Autocar April 6, 2022

WE’RE ALL FEELING the pinch from the rising costs of not only the cars we buy but also the fuel to run them. As our alarming investigation reveals (p48), no aspect of motoring is immune from sharply rising costs. A recent measure from the Treasury designed to ease the burden was a 5p cut in fuel duty. But as this was applied to wholesale costs, rather than the end user, the predictable outcome is that fuel prices haven’t fallen that much (more profits being creamed off the public? Surely not), and the volatility in oil prices has the potential to nullify any benefits before they reach us. The RAC has argued that a cut in fuel VAT would be more effective, as a measure that could immediately be passed onto consumers by…

The Rolls-Royce Spectre will be positioned as the spiritual successor to the Phantom coupé in the luxury marque’s range when the new electric model goes on sale at the end of 2023. The engineering parameters for the Spectre are now being set as the Goodwood firm begins the almost two-year testing programme, which Autocar has been granted unprecedented early access to as the car undergoes winter testing near the Arctic Circle at the start of its development. This included an early ride in a development mule, just the sixth Spectre development car to have been created. The positioning of the Spectre within the firm’s range has now become clear, too, beyond simply being ‘the electric Rolls-Royce’. The company has decided against replacements for the Wraith coupé and Dawn convertible. No more orders…

That Rolls-Royce says development of the Spectre is only 25% complete is testament to how high its standards are for comfort and isolation, because it already has a level of ride comfort and noise isolation that many premium saloon makers would be proud of after only a few short weeks of road testing. This much is clear from the passenger seat of Spectre test mule number six, where we are sat alongside Jörg Wunder, head of projects at Rolls-Royce, for a short drive on some of the icy roads on the outskirts of Arjeplog, Sweden, on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Wunder is happy with progress so far. “It’s been a successful season, absolutely,” he says. “The car is good for the early stages with the right DNA.” From the passenger…

One of the aspects still up for discussion in the development of the Spectre is exactly what noise the EV will emit on the outside to alert pedestrians to its presence, and just how quiet the firm will make the car inside. Rolls-Royce models are famed for their quiet, calming operation, but the absence of an engine and an exhaust system in the Spectre should help to take that to the next level. Indeed, absolute silence inside the cabin was a possibility but not a totally desirable option. “Contributing to noise are the exhaust, engine, wind and the tyres,” said director of engineering Mihiar Ayoubi. “This does without the first two of them. We could give the customer the option of a noise, or silence. We could even get real silence. But…

Performance and enthusiast cars are still part of the plan for Nissan and solid-state batteries are key to making them viable in Europe in the EV era, according to company executives. As the Nissan GT-R supercar bows out after a lengthy 13 years in production with no replacement lined up, and with tight emissions rules keeping the new Z sports coupé out of Europe, the Japanese brand looked set to continue without an enthusiast offering in this market. However, Nissan executives have confirmed to Autocar that, thanks to advancing battery technology, performance cars are definitely “on the table”. Nissan recently unveiled a quartet of concept cars. The Chill-Out compact crossover is the closest to production, as it previews a replacement for the Leaf. It will be an electric crossover based on the…

Nissan’s transformation of its pioneering Leaf EV into a high-riding crossover for its third outing should come as no surprise, given how much success the firm has had in this sphere with the Juke and Qashqai. Indeed, until recently, with the GT-R and Z bowing out of Europe, it seemed Nissan was to go all-out on accessible SUVs, drawing a line under several decades of sublime sports cars. Not a particularly enticing ideal for anyone who’s ever seen a 350Z take a corner at 100mph and 90deg or jumped clear of an R33 GT-R’s flaming exhausts. But with solid-state battery technology throwing a lightweight lifeline to niche sports cars, Nissan looks primed to come back to the segment with its arms swinging. It’ll need to: Toyota recently showed off a new…