Table of contents for 1661 in Auto Express

Vision S hits the road as Sony tests its tech SONY has completed its first working Vision S prototype (above), and is currently putting the EV through a development programme in Austria to test its autonomous technology. The 563bhp electric saloon has radars that allow it to scan up to 300 metres ahead and 150 metres behind. Sony claims the Vision S can manage a high-accuracy version of Level 2 autonomy. Despite this, the electronics company has not formalised any plans to put the car into production. Grey outlook for UK car-buying public GREY has held on to its position as the UK’s favourite car colour for the third year running, being sported by nearly a quarter of new cars registered in 2020. A total of 397,197 grey cars were…

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk @tristan_shale THE words ‘car auction’ may bring to mind images of draughty warehouses, where punters bid for bargain motors. More than 600,000 cars are sold at auction every year, with around 10 per cent going to private buyers, and the rest typically ending up on dealer forecourts. One auction house whose cars aren’t likely to be spotted under the bunting of a local showroom, though, is Bonhams. Having first set up shop in 1793, the firm started dealing in prestige motor vehicles two centuries later, and it was purchased by another auction house, Brooks, at the turn of the millennium. James Knight, one of Brooks’ co-founders, previously worked for Christie’s, and is now the chairman of Bonhams motoring section, which has offices in London, Bicester, Paris, New York and…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE Skoda Octavia is a superb family car – so good, in fact, it was crowned the Auto Express Car of the Year in 2020. When it comes to value for money, practicality and ease of use, no car on sale today does it better. Another thing the Octavia boasts is its level of versatility. Hatchback or estate, petrol, diesel or plug-in, and front or all-wheel-drive, whatever the recipe there’s a chance Skoda has the combination you desire, and that extends to performance; we’ve already driven petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the racy vRS model, but now we’ve had the chance to drive the diesel for the first time. Performance-focused diesels are few and far between these days, but Skoda has been doing them for almost 20…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths POTHOLES blight our roads, wreaking havoc on tyres, wheels and suspension systems, while road users who spot these pockmarks at the last minute and swerve around them can present significant danger to others. Those on bikes, scooters and motorbikes, meanwhile, may find themselves unseated from their rides, sometimes fatally so. The UK has a huge pothole problem, and it’s caused by a combination of two major factors that operate in a vicious circle. The first is that traffic volumes have risen hugely over the last three decades or so, causing increased wear and tear on our roads. Second, the UK’s weather sees our plentiful rain seep into cracks in the road, while the cold winters cause this moisture to freeze, expand, and damage already worn surfaces, which traffic…

FOR many of us, driving a 4x4 knee-deep in mud across seemingly impossible terrain is a luxury we neither desire nor can afford. But until you’ve tried it, don’t knock off-roading, because it can be deeply liberating if done right. What’s more, the costs to do it needn’t be astronomical either. Just check your local lockdown restrictions before you set off. There are plenty of off-road schools around the country where you can hire a 4x4 by the hour or by the day. These venues charge as little as-£99, and at the end of your stint, you’ll come away stunned by what you’ve learned about adopting the utterly alien techniques you’ll have employed to keep moving. You’ll also understand the depth of ability of the average off-road vehicle, too. Anticipation…

YOU’D think your car would be at its most fuel-efficient-on the motorway when its cruise control system is engaged, especially if you have an adaptive system. But by motoring smoothly without using cruise control, most good drivers will be able to better the economy of an automated system. In fact, speed-sensitive systems are actually the easiest to improve upon because they tend to overreact when braking, and can be surprisingly clumsy when getting you back up to your selected speed. We reckon our testers can beat such systems by at least 2mpg on a busy motorway. That adds up on a long drive. So how do you do that? Again, it comes down to anticipation. A simple cruise control system will maintain that constant speed regardless of circumstances; it won’t…

DRIVING any supercar, and especially one of the latest uber-fast, uber-efficient examples, is mostly an exercise in self-restraint nowadays, certainly when it comes to driving them well on the public road. Yet so long as you’re sensible with your attitude and show a decent level of respect to everyone else on the road, you’ll quickly find that driving a supercar can be a more satisfying and just more thrilling experience than almost any other available on four wheels. But you do need to build up to your moment when driving a supercar. In other words, you can’t just jump into one and think that because it has a highly sophisticated stability and traction control system it’ll stick to the road, no matter what you do with it. Wrong. Very wrong…

