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 ISSUE 754 | M AY 2 0 2 5

Exploring Italy’s
heartland in the Alfa
Romeo Junior

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Agenda
6 Lewis Hamilton took a risk when he left
Mercedes. We ask Ferrari veterans just
what he’s let himself in for
10 Four very different newcomers all leaning
hard on some old ideas
12 The new CLA isn’t just the replacement
for a pretty decent compact saloon – it’s
the start of a new era for Mercedes
16 Volvo’s on-off, off-on, on-off relationship
with saloons and estates seems to be
heading to a permanent off. Probably!
Boss Jim Rowan talks us through the logic
18 Maserati is struggling again, and Stellantis
ownership doesn’t seem to be helping.
Let’s have a whip-round…
20 Inside the McLaren W1 engine
22 BMW’s ingenious new strategy for

62 Inside Aston Martin’s lavish

powertrains that will stand the test of time
26 The power-crazed boffins behind the
brilliant GR Yaris are now being let loose Lawrence Stroll-funded F1 HQ
on every Toyota engine
27 Gordon Murray Automotive is getting
focused on lightweight chassis made of
more sustainable materials

82 VW returns to what it does

best, but this time it’s electric
12 What’s under the skin of the
new CLA, and why it matters
72 Mark Walton goes in search of the soul
of Italy in the new Junior Veloce – the
Polish-built electric crossover deemed

First Drives 92 Think you might be ready to

own a Porsche? We can help
to be insufficiently Italian to wear the
intended Milano badge
28 The 300-Mile Test: Dacia’s new Bigster 82 Look past the clumsy name, and the
heads for Monaco in the rain ID. Every1 concept previews a smarter
new generation of electric VWs inspired
38 Audi Q5: if you’re confused by Audi’s by some of the best cars from Wolfsburg’s
recent flip-flopping over names and back catalogue
powertrains, this one’s easy – still got
engines, still a choice of SUV or high- 92 Eight cars spanning every taste and every
riding coupe, still available in hot S form budget that we reckon you should be
looking at if you’re thinking of buying a
40 Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre: the used Porsche. And if you weren’t before,
electric coupe gets hotter you will be after reading this
42 VW Tayron, the new seven-seat SUV

Our Cars
108 The low-key delights of the Mercedes
GLC, plus Audi S3 meets RS3

28 Dacia’s going up in the world.

Is this a good thing? 50 He could have any car he
wanted. He wanted this

Opinion The big reads 108 Living with a diesel plug-in

hybrid Mercedes SUV
44 Letters: team spirit on the Dakar, oversize 50 CAR’s long-serving European editor
EVs, meddling politicians, great Golf R… Georg Kacher reveals his enduring
passion for Bentleys
46 Gavin Green: the car Gav built, sort of
62 As Aston Martin gears up for the new era
48 Mark Walton: renting a Chevy Tahoe of Formula 1, we visit its sophisticated,
123 GBU: the best cars in every class slick and very expensive new HQ

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 5

 Photography: Ferrari
N E W S + I N D U S T R Y + T E C H + C U L T U R E + S P O R T

6 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

O When Ferrari’s new SF-25 Formula 1 car hit the track

for the first time at Fiorano in February, a clip went viral
of a tifosi cutting down a tree because it was spoiling his
view. You don’t get that at Silverstone. As Lewis Hamilton
has surely discovered by now, nothing about driving for
Ferrari is quite the same – or, for that matter, as sane – as
life at other F1 teams. initial buzz wears off, what will be the reality of Hamil-
It’s clear he felt the full power of that old red magic ton’s stint at Ferrari? What’s he in for, and how will he
from the moment he rolled out of the Shell garage for his handle it on the days when the sparkle goes missing?
first Ferrari run back in January. The tifosi had gathered ‘I used to say driving for Ferrari is nearly as good as
en masse for that occasion too, just as they always used to winning a world championship,’ says Jody Scheckter, the
on such days – just as they always will. ‘I’ve been lucky South African who achieved in 1979 what Hamilton
enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first would love to pull off in 2025: winning a title for Ferrari at
test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I the first time of asking. Jody was 29 when he joined Ferra-
wasn’t sure how many more I would have,’ said Hamilton ri back then. Hamilton is attempting the same at 40.
afterwards. ‘But driving a Ferrari for the first time this ‘Working for Ferrari is so unbelievable,’ says Joan Villa-
morning was one of the best feelings of my life.’ Hamilton, delprat, a Spaniard who for three years at the end of the
He’s savoured what’s surely the ultimate for any racing Vasseur, 1980s became the F1 team’s first non-Italian chief me-
driver: the honeymoon period of becoming an F1 driver Leclerc: the chanic. ‘For example, Ferrari has owners’ clubs all round
for the most illustrious car maker in the world. But as that dream team? the world. Every race I went to I had to go to dinners with
these clubs, in Montreal, Adelaide, wherever we went.
Without doubt it is different to any other team.
M O T O R S P O R T It now works more like an English team, the way of ap-
proaching the work at the circuit. But the consequence of

They’re smiling
working at Ferrari is unique. Nothing compares.’
Hamilton will have so much coming at him in months
to come – not least the challenge of dealing with a young,

now. But how long fast team-mate. Scheckter knows all about that. In the
early months of his first season Gilles Villeneuve blew
him away. The odds of an echo in 2025 via Charles Leclerc,

can Hamilton’s 13 years Hamilton’s junior and considered by many the

fastest of the current generation over one lap, are short.
‘It makes you pull out another level,’ Jody recalls. ‘Gilles

Maranello won the first two races [actually, the third and fourth of
1979. Jacques Laffite won the first two, for Ligier] and I
was the number one driver in contract. In reality he was

honeymoon last? becoming number one. So I just had to knuckle down and
do better, which I did. It took everything – and more.’
Scheckter won back-to-back at Zolder and Monaco to
Damien Smith F1 writer take the points lead, scored consistently through the
summer and clinched the title with two rounds to spare,
leading Villeneuve to a Ferrari 1-2 at Monza. Hamilton
can only dream.
Seven Ferrari F1 drivers have managed to win in their
first race for the team, one of them being Nigel Mansell
who took the most unlikely of victories, 10 years after
Scheckter’s title, in Rio in 1989. Villadelprat was Mansell’s
chief mechanic that day. He recalls Mansell’s doubts
about John Barnard’s stunning but revolutionary Ferrari
640, the first F1 car driven through a semi-automatic
gearbox, with steering wheel paddles for the changes –
sensational then, common today on road cars.
‘It was the best car ever designed by John Barnard,’ says
Villadelprat. ‘But in testing it was not reliable. Anyway,
Mansell arrived. He was an old-fashioned man: “Where’s
the gearlever? I don’t want to drive like that.” He drove at
Fiorano – and after 10 laps he said “This is brilliant!”’
In Rio, Mansell was so sure his Ferrari debut wouldn’t
last long he tried to book an early flight home via a British
Airways captain he met on the grid… Yet less than two
hours later, there he was, taking the chequered flag ahead
of Alain Prost’s McLaren. Villadelprat drew blood to get
that svelte 640 across the line. ‘Mid-race we had a radio ⊲

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 7

 The badge
and the buzz
are real

call from Mansell: “The steering is gone, the steering

wheel is moving!” he says. “Okay, come in, come in. John
Jody Scheckter: ‘Lewis has been
Barnard and myself, we decided to change the steering fantastic, probably the best of all
wheel. John took the old wheel, I put the new one on,
pushed it with my hand and Mansell went out and won time. But you can’t stay good for
the race. When he left the pitlane I felt wetness in my the rest of your life’
glove: the radio switch was caught in my skin. I hadn’t
even felt it.’
Hamilton is less likely than drivers of previous genera- the politics has moved: it will be between the drivers, and
tions to face the chaos of Ferrari’s infamous internal poli- Leclerc is very political. He’s well integrated inside Ferrari
tics. He signed largely because of Frédéric Vasseur, who and it puts him in a very strong position. He speaks Italian
for the past two years has brought a calm authority back perfectly too.’
to Ferrari in a manner last seen during the Michael Schu- The language barrier is a moot point. Hamilton has
macher era, when Jean Todt and Ross Brawn protected openly admitted he doesn’t speak the lingo, but then
the F1 team from the caustic friction that traditionally again, neither does Vasseur. Neither did Scheckter, for
undermines life at Maranello. Vasseur is an old friend that matter – and he still doesn’t, even though officially
who ran Hamilton in Formula 3 and GP2, and their iron- he’s an Italian resident today.
clad relationship will be crucial if the seven-time champi- ‘Old Man Ferrari loved Gilles; he spoke the language
on is to thrive at Ferrari. and I didn’t,’ says Scheckter. ‘But I never felt out of it. I had
It certainly wasn’t calm during Villadelprat’s spell in Brenda Vernor’ – Enzo’s British-born private secretary
Italy, which coincided with Enzo Ferrari’s death in August and a key figure in Ferrari folklore. ‘After every practice
1988. Enzo used to call him Capitano, he says. These were and race I’d write my comments to Brenda and she would
turbulent times, amid a power struggle involving Ferrari’s then give them to Old Man Ferrari. I always felt good be-
son, then known as Piero Lardi, and executives from Fiat ing there.’
as the car manufacturer’s control increased over the jewel Villadelprat comments: ‘I hope he learns Italian, but
it had owned a stake in since 1969. doesn’t read the press.’ Ah, the Italian media: the viper
‘For Lewis, the politics is less now because you only whose bite remains as venomous as it ever was. ‘Talk to
have one boss – Vasseur,’ points out Villadelprat. ‘But now your mechanics, get integrated with the team and say

8 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

Scheckter:
lemons then,
beef now

something to the public when you do a press release – but life. Lewis has been fantastic, probably the best of all time. Schumacher had
don’t talk to the press,’ advises Joan. ‘Don’t even look at the same result [in terms of world championships], but he tended to be dirty in
them!’ his racing. Lewis has always raced clean. But at 40? People are different. I got
Scheckter chuckles about his relationship with jour- bored and retired early, then changed careers. Lewis still seems to be enthusi-
nalists and takes some pride in his status as a three-time astic and is in a good place personally, although that isn’t always good for per-
consecutive winner of the ‘lemon prize’ – for being the formance.’
most difficult F1 driver to deal with. ‘At least I went to Villadelprat is more emphatic. ‘If the car is good Hamilton will beat Leclerc
fetch my prize, so it wasn’t too bad,’ he says with a smile. and win the championship,’ he states. ‘If the car is not so good Leclerc will beat
‘I always said to everybody in the team, “Let’s stick togeth- Hamilton. Simple. Hamilton has got too many things in life to think about,
er; don’t listen to the stuff that they write.” I think guys has a lot of money, has seven championships, so he’s not going to risk his life to
before me worried more. People like [Carlos] Reutemann. gain one more position. I saw it in all the F1 champions I knew: when the car is
But we stuck together and it didn’t really bother me what good you see the real driver.’
they said.’
Then again, imagine outspoken Scheckter in F1 today,
with social media waiting to pour scorn and castigation.
It would probably be unfair to say Hamilton faces more
pressure than his predecessors, but the nature of modern
communication and the toxicity in tone – direct from the
public more than the media – is harder to insulate
against. Then again, Hamilton has been F1’s most famous
driver since 2007. ‘For me, I always kept the mania in per-
spective,’ says Scheckter. ‘When people were jumping at
me for an autograph, I knew the next year they’d be
stamping on my body going to the next guy. Lewis is so
popular now he’s on a different planet.’ The car just
So predictions: how will Hamilton fare at Ferrari? needs to be as
‘George Russell outperformed him at Mercedes last year,’ good as it looks
says Scheckter. ‘You can’t stay good for the rest of your

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 9

 N E W C A R S

No new ideas here

Jake Groves Deputy news editor

The clever city car The tech-filled estate

O Almost echoing Marks and Spencer, Toyota says its FT-Me O Now available in brown, Audi’s latest A6 has come back
concept is not just a microcar. It’s seen what Stellantis can do with engines, complementing the electric e-Tron versions –
with the Citroën Ami, Fiat Topolino and Opel Rocks-e, and and keeping its original A6 name. Is there much that makes
thinks it can do better. FT-Me is a ground-up Toyota project, the A6 particularly special, compared to the A5, A6 e-Tron, Q5
highly digital, with loads of personalisation options. Legally and Q6 e-Tron models it shares so much with? Er, well… Audi
it’s categorised as a quadricycle, which limits its top speed to says it’s the slipperiest combustion-engined car it’s ever made
28mph and allows teens to drive it – although Toyota reckons – so that’s something. The boot is disappointingly small for an
its appeal should be much broader than that. It’s an EV, with a estate this size, mind. It should be the basis of one hell of an RS
target range of 62 miles. No production date yet but Toyota’s version, with a V6 PHEV powertrain using the same ace engine
thinking when, not if. that’s in the SQ5 featured in First Drives in this issue.

The retro-futurist sports car The hot electric crossover

O This one’s divided opinion. It’s either a ham-fisted mess of O An e-SUV with oodles of power isn’t anything new. But the
modern features applied to an old design… or it’s exactly Lexus RZ is designed to be a bit smarter than that. There’s the
everything a modern sports car should be. Either way, the new usual extra level of fine trimmings compared to mechanically
range-topping Morgan Supersport uses an evolution of the fa- similar Toyotas, plus the debut of a steer-by-wire system, and
miliar bonded aluminium platform, is powered by a turbo- this time around there’s also an F-Sport version, with a more
charged BMW 3.0-litre straight-six making 335bhp and weighs aggressive bodykit and 402bhp. The F-Sport gets Interactive
a refreshing 1170kg. Morgan bills the Supersport as its most Manual Drive, which effectively acts like the Hyundai Ioniq 5
usable car yet with seats that ‘no longer vibrate’ (yes, really) and N’s N Shift; paddles attached to the yoke-like steering wheel
an actual boot. Prices start from £105,000, and Morgan has an can simulate gearchanges for that little extra involvement on
in-depth configurator for you to sink your teeth into. the school run.

10 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 N E W C A R S

The new S-Class

isn’t an S-Class
Jake Groves Deputy news editor

Grille team
didn’t get the
memo about
clean, simple
design

12 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

Expect to see
these details
on other new
Mercs

O The days of the Sonderklasse being Mercedes-Benz’s

technology pioneer are over. In a major break with tradi-
tion, it’s the smallest car in Merc’s new line-up that has
become a springboard for a technology revolution.
At a star-studded reveal event overlooking Rome,
Mercedes spent an entire day telling the world’s media
just how significant the new CLA is. ‘This day marks the
beginning of a new era for Mercedes, an entirely new dig-
ital experience and ultimate evidence that the future is
electric,’ says chairman of the board Ola Källenius.
The CLA includes several significant technological ad-
vances, and signals Merc’s seriousness about making use
of the software and engineering learnings from the
EQXX concept, which will underpin an enormous over-
haul of the model range. Mercedes chief technology of-
ficer Markus Schäfer calls it ‘a firework of launches’ –
more than 20 cars in the next three years.
Beneath at least four of those, including the CLA, is the
new Mercedes Modular Architecture. MMA is all about
efficiency and versatility, launching with electric and hy-
brid versions simultaneously. A compromise? Not so, says
Christoph Starzynski, Merc’s head of product strategy.
‘This has the right combination of handling and technol-
ogy, and I’m not worried about the competition.’
EVs running on the platform will benefit from
new-generation electric motors (with up to 93 per cent ef-
ficiency, which Merc says is its best ever for a production
car) matched with new high-density batteries and a two-
speed transmission on the rear axle designed to help re-
duce energy consumption at motorway speeds.
MMA uses an 800-volt electrical architecture, mean-
ing up to 320kW charging speeds are possible. That re-
sults in the base CLA 250+ with EQ Technology (yes, that
clunky suffix is part of the name for the EV) claiming up
to 492 miles according to WLTP testing.
Hybrids, too, have benefitted from ground-up rethink-
ing. For the CLA and its wider family, Merc has developed
an all-new engine, codenamed M252. It’s a 1.5-litre
four-cylinder unit, designed to be used as part of a non-
plug-in hybrid system, and is mated to an equally new O

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 13

 No A-Class
hatch, but an
estate is coming

eight-speed ‘e-DCT’. The engine is smaller and lighter

than the four-cylinder used in the outgoing A-Class and
The CLA’s interior takes the
CLA. With a 1.3kWh battery pack, it provides a super-effi- Mercedes digital experience to a
cient system for those who aren’t quite ready for electric.
Hybrid versions are set to launch a little after the EV, but
new level of overload
CAR can confirm engine outputs of 134bhp, 161bhp and
188bhp – likely badged CLA 200, CLA 250 and CLA 300.
‘We feel you’re reaching diesel-level efficiency with this with three displays inset; it won’t be standard on every
hybrid system,’ says Mercedes powertrain engineer CLA. It’s similar to full-width treatments on recent
Karsten Krebs. It’s capable of engine-off propulsion, too. Mercs, but here it’s running a new generation of operating
Mercedes isn’t offering a PHEV, so confident is it that system, incorporating an AI assistant that makes use of
the hybrid and BEV between them satisfy the needs of a ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, and using Google Maps
wide variety of potential buyers. ‘We think the hybrid is (in the Western world) instead of Mercedes’ own system.
the best combination we can offer for those who aren’t As it’s suggested to Magnus Östberg, chief software of-
completely ready for electric,’ says transmission engineer ficer, that many of Mercedes’ more traditional clientele
Jan Becker. ‘If you have the option to charge anyway, then might not actually want to talk to their car, he insists this
the electric option is what you should go for,’ adds Krebs. latest system is intuitive and simple. ‘You don’t need to
The launch event in Rome was teeming with super- remember exactly what to say any more,’ he says. ‘You can
models and young media influencers. Music artists speak in a way you naturally do and it’ll do the rest.’
Camilla Cabello and Ice Spice were in attendance, and Will.i.am’s AI-powered interactive music platform
singer Tyla performed live – dancing around CLAs on RAiDiO.FYI, which acts as a digital DJ and information
stage. If you have no idea who these people are, you may provider, will be available to install on the CLA. Games
not be among the key target audience. you can play directly on the passenger display including
That’s reinforced when you get inside the CLA. Even if Angry Birds, and you’ll soon be able to play console games
you’re familiar with Merc’s recent approach to tech, this via the cloud; Merc showed us Forza Motorsport being
interior takes the ‘digital experience’ to a new level of played via a controller plugged into one of the USB ports.
overload. The cars at the unveiling were fitted with Merc’s Schäfer talks of ‘Level 2++’ driver assistance, effectively
MBUX Superscreen – a full-width glass dashboard panel allowing the car to handle more driving in more circum-

14 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

stances than ever, even in chaotic urban environments. CLA is first to eral, it’s just a matter of what model you start with. Go
The CLA’s ‘surround navigation’ displays all the driver as- get the latest back to 2018 and the A-Class was the first car with MBUX.
sistance systems that are active, as well as a 3D representa- infotainment The latest E-Class, for example, was technically the first
tion of the car in the instruments. Mercedes says the tech car to have elements of MB.OS.’
means drivers will ‘benefit from improved situational Östberg notes: ‘The fact this was the starting point was
awareness, seeing what the CLA sees and how the assis- simply down to timing reasons. One vehicle had to have it
tance systems support them.’ first. Naturally, the S-Class will get this same technology,
That’s an awful lot of innovation for Merc’s smallest but what I’d say with the CLA is that the technology is
car. It’s a shame, then, that the CLA’s bodywork is so… dedicated to those in the front. Where does the owner sit
predictable. Schäfer told CAR in 2024 that Mercedes in an S-Class? There’ll be more emphasis on the rear-seat
would be stepping away from creating cars that look like passengers when it comes to the S-Class.’
bars of soap and sticking to its ‘iconic’ designs. And yet as
Gorden Wagener, Merc’s head of design, tells the CLA
event about purity and ‘taking details away’ to keep de-
signs clean, we can’t help but scoff. A fake grille arrange-
ment with 142 individually animated LEDs, for example,
isn’t everyone’s idea of design purity.
Either way, the amount of new technology on board
and the engineering developments are enough to put the
CLA head and shoulders above natural rivals such as the
Audi A3 saloon and BMW 2-series Gran Coupe, at least on
paper. It’s the sort of night-and-day difference that tradi-
tionally the range-topping S-Class has enjoyed when
compared to any would-be competitors.
So where does that leave the S-Class, if it’s no longer the
model that gets all the clever kit first, before it trickles
down to the rest of the range? Merc execs have different
perspectives. Starzynski says there’s a precedent: ‘In gen-

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 15

 D E S I G N T R E N D S and the question is do we renew all of those?’
Design chief Jeremy Offer is very clear that the ES90

New Volvo estate? does not fit in with conventional ideas: ‘It is in a class of its
own. It’s got a long wheelbase, pushing those wheels into
the corner of the car, short front and rear overhangs.’ Its

Forget it. Forget jacked-up ride height puts it somewhere between a nor-
mal saloon and an SUV. And it’s not a booted saloon but a
hatchback. ‘It is fundamentally a large sedan, but with

saloons too these sorts of nuanced changes that we enable.

‘This is about really fundamentally understanding our
users and our customers,’ Offer says of the ES90. Volvo
has, he says, been thinking differently about the whole
Curtis Moldrich Digital editor
automotive experience. ‘It’s enabled us to sort of tear up
the rule book a little bit, quite honestly.’
In the same way that consumer demand has blurred
O Volvo’s new ES90 is simultaneously the spiritual suc- the lines between Apple’s laptops, tablets and smart-
cessor to the S90 saloon, and the closest thing to an estate phones, demand is now pushing Volvo’s designers to
Gothenburg has made in years. But it’s neither saloon nor think past traditional body styles.
estate, and nor is it a high-riding crossover – that’s the job The shift to electric powertrains is also a big factor in
of the EX90. We might want Volvo to keep building sa- the change of body style, with underfloor batteries mak-
loon and estates, but Volvo says that’s just not the way the ing everything taller. The 800-volt ES90 uses the same
world works any more. SPA2 platform as the EX90 and Polestar 3, but is first to
Our misty-eyed nostalgia for estates doesn’t material- get dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin chips.
ise where it counts, on the balance sheet. In an increas- So committed is Volvo to its simplified strategy that it’ll
ingly competitive market, Volvo must bank on what be retrofitting early ES90 and Polestar 3s with the new
works: cars that combine everything we want; that are chips and installing them in later models from the off.
big on volume but low on cost. The benefits are clear: by reducing hardware and soft-
‘It’s expensive to bring different models to the market, ware fragmentation, Volvo can increase the efficiency of
and it’s expensive to keep those models in the market,’ updates, like Apple does. Soon all EVs will be on the SPA2
Volvo CEO Jim Rowan explains at the ES90’s launch. and SPA3 platform, making the cars that do make it off
‘We’re making very conscious choices about where we the drawing board easier to update over the air.
want to play the game.’ Who thought Rowan’s pragmatic approach leaves little room for ro-
Life is simpler since Polestar split from its parent com- the BMW mantic attachments to traditional saloons or estates.
pany. ‘We’re a single-brand company, Volvo, that’s it. And 5-series GT ‘We’re in a Darwinian event here where it’s tough, and
we do 30, 40, 60 and 90 – so we have a nice stack,’ says would be so there’s all these tariffs and stuff like that. So, the guys who
Rowan. ‘We do SUVs, sedans and wagons at the moment, influential? figure it out quicker are going to come out strong.’

As Apple blurs the

lines between phone,
tablet and laptop,
Volvo is thinking past
traditional body styles

16 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

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 Maserati at its
best straddles
tradition and
modernity

O Bob Drake competed in only one Grand Prix, the US I N D U S T R Y

GP of 1960, and finished 13th. His Maserati 250F, the most

Maybe Stellantis
beautiful and one of the most successful F1 cars of the ’50s,
was outclassed by the new-age machinery.
Stirling Moss’s winning Lotus 18-Climax was small,

is the problem,
mid-engined and showcased the future. Drake’s 250F, on
the other hand, was a glorious relic of the past, and fin-
ished seven laps adrift. It would be the 250F’s last GP.

not Maserati
There is a parallel between the 250F in 1960 and Mase-
rati today. A company whose cars once oozed desirability
is now a serial underperformer. A performance brand fa-
mous for its tuneful and characterful engines, and some
wonderful old GTs, must now navigate an uncertain new Gavin Green Contributor in chief
age. And just as the 250F finished its career in the autumn
of 1960, so there are doubts about Maserati’s future today.

