Table of contents for August 2019 in CAR UK

Le Mans 2019, a race without any real contest at the sharp end and marred by more conspiracy theories than Armstrong and Aldrin’s little day out on the Moon, won’t go down as a classic. But it marked the end of Ford’s factory presence at the world’s greatest motor race, an event it returned to in 2016 with the express purpose of winning – 50 years after the original Ford GT did the same. For Ford folk, it’s the end of an emotional chapter. Right now the company faces myriad challenges: plummeting market share and plant closures in Europe, Trump’s proposed sanctions, and the ferociously expensive race to develop EVs and autonomous tech (in part in collaboration with VW). One of its most dynamic lieutenants, Raj Nair, also fell from…

Sports car sympathisers and SUV haters look away now, as the enemy has well and truly captured the flag. Ford’s latest crossover is called Puma, a name that at the turn of the century was attached to the type of spicy front-wheel-drive coupe we seldom see today. But if you can put misty-eyed memories aside, 2020’s new Puma – based on a wider version of the Fiesta platform – has a lot going for it. It looks striking, for a start. From the alien-mask front end, to the sculpted sides and bulging wheelarches, it’s very different from any other Ford SUV, and bigger than the Fiesta Active. It’s front-drive only. The engine line-up introduces two mild-hybrid units. Both the 123 and 153bhp three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrols will come with EcoBoost Hybrid…

Got a ruler? It might just be a taller 208, but Peugeot’s Mk2 2008 employs the edgy lines of the 3008 and 5008 to great effect. Its option of an electric powertrain could prove a trump card over reborn Nissan Juke and Renault Captur rivals, both due 2020. Another dimension Peugeot’s i-Cockpit has evolved into i-Cockpit 3D. The small steering wheel is no longer the star attraction: that’ll be an instrument panel that presents information in a hologram-like style, with more urgent info appearing closer to the eye. Designed for the EV age CMP underpinnings are flexible enough to cope with three-cylinder petrols, four-pot diesels or an electric motor. All versions have the same-size boot. The e-2008 has 134bhp and claims 193 miles of WLTP range; top petrol has more…

After much conjecture, endurance racing’s so-called Hypercar class has been confirmed. At the Le Mans 24 hours in June, Toyota and Aston Martin announced their commitment to the series. The World Endurance Championship (WEC) now runs summer-to-summer, meaning there’ll be one more season (2019/2020) of the current regulations before the Hypercar class goes live in 2020/2021. And it promises to make the WEC the most exciting motorsport on the planet. WHY DID ENDURANCE RACING NEED TO MAKE CHANGES? Prototypes have ruled the WEC for years, and at times the top LMP1 class has been sensational. Just a few years ago factory-backed entries from Porsche, Toyota, Audi and Nissan battled each other at unreal speeds, with each manufacturer taking a different approach to a refreshingly open set of regulations. At its…

Bentley is the exception to many rules, but not this one. Like other car makers it’s rushing to meet EU CO2 emissions limits by ditching its diesels and electrifying its petrols. Bentley’s first step on that path is the Bentayga Hybrid. The formula is simple: have a deep rummage around the VW Group stockroom and find a 3.0-litre petrol V6 hybrid powertrain to replace the V8 and W12 usually found in the Bentayga. It might just work. Bentleys have always been about masses of torque, refinement and effortless performance, so the traction and low-down power of an electric motor should fit. And with a petrol engine for the range and performance at higher speed, you’re set – right? The Hybrid has 443bhp and 516lb ft of torque – a fair…

5 minutes This feels more than 50kg lighter than the W12 I drove the other day, more direct too 6 minutes A decent stretch of road proves the V8 sounds much better 30 minutes But it’s still silly wide. And these roads look very narrow. Why would Bentley do this to me? 18 minutes Active anti-roll wizardry and a shouty V8 mean I’m doing my best Pikes Peak in a two-tonne car, and enjoying it 51 minutes Back to the freeway, Comfort on. This is still very much a big Bentley GT – when you want it to be…