✓ SMALL EV Fiat 500 electric The 500 is one of our favourite EVs, and one of the cheapest, too. The cheapest £22,995 models have a 115-mile range, but spend a bit more for 199 miles. ✓ FAMILY EV Kia e-Niro This family SUV starts at £32,845 and is great value. It’s relaxing to drive, performance is good, and buyers can pick between models with ranges of 180 and 282 miles. ✓ PREMIUM EV Tesla Model 3 Our 2019 Car of the Year is still one of the best EVs, with a range of at least 254 miles. Prices start just over £40k, but there are huge tax advantages for business users. ✓ SMALL PHEV Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in With an EV range of 39 miles, the Ioniq can do most…

DRIVING well in the wet or in fog, or in any conditions that aren’t perfect, is mostly about patience, concentration, engaging your eyes and brain properly and – as ever – giving yourself sufficient space in which to operate. If you’re in a rush to get somewhere because you set off late, a wet road becomes much more of a potential disaster. Dial some fog into the equation and the risks are trebled, without requiring anyone or anything else to become involved. So look at the weather forecast, make a clear decision to set off a little earlier than you’d planned if the conditions are due to be poor, and wet or foggy roads will immediately become less of a hazard. Good vision is key to all safe driving, we…

AS a younger driver, insurance is easily the biggest outlay once you’ve bought your car, and there are no two ways about it: cover for under 25s is expensive. It can be the single biggest hurdle that stands between you and enjoying your motoring because, in simple terms, the cars you want to drive are often off limits because they cost too much to insure. So you end up buying a cheap runabout, purely because it’s the only car you think you can afford to get cover for. All we can say is, think again, and certainly don’t give up as easily as that. There are deals out there to be had on insurance, so long as you’re prepared to shop around and accept some compromises. There are even some…

MODELTESTED: Toyota GR Yaris PRICE: £29,995 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 3cyl, 257bhp THE GR Yaris is one of the most exciting hot hatches to be launched in years and promises to be a real cult classic. At £29,995 for the basic model and £33,495 with the Circuit Pack, as fitted to our car, Toyota’s newcomer isn’t cheap, but it could still be a bargain performance car. Design & engineering MODELS like the GR Yaris are few and far between today; read the spec sheet and you’ll realise why. It’s because this Yaris is three-door only, whereas the rest of the hybrid-only regular line-up all have five doors. Under the bonnet there’s a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine that produces 257bhp and 360Nm of torque – pretty incredible figures for a downsized unit…

LOOKS BOTH cars feature pumpedup styling to match their performance, but it’s the Toyota’s compact three-door bodyshell that looks more aggressive, with its huge, swollen front wheelarches, big grilles and lovely wheels that fill the big housings. The Ford’s wheels look sweet, too, while its small spoiler and ground-hugging ride height mark it out as something special, just like the GR Yaris. NOISE NOT so long ago you might not have thought a three-cylinder turbo engine could offer what it takes to power a hot hatch, but both cars have plenty of grunt. Yet noise is also a big factor. In the Yaris the synthesised sound inside isn’t as authentic as the Fiesta’s gurgling note, plus in the sportier settings in the Ford you get some fruity pops from the…

NEW PRODUCT The Outlierman wallet and card holder Price: from £95.53 Contact: www.theoutlierman.com LEATHER specialist The Outlierman has added a card holder and wallet to its classic-car-themed range. The long wallet is designed to be slipped in to the inside pocket of ‘a gentleman’s jacket’. Made in Italy from full-grain calfskin, the tapered design has a 100 per cent cotton drill internal lining carrying the Outlierman’s Roads pattern. There’s also the firm’s metal classic-car steering wheel on the outside, with contrasting stitching that references the lining colours. It also features an embossed logo on the inside. It’s designed to be practical too, with a double-banknote compartment on the righthand side, as well as a matching document holder on the left. There are also 12 slots for credit or business cards. The…

