Author: Adam Weller

It’s commendable when a car design team comes up with an idea that defies convention, but while it has sometimes paid off, the envelope can be pushed either too early, or the wrong way entirely.

From electric cars that came too soon, to concepts to change the face of mobility as a whole, these are the outlandish cars that tried in vein to be inventive.

Sinclair C5

Sir Clive Sinclair made headway in the early days of computing with his eponymous company and products like the ZX Spectrum, but not all ventures equated to success for the entrepreneur.

His interest in electric cars resulted in the formation of Sinclair Vehicles, which debuted the pedal-assisted C5 in January 1985. Production had stopped by August, and the company as a whole went into liquidation in November, after sales and reviews of the early EV proved equally poor.

While the C5 still retains something of a cult following today, don’t expect a revival any time soon; the concept is likely not best suited to the modern world of legislation and lawsuits.

General Motors EV 1

With a touted electric range as high as 160 miles (for post-1999, second-generation cars), and charging times that still don’t read terribly today, the General Motors EV 1 looked like a real leap-forward in emissions-free motoring when it debuted in 1996.

The cars were distributed to the public on a lease basis, and in 2002, all of the cars were pulled from the road. Controversially, a majority were then destroyed, while others would arrive at educational establishments or museums in deactivated form.

While those who leased the cars understandably didn’t want to let them go, an alleged cost to GM of $250,000 per car versus a $300 per month lease fee may go some way to explaining the project’s demise.

Nissan GT-R LM Nismo

It is rare that we feature racing cars in lists of this nature, but it’s equally rare for a manufacturer this big to make something this radical, and for it to go this badly wrong. Nissan was hardly coy with the project, either; the GT-R LM Nismo even played a starring role in a Super Bowl advert in 2015.

That year’s Le Mans 24 Hours saw the racing debut of the car, which was unique among its premiere (LMP1) class rivals for being front-engined. It also delivered its internal combustion engine power to the front wheels, with an electric motor delivering power to the rear axle.

Unfortunately, development for the GT-R was troubled, and on race weekend the car was 20 seconds per lap off the pace. None of the three entries were classified as finishers, and while development continued until the year’s end, the project was cancelled before it ever raced again.

Proton Gen-2

Sold in the UK as a unique ‘dual-fuel’ car, the Gen-2 could accept either petrol or LPG. The fact that it could be fuelled on the latter was touted as the main selling point for the Proton, which was a problem for two reasons.

Firstly, LPG wasn’t readily available at many fuel stations when the Gen-2 arrived in 2008 – and it still isn’t a decade on – plus, beyond the duel-fuel gimmick, it wasn’t a particularly great car.

DMC DeLorean

The worst thing a manufacturer can do is yell from the rooftops about proposed innovations, and then fail to deliver.

The DeLorean was supposed to feature a Wankel rotary engine, and the chassis was to be built using a new manufacturing method dubbed elastic reservoir moulding. However, both of these plans, as well as other outlandish ideas, had to be scrapped, and the car was instead almost completely re-engineered.

A brief production run of what proved to be an underpowered, far from perfect vehicle persisted from 1981 to 1983 in Northern Ireland. From there, it was destined to be a history book footnote, until Marty McFly arrived to propel the car to 88mph and perpetual cult icon status.

Aston Martin Lagonda

With a look that can generously be described as bold, the Lagonda really owed it to itself to be as radical as its design would have you believe. And to Aston Martin’s credit, it certainly tried.

With LED dashboard displays, touch pad controls, a gas plasma display and plenty of other quintessentially 1970s innovations, the interior of the Lagonda was straight out of a Tomorrow’s World episode.

Unfortunately, these innovations were as unreliable as they were bewildering to customers, and despite soldiering on from 1974 until 1990, well under 1,000 were built and sold.

The spoken word is awash with phrases and pronunciation that will twist your tongue at will, or make you question quite how a certain spelling was agreed upon in the first place. And while it is often the names of people and places that can be the hardest of all to say correctly, motoring is certainly not free from names that will trip you up. 

From brands to badges, these are the motoring pronunciations that commonly trip up everyone from Top Gear to Thomas from the pub.

