Porsche design boss Michael Mauer is deciding whether the firm’s new hypercar, due around 2025 as a successor to the 918 Spyder, should be styled futuristically or with a retrospective nod to some of the greatest cars from the company’s past. 

The firm recently released a Porsche 917 Concept design study (above) to mark the 50th anniversary of its 1970 Le Mans victory, with Mauer saying it reflected ongoing discussions over the next-generation hypercar. 

“If you launch a new hypercar then you can go extremely modern in your thinking or maybe just go back to our sports car roots and take inspiration from some of the many icons in our history,” he said. “When you look at the 917 Concept then, personally, I love it. You look at it and you immediately make the connections. 

“But as a designer who believes that the next hypercar should point to the future, I’m not so sure. There is always the option to look into history, but sometimes you can also take the option to create some history.” 

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that plans for a next-generation hypercar are under way, but said its future hung on a decision on its powertrain: “If we want it to be electric then we must wait, because battery performance is not where we need it to be yet in order to meet our performance targets. 

“It is not decided though that the car will be fully electric. There are opportunities with hybrid, too. We will make a decision when the time is right.”

Read more

Porsche 918 Spyder 2013-2015 review

Seven of the best Porsches of the last 70 years​

Porsche unveils reborn 935 race car​

Zero-technology cars. Following the news that in 2022 all cars will effectively be robots and not be controlled by us humans, suddenly there might be a lot of call for those. Well, just from me and you then. I was on a radio programme saying that this is a very bad thing. Instead of me boring you again with driver aid-free cars, let’s buy Bangers with silly performance potential before they get banned. 

It is hard to avoid those great big Mercedes, although best steer clear of those sub-£2000 CLs which all seem to have some sort of issue if the sellers are entirely honest. Ideally look to spend £5000 or more. Safer ground is an E55, which seemed to have been used as a fast family saloon at some point. Paying £2999 for anything from the year 2000 sounds pricey, but it’s not all that much for a 5.4-litre motor which seems to check out as a sound buy with a decent MOT history. The great thing is that these look like big, boring cars, but they are not. Actually, they look really dated now and for £3500 I could buy a 2005 CLS500. It has 158,000 miles, but again, it checks out and looks funky as a big, giant fastback. 

Yes, I have tumbled down a big saloon-shaped black hole. A low-tech one, especially compared to a Mercedes, would be a 1983 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. It will be historic in a few years’ time and at the moment it seems as though it will survive until 2023. Just under £5000 buys a model which has been racking up bills and will continue to do so. Also you wouldn’t want to go quick in that, especially around corners. 

Perhaps the most amusingly inappropriate classified ad diversion was finding so many V12s, especially with Jaguar badges. Okay, so there are no £1500 MOT’d examples in the project area, but a fully functioning, buffed and ready XJS 5.3 is only £6995, and for that you can get a relatively late 1992 on a K. I also saw a 1988 Guy Salmon Jubilee, a dealer limited-edition that is probably pretty rare now. More character than an Aston DB7 and better built and better value. Indeed, below £10,000 I found cabriolets and the early HEs, which appear to be decent buys. 

I certainly didn’t expect to end up on the classic Jaguar lot, but this is the upside of looking for used cars, even with an agenda. Certainly if you’re after a car with an inappropriately large engine to fight back against the dreary dead hand of officialdom, do it in one of those. Plus I would drive it within the legal limits like a little old man. Because I am.

What we almost bought this week

VW Santana GX5: The Santana of 1981 to 1988 was a handsome old thing but never really caught on. The GX5 used a 2.0-litre, five-cylinder engine from the Audi Coupé. This seller wants £725 for his 1982 Y-reg example with just 54,000 miles and a year’s MOT. Beats another chap who wants £12,345 for his tatty, 110,000-mile, barn-find GX5 from 1983.

Tales from Ruppert’s garage

Volkswagen Golf - mileage, 49,881: Gordon the Golf went in for an overdue service and its first MOT. The great news is that it passed, but it did need a couple of new tyres. I went for top-of-the-line Michelins, which were the most costly part of the garage visit at just over £150. The side note is that the 21 year old needed a set of wheels to get to work and rejected out of hand my motley collection of classics. She wanted mum’s Cayenne. The insurer offered four days cover for £50. Cheaper than hiring a wreck. 