The Michael Turner Collection Chas Parker with Michael Turner (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk) Price: £70 Rating: MOTORSPORT artist Michael Turner is well known for his Christmas cards, and this book reproduces every one from 1963 to 2016. Turner’s realistic and detailed style makes these a unique way of looking back over the history of motorsport. As high-quality as you’d hope, and highly interesting. The Classic Saab 900 Richard Horner (Amberley Publishing, www.amberley-books.co.uk) Price: £14.99 Rating: TRACING the design and production history of Saab’s most successful model, this title acts as a good reference point. It’s not exhaustive, being fewer than 100 pages, and the majority of those are pictures, but it’s clear the author knows his stuff. The photos are a good mixture, including plenty the author’s taken. An affordable and…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods OFFICIAL RENAULT is set to revive a brand icon this decade, with the return of the 5 supermini. And the French manufacturer has previewed the new all-electric model in concept form, ahead of a reveal in production guise in 2023. The new Renault 5 will shape up as the brand’s small affordable electric car, while offering competition for other style-driven compact EVs such as the Honda e, MINI Electric and new Fiat 500. It forms an integral part of Renault’s electrification strategy, which has been given fresh impetus under new CEO Luca De Meo. Seven all-electric Renaults are planned by 2025, and it’s likely that the 5 won’t be the only past master to be reborn with electric power. The Renault 4 is also tipped to…

Deputy Editor, Auto Express ON the face of it, the looks of the Ioniq 5 are proof that manufacturers like the idea of retro-themed styling for their pure-electric vehicles. This car is no different from Renault’s 5 EV concept (see Top Story) on that score – except, perhaps, for the fact that fewer European customers remember the original Hyundai Pony than those who yearn for the nostalgia of a Supercinq. And yet if you look beyond the retro references, there are significant points to be drawn here. Contrast the clean, simple lines of the car in the teaser images with the complex surfacing of the latest Tucson, and you can see how Hyundai is planning to use the Ioniq sub-brand to stretch its own reach. “Hyundai would appear to be happy…

PEUGEOT boss Jean-Philipe Imparato has confirmed to Auto Express that the next generation of small Peugeots, replacing the current 208 and 2008, will only be available with electric power. The existing models were launched 18 months ago with petrol, diesel or electric drive, but the next generation – expected to arrive in the second half of the decade – will ditch combustion engines completely. “The B-segment [supermini] and the B-SUV [small SUV] segment next gen after 208 and 2008 will be full EV,” Imparato told us. The decision to go fully electric for the next generation of Peugeot small cars has been boosted by current sales of electrified models, as Imparato revealed. “Globally this EV trend is increasing each and every month, and each and every week. In the last…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths LOCKDOWN has been tough on people for myriad reasons, and learner drivers are no exception. Because in addition to being unable to have driving lessons or tests, almost 50,000 learners who sat their theory tests have seen their pass certificates expire during last year’s lockdowns, collectively losing as much as £2.2million in the process. Data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shows 49,543 learners saw their theory tests expire when lockdowns prevented practical tests from taking place, meaning those drivers both lost the £23 fee for their theory test, and also face paying an additional £23 for a repeat test once exams restart. That’s because the practical element of the test must be taken within two years of passing the classroom-based theory test, so those who…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Illegal reg plates FROM: Nicko612 HAVING standard plates isn’t just about legibility for ANPR cameras, it’s about witness recall. UK plates are designed to be as easy as possible to memorise from a quick glance. It’s important to enforce these rules for the sake of victims. FROM: JTop SEEING how few times this legislation has been applied, I wonder if the police are just unaware of the ‘two strikes and you’re out’ rule. Hardly surprising, given the amount they need to know these days, but hopefully this will now change. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Police should prioritise dealing with cloned plates – this has far…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE all-new Hyundai Tucson really is a big step forward for the brand. Hyundai is aiming to be included on the shortlists of not only mainstream customers, but also some premium buyers – quite a leap from the company’s budget image of old. That means that this fourth-generation model has to deliver better practicality than ever, coupled with the sort of tech and interior quality that merit a higher price tag. Because, yes, it has one; this car now starts at a smidgen under £28,000, and rises to almost £37,000 – and that’s before the presumably more expensive plug-in hybrid edition arrives later in the spring. You can have a pure-petrol Tucson if you’d like – indeed, the 148bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol is the entry point in the…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk WE all know how much of a rotten year we’ve just been through. Our pockets have developed a collective echo, so empty have they become over the past 12 months. And our cars have spent way too much time doing not a lot compared with previous years as a consequence. So for 2021 and beyond, Auto Express is going to show you how to get more out of your motoring, for less. Over the next 30 pages we’re going to do two fundamental things: make you a better, safer driver and save you money in the process. By the time you’ve finished reading this you should know how to drive that little bit better, and you’ll certainly know how to spend less money on your favourite four-wheeled-habit. We’ll show…