Koenigsegg (Cone-iggs-egg)

This Swedish supercar marque is named for its founder, and while it has built plenty of truly impressive cars in its increasingly rich history, ultimately all conversations about the brand come back to its name. 

However, so long as you’re spelling Koenigsegg correctly, it is said as it is written, but for some it can be very easy to add an extra letter; if we had a pound for every time we were at a car show and heard some declare the One:1 a ‘Koeningsegg’, we’d have enough to buy our own by now.

Porsche (Porsch-er)

Contrary to what appears to be popular belief, the ‘E’ at the end of Porsche is not silent. However, this doesn’t stop many dropping a syllable from the iconic sports car firm’s name when they see a ‘Porsch’ on the road. 

This mis-pronunciation is so common that even Porsche itself has taken action, publishing videos online to assist those who struggle. Perhaps this battle will prove fruitless though, given the year’s biggest song rhymes the brand name with ‘Horse’.

Ssangyong (sang-yong)

This Korean brand’s first two letters should be pronounced as one, but try telling that to an overwhelming majority of English speakers, and it doesn’t quite command the following of Porsche to correct everyone en masse.

The name itself is rather interesting for reasons beyond how it’s said, as it translates back to Korean as ‘double dragons’. 

Huayra (her-why-ra)

Have you ever dreamt of being so rich that you can buy a hypercar with a name most people can’t even say? If so, the successor to the Zonda is the vehicle for you.

Pronounced ‘Her-why-ra’, but often said in a face-bending mash of smashed together sounds, the car takes its name from Peruvian wind God Huayra-tata. 

Alpine (al-peen)

The recently-revived French sports car outfit is another firm that could run an entire advertising campaign based solely on teaching people to say its name properly.

While it is tempting to go with the pronunciation you’d expect for a word ending in ‘-pine’, it is actually pronounced ‘Al-peen’. And it is not the only Renault-owned manufacturer with a name that catches some out…

Dacia (datch-yer)

The blame for this common error can be placed firmly on the doorstep of one James May, whose long-term obsession with the cheap and cheerful ‘Day-see-a’ Sandero introduced Top Gear’s massive audience to Renault’s Romanian budget brand. 

While this free publicity was no doubt welcome, it did come at a price for the marketing team; when the Sandero arrived on British shores in 2013, Dacia had to set about correcting the entire population on how the brand’s name is pronounced. 

It’s actually “Datch-yer”, despite the common belief to the contrary.

Every year, dozens of new cars are launched to the market, and it’s inevitable that some fall to the wayside. And on other occasions, cars that were lauded get usurped and ultimately cast aside by their own replacement.

This list is dedicated to cars that – for one reason or another – have been under-appreciated by the masses….

Audi R8 V8

While it was quickly joined in the line-up by a headline-grabbing V10, it was the V8-powered R8 that brought Audi to dance in the world of supercars.

Sourcing its 4.2-litre unit from the RS4, the overall package presented by the Audi R8 was impressive from the off, serving as the most liveable supercar since the original Honda NSX.

Skoda Octavia vRS diesel

Currently, Volkswagen Group is pushing out plenty of diesel performance cars under its Audi brand, but sister firm Skoda has producing such products for years.

The Octavia vRS of today is available with either a petrol or diesel engine, and while it is the petrol with the headline-grabbing BHP figures, the torque of the diesel makes for a unique and high-tempo driving experience on twisty roads.

Volkswagen Golf R32 (MkIV)

The R32 is seen by many as the high-water mark for hot Golfs, with its 3.2-litre V6 and all-wheel drive making it one of the most visceral versions of the hatchback.

While the later MkV tends to be the one most fondly remembered thanks to its further refinements, the MkIV was a very impressive car in its own right, with the R32s go-faster bulges adding flavour to the rather dull exterior of the standard Golf.

Ford Mondeo ST220

While it holds nowhere near the prestige of some other fast Fords, the ST220 is one of the more exciting blue oval-badged cars of its era.

Featuring a 223bhp, 3.0-litre V6, it made the right noises, and much to the eternal delight of owners, it can even claim an Aston Martin connection; the 5.9-litre V12 used in the DB9 could be easily traced back to a pair of V6s taken from this car.

Kia Cee’d GT

While Hyundai’s i30 N is seen by many as the moment South Korea put its chips on the table in the hot hatch stakes, it’s Hyundai Motor Company’s other brand that arrived on the scene first.