Where is the elegance and lightness we all loved in the LaFerrari? Knut Mayser Ferrari always seems to bounce back from a disappointing style period with an absolute belter. Not a fan of the 488 or 812 but this is mouth-wateringly stunning! Eldridge Szymanski At first I thought it was the new mid-engined Corvette. Zoltan Pavlakovich They got carried away and ruined a lovely shape. Andrew Olson A proper hybrid car at last. Steve Todd Good lord that’s ugly. They better hire Pininfarina back; Ferrari hasn’t built a pretty car in ten years! Robert Cumming…

What’s changed? We tried not to change too much, as the GT4 has an inherent rightness. We don’t want to go too far away from the sweet spot that we hit with the first-generation GT4 – I don’t believe in putting 600bhp in it and making it faster at the Nürburgring. It’s a driver’s car and a track tool at the same time, with performance everyone can exploit and have a grin on their face. On the 911 we have wide tyres, a sophisticated rear axle mechanism, rear-wheel steering. This car has nothing; it’s just a mid-engined car. The whole vehicle shrink-wraps around the mechanics. We have 34 horsepower more, but the tyre width is no different. This is a car for the back roads of Wales, or Scotland. You…

THE MAGNA YEARS ‘I trained as an engineer and spent a dozen years working for components supplier Magna International, where I was responsible for European plants. It was all about volumes, quality and efficiency of production. It was an interesting business, but it didn’t touch people’s hearts as an M product does. I met some inspiring people there, including Karl-Heinz Kalbfell [big hitter who led BMW M, Rolls and Alfa; pictured below]. We used to go off and ride classic bikes together across Europe to the Classic TT historic festival on the Isle of Man. When he died, his family sold me his Moto Guzzi.’ EARNING HIS STRIPES AT BMW ‘I joined BMW five years ago working on quality management for Rolls-Royce based in Munich. My second position was on…

A CAR reader since 1966, recently retired lawyer Philip Rodney has owned his Alpine A110 for almost a year and adores it. But he’s curious to try new cars, which is why he’s called on CAR to suggest three potential replacements. Get the Glasgow native to reel through his greatest buys and you can see how he’s arrived at the Alpine, and what might appeal next. Yes, there’s the run of Porsches but also a passion for French metal – a Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 early on, plus happy memories of his dad’s Renault 5 and learning to drive in the family Renault 16 – and a Colin Chapmanesque delight in the small, the lightweight and the innovative, hence the Renault Zoe he owns, the VW Up that’s since departed,…

Why is it here? All-new, significantly bigger version of the car that began BMW’s SUV lineage two decades ago. Despite ever-greater competition, it retains an enviable position as the on-road 4x4 that’s still got decent off-road ability, school-run practicality and just a hint of drug dealer. Any clever stuff?  xDrive all-wheel-drive system has rear-biased feel, but can divert almost all drive to either axle. Which version is this? The xDrive 40i in xLine trim. That involves a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six petrol, eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive. There are two diesels available in the UK: 30d (right) and 50d, both with 3.0-litre sixes. We won’t get the V8 M50i petrol, but the X5 M will return. Whichever model you go for, there are so many options that no two X5s are…

The story so far Boldly styled crossover from upmarket niche brand has been growing on us – but what will three outsiders make of it? + Roomy, reassuring, comfortable family transport - An unconvincing £40k car Logbook Price £39,530 (£40,280 as tested) Performance 1598cc turbo four-cyl, 221bhp, 8.3sec 0-62mph, 141mph Efficiency 33.6-36.5mpg (official), 34.5mpg (tested), 134-136g/km CO2 Energy cost 16.5p per mile Miles this month 1477 Total miles 12,136…

The story so far There’s no questioning the build quality or practicality of the entry-level diesel A6 estate, but in our 11,000-plus miles together it’s never displayed the magic you’d hope for + Space; refinement; build – So-so dynamics; so-so mpg Logbook Price £39,850 (£46,805 as tested) Performance 1968cc turbodiesel four-cylinder, 201bhp, 8.3sec 0-62mph, 149mph Efficiency 60.1mpg (official), 48.2mpg (tested), 129g/km CO2 Energy cost 13.2p per mile Miles this month 4504 Total miles 11,713…

