ROAD TESTS

Vauxhall have re-entered the small coupe market in fine style with the new Astra GTC. JAMES BATCHELOR has driven it WHAT IS IT? This is the replacement to the swish-looking Astra Sports Hatch and marks Vauxhall’s re-entry into the burgeoning small coupe market. The firm is keen to point out it’s no three-door version of [...]

Alfa romeo at last have a mid-range diesel engine for their hatchback model. is it any good? JAMES BATCHELOR finds out WHAT IS IT? This is an important engine for the Giulietta as it hurls the Italian firm into the mid-spec diesel market for hatchbacks – a crucial sector Alfa Romeo wants to compete in. [...]

The new Jetta aims to be more grown up and lose the ‘Golf with a boot’ tag. James Batchelor reports WHAT IS IT? Previous saloon Golfs have had a fair crack at shaking off the ‘Golf with a boot’ description. This new Jetta aims to consign that description to the history books once and for [...]

Infiniti’s latest model is the world’s fastest-accelerating hybrid car on sale today. Duncan Chappell gives it a go WHAT IS IT? Yes, it’s another hybrid, but this one’s a little different. It sprints from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and is a refreshing take on the larger executive car, focusing on performance and economics. WHAT’S UNDER [...]

WITH a legacy of 300,000 units since 1999, the new Yaris arrives facing even more competition in the b-segment. JAMES BATCHELOR has driven it. WHAT IS IT? This is the third-generation of Toyota’s b-segment supermini – a car that first debuted in showrooms back in 1999 – and it has grown up. In comes more [...]

On paper Hyundai has got a new stylish and well-equipped d-segment car. But is it any good? JAMES BATCHELOR finds out WHAT IS IT? The i40 has an enormous task on its hands. Not only is the Korean firm pitching it against established D-segment cars like the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall’s Insignia, but also the i40 [...]

The Cruze saloon is attractive but too niche for Chevrolet. Now a five-door hatchback has arrived. JAMES BATCHELOR reports WHAT IS IT? Chevrolet has high hopes for this car. The Cruze has become the most successful Chevy around the world in recent years, but the UK arm of the business has been crying out for [...]

One of the most important engines has been fitted into one of the most fashionable cars. JAMES BATCHELOR investigates. WHAT IS IT? Fiat is giving us another dose of nostalgia by slotting a two-cylinder engine into the 500 and 500C, just like the original 13bhp car of 1957. However, it’s not all show and no [...]

With new engines and improved refinement, the popular XC70 has had a makeover. JAMES BATCHELOR investigates. WHAT IS IT? Quite simply it’s the XC70 we all know and love, but now refined, improved and generally made a more pleasant car to live with. Out goes the ‘old’ D5 and in comes a more powerful unit. [...]

Ford is hoping to increase the number of Focus Estate sales with a new, cool-looking version. JAMES BAGGOTT tries it out. WHAT IS IT? It’s the estate version of the Focus offering more practicality and versatility over its hatchback equivalent. That car has already sold 10,000 units since its debut in March, while the estate [...]

Following the DS3, the DS4 is Citroen’s next model to wear the premium badge. DUNCAN CHAPPELL has driven it. WHAT IS IT? It is a long list of things: A hatchback, a coupe, a family car, a sporty car, a crossover – but most of all it is a statement. Voted ‘Most Beautiful Car Of [...]

One-in-six large cars in the UK is a Mondeo. Now Ford has given it a make-over. JAMES BATCHELOR reports WHAT IS IT? It’s a refreshed-looking Mondeo with new engines to make the car as competitive and as desirable as ever. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? As you’d expect from Ford, Mondeo Man has plenty of choice. [...]

THERE’S not an awful lot to tell you about day four of RTOTY11, only that we have shot many pictures, it has rained a lot, and I have driven my first ever Caterham. But first the rain. We have been blessed with fine weather up until yesterday, but naturally soon as snapper Matt turned up, [...]

IF we’ve learnt anything from today it’s that you should always remember your friends – because you’ll need them. No, I’m not quoting that from Mystic Meg’s column in The Sun, but today’s events have proved that if you keep in mind people who can help, you must use them. Last year on RTOTY10 you [...]