While the Nurburgring-honed Hyundai is far more of a performance car than the 201bhp Kia, the Cee’d was not a bad car by any stretch, with well-fettled handling and little of the compromise seen in more intense hot hatches.

Porsche 968

The history books are never going to smile that fondly on Porsche’s front-engined experiments in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. However, it can’t be denied that the cars themselves were good performers, none more so than the 968.

Particularly fetching in Clubsport spec, the 968 was the last of its bloodline, and has consistently been mooted as a refined and fun – if short-lived – front-engined sports car.

Skoda Yeti

At Skoda, the SUV boom has arrived. But, while Kodiaq and Karoq are spear-heading a new era at the Czech firm, the Yeti is the forerunner.

On the market for eight years, the Yeti was never a comprehensive sales smash, but it was relatively practical, capable off-roader with four-wheel drive, and had a quirky look not too far removed from the likes of the Panda 4X4.

Infiniti Q50

There are many words that could be thrown at the soon-to-depart Infiniti brand, Nissan’s answer to Lexus.

While the cars have been rather glued to the forecourt, some of the vehicles have been impressive. The Q50 is the answer to the BMW 3 Series, and it’s capable if unremarkable. However, if you opt for the 328bhp 3.7-litre V6 variant, with an engine from the Nissan 370Z, it becomes rather sporty, and serves as an ideal ‘sleeper’ saloon car.

The main thing that attracts humans to speed is adrenaline; the rush of watching the scenery fly by at an ever-faster rate. It’s because of this that those who seek this thrill are often called adrenaline junkies, or dare devils.

Not only is the past time of pursuing pace an adrenaline-fuelled one, but it also rather dangerous. And as a result, extreme cars are often named to add a sense of gravitas, often citing the Land of Lucifer; if race tracks are your heaven on earth, hitting the barriers is probably hell, after all.

These are the best cars named after the Devil, his grounds and all of his friends.

Dodge SRT Hellcat

When a new wave of muscle cars arrived in the mid-2000s, there were quite a few enthusiasts who felt they simply weren’t powerful or raw enough. Dodge’s Challenger was one of the cars that received critique, which the boffins at the brand’s performance arm SRT clearly saw as a gauntlet.

Both the Challenger and the Charger received a 697bhp, supercharged V8 for the ‘Hellcat’ models, perhaps the most extreme performance muscle cars of all-time… for a while.

Lamborghini Diablo

Lamborghini’s cars always seemed a little possessed, lairy and demonic given the chance, so why not skip the pretence and name one after the devil?

The 1990 Diablo – devil in Spanish – was the result of this line of thinking, and it has since gone down as one of the most brutal, off-the-leash Lamborghinis ever built; a title it is unlikely to lose any time soon.

Who’d have thought that a little over 25 years later, the company naming cars after the devil would supply a Huracan to the Pope?

Lister LFT 666

If you’ve ever so much as seen the first five seconds of a horror movie trailer before you can skip the ad on YouTube, you’ll know that the number 666 has some satanic connotations.

Lister decided that this steroidal take on the Jaguar F-Type should not only be branded with that number, but also pack a 666bhp punch.

If you’re hitting the road in one of these, maybe pack a cross just in case.

Radical Rapture

Ah yes, the end of days. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re destined for heaven or hell, rapture will apparently be the day you find out.

When Radical decided to take its track day prowess and put it into one of the year’s most extreme road cars, perhaps it was only natural to name it after the day of reckoning? Either way, it’s expected that the Rapture will live up to its name, offering edge of seat thrills on road and track.

Dodge Demon

It takes a brave engineer to look at a 700bhp muscle car and say “I think more can come out of this”, but clearly someone at SRT thought exactly that.

The result? The 840bhp Challenger Demon, the most notorious grim reaper for tyres to come from a production line in many a year. Thanks to a wide body kit, the Demon is as imposing as it is loud and fast; expect your kids to check under the bed for this one at night.

Hennessey Exorcist Camaro

The team at Hennessey are now known for sailing against the wind, and squaring up against some of the world’s top manufacturers.