18 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

Various owners have grappled with familiar and

recurring problems: investment was delayed,
models aged, and so the circle of strife continued

Only a few months ago, Carlos Tavares, then boss of want,’ says Del Vecchio. The electric MC20 Folgore has
Maserati’s owner Stellantis, threatened to shut down un- been canned.
profitable brands, a clear reference to Maserati. The GranCabrio and GranTurismo Folgore models are
Last year global sales collapsed to 11,300, from 26,600 technically ambitious EVs: bespoke 800-volt architec-
the year before. In the UK, they were down 47 per cent. In tures, dedicated three-motor powertrains, low centre of
Italy, by 41 per cent. Production fell 64 per cent. Even new gravity and scorching performance elevate them above
models, like the Grecale SUV, suffered big falls. any other platform-shared Stellantis cars. The Gran-
In total, Maserati sold fewer cars than Ferrari, and was Cabrio Folgore is the world’s only GT convertible EV.
not far ahead of Lamborghini – both of which operate on a I drove both electric GranCabrio and GranTurismo
much higher and more profitable plane. Instead of invest- soon after talking to Del Vecchio. They are exquisitely
ing more in its sole luxury brand to boost product, Stellan- handsome cars and fearsomely fast, the most powerful
tis has written off £1.2 billion of investment in Maserati, Maseratis ever – and with more torque than the original
leaving some future models in doubt. Bugatti Veyron.
Under-achievement at Maserati is not new. Fifty years Jaguar insists its new-age EVs will sell because of the
ago almost exactly, Maserati was put into liquidation. sheer desirability of their design. If so, the outstandingly
Every decade since it’s regularly missed sales targets, as handsome GranCabrio and GranTurismo should also
various owners – including Ferrari – grappled with famil- succeed. (Although they’re expensive: the GranTurismo
iar and recurring problems: investment was delayed, Folgore starts at just under £180,000.) And you’d expect a
models aged, and so the circle of strife continued. new Quattroporte to look wonderful, given past efforts.
There have been some gloriously good cars, but many of Del Vecchio insists EVs are an opportunity for Maserati.
those have soldiered on well past retirement age. Platform ‘Electric power suits luxury and grand touring very well.’
sharing to go downmarket hasn’t helped. The Grecale The idea of Stellantis selling Maserati is also quickly dis-
SUV uses Alfa Stelvio underpinnings. It is an appealing missed. When Tavares left last December, the second Stel-
sports luxury SUV, but the electric Folgore version costs lantis brand that chairman John Elkann visited was Mase-
over £100,000. rati, she says. Elkann is also executive chairman of Ferrari,
Just over a decade ago, then-owner Fiat said Maserati MC20’s another brand with a distinguished racing past – but also a
would sell 75,000 cars a year. In fact, in 2025 it will be lucky electric highly successful present.
to sell one-seventh of that. version has It makes you wonder if a switch from Stellantis to Ferra-
Like Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Lotus and Aston Martin, Ma- now been ri management would do the trick. Some of that Prancing
serati is a wonderful old European brand that has strug- cancelled Horse magic is clearly needed at its Modenese neighbour.
gled for decades. Stellantis has threatened to transform
Maserati but, so far, there are no signs of a Jaguar-style
rivoluzione.
The management, though, has changed. A new CEO,
Santo Ficili, was appointed by Tavares last October. A new
head for Maserati Northern Europe, which includes the
UK, was installed at the same time. Mariangela Del Vec-
chio, ex BMW, will tell you that in the past year three key
models were phased out – Quattroporte, Levante and
Ghibli – so it’s little wonder sales were affected.
On the other hand, new Folgore EV models were intro-
duced, which should have boosted demand. There were
technical issues that affected production and, as with
most new EVs, sales have disappointed. ‘New entry-level
versions of the Grecale [the 300] and GranTurismo and
GranCabrio [the 490 versions] are now available, as well as
the new GT2 Stradale and a full range of Folgore models,’
Del Vecchio points out.
She promises that 2025 will be better. An enhanced cus-
tomisation programme should also earn good money: it’s
a major source of Ferrari’s impressive profits.
A new Quattroporte – which also replaces the Ghibli –
is due in 2028 and a new Levante in 2027. The current plan
is for Maserati to be EV-only by 2030, but that is surely
now in doubt, given the shaky EV market, Donald Trump’s
pro-oil blusterings and slow initial sales of Folgore vari-
ants. ‘We are committed to electro mobility but we are
customer driven and will produce what our customers

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 19

 H Y P E R C A R T E C H generation of McLaren supercars.’
In development for four years, the new V8 blurs the line

McLaren’s next between production automotive engineering and motor-

sport technologies. It alone is good for 915bhp and 664lb
ft. And yet it’s allied here with an e-motor so potent and

decade looks… yet so hushed you can, if you listen hard enough, hear
McLaren’s test drivers firing up LinkedIn.
Part of their problem’s going to be this powertrain’s re-

powerful morselessness. The new engine makes more torque than

the most powerful version of the previous unit every-
where, and by a hefty 30 per cent margin. It’ll also rev to
9200rpm (the Lamborghini Temerario’s V8, with its hot-
Ben Miller Editor
in-vee architecture, spins faster but makes less power and
torque) thanks to a ruthless programme of component
light-weighting, including hollow valves and camshafts.
O Until recently, being a test driver was perhaps the best And then there’s the hybrid system. It brings another
job in the world: sit in a few meetings, nod a bit, spend the 342bhp and 325lb ft to the party, spinning at up to
day on the ragged edge, home in time for an ice bath and a 24,000rpm and delivering a comparable specific output
calming re-ordering of your sock drawer. (23bhp per kg; the motor weighs just 15kg) as an F1 e-mo-
It’s suddenly become a far less tempting career, though, tor, McLaren claims. That’s because it’s cut from compa-
and for that we can blame the McLaren W1. Fancy not rable cloth, being derived from IndyCar’s e-motor.
merely driving the 1258bhp, 988lb ft supercar (an exclu- Get clear of built-up areas and the W1 claims 0-124mph
sively rear-wheel-drive supercar, you’ll recall) but spank- in 5.8sec, 0-186mph in under 12.7 seconds and a top speed
ing it sufficiently hard, on the regular, that your tepid pegged at 217mph. McLaren’s also promising a more
telemetry doesn’t get you sacked and you’re able to proffer emotive soundtrack than was mostly the case with its
something like meaningful feedback? Me neither. previous V8, plus so much torque you’ll be able to rotate
The new MHP-8 engine – the internal-combustion el- the thing with a mere tensioning of your right ankle.
ement of the W1’s hybrid powertrain – will, McLaren And if you were hoping for a breather once you’ve ex-
hopes, punch the W1 into the public consciousness in the hausted the modest 1.3kWh battery, no dice.
same way the P1 did all those years ago. ‘In a 0-186mph sprint, we’ve still got 50 per cent of the
This engine will also power a new generation. ‘A con- battery left at 186mph,’ explains powertrain chief Richard
siderable amount of work and investment has gone into Jackson. ‘We can get to that 217mph top speed and main-
developing this new powertrain,’ explains a McLaren Outboard tain it without full EV support – you will get there and
spokesperson. ‘We are introducing it on the W1, but we turbos, as still have surplus power available. And of course, the mo-
would not be investing in this engine for just 399 cars. opposed to ment you lift you’re regenerating again…’
This high-performance hybrid V8 will power the next hot in vee Truly there’s no rest for the wicked.

20 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

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 Source image: Getty Images

Front drive
unit relatively
cost-effective
to produce
and light

O For a moment the grey clouds of uncertainty part and a E V I N N O V A T I O N

blinding shaft of clear thinking breaks through. And to

BMW and
be clear, this is not new clear thinking. BMW may have
pulled the covers off its next-gen electric powertrains re-
cently, as it gears up to deliver the first of its Neue Klasse

the fine art of

cars, the iX3, later this year. But the broader plan hasn’t
changed. And as the world goes to hell in a handcart, that
powertrain plan – to do it all, as well as possible, and al-
most entirely in-house – looks increasingly prescient.
‘We retain our technology-open approach [offer a
range of powertrain options and let buyers choose] and
futureproofing
our philosophy is the same: production follows the mar-
kets, and the supply chain follows the production,’ ex- Ben Miller Editor Mal Bailey Illustrator
plains BMW’s Dr Joachim Post, board member for pur-
chasing and supplier network.

22 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

BMW describes Gen6 as a ‘quantum

leap’ – as you’d hope given it’ll go
into the first electric M car

The headline claims for the new 800-volt battery ar-

chitecture, which switches from prismatic cells to 46mm
lithium-ion cylinders in two lengths (95mm and 120mm),
are faster charging (by 30 per cent), a 30 per cent increase
in range (with some future models going further still), a
20 per cent increase in overall vehicle efficiency and a
massive 40-50 per cent cost reduction versus a compara-
ble Gen5 powertrain.
A step change, then, though some of that progress will
go into BMW catching up rather than stretching ahead.
Though powerful, the Gen5 kit isn’t the most efficient
when compared with some rivals. An i4 M50 we tested in
2023 averaged 2.2 miles per kWh. Across the same roads
on the same day, a Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6
managed 4.8 and 4.2 respectively. More recently, our
long-term i5 eDrive 40 has averaged an unspectacular 2.7
miles per kWh.
It’s claimed Gen6 also delivers gains in terms of pack-
aging. The new battery is flatter than before, making it
compatible even with low-slung M cars, and is more effi-
cient by design, with no internal modules thanks to its
direct, ‘cell-to-pack’ construction. Versus Gen5 packs, the
battery’s external mountings are far simpler and lighter,
too, and the Neue Klasse cars will use the battery as a
stressed member to save weight.
BMW isn’t making its own cells, but it is doing virtually
everything else. A further five battery plants are in the
works (five existing facilities build the Gen5 batteries), in
Bavaria, Hungary, China, Mexico and the US. The Group
plant at Landshut is gearing up to produce sufficient ‘En-
ergy Master’ control units (developed entirely in-house)
to supply those plants, and on the motor side BMW’s
Steyr plant is being modified (as part of a €1bn investment)
Energy
Master to be able to churn out up to 600,000 motor units per
control year. Steyr will also produce the inverters, while the mo-
module sits tor casings are being cast at Landshut.
on top of the Just as different engine architectures suit different ap-
battery plications, so BMW’s using a mixed approach with ⊲

But there can be no doubt, either, of the potential for

growth if BMW can do something special with this next
electric chapter. It’s well aware of this, hence the reprisal
of the Neue Klasse descriptor. Back then, the original
Neue Klasse cars transformed BMW from bit part to pre-
mium powerhouse. The challenge now? To become syn-
onymous with EV excellence in the same way it did with
great engines. After all, you can count on the fingers of
one finger the number of manufacturers with a head-
Source image: Getty Images

quarters that’s also a 22-storey monument to the

four-cylinder combustion engine.
A lighter, more efficient and more energy-dense modu-
lar toolkit, BMW humbly describes its new Gen6 tech as a
‘quantum leap’ – as you’d hope given it’ll go into the first
electric BMW to wear a full-house M badge.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 23

 Heavier
EESM rear
module is the
powerhouse
Source image: Getty Images

Gen6. Typically, it will deploy the more expensive,

high-performance EESM (electrically excited synchro-
BMW is rating the 120kg rear units
nous motor) units on rear axles and its more cost-effective at 197bhp to 296bhp and the 70kg
and compact ASM (asynchronous motor) units on the
front. In terms of outputs, BMW is rating the 120kg rear
fronts at 118bhp to 178bhp
units at 197bhp to 296bhp and the 70kg fronts at 118bhp to
178bhp. reduction with Gen6, costs are still the main challenge
It’s long been a fan of EESMs for their sustainability (no with electric cars.’ We’ll take that as a maybe.
rare earth metals). It also reckons they’re efficient under More certain is a new era of performance. Talk to M
part load and powerful at speed. The new rear drive units boss Frank van Meel and he’s always at pains to point out
contain a bunch of patented tech and promise quieter and that M is totally embedded within BMW, not merely a
smoother running, a lighter and more rigid housing, big tuning shop for its output. As such the division’s involve-
power and torque, and reduced losses. As before, they’re ment in developing new platforms begins at the begin-
self-contained, bundling together the motor, transmis- ning and doesn’t let up: a little more stiffness here, bitte;
sion and the inverter (now silicon carbide; more difficult the scope for a wider track there…
to make but more efficient). ‘When we develop a new technology, we’re always
So far, we know Gen6 BMWs will use an EESM motor thinking about it from the entry level of the core models
module on the rear axle and the ASM unit up front, for right to the high end, and that’s M from a performance
all-wheel drive, but it has confirmed the Gen6 toolkit can perspective,’ confirms Post. ‘M’s requirements are fac-
be used to create cars with three or even four e-motors. tored in early, so we can get the technology right and scale
Though it’s reluctant to discuss other combinations just it for our whole range.’
yet, two-wheel-drive Gen6 cars will likely be rear-wheel ‘Frank was not annoying at all,’ smiles Roland Welz-
drive: ‘It’s in our genes,’ explains Michael Salmansberger, müller, vice president of electric engine technology. ‘M
head of electric drive. ‘At BMW we all like the rear-wheel- was involved from the very first moment. For this new
drive feeling.’ And the fact that BMW’s been running a generation we are planning to have M inside this portfo-
circa-1300bhp, quad-motor electric M3 prototype for a lio. So from the very first day of this strategy it was in-
while suggests M cars may use the high-performance volved, and we have found dedicated solutions for M
EESM units on both axles. which we will tell you more about when the time is right.’
With a 50 per cent reduction in production costs on the In terms of power-to-weight ratio there will be no
batteries and 20 per cent on its motor units, does Gen6 compromise – the first all-electric M car ‘will be a real M
promise price parity with piston-engined BMWs? ‘You car’, Welzmüller says. ‘If you are coming from today’s
are successful only if you have the right price for the cus- [twin-turbo straight-six] M3, and you are thinking about
tomer, but you also have to be profitable,’ explains Post. a fully electric M3, customers do not want to have any
‘We must balance these things, and despite the huge cost kind of limitation.’

24 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

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 All Toyota
engines
will get a
sprinkling
of this

N E W E N G I N E S new thinking. For instance, they will have a shorter pis-

ton stroke that allows them to be much more compact.

No more dull
That allows us more freedom for our designers and engi-
neers when it comes to packaging.’
They’re designed to run on conventional petrol, and

Toyota engines,
there’s speculation that outputs could be as high as
400bhp. However, they’re also designed to be able to
combine with e-motors to create hybrids (both with and
without plug-in capability). And they are being developed

ever to run on hydrogen combustion fuel – a continuing ob-

session of Toyota’s.
‘New engines are pretty rare these days, but we really
Jake Groves Deputy news editor wanted to do this,’ says Eelen. ‘The block is super com-
pact, and the centre of gravity is super low – and the en-
gine combines both efficiency and performance.’
O Your next RAV4 PHEV or Corolla hybrid will be full of Toyota is collaborating with Subaru and Mazda to
engineering direct from Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division. make combustion even more efficient, as all believe en-
Why? Because Toyota has left development of its entire gines will play a vital role in achieving carbon neutrality.
new generation of engines to the obsessive engineers who Toyota CEO Koji Sato says there is ‘a uniquely Japanese
like to build World Endurance racers and rabid hot hatch- way’ of tackling this issue, and that all three companies
es, while testing everything to destruction along the way. ‘share the same aspirations and will refine engine tech-
It’s a new perspective, flipping automotive convention nologies through friendly competition.’
on its head. Instead of the performance arm being called The current mule for engine development is the GR
in at the end of a project to find some upgrades, here it’s Yaris M Concept, where the M stands for ‘midship’, spark-
the tuning team who are doing the heavy lifting. ing speculation that Toyota will build a new MR2, to
It’s also a lot of pressure on Bart Eelen, head of TGR and which Harrison says: ‘We’ll have to wait and see.’ The
all Toyota’s many motorsport activities. ‘It goes back to prototype engine in the M Concept, codenamed G20E,
Toyota’s idea of using motorsport as a test bed and as a will be competing in a race in Japan this year as part of the
way to develop new things,’ he tells CAR. ‘I think that’s development programme.
something that Akio [Toyoda, former CEO, now chair- Global markets are moving at different speeds when it
man and ‘master driver’] introduced. Toyota hadn’t comes to carbon reduction, and Toyota believes offering
thought that way before.’ multiple pathways to reaching net zero will mean getting
The new engines, currently in development, will be there faster. Says Toyota chief branding officer Simon
four-cylinder units with capacities of 1.5 and 2.0 litres. Humphries: ‘We don’t claim to be a visionary in our way
Says Matt Harrison, chief corporate officer for Toyota of thinking. The idea that multiple propulsion systems
Europe: ‘These engines will feature new technologies and can exist together is as old as the car itself.’

26 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Agenda

I N N O V A T I O N niques. After that, the learnings from the project could

spread far and wide.

Meet the next ‘For our types of cars, which do very low mileage on av-
erage, a lot of the environmental impact is not in the us-
age phase but in the manufacturing phase,’ says Laun-

Gordon Murray berg. ‘So we’re using materials which have been used
before, and looking at how to minimise the use of car-
bonfibre at the design stage, and minimising waste in the

supercar production processes.’

The consortium working on Project M-LighteEn also
involves composites specialist Carbon ThreeSixty, alu-
minium experts Constellium and metallurgists at Lon-
Colin Overland Production editor
don's Brunel University. The targets are ambitious: 25 per
cent lighter than a comparable chassis today, 50 per cent
greener, and using 80 per cent recycled ultra-high-
O Coffee pods. Jean-Phillipe Launberg has carrier bags strength aluminium. Funded by the government-backed
full of them in his office at the Gordon Murray Group. Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (a
They will be recycled and used in the lightweight super- non-profit that helps find and allocate R&D funding), the
car prototype that’s being created for 2027 by a mul- project will lead to the creation of 160 new jobs and
ti-company project he’s leading. around £150 million of economic activity, if all goes well.
He’s serious: ‘We’ve been using virgin aluminium [in ‘We have low volumes and we are willing to experi-
Gordon Murray Automotive cars], because that’s the ment. We are innovators and early adopters, and then it
strongest you can get. But something that started at In- can be used in higher volumes across the industry in dif-
novate UK has been progressing, using consumer scrap. ferent applications,’ says Launberg. ‘No one will say “I’ll
‘We have all the aluminium we need in the UK – we make 500,000 vehicles a year” if it’s the first one. Everyone
need to re-use it. So let’s turn recycled consumer scrap likes to be the second.
into an aluminium that’s actually stronger and better ‘In this project we will design a supercar structure, be-
than the virgin one we use today.’ cause we will be the first ones to use the solution. That’s
It won’t be easy. After all, just about everything Gordon what we have in our hearts and what we know how to do
Murray has put his name to over his decades as a bounda- best. We are not developing a future model, but future
ry-pushing F1 and road-car engineer is already ultra-light. models will be based on this work, drawing on these
But Murray surrounds himself with kindred spirits Inside learnings.’
who aim very high. If anyone can do it, they can. In 2027, a every pod, But the big win comes if and when those learnings
prototype supercar built around a new monocoque will a supercar spread into the wider industry: ‘The solutions are totally
be demonstrated at a proving ground, showcasing vari- waiting to powertrain agnostic, whether you’re carrying a battery
ous lightweight and sustainable materials and tech- get out pack or a V12 or a three-cylinder mild hybrid.’

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 27

28 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 The
300-mile
test
NEW CAR MEETS REAL WORLD

DACIA BIGSTER

Gambler, anonymous
Dacia risks heading into new territory with its most
expensive, least quirky car ever. Time for a trip to
Monaco, one of the costliest corners of Europe
Words Ted Welford Photography Jordan Butters

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 29

 Taller and
longer, but
narrower than
the Duster

Family look
dominates
over Bigster
uniqueness

30 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 First drives 300-mile test

h, Monaco. Gucci, Ferrari,

yachts, caviar, James Bond,
champagne… and Dacias. We
thought we’d be conducting
some kind of fish-out-of-water
experiment by taking the
keenly priced new Dacia Bigster to one of the most expen-
sive places in Europe, but it turns out there are loads of
Dacias around these parts. But not the Bigster – ours is the
first, and turns many heads through its combination of Noise from
unfamiliarity and rugged good looks. chunky mirrors
The Bigster is Dacia’s largest – and arguably now its can be intrusive
most important – car. It’s the Renault-owned Romanian
car maker’s first foray into the family-aimed C-segment
once dominated by Vauxhall Astras and Ford Focuses, but
now filled with the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Kia
Sportage. SUVs of this size are hugely popular, accounting
for half the top 10 of 2024’s best-selling cars in Europe. If
Dacia’s got the Bigster right, the potential’s huge.
It’s also a risk for Dacia, pushing it out of its comfort
zone, away from its smaller, budget-focused roots and
straight into the hands of buyers who demand more –
more space, more equipment and more quality. For a
brand that prides itself on essentials, there’s potential that
it’s stretched itself too far. But when you see it for the first
time it’s pretty familiar; it doesn’t look all that much dif-
ferent to a Duster viewed directly from the front or rear.
We have two days with the Bigster to clock up some seri-
ous miles up in the southern Alps and on the ever-glamor-
ous Cote d’Azur, all the while weighing up if it’s the all-
round package family SUV buyers expect, and finally As the road opens up, I see the sign I’ve been craving for Big car, big
finding out whether it can cause a stir in Monaco. hours – FINALLY a boulangerie. Ham and cheese ba- sandwich. Size
isn’t, however,
Leaving Marseille, the first stop is to head to some vine- guettes acquired, and with the boot doubling as a picnic everything
yards principally in search of lunch. Wanting to make bench, it’s time to inspect some of the Bigster’s practical
tracks in vaguely the right direction, I set the nav for a elements. It’s the first Dacia with an electric bootlid,
route running parallel to the main A8 motorway that though in true Dacia fashion it’s been engineered on a
connects the key cities along the French Riviera. tight budget: only one of the tailgate struts is electric.
These turn out to be some of the roughest main roads in There’s no kick sensor, either. That’s not on Dacia’s ‘essen-
France. Forget the illusion of mainland Europe’s effort- tials’ list, and it’s hard to disagree, as they rarely work and
lessly smooth tarmac – here it’s like we’ve landed back in tend to leave you waving a leg around as if you’re working
the UK by mistake. That’s not helped by hideous weather; up to an interpretive dance routine.
it doesn’t stop raining for two days. The boot is massive – 677 litres below the flimsy cover. A
It’s a perfect testing ground for the Bigster and its 19- Duster’s boot is hardly small at 517 litres, but the Bigster’s
inch alloys – the largest fitted to a Dacia yet. The ride is a stretches back miles and is the perfect place to enjoy a
little rough on broken surfaces but does a better job of crusty loaf brimmed with ham and cheese and watch a
soaking up bumps than many in this class, dominated by very rainy world go by. Between bites, I take time to con-
cars with wheels a few inches too large. Entry-level Big- sider some of the Bigster’s other practical merits – handles
sters get 18s. By the way, there’s no option for steelies on in the boot to drop the rear seats, a proper spare wheel be-
the Bigster (unlike the Duster). neath the false floor and the sheer space in the rear. O

Pick-up: 0 miles 33 miles 51 miles

We’ve brought a First stop, lunch. Time to cover some
lot of luggage but Can confirm that two distance to get to
it’s no trouble for baguettes slot neatly our overnight stop.
the massive boot, into the Bigster’s The Bigster is the
all 677 litres of it. front cupholders. first Dacia with
We needn’t have Triangular adaptive cruise
packed the sun sandwiches not control and I’m very
cream, though. such a happy fit. glad of it.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 31

First drives 300-mile test

While Fiat is Baguette devoured, and aware that the light will soon
focusing on fade, it’s time to hit the road again and make some real
small cars,
Dacia’s moving progress as we join the A8 to get us to our overnight stop in
on up Grasse. The Bigster neatly gets up to the 130km/h limit
(about 80mph), and now we’re making good progress. It’s
relaxed enough at this speed, although it lacks the refine-
ment of a Qashqai and Sportage. The Bigster comes with a
new windscreen, shaped for improved acoustic perfor-
mance and thicker than the Duster’s, but it’s no match for
the wind noise generated by the blocky door mirrors.
Adaptive cruise control is another first for Dacia, and
since I’m pretty lazy on longer trips I enjoy the consistency
that ACC affords. It works well – intelligently slowing the
car down without jamming the anchors on just because
there’s a car on the horizon, and speeding up to overtake
as soon as you indicate.
The Bigster starts at £24,995, making it one of the most
affordable cars in this class. It’s £6000 less than the cheap-
est Qashqai but matches the price of an MG HS, a larger
and better-equipped car still. Dacia is also offering a new
hybrid version, priced from £27,095, but £29,495 in the
case of our Journey-trim test car. It’s a different set-up to
the Duster and seven-seat Jogger, using a new 1.8-litre
petrol engine paired to the same two electric motors as the
older cars. It puts out 153bhp and uses an automatic gear-
box made up of four gears for the engine and two for the
electric motors. Gone are the days when Dacia got Re-
nault’s hand-me-downs, as the Bigster is the first car from
across the Renault Group to get this hybrid system – a tes- Good economy
takes anxiety
tament to how highly the brand is valued by Renault. out of longer
As we leave Grasse the following morning, it’s time to journeys
start heading north into the mountains to test the O

54 miles 138 miles 141 miles

Renault’s MySafety We stop off in Nice. We chance upon
button allows all A terrible idea on a Motors Corner, an
the pre-configured Friday when traffic eclectic classic car
safety assists to be is gridlocked. We dealership in the
turned off with only sit in a tunnel for centre of Nice. The
two button presses. 20 minutes, being Bigster attracts a lot
Memo to other car very British about of attention from the
makers: copy this. queueing. staff.

32 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Gone are the days when
Dacia got Renault’s hand-
me-downs. The Bigster is
first to get this hybrid

168 miles 185 miles 202 miles

Bigster is the In this part of We start heading
first Dacia to get France Dacias are north, ignoring the
features including everywhere. We winter tyre signs as
two-tone paint and stop to compare it to the weather looks
a panoramic glass a stranger’s Duster. good. A snowy layby
roof. ‘Essentials’ in Biggest difference is as much of the
this class, reckons is the rear three- white stuff as we
Dacia. Hmm… quarter section. encounter.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 33

 Light, precise
steering, but
the grip runs
out too soon

Boot is usefully
big; there’s no
seven-seater

User-friendly Does it look

interior layout different enough
let down by from its Kia and
hard plastics Nissan rivals?

34 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 First drives 300-mile test

Local farmers returning

from their morning
boulangerie run gravitate
towards the Bigster

Bigster’s attributes on the twisties. It’s mid-March and

though the winter tyre warnings will remain in place for a
couple more weeks, we chance our luck with the Bigster
on its year-round rubber (having checked the detailed lo-
cal forecast before doing so). There’s a 4x4 version – a mild
hybrid based on the regular 1.2-litre petrol engine – but it
wasn’t available for this test. Besides, as much as we like to
drive a four-wheel-drive Dacia, next to nobody in the UK
buys them; most Bigsters sold will be front-drive hybrids.
The hybrid powertrain is good, and far better than I re-
member the previous Renault/Dacia system being. It’s
smoother, more responsive and much quieter on a steep
incline – though it’s hardly the last word in refinement, it
must be said. By now I’m negotiating the tight switchbacks
on the D2 around Gréolières in between all kinds of rock
formations. My ears are popping as we gain altitude, and I
don’t find myself welcoming the moo-ing sounds of the enough in sign language to tell it’s a resounding success, PLUS
hybrid system. with thumbs-ups galore and lots of admiring glances. It’s a
Big on space;
This is the road used in the 1995 James Bond Film Gold- fair bet that many of these people will be driving a Bigster low on price;
enEye for a chase between the Ferrari F355 and Aston Mar- in 15 years. good hybrid
tin DB5, and though I’m more stirred than shaken (sorry), But that’s only if the Bigster fits through the exception- system
the Bigster is better on this sort of tarmac than I’d have ally narrow streets of their commune. Approaching one
MINUS
predicted. The steering is light but precise, with a level of archway I’m seriously wondering if I’m about to damage
Lacks
fluidity to it that makes it easy to place on these tight the car. Thankfully there’s a 360º camera system (includ- refinement;
hairpins. At 1419kg it’s very light for a hybrid SUV (a Qash- ing lenses on the mirrors), which proves its worth as I interior feels
qai is 200kg heavier) and you feel the benefit through cor- squeeze the Dacia through an archway that seems to be cheap in
ners, where it’s impressively nimble and not too inclined closing in as I get towards the end. places
to roll. While the Bigster is 20cm longer than a Duster, a bizarre
It’s a pity it runs out of grip so early. It really struggles for quirk of its packaging means it’s ever so slightly narrower.
traction out of a corner and resorts to understeer. You It results in quite a thin cabin for a C-segment SUV, and
might choose to deploy the argument that no Dacia SUV though that’s not ideal if you want to seat five occupants
is going to be driven like this, but I’m not convinced, espe- regularly, I’m grateful for the lack of width in this instance.
cially given you’re never far away from an enthusiastic From here we head to the mesmerising Gorges de Dalu-
Sandero on the back of your bumper around here. is. Red rock faces appear out of nowhere and the road me-
The next part of our route takes us through a section of anders one way around the formations and the other
France that time forgot – a quaint village called Soleilhas through them as tunnels. It’s a magnificent engineering
that looks as though it’s straight out of a ’70s French dra- effort and spectacular to drive through. Though the rain
ma. Local farmers returning from their morning boulan- has well and truly set in, it’s a stunning backdrop. But we
gerie run gravitate towards the Bigster as if we’re circulat- can’t appreciate it for too long, as it dawns on us that we’ve
ing Knightsbridge with an unreleased Ferrari. They speak eaten up a great chunk of the day doing things we hadn't
as much English as I do French (nul points) but I’m fluent really allowed time for, so now we need to floor O

223 miles 292 miles 295 miles

Simple touchscreen A spirited drive gets A fitting end to
does most of the us to Monaco while a very wet trip,
basics just fine, it’s still daylight, and stopping off near
although our test we turn a few heads. the superyachts
car’s sat-nav is Forget Ferraris – in Monaco’s Port
annoyingly glitchy. we’re probably in Hercules. And it
Google Maps to the the rarest car here doesn’t look out of
rescue. today. place.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 35

First drives 300-mile test

it to our end point, Monaco.