SO, it’s the second day of #RTOTY11 and we’ve taken a step back in time. As we are staying so close to the location of last year’s picture location, we thought we’d pop back to the beach for a little reminiscing. Out of the amazing range of cars we have this year, there are two [...]

FIVE cars on route to Wales for a special feature in the magazine. Sounds like the perfect dream, doesn’t it? Sadly though, the fact of the matter is that the dream only really comes to life once you’re IN Wales – as we have painfully found out. That’s because we probably chose completely the wrong [...]

I HAD a strange dream last night that someone left a Porsche 911 on my drive and posted the keys through my letterbox. But this time it wasn’t a beer-induced dream, it was true. Sat outside when I woke up this morning was this black GTS Cabriolet – and lying on the doormat was the [...]

Is Chevrolet’s killer five-year deal and new hatchback a winning combination for dealers? JAMES BAGGOTT finds out WHAT IS IT? The replacement for the Kalos and a B segment rival for the likes of Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Fiesta. Can it compete with that? Probably not, but as a competitor to the likes of the [...]

The RS3 is the latest Audi to wear the fabled badge, but can it match its predecessors? JAMES BATCHELOR finds out WHAT IS IT? It’s the RS treatment given to an A3, creating not only the car that sits at the top of the A3 range, but also the cheapest RS model currently on sale. [...]

JAMES BAGGOTT takes the wheel of one of the most exciting M-badged sports cars to date and doesn’t want to let it go WHAT IS IT? The closest buyers will get to a reborn E30 M3. This is the pumped-up, low-production-run M car that many fans have been waiting for. With just 450 coming to [...]

BMW has placed a 2.0-litre engine in its Cooper S range to make the SD, but is it any good? JAMES BATCHELOR finds out WHAT IS IT? It’s a BMW 2.0-litre diesel engine installed into the Cooper S range of Minis – from hatch to Countryman. The Cooper SD has the highest amount of torque [...]

Along with the latest Rio and Optima, the new Picanto aims to shape Kia’s future. James Batchelor investigates. WHAT IS IT? This is the all-new version of Kia’s city car with a body penned by Peter Schreyer incorporating the now familiar ‘tiger’ family face, sharp creases down the flanks, vertical lights at the rear, and [...]

Suzuki is dipping its toe in the D-segment with the Kizashi. JAMES BATCHELOR has driven it. WHAT IS IT? This is Suzuki’s attempt to break into the D-segment – and it’s doing it with a car limited to 500 units packed full of equipment normally reserved as extras on other makers’ cars. WHAT’S UNDER THE [...]

Audi has decided to take on the Mercedes CLS with its stunning A7. JAMES BATCHELOR investigates WHAT IT IS? Numerically it might sit between A6 and A8 saloons, but the A7 is a four-door coupe. Like the A5, the A7 is called a Sportback and mixes four- seats with coupe lines. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? [...]

How many Volvo XC70 owners actually realise just what their cars are capable of? At the launch of the refreshed model in Sweden, Volvo let us try what many buyers never will – tackle some seriously rough off roading. Seen by many as simply a jacked-up version of the V70, Volvo was keen to demonstrate [...]

It’s the first five-seater mass-produced electric car, but James Baggott finds out the Leaf isn’t for everybody WHAT IS IT? Nissan would have you believe it’s a revolution for the car industry. It’s the first five-seater, all-electric car in production, produces zero emissions and costs just £2 to ‘fill up’. The benefits don’t end there. [...]

Toyota sold 150,000 Yaris Versos in the UK – the Verso-S is its overdue replacement. James Batchelor climbs aboard WHAT IS IT? This is Toyota’s return to the B-MPV market – a sector it has been absent from since the demise of the rather ungainly-looking Yaris Verso in 2006. The Verso-S is a five-seat car [...]

The Korean firm scored big with its i10 under scrappage. This new-look i10 aims to continue that, reports James Batchelor WHAT IS IT? It’s a comprehensive makeover for the car that defined the scrappage scheme. New front end, some new engines and an ultra- efficient 99g/km model is key. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? Hyundai’s latest [...]