A to Z Bangerpedia

K is for Ford Ka: The Ka is here mainly for the fact that you can routinely buy a decent one for under a grand, so in these difficult times when you need something for the station and supermarket run and don’t want to worry about car park dents or outrageous costs, it’s ideal. 

It isn’t the most economical small car (at 42.2mpg), but officially a non-power steering job would manage 47.9mpg, which is decent enough these days. Rust is the killer so check for it everywhere. Original spec was just split rear seat and radio/cassette. Too basic for you? Then get a Collection or Luxury or choose from the huge number of special editions. 

Readers’ questions

Question: I will be buying my car at the end of its PCP contract but am worried I may exceed my mileage limit and have to pay the finance company a mileage surcharge. What do you advise? Dave Cummings, Chatham

Answer: PCP mileage penalties are a source of great confusion among car buyers. In your case, you have nothing to fear since by buying it you will be saving the finance company the trouble of disposing of a car that, because of its higher mileage, is worth less than the balance owing on it. They’ll be happy to take your settlement cheque and say no more about it, so go ahead and accumulate those miles with a clear conscience. John Evans

Question: I’m torn between buying a used Mazda MX-5 2.0 and an Abarth 124 Spider. Which do you recommend? Kirsty Salter, via email

Answer: Looks and image are among these cars’ biggest differentiators and that’s something only you can wrestle with. Regarding the driving experience, the Abarth probably had the edge until Mazda tweaked the MX-5’s 2.0-litre engine and put some fire in its belly. Find a nearly new one in Sport Nav trim for around £22,000 and it’s the one to have. John Evans

Read more

Speed limiters, driver monitors to become mandatory in EU​

Used car buying guide: Mercedes CL

PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) explained: how to get it right​

Nissan has raised the price of its Leaf electric hatchback in the UK by nearly 7%.

The Volkswagen e-Golf rival is now available from £27,995 - an increase of £1805 - in entry-level Acenta trim. This includes the £3500 government subsidy for electric vehicle (EV) buyers. 

Justifying the increase, a Nissan spokesperson said: “Nissan frequently evaluates the price point of its models and adjusts them according to market demands and other influences, such as inflation and cost base.”

Despite the increase in cost of purchasing a Leaf outright, Nissan claims it will now be cheaper to lease one on a PCP finance basis (how the majority of Leafs are sold) as a result of improved residual values in EVs. 

Alongside the pricing changes, the Japanese manufacturer has expanded the Leaf range by putting the e+ variant into mainstream production, following a successful limited launch earlier this year. 

With a 62kWh battery pack and a 214bhp electric motor, the e+ offers 239 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle – 62 miles more than the standard 40kWh model.

The 2019 Leaf has also gained an 8.0in touchscreen (up from the 7.0in unit in the launch model) with the latest version of the firm’s infotainment software and sat-nav as standard. 

The Leaf retains a 36% share of the UK's fast-growing EV market, despite Nissan experiencing a 32% drop in overall sales here from 2017 to 2018. 

Read more

New Nissan Leaf e+ launched with extra power and range​

Nissan Leaf long-term test review: final report​

Nissan Leaf review

The new Aston Martin Vantage AMR special edition will be the first current-generation model to come with a manual gearbox and is focused on offering an “exhilarating” driving experience. 

The Vantage AMR retains the 503bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the regular model but switches the eight-speed automatic gearbox for a new seven-speed Graziano-developed manual. 

It features a race-inspired dog-leg first gear, designed to ensure the most frequently use gears (second through to seventh) are in the traditional double-H configuration. 

It is mated to a new limited-slip differential and is offered with Aston Martin’s Amshift system, which can automatically blip the throttle on downshifts to match engine revs to road speed. 

This is the first time a self-shifter has been offered with the Mercedes-sourced 4.0-litre V8 in any car. Although the manual gearbox will initially be available on only the limited-run AMR, it will be offered as an option on the standard Vantage from the start of 2020. 