After Dodge came out with the Demon version of the Challenger, Hennessey fired back with a tuned Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 designed to eclipse, surpass and dispose of the machine from SRT, with almost 1,000bhp on tap.

Sometimes, businesses simply can’t afford to take risks, no matter how good the idea presented to them is. Car manufacturers are no exception, but it seems as though there’s a greater will to make a leap of faith on outlandish thoughts in motoring boardrooms.

Is this a good thing? Absolutely, but sometimes it can lead to a disastrous sales flop.

This list is dedicated to the best and worst of the noughties’ most left-field creations.

Renault Avantime

The Avantime was certainly a departure from the rest of the MPV segment. Too much of a departure? Probably. During its lifespan of less than three years, the cars seemed rather glued to the forecourt.

However, due to offering a 3.0-litre V6 as one of its engines, and the ‘Grand Air’ mode that allows all windows and the car’s vast sunroof to all go down, the Avantime has become something of a cult classic.

Smart Roadster

When Smart was still in its infancy, you’d have to suggest that very few motoring enthusiasts were losing sleep over what a Smart sports car would look, sound and drive like.

However, someone in the Mercedes-owned brand clearly did, which saw a concept version of the Roadster pressed into service on the motor show circuit, and it was popular enough to convince the big wigs to green light a production model.

The end result was never in danger of being called ‘perfect’, but it is certainly one of the funkier convertibles of the decade.

Peugeot 1007

The Peugeot 1007 didn’t seem to know quite what it wanted to be. With its colourful interior trim, it felt rather youthful and exuberant, while the rest of the product looked more likely to appeal to the elderly or the disabled with its van-like silhouette and sliding doors.

And, since the car never found an identity, it also never found a customer base, and was axed by Peugeot UK in 2008.

KTM X-Bow

Coming into the spotlight at the tail-end of the 2000s, the X-Bow has retained a reputation as a solid track car throughout the 2010s.

However, this Austrian open-top racer has always been dominated by fascination over its unique, focused looks, and its sheer rejection of practicality by not even offering a roof.

Nissan Cube

After the second-generation Cube attracted attention from the media and enthusiasts for its uniquely boxy exterior, Nissan decided to officially import the third-generation car to the UK for 2009, just about qualifying for this list as a result.

It didn’t sell well from new, but if you’re after something different that’s indistinguishable from any other Nissan as a driving experience, this is the used buy for you.

Renault Clio V6

Motor racing has often been the inspiration for some truly insane road cars, but usually this is for the purpose of meeting a certain set of rules set out by race organisers, birthing ‘homologation specials’.

The mid-engined Clio V6 started out life as a single-make racing car in 1999, before hitting the road in 2001. Since this series was under Renault’s control, there was no need for a road car, but wonderfully, they decided to commence a production run anyway.

The Clio V6 series would ultimately be superseded by race events for equally bonkers mid-engined Meganes, which sadly never made the move to the street.

Mitsubishi i

City cars and quirkiness seem to have gone hand in hand throughout the 21^stcentury, and few had more eccentricities than the Mitsubishi i.

This Japanese kei car was exported to the UK in 2007, and while it was never a smash hit, it has been persistent; in electric i-MiEV form, it continues to live on alongside rebadged versions of itself from Peugeot and Citroen.

Chrysler PT Cruiser

While the PT Cruiser is likely to forever illicit a poor reaction from most passionate motorists, a 10-year lifespan and a production run that topped 1.3 million units has to be an indicator that it did something right.

Straddling the line between hatchback and Compact MPV, the styling was the main hang-up for many. It was alleged to be inspired by the 1930s, and looking at the PT Cruiser almost 20 years on from its debut, one can assume that its designer drew most of their inspiration from the Great Depression.

When electric cars first started appearing on forecourts across the country, they felt like something of a novelty. For the most part, they arrived wearing all-new nameplates rather than established badges, and were often styled rather differently from the rest of the line-up.

This was the case with hybrids, too. For many years, did anything else look remotely like the Toyota Prius, in the Japanese brand’s arsenal?

Now, electric tech has matured, and the idea of creating an electric version of a popular model is less of a risk; it’s edging ever closer to being a necessity.

Here are some of the established, popular models going electric, now or in the near future.

