Month: September 2018

Audi has revealed its all-electric SUV at a glitzy world premiere in San Francisco.

Called the E-tron Quattro, it’s one of the most tech-focussed cars on the market with some truly unique features.

While buyers will be impressed with its range of more than 200 miles on a single charge, those who love high-tech kit will be wowed by its world-first video camera wing mirrors, six touchscreens and stylish LED lights.

It comes with Quattro all-wheel drive that its designers claim is better than any version used on an Audi before.

Homologation for the UK hasn’t been completed yet, but Audi estimates it’ll have a range of 248 miles in real world conditions. That puts it up against premium electric car rivals the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace for range, however higher capacity 100D Teslas and Mercedes’s EQC will exceed this.

Although specific details for the UK are yet to be confirmed, prices will start at around £70,805 when it goes on sale in November. Audi has said that some European customers will have theirs before the end of 2018.

The electric car is capable of 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and it can hit a limited top speed of 124mph thanks to its 402bhp (300kW) power output and torque of 664Nm, which is available almost instantly.

The E-tron can be charged to 80 per cent in 30 minutes using a fast charger and sets a new standard with its ability to charge using a high powered 150kW unit. At home, it can charge at 11kW in around eight hours and has the option to charge at 22kW too.

As standard, the car gets a CCS rapid charger port on the driver’s side of the car, but buyers can choose to add a second AC port on the passenger side so they’re never caught out by an awkward charger.

Features such as this have been carefully thought through to make it one of the most practical electric cars on the market. The ports are hidden behind a discreet cover, which moves sideways rather than out – making it easier to charge even in a tight garage.

The car’s cameras make it possible to see a 360-degree recreation of the vehicle and its surroundings on the main infotainment touchscreen. The high-definition seven-inch OLED touchscreens in the door, connected to the side cameras, can also be easily adjusted too.

While the E-tron doesn’t look dissimilar to other SUVs in the Audi range, the aerodynamics have been key in the design and engineering process.

As standard it gets air suspension that’s capable of altering the height of the car depending on the speed. The roofline, body panels and wheel designs all help to reduce drag and increase range.

Orange touches are unique to this car, on the seats, brake calipers and E-tron logo, with only this, partially-closed grille and the clever light signatures that would distinguish this car as an EV.

The small SUV will face tough competition from the Tesla Model X, Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes EQC but it has all the right credentials in the practical family car stakes with five seats, 600 litres of boot space and a further 60 litres of storage space under the bonnet.

What is it?

Put simply, the Mazda MX-5 is an institution – the world’s best-selling roadster, a Japanese icon and the brand’s best-known car worldwide. It’s the car, Mazda says, that brings interest to the brand – keen drivers are attracted to the rest of the more practical lineup after being drawn in by the sporty and emotive MX-5.

And, with the UK buying more MX-5s than any other country in Europe, we’ve taken to it rather better to the dinky roadster anyone might expect from a country best known for its potholes and drizzle. This facelifted model, then, has to get some crucial elements right if the discerning British market is to continue its adoration.

What’s new?

You’ll struggle to tell updated model from the outgoing car at a glance, as it’s visually identical save for a small hump on the rear, which houses a reversing camera. As before, the manually folding soft-top is available alongside an electric ‘Retractable Fastback’ hard-top.

The changes are mostly under the skin, and the headline alteration is a brand-new 2.0-litre petrol engine to replace the existing unit. It offers 181bhp, up from the old car’s 158bhp, thanks to a raft of upgrades – this is more than just a slight tune-up.

Inside, a few crucial changes have been made off the back of existing owners’ feedback, while there’s also added safety kit. All versions are now compliant with WLTP emissions regulations, too.

Though I like the RF, a soft-top with cloth seats in Soul Red is my favourite MX-5. This thing is pretty mega with the extra grunt. pic.twitter.com/PDtq1Ys0fv

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) September 12, 2018

What’s under the bonnet?

The existing – and brilliant – 1.5-litre engine is carried over to the new car is virtually unchanged, but the headline feature is the new 2.0-litre engine. A power increase of 23bhp is well appreciated, though the five extra Newton-meters of torque is barely worth mentioning.

Of more note is the rev limit, which now sits at 7,500rpm — rather than 6,800rpm in the old car. That allows the driver to play to the MX-5’s strengths even better, as the most fun is to be had when wringing this car by its neck. The new engine is more free-revving than the old one too, giving it a character closer to the superb 1.5-litre. It’s a brilliant update.