DRIVING on a track is not something most of us do too regularly. But as enthusiasts, it’s something we all fancy trying at some stage, especially given the increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads, and the unceasing expansion of the speed/safety camera networks. But how do you approach your first-ever foray into the world of track days? And, even if you’re a seasoned pro, is there anything new you can learn before your next one? You never stop learning in life, they say, and there are always new techniques you can think about and learn from. If you’re a nervous first-timer, fear not. Driving on a track can be about as good as it gets on four wheels, just as long as you stick to a few golden rules.…

“Drive well and your passengers probably won’t even thank you, but drive badly and they’ll be the first to complain” HOW TO DRIVE LIKE A CHAUFFEUR DRIVING well with passengers on board is all about being smooth and icy-calm behind the wheel, keeping your passengers as safe and relaxed as you possibly can. Ideally your passengers should reach their destination without even being aware of the journey. That means not just getting the music and vehicle temperature in line with their tastes, and making sure there’s some food and drink on board if it’s a long journey. It also means enabling them to travel comfortably, without them being aware of what’s going on around them on the road. Because that’s your job, and to do it well you’ll need to…

INEVITABLY you’ll feel inclined to get your sparkling new car serviced at the main dealer from which you bought it, and to be fair, until your new car’s warranty has expired that’s exactly how most of us will play it. Main dealer servicing is the wisest move initially; although you can have the car serviced wherever you like – as long as it’s in accordance with the manufacturer’s schedule – sticking with the dealer means you’re more likely to receive goodwill gestures should something go wrong after the warranty ends. Either way, get the service book stamped after each and every service; it’s absolutely key to your car’s longer-term provenance and value. But once your new-car warranty is up, you’ll presumably save a right old wad of cash by finding…

Auto Vivendi: A very exclusive supercar club where membership costs anything from £13,500 to £125,000. You buy a number of days in a variety of cars, with different mileage allowances according to your membership level and specific requirements. Cars are delivered to you or can be collected from AV’s London HQ, and range from the new Aston Martin DBX to a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster. Contact: 020 7625 9400/autovivendi.com Lamborghini v Ferrari Driving Thrill: This costs £99 and is available at 39 different locations across the UK. You get to drive a Ferrari and a Lamborghini on a track for a minimum of six miles each, with all instruction and necessary equipment included. Not bad for less than 100 quid. Contact: buyagift.co.uk Quadruple Aston Martin Driving Adventure: For those wanting…

1. Renault Twizy £10,695 Funky but compromised two-seater leaves you open to the elements. 2. Smart EQ ForTwo £17,350 Dinky city car is great for roundtown use, where its short 83-mile range is less of an issue. 3. Smart EQ ForFour £17,785 More practical twist on the formula of the ForTwo (above); extra seats provide more flexibility. 4. SEAT Mii electric £19,800 Tiny four-seat Mii is perfect for urban use, plus the odd motorway jaunt. 5. Fiat 500 electric £22,995 Electric power and funky looks combine perfectly in this great city car.…

MODELTESTED: Ford Fiesta ST Edition PRICE: £28,770 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 3cyl, 197bhp THE current Ford Fiesta ST is a superb hot hatch, and for this exclusive ST Edition its maker has ramped things up. But at £28,770, is it as good value for money as lower rungs of the Fiesta ST ladder and can it beat the GR Yaris? Design & engineering LIKE the Toyota, the Fiesta ST Edition is available in three-door form only, but it also features some performance enhancements that put it in the Yaris’s ballpark. These include lighter flow-formed 18-inch alloys that save 2kg per corner compared with the standard wheels. They are controlled by new coilover suspension units that lower the ride height by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear compared with a…

NEW PRODUCT Laser cordless tools range Prices: From £76.06 (charger) Contact: www.lasertools.co.uk BRITISH Touring Car Championship winner Laser Tools has launched a new range of ‘one battery powers all’ cordless tools. The 20V 4Ah battery (£114) powers a five-strong line-up of tools slanted towards car jobs. It’s paired with a £76.06 four-amp charger that includes LEDs to display the battery’s health. A full charge is claimed to take an hour, with a run time of up to 115 minutes depending on the tool. The tools come individually without charger and battery, or in a kit with the charger, two batteries and a bag. Topping the range is a variable-speed impact drill with metal gears and a maximum 130Nm from its brushless motor. It costs £234.55, or £518.02 in a kit.…