The switch to the manual gearbox means the Vantage AMR has less torque – 461lb ft at 2000-5000pm, compared with 505lb ft for the automatic – but it weighs 1535kg, 95kg less than the standard Vantage. The Vantage AMR takes 3.9sec to achieve 0-60mph, 0.4sec slower than the automatic, but it retains the same governed top speed of 195mph. 

Although the Vantage AMR has less torque, Aston Martin says the focus has been on ensuring the model delivers a greater level of driver engagement, due to the manual ’box and lighter weight. The new model also features the latest version of the firm’s Skyhook adaptive damping technology with three modes, but the rest of the car’s chassis is unchanged from the standard model. 

The Vantage AMR will be limited to 200 units, with most supplied in one of five different design specifications. 

The final 59 examples will be in a special ‘Vantage 59’ specification, featuring a livery recognising the 60th anniversary of the one-two finish achieved by the David Brown Racing Aston DBR1 in the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours.

That was Aston Martin’s only outright victory at Le Mans, although Aston Martin Racing – from which the AMR badge is derived – has won the GTE Pro class in recent years with the racing version of the Vantage. 

As well as coming in a green and lime colour scheme similar to the ‘59’ cars, the model will also feature a special leather and Alcantara interior and unique trim details. 

The Vantage AMR will cost from £149,995, a substantial £29,000 more than the standard Vantage, and the run-out 59 edition is even pricier at £164,995. Deliveries are tipped to start in the final quarter of 2019. 

Read more

Aston Martin Rapide AMR 2019 review​

Aston Martin DB11 AMR 2018 UK review​

New Aston Martin DBX seen winter testing ahead of 2020 production

Lexus is developing a new entry-level compact model to replace the ageing CT 200h, according to the firm’s European boss. 

Plans to release a model that is smaller in size than the new UX SUV were confirmed by Pascal Ruch at the 2019 Geneva motor show, after UK boss Ewan Shepherd first hinted at such a car earlier this year. 

Despite being introduced back in 2011, the CT 200h is set to remain on sale for another two years. The new model is therefore expected to arrive in 2021 and will almost certainly be based on Toyota’s new TNGA platform, which should offer significantly better interior packaging than today’s car. 

What’s not clear yet, however, is whether Lexus will retain the CT 200h’s hatchback bodystyle or move to something more crossover-shaped. We know it will be offered with some form of electrification, and it’s possible that such a car could be Lexus’s long-awaited first EV. 

Ruch also claimed that Lexus is well-placed for the upcoming hybrid revolution, while at the same time revealing that petrol-electric models remain a significant minority of the brand’s global output. 

Despite Lexus being known in Europe as a hybrid brand, Ruch said that only 182,000 of its record global 2018 sales of 698,000 vehicles were petrol-electric. 

One reason for that was some restrictions on battery supply; another is that the big US market has a Lexus hybrid share of just 10%. The longer-term plan is for Lexus to move to a 50% hybrid production share globally, Ruch added. 

Europe is the biggest market for Lexus hybrid models, with petrol-electric cars accounting for more than 75% of the 76,000 sales. In the UK, Lexus sales are nearly 100% hybrid. The plan is for European sales to continue five years of growth and expand to 90,000 units in 2019– assisted by the new UX compact crossover – and then 100,000 units in 2020. 

“Europe has a great strategic importance for Lexus because it’s seen as a leading region for technology and design,” Ruch said. “Our hybrid sales are highest in Europe, China and Japan will electrify [internal combustion engines] and the wider US market is really now starting with hybrids.” 

Ruch told Autocar that the Toyota group was leading the European market in terms of fleet CO2 and was “well on the way” to meeting the upcoming 2020/21 EU CO2 regulations. “We will be focusing on a core strategy of plug-in hybrids, some EVs and, eventually, fuel cell vehicles,” he said. 

Indeed, new figures from automotive analyst Jato Dynamics show that the Toyota brand posted a fleet average of 99g/km CO2 in 2018, beaten only by Tesla and Smart (89.9g/km). 