The Cayenne has always been loud, brash, and in your face. The new diesel aims to change that, reports James Batchelor WHAT IS IT? It’s the most important Cayenne to buyers as it provides all the looks of more powerful models, but is cheaper to run (considerably) and is more politically correct to boot. WHAT’S [...]

One of Chevrolet dealers’ most popular models has been under the knife for 2011, reports James Baggott. WHAT IS IT? A refreshed version of one of Chevrolet’s most popular models. The Captiva has been given a new look outside, a nip and tuck inside and boasts all-new engines under the bonnet. Chevrolet makes the bold [...]

The 508 is tasked with helping push Peugeot into the premium sector. James Baggott tries it for size. WHAT IS IT? Peugeot’s offering to company car drivers. Aimed squarely at the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo, the 508 aims to attract fleet buyers and user choosers with a premium feel, sharp styling and a focus [...]

Vauxhall hasn’t hit 4×4 success since the Frontera. The Antara is charged with changing that, reports James Batchelor WHAT IS IT? After four years spent on the sidelines, the new Antara is Vauxhall’s second chance at this hugely fashionable sector. So it sports a new, more aggressive and dynamic face, numerous ‘underneath’ parts while inside [...]

Re-designed and updated for its seventh incarnation, the Passat is a key model for Volkswagen. James Batchelor reports. WHAT IS IT? This is the new seventh-generation Passat and yes, you might have noticed, it now wears Volkswagen’s corporate face first shown on the Golf MkVI. But while the front and rear now have ‘the look’, [...]

Nissan’s new Micra is a key model for dealers. JAMES BAGGOTT takes it for a spin WHAT IS IT? It’s one of the most important cars for Nissan dealers, that’s what. The Micra will account for 18,000 Nissan sales this year, behind only the crossovers Juke and Qashqai. The manufacturer believes some 70 per cent [...]

Is the new Focus as good as its best-selling predecessor? JAMES BAGGOTT investigates what’s new What is it? Quite possibly the most important car launch of 2011. The Focus has topped the best-seller charts for most of the years since its launch in 1998 with 1.4m finding homes in Britain. This new model combines a [...]

Unprecedented demand at Kia dealers is down to one car – the Sportage, reports JAMES BATCHELOR If you’d told a Kia dealer five years ago that customers would be posting deposits through their letterboxes so they were the first to own one of their new models, you’d have been laughed out of the showroom. But [...]

Five years ago family hatchback buyers had few choices when it came to buying a new car. They’d either head to Ford and Vauxhall or, if they wanted some style, they would plump for the big-bottomed Renault Megane. But now things have changed with some new hatchbacks from Korea. Kia and Hyundai have really upped [...]

A decade-and-a-half is a long time in anyone’s book, especially when it comes to cars. Quite how Volkswagen’s Sharan got away with being with us for so long is beyond us. Granted it may have had the odd nip and tuck here and there, but up until now it was essentially the same car underneath. [...]

The Audi RS5 is a car that will surprise you. In the images, it looks like just another Audi A5, subtly pumped out but not comprehensively overhauled. In the metal, though, it’s a completely different story. This car looks superb, every inch the wide-arched modern- day Quattro. Even if you’re not aware of this, onlookers [...]

HYUNDAI has announced prices for its new ix20 which will be available with three drivetrains and trim levels. Entry level Classic offers air conditioning, six airbags, and iPod capability, with the 1.4-litre petrol priced at £11,595 and the diesel alternative costing £1,400 more. The range-topper Style boasts a dual-panel panoramic glass sunroof with UV filter, [...]

BUYERS looking for a seven-seat Ford will have some tough choices to make with the introduction of this, the new C-MAX. Joining the Galaxy and S-MAX in the Ford line-up next this month is the replacement for the Blue Oval’s popular compact people carrier and it now comes in two body styles! The spiritual successor [...]

There it is again – stuck to the back of the Audi like a piece of road tar on the bumper. Damn hot hatches – don’t they realise they’ve no right to keep up? Get back where you belong, in a McDonald’s car park. To say the Megane 250 Cup is competent would be doing it [...]

Giugiaro-designed family hatchbacks have long been the stuff of legend. Ever since the master created the original Volkswagen Golf, car firms have clamored for his services. In his time, he’s done the Lancia Delta, Fiat Panda, Fiat Uno, Fiat Grande Punto, Saab 9000, Daewoo Lacetti… Okay then, it’s not quite a 100 per cent hit [...]

