Kia has discontinued its striking-looking Stinger, with the electric EV6 GT taking the mantle as the firm’s new flagship instead.

First introduced in 2016, the Stinger showcased a new, more dynamic side to the South Korean firm, with the car’s 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 making it Kia’s fastest-accelerating car for many years. It could manage the 0-60mph sprint in 4.5 seconds.

However, the arrival of the new EV6 GT with its 577bhp all-wheel-drive electric setup has dashed the Stinger’s performance figures. It can go from 0-60mph in under 3.5 seconds, in fact, and takes the place as Kia’s most powerful production car to date.

Paul Philpott, President & CEO for Kia UK, comments: “The launch of the Stinger will go down as a transformative moment for Kia. Its driver-focused ‘grand tourer’ credentials, paired with Kia’s reputation for vehicle quality and design, made it an incredibly compelling car for drivers. At the same time, it also had a transformative effect on how people saw Kia.”

Kia has stated that the Stinger will remain in production in its native South Korea and all existing UK customer orders will be fulfilled. The EV6 GT, meanwhile, is now available to order ahead of first deliveries commencing in the final quarter of 2022.

Philpott added: “The EV6 GT is the ideal car to take the baton from the Stinger in the UK. Our future product plan has a major focus on electrification, and globally Kia plans to offer a line-up of 14 EVs by 2027.

“Combining high-performance capabilities with an incredible design and a long-range electric powertrain, the EV6 GT is an important part of this plan, and a true new flagship for the Kia brand.”

Six-in-10 drivers believe that the state of the local roads they used frequently is worse than a year ago, a new survey has found.

The RAC’s 2022 Report on Motoring which spoke to 3,102 drivers found that 55 per cent thought that the standard of pothole repairs is, at best, ‘poor’.

Just four per cent believe that the state of the local roads in their area has improved in the past 12 months, down from six per cent in the last two years.

The research also showed that those believing their local roads had become worse had grown by two per cent from 58 per cent in 2021, and up eight per cent on 52 per cent in 2020/

Though more drivers also believe that the condition of motorways and dual carriageways is worse this year than last, the proportion is ‘significantly’ lower at 38 per cent, compared to the 32 per cent recorded in 2021.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “Given the sharp rise in concern about fuel prices this year, the fact local road maintenance remains such a prominent issue is a reflection of just how deep-seated this problem has become.”

Issues with surface quality are the main reasons why drivers say that the condition of their local roads has deteriorated, while 86 per cent of drivers say that they often have to steer to avoid potholes.

This rises to 90 per cent among those who live in rural locations, but drops back to 81 per cent for those in urban areas.

Furthermore, 63 per cent report faded road markings – up from 56 per cent last year – while 42 per cent say signage visibility has worsened. Thirty-five per cent complain about the amount of litter at the side of the road, too.

Lyes added: “Sadly, neither drivers’ feelings or the RAC Pothole Index point to any substantial improvement in the quality of our local roads. Many describe the repair work – when it’s carried out – as being substandard which more than likely means potholes and surface defects will quickly reappear, costing yet more money to fix.”

A ‘time capsule’ Porsche 911 that once belonged to musical legend Peter Grant is being tipped to sell for an eye-watering £180,000.

The 930 Turbo was bought from new by Grant in 1980 and he kept it as part of his impressive collection of motors until his death in 1995.

After that it passed down to his son, Warren, who sold it a few years later. Since then it has seldom been used and is now being offered with less than 12,000 miles on the clock, despite being more than 40-years-old.

Up for sale with Silverstone Auctions, it is expected to fetch a fee of between £140,000 and £180,000.

The auctioneers say it remains in the same pristine condition as it was in when it was in Grant’s possession and hope its rock and roll heritage will help it stand out at auction.

Grant, who is said to have ‘ruled the entire music industry’, managed Led Zeppelin from all the way from their formation in 1968 to their breakup in 1980.

He is widely credited with improving pay and conditions for all musicians in dealings and was famed for his ruthless nature which is said to have been key in Led Zeppelin’s rise to the top.

Joe Watts who consigned the car for Silverstone Auctions, said: ‘The car’s current owner has stored it in his garage/workshop, using it only a handful of times, covering just 2,000 miles in the last 20 years; it now has 11,124 miles on the clock.

‘It has not moved or been started for around 15 years and is believed to be largely original, as when Grant owned it, with perhaps the exception of the bonnet that may have been painted.

‘It has recently had a full recommissioning (after coming out of hibernation) done in preparation to sell at auction, passing an MOT.’

He added: ‘It has been carefully stored, its paintwork is excellent and its interior is all-original. It comes with a huge history file, lots of invoices, handwritten letters, hotel bills etc. all with Peter Grant’s name on, both keys, original tool-roll, jack, Porsche-factory service kit and original dealer sticker in rear window – it is a proper time-capsule car!’

The Mercedes-AMG One has become the fastest production car to lap the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

The new hypercar – which packs technology derived from Formula 1 – set an official measured time of 6:35.183 minutes, beating the previous record – set by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS – by close to ten seconds.

Racing driver Maro Engel was behind the wheel to set the record lap, which took place on October 28.

“That was really an unforgettable experience,” said Maro Engel after completing the lap.

“I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions. In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely yet and was therefore tricky. That was a special challenge.”

Mercedes-AMG brought two Ones to the famous ‘Green Hell’ to ensure that the track time was spent effectively. The One is powered by a hybrid setup which combines one combustion engine with four electric motors, delivering 1,049bhp in the process.

It’s accompanied by a claimed top speed of 218.7mph, while active aerodynamics and all-wheel-drive help to ensure that all of that power is transferred to the road effectively.

Engel added: “We tried to find the optimal deployment strategy during the pre-tests. Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their race weekends, I also had to deploy the electrical energy of the hybrid drive in the best possible way.