Jaguar XJ

The announcement of increased investment in Jaguar’s electric car manufacturing facilities came wrapped with some surprising news; the XJ, a car that conjures up thoughts of straight-six motors or supercharged V8s, will be going all-electric.

While some will no doubt see this as a shame, the idea of Jaguar’s big, soft flagship gaining the near-silent refinement of electric performance is certainly one that piques our interest.

Vauxhall Corsa

The next Vauxhall Corsa was always going to be a little different, given it’s the first example to be developed with new owners PSA, rather than General Motors.

But, while the Corsa going electric was certainly big news, it perhaps shouldn’t have been a surprise; with the advancement in battery tech, an electric car can do pretty much everything that the likes of the Corsa is usually asked to do.

Mini

It wasn’t so long ago that the news of a hybrid Mini – albeit a Countryman – seemed like quite a big deal, so the arrival of an electric variant of the Mini itself in the model’s 60^thanniversary year was quite the leap forward.

The Mini Electric looks like just the beginning of Mini’s volt forward into the future; a collaboration between parent company BMW and Great Wall Motors is expected to herald further EVs as a part of the German firms’ goal to have 25 electrified cars for sale under its umbrella by 2024.

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen was well ahead of the curve when it came to an electric version of its most popular model.

Even in the 70s, the MK1 Golf was being used to experiment with replacing the internal combustion engine with batteries, and the German marque sold electric ‘CityStromer’ versions of both the MK2 and MK3 Golf.

As such, it probably shouldn’t have shocked anyone when Volkswagen committed its flagship hatchback to an electric model in 2014. The e-Golf has proven to be a very good example of electric motoring, and its reasonable to expect more of the same from the upcoming MK8 Golf.

Smart ForTwo

As soon as a big company took on the idea of a small electric city car for a high-volume production run, novel beasts such as the G-Wiz were never going to be long for the world. When Mercedes-owned Smart rolled out an electric version of the ForTwo in the late 2000s, the moment had finally come.

Today, the electric Smart has a solid share of ForTwo sales, and its own badge – EQ.

Ford Transit

The all-electric commercial vehicle isn’t an entirely new concept, with the likes of Nissan giving businesses an electric option with the E-NV200.

However, the introduction of an electric Transit will likely be something of a watershed moment, as the badge is as synonymous with vans as Hoover is to vacuum cleaners.

Ford has confirmed that the Transit will go electric for 2021.

Peugeot 208

Given the 208’s platform is the same one Vauxhall’s Corsa is built on, there will be no shortage of small electric hatchbacks in the very near future.

However, having never received so much as a hybrid production version before, the arrival of an electric 208 is still pretty big news; and, with an estimated 211-mile range, it should be a very capable EV.

Jaguar E-Type Zero

And now for something completely different.

Jaguar now offers an all-electric version of its classic E-Type for some £300,000, or ‘just’ £60,000 if you source the car for conversion yourself.

And, while many may cringe at the idea of putting an electric motor in this iconic car, fear not; the changes made to create the E-Type Zero are completely reversible.

If other manufacturers follow Jag’s lead with the concept of electrifying classics, perhaps the battery-driven future might look a little more avant-garde than we thought?

A staple of the automotive calendar since its 1993 debut, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the world’s premier events for petrolheads.

This year, some of the most successful cars, bikes, drivers and riders from motorsport history are being showcased, with the theme for 2019 being ‘Speed Kings – Motorsport’s record breakers’.

And, while the event was – and is – still very much centred on motor racing, many manufacturers take the opportunity to show off the latest and greatest in motoring at the Festival of Speed. Here’s just some of what to expect from the Festival of Speed this year…

An even more exciting Ford GT

The Ford GT is certainly no slouch, but it seems that some of the power-hungry boffins at Ford Performance simply aren’t content with the standard car.

A teaser for a new variant of Ford’s flagship supercar was released recently, and a reveal is due for the car at Goodwood on Thursday.

It is clear from the teaser shot that this will be a racing-inspired take on the GT, and this is only confirmed by the confirmed presence of team members from Multimatic, the racing team behind Ford’s recent Le Mans successes, at the reveal.

