Auto Express 1712

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news AROUND the age of 12, I was a passenger in a car accident. Two vehicles were written off and, while there were no serious casualties, I vividly recall the panic, consternation and distress of the adults involved. Calm and order were restored only when a police traffic patrol arrived to deftly take charge. Even at such a tender age, I shared the relief that accompanied the reassuring appearance of that Ford Granada ‘jam sandwich’. Later on, as a youthful car enthusiast with a budget that stretched only to a series of decrepit old bangers, and then having enjoyed the performance of various exotics as a motoring writer, subsequent encounters with ‘Mr Plod’ may not have been quite so welcome. But… when those flashing blue…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates ● New high-performance four-door to share tech with XM SUV ● Plug-in drivetrain could have as much as 737bhp BMW’S M division celebrates its 50th birthday in 2022, and a flurry of new models is planned to mark the occasion. However, one big-hitter won’t arrive until a little later. A new BMW 5 Series is set to appear in 2023, and as these spy shots reveal, the Bavarian manufacturer has begun development work on the new M5 super-saloon, which will arrive a year later. As evidenced by the ‘hybrid test vehicle’ stickers and the charging flap behind the front left wheelarch on this early development mule, the next BMW M5 will use electrification, which will probably be shared with the forthcoming XM super-SUV. The pre-production car here is…

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news AROUND the age of 12, I was a passenger in a car accident. Two vehicles were written off and, while there were no serious casualties, I vividly recall the panic, consternation and distress of the adults involved. Calm and order were restored only when a police traffic patrol arrived to deftly take charge. Even at such a tender age, I shared the relief that accompanied the reassuring appearance of that Ford Granada ‘jam sandwich’. Later on, as a youthful car enthusiast with a budget that stretched only to a series of decrepit old bangers, and then having enjoyed the performance of various exotics as a motoring writer, subsequent encounters with ‘Mr Plod’ may not have been quite so welcome. But… when…

M2 The M car most people are looking forward to seeing in 2022 is the new M2 when it arrives in Competition form in the UK. A sharper, squarer look than the regular 2 Series Coupé is expected, as is a power output in excess of 400bhp. XM SUV Last year’s surprise new concept previews what will be a standalone BMW M model, and a new large performance SUV coming with plug-in hybrid power. Up to 737bhp is expected from the XM when it makes its production-ready debut later this year. M3 TOURING BMW’s plans for an estate-bodied version of the latest M3 have been public for a while now. It will be the first time the brand has had a direct rival for the Audi RS 4 Avant, with a six-cylinder turbocharged engine developing…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates ● New high-performance four-door to share tech with XM SUV ● Plug-in drivetrain could have as much as 737bhp BMW’S M division celebrates its 50th birthday in 2022, and a flurry of new models is planned to mark the occasion. However, one big-hitter won’t arrive until a little later. A new BMW 5 Series is set to appear in 2023, and as these spy shots reveal, the Bavarian manufacturer has begun development work on the new M5 super-saloon, which will arrive a year later. As evidenced by the ‘hybrid test vehicle’ stickers and the charging flap behind the front left wheelarch on this early development mule, the next BMW M5 will use electrification, which will probably be shared with the forthcoming…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale ● Standards and number of road police has declined ● Traffic officers increasingly forced to do non-traffic jobs “PEOPLE using our roads every day have the right to feel secure and be kept safe. They deserve dedicated, professional, well trained police officers, and it is frustrating to witness them being let down by roads policing that has become virtually invisible,” says one of Britain’s most experienced traffic cops. Tim Rogers enrolled as a police officer in 1995, spending most of his career as a traffic cop – including 10 years as a road-death investigator. He’s now the Police Federation’s national driver training and pursuits lead, and he opened up to Auto Express about the dire state of UK roads policing following our exposé of cuts to traffic officer numbers and the rise of…