Autocar November 4, 2020

OPINIONS VARY ABOUT exactly how many cars there were in this country when editor Henry Sturmey and publisher William Iliffe decided in November 1895 to produce the first issue of a weekly car magazine. Whatever the number, it’s clear that the weekly flow of Autocar has chronicled virtually the entire progress of the motor car in Britain, which had no motor industry at all when the title first appeared and was at least a decade of progress behind Germany and especially France. A century after our launch, 25 years ago, we produced a very thick, very special centenary issue carrying much about our (and the car’s) year-by-year history running to more than 400 pages. It’s a remarkable piece of work that you can buy on eBay for a tenner. Since then, the world…

The classic Land Rover Defender 110 body shape will be revived for a new high-performance, rally-bred machine from off-road specialist Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) subsidiary Bowler that will represent the “ultimate expression” of the design. Codenamed CSP 575, the road-legal 4x4 will be based on a reworked version of Bowler’s bespoke high-performance rally-car chassis topped with L316-generation Defender 110 aluminium body panels and powered by JLR’s range-topping 567bhp supercharged V8 engine. It will be the first road-focused vehicle produced by Derbyshire specialist Bowler and the firm’s first project since it was bought by JLR last year and placed under its Special Vehicles Organisation (SVO) umbrella. Bowler continues to operate as an independent entity, although now with greater co-operation from SVO, and has been given a licence to use the Defender 110 body. Michael van…

GENESIS’S EUROPEAN launch build-up is gathering pace following the reveal of the new GV70 SUV. The Audi Q5 rival will be a core model when Hyundai’s luxury offshoot arrives in Europe, expected next year, and right-hand-drive versions will be sold in the UK. The GV70 is capable of rear- and four-wheel drive, and its design inspiration was taken from the G70 saloon and larger GV80 SUV. Engines are likely to include a 249bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 199bhp 2.2-litre diesel. Two versions will be offered, a standard model and a Sport version, which will feature black exterior detailing and a revised interior. The brand’s Europe launch will also include an estate version of the G70, and the first electric Genesis is planned next year, too.…

Mini has confirmed plans to expand its electric vehicle line-up with new, Chinese-built crossover and small car models, plus a battery-electric version of the next-generation Countryman. As first detailed by Autocar, a new crossover EV – tipped to revive the Paceman name and effectively replace parent firm BMW’s i3 – will be developed as part of a Chinese joint venture with Great Wall Motors. The vehicle will be built in Zhangjiagang for export to key world markets, including North America. Mini boss Bernd Koerber has confirmed to Autocar that this model will be launched in 2024. Built alongside the new crossover EV will be the second generation of Mini’s electric hatchback. It will use a platform expected to be linked to that of Great Wall Motors’ Chinese-market Ora R1, which has ultra-compact…

THE NEW BOLIDE is Bugatti’s “most extreme, fastest and lightest vehicle concept” of the modern age, boasting a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of a Formula 1 car. The track-oriented model, which is currently a technical exercise and not confirmed for production, promises 1472bhp per tonne – or 1825bhp for a weight of just 1240kg. The Bolide uses the hypercar firm’s famed 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine to power all four wheels, and its 1825bhp is achieved using 110-octane racing fuel only. However, the turbochargers are newly developed, the intake and exhaust systems are ‘dethrottled’ and the powertrain itself weighs less than ever. It also uses air-to-air intercooling with water pre-cooling for the engine, transmission and differential. The brakes are ventilated by carbon-titanium radial turbofan compressors. As well as using a “minimal body for…

A NEW LIGHTWEIGHT carbon-and-composite car body structure could revolutionise the way electric cars are made in the next decade. Designed by Israeli defence and body panel company Plasan, it’s claimed to offer a weight reduction of up to 45% over steel bodies and 20% over aluminium bodies. Plasan has presented the new technology to global OEMs and motorsports companies, including some based in the UK, and recently went public with it. “We’re hopeful that in two to three years, there will be components built using our technology, with a full body following some years later,” chief designer Nir Kahn told Autocar in an exclusive interview. At the heart of Plasan’s technology are pull-extrusion ‘pultrusion’ carbonfibre beams with carbonfibre filaments distributed continuously through the full length of the tube walls – resulting in very strong,…