Read more

Lexus UX review

Lexus boss on EVs, autonomy and radical design​

Lexus sales in UK to grow by 20% this year​

Twenty five years have passed since Ayrton Senna was killed in an accident during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, but he remains revered by those who knew him, raced against him and were inspired by him.

In a series of interviews conducted in 2014 and reproduced here, Autocar was shown just how profound an impact the Brazilian prodigy had on the worlds of motorsport, technology and popular culture. 

Damon Hill - World champion, 1996; Senna’s team-mate at Williams in 1994

I only had such a brief time working with Ayrton, but through all of it, I would say that he was a pretty serious guy.

I had read about him and studied his performances before I had got to Formula One and then when he joined the team, I spent a while trying to marry up the public image that had built up in my mind to the guy that was now sitting alongside me in the team truck. I have to say they were pretty similar. I don’t think the guy had a mask, as such, but he was genuine to himself and that is the man that he was.

In terms of learning from him, I was at such a different level that it was hard for me to get too much out of a working relationship. I didn’t expect him to invite me around his house for tea – he wasn’t that kind of guy – but I did get an insight into how it was to be such an established name in the sport and the expectation that comes with that when you are a world champion. But, from whatever the public have seen of him, I think he was pretty true to being that man and that is a very valuable – and possibly unusual – quality.

Ron Dennis - Chairman and CEO, McLaren Group; signed Senna to McLaren for 1988 season

When he first tested for McLaren [in 1983] he was very keen to get an advantage, making sure the car wasn’t damaged by other young drivers that were testing [and] asking about fresh tyres.

He was quick but [for the 1984 season] we had Alain Prost and Niki Lauda, so we let him go and cut his teeth somewhere else. 

One of the differentiators between great racing drivers and good ones is the great realise the importance of the team, and implement actions that get them right drive. Ayrton made it apparent he wanted to join and the Honda engine [McLaren would join forces with Honda for 1988] was becoming more and more attractive. 

Ayrton was living in a rented house in Esher and nearly all the meetings took place at his home. There was the discussion about money and we started to head-butt on the numbers. I suggested the idea of flicking a coin. There was some debate about who would throw it. He had a dark brown shag pile carpet, which was trendy at the time. The coin went off like a rocket and we could hear it rattling underneath the curtains on a piece of hardwood. 

We were arguing over half a million dollars in his first season. Neither of us had tweaked that it was a three-year contract so it was over 1.5 million dollars…

Murray Walker - Formula 1 commentator; one of last media to interview Senna

I probably conducted one of the last interviews with him on the Sunday morning at Imola. Everyone thinks that the media is great chums with the drivers – and that is true in some exceptional cases – but Senna was a very private man. Professionally, he was fantastic, but I would hesitate to say he was cheerfully friendly. 

What he was, when you spoke to him, was authoritative and hugely eloquent in what was, don’t forget, a foreign language for him. While I didn’t know him well, the people that did got to see him as a warm hearted and extremely kind man. Once you had his confidence, there was a deep side to Senna that I never knew.

He was superbly talented and a bit of a mystical human being – he had a combination of qualities that I don’t think we had seen before that time. I don’t think anyone has quite matched up to it since, either.

Ian Harrison - Williams team manager at the time of Senna’s death

To begin with when Senna got to Williams, the relationship with him was a bit distant. You could tell that he was trying to weigh the place up – after all, he had been at McLaren for the previous six seasons and we were completely different.

I met him at the factory for the first time, and I remember him as being very quite and very polite. He seemed like a down to earth bloke, the kind of guy that it was going to be great to work with.

He was demanding though, but he didn’t scream and shout. He had spun off at the opening race of 1994, and he simply returned to the team, apologised and said it would never happen again. He was honest and up front.

That weekend at Imola, his reaction of going to the medical centre after Rubens Barrichello’s Friday accident and Roland Ratzenberger’s fatal shunt on the Saturday were just the reactions of a humane guy. He knew what life was about and he cared deeply about things. My regret is that we had such a short time with him.