The story so far We’re loving the quality, the drive, the general sense of wellbeing of Lexus life + Calming vibe; high-quality build; luxurious appointments in nicely executed cabin - Puncture was a bit of a blow (if hardly the RX’s fault); maddening infotainment system (the RX’s fault) Logbook Price £61,995 (£63,635 as tested) Performance 3456cc V6 hybrid, 259bhp, 8.0sec 0-62mph, 112mph Efficiency 47.1mpg (official), 29.9mpg (tested), 138g/km CO2 Energy cost 19.5p per mile Miles this month 1016 Total miles 6440…

1 The market really favours low-mileage examples, which is a shame because the 964 is so strong and usable. 2 The pedal offset in right-hand drive cars is more pronounced than left-hand-drive models, so check you’re comfortable. 3 Visit porscheclubgb. com – it’s an excellent resource, and I gave their 964 buying tips a once-over before taking the plunge. ONE YEAR INTO A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP? IF YOU’RE FEATURED YOU’LL GET PRO SHOTS OF YOUR CAR – EMAIL CAR@BAUERMEDIA.CO.UK…

MERCEDES-BENZ B180 AMG LINE £397pm The only five-seater here Spec 1.6-litre four, front-drive, 6-speed manual, 120bhp, 41.5mpg List price £25,840 Initial payment £3000; then £397/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 Via zen.auto SEAT ALHAMBRA 1.4 TSI SE L £374pm Dependable and versatile Spec 1.4-litre 4-cyl, front-drive, 6-speed manual, 148bhp, 42.2mpg List price £33,070 Initial payment £2750; then £374/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 Via zen.auto RENAULT GRAND SCENIC TCE 140 PLAY £270pm Stylish and comfortable Spec 1.3-litre 4-cyl, front-drive, 6-spd manual, 138bhp, 45.6mpg List price £23,520 Initial payment £2000; then £270/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 Via zen.auto BMW 218i SPORT GRAN TOURER £345pm Cool MPV, uncool BMW Spec 1.5-litre 4-cyl, front-drive, 6-speed manual, 138bhp, 47.1mpg List price £28,600 Initial payment £2500; then £345/month for 36 months…

Tell us about your first car ‘A Volkswagen Beetle 1303 S, 50 horsepower, metallic blue.’ What is your proudest achievement? ‘My own personal achievement is my marriage, and from a sporting side it was 2014: first in the constructors’ championship with Mercedes and third with Williams, when I was still involved.’ Tell us about a time you screwed up ‘I do every day. But I think the most important thing is to reflect on your screw-ups and try to avoid them in the future.’ Best thing you’ve ever done in a car? ‘I had some drives in rally cars in the night on tricky stages where I felt afterwards that I’d given the maximum I could, and that was good enough at a regional level. Rallying is fantastic. It’s the…

The world isn’t short of low-volume, low-weight, serious sports cars vying for the attentions of the trackday-goer or aspiring racer, but new British constructor Revolution Race Cars has a fresh take on the formula with its first model, the A-One. That elegant styling conceals a car that’s boldly original under the skin, and created using innovative techniques. Get inventive with chassis tech A carbonfibre monocoque like the A-One’s would traditionally be made by the time-consuming process of laying up carbon fabric sheets pre-pregnated with resin. Peterborough-based Revolution instead uses an unconventional procedure: vacuum resin infusion, which sucks pressurised resin into permeable laminate. It’s been used in road cars before, notably the BMW i8, but not motorsport. Since it cures at a lower temperature and doesn’t require a pressurised oven, it’s…

Illustration by Peter Strain The man responsible for designing most modern McLaren cars almost got sacked because of a fish. Soon after joining McLaren in 2008, Frank Stephenson took a holiday to the Caribbean. There, he saw a sailfish displayed on the wall of his hotel. Like many car designers, he claims to be influenced by nature. To most, that means pinning photos of cheetahs on the studio walls. Frank went a step further – and very nearly a step too far for the McLaren finance folk. He was entranced by the sailfish’s streamlined shape. The US government’s National Ocean Service says it is the world’s fastest fish: its top speed is nearly 70mph. ‘It can move faster than a cheetah – and that’s through water, which is a much…