Doing so gives me time to ponder the cabin, which is
similar to the Duster’s. There’s a large digital instrument
cluster and touchscreen, both pretty simple, and they
generally work well – though the navigation has some lag
and sometimes defaults to not working at all. Google
Maps on my phone steps in.
The cabin layout is decent, with the rare treat of real
buttons for the climate control and a fairly high-set centre
console with a stubby gear selector (on automatic models),
wireless smartphone charger, cupholders and deceptively
spacious storage beneath the armrest. Everything you’d
expect in this class, but nothing more.
There’s no escaping the fact that it’s built down to a
price. The interior is dominated by hard plastics, which
may be fine with every other Dacia, but buyers in this class
expect a bit more. I’m not saying it should have a perforat-
ed full leather interior, but a little more attention paid to
the finer details. It’s far cheaper than most rivals, yes, but I
keep coming back to the MG HS, which just looks and
feels better than this Dacia for the same price.
By now we’re crossing the border from France into Mo-
naco, and with no wealth police in sight to block our way
it’s time to check out this bizarre microstate, where mil-
lions are as normal as thousands elsewhere. Despite the
rain, there’s still plenty of exotica circulating. We go
Bigster may not through the Fairmont hairpin sandwiched between os-
be perfect but
at least it has tentatious luxury SUVs, which are two a penny here.
a roof But the Bigster holds its own, attracting more admiring
glances than you’d expect, and especially from a younger
audience. I have an inkling it’s because the people of Mo-
naco know their cars and probably haven’t seen a Bigster
before, but also because this is by and large a smart design.
It’s only the slightly bulbous rear three-quarter area that I
Data can’t quite get used to.
The hybrid system feels utterly at home here, running
for the majority of time on electric, with a good lick of pace
PRICE from its two motors to get away from a set of lights with-
£29,495 (Journey out waking the engine. Urban driving does expose one
Hybrid 155) downside of the Bigster, though, and that’s the visibility
out of the back. The rear window is positioned so high
that smaller cars disappear behind you, which is particu-
POWERTRAIN
larly alarming when parking, though the standard-fit re-
1793cc 16v four-cyl,
1.4kWh battery plus versing camera helps.
two e-motors, auto, Monaco is a bizarre mix of those brazen about their
front-wheel-drive wealth and those who are clever about how they spend it –
you see a surprising number of Dacias here. In that context
PERFORMANCE
the Bigster could be a clever buy, a car for those who have
153bhp @ 5300rpm,
127lb ft @ 3000rpm, looked at the price of a Qashqai and realised they could get
9.7sec 0-62mph, something slightly funkier for £5000 less.
112mph The Bigster could answer many a family’s prayers for a
new, more affordable and spacious family car. One which,
WEIGHT
even in top spec and with every option possible, tips the
1419kg
scales at barely more than £30,000. My only big reserva-
EFFICIENCY tion is if it’s really a step up enough over the Duster to jus-
60.1mpg (official), tify the extra expense. Dacia deliberately chose not to give
48.7mpg (tested), the Bigster seven seats, but it seems a missed opportunity
105g/km CO2 to truly set it apart.
ON SALE
Now
R AT I N G
Next month
sssSS THE HOTTEST FORD MUSTANG

36 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 The only big reservation
is whether it’s different
enough from the Duster to
justify the extra cost

MAY 2025 | SUBSCRIBE TO CAR! WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK 37

 Flick it into Dynamic
mode and the engine
goes from buttoned-
up to bombastic

Sportback has
barely any less
luggage space
than the SUV

38 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 First drives

AUDI SQ5

The philosophy of fast

Audi’s extremely potent SQ5 makes us question some fundamentals
Let me share my theory about some modern
performance cars. I call it the Golf R Princi-
ple, but it doesn’t only apply to VW’s hottest
hatchback. THE FIRST HOUR
Here goes: certain performance cars have
30 seconds
so much power, grip and flexibility that in Odd that a sporty
order for you, the driver, to get much of a combustion car
buzz you need to be pushing it as hard as you starts with a bong
can. Anything less and it all just feels a bit
4 minutes
too easy. As well as the Golf R and related Interior already
Audi S3, I reckon the theory also holds good feels familiar, but
when applied to many current sporty elec- Karaoke’s much more fun than the haptics SQ5 has a little less
gloss black – phew
tric cars and almost all performance SUVs.
And, without a doubt, Audi’s new SQ5. flopped between petrol and diesel as Audi 25 minutes
It needs little introduction, being an evo- rolled with the tides. This engine is so
well behaved and
lution of an idea that’s been around for more Regardless of body style – SUV or sleeker smooth
than a decade, although you might be jarred Sportback – the SQ5 can sprint to 62mph in
out of your complacency by checking the 4.5 seconds and has its top speed limited to 41 minutes
price: the non-S versions of the new Q5 start 155mph. As well as improving your fuel Oh… THAT’S where
all the performance
just below £50k, but the SQ is firmly in the economy, Audi’s MHEV Plus mild-hybrid is! Sounds great in
70s. It’s a lofty amount of money to drop on tech gives you a sweet power boost. Dynamic mode
such a car but, when you look at the compe- That engine really is the star of the show.
54 minutes
tition (BMW X3 M50 or a Mercedes-AMG If at times it feels like overkill, the great ben- You have to be
GLC 43) they’re now similarly expensive. efit is that it’s flexible at all speeds, with going mega fast to
For your money you get a lot of tech, in- plenty in reserve. Lower down, it hums qui- get the buzz
cluding customisable OLED lights, animat- etly, and it’s broadly linear in its power deliv-
ed ambient lighting inside, a passenger dis- ery. Flick the SQ5 into Dynamic mode,
play for in-car karaoke and air suspension though, and that engine goes from but-
– a rarity at this relatively modest level of the toned-up to bombastic. It makes a fantastic
performance SUV market. noise – a properly tuneful V6 chorus that’s
The SQ5 and Q5 benefit from the same backed up by pretty stonking performance
interior as the A5, A6 and Q6 e-Tron. A big for something that isn’t a full-fat RS.
‘digital stage’ infotainment display, pared- The ride quality is impressive, thanks to
back digital instruments, crisp graphics and that standard-fit air suspension. Even on 21-
a hell of a lot of gloss black are all included. inch wheels, it’s always refined, and untrou-
Audi is, unfortunately, keeping faith with bled by large ruts.
fiddly haptic buttons on the steering wheel. It’s so usable that you might find yourself
What you don’t get much of is a sense that tempted to take the mickey in order to un-
PLUS
the Audi Sport team have been at work in lock that little bit of fizz we all search for.
Fantastic engine;
the cabin. In some ways, that makes sense; JAKE GROVES
impressive ride
it’s an S, not an RS, so is meant to go under quality; loads of
the radar. But I’d want more than just some
bespoke seats, good as they are.
First verdict kit
MINUS
At the heart of the SQ5 is a new-genera- A potent, sweet-sounding and flexible
tion twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6, which develops Needs to be
engine wrapped up in a premium driven hard for it
362bhp and 406lb ft. Hopefully Audi will package. Use with caution to be fun; fiddly
stick to this engine; the previous SQ5 flip- sssss interior

PRICE POWERTRAIN PERFORMANCE WEIGHT EFFICIENCY ON SALE

£74,975 (Edition 2994cc 24v 362bhp @ 5500rpm, 2040kg 34.9mpg, Now
1 TFSI quattro twin-turbo V6, 406lb ft @ 1700rpm, 185g/km CO2
Data S-tronic) seven-speed auto, 4.5sec 0-62mph,
all-wheel drive 155mph (limited)

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 39

 Despite the extra
dynamism, Rolls
has kept the
waftability intact

Rarest of
rarities: a
Roller on track

40 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 First drives

RO LL S- ROYCE B L ACK B A D G E S PEC TRE

Creature of the night

Black Badge treatment brings out the best of the electric Rolls-Royce
Barrelling down the straight of the ParcMo-
tor Castellolí, we pick our braking point and
whip the Spectre left, aiming for the apex
with the Spirit of Ecstasy like an iron sight. THE FIRST HOUR
There’s a rumble, and then we’re back on the
1 minute
power, quietly gaining speed as we hurtle Rolls Royce has
uphill. This isn’t how you’d typically drive a parked my car next
Rolls-Royce – but this is no typical Roller. to a yacht, the only
Goodwood has given the electric Spectre thing to make it
look small
the Black Badge treatment, and it’s emerged
as the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever. 15 minutes
It makes 659bhp, up from 576bhp, and it’s Bright is the new roomy, apparently It’s a touch wide for
Barcelona’s streets
less reserved about using it. There’s even
launch control – hold down both pedals, re- transfers, the Black Badge-bewitched chas- 30 minutes
lease the brake and it hits 60mph from zero sis digs in, inspiring far more confidence The ride feels just
as cushioned as
in 4.1sec, down from 4.4sec. Range is 306- than a car that – from some angles – looks before…
329 miles, depending on the wheels, but it’s like the Bank of England on wheels. Heavier
unlikely Spectre Black Badge owners will braking also reveals remarkably predictable 50 minutes
ever care. Most Spectres don’t do long trips, pedal feel. You can feel the sheer weight of …but this
Spectre holds up
and the power is used only in short bursts. the car, but it reacts how you’d expect. significantly better
Range and cost per mile tend not to worry There’s a sport mode, called Infinity when pushed
Spectre owners. mode here. You get an infinity logo on the
55 minutes
As with all Black Badges, the Spectre dash along with a discotheque look to the Infinity mode
wears a moodier bodykit. There are new dials. It also firms up the handling, giving a makes a real
colour options including Vapour Violet, and slightly heavier steering feel and accessing difference, without
a new 23-inch wheel can be added in all all the power. There’s more urgency to the taking away any of
the waft
black. Everything that’s chrome on a regular acceleration, too, feeling like a torquey V12.
Spectre is black chrome here. Our car is fin- Even if the driver’s inputs become less
ished in Salamanca Blue with a black bonnet civilised, the Rolls remains composed. The
and roof, while the interior is bright orange. rear-wheel-steer system – a little too dis-
It’s powered by a 102kWh battery and a jointed on the standard car – also feels far
motor on each axle for all-wheel-drive, the more natural here. It makes low-speed
same as any Spectre. But that’s misleading, turns feel less like docking a superyacht.
as this car makes a much bigger leap com- But despite this extra dynamism, Rolls
pared to other models in the transition to has kept the waftability almost entirely in-
Black Badge tune, and the difference is most tact. On roads in and around Barcelona, the
obvious on track. Black Badge had the same nonchalant atti-
Direct its long bonnet into a corner, and tude to bumps and cracks as the base car,
PLUS
you’ll find a night-and-day difference be- floating above the road in a silent bubble.
More stability and
tween this and the standard car, starting CURTIS MOLDRICH
performance
with the heavier, more precise steering. It than the standard
also has a greater degree of stability: it’s stoi-
cally flat at all times, with Magic Carpet
First verdict car; very similar
comfort
ride’s sorcery keeping the bonnet relatively If you want a Spectre (and can afford it), MINUS
level with the horizon. this is the one to get: more complete and Blacked-out look
Where the standard car is somewhat tri- just as comfortable as the base model might not be for
fle-like, falling over itself as the weight sssss everyone

PRICE POWERTRAIN PERFORMANCE WEIGHT EFFICIENCY ON SALE

£400,000 102kWh battery, two 659bhp, 793lb ft, 2900kg 2.6-2.8 miles per Now
electric motors, 4.1sec 0-60mph, kWh, 306-329-
Data all-wheel drive 155mph mile range, 0g/
km CO2

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 41

 Another
forgettable
journey is a win
for the Tayron

VW’s worked hard

on refinement. Even
in the diesel you’re
rarely bothered by
engine noise

42 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 First drives

V O L K S W A G E N TAY R O N

The happy middle

Zero flair, full functionality: seven-seat SUV ticks the family box
Just when you’re starting to take for granted
the level of technology built in to modern
cars, something will crop up to remind you
that they’re still fallible. Just take the new THE FIRST HOUR
Volkswagen Tayron, which has built-in
1 minute
ChatGPT, a massive touchscreen, five radar Big and dominating
sensors and a 120º camera. And yet the sat- central screen, but
nav voice absolutely butchers the pronunci- with handy shortcut
ation of Marseilles. buttons
It’s one of the few jarring things about the 5 minutes
car, which manages to successfully channel Impressively
a formula that’s served VW well in the past: Quiet, comfortable and roomy in the front refined – even the
diesel clatter is only
build a car people want, stick to the brief and a distant thrum
play it safe. This car has few of the features the floor but are strictly for little ones. Boot
that have annoyed people so much about space is a decent 805 litres in five-seat mode. 15 minutes
There are how
some recent VWs; instead it’s exceptionally My over-riding impression of the car is its many settings on
easy to get along with, and will do what you sense of ease; even the touchscreen, while the dampers?
ask of it and nothing more. still not perfect, is vastly easier to use than
The Tayron (pronounced Tyron) sits be- on some VWs, with larger icons and a short- 44 minutes
Clamber into the
tween the Tiguan and Touareg and effec- cut button to turn off the infernal lane as- middle seats. Huge
tively replaces the old Tiguan Allspace. The sist. All variants come with double glazing amount of room
engine range is huge, spanning old-school and VW claims it’s worked hard on overall back here
combustion powerplants and modern plug- refinement, to the point that it’s 5dB quieter 45 minutes
in hybrids: it starts with a £39,850 mild-hy- inside than its predecessor. Even in the die- Clamber into the
brid 1.5-litre, includes two 2.0-litre non-elec- sel, you’re rarely bothered by engine noise. rearmost seats;
trified petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel, and Comfort levels are high thanks to the very much a kid-
only zone
rounds off with two PHEVs, both of which twin-valve adaptive dampers. Developed for
claim to be capable of more than 70 miles of the likes of the Porsche Cayenne, on the
electric-only running thanks to the Tayron they give superb control over re-
19.7kWh battery. bound and compression. We hit a mid-cor-
We tried the diesel (148bhp and 266lb ft, ner expansion join at one point but the
50.9mpg) and the higher-powered PHEV wheel control was such that it barely regis-
(268bhp and 295lb ft, 625mpg) and the pace tered in the cabin. The car is on standard
of both was adequate rather than amazing. springs rather than air but you’d never no-
All engine variants come with either five tice. There are, bizarrely, 15 damper settings.
or seven seats, other than the PHEV as that What is missing is any sense of engage-
has to sacrifice the rearmost row to cram ment. But that doesn’t bother me – I want PLUS
the batteries in. The wheelbase has been my VW family cars to blend into the back- Effortless,
stretched to 2788mm, 112mm more than the ground and to be honest with themselves. comfortable and
current five-seat Tiguan, with the result PIERS WARD refined, with a
that room in the middle row is impressive – decent amount of
room
the seats slide fore and aft, the backs tilts, all
fold flat – and the kids should be happy
First verdict
MINUS
thanks to a couple of USB ports and an Remarkably unremarkable family-
armrest that doubles as an iPad stand, simi- Lifeless steering
friendly transport – no more, no less. and very little
lar to that in the Renault Scenic. Head elsewhere for thrills dynamic appeal
Seats in the third row also fold flat into ★★★★s

PRICE POWERTRAIN PERFORMANCE WEIGHT EFFICIENCY ON SALE

£43,620 (TDI 1968cc 16v 148bhp, 266lb ft @ 1825kg 50.9mpg, Now
150 Elegance) turbodiesel four-cyl, 1600rpm, 9.7sec 145g/km CO2
Data seven-speed DCT, 0-62mph, 129mph
front-wheel drive

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 43

 SPONSORED BY

PE R FO R M A N C E S U VS + G O LF R BAC K O N TO P + VA S T E VS

ciding what sort of cars we should way that makes such objections
drive, how much we should pay for fade into the background. CO
them, where they will be made, and
much else besides. All hands
Perhaps I’m naive to think that There was an intriguing photo in
this hasn’t always been going on, but your coverage of the Dakar Rally
to my mind the people best qualified (March issue), showing the drivers
on those matters are engineers and and co-drivers of two Dacias work-
designers, and perhaps climate sci- ing on one of the cars. Your story
entists. If the politicians went back to made it clear that this level of co-op-
trying to fund the health service eration is common at the Dakar,
properly and making sure the bins where drivers are prepared to lose
are emptied on time, I suspect the time themselves rather than leave a
sum of human happiness would in- team-mate stranded.
crease considerably. Am I being fanciful, or is this close
Dave Brinkley in spirit to the sort of thing that hap-
Reality bites Nice to be able pened 100 or more years ago, when
to sing the
A refreshing outbreak of praises of a Category error motorsport was less about lap times
Letter real world in the March VW again I’m baffled by high-performance and more about reliability?
of the issue, with the VW Golf R 4x4s, such as the Land Rover De- Technically dazzling as the latest
comparison test against fender Octa that was the subject of F1 cars may be, and the drivers hugely
month the AMG A35 and BMW the 300-Mile Test in the March issue. talented, but it all feels very remote
M135. My concern is not over whether from my motoring life of potholes,
These are the kind of cars I can ac- one is better than another, but why speed bumps, 20mph limits, blown
tually own, and they offer the sort of they exist at all. If I want to enjoy headlamp bulbs and sweet wrappers
performance that now and again I driving on the road, something low I can’t get out of the door pockets.
can use on the road. and light would be optimal. If I need Les Wilde
As a serial VW buyer I’m also to venture off the beaten track, I
pleased to hear that the Golf R has want something with good ground Hard choices
received the necessary improve- clearance, long-travel suspension, Why does anyone like cars without
ments. Weird that it wasn’t right first low gears and a hose-out interior. roofs? I just don’t get it. Never have. I
time, but welcome nonetheless. But if I wish to drive fast off the drove a Mazda MX-5 once and
Gary Edmunds road, I should probably be arrested. thought it was very good, but wished
It’s not what the countryside is for. it had a roof. And reading your story
Stay in your lane Ian Rowlands about the Maserati and Bentley in
Back in the day, it seemed that the the March issue, I just kept thinking:
only time politicians ever became in- Logic may well be on your side, yes, but these cars are both also avail-
No one is left
volved in automotive affairs was behind at the but some of these cars are able with proper fixed roofs, so
when they lowered a speed limit or Dakar Rally remarkably good to drive, in a they’re quieter, stiffer, the air-con
made seatbelts compulsory for pas- works properly, you can hear the au-
sengers, that sort of thing. But now, dio and you don’t look like a pillock.
as your CAR Power List (March issue) But clearly other people disagree.
makes clear, they seem intent on de- What’s the appeal?
Liam Anderson

Big problems
I’m not sad to read the new large Lo-
tus products aren’t selling (Agenda,
February), despite my affection for
the brand as a whole. An Eletre
parked in front of my Tesla Model 3
recently and my car was dwarfed in
all dimensions. It’s not until you see

44 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

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EDITORIAL
Editor
Ben Miller
Group editor
Phil Bell
Deputy editor
one in a typical street scene that you Rivals pale into which makes as much sense as a Piers Ward
insignificance
notice how big they are. next to the convertible van, or that the real range Production editor
Colin Overland
Despite the relative affluence of Vantage falls 20 per cent short of that prom- Deputy news editor
my area of Hampshire, very few are ised at a paltry 270 miles. The ele- Jake Groves
seen locally, primarily I suspect be- phant in the room is that it has de- New cars editor
Alan Taylor-Jones
cause they won’t fit in our city-centre preciated by £24k, or 41 per cent, in Director of content – digital
underground car park or be able to 10,000 miles and seven months. Tim Pollard
negotiate the ramp at Waitrose. Danyel Mills Digital editor
Curtis Moldrich
The electric Ferrari looks neatly Head of automotive video
styled (New Cars 2025, March). I do Kettle vs Audi James Dennison
hope it’s not too big, though – other- I’ve read every CAR magazine since Group art director
Garry Mears
wise I won’t see many of them either. passing my test in 1974. I’ll continue App designer
Simon Hutton to read it for the quality of the writ- Chelsea Nelms
Editors-at-large
ing, the illuminating industry analy- Chris Chilton, Mark Walton,
Blind ambition sis, and the photography. Ben Barry
Contributor-in-chief
I find it intriguing to hear that the However, through no fault of Gavin Green
DVSA, which oversees driving in- yours, in recent years the cars them- European editor
structors and tests, says we should all selves have increasingly merged into Georg Kacher
Contributing editors
reverse into parking bays or drive- Have minor variations on the same theme. Ben Oliver, Ben Whitworth,
ways for safety reasons. your say: Meanwhile, the prices of unremark- Anthony ffrench-Constant,
As most cars are equipped with re- able cars have galloped to previously Steve Moody, Sam Smith

versing cameras, giving a wide-angle VIA EMAIL unthinkable levels.

F1 correspondent
CAR@ Tom Clarkson
view, surely it is better to reverse out carmagazine. The February issue carries a test of Office manager
of spaces, particularly when vans or the new Audi S6. The closing sen- Leise Enright
co.uk
Production controller
other large SUV are parked next to tence sums it up as ‘quietly capable’. Carl Lawrence
you, rather than having a third of VIA TWITTER As is my kitchen kettle. One hundred
@CAR ADVERTISING
your vehicle sticking out before you magazine grand for a car that is quietly capable?
get any visibility of what’s coming. Ken Taylor Group digital commercial director
Rob Fairburn
What do other readers think? VIA Key account director (display)
Max Blount FACEBOOK Completely missing the point, I Amy Wheeler
facebook.com/ know, but do you really want a Key account manager (display)
CARmagazine Gemma Rogerson
‘Most cars’ have reversing kettle that’s quiet? CO Account manager
cameras? Surely not. CO VIA POST Amie Merrill
CAR, Pretty green PUBLISHING
Taking the hit Media House,
Lynch Wood,
Porsche 911? Yes, but like my BMW Publisher
In the February edition of Our Cars, Peterborough, 3-series, everyone’s got one and God, Rachael Beesley
Ben Oliver gushes over the Skoda it’s ugly. Just look at the Aston (Giant Head of marketing
PE2 6EA Susie Litawski
Enyaq Coupe vRS. Test, March). Direct marketing manager
Forget the fact that is a coupe SUV, Peter Tandy Nisha Ellis
Senior marketing executive
SUBSCRIPTIONS To ensure you don’t miss an issue visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk. To contact us about subscription orders, renewals, missing issues or any other subscription queries, please email
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MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 45

 ‘The Disco 3
prioritised
simple,
minimalist
design. Every
line was there
for a reason’

nlike most car journal-

ists, I had a (small) hand
in the design of an impor-
tant car. That vehicle is 21
years old this month, and it de-
serves to be celebrated as one of
the finest in the long and storied histo-
ry of its maker, Land Rover.
When development of the Discovery 3 began, at the turn of the sary or desirable. Clever touches included the distinctive asymmetric
millennium, its brief was to define the future of Land Rover. The re- rear tailgate: it helped rear visibility and made reaching into the boot
sult was a vehicle of awesome off-road capability, the best that Land easier, especially for shorter people.
Rover had ever made at the time – or so said the company’s off-road It was a polarising design, as ambitious design often is. Some
guru, Roger Crathorne. Yet it was a comfortable and coveted execu- members of the product committee disliked it. But I championed its
tive car, had seven adult-sized forward-facing seats, huge carrying minimalism and intelligence, and when the design was approved,
and towing capacity, a classy interior, and was the first actively to virtually without change, Upex thanked me for my support. I helped
promote the ‘reductionist’ design that would become a welcome preserve the purity of the Upex and Wheel design. It was hardly a
hallmark of Land Rover styling. major creative contribution – but, I like to think, still significant.
The Discovery 4 and 5 would follow, but its modern spiritual suc- I had left Land Rover, returning to CAR, by the time the Discovery
cessor is the current Defender. In so many ways the latest Defender is 3 was publicly unveiled at the 2004 New York Auto Show.
a Disco 3 for the 2020s – tough, capable, comfortable, family friendly, It won great critical praise and sold very well. In its facelifted,
chunkily styled, roomy and, crucially, it looks like a traditional Land shinier and mechanically improved Discovery 4 guise it kept selling
Rover. well, right up until it was replaced by the fifth-generation Discovery
In 2000, I joined Land Rover as PR director, in what turned out to in 2017. That’s the virtue of intelligent and timeless design.
be a three-year hiatus from CAR. I sat on its management board and, It certainly had its faults. In particular, the ladder-frame T5 plat-
even more enjoyably, its product committee, which oversaw all new form – part of an unusual ‘Integrated Body Frame’ that included a
model proposals. Two significant new cars were presented in my bolted-on monocoque for the passenger compartment – made it too
time: the Discovery 3 and first Range Rover Sport. Many vehicle up- heavy (but very strong). Sophisticated fully independent suspension
grades were also discussed, from facelifts to engineering improve- and some brawny V8 petrol and V6 diesel engines partly compensat-
ments, including Ford- and Jaguar-sourced engines for the big Range ed. It seems strange that the only car I had any hand in creating
Rover to replace the pricey BMW motors. should be overweight, when as a journalist I’ve spent decades cham-
I never cared for the first Range Rover Sport, although it would pioning small, nimble, intelligently designed cars. (Looking around
become a significant sales and commercial success. But when I first me, it clearly hasn’t worked.)
saw design director Geoff Upex’s vision for ‘the future of Land Rover’, Nowadays I often see Disco 3s on the road, invariably well used
I thought it design genius. and enjoying a hard life – like any good working vehicle. And I still
The Discovery 3 that Upex presented was created by exterior de- get a small thrill to think of my own modest contribution to a British
signer Andy Wheel. He prioritised simple, minimalist, timeless de- motoring great.
sign – true form follows function. Every line and piece of furniture
Peter Strain

was there for a reason. It was a car pleasingly free from jewellery and Former CAR editor and brief visitor to the dark side Gavin Green is
embellishment, for the simple reason that no embroidery was neces- now one of the world’s foremost automotive commentators