Clean up with cutprice car-care kit IF you’re planning to use the third lockdown to get your car really spick and span, Diamondbrite’s Winter Pack is a great place to start – and until the end of January it’s on sale with 25 per cent off the purchase price. For £20.95 (including delivery) you get a drawstring bag filled with glass cleaner, screenwash, rainscreen, de-icer and wheel cleaner, plus a microfibre cloth and an ice scraper. Go to www.diamondbrite.co.uk to buy, or stock up on other cleaning products. New Defender gets bespoke Pirelli tyre PIRELLI will supply a new Scorpion Zero all-season tyre to be fitted to the reborn Land Rover Defender. The tyre is made with efficiency in mind, gaining an A fuel-economy rating for reduced emissions. It also…

MSC QI Wireless Charging & USB-C type Power Bank Price: £34.95 Capacity: 10,000mAh Contact: 01935 825914, www.mobilesolarchargers.co.uk Rating: BEST BUY OUR last winner just manages to keep top spot against some serious opposition. One of its strongest points is the variety of connections: two 3.1-amp standard USB sockets, flying leads for Apple Lightning, USB-C, and QI wireless charging. Its 10Ah capacity strikes a balance between weight (204g) and practicality, and although it’s not overly expensive, the addition of QI adds to the price compared with conventional power banks. Its performance was very good at 29 and 13 per cent for phone/tablet, although it was beaten by newer devices. Goobay Quick Charge 3.0 USB-C Power Bank Price: £29.99 Capacity: 15,000mAh Contact: www.mobilefun.co.uk Rating: RECOMMENDED THE Goobay provided the top phone result at…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q Special measures required to retain written-off reg A FRIEND told me that if a car with a private number plate is written off in an accident, the insurance company takes ownership of the registration. Is this true? As some personalised plates are worth thousands of pounds, I’m sure this will come as a surprise to some if so. Steve Richardson, E-mail A IT’S correct that if you don’t inform your insurer you wish to keep the personalised registration, ownership of it will transfer to the insurance company along with the car following a writeoff. There are processes in place to allow the plate to be retained by the car’s owner, though. This requires a conversation with the insurer and DVLA form V317 to be completed. Any…

First look at Renault F1’s Alpine rebrand ALPINE has revealed what it calls a ‘temporary winter livery’ to mark its arrival into Formula 1 as the new identity of the Renault works team. The images show a predominantly black scheme, with a tricolour flash of red, blue and white at the rear. It’s expected that a more wide-ranging rebrand for the squad will be revealed ahead of the start of the F1 season in Bahrain on 28 March. McLaren gets option for Formula E entry MCLAREN has secured an option to enter Formula E when the electric single-seater series begins its third generation in the 2022/23 season. The move is said to be part of the British squad’s “ongoing evaluation of potential new motorsport platforms”. For its third generation, Formula…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn DACIA is going on the product offensive and has pulled the wraps off a new concept car called the Bigster. Although this is only a show car for now, it previews a new 4.6-metre long SUV that will act as a cut-price rival to the likes of the Land Rover Discovery Sport. The Bigster will sit above the current Duster in the firm’s line-up as a “future figurehead of the Dacia range”. And even by Dacia’s own admission, the Bigster will be “a larger, more capable vehicle at the cost buyers would expect from the segment below”. So although it’s about the same sized as a Discovery Sport, it will be sold at a fraction of the cost. The rugged off-roader sticks with the no-nonsense--approach to design that’s…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods HYUNDAI has offered up a tantalising glimpse of the all-new Ioniq 5 electric SUV in a series of revealing teaser images. The car will be the first production model from the Korean marque to use its new all-electric E-GMP platform, and will also be the first model launched under the Ioniq electric sub-brand. It’s intended to be a premium SUV, sitting somewhere between the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 SUV in terms of size. These new teaser images reveal that the Ioniq 5 will bear a striking resemblance to the Hyundai 45 Concept that was revealed at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show – a show car that itself was inspired by the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupé. A strong retro-futuristic design language, dubbed ‘high-tech’ by Hyundai, has…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson THIS is our first look at the facelifted sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo. The updated supermini will be revealed towards the end of this year with a redesigned exterior, fit to take on fresher rivals such as the latest Renault Clio and Hyundai i20. Through the light disguise on this prototype we can see that VW’s designers have used the Mk8 Golf as a starting point for the Polo’s cosmetic revisions. The supermini’s new front end takes inspiration from its larger sibling’s, with similarly shaped headlights, an updated grille and lower front bumper with larger air intakes. At the back the updated Polo will receive a new bumper and a pair of rear lamps that are nearly identical to the Golf’s. The lower section of the bumper will…

