nose.

The splitter in the side air intakes has been removed and aerodynamic profiles run along the length of the car. The dolphin-tail rear spoiler gives an impression of lightness and the rear diffuser juts out prominently. To top it all off, a two-tone livery covers the whole car and completes the sporty look.

Price

Order books for the 488 Pista opened after the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show at the start of March.

Even before options, it costs £252,695 – though this could easily get close to £300,000 after a few options boxes have been ticked.

It’s a ‘special series’ car, meaning that it’ll have a fixed production run but won’t be limited in number – however Ferrari won’t confirm how long that production period will be.

F1-inspired aerodynamics

The 488 Pista is 20 per cent more aerodynamic
than the car it’s based on, thanks to a number of advancements made by the marque’s engineers.


The front radiator arrangement has been completely redesigned, with hot air being directed to the underbody ahead of the front wheels.

Rear intercooler performance has been improved by 10 per cent and the virtual fairing of the exposed area of the tyre cuts drag by seven per cent.

Lower centre of gravity

The Pista is 90kg lighter than the standard 488, making it more agile and responsive. These reductions have been made in the most weight- sensitive areas of the car, away from its centre of gravity.

A side slip control system has been incorporated, along with a lateral dynamics control system.

What’s in a name?

Well, the name ‘Pista’ means ‘Track’ in English – and this acknowledges Ferrari’s extensive motorsport heritage.

Carbon-fibre wheels

The 488 Pista is available with lightweight carbon-fibre wheels. These come with a composite aluminium and ceramic coating on the inside of the wheel.

An extreme homage to #Ferrari’s unparalleled heritage in motor sports. #Ferrari488Pista

— Ferrari (@Ferrari) March 20, 2018

As well as being impressive light – 40 per cent lighter than a standard wheel, in fact – the alloys have been tested to withstand temperatures of up to 1,200ºC.

That coating helps protect the carbon-fibre from the high temperatures of the carbon-ceramic brakes, which can hit up to 800c.

Motorsport-inspired mechanicals

The 488 Pista uses many components from Ferrari’s 488 GTE and 488 Challenge race cars.

Our racing heart beats fiercely. #Ferrari #488GTB pic.twitter.com/CVExwHLf3u

— Ferrari (@Ferrari) March 19, 2018

These parts include the engine and aerodynamics, while the weight saving measures taken also come from the high-performance racers. They help make the Pista 90kg lighter than a standard 488 GTB.

Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer

The Pista is the first car to benefit from Ferrari’s Dynamic Enhancer system. This system uses software to adjust the brake pressure at each individual wheel.

Introducing the extremely high performance of the #Ferrari488Pista: https://t.co/ePYTl6MO4q pic.twitter.com/4ucHWqscIB

— Ferrari (@Ferrari) March 19, 2018

Why? It means that the car can actively change the amount of brake used at any given time, helping improve cornering speeds as well as with traction coming out of the bends.

Incidentally, the Pista’s brake servo comes from the 488 Challenge race car, and that means that braking is immediate, without any ‘softness’ at the top of the brake pedal’s travel.

Fast lap times

The 488 Pista posted a lap time of 1:21:5 around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. Incredibly, that’s 1.5 seconds quicker than the regular 488 GTB – showing that the car’s updates really do help it achieve the best times on the circuit.

Top Gear’s famous helmeted test driver – The Stig – has set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest tractor.

The modified farm machine – known as ‘Track-tor’ – managed to hit 87.2mph on the show’s famous test circuit, thanks to its 5.7-litre Chevrolet-sourced V8, which churns out 500bhp.

It also features adjustable air suspension that can raise or lower the tractor’s body, as well as four-wheel brakes – normal tractors traditionally only have brakes on the rear axle.

Large 20-inch split rim wheels are shod in 54-inch ‘Super Swamper Bogger’ tyres, and the front and rear lights come from the Ariel Atom lightweight sports car.

It even features a twin hydraulic handbrake, which can independently brake each rear wheel, giving the tractor better cornering characteristics. Practicality was still kept in mind, however, as the tractor was fitted with a rack for wellingtons, as well as one for a garden spade.

Jack Brockbank, official Guinness World Records adjudicator, said: “To see The Stig hurtle past me in a tractor at 87mph was surreal, but hugely impressive.

“Equally as impressive is the engineering expertise of the Top Gear team that made this possible – the combination of their skills makes for brilliant record-breaking fun.”

The Stig’s attempt managed to beat a previous record-breaking run, which saw a tractor hit 80.87mph in Vuojarvi, Finland, in February 2015.

Track-tor’s epic run will be shown on Top Gear on BBC Two this coming Sunday at 8pm as well as on BBC iPlayer.