46 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 ‘The new Tahoe
is positively
Trumpian,
a colossal
statement of
confidence
and excess’

he man at the rental shop in Los

Angeles airport, making small
talk, asks: ‘How many are travel-
ling with you today?’
‘Just me,’ I reply.
‘Oh!’ he says, as though something’s gone
wrong. ‘Er, you realise you’ve booked a Chevy
Tahoe?’ Long pause. ‘It’s like big enough for
nine people,’ he adds, to clarify. over a century later you can still feel that the Tahoe is the result of
‘Oh yes, I know,’ I reassure him, breezily. ‘Just want to, you know, that early branching of the ‘phylogenetic tree’.
“live the American dream” ha ha!’ So back in LA, I roll up to the four-way stop gently and easily, one
This mega-Chevy isn’t just ‘American’ in its gargantuan size. The hand on the wheel, one elbow resting on the dishwasher. I check all
new Tahoe is positively Trumpian, a colossal statement of confidence directions using the panoramic views from my giant, air-condi-
and excess, a symbol of the country’s distinctly unapologetic, ‘screw- tioned watch tower. When it’s my turn, I squeeze the accelerator and
you’ attitude in 2025. At 5.3 metres long, over two metres wide, and the Tahoe growls mildly and pulses forward with a feeling of effort-
1.95 metres tall the Tahoe is a behemoth – a civilised, showroom less muscle. The V8 barely gets above tickover as I drift from junction
monster truck with a vertical nose taller than Washington’s forehead to junction. In this languid, stop-start, straight-line environment,
at Mount Rushmore. the Tahoe feels undemanding and luxurious – as convenient as a
The rental company’s Premier edition has a 5.3-litre V8 and a drive-through drugstore, extrapolated to an entire city. Instead of
10-speed automatic driving all four wheels. Inside, the driver and excessive, it feels like exactly what I need.
front passenger are separated by a glovebox so wide it’s like you’re I briefly imagine a Tahoe in the UK. Tackling a roundabout would
sitting each side of a dishwasher. In the back you can practically be like doing an emergency swerve in a top-heavy cruise ship. It
stand up and walk around like you’re in a camper van. It’s huge, it’s would feel bloated and heavy and softly sprung. Equally, a Mini or
magnificent, and on the boulevards of South Bay LA it’s perfect. Ford Puma transported to LA would feel small and strained on these
You have to understand, the Tahoe has simply adapted to its envi- junctions. The four-way stops are often combined with brutal con-
ronment. The lanes are wide here, the parking spaces generous and crete gulleys, designed to drain the streets after heavy rains – though
the turns all follow broad, gentle arcs. And it’s here, while cruising usually they’re bleached white under the California sun. You have to
around and thinking about Darwin and habitat, that it suddenly bounce over these channels as you cross the junction, the road scored
strikes me. I reckon the entire genus of American automobiles actu- either side with all the front bumpers that have scraped their paint as
ally evolved thanks to one thing: the four-way stop. they bottom out. You fear a small European hatchback would snap in
Even if you’ve never been to the US, you’ll know the four-way stop half, but the Tahoe lumbers over them.
from the movies – it’s a crossroads where each approaching car has to So yes, if I moved to LA you’re damn right I’d buy a Chevy Tahoe.
stop at the line. It’s a first-come-first-served system – any car that It’s a lot of car for the money – £60k for the Premier edition,
stops before you has the right of way, and when you’ve stopped mo- £10k-£20k less than a Land Rover Disco 5 in the equivalent spec. And
mentarily and you see all the other cars still moving, it’s your turn. as Donald Trump once said, ‘You have to think anyway – so why not
The origin of this kind of junction is lost in history, but the first think big?’
proper stop signs were introduced in Detroit in 1914. That’s very
Peter Strain

close to the introduction of the first roundabout in the UK, built in

You’ll be reassured to learn that CAR editor-at-large Mark Walton
Letchworth Garden City in 1909. Two habitats were created, and returned to his senses on the flight back from LA

48 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

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50 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 Georg and his Bentley

ONE IN
A MILLION
CAR’s European editor has straddled the
industry like a colossus for half a century. He
could own virtually anything. So how did this
old Bentley steal his heart?
Words Georg Kacher Photography Steffen Jahn

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 51

 Georg and his Bentley

Growing old is inevitable. Growing up is optional. Need proof? Look

no further than my early-’70s Bentley T1.
It was love at first sight. Not everyone’s reaction, it’s fair to say.
A near-vintage Bentley saloon painted in dark Moss Green over
bright Willow Gold metallic violated the concours conventions to
such an extent that various petrolhead peers in the Munich area
were downright hostile. But I loved it, instantly. Kitted out in supple
Dark Pine leather, with finest burr walnut and adorned with plenty
of solid chrome inside and out, to me this particular T1 is a true gate-
fold beauty worthy of a golden staple in the belly button.
This being 2013, our first meeting wasn’t online but old-fashioned,
analogue and touchy-feely. Six photos plus a lengthy lyrical descrip-
tion presented on a single page of a glossy Dorotheum auction cata-
logue was all it took to set my heart aflutter.
At the time we were holidaying in Italy, so I asked a more handily
located friend to travel to Salzburg to inspect the Austrian-registered
object of desire, which he duly vouched to be in splendid nick cos-
metically and mechanically. After my third negroni, a couple of
frantic phone calls and an all-night internet session browsing various
relevant forums, I put in a cautious bid worth half a bottle of house
wine above the low estimate. A mere 48 hours later, sight unseen, it
You don’t have was mine, and on a flat-bed heading for Munich.
to look far Reckless? Firing from the hip like this would normally be a big risk,
but I told myself the money at stake would have struggled to buy a

52 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 ‘Contentedness’,
2025, digital file
on memory card

In 1980, the T2 was replaced by a bunch of somewhat more ad-

vanced flying Bs – cars that proved instantly popular, but which I
found quite a bit harder to love. With the honourable exception of
the Turbo R/T and the Continental S and T, the cars being produced
in Crewe under Vickers ownership were temperamental olde worlde
cathedrals on wheels featuring four vanity mirrors, two picnic tables
and a full set of reading lights even before Mr Mulliner introduced
his personalisation services.
Unfortunately the sweeping heavyweights drove like luxury
trucklets and cost a fortune to maintain. Mulsanne and Eight served
as envy-breeding, vandalism-prone status symbols, whereas the
members of the Turbo family were at least quick enough to pull away
swiftly from the lower ranks.
Out of that horror cabinet of antiquated, under-engineered land
yachts there was one particularly crass and socially unacceptable
It’s Moss Green specimen I simply had to have, cost what it may, and that was the
over Willow
Gold metallic original Azure, co-produced with Pininfarina. Mine was a 2000 car
in solid black with autumn leather and the upgraded 400bhp-plus

After my third negroni, a couple of frantic phone calls

and an all-night internet session browsing various
forums, I put in a cautious bid
10-year-old VW Golf GTI, so what the heck. engine (but without tacky Le Mans side vents and flash Rodeo Drive
For many years I’d harboured the notion that Bentleys were more chrome rims).
appealing than Rolls-Royces, which at the time were closely related. As far as I was concerned it was an absolute beauty, and far more
This was towards the end of the ‘gentle giant’ phase, when three appealing than the small downtown bedsit or year-long vacation in
consecutive generations of S-series cars in the ’50s and ’60s just the Maldives I suppose I could have spent the money on instead.
seemed to hit the spot in the way the Rolls equivalents did not. True, it made the neighbours hate us, and my wife wouldn’t be seen
The T1 saloon, coupe and convertible that followed attracted an dead in it. But Tessa the beloved Bavarian mountain hound resided
equally affluent but more introvert crowd – people who preferred to proudly in the passenger seat, nose high into the wind and ears flap-
wear fur as a lining, not a statement. Mellowed by a five per cent ping, with Haydn’s opera Armida roaring out and the 6750cc motor
stealth content over the Rolls line-up, the alternative aristocrats were unleashing a feisty 590lb ft at a hushed 2000rpm.
my new dream cars: all the splendour on a less ostentatious footprint, Next, when wiser guys would have bought that city flat or invested
exquisite interiors, goosebump waftability, ample performance and in the stock market, I fell for another Azure, this time one of the first
legendary refinement – it was all there in abundance. 2006 models, still with the sluggish four-speed transmission, but
About half a century later, the car my wife has nicknamed Mr very chic in its dark blue livery, cream interior and period light wood.
Toad for its colour scheme received historic H plates and became It was a much better car than the Mk1, no doubt about that: dynami-
part of the family. But it wasn’t my first Bentley. Its three predeces- cally superior thanks to newly acquired VW know-how and the
sors all deserve a special mention as well as reserved parking spaces funds of the Volkswagen Group, which had acquired Bentley in 1998
in memory lane. while BMW had to make do with Rolls-Royce. O

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 53

Georg and his Bentley

Frida became the new Tessa, and the fox-red lab also loved to share box and chassis are also largely untouched since Mr Toad first saw
the front-row lookout with her hatted keeper. The rest of the family the light of day exactly 61,188 miles ago. It gets an MoT check-up
were, however, unconvinced. Eventually, a few years later, I made every other year, and has passed the last five inspections without dif-
peace with them by trading in the extrovert Azure for an early Conti- ficulty. Yes, there are a few oily spots between engine and transmis-
nental GTC Supersports, which went like stink, handled like a proper sion, around the differential and on parts of the rear suspension.
sports car and was kitted out to perfection with Bugatti Veyron seats That said, over the years it’s had a fair bit of money spent on regular
and carbon-ceramic brakes. maintenance and running repairs. The brake calipers needed re-
We eventually sold the Conti too, but it turned out that life with- building and new discs and pads were fitted, along with fresh cut-to-
out a Bentley was a bit like life without a dog. Hence the two-tone T1 size front brake lines. The air-con has needed refilling at three-year
acquired in 2013, which felt right, but took some adjusting to since it intervals, the exhaust manifold gaskets needed replacing, the rear
was from an earlier, pre-VW era. central locking system and one window winder were infested with
There have been many other Bentleys over the five decades, some stubborn electric bugs, the sagging self-levelling rear end received
of which I may have liked the idea of owning… others not so much. new adjustment valves twice, a broken speedometer cable was
The wide-body Corniche was a charming piece of kit, the last-of-line replaced, and we also renewed just about every rubber bushing,
turbocharged Corniche soft-tops were instant collectibles, and even mount, bearing and seal.
the fatboy Turbo R somehow still captured that irresistible and en- At an authorised Bentley dealer, this treatment would have cost a

If there is a thread that ties my charming T1 to Bentley’s current

power-and-glory model range, it’s the sublime craftsmanship
which has been the brand’s core virtue for decades

thralling pre-war sporting spirit.

But the most interesting time was the period between 1998 and There are
2003, when the ex-Audi CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen and his CTO Uli no words
Eichhorn made the ageing rear-wheel-drive platform fit for the sec-
ond-generation Azure, the Brooklands coupe and gen-two Mulsanne
while simultaneously preparing Crewe for a brighter future with the
VW Phaeton-based Continental GT/GTC and Flying Spur.
The marque’s charm then nosedived in 2015 with the arrival of the
unpretty yet hugely successful Bentayga. The ostentatious period it
initiated continues to this day with the hot-selling, in-your-face
Conti GT and the Flying Spur, which looks rich and ritzy but does
not ride as well as a Mercedes S-Class. Resale values also drop fast.
But I digress. If there is a thread that ties the charming T1 to the
current power-and-glory model range, it’s the sublime craftsman-
ship which has been the brand’s core virtue for decades. Although
the car which started life in the UK as VBY 289L now wears its second
coat of paint (its woodwork, too, has been refurbished), the original
Connolly leather wears its age amazingly well, and the engine, gear-

Timber. Smiths
instruments.
That smell
small fortune, but Jo Appl’s specialist workshop in Halfing near The flying G
Rosenheim did a fantastic job at mate’s rates. We agreed he should and his flying B
leave the gigantic old car phone and massive amplifier squatting side
by side in the boot, untouched.
The bodywork was in good condition when Mr Toad joined us.
But after a couple of years the corroding upper parts of all four doors
needed a respray, and last year the small rust bubble which had blos-
somed on the nearside front wing begged for some filler, primer and
paint. I’ve always shied away from a close inspection of the car’s
Waxoyl anti-rust-treated underside. The odd dark flake of a material
previously known as metal has been shed, but the MoT man is happy
they’re not from structurally critical areas.
Fresh blemishes include a couple of hairline cracks on the cowl
where steel and alloy meet. The chrome is now beginning to pit on
the bumpers. The aftermarket foglamps and the tinted windscreen
show small signs of de-lamination. The electric Kienzle clock has al-
ways taken the scenic route, ever since the car’s purchase in July 2013,
initially dropping about an hour per day. Eleven years later, one lap of
the small hand equals a week and a bit. The gauge indicating the fuel
level in the cavernous 100-litre tank does work, but needs tapping
after every restart to make it jump into life.
Unlike the hostility attracted by the Azures, Mr Toad seems to
have nothing but fans and admirers. A similar level of affection O

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 55

 With that view
it’s a wonder
he gets any
work done

50 NOT OUT: GEORG AND CAR

Half a century in, the wild ride continues
Flash back 50 years to 1975. CAR 50 years on, the career that started the unforgotten Sergio Marchionne
was privately owned, the editor was a stone’s throw from the Hand & to compile countless early scoops
Mel Nichols, and the team of five Shears pub turned out to be a dream and prototype drives.
was headquarted next to Smithfield come true. But the best part of this job was –
meat market. One day in July of that In that time CAR’s been arguably and still is – the chance to live life in
year, an office fire demolished half both the world’s best motoring the fastest of fast lanes. Highlights?
the typewritten manuscripts exactly magazine and the most influential. That 226mph autobahn stint in a
one week before the mag was due to Breaking news and early drives were Bugatti Chiro, the Mille Miglia and
go to press. The morning after, ‘a big key, and being based in Germany I the Carrera Panamericana in a
dark shadow filled the frame of my could get my hands on Audis, BMWs, Mercedes 300 SL and some amazing
office door’, Mel would later recall. ‘It Mercedes and Porsches long before GT Porsches, from the scalpel-
was Kacher, who had applied for a the competition. sharp 1997 GT1 widowmaker to the
job twice before but was denied it for Connections are everything. I awesome 700bhp GT2 RS.
lack of journalistic training.’ conducted the first Porsche 959 Am I done? Not yet. Truth is there’s
In the wake of that fire, however, versus Ferrari F40 comparison test just too much going on, from battery
they needed copy more badly (part of it on the Fiorano test track) breakthroughs to the European
than they needed a qualification; a and tapped unofficial channels to car makers’ brand-centric fight for
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for jump the queue for every new BMW survival. It’s a lot to digest on the eve
me. Six weeks later, my first story – and Porsche. I milked my contacts of one’s 73th birthday. But while I’m
a travelogue about driving a used 24/7 for information on cars not yet still full of curiosity and hungry for
Peugeot 504 from Munich to Tehran in the public domain, working with knowledge, I have no intention of
and selling it there – appeared in fearless designer friends, visionary calling it a day.
the October issue. Going strong engineers and outspoken CEOs like GEORG KACHER

56 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Georg and his Bentley

Ride quality eclipses that of the latest Flying Spur. On 15-inch

Avon Turbosteels the vintage 2120kg saloon irons out obstacles
like a hovercraft – only without the noise
attaches itself to my Yugo 45L. Whereas many Rolls-Royces of simi- stately saloon. Potholes are smoothed out, transverse irritations re-
lar age become wedding chariots, our T1 was the family’s designated cede into the ground as if by magic and unilateral undulations are
family-fun transport – until, that is, a 2016 BMW 640i convertible neutralised by a mix of eiderdown shocks and super-comfy seats.
arrived recently. It quickly became the dog’s new number one, espe- The heavily assisted recirculating-ball steering is admittedly more
cially with the top down and the snout high up in the wind. approximate than accurate. The play granted by the thin-rimmed
The T1 has covered 10,000 miles in our ownership. The longest two-spoke black bakelite wheel measures about two palms in either
journeys were excursions to the Salzburgring in spring and summer; direction, and the response is provocatively relaxed. Like an early 911
the shortest were weekend hops within the local lake district. Turbo, the T1 is curse, challenge and contentment all in one. But in
Neither son ever warmed to the Bentley. I guess that makes sense both case, once you’ve mastered the quirks they’re richly rewarding.
when your daily driver is a Porsche 911 or BMW M3 Touring. They’ve The Bentley is nose-heavy, softly sprung and fitted with spindly
never actually put a foot inside the plush two-tone carriage, and if and twisted anti-roll bars, so cornering involves a lot of understeer,
they had they may well have been underwhelmed by the driving ex- lateral grip is lackadaisical, and traction in the wet can involve some
perience: sedate engine, vague steering, billowing chassis, tardy unwelcome surprises. On the credit side, one can only applaud the
transmission, casual brakes, token cornering grip. No thanks, Dad. commendably tight turning circle, the effective yet frighteningly
From my perspective, in certain respects the ancient T1 even complicated triple-circuit brakes and the trick rear suspension, fed
eclipses the very latest Flying Spur. Ride comfort for one. Wearing by a Citroën-style camshaft-driven central hydraulic system.
235/70 HR15 Avon Turbosteels, the vintage 2120kg saloon irons out What were the options 11 years ago when that spare cash was
obstacles like a hovercraft, only without the noise. I cannot think of a burning a hole in my trouser pocket? I briefly considered the Rover P5
modern car which feels as cushy over challenging terrain as this coupe but couldn’t find a suitable left-hooker. A similar problem O

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 57

 It’ll waft
0-60mph in
about 11sec

ruled out the Bristol 408. At the time, I also owned a Porsche 968 CS, but a darker colour with a matching interior would be nice to have.
a Lancia Kappa coupe and an Audi Coupe S, so buying a sports car Trouble is, I would have to sell my T1 five times over to afford one.
wasn’t my priority. Having previously possessed an Ami 6, a DS21 and In any case, Mr Toad is no slouch, thanks to the legendary 6750cc
an SM (a keeper for almost 15 years), a very early chrome-less pre-Pal- V8, type-approved in Germany at 193bhp. The brochure described
las Citroën CX would have made a compelling substitute. But again, the peak power output nonchalantly as ‘adequate’, and didn’t even
no luck – all the market had to offer were GTI and Prestige models. A quantify the maximum twist action of 406lb ft, available from
low-mileage manual Audi S8 MkI was sold under my nose to a higher 2500rpm. Mated to a three-speed auto that struggles with take-off
bidder, a pristine Lancia Thesis was ultimately too quirky even for and upshift torque slip like a tipsy juggler, the cam-in-block two-val-
me, and a Buick Grand National popped up only to be dismissed ver accelerates the majestic five-seater 0-60mph in around 11 sec-
again for its third-world handling. Next in line were a bunch of inter- onds. The advertised top speed is 118mph. This one rarely exceeds
esting coupes. The list stretched from the way too expensive Facel 100mph because doing so would drive up the petrol and oil con-
Vega HK500 over the Jensen Interceptor I and the Alfa 2600 Sprint to sumption along with the owner’s fears of a costly breakdown.
the Fiat 2300S Abarth, Volvo 780 by Bertone, Renault 17TS with fab- We are currently running a very mixed bag of six cars: the T1, a
ric sunroof, Mercedes 250SE W111 and Fiat 130. Mini Countryman PHEV firmly in the hands of Mrs Kacher (and
I also wondered about a different Bentley. A pre-facelift gen-two Pucki the former Roman street dog, new to the team), the 1972 Baro-
Mulsanne would have been the perfect piece of driveway furniture. lo red 2002tii (which has featured in CAR), the aforementioned Yugo
It’s extremely yet tastefully plush inside, cosmetically not as OTT as 45L (ditto) and 6-series, plus a BMW X5 M60i for the winter on a
the post-facelift version, effortless thanks to the twin-turbo 506bhp, short-term lease.
752lb ft V8, a much better drive than the compromised Arnage and a The Bentley would have to go if I were to get another car – there
true gem in terms of craftsmanship and build quality. But it’s also simply isn’t room. If it’s a modern collectible, it could be a base Alpine
two sizes bigger than the T1, ostentatious, vastly more expensive to A110 GT. Or a Ferrari 599 GTB. Or an Alpina D5 Touring. If it’s a
buy and to run, in many ways even more a thing of the past than its classic, it better be a zero-depreciation investment like Mr Toad, who
slimmer, non-catalyst predecessor. has been a cost-neutral boarder even with all the repair and running
I also wondered about a Brooklands coupe, that epitome of ele- expenses factored in. But what else could generate anything like the
gance and period splendour. I don’t need the fancy extra-cost brakes, same feelgood factor? I’m really struggling.

58 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Georg and his Bentley

BENTLEY T1
P R I C E £35,000 (1973)
V A L U E N O W £40,000
P O W E R T R A I N 6750cc 16v V8,
three-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
P E R F O R M A N C E 193bhp @ 4000rpm,
406lb ft @ 2500rpm, 10.9sec 0-60mph, 118mph
W E I G H T 2103kg
E F F I C I E N C Y 10-12mpg

MAY 2025 | SUBSCRIBE TO CAR! WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK 59

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62 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 Inside Aston Martin F1

THE ROME
THAT STROLL
BUILT
Aston Martin is gearing up to
conquer F1’s next era. Step inside the
£200 million facility it calls home
Words Ben Miller Photography Olgun Kordal & AMF1

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 63

 Inside Aston Martin F1

Andy Cowell
knows what
it takes to
become a
winning team
– and stay
there

elcome to the most re- Mercedes-AMG weren’t (so, evenings and weekends) and wore
cently completed of the grooves in a nine-mile stretch of the A43 as a consequence. Elsewhere
three sleek buildings that on the campus, the greatest car designer the sport has ever seen,
comprise the Aston Mar- Adrian Newey, stands at the world’s most famous drawing board.
tin Formula One Team After 18 riotously successful years with Red Bull, he started at Aston
campus. More secretive in March. His office – a glass beacon of experience and creativity in a
than the other two, it’s sea of CAD monitors and furrowed brows – feels as much a display
furthest from prying eyes case for this talismanic hire as a place of work.
and has fewer windows. Next door, in Building Two, there’s another state-of-the-art piece
And it’s called Building of equipment, AMF1’s new driver-in-the-loop simulator (as opposed
Three. Clearly when to a simulator without a driver, which is also a thing). Unseen servers
you’re spending hun- run warm as Aston engineers collaborate with those of Honda Mo-
dreds of millions, chasing tenths and laying the foundations for a tor Company and HRC half a world away. The Japanese company,
trophy-laden dynasty, there’s no time to sit around brainstorming creator of some of the finest and fiercest engines the sport has ever
cute building names. seen, will be AMF1’s powertrain partner for the sport’s new-regula-
Deep in Building Three’s bowels, the ambience is more outer space tion era, arriving 2026. And outside, amid beautiful planting and
than just outside Silverstone. In the gloom, certainly when you walk grasses that sway in the stiff spring breeze, there’s a helipad – a heli-
here directly from the bright-as-day build bays, rows of expensive pad that, once a week, receives the man driving this revolution. Wel-
machines hum as they work. They’re printing resin parts for 60 per come to the Aston Martin Formula One Team, the Rome that Law-
cent wind tunnel models. Since the process is like building a full- rence Stroll built. ⊲
sized skyscraper in Lego, one tiny layer at a time, it is not fast. The
display on one indicates it’ll be finished some time tomorrow. Oth-
ers, their windows flashing a ghoulish green, are printing elaborate The greatest car designer the
parts in aluminium and titanium. AMF1 is more than a customer for
these machines. Its competitive hunger puts it at the vanguard of the
sport has ever seen stands
technology – along with NASA. After all, why burn fuel taking a set at the world’s most famous
of spanners into space when you can print the one you need up there?
Also in Building Three, the new wind tunnel has just passed its fi- drawing board
nal checks. Previously, the team used Mercedes-AMG’s tunnel when

64 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

Looks deserted
here but the
head count’s
now around
1000
It’s not really
about 2025,
though Aston’s
working to
increase the
effectiveness
of its upgrades