The Rapture cometh

RAPTURE – Where the track meets the road…

Join us at stand 503, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for our global dynamic launch on Thursday 4th July 2019. Alternatively, you can watch the big reveal via our online live-stream at https://t.co/iTECITwx1O#theraptureiscoming #FOS pic.twitter.com/XKbS6ZkEng

— Radical (@RadicalCarsUK) June 24, 2019

Radical has become an established name on the more track-focused end of the sportscar spectrum, and the new road and circuit ready Rapture model is looking to enhance that.

The teaser image that has been revealed suggests that this car will borrow some cues from the RXC Coupe already built by the firm, but – in a first for Radical – it will be powered by a turbocharged engine.

Timed shootout

Sunday is perhaps the best day for fans of cars with stripes and numbers on the doors, as the timed shootout sees teams wheel out everything from pre-war racers to spaceship-esque electric vehicles.

Indeed, it is the electric cars that are expected to be the kings of the climb this year, with Romain Dumas set to take the wheel of the Volkswagen ID.R that won the event in 2018, and all-time course record holder Nick Heidfeld taking the wheel of his Mahindra Formula E car.

Concours

As is so often the case at this event, there are just as many immaculate cars on display as there are on the course.

The most painstakingly maintained cars of all will be seen at the Style et Luxe Cartier Lawn, where expert judges will determine a winner from a stellar selection of classic and vintage vehicles.

Michael Schumacher’s cars and rivals

On the year of his 50^thbirthday, and the 25^thanniversary of his first World Championship victory in 1994, Michael Schumacher is to be celebrated at the event.

While the seven-time champion cannot be there himself as a consequence of his on-going recovery from a 2013 skiing accident, two of his greatest rivals – Damon Hill and Mika Häkkinen – will be on hand, as will a number of Formula One cars from his career at the top of the sport.

Aston Martin sculpture

The sculpture in front of the Goodwood house has become one of the most anticipated features of the event, and this year, it is Aston Martin that takes the honour of being showcased on the Duke of Richmond’s front lawn.

Aston Martin road and race cars will also be on display and on the hill climb, as the firm celebrates 60 years since its first Le Mans victory.

Aston isn’t the only brand marking an anniversary at Goodwood, either; Bentley will continue its centenary celebrations at the show, weeks on from a spectacular parade at Le Mans. 

New ‘arena’ area

While the strictly sideways, extreme drivers of the world seemed an odd match for the stately home setting of Goodwood, the antics of Ken Block, Terry Grant and Vaughn Gittin Jr have become an unmissable part of the event.

This year, all of the above drivers and a host of other tire-smoking adrenaline junkies will show off in the new ‘arena’ at the event, adding yet another dimension to the Festival of Speed.

Dramatic footage of an in-car fire at the Donington Park race circuit has emerged online.

Racing driver Calum Lockie was leading a race behind the wheel of a £340,000 recreation of the iconic Shelby Daytona Coupe earlier this month, when smoke started billowing from behind his seat. The heat was coming from the car’s differential, which was rapidly overheating.

Lockie, a veteran of the Le Mans 24 Hours and a former British GT Champion, told the Press Association that a lap before the video started, he’d noticed some puffs of smoke inside the car.

He said: “I thought to myself that Donington is hard on brakes, so they’re probably getting a bit hot; I’ll ease off the braking for a minute and see if that helps.”

Shortly afterwards, a safety car was deployed on circuit because of a stopped car on the track. While Lockie believed it was a chance for the car to cool down, he was soon proven wrong.

Heavy smoke quickly became flames, and the racer broke with convention to overtake the safety car and drive at full speed back to the pit lane as fire licked around him.

Lockie explained the incident in greater detail: “Because of the speed reduction [behind the safety car], the air flow was much reduced. Very quickly it became a great cloud of smoke, and then suddenly flames appeared about a foot from my right shoulder, and I thought ‘ah’.

“It was a choice of pulling over at a marshals post or making it back to the pits. The marshals do a great job, but the resources at their posts are limited. So, if it’s a persistent fire in a difficult to access place, they’re at risk. Parking on grass in that situation is another interesting one, potentially.”

The driver elected to “zoom back to the pits”, where the better-equipped marshals, fire tender and Lockie’s team could extinguish the flames.

“I went by and signalled to the safety car; by the time I got to the final chicane everything had heated up, and there really wasn’t much braking left”, he said.