AA driving instructors say that having to pay franchise fees despite lessons being suspended is causing financial hardship and anxiety. Several instructors contacted us to highlight the issue, explaining that while the AA has discounted fees by 25 per cent, they must still pay “anywhere between £200-300 a week”, despite having lost all income due to lockdown. The AA said it was “sympathetic” to the plight of its instructors, but added: “Like all businesses, we have had to make decisions in an unstable financial environment, with no knowledge of how the virus will impact our lives in the coming months. Completely waiving fees, as we did during the first lockdown, is not a sustainable way of getting our business through this new lockdown.” BSM, which is owned by the same…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk THE Nissan GT-R is the perfect example of automotive evolution. Since the car was unveiled in 2007, one of its closest rivals – the Porsche 911 Turbo – has been facelifted, replaced entirely, then facelifted again before an all-new model was launched at the end of last year. Instead of launching new models Nissan has continued to hone the GT-R, the car that challenged the supercar establishment, with just one major facelift over 13 years. In Japanese this process is called kaizen (the constant need to evolve and improve) and it’s right at the heart of the car you see here: the 2020 Nissan GT-R Nismo. This could be the GT-R’s swansong, tuned by Nissan’s in-house motorsport arm. The Nismo features a carbon-fibre bonnet, boot lid and a large…

DRIVING on the public road remains one of the most liberating things you can do. But to get the most out of your driving – and for it not to cost you a fortune in the process – there are some golden rules you’d do well to abide by. As long as you get the simple things right, driving enjoyment, even driving nirvana, won’t be that far away. Lockdown restrictions mean that the first thing you need to do – and something that will pay off in the long run – is plan your journey and where you want to go. As well as finding some great roads to drive, ensure that the places you’re heading to or through, and the type of journey you’re planning, is allowed within the…

evo track days Various tracks. Organised by our sister title evo. Contact: evo.co.uk/evotrackdays Quadruple Supercar Thrill With hot ride, Goodwood, £335 for three hours per person. Contact: 0345 640 8000, buyagift.co.uk Formula 1 track days Silverstone, £99 for 1.5 hours per person. Contact: 0345 640 8000, redletterdays.co.uk Caterham Track Days Various tracks, from £150. Contact: Want2Race? 01332 470057, want2race.co.uk Introduction to Drifting Brands Hatch, £69. Contact: 01376 809001, trackdays.co.uk £200 Track Day voucher Drive your own car, various tracks, £200 per person. Contact: 01376 809001, trackdays.co.uk…

YOU’D think it would be easy-peasy, working out how to spend the least amount of money on fuelling your car. But the chances are you’d be wrong. Or, at least, you might not be entirely right. For starters, by far the most effective way to spend less money on fuel is to not spend as much money buying it in the first place. Simple as that. So although we’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: don’t buy your fuel at a motorway service station if it’s possible to avoid doing so. Buy it instead from a supermarket garage if you can. Why? Because in extreme cases you’ll save as much as 35p per litre by going to a supermarket fuel station instead of the motorway services. In a car…

EVs may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re rapidly becoming more popular, and by 2030 the government has proposed that the only new cars that can be sold are electric or electrified. EVs are here to stay, and the good news is they’re getting better all the time. There are a few golden rules to follow when driving and running an electric car, but the most important one is to read the manual very carefully indeed, even if your EV is only going to be a second car – for the time being. Driving and getting the most out of an EV is a very different experience to driving a combustion-engined vehicle, so the more you can glean from the manual about the different driving modes and the…

BOTTOM line, driving in Europe is not going to be quite as simple or as convenient as it was before we “transitioned” at the end of 2020. Nor will it be as cheap, despite the UK’s trade deal with the EU, which has made driving in Europe slightly simpler than it might have been. Even so, there are still things you can do to reduce your European motoring costs and stresses. There are also procedures you’re now legally obliged to follow as a UK motorist when driving in the EU, not least the ever-changing Covid restrictions, which may vary from country to country. The good news is that most of us won’t need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive on the continent. Following our last-minute deal with the EU,…