We have some criteria to get a place in our RTOTY line up. It might seem like an excuse to get away for a few days in some exciting cars – and you’d be right in a lot of respects – but we do run our entrants past a loose set of rules too. Cars have to [...]

There was a time when driving a supercar required balls of steel. You needed leg muscles the size of a bull’s, a sixth sense for parking and skin thicker than Janet Street-Porter’s to deflect the amount of abuse you’d get.  Thankfully things are different these days – and there’s no better example of that than Audi’s staggeringly brilliant R8. [...]

For a lesson in how not to make a four-door GT car, take a sneaky peak at the bulbous Porsche Panamera. A sickeningly stodgy, podgy people mover that makes a Ssangyong Rodius look well-proportioned, it’s hard to comprehend how that motoring monstrosity and the 911 come from the same maker.  Thankfully, Aston Martin employed a design team with eyes to [...]

Mini is big, but it needs to grow. Despite building 200,000 cars a year, the BMW sub-brand doesn’t quite boast the volume required for true sustainability. What’s more, it’s also losing customers; owners, quite literally, outgrow the Mini.  So now, Mini is bigger. Enter the new Countryman, the world’s first Mini five-door, and a Mini all about the number four: [...]

THE year was 1983 and it was set to be an iconic one for superminis. The iconic Peugeot 205 was launched that year, as was the iconic Fiat Punto. There was another launch that year as well, though whether you’d call it an icon is a bit more debatable. One thing’s for sure, though: the [...]

It’s the 35th year since Lotus debuted the Esprit at the Paris Motor Show. It marked a real change in the brand’s approach, moving upmarket into the higher echelons of supercardom. How fitting, then, that the firm should be doing the very same thing this year, too – at, yes, the Paris Motor Show… If [...]

MEET the Sportage – a Kia that costs £20,777. We can hear the sucking of air through teeth from here – and we agree: Yes, that does sound a bit rich. But the manufacturer has form here. Take Kia’s recently launched Sortento SUV as an example. The BMW X5-sized model is selling out in the [...]

Remember how we were incomprehensibly blown away by the Porsche 911 Turbo? 500bhp of awe-inspiring performance, handling to similarly astound and an overall desirability that plain hurt? Well, Porsche has only gone and done it again… How? By giving the 911 Turbo even MORE power! Making it EVEN faster and EVEN more expensive. This means it [...]

DEALERS often use the phrase ‘gets you from A to B’ when talking about an economical, small car. But what if ‘A’ is Portsmouth and ‘B’ is Edinburgh – would you use a typical A-to-B car? Well, being cost and environmentally conscious, we thought we’d give it a go. Could we cover the 450 miles [...]

In a world dominated by ever-softer, ever-more lifestyle-focused SUVs and crossovers, it is good to see one brand still makes a ‘proper’ off-roader. The Mitsubishi Shogun may not be the flashest kid on the block – and certainly not the newest – but there’s no denying the smack-in-face non-subtlety of its impact. Mitsubishi dealers swear [...]

If you like your motoring with wind in the hair and lashings of excitement, then the Abarth 500C will be right up your street. The maker – Fiat Group’s performance arm – has just unveiled the drop-top version of its potent little city car and we’ve climbed behind the wheel. Packing a 1.4-litre 16v turbo-charged [...]

LOTUS is moving upmarket. The firm has signalled its intention to aim straight for Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin in the future. Bold stuff? Well, it’s a move up from where the firm is today. But not without precedent… Let’s go back to the 1970s, and the glory days of mercurial owner Colin Chapman. He [...]

ASKING me whether the new Kia Sportage is a cool car could be seen to be a rather unwise thing to do. I mean, anyone who knows me will be aware of my dubious tastes in all-things 1950s, and that I have no idea who Justin Timberland is. A music chap, apparently – I thought [...]

THE BMW 5 Series has been with us for almost four decades, and shows no signs of waning. Rumored to be BMW’s most profitable model line, the current range is extensive, uses cutting-edge technology, and looks set to further sales which today stand at more than 5.5 million.  Why 5 Series, though? Quite simply, because it was [...]