5 TRULY ELEMENTAL SPORTS CARS You learn a few things when you put together a Seven. You learn that the steel spaceframe, made more rigid by its aluminium skin, is so light two can carry it. You learn that the virtuous circle of light weight isn’t some abstract concept. Anti-roll bars like drinking straws, diddy disc brakes and weeny springs and dampers – they’re all modest because the Seven weighs nothing, and at the same time the Seven weighs nothing because they’re modest. (It’s just a shame that, half a century on, it’s still a bastard to put together.) 4 MAKING ENGINES STRUCTURAL In its purposeful minimalism the Lotus 49 F1 car represented nothing less than The Future. Though it had been done before on a Grand Prix car, Chapman’s…

BMW Z4 Back for its third generation, new Z4 follows template of the softer second as convertible only, though this time it’s a fabric roof, not a folding hardtop. Twinned with Supra, we’re testing top-spec M40i that’s closest to Toyota sibling. SPECIFICATION Price new £49,185 As tested £54,515 Powertrain 2998cc 24v turbo straight-six, eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive Performance 335bhp @ 5000rpm, 369lb ft @ 1600rpm, 4.5sec 0-62mph, 155mph (limited) Suspension MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear NEED TO KNOW Z4 range starts with a 2.0 Sport at £37k, top-spec M40i just under £50k. M Sport Plus package with 19in alloys and adaptive dampers is £1960, Driving Assistant Package £900. RUNNING COSTS The Z4 requires a service every two years, or sooner if the service indicator says so. Officially the Z4 does…

PORSCHE 959 Conceived in the early ’80s as a daydream about where technology could ultimately take the 911, the complex, all-wheel-drive 959 was developed with an eye on Group B racing – indeed 1983’s road-orientated 959 concept was named the Gruppe B. But when 956 regular Jacky Ickx suggested he’d like a crack at the Dakar rally, Porsche didn’t need asking twice: a huge marketing opportunity, plus a massive 4x4 R&D programme largely funded by Rothmans? Yes please! All three naturally-aspirated 959s failed to finish in ’85. But in ’86 959s – now turbocharged and with advanced electronically-controlled all-wheel drive – finished first and second. LANCIA STRATOS Marcello Gandini’s visor-screened, mid-engined supermodel was always destined to be a rally car – a point of difference from both the Sterrato and…

The Cupra certainly turns heads, but few are admiring glances 1 DEFINE SPORTY Ah, the irony of parking up an understeery, 1615kg SUV outside Goodwood race circuit. It’s no trackday weapon, so let’s see if 296bhp, four-corner grip and adjustable suspension make it a real-world winner. 1 2DIALLED IN There are five pre-set driving modes, plus the option of a personalised sixth mode which means I can have steering, engine and transmission in full attack with the suspension in Comfort. Perfect. 3 DOWNHILL FAST Down Duncton Hill the Cupra feels whipcrack fast and secure, but the brakes have to work very hard for the 30mph potter through Duncton village. A second downhill blat and the pedal goes spongy. \ 4 AND RELAX Along the fast A285 and into sleepy Petworth.…

The story so far Upgrades might make the GTI’s weak points disappear but, overall, life with VW’s smallest, fizziest GTI has been without any serious gripes + Mid-range torque; sound; nuclear heated seats; terrier-like handling and charm - Lack of wheel reach; road and wind noise on motorways; flat seats; weak headlights Logbook Price £14,055 (£15,230 as tested) Performance 999cc 3cyl turbo, 113bhp, 8.8sec 0-62mph, 122mph Efficiency 58.9mpg (official), 42.9mpg (tested), 129g/ km CO2 Energy cost 13.4p per mile Miles this month 774 Total miles 6729…

Who’d be a German car boss right now? Well, for some of them it may not be a problem they face for long. Will Harald Krüger’s contract as chairman of the BMW board of management – which expires next spring – be renewed by the supervisory board? He’s widely liked, but is that the most important quality to take the company through the tough years ahead? What’s in store for Audi CEO Bram Schot when Markus Duesmann is eventually released from his gardening leave by BMW? VW Group hired him to take over from Schot at Audi, but the rumours now circulating are that Oliver Blume, currently making a great success of running Porsche, might be diverted to Audi, leaving Duesmann in charge of Porsche. And what of VW chief…