Dennis Rushen - Prepared Senna’s Formula Ford 2000 car in title-winning 1982 season

When Senna was coming up through the ranks, there was none of the data or the simulation technology that you have today – there was just a tachometer and that was about it. What struck us immediately was his ability to know on any given track in any given weather exactly how much grip each corner had. What a massive advantage that gave him over everybody else. There was one race at the Osterreichring in Austria in FF2000 when he went out on slicks on a damp track and came around at the end of the first lap five seconds clear of everyone else. He had that natural feel and that is when people started taking notice of him. 

Ayrton – or ‘Arry’ as our mechanics called him – was a private man, but remembered the people who had helped him on the way up. We were in regular contact, and I spoke to him in 1994. You could tell that he wasn’t enjoying F1 at that time. His body language changed; he wasn’t smiling any more and I think that he was on the verge of walking away.

Ralph Firman - Ran Senna in a Van Diemen RF81 in British Formula Ford in 1981

The first thing that struck me was that he was just a genuine bloke. He was polite and very appreciative of all the things that were being done for him – but he always wanted to be pushing things forward.

I didn’t mind that because I wanted to win too, but even if we had a really successful weekend, he would still come in to the factory on the Monday morning and complain that the engine wasn’t quite where it should be or that the chassis needed improving. It was a constant quest for perfection, and he was only 20 at the time. I always believed what he said, because I quickly learned that he was always right. 

I had waited for two years for him to come over from his karting career in Brazil, and I had all these reports about how good the kid was. I knew he would make it even before he arrived in England. And the lovely thing was that even after he made it to F1, he kept in regular contact. In fact, on a couple of occasions when he was driving for Lotus in F1, I would get home from work to find him waiting on the doorstep to see us. He was a lovely man and a wonderful racing driver.

Terry Fullerton - Karting champion, named by Senna as his toughest rival

Senna stood out to me immediately as a gifted newcomer when we karted together, but there were things he needed to add to his game before he was ready to move on. But, by the end of three years karting with him, he was getting all the pieces of the jigsaw together.

He became a more complete driver. He had raw speed and he needed to up his game in terms of the technical side of things and his feedback. He also needed to rein in his emotional side – although I never think he totally got on top of that. He was cold and calculated on the track but still took a few things to heart too quickly.

I knew that he would be able to go all of the way, because he was obsessive, determined, passionate, dedicated, quick and intelligent. How wouldn’t he have made it with those qualities, all blended so perfectly. He was the sort of talent with the mix of skills that only comes along once every 50 years or so. Jim Clark had it, Ayrton Senna had it and I still think that we are waiting for the next one.

Matt James

Read more

Racing lines: the truth about Ayrton Senna

When Autocar met Senna: 24 hours in the life of a legend​

New McLaren Senna GTR shown in production form​

Motor racing fans tend to have their ‘JFK moments’, like 25 years ago today: 1 May 1994. The day Ayrton Senna died. Do you remember where you were? 

It’s hard to believe a quarter of a century has passed. I was a student at the time, but had returned home for a family occasion. At sunny Imola in Italy, Formula 1 was already reeling from Rubens Barrichello’s narrow escape from a flying accident on the Friday. Then there was the horror of Saturday as popular newcomer Roland Ratzenberger lost his life when his Simtek smashed into a wall almost head-on. This was the first F1 fatality at a grand prix since 1982. It wasn’t supposed to happen anymore. 

A pall of gloom hung over the circuit on race day. Then at the start, a collision catapulted debris into the crowd, causing minor injuries. Whatever next? The unthinkable, that’s what. The greatest, most famous racing driver of his generation would die at Tamburello when his Williams inexplicably shot off the track and into the wall. 

I saw the accident on TV, then had to leave for a church service. I could think of little else. After the service, I scanned the car radio (no mobile phones or internet back then), but news only broke after 6pm. When I returned to university the next day, friends treated me as if I’d suffered a family bereavement. 

All these years on, Senna remains an F1 colossus; like rock stars who are lost too young, a figure deified in death. But to those who knew him, and to those of us who watched him, Senna was no saint. He was much more interesting than that. 