IT’S a somewhat mystifying fact that the first time you legally drive on a motorway in the UK, you could be doing so on your own, in the dark, when it’s raining or in fog, or even when it’s snowing, if the gods are being particularly unkind. But driving on a motorway needn’t be as terrifying as some drivers believe it to be, because as ever there are a few golden rules to abide by. Always give yourself plenty of room in which to operate, not just by leaving lots of room to cars in front, but also those to the sides and rear. Remember that you can control the amount of space behind you by allowing a tailgating vehicle to pass and have its own accident, one that doesn’t…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk LOCKDOWN. It’s a funny old thing. There’s plenty to get frustrated about, but in the Milne household, it’s meant finding new hobbies, and rediscovering old ones. As you can see in our pictures, space has played a big part – in more ways than one. What could be more socially distanced than loading up my Skoda Superb with a compact telescope, a flask of coffee and some astronomy books, and heading out to the back of beyond for a few hours of stargazing? It’s a great way to get away from it all, and the bootlid is even big enough to perch the telescope on. Those dark nights have been a great test of the Superb’s matrix LED headlights, too. I’m a huge fan of the tech, which allows…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q How long can antifreeze last? I’M confused about antifreeze and when it should be changed. I’ve been told two years, but I’ve also seen some that claim to go five years between changes. What’s right? Norman Strudwick, E-mail A THE short answer is both could be correct, depending on which antifreeze is being used. Traditional inorganic acid technology (IAT) lasts two years, whereas coolants with modern organic acid technology (OAT) can go for five years or longer. Get the correct one for your car and use it to the maker’s recommendations. Q Looking for a perfect match I NEED to deal with a few stone chips on my car’s bonnet. What do you recommend as the best way to get the correct colour match? Tom Beeston,…

Tom Barnard CHOOSING a pressure washer can be bewildering, so most of us will just head for the safety of a well known brand, hoping it will assure dependable performance and decent quality. However in our last multitest (Issue 1,646), we found a washer from the relatively unknown firm Titan put the better-known brands under pressure. We’ve now put the victorious Titan up against the latest contender from premium brand Bosch to see if it can clean up where rivals have failed. The EasyAquatek 120 is aimed at the best sellers in the sub-£100 market, and its biggest attraction are its tiny dimensions, which make it ideal if you store your washer in a confined space such as in an under-stairs cupboard or small shed. It put up a decent…

Which has the power to keep all your kit charged on the move? PRODUCTGROUP TEST 20|01|2021 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive Dave Pollard THOSE of us unable to work from home are spending ever more time in our cars, with commutes getting longer, meaning that we’re using our phones more and increasing the risk of them going flat at a crucial time. Add to this the host of other portable power-hungry products crying out to be replenished (tablets, phones, games, videos etc.), and it’s easy to see why a power bank is a good investment. You might well be tempted just to chose a large-capacity bank, but this…

Search more than 60,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee Richard Dredge WHETHER or not you think Tesla is an over-hyped company, or that its cars are deserving of the adulation that they regularly receive, you can’t deny that company founder Elon Musk has shaken up the market with products that are like nothing else. Not only that, but Tesla has also set up a charging infrastructure that’s the envy of its rivals. Tesla was founded in 2003 and its first car, the Roadster, was introduced in 2005. Effectively an electrified two-seater sharing much with the Lotus Elise, the Roadster sold in tiny numbers. It wasn’t until 2012 that we saw the first mainstream Teslas: the Model S, followed shortly by the…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100kph), in seconds. ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS: Combined WLTP economy figure in miles per gallon and emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, 12 months’ road tax, number plates and first registration. EVs…

LORRY life requires drastic change – for the truck drivers imprisoned in their cabs, and for the car users they share the roads with. Also in need of TLC are residents blighted by HGVs parking in residential streets. It has to stop. The achievable solution is more purpose-built, 24/7 truck stops – complete with decent loos, showers and eateries. That said, after witnessing the trucking hell that stranded lorry drivers endured close to Britain’s channel ports at Christmas, it’s clear that these professionals deserve much-improved working conditions, including the right to spend more time at home. ‘Living’ on the road, almost non-stop, in horribly claustrophobic cabs can’t be right or healthy for the dads and mums, or the kids they rarely see. Also, it’s time we admitted that it’s inefficient…