66 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Inside Aston Martin F1

Amid beautiful planting there’s these things, and it stems from Lawrence’s vision for the team.’
Billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll headed up a consortium
a helipad – a helipad that, that bought Force India’s assets in 2018, re-branding the team first as
Racing Point and then Aston Martin when another Stroll-led con-
once a week, receives the man sortium acquired a controlling interest in the car company in 2020.
driving this revolution ‘He came in and said, “I want this team to win. I want this team to
get to the front.” And he’s taken the time to speak to people and un-
derstand what’s required. So, the wind tunnel. The driver-in-the
loop simulator. A significantly bigger factory. Works team status, a
Organisations often talk about being more than the sum of their partnership with Honda and developing our own transmission. [Be-
parts. As of right now, if this team were anything like the sum of its cause F1 gearboxes are fundamental to both the car’s aerodynamics
parts it’d win every race it entered. Its facilities are, by virtue of being and its rear suspension layout, designing your own is seen as essen-
the newest, arguably the best in the sport. Its recent hires read like an tial for a works team with title aspirations.] Bringing together a larger
F1 super group, from the aforementioned Newey through ex-Ferrari group of people as we transition from surviving customer team to
aerodynamics man Enrico Cardile to former Mercedes-AMG power- works entity, in which we create everything ourselves. It’s all here.
train guru Andy Cowell, who joined as group CEO and was recently Now it’s about bringing it all together efficiently and effectively.’
appointed team principal too. Its title sponsor Aramco, Saudi Ara- Cowell was a part of Mercedes as it geared up to dominate F1’s first
bia’s majority state-owned gas and oil company, isn’t short of funds. V6 hybrid era, which started with the 2014 season. Does being a part
And on the power unit side, Honda will replace current supplier of this team now feel anything like being a part of Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG for 2026. Honda engines have won the last four then? Is there a familiarity to this calm before the storm of cham-
drivers’ championships and two of the last three constructors’ titles. pagne and championship wins?
This team, which started life as plucky underdogs Jordan more ‘It comes down to the vision. At Mercedes that was “the best or
than 35 years ago, stands poised to dominate a sport transformed out nothing” – that was our approach,’ he says. ‘It took a few years to em-
of all recognition – a sport that’s gone from Ecclestone’s personal bed, but you could see that by the middle of 2013 [when Cowell
plaything to conquering Netflix, hijacking the global news agenda was managing director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Pow-
on Premier League transfer deadline day (Lewis Hamilton to Ferra- ertrains] Mercedes were capable of winning races. The new power
ri!) and making the teams that contest it wealthier in the process. If unit [in 2014] provided a step, as did the aero changes that came with
AMF1 can become serial winners it’ll be the result of an acquisition it. Then there was just a determination to stay there – that even
of excellence so clear-eyed and uncompromising it’d make Pep though we were at the front, we wanted to keep winning.
Guardiola blush. And if it happens it’ll be because Andy Cowell and ‘Here the job is to instil the same focus. If our performance im-
the rest of the senior team managed to tune this engine of a thou- provement over time is greater than our opponents, we’ll overtake
sand people and an awful lot of raw talent into a winning machine. them. And if we can keep our gradient of improvement over time
‘You can’t point to a single aspect of what we’re doing here as pivot- greater than our opponents, we’ll stay ahead of them. For every de-
al, and that’s the whole point,’ Cowell tells CAR. ‘It’s a union of all of partment, whether it’s communications or HR or vehicle dynamics ⊲

H OW N OT TO S PE N D IT: TOYOTA I N F1
Sport, fortunately, is about only in detail, and all the Toyota also under- Cologne rather than the UK
more than just throwing teams are in the same estimated the manpower (making hiring more
money at the problem – boat. Toyota got off to a required, made some odd difficult), quickly got into
just ask Toyota. The stuttering start by initially hires initially (too many the corrosive habit of
Japanese giant arrived in developing a V12 engine were winners in other blaming its lack of pace on
F1 in 2002, stuck around the rules then outlawed, disciplines but had little to its drivers and saddled the
for eight seasons and failed requiring the team to no F1 experience), insisted team with an unwieldy
to win a single race, let hurriedly create a new V10. on basing the team in corporate approach that
alone a title. The return on mired it in bureaucracy and
its monumental investment made it slow to respond.
amounted to three poles Many of Aston’s senior
and a handful of podiums. people were in the sport
So, what went wrong – when Toyota foundered,
and how is ambitious watching on from the likes
Aston avoiding the pitfalls of Red Bull and Mercedes.
that sunk Toyota? For one, Certainly Aston Martin’s
the target at which Cowell approach – ruthlessly
Getty Images/Darren Heath

and his crew are aiming is logical, built on

relatively static. The new experienced people and
2026 regulations are still based within earshot of
being fine-tuned (much to Silverstone – couldn’t be
everyone’s frustration) but more different.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 67

 Inside Aston Martin F1

or aerodynamics, it’s about an obsessive approach to improvement,

and how quickly we can go from today’s situation to what we’ve de-
fined as a great place to be in a controlled way.’
Winning is not something this team, in its various guises, has
done much of. As Aston it has scored podiums but remains without a
race victory, let alone a title. Its most successful eras were arguably as
Racing Point, when Sergio Perez won the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix,
and as Jordan, when the late Eddie Jordan oversaw semi-regular flir-
tations with front-running – and even title-chasing – pace.
For those who remember the name Jordan above the door (not to
mention Force India, Spyker and the rest), the Stroll era feels like a
very pleasant dream from which they’d really rather not wake up.
‘The old days were a lot of fun, no doubt about it,’ says Mark Gray,
3D printers
head of build and car assembly. ‘There were fewer races in the season don’t mind a
but if anything we were away more. I did 18 years trackside, having night shift
joined in 2003, but what’s happening now is really exciting. Techni-
cally the cars today are incredible and Lawrence’s investment – this
era – feels different. Previous owners had similar ambitions but they
weren’t necessarily realistic. Lawrence’s approach has been: “What VIP parking teems with
do you need?” For us it almost required a mindset shift. No one had
ever asked us that before because we didn’t have the money. Suddenly DB12s, visitors walk past a DBX
it’s like, “Right, what do we need?” And what you see here is the result
of that: the autoclave and five-axis CNC milling big enough to ac-
behind reception and the hand
commodate a full chassis [before the £1.2 million investment in the sanitiser smells exquisite
bathroom-sized CNC machine, the team had to out-source the job]
and the wind tunnel. And he cares. He’s here every week and he hates
it when we don’t do well. But he’s realistic too. He knows success
doesn’t come overnight.’ motive manufacturing. A ground-level boulevard – The Street – runs
The team’s former home is gone, its footprint buried beneath the length of Building One, while sky bridges connect the three
Building Two. And with its demise came the chance to create the buildings. Your direction of travel from reception broadly mirrors
perfect F1 facility from scratch. Previously, the team operated in a the process by which a car is created: composites, machining, inven-
state of high-functioning semi-chaos, the machining department tory and assembly and, finally, the build bays. Beyond those there’s
the noisy, messy hub around which the rest of the operation had the finest gym you’ve ever seen and of course Building Three. On the
grown up in an ad hoc fashion. It also had myriad storage buildings first floor you’ll find offices, the biggest of which is occupied by the
and workshops scattered across the county, not to mention a reliance design team, a coffee shop and mission control (we visit ahead of the
on third parties for equipment and techniques it couldn’t afford. first race of the season and mission control’s already running on
Impressive on arrival, the new campus has the calm confidence of Australian time in anticipation). Outside, you’re struck by the beauty
something high-performance and purpose-built, appropriately. And of the setting – with 72,000 square metres of meadow, 10,000 square
it feels like an Aston Martin space. Outside, the monolithic branding metres of lawn and more than 1500 trees, it’s easy on the eye.
– diagonally divided into light and shade by the shadow of the build- So, too, is almost everything you find inside. In assembly, a Brembo
ing – is bold and beautiful. VIP parking teems with DB12s, visitors front brake caliper stops me in my tracks. It’s being bled on a work-
walk past a DBX on display behind reception and the hand sanitiser bench; a complicated, multi-stage process thanks to the intricacies
smells exquisite. of its internal passages. Once complete, QD couplings allow it to be
Free-ish to roam (if we photograph anything sensitive a thousand packed away ready for use already pressurised, saving the race me-
people will get upset), you’re struck by the light, the space and the ab- chanics precious time later. Machined from a billet of titanium (by
sence of that machine-oil aroma synonymous with traditional auto- Brembo, not Aston), its beauty is as much about the blank spaces the
form frames as the metal that’s actually there. Covered in cooling
vents, fins, blades and tips, there’s barely a flat surface on it. And de-
spite being capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 1000°C
and unimaginable forces, it weighs just 2.5kg.
The build bays are empty, the cars that took shape within them al-
ready in Melbourne for the first race of the season. There, results will
be mixed. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll qualify P12 and P13. The
rain-affected race is a nerve-shredder. It’s the kind of conditions in
which you’d back the experienced Spaniard to do well. Instead he
smears his car down one of Albert Park’s crash-ravaged walls and it’s
Stroll who keeps his head to claim a fine sixth place. Disappointing,
perhaps, given the level the team’s striving for, but Cowell’s quick to
dismiss any suggestion the team’s driver pairing is a weakness (both
Chief drivers are contracted until the end of the 2026 season).
operating Can Aston win both titles with Alonso and Stroll? ‘Yes,’ says Andy
officer Ben Cowell, without hesitation. ‘The challenge is making the race car
Fitzgerald runs
the place quicker. When you look at the lap time we need to gain in order to
win races, it’s car performance not driver.’ ⊲

68 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 The wind tunnel
that helped snare
Adrian Newey

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 69

 New autoclave
is big enough
to bake a full
chassis

70 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Inside Aston Martin F1

Measurement
arms feature
throughout the
building, for
quality control

Cowell’s also encouraged by the direction of travel. ‘Last year we the king of upgrades, though that’s operational king, of course. My
won the championship in terms of the quantity of upgrades, but the contribution is getting the upgrades to the car as quickly as possible.’
quality of those upgrades wasn’t strong enough,’ he explains. ‘The Ben joined AMF1 in January 2023. Efficiently accommodating its
idea generation and the confirmation of those ideas within the facto- workforce, together with facilitating the move from a procure-
ry wasn’t robust enough. You end up with so much information you ment-based organisation to one that now makes 70 per cent of its
can easily get lost. We’ve worked to simplify that; to get down to the cars by volume (up from 40 per cent, a leap from 80,000-ish manu-
core things that make a race car quicker. That way we can be sure factured parts per year to more like 250,000, reducing external spend
we’ve got a valuable update before we press the figurative button, re- by 30 per cent) is Ben’s remit – and he loves it. ‘We’re one of the most
leasing the data to manufacturing, and robustly land performance at operationally effective teams on the grid – albeit that’s not being
the track. That’s the thing I would say we struggled with last year.’ translated into performance just yet – and a lot of that is down to this
While managing technical partner Newey’s focus is firmly on the campus,’ explains Fitzgerald. ‘The first of these buildings opened in
new regulations, 2026 and beyond, Cowell’s confident he’ll help turn May 2023, and we produced our first parts within 24 hours. But the
theoretical speed into actual lap times. planning began four years before that, in mid-2019. That’s when we
‘Adrian understands the whole car, and he understands the feed- really established what the future of this team was going to look like,
back from the circuit and from the drivers,’ continues Cowell. ‘I be- and the role this building would play in that future.’
lieve he will bring great value in terms of translating what the drivers In total, AMF1’s currently at about 400,000 square metres, having
are saying, translating what the car is doing, into targets within the come from a building of just 50,000 square metres. And with £200
factory. My role is to pull a business together that enables the work million invested to date, it’s not done yet. ‘We are making huge steps
that Adrian wants. His experience is incredible across many different forward as a team, but you’ve only got to consider what else is going
regulation sets, and his competitiveness is tremendous – undimmed, on – new partnerships, another set of regulations, more in-sourcing
I would say. I’ve just had lunch with him in and he’s a very friendly, – to see the challenge,’ continues Fitzgerald. ‘We make 70 per cent of
very warm guy. But there were a couple of things we talked about… the car, okay, but there’s still a handsome sum to go at.’
It’s lifting the bar, you know? Setting a new level of expectation. There’s much Ben’s proud of, from the rich data pouring from the
There’s no ambiguity there and that’s great – it’s wonderful to have.’ simulator and wind tunnel to the building’s A+ energy rating and the
A big part of the reason Newey’s in Aston Martin green is the beehives in the grounds that surround it. But it’s what this place says
team’s wind tunnel – just one aspect of this carefully choreographed about AMF1 he’s most happy with. ‘This is the team’s home. When
rapid expansion overseen by chief operating officer Ben Fitzgerald. we think about the past, that wasn’t so clear cut. This is our home,
‘He saw the tunnel before it was finished, and I understand it was a and the sheer brand presence when you come to this building is fan-
key part of his decision,’ says Fitzgerald. ‘Lawrence introduced me as tastic. It’s an emphatic statement of intent.’

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72 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 Alfa Junior’s Italian adventure

I S T H I S T H E
MO ST I TA LI A N
T H I NG E V E R?
It’s built in Poland and uses hardware shared across
continents. But where does the Alfa Romeo Junior call
home? We tour Italy in search of its soul
Words Mark Walton Photography Lee Brimble

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 73

 Location would flatter
any car. But the
Junior is handsome
anywhere

ast year, the morning after Which again got me blinking with confusion. Wait a minute – did
Alfa Romeo launched its you just say you’re calling it the Alfa Romeo Junior to make sure it
new Milano, Italy’s indus- DOESN’T sound Italian? Bu.. eh… wha…?? I can’t think of a name
try minister, Adolfo Urso, that sounds MORE Italian than the gloriously lyrical, roll-off-the-
expressed his outrage. tongue Alfa Junior. The original GT Junior – a smaller-capacity,
The government had 1.3-litre version of the 105 Coupe – was launched in 1965, so it’s been a
known for months that legendary part of Alfa’s heritage for 60 years now. Sophia Loren
the car was being built in downing a mug of prosecco while sitting in a gondola wouldn’t be
Poland but Urso panto- any more Italian than an Alfa Junior.
mimed his full, Ah – but would it? Maybe Urso the angry minister is right – maybe
pearl-clutching horror. we’re being duped? Maybe the new Junior really is just a rebadged,
‘A car called Milano pan-European Stellantis platform – more Jeep Avenger than Giulia
cannot be produced in Poland!’ he fumed. ‘This is forbidden by Ital- Sprint? Maybe Alfa is trolling us with a postcard of the Colosseum
ian law!’ (He was referring to new EU legislation, designed to prohib- but with a Polish postage stamp! Clearly we need to put it to the test
it ‘evocative’ or ‘Italian sounding’ products that aren’t actually made – a stress-test of really Italian, Made in Italy Italianness. In Italy.
in Italy.) ‘A car called Milano must be produced in Italy! Otherwise, it So, is there anything more Italian than mamma’s traditional spa-
gives a misleading indication!’ ghetti bolognese, poured lovingly from a jar with lashings of cheese
This struck me as weird. Arguably, calling it an Alfa Romeo is a on top? Turns out there is.
pretty big indication that it’s from Italy, and most people probably We arrive in Bologna on a sharp, cold winter’s day and I immedi-
don’t even realise Milano refers to a city (‘Isn’t that a football club?’). ately fall in love with the new Junior’s styling. Seeing it on the street,
But two days later, Alfa backed down and renamed the car. riding on its spectacular 20-inch Venti alloys, it looks sensational, all
‘Although we think the Milano name met all legal requirements, the way from that unusual cut-out grille to its pert, cut-off tail. This
we took the decision to change it to Junior to ease relations with the is the top-of-the-range Veloce model, fully electric, 276bhp and
Italian government,’ Alfa’s then CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, told priced at a heady £42,295. Add in an optional paint finish, parking
the press. cameras and the Sport pack (more about that later) and you’re ⊲

74 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

Alfa Junior’s Italian adventure

Smart pedals and

extra alcantara on the
steering wheel come
with the Sport pack

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 75

 Alfa Junior’s Italian adventure

Modest battery and

immodest right foot
hammer the range

76 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 quickly approaching £48k – quite a premium over the standard Jun-
ior Elettrica, which starts at £33,800.
But Alfa’s made a lot of changes to warrant that price hike: as well
as the extra power, the Veloce also gets lower suspension, upgraded
brakes, quicker steering and a Torsen limited-slip diff.
If you’ve never been to Bologna before it’s a beautiful city, full of
palazzos and squares, colonnaded streets and tiny one-way alleys.
Imagine Venice, if someone drained it. Many of the buildings are
painted a warm, pinkish ochre (its nickname is Bologna La Rossa)
and our Brera Red Junior looks a million dollars. The locals love it, in
a way I’m sure they wouldn’t love a Kia or a Renault.
In Sport mode the The Junior is brilliant down these narrow streets. Of course the
upgraded brakes get power delivery from the single e-motor is instant and satisfying, but
to do all the work also the steering is very direct, around two and a half turns lock-to-
lock, making the car feel razor sharp and alert. It’s quite stiffly sprung
on those low-profile Michelins, but it’s never crashy or aggravating

We drive into the rolling hills of

the Apennines and find some
amazing, empty roads that
look like they were designed by
God for a Ferrari Dino

over Bologna’s many historic, Renaissance-era potholes.

We drive through town to a small but renowned restaurant called
De Cesari, a couple of streets away from the main Piazza Maggiore
and its famous Neptune fountain. Opened in 1955 by Ilario Cesari,
Pricey Sabelt seats this small, dark-panelled eatery remains virtually unchanged 70
look the part and do years later. Still family owned, it’s now run by Ilario’s grown-up
the job brilliantly
grandkids, Riccardo and Valentina.
We’re here, of course, for the bolognese, Bolognese style, which De
Cesari has been making the same way for generations. When Riccar-
do serves me the small bowl of deliciousness, it turns out everything
we think we know about this Italian classic is wrong – even the spag
part of spag bol, because it should be served with tagliatelle (in this
case, hand-made and surprisingly al dente). And the sauce, so melt-
ingly smooth, is like a dark brown meaty paste with no tomato. I’m
about to ask for ketchup but after a first mouthful I’m tempted in-
stead to ask for seconds and have another bowl double-parked. Sit-
ting in this packed restaurant, full of locals, I’m ready to believe this
simple dish might actually be the most Italian thing ever.
Heading out of Bologna after lunch we drive south into Tuscany,
with its medieval villages and fairytale landscapes. We drive up into
the rolling hills of the Apennines and find some amazing empty
roads, ribbons of asphalt that look like they were designed by God for
a Ferrari Dino.
The Junior is no Dino. Don’t get me wrong, compared to its cous-
ins on the same platform (the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600e, Vauxhall
Mokka) the Veloce makes a really good fist of it. It’s quick enough,
sprinting to 62mph in six seconds, and it has that willingness to
change direction, but when you really press on, the limitations start
to show. The steering – so good in the city – is disappointing. Get on
the throttle early as you exit a corner and that front diff may prevent
you from skittering off into a ditch, but it can’t stop the 254lb ft of
torque mangling the steering feel, as the wheel tightens and convuls-
Newly rich after es in your hands. The brakes too – Sport mode disables the regen
Walton’s stock-
depleting visit braking, leaving the job to those beefed-up discs and calipers, but the
pedal feel is still long-travel and inconsistent. ⊲

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 77

 Veloce is the
one to go for,
with lowered
suspension

It’s quite stiffly sprung but it’s never crashy or aggravating over
Bologna’s many historic, Renaissance-era potholes

Altogether, the Veloce feels out of its comfort zone in what should There are a couple of ways round it: if you book a rental car or stay
be hot-hatch heaven. Alfa boasts about the car’s 1635kg weight – in a hotel inside the zone you get a few hours’ grace; or you can drive
which may be less than some competitors, but we need a sense of into the city in the evenings or on a Sunday. (For our photo shoot we
proportion. A Peugeot 205 GTI in the ’90s weighed under 900kg; a applied to the city and got an exemption for the day, which cost €5.)
Mk5 VW Golf GTI in 2003 was 1300kg… Things are just getting Early next day we drive the Junior down to the River Arno and
heavier, and as Galileo Galilei once said, there’s no escaping physics. watch the sun rise over Florence’s bridges. Old Florence, like Bolo-
The best thing to do, then, is back off to seven-tenths and just en- gna, is a maze of tiny one-way streets, and once again the Junior’s in-
joy the scenery. Cypress trees! It’s like we’re in a scene from Gladiator. stant punch of torque and quick steering make it a pleasure to drive,
We arrive on the outskirts of Florence and charge the car over- squirting down alleyways and wedging its way into traffic.
night. At 54kWh, the Junior’s battery isn’t huge and I work out we’ve Part of the pleasure is down to the Sport pack. For £2200 you get a
done just 96 miles that day, draining down from 100 per cent to a bit of extra alcantara on your steering wheel, plus different pedals,
quarter full. That gives us a theoretical range of just 130 miles – a lot kick plates and some nice mats, but more importantly you get qua-
less than the 200 miles Alfa claims. Maybe cold weather and some si-bucket seats by Italian motorsport supplier Sabelt. The option is
hard driving have had an effect, but it’s clear the Junior is no long-dis- expensive, I grant you, but these seats are superb – high-bolstered,
tance cruiser. Thankfully the hotel charger works and four hours rib-stitched and supportive, and they raise the interior ambience.
later we’re back to full capacity at a cost of £28, around 29p per mile. Given that driving is so tightly controlled in the old town, the city
Next morning we drive into Florence, a short journey but one is still rammed with traffic and it seems to come at you from every
fraught with some Byzantine administrative stress these days. Since direction, like you’re permanently trapped on a deranged, two-way
the summer of 2024 this beautiful city has been protected by what Arc de Triomphe roundabout.
they call the scudo verde, or green shield. More than a regular conges- Time, then, to have the most Italian experience of all. There are
tion zone, this is a no-go area for cars, monitored by cameras and lots of scooter rental companies across Florence, and I rent a classic
strictly enforced. If you’re not a resident, driving into the restricted Vespa 125 from a small local firm, Tuscany by Car. It costs £50 a day,
zone during the day will mean a swift fine, and the city is pocketing including helmet, and on two wheels you’re free to roam the restrict-
millions from hapless drivers. ed zone. Scooters are everywhere in the city, lining up at traffic ⊲

78 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Alfa Junior’s Italian adventure

Florence and the

machine, both
looking good

A L F A’ S N O T T H E O N LY O N E
MAKING CARS ELSEWHERE
(The current Land Rover
Defender is built in Slovakia.)
Dacia is proud of its Romanian
history, as it represents
everything we love about the
The Toyota GR Supra might seem brand: cheap, pragmatic,
like the epitome of the PlayStation- resourceful, zero frills. Exactly the self-deprecating national character.
generation, midnight-racing same reasons why the Dacia Jogger BMW understands this, which is why
Japanese sports coupe, but as a joint is made in Morocco. the swanky current Countryman is
venture with BMW it’s actually built in The original Mini was made in Germany.
Graz, Austria. quintessentially British, personifying When you choose an Audi Q8
Driving a Jeep Renegade is like our contrary, penny-pinching, e-Tron you like to think you’re buying
having a bald eagle tattooed on one a bit of Vorsprung durch Technik –in
arm and a small espresso on the fact it’s Vooruitgang door
other – this symbol of American Technologie. It’s built in Brussels.
freedom and adventure is made in If Donald Trump wants to make
Melfi, Italy. Canada the 51st state of the USA, the
Originally created as a WW2 Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ontario
aero-engine factory, the Solihull plant is his beach head – the stars-and-
in the West Midlands built the Land stripes Dodge Charger is
Rover – and Land Rover built Britain! manufactured there.

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 79

 lights and criss-crossing every street. After five minutes it’s clear why.
Oh, the freedom! The Junior can’t compete with this, no matter how
quick the steering.
The Vespa’s easy twist-and-go controls, the buzzy engine and the
feeling that you’re not just spectating, you’re part of the city – it all
puts a massive smile on my face. The scooter immerses you in the
chaos, a world with no meaningful lanes, road signs are ignored and
even one-way streets are a matter of opinion.
While the scooter is allowed in the zone, the pedestrian heart of
the city is off limits so I park up kerbside (so easy!) and walk into the
main Piazza della Signoria. Nearby, tucked down an alleyway, is
Whatever else Perche No! – one of the oldest and most famous gelaterias in Flor-
it’s called, it’s ence. Ice cream was invented in Florence back in the 1500s, when
definitely an Alfa Cosimo Ruggieri, court astrologer and magician, was challenged by
Catherine de’ Medici to create an unforgettable dish. His fior di latte
was so astonishing, it soon led to the Cornetto.
In the intervening 500 years, Florence has refined Ruggieri’s recipe
into the modern-day gelato. Literally, nothing tastes more Italian
than this, which is why – for research purposes – I’m about to eat a
bucketload of it.
Perche No! (which means Why Not!) has been going since 1939,
and in the tiny store we’re served by the patriarch of this fami-
ly-owned business, Ciro Cammilli. ‘All our gelato is home-made,
fresh, every morning,’ Ciro reassures me as I scan the bright colours.
‘We only use the best ingredients – the pistachios come from Sicily,
for example. The best!’
In the end I try the rich crema fiorentina, then the pistachio (which
is sensational) and then the honey and sesame. And then I go back for
more, for a cup of your classic, milk-and-chocolate stracciatella. All
of it tastes so light and smooth in a way that factory-made ice creams

The Vespa’s easy controls, the

buzzy engine and the feeling
that you’re not just spectating,
you’re part of the city – it puts a
massive smile on my face

don’t. Ciro tells me: ‘The secret to gelato… after you have eaten, you
High-spec
versions count to 10 and then your mouth should feel clean.’
get logo cut It’s so delicious and moreish I want to sample all 26 flavours, but
into grille the day is drawing to a close and I don’t want to puke on my Vespa. So
we’re soon back in the Alfa and mulling over the big question: just
how Italian is this car?
Well, the worst thing about the Junior is the price. I checked, and a
few short years ago the entry-level Alfa, the Mito, cost less than £19k.
Electric cars are stupidly expensive.
But if you accept that rampant, liver-filleting inflation is just a fact
of modern life, the Junior holds up very well. It really does feel Italian,
as though the team who did the Giulia and Stelvio really did develop
this car too. While its battery weight might limit the fun, there’s
something irrepressibly spirited and stylish about the Veloce – it feels
zingy and confident like an Italian car should.
So ignore the fact it’s built in Poland – the whole Made in Italy ar-
gument is out of date. These days, your iPhone is made in China,
Branston Pickle is owned by the Japanese and AC Milan, the legend-
ary football team, is owned by Americans. To use the Italian industry
minister’s phrase, the world is full of misleading indications. But I
reckon the Alfa Junior is the real deal.

