Autocar November 20, 2019

“ARE THOSE DAYS really as much fun as they look?” That’s the question I get asked most about our annual Britain’s Best Driver’s Car contest, or BBDC (p38). The answer’s no: it’s better. And, sometimes, quite a lot worse. Like any big event so long in the planning, there’s plenty of worry about whether it’ll all go off well. But, every year, there’s always this one delectable moment. For me, it typically comes after the lap times are done, the judges scores are down and the pace and stress of it all is subsiding; and you look around at a pit lane full of incredible cars and can finally reflect on a head crammed full of awe and excitement. The feeling of relief mixed with that excitement of the task is often…

“The five-seat 4x4, powered by a 542bhp 4.0 turbo V8, goes on sale today for deliveries next spring” Aston Martin has officially unveiled its all-important SUV, dubbed the DBX – a model designed to open a vital, perhaps life-saving, new tranche of its global business. The five-seat 4x4, powered by a 542bhp version of the 4.0-litre turbocharged AMG-sourced V8, will cost £158,000 before options and goes on sale today for deliveries next spring. The DBX’s striking fastback looks are revealed here for the first time, although the company has been teasing market watchers for many months by displaying disguised prototypes in public. The Aston Martin SUV’s arrival represents a unique case of a hard-pressed car company fighting fire with fire. Aston Martin, floated on the stock exchange just over a year ago, has…

What’s different about the DBX against other SUVs? “DBX doesn’t compromise beauty or performance for practicality or usability. We’ve designed it to deliver on the proportions that meet the beauty criteria we’d apply for any Aston Martin.” How did you derive the impressive interior dimensions. Did you do the cabin first? “There’s never been an Aston that has had so much research into its design, especially to ergonomics and interior space. That began with the decision to tailor the vehicle size and proportions to the specific needs of DBX. The length between the wheels allowed us to optimise cabin space while maintaining a low roofline.” Did you feel constrained by the practical nature of an SUV after all those sports cars? “Not at all. An SUV has to be fun, too. Some others may not…

Ford has revealed the Mustang Mach-E, the firm’s first bespoke electrically powered SUV, with styling and – its maker claims – performance inspired by the muscle car. The Tesla Model Y rival is the first production car to emerge from Ford’s Team Edison, a 70-strong Detroit group tasked with designing the firm’s next-generation EVs. At launch the range-topping version will produce 332bhp, with a full GT model making around 459bhp due at a later date. Murat Gueler, Ford’s European design chief, said the aim was to create “something special that stands out from the crowd”, describing the new machine as “an EV with soul”. “At launch the range-topping version will produce 332bhp, with a 459bhp GT model due later” The new electric car has taken the Mustang title as the first step in expanding…

On a recent trip to the US I met a Mustang-owning Texan who didn’t much like EVs, but “I hear there’s an electric Mustang coming, so maybe I’ll like that”. I fear he may be disappointed: there’s a big difference between an electric Mustang and a ‘Mustang-inspired’ electric SUV. Still, the Mustang Mach-E shows promise. To my eyes it echoes the muscle car without resorting to pastiche and looks relatively sleek for a large SUV. It’s certainly more desirable than, say, a Kuga EV would be – which is what Ford is counting on. The huge success of the latest Mustang has shown the value of the nameplate, badge and heritage – arguably stronger than Ford’s Blue Oval. A Ford-badged EV could never battle with a Tesla on badge appeal, but a…

How did you approach the design of a Mustang-inspired EV? “It’s not literal, just inspired by. It’s about doing it in the right way so it’s not too banal and people go ‘oh, they just tried to copy a Mustang’. We wanted some of that cool design. You can look at this and see it’s not a normal combustion-engined car, but it has some of that Mustang flavour.” Was the plan always to make your electric SUV a Mustang? “This started as another project in around 2014, and about two years ago it switched to this. The design had a big influence: the whole structure changed, the technology inside changed. We rebooted the whole programme. The designers came up with this concept and everyone went ‘oh, this is good’.” While it uses the Mustang…