Suzuki car buyers are a loyal bunch, as its 150 UK dealers will know only too well. Mainly retail customers, they will buy model after model; fourth-generation Suzuki ownership is not uncommon, which isn’t bad going given the average three-year replacement cycle. That’s a lot of customer currency to trade on. Why do they keep [...]

Welcome to the most important Audi for car dealers, ever. Bold claim – what leads us to make it? Well, Audi says this is going to be its best-selling car; better than the A3, better than the A4. You’ll quickly be seeing a lot of this little hatch… Little? Indeed: The A1 is Audi’s Mini, [...]

Saab is alive! We’ve reported about the on/off saga seemingly non-stop over the past few months here at Car Dealer Magazine. The final instalment, though, saw the revival of the firm, under supercar maker Spyker. Not only is it saved, but there’s also a brand-new model to mark the rebirth. Enter the BMW 5 Series-rivaling [...]

Two words send a shiver down my spine: You’re On. They arrive via direct message on Twitter from Lexus PR chief Scott Brownlee and I know immediately what they’re referring too – the Lexus LFA, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with me at the wheel.  Cue involuntary sweating, palpitations that have nothing to do [...]

It’s never really been the prettiest of cars, and to be honest compared to its stable mates it’s pretty, well, ugly. But the Cayenne has always been capable, not only at taking the kids to school, but as a proper 4×4 and all-round family car.  To some non-believers it can come as a bit of [...]

THIS review was written by 13-year-old Elliot Morris who wants to be a motoring journalist. Here, Car Dealer gave him the opportunity to have a go at writing a review. This is his take on the Aston Martin Vantage. WHEN you see it, you want it! This is the Aston Martin Vantage. One of the most [...]

RENAULT is not shy when it comes to doing mad things with hatchbacks. Not so long ago, Car Dealer fell in love with the extreme Renaultsport Megane R26.R – roll cage, hardcore suspension, no stereo, two seats and all. It was every inch the road-going rally car, we reckoned. And we loved it. It did, [...]

THE Range Rover is 40 years old this year. In that time, it’s turned from a luxurious Land Rover into a pinnacle of motoring, that bears comparison with the best Mercedes and Jaguars. Indeed, if you’re looking for an intriguing British alternative to a Bentley Flying Spur, the big Range Rover is a compelling choice. [...]

NEW Bentley saloons don’t come along every day. Indeed, if you want to know what the last all-new Bentley range-topper was, you need to flick the history books all the way back to 1930. That’s when the 8-Litre was unveiled, a car that WO Bentley personally oversaw to the nth degree. Unfortunately, his attention to [...]

THE VW Beetle is the daddy of sales legends. No other car can beat its staggering sales total – Ford’s Model T may have been a pioneering car, which put millions on the road, but the Beetle beat its production record way back in 1972.And had another 30-odd years to go after that! You may already know [...]

ONE of THE coolest cars of the late 1980s was Honda’s ballistic CR-X. Short, squat and stubby, it was a road-going missile when fitted with the mesmerising 1.6-litre VTEC engine, famed stratospheric rev limit ‘n all. This model, more than any other, cemented the VTEC legend in Honda’s history. Now, the brand is hoping to [...]

A sleek coupe with design cues to rival an Audi R8, built in the same factory as the Aston Martin Rapide but yet can be bought for £20k? Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it – but it’s not. This month, Peugeot’s hotly anticipated RCZ hits dealer showrooms and with it a tidal wave of [...]

HONDA’S Civic is a stalwart of the innovative Japanese company’s model range – but even so, it’s still surprising to remember what a long-runner it is. Would you believe, it’s actually older than the Volkswagen Golf? Honda launched it back in 1972, making it the second-oldest Japanese car model line still running. Mind you, if [...]

WHAT do you expect from an Alfa Romeo? The cynics in the audience are cat calling something about iffy reliability – we can hear them from here. But put that little chestnut to one side and what do you end up with? Passion. An Alfa isn’t a sensible purchase; it’s a heartfelt one. You are supposed [...]