Mazda’s refusal to give in to popular convention and turbocharge the MX-5 does mean that a hot hatchback such as the Ford Fiesta ST will easily outpace it, but a 6.3-second 0-60mph sprint is not too shabby. Nor is the claimed 40.9mpg – achieved thanks to Mazda engineers’ fanatical obsession with weight-saving and efficiency at component level.

There is an automatic transmission on offer with hard-top RF models, but the gearbox of choice is definitely the snappy and slick six-speed manual – truly one of the best in the business.

What’s it like to drive?

Drive the MX-5 hard and you’ll be unable to keep the smile from your face. So many of the ingredients are instantly right – with a perfectly low-slung driving position and compact pedal box, plus a thin-rimmed steering wheel with which to keep everything pointing in the right direction.

MX-5s have never been about ultimate pace – rather, how much fun you can have at slower speeds. We’re pleased to report that the chassis of this car is identical to the outgoing model, and so retains the sense of fun that characterizes these cars.

Everything’s fantastically well balanced, and the quick steering allows for lightning fast reactions. Best of all, the Mazda won’t punish inexperienced drivers should they try to press on a little too hard. Even when stressed beyond reasonable limits, the Mazda’s chassis remains safe and predictable.

Yet the MX-5 also remains a very capable daily driver. Though those with long motorway commutes may find it tiring, though it’s almost as much fun nipping through city streets as it is on a fantastic B-road.

How does it look?

There’s little to report here, as Mazda’s kept the styling of the facelifted model virtually identical to the outgoing car. We feel it could have taken this opportunity to tidy up some of the car’s details, though. We’d like to see an integrated aerial replace the old-fashioned stalk of the current car, for example.

Broadly speaking, however, the MX-5 remains a great-looking little roadster, with keen proportions and plenty of slashy styling detail. The new Soul Red Crystal metallic paint finish looks the part, too.

What’s it like inside?

Mazda’s improved the interior based on customer feedback. The flimsy cupholders have been replaced with supposedly sturdier units – we couldn’t notice much difference – while the actions of the seats and doors is also slicker.

Best of all – tall and small drivers rejoice – there’s now reach adjustment to the steering column for the first time. It makes it so much easier to get comfortable.

Though Apple CarPlay and Android Auto don’t feature as standard, they will be available as dealer-fit options.

What’s the spec like?

In typical Mazda fashion, specs are pretty simple and the options list short. All cars come with alloy wheels, LED headlights, keyless entry, and air-conditioning for no extra cost.

If you opt for the 2.0-litre engine, the range kicks off with SE-L Nav+ trim, which brings climate control, DAB radio, cruise control and a 7.0-inch multimedia system, plus 17-inch alloy wheels. Sport Nav+ adds sports suspension with Bilstein dampers, heated leather seats, automatic lights and wipers and a Bose stereo system, while the new top-of-the-range GT Sport Nav+ level brings a bootlid spoiler, stainless steel scuff plates and Sand leather seats.

All 2.0-litre models also come with a limited-slip differential at the rear to mark them out as a real driver’s option compared with the 1.5-litre.

Safety kit has been stepped up for this latest model, too. There is blind-spot monitoring – especially useful in the RF, which suffers from poor rear visibility – lane departure warning, cross traffic alert and front and rear autonomous emergency braking.

Verdict

This modest update to the MX-5 is a brilliant one, as it brings in an engine that finally has the effervescent and fizzy character of the 1.5-litre, but with enough power to delight serious drivers. Outright pace may not have improved that drastically, but the new engine is enough to turn the 2.0-litre MX-5 from a great car into a fantastic one. The additional comfort and safety features are also well appreciated.

Facts at a glance

Model: Mazda MX-5 SE-L Nav+ 2.0
Price: £23,085
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Power: 181bhp
Torque (Nm): 205
Max speed (mph): 136
0-60mph: 6.3sec
MPG: 40.9
Emissions (g/km): 156

Some corners of motorsport are designed to pit the fastest road cars on earth against one another to see which manufacturer can take home performance plaudits.

Inevitably, such stakes prompt the world’s top brands to find ways to beat the rulebook, often by producing some seriously impressive machinery on licence plates.

The history of these road cars built to appease racing rulebooks is lengthy and diverse – here are some prime picks from the history of homologation specials.

Mercedes CLK-GTR

The ‘90s were a renaissance period for GT racing, with manufacturers throwing millions at the then-new FIA GT Championship and the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race.

The CLK-GTR is powered by a 6.9-litre V12 engine, and later a 7.3-litre version, the ultra-low slung, mid-engined sportscar only shared the grille and headlamp design with the standard CLK. In every possible sense of the cliché, this supercar with a limited run of 35 production cars was a racer for the road.

