Auto Express 1702

ON the eve of the COP26 gathering in Glasgow, we can’t have been the only ones listening to Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget with rising disappointment. There’s a fundamental shift under way in personal transport, with drivers eager to embrace zero-emission technology and electric vehicles, yet the current taxes and incentives are firmly tilted in favour of the wealthy. How many people do you know who would love to join the EV revolution, but can’t afford to? Meanwhile, incentives in the form of plug-in grants support the production of high-end, high-priced EVs, reducing the cost by a few grand for owners who can already afford them. Similarly, high-salaried employees are enjoying huge tax perks on expensive EVs and tax-free electricity to run them, while most drivers are meant to celebrate another freeze on…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● Next 3dr Hatch shares platform with new electric crossover ● Next Countryman could be joined by the Urbanaut THE future of MINI will be bolder than ever as the brand prepares to launch a new generation of vehicles from 2023. Most of these new cars will be fresh versions of old favourites, but the company is also planning a brave expansion outside its usual territory, and it will introduce two entirely new models in the near future. One of these new models will be a compact electric SUV, which will be built in China on a new platform being developed jointly by BMW and Chinese firm Great Wall. This new electric crossover will be built alongside the next 3dr Hatch and will share its technical underpinnings. The brand has teased this new…

ON the eve of the COP26 gathering in Glasgow, we can’t have been the only ones listening to Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget with rising disappointment. There’s a fundamental shift under way in personal transport, with drivers eager to embrace zero-emission technology and electric vehicles, yet the current taxes and incentives are firmly tilted in favour of the wealthy. How many people do you know who would love to join the EV revolution, but can’t afford to? Meanwhile, incentives in the form of plug-in grants support the production of high-end, high-priced EVs, reducing the cost by a few grand for owners who can already afford them. Similarly, high-salaried employees are enjoying huge tax perks on expensive EVs and tax-free electricity to run them, while most drivers are meant to celebrate another…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● Four-wheel drive fitted as standard on new 55 and 63 models ● Convertible expected in UK next year, priced from around £85k “Up to 62mph, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the fronts by up to 2.5 degrees, to aid turn-in and low-speed manoeuvrability” MERCEDES has set out to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks with a little help from AMG. The result is the new SL, which was developed by the German manufacturer’s performance wing. Fewer than one per cent of the vehicles Mercedes sold globally in 2020 were sports cars. But the brand and AMG have gone back to the drawing board with the SL, which it wants to position as a sportier offering more in keeping with the original 300 SL of 1954. AMG…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● Next 3dr Hatch shares platform with new electric crossover ● Next Countryman could be joined by the Urbanaut THE future of MINI will be bolder than ever as the brand prepares to launch a new generation of vehicles from 2023. Most of these new cars will be fresh versions of old favourites, but the company is also planning a brave expansion outside its usual territory, and it will introduce two entirely new models in the near future. One of these new models will be a compact electric SUV, which will be built in China on a new platform being developed jointly by BMW and Chinese firm Great Wall. This new electric crossover will be built alongside the next 3dr Hatch and will share its technical underpinnings. The…

CHEVROLET is going after track-focused, high-performance European sports cars with its new C8 Corvette Z06. The American brand has officially revealed its new Porsche 911 GT3 rival, which gets a thumping 670bhp 5.5-litre V8 engine that features a flat-plane crankshaft, similar to the tech in mid-engined models like the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S. There are also tweaks to the bodywork compared with the standard car, to improve high-speed performance. These can be seen (right) as part of the aero pack that includes a high-level rear wing and a tarmac-skipping front splitter, as well as more defined air vents in the bumper to aid cooling. Opt for the Z07 package and the car also comes on super-sticky Michelin Cup 2 R tyres. Carbon-fibre wheels that cut the unsprung mass by 18.5kg…