Omologazione is what the ‘O’ in ‘GTO’ stands for: homologation special. This is Ferrari’s name for its most extreme road cars – those that are built only to satisfy the legislators who run the racing championships. Want to enter GT racing? Build X number of road cars first, then we’ll let you in.  Mad motors [...]

AUDI launched the famous Quattro 30 years ago this year. Gene Hunt, among others, is most grateful that it did. Thing is, since then, it’s not really had a model comparable with the dramatic icon. The firm continued to develop the Quattro, but when it was dropped in the 1990s, there was nothing to take [...]

BMW dealers sell 5,000 X5s a year: It is a profitable model indeed for the firm’s UK retailers. And it was quizzing those annual buyers that set the template for the mid-life facelift of the luxury five or seven-seat SUV. What did they want? Plenty more, it seems, of the same… Thus, the new X5 looks almost [...]

LUXURY car sales are dominated by one model – the Mercedes S-Class. Try as they might, rivals just don’t seem to be able to break this stranglehold. BMW’s been having a go for decades, and Audi joined the party a decade-and-a-half ago with the all-aluminium A8. Neither has dethroned the S-Class. There’s one rival that’s been around far [...]

HONDA NSX, a mere cult car? No, it’s more than that: indeed, it’s one of the most significant cars of the past few decades. This sounds like heady praise indeed, but don’t take our word for it. That is, instead, the view of McLaren F1 maker and car design god Gordon Murray. Back in the [...]

THE reasons why Rover doesn’t exist today are perhaps epitomised by the launch of the Metro. In development for more than half the 1970s, it was nevertheless rushed to launch and then, well, never really achieved the goals set for it.  Sure, it did pretty well in terms of sales – it wouldn’t be a legend [...]

STIGMA in the car world is a tough burden to carry and is often even harder to shed. Skoda has been at the sharp end of motoring jokes for decades, but has cleverly sidestepped them to become the forward-thinking car brand it is now. The new Superb Estate is the latest car in the marque’s PR offensive. Estate [...]

ONE-in-10 Porsche Boxsters will be the new Spyder variant. It is that sort of specialised car, one that Porsche won’t even guarantee will completely insulate the cabin from the rain (yes, really). That’s why the firm expects dealers will sell them as second or third cars. Think of this, then, as the Boxster Club Sport, the [...]

AN eight second 0-60mph hot hatch isn’t much to write home about these days. But 0-60 in eight seconds and just 119g/km CO2? If someone had suggested that was possible two years ago you’d have said they were having a giraffe. Engine and efficiency technology have come a long way, baby. In combining a 143bhp version [...]

Alfa Romeo is a brand that conjures up all manner of images in the average car buyer’s mind: Passion, flair, beauty – it’s the stuff motoring dreams are made of. But on the flip side of the coin are the less attractive connotations – reliability woes and trouble-prone electrics are reputations dealers are still struggling to overcome. With [...]

MINI has been such a phenomenal success for BMW, many carmakers have looked on enviously. Particularly those whose modern-times sales staples have been smaller cars. Take Citroen. It sells no end of city cars and superminis, but are they able to command Mini-like premiums? Alas not. Enter, then, the DS3. A new range created by Citroen to [...]

THINK Volvo, think square estates, think 240. The maker is still intent on changing this – senior managers have stated their determination to do so to Car Dealer Magazine – but, for now, the image remains. Thing is, though, the 240 may be square, but that sure doesn’t make it bad. It was launched in [...]

CITY cars for the past five years have been where it’s all been happening. Exploding fuel prices, a desire to be more eco friendly and the credit crunch have all played a huge part in focussing the spotlight on the babies in carmakers’ ranges. Throw in the cash conscious buyers the scrappage scheme funnelled into dealers [...]

CAN you hear that gentle breeze? Well get used to it – that’s the sound of the winds of change and they’re blowing around the car industry. One thing’s for sure, the old guard better watch out because the Koreans are coming – and this time they’re got the products to match their ambition. Not [...]

KIA’S remarkable expansion continues apace. It’s already sorted for competitive models in sectors such as the city car and family car classes. The new Sportage takes the challenge to popular cars in the compact SUV sector, and the latest Sorento offers luxury SUV motoring without the luxury SUV price tag. Now, it’s turning to other growing sectors [...]