BMW M3

When it comes to homologation specials, there are very few badges that have made as much of an impact as the M3.

The M3 arrived as BMW’s answer to the Group A touring car regulations, which were starting to come into their own by the mid-‘80s.

While the likes of Ford’s Sierra RS500 were contemporaries for the M3, nothing took on a road car life quite like the BMW — which would go on to become the most famous sports saloon of all-time, and truly cement the marque’s straight-six engine as an icon for enthusiasts.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

With Mitsubishi’s Galant starting to lose out to others in the World Rally Championship, the Japanese marque debuted the first Lancer Evolution, which heralded a golden era of the sport with Subaru, Ford and Toyota serving as the primary challengers.

Much like its fellow Japanese hyper-saloons, the Impreza and the Skyline GT-R, the value of the ‘Evo’ lineage extended beyond its homologation purpose, and the model would soldier on for several years after the marque pulled out of the sport. It would ultimately bow out after the tenth variant.

Lancia 037

The Lancia 037 is the ‘80s follow-up to the Stratos. If the Stratos is considered extreme, then the Group B-homologated 037 is almost lethal.

With an ultra-light Kevlar body and a mid-mounted 2.0-litre supercharged inline-four engine the 037 was a brutal machine. Just 207 lucky owners got to experience this rear-wheel drive beast, whose 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds is highly impressive given it only had 205bhp on tap.

Ferrari 250 GTO

When a car can sell for $70m, you know it’s special.

The Ferrari 250 GTO, of which only 36 were ever built, consistently makes headlines today as the star of many high-profile auctions.

In 1962, the GTO – ‘Gran Turismo Omologata’ – was making headlines as a highly successful racer, with the glorious styling aiding its reputation too. Ultimately, the 250 GTO would become a defining image of how a grand tourer should look.

In May, a 250 GTO sold for $70,000,000 (£53,770,500), becoming the world’s most expensive car sold at auction.

Ford RS200

Another mid-engined Group B special, the RS200 is one of the most spectacular cars of the mid-80s halcyon era of rallying.

With 237bhp on tap from a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, the power figures – once again – pale compared to the car’s reputation, however, 0-60mph in five seconds will certainly silence any doubters it may have.

BMW M1

The genesis of the M badge – does anything else really need to be said?

The M1 was built as a homologation special for the Group 4 sportscar regulations, which, in an unfortunate twist, were heading towards the end of their lifespan by the time the car was produced.

The 3.5-litre, 273bhp straight-six in the M1 became the cornerstone for the M models for years to come. The M1 stands out as quite possibly the most refined road-going supercar of the 1970s.

Porsche 911 GT1 ‘Strassenversion’

In 1996, the GT racing scene was coming into its own, with cars of all shapes and sizes hitting the track, and the McLaren F1 heading the way. However, when Porsche arrived with the 911 GT1, everything changed.

The 911 GT1 was, in essence, a parts bin project, with heavy borrowing from the Porsche 962 Group C car, and a smattering of 993, and later 996-esque parts to convince the governing bodies that the car was in fact based on a 911.

A limited run of 22 street versions, complete with the race car’s twin-turbo 3.2-litre flat-six, rolled off the production line between 1996 and 1997.

Nissan Skyline GT-R

Nissan phased out the GT-R badge in 1973 after the demand for ‘hot’ Skylines slowed due to an oil crisis. It came back 16 years later in spectacular fashion with the R32. The all-wheel drive super saloon was built for Group A racing, but like so many great homologation cars, took on a life of its own.

Well beyond fighting the likes of the M3, the RS500 and Mercedes’ 190E on-track, the GT-R quickly became a supercar killer in road and race form, and cemented itself as one of the most iconic performance cars of all-time.

Dodge Charger Daytona

As far as muscle cars go, it doesn’t get much more outlandish than this.

As aerodynamic devices became the hot new thing in motor racing, some outlandish designs came to the fore – NASCAR was no exception.

This low-drag, high-winged Charger was sold in a very limited run to make it eligible for stock car competition – just 503 examples of the 375bhp brute were built, and auction listings have gone as high as $900,000 (£691,560) thus far.

Lancia Delta HF Integrale

After Group B ended in 1986, there was something of a scramble to find its replacement.

The Group A regulations would ultimately be adopted for rallying, and Lancia became dominant with its Delta 4×4 models.

The rallying prowess would translate to the road with the later HF Integrale variants, which are among the most sought-after hot hatches on the market today. With 212bhp at the end of its life, a well-sorted chassis and a brilliantly boxy exterior, it’s no surprise that the Integrale continues to be lusted after nearly 30 years on.