“That’s not easy, especially with this length of track. In addition, the DRS function had to be used optimally. But that’s also a real Formula 1 feeling. I would like to thank you for this opportunity and the trust you’ve placed in me. It was definitely something very special to drive this incredible car on the Ring.”

More than one in three motorists have struggled to afford the cost of driving in the past month, a new survey has found.

The research, from Comparethemarket, found that four in ten motorists are worried that they will no longer be able to stay on the road if costs keep increasing.

The survey of 2,000 drivers found that nearly nine in ten are worried about being able to pay for their car and its associated costs due to increases in other household bills, with energy bills and food bills coming out as top concerns.

Comparethemarket’s Money Action Index found that households which are worried about the rising cost of lying believe they’ll need an extra £224 per month on average in order to cover their rising bills. As a knock-on effect, nine in ten drivers are worried about petrol and diesel prices. In addition, four in ten motorists believe they’ll need to take on additional debt to be able to stay on the road.

Separate figures from Comparethemarket show that the annual cost of running a petrol-powered car has jumped £272 year-on-year in September to reach £1,866, with the increasing price of petrol having the biggest impact on these costs.

Julie Daniels, director at Comparethemarket, said: “The cost of petrol is still considerably more expensive than last year, and other household bills have surged even higher in recent weeks.

“As a result, many drivers are finding it difficult to afford staying on the road and are being forced to make fewer journeys or cut back on seeing friends and family. Worryingly, some are going deeper into debt to keep driving.”

Green NCAP has released a new set of results for some of the latest electric vehicles on the market.

The tests looked at the efficiency and sustainability of electric vehicles and focused on three vehicles during this latest round – the Tesla Model 3, NIO eT7 and Renault Megane E-Tech.

All three achieved ‘nearly maximum’ scores due to the high energy efficiency of their electric powertrains which ‘far’ exceeded those of conventional petrol and diesel cars.

The Tesla Model 3 achieved high energy efficiency both in cold and warm tests and in the Highway Test, which sees cars subjected to higher speeds.

Green NCAP said that the Tesla’s small frontal area and aerodynamic shape helped with its efficiency, though in a test cycle at colder temperatures did show that when the cabin heating, comfort and battery protection management was activated consumption shot up by 72 per cent.

NIO – a relative newcomer to the European EV scene – did well with its eT7, with lab tests allowing the dual-motor vehicle to match its claimed range of 211 miles. It received a 9.6 out of 10 and a total of five Green stars, narrowly missing out on the Tesla’s respective 9.8.

Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP and Green NCAP, said: “This latest round of Green NCAP testing clearly proves that electric vehicles are an excellent consumer choice in the quest for ensuring a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

“They score far higher than those with conventional powertrains. However, affordability is still a challenge. We call on manufacturers to further improve the efficiency of cabin heating in winter conditions, as this is shown to have a significant impact on driving range.”

Green NCAP also tested the new Renault Megane E-Tech, which impressed with its low energy consumption figures. It did well in both cold and warm tests too, but did struggle with the demand brought on by dynamic high-power phases during the Highway Test.

It managed a 9.6 out of 10 score and was also awarded a full five Green stars.

A third of all local B and C roads in England are in need of repair, new figures show.

Analysis of data from the Department for Transport by the AA shows that Derbyshire Council has the worst B and C roads, with a quarter of them in need of repair, while a fifth of local roads in Southend-on-Sea should be ‘considered for repair’.

Unclassified roads – which are local roads intended for local traffic – make up a fifth of the roads maintained by councils, but the AA’s findings show that 15 per cent of these are considered ‘Red’ – the worst ranking possible.

Half of the unclassified roads in Hammersmith & Fulham are in need of repair, while more than a third of unclassified roads in Bury and Wolverhampton require resurfacing.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Roads across the country are in an awful state and with winter just around the corner the plague of potholes will only spread.

“Local roads are at great risk of becoming dangerous and need significant investment to make them safe. Smooth roads also encourage people to cycle more which would help reach our Net Zero targets.

“Our local roads cannot take another round of cuts. The Prime Minister and Chancellor should avoid slashing local road investment later this month.”

Department for Transport figures show that there was a slight improvement in the number of local roads categorised as ‘green’ – where no further investigation or work is required – since the year ending March 2021, rising from 64 to 66 per cent.

There was also a slight decrease in the proportion of amber roads – where maintenance may be required soon – from 29 to 28 per cent, while red roads – which should ‘be considered for maintenance – remained at six per cent.

Boycie’s Jaguar E-Type from Only Fools and Horses is set to go under the hammer at auction this month.

Offered by Hampson Auctions, the famous model – which starred in the ‘Go West Young Man’ episode of the hit series – was ‘borrowed’ by the show’s stars Del Boy and Rodney from Boycie for a journey to London’s West End, before being crashed.

Thankfully, the incident was completely staged and the E-Type remained in perfect condition.

First registered in November 1973, the V12-powered Series 3 Roadster is finished in Old English White with a blue leather interior. It’s got period-correct chrome wire wheels, too.

It currently has 80,075 miles on the clock, while the vendor considers it to all be in ‘good’ condition. It has had two owners from new and is said to have led a ‘relatively quiet life’ after its brief stint in the limelight.

It’s accompanied by a whole host of Only Fools and Horses-related memorabilia, including a number of videos, signed photographs and a scale model of the E-Type autographed by both Sir David Jason – who played Del Boy – and John Challis, who starred as Boycie. The underside of the car’s boot lid also carries Boycie’s signature.

The E-Type currently carries a guide price of between £140,000 and £160,000 and is set to go to auction at Hampson Auctions’ final vehicle sale of 2022 on November 29 at Mavericks, Holywell, North Wales.