80 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Alfa Junior’s Italian adventure

ALFA ROMEO JUNIOR

ELETTRICA 280 VELOCE
P R I C E £42,295 (£47,595 as tested)
P O W E R T R A I N 54kWh battery,
e-motor, front-wheel drive
P E R F O R M A N C E 276bhp, 254Ib ft,
6.0sec 0-62mph, 124mph
W E I G H T 1635kg
E F F I C I E N C Y 3.3 miles per kWh
(official), 2.2 miles per kWh (tested),
200-mile range (official), 130 miles (tested),
0g/km CO2
O N S A L E Now
ssssS

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82 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 Volkswagen’s reset

Thinking big with small cars has worked before. But as VW unveils the
electric ID. Every1 concept, the stakes have never been higher
Words Piers Ward Photography John Wycherley

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 83

 ivian and Volkswagen. Two car
makers bound together by a joint
venture and yet separated by far
more than the ocean that stretches
between their respective head-
quarters.
Compare and contrast their two
most significant launch events. For
the ID. Every1, a small electric con-
cept that VW desperately needs to
succeed to restore its credentials as
a maker of people’s cars, VW chose
the vast and soulless Merkur-Spiel Arena near Düsseldorf airport;
for the R2 and R3 reveal, RJ Scaringe and his crew went for an inti-
mate old theatre near Newport Beach, 20 yards from the surf.
The crowd went wild for RJ, whooping and hollering like a group
of Swifties; there was polite applause for VW CEO Thomas Schäfer.
It’s moments like this that bring into focus the uphill struggle that
legacy car manufacturers face, battling the chutzpah and cool of the
start-ups. No amount of tie-less execs wearing sneakers can change
it – they just don’t have the vibrancy.
Nor do they have the product. ID. 3 or Rivian R3? I know which I’d
rather choose to be my lifestyle statement and daily driver.
Could the tide be turning, though? Possibly. The new ID. Every1
has an upbeat feeling to it, and VW has form when it comes to aspira-
tional yet attainable small cars. Its Lupo (which ran from 1998 to
2005) and Up (2011 to 2023) brought new generations of drivers into
VW ownership by being classless and yet classy, and by squeezing
big-car tech into small-car packages.
I remember driving the 3L Lupo – the name a reference to the litres
of fuel it would consume in 100km; about 94mpg – on a short jour-
ney in London and being staggered by how grown-up it felt. It
brought to life the cliche ‘small yet perfectly formed’. Prompted by its
combination of cheeky looks, good build quality and neat design
touches, you focused on the cutting-edge tech and smart engineer-
ing rather than penny-pinching frugality.
There’s also a life lesson from the Lupo era: read the runes before
embarking on a new strategy. The danger signs for Wolfsburg’s cur-
rent malaise were there for all to see from as far back as 2005, when
VW decided to replace the Lupo with the more basic and less expen-
sive Fox, and all traces of personality vanished overnight.
Scroll forward 20 years and it appears that someone at VW has
been listening to the echo of that decision, as the ID. Every1 seems ⊲

Physical
buttons are
promised

84 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Volkswagen’s reset

THE NEW ELECTRIC

C O N C E P T, L I K E T H E L U P O
A N D U P, H A S A C H A R A C T E R
ABSENT FROM THE ID. 3

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 85

 intent on restoring the magic of the Lupo and Up. All have a life and dreams is where the analogy with the Lupo and Up might seem to
character conspicuously absent from the ID. 3. break down. They were peripheral, niche products, targeted at a
The current management at VW openly admits the company got modest number of buyers prepared to pay slightly over the odds for a
things wrong in the recent past and lost focus on its heartland. The classier, cleverer small car.
choice of Queen’s Under Pressure as the ID. Every1’s launch music Schäfer talks of the ID. Every1 as being, above all, ‘affordable for
seems like a none-too-subtle acknowledgement of where the compa- almost everyone’. When the production ID. 1 launches in 2027, it
ny finds itself: deep in the financial mire, in part because the ID cars should start at £17,000. The Renault 5 has rightly earned plenty of
have not hit the mark. praise for its base price of £22,995, but the slightly smaller ID. 1 will
Going forward, dull is ditched and instead there’s an almost reli- undercut that significantly.
gious focus on VW’s brand essence. No more flights of fancy: Schäfer To achieve that, VW has slashed costs wherever it can. For exam-
recently said there was no scope for gambling with the likes of anoth- ple, the hardware between the front bulkhead and the front axle will
er Scirocco. ‘It’s about executing a perfect fleet that fits the segments be identical on the ID. 1 and the upcoming ID. 2, which will share its
in our core regions,’ he tells me. ‘The best, full stop.’ front-wheel-drive MEB Entry platform.
Hence the need for the next wave of production VWs to do the Software, which has not done VW many favours recently, will be
same trick their predecessors pulled off: milestones like the Golf, key to the success of these new small cars. The ID. 1 will be the first
Polo and Beetle became part of people’s lives, forming attachments car to be launched with the new software system that’s come from
that could keep buyers coming back for decades. the joint venture with Rivian, using zonal architecture and a system-
The production version of the ID. Every1 will be at the heart of this on-chip structure that is much more flexible. Kai Grünitz, VW’s
strategy. In fact the centrality of the new car to VW’s hopes and technology chief, says: ‘The advantage of zonal architecture is that I

86 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Volkswagen’s reset

THE V W WILL
S I G N I F I C A N T LY U N D E R C U T
T H E R E N A U LT 5 , P R A I S E D
FOR ITS KEEN PRICING

can put one, two or three, four zones in the car – if I’ve got a vehicle in
the lower price segment, with lower functionalities, [it would need]
just one zone … it can be very cost effective in the ID. Every1 as it’s still
the same software.’ This approach allows VW to integrate new func-
tions without changing the software, leading to an upgradable sys-
tem that adapts during the life of the car.
VW is not the only major manufacturer cottoning onto this –
BMW is testing it out with its Heart of Joy architecture. Thankfully
VW has resisted the questionable naming strategy.
The ID. 1 will manage 155 miles between charges and will do
81mph thanks to an all-new electric motor providing 94bhp. This is
where we hit the first snag with the production ID. 1, in that the elec-
tric Up from six years ago managed 161 miles and produced 82bhp.
The Dacia Spring is £15k and will do 140 miles. You can see where
this is going – the ID. 1 might be VW’s next great hope, but the price
Wheelarch
points at this end of the market are so compressed that you don’t get crease is
much margin for error. Schäfer admits as much: ‘If you look at it only cleverer than
from profit maximisation, walk away from it [the electric city car]. I’d you'd think
rather do large SUVs.’ ⊲

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 87

 The ID. 1 will go into what Schäfer terms a ‘relatively small seg-
ment for Europe’. To make it work VW needs to maximise economies
of scale, and it needs to trim battery costs. That’s why the ID. 1 will
use the cheaper lithium iron phosphate cell chemistry, as loved by
manufacturers including BYD and Tesla, in its lower-range models.
There are certain obvious wins: fit a smaller battery, pay less for it.
And China’s overcapacity in batteries, when taken together with
cooling world demand for EVs, means cell prices are on a consistent
downward trajectory.
It’s also a question of timing. Everything has had to come together,
both from a tech perspective and from the wider VW Group point of
view; Skoda and Cupra will build ID. 2 equivalents, thus lowering the
cost per unit. Even if that all works as planned, there are no guaran-
tees people will buy them. Muses Schäfer: ‘Is it easy? No.’
Step forward Andreas Mindt, head of VW design, who had the un-
enviable twin tasks of delivering an appealing design and ensuring it
will hit the cost targets. Normally, designers only want to discuss the
purity of the visuals, but at the unveiling Mindt is equally keen to
stress ways his team has managed to reduce costs. ‘The design of the
rear is affordable because the rear door is just one piece of sheet met-
al. Everything is reduced – our car has no cladding or inserts, no dec-
oration. We have turned affordable into beautiful.’
It’s hard not to agree with him. Partly because he’s so affable but
also because there is a tightness and solidity to the design that has
that just-right feel. Looking 80 per cent the same as the production
car that’s due in 2027 (those lovely wheels will make it across), it has to
bring some excitement back to Wolfsburg and restore a sense of joy
after the turgid ID. 3, 4 and 5. The 3 made an appearance at the ⊲

V W ’ S R E S E T S TA R T S H E R E

ID. 2
The standard 2 hatch
(previewed here by
the concept ID. 2All)
is due in early 2026
and, starting at
around £21,000, will
be in effect the electric
Polo. EV packaging efficiencies mean it will be short
but vast inside.

ID. 2X
The T-Cross equivalent. Just front-wheel drive, it’ll
come with a choice of batteries that give a maximum
range of 280 miles. Built in Spain alongside the
Skoda and Cupra equivalents, it’ll likely be the big
seller of the family.

ID. 2 GTI
The one to get excited about. The latest Golf GTI
shows Volkswagen has regained its grasp on what a
hot hatch should be, so there’s
hope for the electric GTI.
VW promises it’ll
prioritise
excitement
over raw
power.

88 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Volkswagen’s reset

IT MAKES THE ID. 3 LOOK

LIKE A SHY TEENAGER; THE
COMPUTER NERD TO THE
CHEERLEADER ID. 1

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 89

 STICKING POINT
At 3.88 metres long the
ID. 1 is a city car but with
the interior room of the
larger Polo. VW is still
finalising the interior
trims – partly to avoid
the ID. 3 mistake of
using some soft plastics
that are too heavy and
expensive, and partly
because the company is
working on ways to rid its
next-generation interiors
of glue.

NOT AS FLAT
AS IT LOOKS
The double-bubble roof
is only possible because
the ID. 1 will be a strict
four-seater. With no
human heads in the way,
it can dip in the middle.
The roof shape has an
additional bonus in that
it helps channel air over
the top and cleanly away
at the rear, making the
car more efficient.

same reveal event in Düsseldorf and looked completely under- and how he designed cars – he did the Golf Mk1, the DeLorean, the
whelming, hunching its shoulders like a shy teenager, the computer [Lotus] Esprit and so on – he had very flat surfaces, super flat. But
nerd to the cheerleader ID. 1. then he had very nice acceleration at the end of it.
The Every1 has some neat aero touches designed to extract maxi- ‘When you look closely at the [Ferrari] P4, you had a guideline for
mum range from the battery. Sharp edges at the rear give the air a your eye. It was not like a piece of soap. It was guided by some creases
clean break as it leaves the car’s surface, with three vertical lines and this is exactly what we did here. The surfaces are not flat, they
forming the basis for this: one at the bumper, one at the light and the have tension towards the end of them.’
other at the C-pillar. There’s obviously been a lot of soul-searching at Volkswagen. All
Along the car’s flanks, it’s the opposite – you need smooth surfaces the execs I speak to are focused on brand identity and really trying to
so as not to disturb the air too much. Around the front and rear nail down what a Volkswagen actually is; what it stands for in today’s
wheelarches, instead of a crease that flows all the way around the world. There does seem to be more energy about the company now,
wheel from sill to sill, the metal folding is confined to a small area and a sense of renewal. Mindt, never a man to say one word if he can
above the top of the wheel. It’s enough to help give the car a purpose- say 15, is so enthusiastic about it that he keeps banging the table for
ful stance but without the aero trade-off. emphasis during our interview.
Mindt is keen to stress his aversion to the ‘bar of soap’ style that’s VW knows it won’t be easy: Grünitz admits the company isn’t
all too prevalent among EVs. ‘When you look at [Giorgetto] Giugiaro planning to build the ID. 1 in vast numbers – ‘we’ve been very con-

90 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Volkswagen’s reset
OUT OF TOUCH
There will be physical
controls to cover all the
major elements and no
more haptic buttons
on the steering wheel.
Hooray! The upper
trims on the production
car will come with two GOLDEN RATIO
screens: dials and Just because EVs don’t
infotainment. VW claims need long bonnets
tastes are changing and that doesn’t mean
drivers no longer want they must be short.
vast touchscreens. The Design chief Andreas
base ID. 1 won’t have one Mindt says sticking to
– your phone will double a conventional bonnet
as the screen. allows the windscreen
rake to be optimised for
a smaller glasshouse.
Less glass equals less
interior cooling, vital on a
car with a small battery.

PORT ON THE
STARBOARD SIDE
The charging port is
in the front right wing
of the concept, and
the production car will
follow its lead. Cost is
one reason – when all
the major components
are under the bonnet,
why run the wiring to the
rear flank? It also means
there’s more space in the
cabin because you don’t
need to hide the charge
port behind interior trim.

servative’. The production systems are flexible, so output of particu- follow in the Lupo and Up’s wheel tracks. Cheap in EV terms it may
lar models can swiftly be scaled up or down depending on demand. be, but its lack of range means it’s unlikely to be a great democratiser
But even with the low-ish goals, both Grünitz and Schäfer claim it like the Polo or Golf. Rather than a brilliant compact all-rounder, it
will make money. It has to, given all the recent travails. it’ll likely be a second car for a lot of families. It’s not the sort of car
The timetable – a production car in 2027 – looks laggy, given that that will be crammed with tents and wet wipes and pointed in the
the Kia EV1 and Renault Twingo will be with us by then, which direction of Glastonbury.
means some of the ID. 1’s oxygen might have been stolen by the time On the other hand, it looks very good, and it represents a continu-
it arrives. Volkswagen is aware but counters that the sort of upheaval ation of Volkswagen’s reset and a chance to look forward to a brighter
it’s been through was never going to be a quick fix. Grünitz claims the future. If the ID. 2 (see panel) is the debut of VW’s new line-up, the ID.
time taken to go from design to road is roughly three years, which is 1 is the tricky second album.
much faster than VW used to be: ‘We are not slower than competi- Does the future of the European car industry rest on it? Given the
tors in China.’ quality and quantity of newcomers from Korea, China and else-
And if the rivals the new car will face in 2027 offer better range for where, buyers will have a lot of choice. Schäfer predicts that small
less money, Volkswagen might regret the ID. 1’s likely stats. It’s possi- electric VWs will ‘drive the adoption rate of electrification’. He
ble the stars might align in terms of infrastructure improvements stresses: ‘We have to make this car successful. It’s in our name … If
and people’s shifting attitude to range, but I fear it’ll struggle to truly anybody can do it, it’s us.’

MAY 2025 | SUBSCRIBE TO CAR! WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK 91

 PORSCHE S FOR

92 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Porsches for peanuts

E VE R Y POCKET
From Micra-priced roadsters to Bugatti-budget rarities, the pre-
owned Porsche market contains many cherishable treasures but
also plentiful pitfalls for the unwary. We’re here to help
Words Ben Barry Photography John Wycherley

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 93

 Porsches for peanuts

ot long ago a Porsche 918 Spy- Taycan not

der sold for $3.93m (approxi- on your list?
It’s great bang
mately £3m) at auction, a re- for your buck
cord-breaking figure so far
beyond the original £650k
that even The Sun reported it.
Yet the tabloids missed a
more astonishing scoop sev-
eral years before, when pho-
tographer Dan Bathie picked
up the Porsche Boxster pic-
tured here for just £3500 on
Facebook Marketplace.
While those two extremes
bookend this Porsche buying
guide, the other sports cars, SUVs and EVs in the middle (all sourced
from the Porsche Club GB and Porsche GB) sit mostly in the
£10k-£90k bracket – meaning they’re the stuff of attainable dreams
for many CAR readers.
Naturally Dan’s Boxster is not in concours condition. Its head-
lights are yellowed and the paint rough in places, but his early 2.5-litre
example wears the same silver exterior and terracotta interior col-
ours as the 1993 Boxster Concept, and has provided him with 8000
miles of reliable use with only DIY servicing and a used back box to
reach 100,000 miles.
You can’t have more fun on four wheels for this money. You don’t
need to go beyond high four figures to bag a very nice first-generatio-
in Boxster, with £15,000 rarely breached for the cream of the crop.
That’s incredible given the Boxster’s significance in saving Porsche
from near-certain death, not to mention its general excellence.
Peak output of 201bhp means it can get breathless on straights, so
there’s a case for seeking out the 2.7-litre facelifted version with
217bhp and a two-stage intake for better torque (plus smoked indica-
tor lenses and a heated glass rear screen), but threading through
tighter turns it’s all about the impeccable balance, crisp flat-six
soundtrack and steering so delicate I swear I feel air in the front tyres
being squeezed through corners.
Dan Baines from TOP 555, a dealer specialising in luxury and per-
formance cars, rates them highly too, dismissing concerns about
image and praising the way they drive. But he emphasises the need to
secure proof that the notorious intermediate shaft bearing has been
replaced, otherwise you risk it failing with terminal consequences.
Dan’s pick? A 3.2-litre Anniversary Edition with black or Coco
Brown hide. ‘There’s a whiff of Carrera GT about them, which
doesn’t hurt,’ he sums up.
It took a decade and one model generation for Porsche to add a
roof to the Boxster and create the Cayman in 2006, but the 981 gen-
eration introduced in 2012 would be our choice.
The design matured into a mini supercar look (partly because the
designers were freed from using 911 doors), and the mid-engined dy-
namics sharpened considerably. For four halcyon years Porsche
combined this visual and dynamic heaven with a naturally aspirated
flat-six across the range, only to – needle scratches off vinyl – slot a
charmless turbo four into facelifted 718 models. (You’ll need £60,000
minimum for the GTS that later reintroduced a flat-six.)
Dave Matthews’ early base-spec 2.7-litre looks gorgeous in Guards
Second
Red with optional 20-inch alloys (standard 18s look like space savers). Cayman was
True, it’s pretty stark inside, but the driving position is perfection – the first to look
low like a racer, pedals dead ahead, manual gearlever a handspan this good
from the steering wheel, visibility excellent. ⊲

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 95

 Porsches for peanuts

Base-spec
Cayman viewed
from insane-
spec GT3

Similar cars start from £25,000, rising to £30k for the 3.4 S and
£40k-plus for the GTS, which bundled desirable options like the
Sport Chrono package (lap timer, adaptive engine mounts), a sports
exhaust and dynamic bi-xenon lights.
But for Richard Gotch of Porsche Club GB, base spec is best.
‘They’re fabulous cars, peak Porsche,’ he says. ‘The steering in par-
ticular is fantastic in the 2.7s. I remember driving a 3.4 GTS with
larger wheels and brakes and some of the sweetness was lost.’
This is not a particularly fast car, with 271bhp, but it steers with
trademark Porsche precision (although the now electrically assisted
rack can feel slightly isolated), rides beautifully, and everything from
the bite of the brakes to the shift of the six-speed manual has the
mechanical immediacy and consistency we love of Porsche. Even
driven at a fraction of its potential, it feels alive.
Dan Baines praises their reliability and predicts that they’ll hold
their values – so long, that is, as the spec is right, with buyers favour-
ing the PDK transmission, Bose audio upgrade and full leather inte-
rior. ‘Don’t get the plastic dashboard,’ he urges.
For some, the urge to go Cayman became stronger because the 911
grew larger when the 991 era debuted for 2011, adding 100mm to the
wheelbase (bringing more stability for the handling, and more space
in those plus-two rear seats), not to mention controversial electric
assistance for the steering. Perhaps surprisingly, weight actually fell
about 40kg.
Now 10 years old, the early 991 models are in their slightly unloved
middle age, no longer new, not yet classic, as the owner of this im-
maculate Carrera S, Russell Connelly, attests. ‘People at meets have
been a bit sniffy,’ he comments. ‘It’s not a new 992, it’s not a classic
997, but it’s more modern and usable than the older models and you
still get the naturally aspirated engine.’
Bang on. An early 991 remains a fantastically satisfying 911, par-
ticularly for regular use, with the sense of interior quality and extra
space a marked step on from both the previous 911 and the Cayman.
Baines reports no known engine issues, and 991 Carreras are also
relatively affordable – the cheapest, earliest cars start from £40,000
for a 3.4 Carrera with 340bhp, with the Carrera S upsizing to a 394bhp
3.8-litre flat-six and sweetening the deal with extra kit including
adaptive dampers.
This car does not ride as well as the Cayman, feeling a little too re-
active to bumps when driven gently, and it absolutely feels like a larg-
er, more luxurious, more isolated sports car in comparison.
But the ride eases with speed, and there’s real dynamic purity to
tap, whether that’s the eagerness of the turn-in or the way it hunkers
down and bites into the surface on acceleration and feels so ⊲

96 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 For some, the urge to go
Cayman became stronger
because the 911 grew larger
when the 991 era debuted
for 2011

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 97

Unfashionable
991.1 currently
great value.
Snap ’em up!

What’s £100k
between
friends?
98 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025
 Porsches for peanuts

A re-engineered 4.0-litre
flat-six with 26bhp extra is
a key reason why later 991.2
versions command such
premiums

steadfast under braking. It’s a 911 through and through.

The engine in particular is sensational, combining fizz and re-
991.2 GT3 is
sponse like the Boxster and Cayman with performance that really remarkably
sparkles as the engine passes 7000rpm. This one also has the PDK manageable
dual-clutch transmission, which wins our vote thanks to its punchy on the road
shifts and around-town ease.
‘It’s hard to say a bad word about them, except maybe they’re a little
dated inside,’ thinks Baines. ‘Someone offered us a sub-5000-mile
GTS manual recently. It was like a poor man’s GT3 with ceramics and
all the toys but crazy money at £90k. That’s the one people will clam-
our over in five or 10 years’ time, though.’
Thing is, you’ll get a same-era GT3 for similar cash. Early 3.8-litre
examples trade from £90,000, but 991.1 GT3s have been plagued with
catastrophic engine issues. Porsche evolved the engine through E, F
and G iterations and warrantied them for 10 years, but given these
cars are now around a decade old, you need to know your plan B
should your E, F or G go pop. It’s a key reason why later 991.2 versions
command such premiums, the big draw being a re-engineered 4.0-li-
tre flat-six that upped performance by 26bhp to 493bhp and stretched
the revs 500rpm to 9000rpm. Yes it is
Baines says: ‘The 991.2 is really where the fun starts for a modern closer to the
GT3 – £117k is the entry point, rising to £130k for something with camera, but
it’s also big
every option. I’ve not driven many better cars for less than half a mil-
lion quid, plus you can drive it and not lose too much.’
This one’s owned by Simon Haynes, a dedicated biker who had to
have the more hardcore Clubsport version for full visor-down focus.
Tom Jaconelli of supercar and performance car dealer Romans In- fours, waiting for the Boxster – but the Porsche Club notes both the
ternational confirms this is the spec. ‘The Clubsport package with Club Sport’s low 1923-unit run and time-intensive production play
carbon race seats, half rollcage and ceramic brakes commands a pre- into collectors’ hands, summing up very positively: ‘The 968 has
mium over Comfort spec,’ he tell us. Whichever you choose, he says, both rarity and… is arguably the best-built Porsche of them all.’
all 991.2 models are scarcer than the later 992. This lovely example owned by Andy Foster is finished in Grand
For all its hardcore track focus, it’s astonishing just how optimised Prix White (black, Maritime Blue, Guards Red and Speed Yellow
the 991.2 GT3 feels for a quick British B-road. There’s a lovely elastici- were also available) with optional graphics and colour-coded alloys.
ty to its chassis, gorgeous feel to the super-accurate steering and a ‘I could’ve bought a really nice one for £20k eight years ago,’ says
wonderful fusion of stability and agility, even on tricky surfaces. I’m Baines. ‘Today they’re more like £30k and I don’t see them moving
struck by how its narrower track and calmer chassis make it in some from there – £50k gets you into a Cayman GT4, after all. Just remem-
ways preferable to today’s 992 GT3. ber that a Cayman S should cost less over two years given Club Sports
At the core of it all is that 4.0-litre flat-six, which lugs from noth- are over 30 years old.’
ing, responds instantaneously and revs and howls like a Le Mans Its 3.0-litre capacity might match the Club Sport’s contemporary
racecar when you breach 5000rpm. Match it with the manual if you rival, the BMW M3, but this is a huge four rather than a silky six.
fancy (it is superb, and more valuable), but this car’s crisp, punchy Surprising, then, just how smooth this unit is and how it pulls and
PDK shifts suit the powertrain perfectly, while saving your bank bal- revs so keenly. Porsche used a revvier over-square bore to stretch the
ance from a clumsy downshift. I’d own this car forever. capacity, while VarioCam variable valve timing bridges low-down
Today it’s law that Porsche track cars cost more than the plusher torque and high-rpm power.
models they’re based on, but back in the ’90s the 968 Club Sport’s Four-pot power is also key to the exceptional balance of this chas-
£29,975 price represented a £4572 saving over a 968 – logically so, be- sis – not only is it pushed back further in the nose than a six ever
cause the rear seats, air-con, airbag, sound deadening and electric could be, a transaxle balances weight far better than a regular trans-
windows were all removed, saving 50kg. mission bolted to the back of the engine block. Tossed through cor-
The Club Sport gained 20mm lower suspension, manual Recaro ners, the 968 exudes failsafe front-engined handling with a side order
bucket seats (not necessarily a good thing as the driving position is of mid-engined finesse that’s more nuanced than its meaty steering
too perched for me) and inch-larger 17-inch alloys, though the en- initially suggests.
gine’s 236bhp performance is unchanged. In essence it was a quick fix But if you’re thinking you need more seats, more ground clearance
for Porsche – at the time short on cash, finished with front-mounted but still a sporting edge, you could go 911 Dakar or – perhaps more ⊲

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 99

 Porsches for peanuts

THE RARITIES
Since the 2010s Porsche has been selling special 911s to
select customers. Dan Baines from TOP 555 is your guide

991 R 991 GT2 RS 992 DAK AR

What? GT3 RS performance in a What? Turbocharged version of What? 911 Carrera 4 GTS with a
body more discreet than a GT3 and Porsche’s most track-focused 911 rally-raid makeover. Just 2500 made
manual only (when GT3s were all When? 2017 When? 2023
PDK); if the RS was mostly for the How much? £228,458 (new, with How much? £173,000 (new), £250k
track, the R was a street car Weissach pack), £500k (peak), (peak), from £175,000 (now)
When? 2016 £300k-£350k (now)
How much? £136,901 (new), £500k Dan says: ‘Bit of a YouTuber/
(peak), £300k-£350k (now) Dan says: ‘30 per cent came to Instagrammer fad. Owners typically
market quickly as flipped cars – I decline my offer, then two months
Dan says: ‘The R was the first of the know someone who made well over later accept a lower bid from Porsche
super-exclusive GT3-type models. £100k just driving his about for a few to stay in their good books. Very spec
Porsche limited supply to 991 units months. Today they’re in the low dependent – either go full Paris-
and they hit £500k shortly after £300k bracket – a big premium over Dakar look, Rothmans livery and all,
launch. Prices fell as “low” as £300k a good GT3 RS Weissach but quite a or full comfort- spec and do the
and are now no more than £350k.’ different driving experience.’ school run.’