The fire truck stationed at pit entry put out the fire, and the car has already been repaired ahead of a race in France this weekend, just three weeks on from the incident.

Once the fire was put out and the car was examined, it was discovered that a tooth from the car’s gearbox had chipped away and became lodged in the differential’s oil pump. This caused the differential to overheat, which started a fire and eventually caused the fuel tank to burn through and leak.

Race officials commended Lockie rather than reprimanding him for his actions. Fortunately, he was unharmed aside from “coughing the next day, because I did breathe in some fumes”.

Remarkably, Lockie took part in two further races in other cars that day, finishing third overall and first in class in his final race.

The SUV has proved itself to be the car for the 21^stcentury motorist, vanquishing the popularity of traditional MPVs and saloons. It doesn’t matter if it can’t actually go off-road; so long as it looks remotely rugged and has a high driving position, it’s going to sell.

However, these cars have often been referred to as gas guzzlers for a reason, and the ever-stricter emissions regulations can make continuing to produce these vehicles a tricky task. As such, manufacturers are increasingly turning to combining electric motors with petrol and diesel engines to improve fuel economy.

With vastly improved fuel economy and impressive performance, these are the hybrid SUVs you should consider.

Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine

The T8 badge denotes the flagship variant of a Volvo model. In years past, it would also point to a V8 engine under the bonnet, but this is no longer the case.

Today, the T8 is a ‘Twin Engine’ car, with a 2.0-litre paired to plug-in hybrid electric motors. It can go from 0 to 60mph in under six seconds, and Volvo claims it can achieve 83.1mpg.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV has been the most popular hybrid SUV of all over the past few years, and that’s understandable, as it not only looks the part and performs well, but it also represents good value compared with other plug-in hybrids.

Its claimed fuel economy is seriously impressive too, at 139.7mpg. Of course, this economy can only be found in the real world if you’re going to regularly take in journeys above the electric motor’s 35-mile pure electric range.

Range Rover P400e PHEV

This is one of the more luxurious choices on the list.

With an already-impressive 296bhp four-cylinder turbo engine paired with an electric motor for the best part of 400bhp, the P400e certainly has the performance for any given job, and a claimed 85.1mpg is also promising.

It accelerates from 0-60mph in just 6.4 seconds, which is a lot of speed for a lot of metal.

Toyota RAV4

Toyota has long been a pioneer of hybrid cars, courtesy of models such as the Prius. As such, it’s little surprise that it is among the first to convert one of its mainstream models into a pure hybrid.

The RAV4 is now only available in the UK with an electric motor and a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, which produce upwards of 220bhp as a combined unit.

It claims 62.8mpg, and real world testing in the motoring press has actually proved that figure to be exceptionally close to the car’s true economy.

Lexus RX 450h

With claimed fuel economy of just 37.1mpg, the RX 450h is fairly thirsty compared to some on this list, though this claimed figure is arguably one of the more realistic you will find on the market.

It features a 3.5-litre V6 with almost 310bhp on-tap, and is a solid, kinder-to-budget alternative to some of the more luxurious cars on this list.

Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid

Perhaps the most dynamic SUV on the market, from a brand that has long been pushing the electric agenda; it’s fair to say that the hybrid Cayenne was anything but a surprise.

Based on the entry level 335bhp 3.0-litre V6, the addition of electrification means over 450bhp in total and a claimed economy figure of 83.2mpg.

In the Cayenne range, the hybrid is only out-gunned by the ballistic 542bhp Turbo.

Mini Countryman S E ALL4

Even the more compact end of the SUV scale is becoming more and more hybrid friendly.

Mini’s hybrid Countryman is among the most impressive of them, with surprising off-road ability for a car bearing the badge famed for small superminis.

The car offers 220bhp, and claims 134mpg of fuel economy, though this is of course unlikely in most real-world driving scenarios.

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid

When it comes to luxury, few can beat Bentley, and it’s clear that the British marque is going to be gunning for the Range Rover PHEV’s ‘most luxurious hybrid SUV’ crown with this car.

The upcoming hybrid version of the Bentayga will feature a petrol V6 engine paired with electric motors, and given Bentley’s ties to brands such as Porsche and Audi through Volkswagen Group, we can expect this model to feel proven right out of the box.