For years, to most British fans he was a villain, too cold and cut-throat to be a hero. For me, that began to change at the British GP in 1988. I spent the day sitting miserably in driving rain at Stowe corner – but I also witnessed Senna’s mesmeric dominance in the wondrous McLaren MP4-4. Yes, he had a car advantage, but I knew what I’d just seen. 

He continued to be a hard man to love. The ‘professional foul’ on Alain Prost at Suzuka’s Turn 1 in 1990 remains the most reprehensible act ever committed in a racing car. But by 1994, Senna’s aura of otherworldliness had transcended his sport. 

He was not always a good man, but he was a great man – and F1 has never fully recovered from his loss.

Read more

Ayrton Senna remembered by those who knew him

When Autocar met Senna: 24 hours in the life of a legend​

Memories of Senna: friends, rivals, team-mates​

Leasing can be an affordable, practical route into having your own private car, but it's not always easy to tell the good deals from the duds. 

The experts at our sister magazine What Car? work hard to find you the best pay-monthly schemes, taking into account mileage allowance, montly outlay, contract length and initial deposit. We'll be bringing you the best deals they find from a different segment each week.

This week, it's MPVs: 

1. Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI SE 

£267 per month, £1602 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

Not as stylish as Citroën’s Grand C4 Spacetourer and doesn’t handle as crisply as the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. Instead, this is a quietly competent and sturdy MPV that serves its market perfectly.

More Volkswagen lease deals

2. Ford S-Max 2.0 Ecoblue 190 ST-Line

£301 per month, £1809 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

In terms of performance, ride and handling, the S-Max is not the class leader it was, but it is still enjoyable to drive and, just as important, isn’t tarred with the same private hire brush as its Galaxy sibling.

More Ford lease deals

3. Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI 150 SE

£307 per month, £1843 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

The Alhambra bests its close relative the VW Sharan by being slightly better value. It’s exceptionally roomy, well equipped and good to drive. Powered sliding doors are standard from SE L trim upwards.

More Seat lease deals

4. Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer 1.5 Blue HDI 130 Flair

£275 per month, £1649 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

So much of Citroën’s DNA is on show here: a versatile, aircraft-style interior and a soft and supple but composed ride. The engines aren’t bad, either. 

More Citroen lease deals

5. Ford Grand C-Max 1.5 TDCi Zetec 

£293 per month, £1756 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

Sliding doors, seven seats and engaging driving manners make the Grand C-Max a compelling choice. There’s a smaller, five-seat version but when you need to carry half a football team, only the Grand will do.

More Ford lease deals

6. BMW Gran Tourer 216D SE

£305 per month, £1830 deposit, 48 months, 8000 miles per year

With its BMW badge and kidney grille, the Gran Tourer is an MPV for families who put a premium on image. Fortunately, it’s good to drive and well equipped, while build quality is on another level. 

More BMW lease deals

For more great personal & business lease deals visit What Car? leasing. 

Read more

Top 10 best seven-seat MPVs 2019​

Ford discontinues B-Max and C-Max MPVs​

Volkswagen Touran review

The Tesla Model 3 saloon is now available to order in the UK.

The company's most mainstream EV to date will see right-hand-drive deliveries from June, with customers who reserved a build slot first in line to receive their cars.

Prices start from £38,900 for the entry-level Standard Range Plus model, which has a WLTP-estimated range of 258 miles. The dual-motor Long Range model starts from £47,900 and can reach 348 miles on a single charge, meaning it takes the lead in Europe as the EV with the longest official range.

Both models come with aerodynamically optimised 18in alloy wheels as standard, with 19in alloys available as an option. Prices include the UK government plug-in car grant.

Tesla Model 3 Performance 2019 UK first drive review

The top-end Performance version, which has a 162mph top speed and can manage 0-62mph in 3.2sec, starts at £56,900. It rides on 20in alloy wheels and includes a Premium interior package, which includes satellite-view navigation with live traffic, a premium 14-speaker audio system and in-car music and media streaming.

Tesla's 'full self-driving' autonomous functionality, which is due to roll out later this year, can be added for an additional £4900. The system can be installed post-purchase for £6800.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously confirmed that UK orders would go live in a tweet, allowing UK customers to place an order before Tesla raises the price of its 'full self-driving' autonomous functionality. From 10 May, those placing orders in the US will need to pay an additional $1000 for the feature.