1 THE GOING GETS TOUGH Shift the stubby lever (above left) to 4L, to engage low-ratio all-wheel drive. Your speed will be lower, but your control vastly increased. 2 UPS AND DOWNS For maximum wheel articulation, disconnect the front anti-roll bar (or sway bar), freeing one front wheel to stay high while the other goes low. 3 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Jeep’s Uconnect screen includes an Off Road Pages feature that displays pitch and roll, plus a precise GPS location if you get lost.…

1 minute Bonnet catches the light nicely – some skilful shaping has gone on, within the parameters of Clio-ness 2 minutes Mirror adjuster isn’t the decades-proven knurled joystick – some anonymous concave knob instead (but it works just fine) 4 minutes Pulling away for the first time, slim headrests make a huge difference to over-the-shoulder visibility 22 minutes First big hill – extra power over the 1.0-litre triple is a big boon 53 minutes Touchscreen graphic makes de- or re-activating safety aids a doddle…

Great to read Jaguar have put the XE right at last (CAR, June 2019). Three years ago I really wanted to buy one but, although it was a great car to drive, I just couldn’t live with the really poor interior plastics, the badly fitting leather trim or the lack of a suitably sophisticated modern petrol engine. I felt for a little more money spent inside it might have been the new Mk2 we have always craved. I have to admit, it looks far better now. Without doubt I would have bought the P300 you have just tested (with the new F-Pace SVR, and written by Ben Oliver) had it existed three years ago. Instead I ended up with a Volkswagen Golf R, which I absolutely love. I wish this…

Illustration by Peter Strain In the end, I suppose everything will be electric – electric cars, electric bikes, electric aeroplanes. We’ll get used to it, of course, though I’m not sure I’ll ever fly in one of those electric drone-taxi things. Too scared. Maybe that’s what will mark me out as an ‘old man’ in years to come – I’ll refuse to get on board an autonomous flying pod. ‘I’m not flying in that hairdryer!’ I’ll say, and my grandchildren will mock me for being so stuck in my ways. But some combustion engines will be harder to replace than others, and – trigger warning – if you love the environment and hate pollution, best look away now, because I’m about to write a eulogy to the diesel engine… Tesla…

Markus Flasch New chairman of BMW M GmbH, the man tasked with developing the next generation of fast BMWs. He also oversees the Individual personalisation business. BMW Z3 M A 1999 BMW Z3 M Coupe nestles in Flasch’s garage. ‘It’s a keeper – I’ll never sell it,’ he promises. ‘I’ve actually just built a bigger garage for it. I love its design.’ It depends… ‘I take cappuccino with breakfast, espresso after lunch and the rest of the time just a black coffee.’ All in his fast-looking trademark M mug, obviously. Sleep can wait……

‘I found the BMW Z4 easiest to rule out,’ says Philip Rodney at the end of his busy day of comparing and contrasting. ‘It’s like a sofa-bed that fulfils neither role satisfactorily – caught somewhere between a cabriolet and a sports car. The chassis just didn’t give me the confidence to drive it harder. ‘The Porsche’s chassis was brilliant, but the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine of the T lacked charisma. That’s an essential ingredient in a performance car – even more important than fabric door pulls! It’s testament to how good the rest of the package is, though, that I wavered over whether I preferred the Cayman or Supra. ‘I really like the Cayman’s agility, and how polished and consistent all the control weights feel. It took me longer to appreciate…

Why is it here? The dynamic benchmark for the notoriously undynamic premium SUV class. The Cayenne was last updated two years ago, when the Mk3 arrived, taking on board extra tech and some of the Panamera’s interior slickness. Any clever stuff? Extra use of aluminium for parts of the body and suspension has trimmed weight by around 65kg. The rear suspension needed redesigning to provide the option of rear-wheel steering for the first time on a Cayenne. As before, its shares some of its fundamentals with other VW Group products – and as before, they’re well disguised. Which version is this? The basic one, called simply Cayenne, rather than the more powerful S or Turbo (although, confusingly, all three now use turbochargers). All have five seats. The 2019 range has…