The Porsche 911 is part of an elite club of sportscars whose iconic status is simply not up for debate.

Having endured for the better part of 60 years, the 911 took the foundation set by the 356, and cemented itself and its manufacturer as one of the most prestigious sports car brands out there.

But, while ‘911’ is to Porsche what Hoover is to vacuum cleaners, that’s not to say that the engineers in the factory haven’t produced some other equally impressive vehicles over the years.

Here are the best non-911 Porsches to have ever rolled off the production line.

Boxster/Cayman

When the Boxster first arrived on the scene in 1996, it was looked down upon in some circles for being the Porsche aimed at those who couldn’t afford a 911.

However, as the years went on, the capabilities of this mid-engined drop top grew to be appreciated, with the eventual addition of the hardtop Cayman furthering the appeal of the Boxster platform.

Now labelled collectively as the 718, the Cayman and Boxster have proven themselves to be extremely capable, especially in variants such as the track-focussed GT4.

Cayenne

The Cayenne SUV was a bold choice for the marque, flying in the face of what purists saw as the brand’s identity. The perception of the Cayenne being a turn away from what Porsche had been known for to that point was not helped by the fact that a factory Le Mans racing programme was scrapped in favour of the Cayenne.

However, this move has absolutely paid off. Not only is the Cayenne extremely capable, but – alongside the Boxster – its impressive sales helped Porsche thoroughly remove itself from a raft of early to mid-1990s financial strife.

Carrera GT

While the Cayenne did mean the end of a racing programme at the eleventh hour, the hard work of the engineers wasn’t put to waste.

The 5.7-litre V10 from the scrapped Le Mans car soon found its way into the Carrera GT concept in 2000. The response to this vision of a Porsche supercar was so positive that it was put into production in 2003, and quickly became renowned as one of the most visceral, intense driving experiences in 21st century motoring.

While its spiritual predecessor – the 959 – was largely 911-based, the Carrera GT danced to the beat of its own drum, and let any doubters know that Porsche could still produce magic, even if they were now producing SUVs to keep the bookkeepers happy.

968

When it comes to Porsche’s front-engined offering of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, it seems that time has done a lot to make the heart grow fonder.

Many customers rejected the 928 – which was pitched as the brand’s new flagship, much to the chagrin of fans and customers – and the other front-engined cars produced by the firm at the time.

However, the last of the breed – the 968 – has become something of a cult classic, with fans growing to recognise its impressive chassis dynamics and 3.0-litre inline-4 engine, which was particularly potent in the later turbocharged variants.

918 Spyder

To say that the 918 Spyder had a lot to live up to is perhaps the mother of all understatements.

Not only was its most obvious predecessor the spectacular Carrera GT, but the 918 nomenclature meant it was also being angled to evoke the spectacular 917 Le Mans race car.

Much like the Carrera GT, the 918 borrowed its 600bhp, 4.6-litre V8 engine from the racing side of the Stuttgart stable; specifically, the RS Spyder of the late-2000s. Deciding this simply wasn’t enough for a flagship hypercar, it was then combined with two electric motors, which added an extra 282bhp.

The result? A combined 875bhp, and courtesy of featherweight construction, the 918 could attack any track or twisty road with aplomb, and accelerate from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds, ultimately continuing on to a top speed of 214mph.

356

While it would be a bold move to argue in favour of this Porsche being the best, it is certainly the original.

First arriving in 1948, the 356 was the first production automobile from Porsche, a name which had already established itself thanks to Ferdinand Porsche Sr.’s work on the likes of the Volkswagen Beetle and Auto Union Grand Prix ‘silver arrows’.

His son ‘Ferry’ then kicked the brand off as a manufacturer with the 356, which was heavily based on the Beetle, and started a legacy that includes its replacement, the 911.

Panamera

Porsche had been experimenting with the idea of a saloon-style car long before the arrival of this car, as can be seen courtesy of the 989 concept of the late-1980s.

Introduced in 2010, the Panamera faced some criticism for its dumpy styling, which would ultimately be rectified when the second-generation model was introduced in 2017.

However, regardless of the look, the Panamera has always been acknowledged as an extremely capable car in the bends, and serves as further proof that Porsche is anything but a one-trick pony.