The car maker launched its configurator in December for European customers who had already put down a deposit for a Model 3 saloon, which in the process revealed previously unconfirmed pricing and range details. 

The Model 3 went on show in UK dealerships for the first time at the beginning of the year, with demonstration models on display at Tesla’s London Park Royal and Manchester Stockport locations ahead of right-hand-drive models going on sale.

Model 3 owners will not get free access to the Tesla Supercharger high-speed charging system, with the US company planning to charge for electricity as demand grows and it requires more investment to build up its charging network.

Tesla’s latest results from the third quarter of 2018 showed that it hit production targets for the Model 3, building 53,239 units. This followed a tumultuous second quarter in which a temporary ‘tent’ was constructed outside the firm’s Californian plant containing another production line so as to increase output.

Prospective Tesla Model 3 owners tell us why they're buying one

Tesla revealed its Semi lorry in November last year, and this is expected to go into production in 2019. Its next model, the Model Y small SUV, was revealed in March.

The highly anticipated Roadster, a sports car that is promised to hit 0-60mph in 1.9sec, is pegged to arrive in 2020.

Read more

Tesla Model 3 Performance 2019 UK review

Tesla's Gigafactory in numbers

Seven-seat Tesla Model Y revealed with 300-mile range

Subaru is targeting an ambitious threefold increase in UK sales by 2025 as part of a comeback plan to return the brand to health and match its record sales year of 2001.

A new UK MD, Chris Graham (formerly boss of Citroën Ireland), has been appointed by the importer IM Group, whose development director, Torbjörn Lillrud, is driving the push into the next decade.

“Now we are extremely ambitious for the UK,” said Lillrud at the 2019 Geneva motor show, “but in the past, we’ve done a bad job. We didn’t have a plan. We focused too much on the WRC rallying and missed the boom in SUV sales. We forgot to tell the right story”.

Last year, Subaru started seeing signs of recovery, increasing sales by 17% to 3141 from 2679, but that was still just one-third of its record 11,000 sales in 2001.

“We are now targeting real customers. Those that want to drive from London to Scotland and have active lifestyles. We want the dog walkers and the climbers and the outdoors enthusiasts. They are natural Subaru buyers,” said Lillrud.

This year, Subaru will target 4000 sales built around its best-sellers, the XV and Forester. The XV receives a facelift for 2019 and the Forester is due a new petrol hybrid powertrain, called e-Boxer, towards the end of the year. The engine is expected to boost UK sales to around 5000 in 2020.

READ MORE

Subaru Forester eBoxer 2019 review

Insight: how Subaru reinvented itself

Subaru re-engineers Levorg estate in a bid to boost sales

The new Mercedes-Benz GLS is set to get the full-fat AMG treatment, and new spy images show the performance-spec large SUV is well into its development phase. 

The largest SUV in the German car maker’s lineup was only unveiled in standard form last month, but already prototypes of the hot version have been seen with relatively little disguise.

The main tells that this is no ordinary GLS include the traditional quad tailpipes, vertical-slatted grille with chunkier lower air intakes, and larger front wheels needed to fit around bigger brakes. 

Like its siblings, the GLC 63 and forthcoming GLE 63, the GLS 63 will make use of AMG’s 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine. The same unit makes 503bhp in the GLC and up to 604bhp in the E63 saloon and estate, though the current SUV range topper, the G-Class, makes do with 577bhp in 63 form. It’s not yet clear whether the GLS will breach the 600bhp barrier, but it's likely.

Either way, expect a 0-60mph time of under four seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph. A unique chassis and steering tune will also feature, though we’ve yet to establish if Mercedes-AMG will fit the GLS 63’s four-wheel drive system with a ‘drift mode’ feature. 

Before the GLS63 arrives in early 2020, though, the seven-seater will gain a half-fat ’53 AMG’ variant, making use of a hybridised straight six. That unit in the CLS coupe puts out 429bhp, so expect similar for the GLS. 

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