Alex Tapley There’s not a whiff of ff-C clan preferred specification or option box ticking about this CX-5. It is, simply, the best-selling variant of Mazda’s best-selling model in the UK; the price tipped a whisker over the 30 grand mark by the only extra, £560 worth of metallic paint. It’s also, to this increasingly jaded eye, one of the best-looking SUVs out there, wearing its sport utility bulk with considerably more élan than the man who believes he can slim away his obsession with real ale merely by leaving his shirt untucked. Apparently, no Japanese automotive manufacturer can bring a car to the tarmac without having first conjured some semantic raison d’etre behind the design, and Mazda has been running with ‘Kodo – Soul of Motion’ for a while…

Alex Tapley Some cars get all sorts wrong and we love them anyway. Others mostly get it right but are unloved because of a few flaws. After 11,000 miles with the A6, I’d say the Audi falls into the second category. We’ve been testing the front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre TDI, the most affordable of all A6 Avants, and a car we expect to ace everything. So it’s important to stress just how much the A6 gets right. It’s a good-looking car. The interior offers more than generous space for adults in the back, and we’ve never lacked stowage in the generous boot. The interior is beautifully wrought, from the smooth grain of its high-quality leather to the slick integration of the twin touch-screens and digital instrument binnacle. You cannot sit in an…

Volvo has declared it doesn’t want anyone to die in its vehicles by 2020, and that means far more than just seatbelt and airbags. The S90 has tech galore, including City Safety, which can detect pedestrians, cyclists and large animals and apply full braking, as well as Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous system that can take care of the steering, throttle and brake to keep you in your lane and at your chosen speed. Then there’s the matter of the recently announced limit of 112mph on all new Volvo models from next year. Makes me think I should exploit this car’s 140mph max while I can, although that’s not really in the spirit, is it? Fearful of a cacophony of beeps and bongs, I’ve been surprised by the subtlety of the…

NAILING IT Would you believe it, I’ve never had a puncture in 27 years of driving… until now. The shoulder of the driver’sside rear tyre picked up a nail and so we slung the space saver on. This changed the aesthetic most amusingly, we thought. A new Bridgestone Dueler cost £174. BOOTS AND BUTTONS Are you a fan of electric tailgates? I’m not. They’re slower than doing it manually and the Lexus’s emits a beep every time you prod the button. And because you then have to wait four seconds while it opens/ closes, that electro-beep annoys you all the more. CHILL-OUT MODE The mode controller between the front seats flips you from Eco through Normal and up to Sport. Honest answer? We nearly always leave it in Normal –…

The new GLE comes in only one spec level, AMG Line – so getting the car just right for your requirements involves a deep dive into the options list. Our starting point is a 350d, with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel producing 268bhp. That power is sent to all four wheels via Merc’s nine-speed auto. Air suspension is standard. Starting price: £60,410 We’ve finished the GLE in Emerald Green (£685) and stuck with the standard 20-inch wheels, which give a good balance of looks and ride quality. Inside, we’ve selected the no-extra-cost combination of black nappa leather upholstery and black open-pore wood on the dashboard, balanced by chrome vents and details. Running total: £61,095 We’ve plumped for two tech option packs. Driving Assistance Plus (£1695) includes safety aids such as active…

1948 356 Porsche’s first sports car borrows heavily from the Beetle, including its (Porsche-designed) 1131cc flat-four, but new heads and an extra carb boost output from 25bhp to a less rubbish 40bhp. Eventually, frustrated by the limitations of the VW crankcase, Porsche designs another. By ’65 that evolution of the Beetle engine is making 94bhp. 1969 Unequal 914s A year after the 911’s arrival, Porsche stuffs the old 356’s engine into the tail to create the budget 912. But it’s expensive to make and sales are slow. Its 914 replacement, a joint project with VW, features a 110bhp 911T engine in the 914/6, but a feeble 80bhp VW Type 4 flat-four in the 914/4. 1981 That’s more like it! Sick of the 924 whinges, Porsche chops the 928’s V8 in…