991.2 GT3 TOURING 992 GT3 RS 9 9 7. 2 G T 3 R S 4 . 0

What? A GT3 without a wing but with What? Next best thing to a road-legal What? 4.0-litre version didn’t just add
a choice of manual or PDK. Strong Le Mans GTE car, with downforce 200cc – it brought some magic too
whiff of R prioritised over top speed When? 2011
When? 2017 When? 2023 How much? From £130,000 (new),
How much? £127,820 (new), How much? £222,400 (new, with £500k-plus (peak), £500k-plus (now)
£230,000 (peak), £190k-£210k (now) Weissach pack), £370k (peak), from
£235k (now) Dan says: ‘With only circa 30 cars
Dan says: ‘Uptake probably wasn’t supplied to the UK and just 600
quite what Porsche imagined – a 991 Dan says: ‘These cars listed around worldwide (each individually
Touring is much rarer than the 992 £225k with the Weissach pack, numbered) these are a collector’s
Touring, and even rarer than the R quickly shot up to £370k and then – dream. With the Mezger engine,
with just 47 UK-supplied cars. A as more cars hit the market – manual transmission and compact
right-hand-drive UK example with dropped back to around list price dimensions, it’s a surefire collectible.
12,000 miles is £195k, with a within a year. Weissach pack cars are A few can still be seen being driven
collector-spec car north of £200k – now worth considerably more than a as intended on track – probably by
£60k-£70k more than a 991.2 GT3.’ stock car.’ people who bought at the list price…’

100 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 It’s law that
track cars cost
more than
the plusher
models
they’re based
on
 Porsches for peanuts

If you’re thinking you need

more seats, more ground
clearance but still a sporting
edge, you could go 911 Dakar
or Macan GTS

sensibly – Macan GTS. Slotting below the Cayenne and based on

Old cars,
significantly re-engineered Audi Q5 underbits, the Macan is com-
expertly fortable, spacious, plushly appointed and decent to drive.
cared for: There’s only been one generation since 2014 and it’s recently had a
immaculate
stay of execution despite the new EV model coming on stream, but
there are two crucial updates: 2019 brought new LED lights and fresh
infotainment, while another tickle in 2022 replaced buttons with
haptic switchgear. It’s also the only Porsche here to be available as a
diesel, which you can now snap up for as little as £16k.
Our example is a nearly new GTS from the Porsche press fleet,
sporting a 434bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 much like an Audi RS4’s.
For Dan Baines at Top 555, it has to be a GTS, which will set you back
up to £30k for a 2016 model. ‘We’ve probably sold 80 Macans, the
diesels and four-cylinder petrols included, but I always come back to
the GTS,’ he says. ‘The 2019 facelift with the later back lights still look
a year old, and I prefer the Panamera-style controls, not the later
haptics. You do hear about transfer box problems, but put a private
plate on and it still looks fresh.’
‘The GTS interior pack is particularly desirable [contrast stitching,
multifunction sports steering wheel, 18-way adaptive sports seats
and more],’ adds Tom Jaconelli, ‘but they sell quickly, hold their mon-
ey and I think the new EV model will probably only help values.’
If it’s a highly appealing car to use daily, the Macan GTS doesn’t ⊲

102 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

SUVs and EVs
can still feel
like Porsches

968 is great
value, but
don’t expect
it to be
bulletproof
Anyone fancy
a drink?
Martini, by
any chance?

Rare and wildly

expensive, but
918 Spyder is a
joy to drive
 Porsches for peanuts

Acceleration from low Acceleration from low speeds is astonishing, but it’s the midrange
punch that leaves me reeling – third, fourth and fifth gear basically
speeds is astonishing, but feel like the same ratio, all allowing devastating acceleration.
Brake pedal feel is woeful, road noise roars through the carbonfi-
it’s the midrange punch that bre tub like breakers on a pebbly beach and integration between pure
leaves me reeling electric and hybridised V8 power can be lumpy, but this remains a
very special drive – particularly the unwavering composure through
corners, how it steers so precisely despite the big hit of e-power flow-
ing through the front axle, and the way it combines the whizzy futur-
ism of its powertrain with a reassuringly mechanical, gritty feel.
quite live up to the ‘sports car handling in an SUV body’ dream when ‘Prices peaked about two years ago, and now they’ve dropped back
you drive it like Waitrose is closing early. Air suspension is standard, and are stable,’ says Jaconelli. He recommends getting a car with the
but the wheels go at the road surface like chimpanzees banging at Weissach pack – a factory option that included magnesium wheels,
bongos, front-end bite isn’t entirely convincing even on P Zero Cor- alcantara trim, and carbonfibre for the windscreen frame, roof, rear
sas and the last bit of dynamic polish is lacking. wings and mirrors. It cost £70k when the cars were new but it adds
A Taycan is the better driver’s car – Porsche’s first EV and one it £200k; a Weissach-spec cars on delivery miles can cost £1.5m.
created from a clean sheet. Once again, ours is the GTS. There are Both Baines and Jaconelli point out that while much of the Weis-
faster, more brutal Taycans including the Turbo S (the original’s sach pack can be retro-fitted by Porsche, it costs more and adds less
740bhp now pushed beyond 900bhp), but arguably a GTS is sweetest value than the original factory specification.
of the lot. With 590bhp, its performance is more measured and ex- But with the all-electric Mission X on the horizon as Porsche’s hy-
ploitable, if still unhinged, and a more granular feel tingles through percar follow-up, it seems likely the 918 Spyder will follow its prede-
its controls. Above all else, the Taycan GTS glides over a B-road where cessors in steadily accruing value over time.
a Macan fights – it’s in the unflappable damping, the cool precision of For the lucky few, investing in a 918 Spyder probably makes a lot of
its steering, how it’s so agile yet so planted with its wide track and low sense. The rest of us can dream – and perhaps keep an eye out for
centre of gravity. It’s a 968 Club Sport on rollerblades. that £3k Boxster.
The Taycan is not perfect. We’ve often struggled to squeeze 200
miles out of a fully charged battery (the latest models have improved
range) but the larger chink in a Taycan’s armour is depreciation once
they’ve ceased being four-wheeled tax breaks. Baines recalls a cus-
tomer paying £80k for a Turbo S that’d listed at double that just 3000
miles before. A company fleet’s loss is your gain.
‘Depreciation has been awful,’ concurs Jaconelli. ‘The Turbo de-
preciated most, the 4S has been most sensible, with the GTS pick of
the bunch. We’re selling to private buyers now they’re in the
£50k-£70k bracket, and I think they’ll start to hold their value.’
Just pick your spec carefully. Body styles range from the saloon you
see here to a shooting-brake-style Sport Turismo and the Cross Tu-
rismo that adds a little SUV flavour to the same recipe. Then there
are battery sizes and even seating layouts to consider.
Jaconelli notes that currently the Cross Turismo is the most in-de-
mand among his customers, but stresses battery size is more impor-
tant than body style. ‘The Performance battery is only standard on As if you’d
ever forget
higher trims and that can be a deal breaker,’ he warns. He also sug- what you
gests holding out for a five-seater rather than the roomier but less were driving
versatile four-seat cabin layout. ‘And the panoramic roof helps
brighten what can be quite a dark interior.’
Baines suggests checking for recalls. ‘They’ve not been without is-
sues – they’re something of a test bed, after all.’ At least Porsche cov-
ers batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles.
If the Taycan was a test bed, the earlier 918 Spyder was a laboratory
on wheels. Picking up where the 959 and Carrera GT supercars left
off, it riffed on the (four-cylinder) 919 Le Mans winner with a natu-
rally aspirated V8 good for 600bhp, with twin e-motors up front
adding another 282bhp, all-wheel drive and emissions-free running
for up to 18 miles. All in, the 918 Spyder is good for 875bhp with a
monster 940lb ft.
Porsche built more 918s than its LaFerrari and McLaren P1 rear-
drive contemporaries combined (918 units versus 499 and 375 respec-
tively) and the 918 perhaps lacked their edge. A decade on, Baines sees
the positives: ‘It was the least hyper of the hypercars, but a 918 is easy
to just jump in and drive, they feel like they’ll last 100 years and all-
wheel drive makes the power accessible,’ he notes. ‘They’re also
known to be reliable cars, which makes a huge difference.’

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 105

 QUICK ! BE FORE
What’s so great about our featured

C AY M A N (9 8 1 ) 9 1 1 GT 3 (99 1 . 2)
Sharper to drive and This is the modern GT3
better looking than the sweet spot for value,
original, 2012’s Mk3 kept durability and British
the naturally-aspirated B-roads, dating from 2017.
flat-six. It’s peak base-spec Surprisingly easy to live
Cayman with given its race heritage

⊲ The expert’s view ⊲ Expert’s view

‘They’re reliable, they hold ‘Starting from £117k, the
money and that’s likely to 991.2 GT3 is a £20k-£25k
continue with the electric upgrade over the 991.1,
Cayman coming. Even a but you can buy them
regular S is very good and confidently. A Clubsport is
barely more than £30k but very saleable, particularly
they need spec – Bose, with ceramic brakes
BOXSTER (9 8 6) PDK and full leather are all 9 1 1 C A R R ER A S and buckets. The 991.2
Significant for saving desirable. A GTS is under (99 1 .1 ) reintroduced the optional
Porsche in the 1990s, the £50k – you’ll struggle to get The 2011 car has all the manual gearbox so always
Boxster is now unbelievably a better Porsche for less.’ benefits of the larger, more do an over-rev check.’
affordable. It’s still great to Dan Baines, Top 555 modern 911 shape, while Dan Baines, Top 555
drive and if anything looks being far more affordable
better with age than fresh PRICE WHEN NEW than later examples and PRICE WHEN NEW
out of the showroom. This £39,749 still using the epic naturally- £111,802
is a great mid-engined A P P R O X VA L U E aspirated flat-six: that’s A P P R O X VA L U E
bargain N O W £27,000 quite a combination N O W £130,000
P O W E R T R A I N 2706cc P O W E R T R A I N 3996cc
⊲ The expert’s view 24v flat-six, six-speed ⊲ Expert’s view 24v flat-six, seven-speed
‘They sound brilliant, the manual, rear-wheel drive ‘You’ll get something nice PDK, rear-wheel drive
steering’s amazing, they PERFORMANCE for £45k-£50k, or a GTS PERFORMANCE
go like billy-o… The engine 271bhp @ 7400rpm , 214lb for £60k. There are no 500bhp @ 8250rpm, 339lb
can be slightly fragile, ft @ 4500rpm, 5.7sec known engine issues, and ft @ 6000rpm, 3.4sec
though, so you want proof 0-62mph, 165mph first-generation 991.1s are 0-62mph, 197mph
of the IMS bearing fix. I’d go W E I G H T 1310kg naturally-aspirated flat- W E I G H T 1430kg
for the limited edition 3.2 E F F I C I E N C Y 34.4mpg, sixes.’ E F F I C I E N C Y 22.2mpg,
Anniversary Edition.’ 192g/km CO2 Dan Baines, Top 555 290g/km CO2
Dan Baines, Top 555
PRICE WHEN NEW
PRICE WHEN NEW £85,988
£33,950 A P P R O X VA L U E
A P P R O X VA L U E N O W £44,000
N O W £7000 POWERTRAIN
P O W E R T R A I N 2480cc 3800cc 24v flat six, seven-
24v flat-six, five-speed speed PDK, rear-wheel
manual, rear-wheel drive drive
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
201bhp @ 6000rpm, 177lb 395bhp @ 7400rpm , 325lb
ft @ 5000rpm, 6.9sec ft @ 5600rpm, 4.5sec
0-62mph, 152mph 0-62mph, 189mph
W E I G H T 1252kg W E I G H T 1470kg
E F F I C I E N C Y 29mpg, E F F I C I E N C Y 29.7mpg,
n/a g/km CO2 224g/km CO2

106 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Porsches for peanuts

IT’ S TOO L ATE

octet, and what to watch out for

M AC A N GTS 9 1 8 S PY D ER
Hot hatch fun meets SUV Epic drive and sci-fi tech
practicality. A big seller for a for Porsche’s once-in-a-
decade, so there are plenty generation hypercar from
around, with the price of 2013. It’s currently one
entry around £16k, and the third the price of LaFerrari,
looks have aged well but more usable than the
Ferrari or McLaren P1
⊲ Expert’s view
‘Macans hold their money ⊲ Expert’s view
really well. A GTS is the ‘They’re very sensitive
sweet spot since they to mileage: 5k-10k is
stopped making the Turbo. considered high and those
If you can stretch, the 2022 cars are £1m. The Weissach
facelift is highly desirable, pack is also important: £70k
and in terms of spec look new but worth £200k now
9 68 C LU B S P O RT out for the GTS interior pack TAYC A N GTS – delivery-miles Weissach-
Club Sport from 1993 is the with contrast stitching.’ Depreciates as quickly as spec cars command £1.5m.’
peak of Stuttgart’s transaxle Tom Jaconelli, Romans it accelerates but Taycan is Tom Jaconelli, Romans
era. A beautifully balanced International a sublime Porsche driving International
car, it gets you into a track- experience for into the EV
focused Porsche for VW PRICE WHEN NEW era. Way ahead of its time PRICE WHEN NEW
Golf money. But given the £73,400 £651,092
car’s age, bear in mind that A P P R O X VA L U E ⊲ Expert’s view A P P R O X VA L U E
it will need extra care N O W £52,000 ‘It’s a proper Porsche but N O W £1.1m
P O W E R T R A I N 2894cc deprecation has been P O W E R T R A I N 4593cc
⊲ Expert’s view 24v V6 turbo, seven-speed awful. There’s fresh interest 48v V8, two e-motors,
‘I’d love one, and they look PDK, all-wheel drive now they’re £50k-£70k, seven-speed PDK, all-
so much fresher than a PERFORMANCE with the Cross Turismo wheel drive
944 Turbo. Don’t overlook 434bhp @ 5700rpm, 406lb most popular for us. The PERFORMANCE
the UK-only Sport, which ft @ 1900rpm, 4.5sec Performance battery is only 875bhp @ 8600rpm, 940lb
added a few more features 0-62mph, 169mph standard on higher trims. I’d ft @ 6600rpm, 2.6sec
back into the spec. Neither W E I G H T 1960kg recommend the five- rather 0-62mph, 211mph
are going anywhere in E F F I C I E N C Y 24.1- than four-seat layout.’ W E I G H T 1674kg
terms of value.’ 25.0mpg, 255-265g/km Tom Jaconelli, Romans E F F I C I E N C Y 94mpg,
Dan Baines, Top 555 CO2 International 71g/km CO2

PRICE WHEN NEW PRICE WHEN NEW

£29,975 £104,990
A P P R O X VA L U E A P P R O X VA L U E
N O W £40,000 N O W £75,000
POWERTRAIN POWERTRAIN
2990cc inline-four, six- 83.7kWh battery, two
speed manual, rear-wheel e-motors, two-speed auto,
drive all-wheel drive
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
236bhp @ 6200rpm, 590bhp, 627lb ft, 3.7sec
224lb ft @ 4100rpm, 6.5sec 0-62mph, 155mph Our thanks to: Porsche
0-62mph, 157mph W E I G H T 2310kg Club GB, Richard Gotch,
W E I G H T 1320kg E F F I C I E N C Y 2.6-3.0 Simon Haynes, Andy
E F F I C I E N C Y 27mpg, miles per kWh, 277-mile Foster, Russell Connelly
n/a g/km CO2 range, 0g/km CO2 and Dave Matthews

MAY 2025 | SUBSCRIBE TO CAR! WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK 107

 H E LLO M E RCE DE S G LC D I E S E L PH E V + GOODBYE M I N I & BYD
S E AL + AUD I S3 M E ETS RS3 + B MW i5 M E ETS OUR RE ADE RS

Looks very familiar,

but there’s something
rare under the bonnet

108 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC MONTH 1

Plugging Hello

the gap
Only Mercedes combines the range
of diesel with zero-emissions electric
power. The best of both? By Ben Barry

The story so far rating and falls way below the

Merc’s mid-size SUV, here in comparable purely diesel GLC’s
unusual diesel PHEV form 35 per cent. (The plug-in petrol
+ Roomy and well equipped 300e is equally attractive.)
- Those official mpg figures So if you want most of an
create some wild expectations
EV’s tax break but fewer of its
drawbacks, the GLC 300de
Logbook
could be a highly tempting
Price £61,110 (£61,825 as tested) sweet spot.
Performance 31.2kWh battery,
1993cc four-cylinder turbodiesel Volvo was first to the plug-in
plus e-motor, PHEV, 328bhp, diesel niche with a series-pro-
553lb ft Efficiency 565.0mpg duction car in 2012 (the Swedes
(official), 75.6mpg and 4.2 miles
per kWh (tested), 11g/km CO2
now don’t do diesel at all), but
Energy cost 14.3p per mile Miles Mercedes has been producing
this month 877 Total miles 2427 plug-in diesels since the E-Class
PHEV debuted in 2018. The
For a powertrain that seems to GLC 300de arrived during the
make so much sense, it’s per- first-generation’s life cycle in
haps surprising that Mercedes- 2020 then returned with the
Benz is the only car maker cur- second generation for 2022.
rently offering a plug-in hybrid Its fundamentals comprise a
diesel. The logic runs that an 1993cc four-cylinder diesel en-
electric powertrain covers most gine, nine-speed automatic
trips, but the super-frugal transmission and all-wheel
four-cylinder diesel steps in drive, with a 31.2kWh lithi-
once battery charge is depleted. um-ion battery feeding an
In the real world of drivers e-motor that’s good for up to 80
plugging in much less frequent- miles of driving range on its
ly than in theory they might, it own – a big improvement on
could represent a better solu- the last-generation model, with
tion than a petrol plug-in. its 13.5kWh battery and tiny
This month we’re welcoming 27.3-mile range.
the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300de Combined output of 328bhp
to the CAR fleet, the plug-in with 553lb ft is pretty healthy
diesel version of Mercedes’ mid- (194bhp and 325lb ft torque
size SUV and rival to the likes of from the engine, 134bhp and
the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and another 325lb ft from the elec-
Audi Q5. tric motor) though the 300de is
It promises no range anxiety also the heaviest GLC you can
and no need to wait while buy – a kerbweight of 2310kg is
charging, and with better mpg about 350kg portlier than a reg-
than an equivalent petrol plug- ular diesel, and 250kg more
in hybrid too. This GLC 300de’s than the previous 300de owing
Jordan Butters

five per cent benefit-in-kind tax to the larger battery.

rate also compares reasonably Pricing starts from £61,100 in
well with an EV’s two per cent Urban Edition trim, then O

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 109

 Range and
roominess
make it a friend
of the family

Diesel is more efficient

than petrol, so you’re
into diminishing returns
with plug-in hybrid tech

walks up through three differ- makers don’t do plug-in diesels. 300d’s 49.6mpg, while the plug- My driving routine is proba-
ent AMG Line variants with a One is expense, because a diesel in hybrid petrol posts a 1117 per bly representative of the ideal
big ta-da! at £75,610. We’re test- engine is already more expen- cent increase with 470.8mpg customer, with lots of short and
ing the entry-level trim, with sive to produce than petrol be- compared to the 300 e’s best of medium trips achievable on a
only this car’s attractive Spec- fore you start adding hybridisa- 38.7mpg. battery charged from home,
tral Blue metallic paint adding tion. Plug-in hybrids are the most then less frequent longer runs
to the RRP, to the tune of £715. And then there’s the fact that use-case dependent of all pow- to random locations where I
Adaptive LED headlights, a diesel is also more efficient than ertrains, of course, which don’t want to be hostage to the
parking package with reversing petrol, so you’re into diminish- makes the official triple-digit hassle, uncertainty or much
camera, heated electric door ing returns with trying to make WLTP mpg figures even more higher prices of public charging
mirrors and moody black exte- it more efficient still with plug- meaningless than usual. It’s points.
rior trim are all standard. This in hybrid tech. also where this long-term test It’s going to be fascinating to
spec level also brings 20-inch Because Mercedes – rather comes in. see how we get on.
multi-spoke alloys with coil remarkably – also offers a petrol
springs up front and air suspen- plug-in GLC as well as equiva-
sion for the rear. lent four-cylinder petrol and Running
More important for my two diesels, it’s possible to directly low doesn’t
mean you
teenagers is the infotainment: compare all this. need to
the MBUX multimedia system The GLC petrol plug-in is charge
with its 12.3-inch digital instru- £2250 cheaper than our diesel,
ment binnacle and 11.9-inch though that’s true across the
portrait-orientated touch- line-up for petrols and diesels.
screen, wireless charging pad As for efficiency… Well, the offi-
and – most crucial of all – mul- cial stats do show a bigger gain
ti-colour ambient lighting and for the petrol, but the improve-
huge puddle lights that project ments are so extreme they
the three-pointed star on the should be taken with a pinch of
ground like a reverse bat signal. salt – my calculator says the
A couple of key reasons are plug-in diesel’s 565mpg is 1039
usually cited as to why other car per cent more efficient than the

110 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Our Cars

LAND ROVER DEFENDER VW ID. 7 MAZDA MX-30

MONTH 2 MONTH 4 MONTH 3

A womb with Losing touch Life’s getting in

a view with reality the way
‘Athleisure’ is everywhere, not just gyms. We’ve rightly pilloried Volkswagen for the I’m not using the MX-30 the way Mazda in-
The Defender’s interior might be dubbed ergonomic flaws that afflicted the first gen- tended, and I’m paying the price. You see,
‘luxility’. It shouldn’t work. But it does. eration of ID electric cars. Seemingly in the this car would be perfect if (a) you have off-
The Defender long ago stopped being a rush to launch EVs, it cut corners – perhaps road parking (b) you have a home charger
couple of seats and a bit of bodywork bolted most famously with the new generation of and (c) you commute 10 miles a day and
to a tractor chassis. It’s a luxury car, and this infotainment lacking illumination for rarely go on long journeys. If this is you, the
interior, with its ventilated white leather, is heating and volume controls. These are R-EV range-extender version would be per-
no place for hard-working border collies. thankfully fixed on the ID. 7 and all subse- fect – sadly I meet none of these criteria.
But there’s just enough Defender stuff in quent model launches. So instead of using a stored, overnight
here to differentiate it from Land Rover’s But there remain details that grate. The charge every day, I end up belting up and
pure-luxe flagship, the Range Rover. And touch-sensitive keyless locking button on down Britain with the rotary-engined
crucially everything just works, with a mas- the driver’s door handle is hopeless. I’d esti- range-extender revving its guts out, as it
terful fix of exemplary ergonomics, slick mate it works one time in three, so I tend to tries to keep the battery from dropping to
touchscreen and actual physical controls for lock the doors with the key instead. It’s tell- zero. This is not an efficient way of using the
a lot of the important stuff, like climate ing that the Blue Oval eschewed the re- battery – or the 830cc rotary generator – and
control, quick access to the off-road modes cessed touchpad door handles for the Ford I’m struggling to get close to 30mpg.
and disabling the annoying stuff (lane-keep Capri based on this MEB platform, prefer- And every time I think about plugging in
assist and the speed-limit bonging) before ring simpler traditional physical handles. and topping up the battery at a charging
you’re even off your driveway. It’s a similar story with the electric win- point (giving myself a theoretical 53-mile
JLR’s infotainment has quietly become dows. Many VWs have deleted the buttons electric range before the rotary motor kicks
one of the best, with classy graphics, flawless for the rear windows from the driver’s arm- in) I’m met with all the usual EV aggro:
CarPlay compatibility and intuitive access rest? There are now just two switches and a chargers that don’t work, phone apps that
to everything from radio stations to wade touch-sensitive button to swap their opera- won’t connect, payment that won’t go
depth sensing. Throw in ridiculously com- tion between front and rear. I often brush through.
fortable seats, super-sized storage bins and a the button by mistake and open the wrong Believe me, when you drive a range-ex-
charging pad from which it’s impossible to windows. Is this progress? I fear it’s an an- tender, your patience for this kind of crap
dislodge your iPhone, and you have a cabin noying case of digital technology not always evaporates.
to love and to cherish. answering real-world problems. So I just fill up with petrol instead.
BEN MILLER TIM POLLARD MARK WALTON

The story so far The story so far The story so far

The biggest Defender with the supercharged ID range’s ergonomic glitches are easing, but Other owners may find the MX-30 more
engine, here to try to prove that more is more not banished effective than us
+ Special Forces style; syrupy power; + Calm nature, relaxing to drive, viably long + The range extender brings flexibility…
gorgeous cabin range - …and I’m abusing that flexibility by burning
- Some aircraft carriers are easier to park – - Some design choices are about penny- petrol every journey
and less thirsty pinching, not human-helping
Logbook
Logbook Logbook Price £33,495 (£35,295 as tested)
Price £118,235 (£126,310 as tested) Price £51,550 (£55,270 as tested) Performance 17.8kWh battery, e-motor plus
Performance 4999cc supercharged V8, Performance 77kWh battery, e-motor, 830cc rotary range extender, 168bhp, 9.1sec
493bhp, 5.7sec 0-62mph, 149mph Efficiency 282bhp, 6.5sec 0-62mph, 112mph Efficiency 0-62mph, 87mph Range 53 e-miles, 400 with
19.7mpg (official), 18.1mpg (tested), 324g/km 4.7 miles per kWh (official), 3.2 miles per kWh engine Efficiency 37.2mpg (official), 27.1mpg
CO2 Energy cost 32.0p per mile Miles this (tested), 0g/km CO2 Energy cost 9.4p per (tested), 21g/km CO2 Energy cost 23.2p per
month 476 Total miles 1314 mile Miles this month 789 Total miles 5197 mile Miles this month 901 Total miles 6076

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 111

 It might look
anonymous,
but this is
a seriously
good EV

BYD SEAL MONTH 6

Goodbye The disruptor

If Tesla provides the benchmark, this is a great alternative. By Jake Groves

The story so far tremely soggy and bland. But, shove – to the point that I’d tainment, like the daft rotating
Not one but two Seals have on the other hand, the electric suggest going for that one over screen, and some frustratingly
been tested over six months Seal had come a close second the Excellence model. Design fiddly swipes and taps needed
+ A refined, slick, fast and behind a Tesla Model 3 and saves you around £5k and gives to adjust the climate control or
well-built EV ahead of a Polestar 2 in a test a bit more range, making it even safety aids. Having no easily ac-
- Efficiency hasn’t been that conducted by Ben Barry, who’s more competitive against a cessible switch for the regenera-
great long-term
not easily won over. similarly-spec’d Model 3 or tive braking meant I left it in
Logbook During the last six months, Polestar 2. one mode almost the entire
I’ve run not one but two Seals – Is it perfect? No. There are time I had the car. Despite two
Price £45,695 (£46,571 as
tested) Performance 82.5kWh a blue all-wheel-drive Excel- some weird quirks to the info- software updates, the
battery, e-motor, 308bhp, lence and this green rear-wheel-
5.9sec 0-62mph, 112mph drive Design – and I can safely
Efficiency 3.4 miles per kWh say both have been among the
(official), 2.66 (tested) Range
354 miles (official), 342 miles most impressive EVs I’ve ever
(tested) Energy cost 5.8p per spent time with. Those anony-
mile Miles this month 650 mous looks hide a fabulously
Total miles 3070
appointed interior, with thick,
soft seats and a driving position
The mission was to keep an to die for. The ride quality is a
open mind. Before starting my good balance, offering cushion-
six months as a Seal driver, I’d ing without being too sloppy,
had mixed experiences with and the steering feels alert and
BYD. Some versions of the Dol- communicative.
phin hatchback were much bet- And it’s quick. Even the lesser Interior a high-
Alex Tapley

quality place to
ter than others, and the Seal U Design version with its single spend time
DM-i plug-in hybrid felt ex- motor wasn’t exactly lacking in