Any production car that produces 670bhp is worthy of cult car status in Car Dealer Magazine’s eyes. It’s even better when said power is produced at a dizzy, screaming 8,000rpm – and little short of genius when it is a mighty mid-mounted 6.5-litre V12 that’s doing all the hard work. Yes, there is little doubt [...]

    Colloquially known as the car that burned touring car hero Jason Plato on national TV, there’s far more to the Caparo that just being, er, a bit of a hottie. Designed to demonstrate cutting-edge British technology, it’s thoroughly deserving of Cult Car status. Indeed, its fiery habits maybe even only enhance this… The designers, [...]

THE Rover 200 was one of the best cars Rover ever made. Sure, it wasn’t quite the most dramatic-looking. Nor was it the most interstellar to drive. It wasn’t even history’s most innovative Rover. But, in terms of market-hitting success, probably nothing can beat it.  No, not even the iconic original Mini. Controversial? Maybe. But [...]

FERRARI doesn’t hang onto its laurels for long, with a lifespan of just five years for every new model. Yet even Ferrari was surprised at how quickly the mid-engined F430 fell from fashion once the California, with its fancy folding hardtop, hit the streets. So the F430’s replacement, the 458 Italia, really must do the [...]

CAR Dealer Magazine staff are of a certain age. In our childhood, there was only one daddy on the World Rally circuit. The Lancia Delta Integrale. World Rally Champion 1987. 1988. 1989. 1990. 1991, too. Oh, and don’t forget 1992.  On the poster we had on our wall, they’d run out of space on the laurel [...]

TWO seats, soft top and rear-wheel drive – three ingredients that form the basis of a recipe for success. Add in a dash of affordability, a pinch of cute styling and lashings of handling prowess and you’re well on your way to a Michelin Star winning banquet of a car! When Mazda designed its MX-5 [...]

BMW has designed the 730Ld luxury limo to be something of a Tardis in reverse. Huh? Well, sure, there’s no arguing with the presence it has on the road. Yes, that ‘L’ stands for long-wheelbase. Fittingly, it’s huge. Long, lithe and designed – at no little expense – with a totally bespoke roofline to the [...]

PORSCHE’S new 911 Turbo can accelerate from 0-62mph in as little as 3.4 seconds. Now that is fast – very fast. But maybe not quite fast enough. See, Porsche’s engineers dropped enough hints to us on the new car’s launch to suggest it’s very much on the  ‘conservative’ side of cautious. Meaning, to all intents, [...]

FIAT was in strife in the early 1980s. Not an unfamiliar situation for the Italian firm, in all fairness. But this particular predicament was especially bad. It needed a car to save it, to replace the ageing 127 and give the automotive giant the all-important volume it needs.  Basically, it needed a winner. A car [...]

BRIDES traditionally have a habit of being late to weddings. It’s almost accepted: the nudges in the crowd, the nervous groom, the best man getting into the spirit of a few lunchtime beers by winding up the groom (and that’s before his hilarious ‘lost the ring’ joke).  However, even the most disorganised bride would have [...]

THE new Astra has a lot of work to do. In recent years it’s been overtaken by the VW Golf and Ford Focus in the driving stakes – now the new Vauxhall hatch needs to reignite the brand. With the manufacturer’s future the stuff of soap operas, one thing is for certain – the Astra [...]

SO, the latest Astra is a ‘vital’ car for Vauxhall? A ‘make-or-break’ model in many ways? Well, no change there. It’s always been so, ever since the very first was launched back in 1980. Back then, Vauxhall was in strife. It had a grim reputation, an ageing model line-up of rear-drive cars… one of the [...]

Ah, how different things were a decade ago. Back then everything was booming. Nothing was running out. Anything was possible. Well, almost. Certainly, launching the world’s fastest, most powerful, most expensive car was but a walk in the park. Well, it was if your surname was Piech, and you were boss of the mighty Volkswagen. [...]

THERE can’t be many Porsche fans left with a weak heart. They just wouldn’t have survived the shocks they’ve been submitted to in the last decade. It started with the Cayenne – an off-roader with a Porsche badge – gasp! Then there was the Cayman, a cheaper sportscar that was so good the only car [...]