112 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Our Cars

cross-traffic alert seemed terri- trip, it also struggled to charge

fied of roundabouts. And per- quickly. In other weather it
The two Seals I’ve run have both
sonally I’d find a hatchback would reliably give 300 miles to been among the most impressive
preferable, rather than the boot a charge, and the charging itself
it actually has. was usually quick. The efficien-
electric cars I’ve spent time with
To top off the negatives, on a cy figures aren’t great, but much
recent 200-mile motorway run of that is down to my vigorous one of the best long-term test for similar cash. And if you
in freezing temperatures I had driving style; others may well cars I’ve ever run – up there asked me which I’d rather have
to charge before I arrived at my get better. with an Audi R8 Spyder (for ob- – this, a Model 3 or a Polestar 2
destination. During the same Overall, the Seal has become vious reasons) a VW Up GTI – it would be this. The Polestar,
and a Mazda 3. post-facelift, still rides like it’s
Although the two cars are wearing leaf springs and the
significantly different, the Seal tech feels almost obstinately
reminded me most of the Maz- fiddly in places. The Model 3,
da, in that it was very good at meanwhile, doesn’t feel as well
doing what it was designed to put together as the Seal.
do, always felt like a quality In the market for a car this
product and was perhaps quite size? I urge you to at least try the
likely to be overlooked in favour Seal. If you do, you may be
of its competitors. pleasantly surprised.
You’ll have noticed the price,
which may be a surprise if you Count the cost
think of Chinese cars as being
Jordan Butters

Blue Excellence Cost new £46,571 Part

version was cheap. In fact, BYD’s aim with
exchange £32,215 Cost per mile
incredibly quick the Seal is not to undercut on 16.0p Cost per mile including
price, but to offer more or better depreciation £4.67

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 113

 AUDI S3 MONTH 5
Adventure

Better in
small doses
Just because a sportier version is
available, does that mean the S3 is
second best? By Curtis Moldrich

The story so far So far, so locked in. Most of the

Time to find out just how close switchgear is the same, with the
the S3 runs the RS3 biggest difference an upgraded
+ Understated looks; decent steering wheel: covered in al-
range; interior quality cantara and flat at both top and
- Lacks the final degree of
sportiness next to the RS
bottom, it’s grippier and feels
more satisfying to use.
Logbook The unrestricted bits of auto-
bahn come in dribs and drabs
Price £47,490 (£51,135 as
tested) Performance 1984cc rather than a continuous
turbocharged four-cylinder, stretch, which gives me several
328bhp, 4.7sec 0-62mph, chances to draw breath and as-
155mph Efficiency 34.4mpg
(official), 19.7mpg (tested), 188g/
sess the car in between high-
km CO2 Energy cost 27.0p per er-speed bursts. My focus is on
mile Miles this month 613 the RS3’s five-cylinder engine.
Total miles 2320 On paper it’s significantly more
powerful, making 394bhp to
The S3 is quick and engaging my S3’s 328bhp, and capable of
enough, but the shadow of Au- 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds to my
di’s flagship RS3 looms large. At S3’s 4.7 seconds. In practice, the
least in theory the RS is dynam- difference is even greater: the
ically sharper and more engag- RS feels infinitely more alive.
ing, giving the potential to be The turbocharged four-cyl-
more rewarding. But then inder of my S3 has never felt
again, it’s also more expensive. slow, but compared to the RS3
Time, then, to get some an- it’s flat-footed. The RS3’s
swers and scratch the itch about five-cylinder opens in a more
Ingolstadt’s hot hatch and sa- natural, effortless curve – and
loon. The plan is simple: test one even more connected to my
the power and comfort of both right foot. Somehow, it makes
cars on the autobahn before the S3’s progress seem laboured
taking on more challenging Al- in comparison; not a feeling I’ve
pine roads around the Austri- experienced with the S3 in any
an-German border. other context.
Visually, the RS is in a differ- Keep the RS in the right rev
ent league: wide, aggressive and window and it sings, rewarding
finished in brighter colours. you with instantaneous power
Next to the RS painted in and a soundtrack you’ll hear in
punchy Kyalami Green, it’s as if no other new car. It’s a far cry
my S3 in sedate District Green from the simulated sounds of
has gone on an acid trip. the S3. I don’t quite hit the car’s
Get inside and immediately v-max of 174mph, but I come
the RS3 feels familiar but differ- close – and the whole car feels
more composed and comforta- RS is wider,
ent. It’s lower than the car I’ve brighter, angrier,
spent months in and its sport ble at speed. Both cars are on costlier than S
seats hold you that bit tighter. winter tyres, but the RS3 feels O

114 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Our Cars

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 115

 Our Cars

S and RS both
available as
hatch and saloon

translates the RS3’s power to it’ll worry supercars. The steer-

The RS3’s steering feels very the road while rotating it the ing is tactile and precise, the
good here, and transmits more exact amount you want. suspension well damped but
The RS3’s steering feels par- firm, and its various assistance
from the tarmac to my hands ticularly good on these roads. systems capable of creating so
More tactile and slightly heavi- much grip that even 394bhp
much smoother – in fact, the sponse from the right pedal. er than the S3’s, it affords a more struggles to unstick it. Throw
RS on winters is like the S3 on As I carve up the salty moun- precise touch – and transmits in an engine that offers much
year-round tyres. tain roads, the S3’s Torque more from the tarmac to my more than half the engagement
Soon we’re on to the Alpine Splitter slingshots the car hands. The steering itself feels of Ingolstadt’s V10, and the RS3
roads, and with them a chance around hairpins, pushing more that bit more direct too, making once again moves the super-hot
to back-to-back the dynamics. power to the outside wheel. But the S3 feel somewhat vague and hatch goal posts.
In the S3 I try the easily over- it keeps the S more in line than numb in comparison. But the S3 is already more
looked Dynamic Plus mode. I’m expecting and forces me to This trip also gives us the than enough for me. It’s subtle
Nestled in a corner away from tweak my steering angle. It chance to explore the RS3’s ex- enough to go under the radar,
the other driving modes, I’m makes the car faster and better tra mode, called RS Torque and in the 70mph-limited UK it
told this is a party mode Ingol- behaved – but it reduces the Rear. When engaged, it diverts has an abundance of shove for
stadt’s engineers added to give need for driver input. Such is much more power to the rear, B-roads and motorways. Throw
the S3 more bite. Mission ac- the grip, there’s very little for and allows a certain amount of in the hand-me-down RS
complished: the S3 goes from me to correct or do, even on slip angle before gently putting Torque Splitter and Dynamic
well tempered to feral, dropping these icy roads. Vorsprung the axles back in line. Drifts Plus mode and the S3 has more
two cogs and keeping the revs durch technik, and all that. owe more to engineering than than enough grip and perfor-
high and ready. Back in the RS3 and it’s the driver skill. mance too. Plus, it doesn’t look
It feels as though it’s on a same, but more so. More power So which would I have? On a like an angry Tic Tac.
short leash, and it translates to comes with more grip, and the trackday, the RS3 every single My advice? Take the S3 and
quick – but not RS3 quick – re- RS3’s upgraded Torque Splitter time. It’s effortlessly fast, and keep the circa £10k change.

116 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Andersen’s 22kW
charge speed
transformed the
Mini experience

MINI COOPER SE MONTH 6

Goodbye
Ecology of economy
An upgraded home charger makes Mini life cheaper. By Piers Ward

The story so far per kWh. The other is from An- some others, the installers are was the only blot on the Mini’s
Mini’s sense of fun will be dersen, a British company that all Andersen employees, not record, aside from the tiny boot.
missed, lack of interior space offers stylish car chargers at sub-contractors. That gives a Overall, it’s been a remarka-
less so 7kW and, assuming you have a reassuring continuity of ser- bly easy car to enjoy. Right-sized
+ Fun handling; infotainment; three-phase connection, 22kW vice. It comes with a unique, for UK parking spaces, the
styling
speeds, which is rare for domes- seven-year warranty and, Cooper SE has spent six months
- Efficiency plunged in winter;
tiny boot and rear seats tic chargers. Going for 22kW thanks to the hidden tethered darting and nipping and gener-
means you can dump juice into cable, never looks untidy. ally entertaining, with a sense
Logbook the Mini at its maximum 11kW Not that it’s cheap. The total of engagement lacking in a lot
Price £34,500 (£39,799 as
AC rate, so it’ll fully charge at bill came to £2844 including of other EVs. The steering was
tested) Performance 49kWh the cheaper Eon tariff. VAT, but my ancient house, the highlight for me, not in
battery, e-motor, 215bhp, 6.7sec Cheap tariff and efficient with its bespoke requirements, terms of feel but more the way it
0-62mph, 106mph Efficiency charger combined to allow me did cause the final number to is so pin sharp, reacting well to
4.2-4.4 miles per kWh (official),
3.4 miles per kWh (tested) Range to charge the Mini from zero to balloon more than it would on a the exuberant torque steer.
240-249 miles (official), 167 miles 100 per cent for less than the standard install. There was never a dull journey
(tested) Energy cost 6.0p per cost of a pint. Even during the What all this has done is em- thanks to how fighty those
mile Miles this month 463 Total
miles 6298 winter, when the car’s efficiency phasise how easy and cheap fronts tyres could be under full
plunged from a summer high of electric cars can be, once you’ve power – pulling out of junctions
At last, I’ve got my home energy 4.93 miles per kWh to a low of got your infrastructure sorted. became a lesson in restraint.
ecosystem all sorted. Like CAR’s 2.49, it still meant cheap jour- Despite the Mini’s small 49kW It’s an impressive car, with
equivalent of Martin Lewis, I’m neys. The car’s overall pence per battery, I only needed to use a the warm glow boosted by the
making savings everywhere. mile figure actually dropped re- public charger once in nearly pleasingly low running costs.
Efficiency is my watchword. cently, despite that efficiency 5000 miles. On that occasion,
It’s all thanks to two up- fall in cold weather. with the Mini app being incred- Count the cost
grades. One is from Eon Next, Getting the Andersen in- ibly unhelpful, I came close to
which has joined Octopus and stalled was simple. As with a lot being stranded – quite a con- Cost new £39,799 Part
exchange £25,855 Cost per
others in offering cheap over- of these companies, you need a trast to the ease and conveni- mile 6.0p Cost per mile
night electricity rates – just 6p site survey first. But unlike ence of charging at home. That including depreciation £2.26

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 117

 Grille wins no
fans; steering is
fab, though

BMW i5 TOURING MONTH 7

Goodbye United on one thing

Lots to argue about, but the price bothers everyone. By Ben Whitworth

The story so far daily drive is a much-loved impressively robust and solid cameras a necessity for junc-
Readers offer some fresh leased Mazda CX-30 that has to doesn’t it? Very sophisticated tions and parking.'
perspectives on our i5 estate cover both her work and private and silent on the move, with a A mixed bag, then, but it’s the
+ Plenty of typically BMW transport requirements. ride quality that’s much BMW’s cost and range that
goodness to be found here… ‘I really dislike all that black smoother and quieter than my put’s Lucy firmly in the nice-
- …but it’s diluted by some shiny plastic around the grille, Mazda. For a big car it’s pretty but-no camp. ‘I just don’t see
unexpected mediocrity
and those wheels look like impressive through the corners how I could ever justify over
Logbook they’ll be a kerbing nightmare.’ and there’s plenty of punch, too. £1200 a month for a car that
Not a good start, and things Pity that bonnet is so long, struggles to get more than 220
Price £78,450 (£94,995 as
tested) Performance 81.2kWh don’t improve from the driver’s though, because it makes the miles on a full charge, no mat-
battery, e-motor, 340bhp, seat. ‘It’s so much smaller in
6.1sec 0-62mph, 120mph here than I expected. Sure, the
Efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh boot is a decent size, but I don’t
(official), 2.7 miles per kWh
(tested) Energy cost 3.5p per think my three teenagers would
mile Miles this month 2015 find it comfortable in the back.’
Total miles 9199 Accustomed to her more an-
alogue CX-30, she finds the i5’s
With just over 9000 miles cov- cockpit challenging. ‘It feels like
ered in the BMW, I feel I’ve real- there’s a lot of technology
ly got under its skin and beyond crammed in here, and I’d ques-
its £94,995 price tag to see its tion how much would I actually
pros and cons. But what would use every day.’
a trio of readers make of it? Out on the road, Lucy falls
Lucy Wilson is head of for the i5’s winning combina- Lucy enjoyed
the drive, but
Chichester-based interior de- tion of performance, refine- had doubts
sign studio Walnutblue. Her ment and dynamism. ‘It feels

118 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2025

 Our Cars

ter how lovely it is to drive.’ He too is floored by the cost.

Adrian Cocks – electrician, ‘As someone who has always
Lucy falls for the i5’s winning
plumber and chartered me- purchased secondhand cars, combination of performance,
chanical engineer – runs Blue- the price of this is absolutely
berry Bathrooms. He loves his eye-watering. That aside, it’s
refinement and dynamism
cars – there’s a million-mile lovely to drive, with none of the
Yaris for local trips, an immac- turbo lag I have in the Discov- more than enough smooth and pleasure to drive because it’s
ulate Discovery 4 for family ery, or having to drop two or seamless acceleration. It was quick and punchy, it rides very
work, and a fastidiously main- three gears in the Aston. In this very easy to just get in and drive well and you can really chuck it
tained Aston Martin Vantage. you just rocket along, with once the seat and steering into the corners. But it’s also
wheel positions were sorted. pretty tight in the cabin for
But 200-odd miles between re- such a long and wide car, and
charges – it may be cheap to run even to someone accustomed to
but you pay for the privilege.' driving electric cars, I found the
Justin Bosanquet is a news onboard tech hard to access and
editor at BFBS Forces News, somewhat intimidating.’
and took the EV plunge back in His impressions chime with
2020 with a Nissan Leaf. He my six-month take on the i5: it’s
then sold the family Mercedes a combination of excellence,
B-Class and replaced it with a mediocrity and frustration.
new MG ZS EV. So would an i5
be next on his list? ‘Not at this Count the cost
price. Our 24kWh Leaf gives us
Adrian, Justin 85 miles but this has an Cost new £94,995 Part
and Lucy give exchange £53,718 Cost per mile
Ben their views 81.2kWh battery and only re- 3.5p Cost per mile including
turns 220 miles. Look, it’s a depreciation £4.53

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 119

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 H OW D O E S
G B U WO R K?
Our road testers rank
the best cars currently
available in 12
categories, and
highlight the ones
to buy

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: The Top 5s

TOP 5 HOT HATCHES
GIANT
TEST
WINNER

H O N DA C IVI C T YPE R

THE GOOD: Feel, feedback, focus:

a phenomenal full-sized hot hatch

THE BAD: Now £50,050 for a

front-drive hatchback with barely
any more power than before

THE UGLY: Probably the last of its

kind; good job it’s one of the best
The sore thumb
in the current THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the
Honda line-up one model; £429 a month on a
three-year PCP with a £10k deposit

GIANT GIANT GIANT

TEST TEST TEST
WINNER WINNER WINNER

TOYOTA G R V W G O LF R AU D I RS3 V W G O LF GTI

YAR I S C LU B S P O RT
THE GOOD: Superb THE GOOD: Want a
THE GOOD: A Mk8.5 update makes five-cylinder hot THE GOOD: Rare mix
modern-day rally this a seriously good hatch? Your option is of supreme comfort,
homologation special and usefully quick RS3, with five or four hatchback versatility
that’s thrilling to drive all-rounder doors and cornering bite

THE BAD: Road noise THE BAD: Pity the THE BAD: Now £60k; THE BAD: The stats
like a death-metal gig; Mk8 wasn’t that small boot for both don’t really shine in a
joke rear seats already 2025 context
THE UGLY: RS is still
THE UGLY: Long THE UGLY: Still not better, but S3 does a THE UGLY: Mk8.5 a
waiting list, even with quite there with the lot for less money and definite improvement,
some versions priced infotainment is impressive in its but interface still offers
at £60,000, although own right plenty to gripe about
it starts at £44,250 THE ONE TO BUY:
Estate is about £1.5k THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY:
THE ONE TO BUY: more than the hatch £60,105 for the hatch; £42,155 for a very
Now has optional auto and more practical an extra grand for the good Golf is pretty
but go for the manual but not so sharp saloon decent value

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 TOP 5 SPORTS CARS
GIANT
TEST
WINNER

P O R S C H E 9 11

THE GOOD: Exquisite blend of

power, accuracy, excitement, style
and usability, and new GTS
integrates hybrid beautifully

THE BAD: You have to look down

to #3 in this category to see the
affordable performance Porsche;
most basic 911 barely scrapes in at
just under £100k
THE UGLY: It keeps getting bigger
and heavier

THE ONE TO BUY: That basic

Carrera is ace, and it’s hard to
imagine you’ll regret it for a minute.
What a thing to
be alive in this But if you want more power and
golden age of more trickery then Porsche has
sports cars plenty of ways to take more of your
money

GIANT GIANT
TEST TEST
WINNER WINNER

A R I E L ATO M PORSCHE 718 LOTUS E M I R A A LPI N E A11 0

CAYMAN/BOXSTER
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: THE GOOD:
A beautiful object as THE GOOD: The first new The perfectly formed
well as a thrilling drive; Sublime handling; combustion Lotus in antidote to a world of
think of it as a surprising practicality years is fantastically excess; a modern
modernised Lotus well resolved. Usable, classic in every sense
Seven crossed with a THE BAD: Less desirable and thrilling of the term
high-end sportsbike characterful than an
Alpine; a boringly THE BAD: Harder THE BAD: Two boots,
THE BAD: You’ll need obvious choice (but work to live with than neither big, and not
bike-style wet- not one bit boring to a Cayman much oddment
weather gear if it’s drive) storage inside
raining. And at least THE UGLY: The last
£40k – this is an THE UGLY: Flat-four petrol Lotus, at least THE UGLY: ‘R’ is 34kg
expensive toy, if a versions sound like a for now – just as the lighter – some effort
captivating one VW Beetle in a duet firm gets the bucks to – but also nearly
with Eeyore build on its brilliance £100k. Too much
THE UGLY: The 4R is
even more bonkers THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY:
GT4 RS the most AMG-sourced four is A110 S adds handling
THE ONE TO BUY: thrilling, Spyder is ace, an interesting but poise for £67,490 but
Do you really need but flat-six GTS 4.0 is pricey option, but the £54,490 base A110 is
the 350bhp optional a cut-price GT4 at Toyota 3.5-litre V6 all you need; enjoy it
power upgrade? around £75k suits it better before it goes electric

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 The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

TOP 5 GRAND TOURERS

GIANT GIANT EV
TEST TEST CHOICE
WINNER WINNER

FERRARI B E NTLE Y PO R SC HE 9 11 PORSCHE A STO N

RO M A CO NTI N E NTAL TU R BO TAYCAN CROSS M A RTI N D B12
GT TURISMO
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: THE GOOD:
Style, speed and THE GOOD: Luxury, Hypercar-bothering THE GOOD: Effortlessly beautiful
sensuous lines; a power, agility and a pace, any road, any Raised ride height DB11 replacement
car for, and from, a great-looking body weather absolutely monsters now has the traction
bygone age lumpy UK roads to make the most of
THE BAD: Nope, THE BAD: Only fun the rampant turbo
THE BAD: An age it’s really sorted when you’re really THE BAD: Not V8’s stomp.
in which we no going for it actually that Excellent interior
longer live, tragically THE UGLY: Just practical
because it’s always THE UGLY: Turbo THE BAD:
THE UGLY: Baffling been heavy and has never been THE UGLY: Audi’s Choosing between
steering-wheel thirsty won’t stop us good for e-Tron GT gets the this and the
touchpads; complaining that it’s depreciation; even nicer cockpit Vanquish
strangled exhaust heavy and thirsty less so recently
note THE ONE TO BUY: THE UGLY: Aston
THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY: Revised version has simply doesn’t do
THE ONE TO BUY: Plug-in hybrid Entry car plenty fast arrived, along with ugly
The cabrio. range-topper is the enough but revised prices: 4S
Arguably even most powerful £180,600 Turbo S Cross Turismo is THE ONE TO BUY:
more beautiful to Bentley ever, and so outsells it; add £10k now £100,400, and Coupe is £185k;
look at from outside much more besides for a Convertible range hits £162k Volante the stunner

TOP 5 COUPES AND CABRIOS

PCM (per calendar month) figures are typical prices for PCP (personal contract purchase) deals available at the time of writing. For guidance only
B MW M2 M A S E R ATI M E RCE D E S - M A Z DA M X- 5 A STO N
M C2 0 AMG SL MARTI N
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: VAN QU I S H
The longitudinal- THE GOOD: A THE GOOD: Latest Closest thing to a
engined two-door no-excuses excellent SL is developed by modern-day Lotus THE GOOD: Fast
BMW coupe lives Maserati. Handling AMG but it’s still a Elan; genius and comfortable,
and ride to match the cruiser, and all the folds-flat-in- and utterly
THE BAD: looks; a GT as well as better for it seconds roof gorgeous
Bigger and heavier a sports car
than we’d like but THE BAD: Engines THE BAD: Lashings THE BAD: Gets
outrageous fun THE BAD: Throttle are still better than of bodyroll; the 1.5 very thirsty without
could be sharper in the ride and can’t climb hills too much
THE UGLY: normal mode handling provocation
You need £66k to THE UGLY: If you’re
get involved; THE UGLY: THE UGLY: over 6ft tall you THE UGLY: DB12
steering can feel a Convincing your Cabin designed by simply won’t fit and Vantage are
shade rubbery mates you did mean touchpad also very good
to buy the Maser scattergun THE ONE TO BUY:
THE ONE TO BUY: and not the 296 Motorised-metal- THE ONE TO BUY:
Manual or auto THE ONE TO BUY: roof RF doesn’t £333,000 will get
transmission THE ONE TO BUY: The £148k, 469bhp quite make sense; you a very fine long,
options – get the The droptop Cielo. SL55; also look at 1.5 starts at £28k, low, two-seat sports
knob. We’d go M All the coupe’s go the coupe cousin, punchier 2.0 from car/GT/near-
carbon seats, too with added style the AMG GT £32k with an LSD supercar coupe

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 125

 TOP 5 SUPERCARS

FERRARI PO RS CH E 9 11 L AM BO RG H I N I M C L AR E N C H E VRO LET

2 9 6 GTB GT3 RS R E V U E LTO 75 0 S CO RVETTE Z0 6

THE GOOD: THE GOOD: Spine- THE GOOD: The THE GOOD: Lighter, THE GOOD: A
Timeless styling and tingling sound; monstrous, more powerful, beautifully balanced
a driving experience 9000rpm redline; naturally-aspirated better: evolution of performance
as good as any of total immersion V12 lives on – now 720S is another package that can
Maranello’s finest e-boosted and corker from Woking stand tall among the
THE BAD: Nothing wrapped in such a supercar aristocracy
THE BAD: You to see here hard-to-crash THE BAD: 30 per
need reflexes like a package insurance cent new but you’d THE BAD: Interior
fighter pilot to drive THE UGLY: Getting should be a tenner. struggle to tell quality and kit not
it as fast as it can go on the waiting list is Vastly improved quite there
like winning both cabin, too THE UGLY:
THE UGLY: The X Factor and Convincing your THE UGLY: Will
Touch-sensitive The Apprentice THE BAD: Price has mates you actually future electrification
steering-wheel pads skyrocketed bought the new car kill the thrill?
make the interface THE ONE TO BUY:
borderline unusable RS is somehow THE UGLY: EV-only THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY:
more focused than range is six miles Stick to the comfort- Add the Z07 pack
THE ONE TO BUY: the GT3 but more spec seats and for upgraded aero,
Fiorano pack is road-compliant at THE ONE TO BUY: avoid the harnesses suspension, brakes
£25k+ overkill. GTS the same time. How There is only one on the top ‘super and wheels; expect
adds sunshine do they do it? for now carbon’ ones to pay £140k

TOP 5 PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

GIANT
TEST
WINNER

B MW X5 5 0 E FO R D KUGA PORSCHE VO LKSWAG E N B MW 330 E

CAY E N N E TI GUAN
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: THE GOOD:
Massive 67-mile Facelift has brought THE GOOD: THE GOOD: Mk3 is Goes sub-six to
official e-range; better efficiency, Handling; driver bigger than ever but 62mph and up to 41
horizon-eating and it still drives focus; choice of still a neat all-round electric miles on a
performance very well body styles; package. Choice of charge
0-62mph in 5.0sec 201 and 268bhp
THE BAD: Hybrid THE BAD: Electric- PHEVs, both with THE BAD: Engine is
hardware cuts into only range isn’t THE BAD: Bigger 62-mile e-range slightly coarse;
boot space to the great, although fuel battery for facelift plain 330i is less
tune of 150 litres; no consumption’s good model but still can’t THE BAD: Room for heavy, more fun
seven-seat option match the X5 improvement with
THE UGLY: Not so the infotainment THE UGLY: Hybrid
THE UGLY: Not much ugly as THE UGLY: The kit eats into boot
much now that the dowdy, particularly front passenger THE UGLY: People space so regular 3s
facelifted 50e the interior – not a touchscreen: £1000 are buying Tiguans are roomier
model with more patch on the and not needed instead of Golfs, in
e-range and power electric Explorer huge numbers THE ONE TO BUY:
is here THE ONE TO BUY: Choice of saloon or
THE ONE TO BUY: If you value the U in THE ONE TO BUY: estate. Handsome,
THE ONE TO BUY: PHEV in ST-Line X SUV, avoid the Go for either of the vaguely affordable
This one, for £82k; trim can be had for coupe – even if it is eHybrids in good- 330e Sport Touring
it will serve you well £42,455 a great steer value Match trim is £48,785

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 The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

TOP 5 ELECTRIC CARS

GIANT
TEST
WINNER

R E NAU LT 5 E -TE CH

THE GOOD: The way it looks, the

way it drives, the keen pricing – but
it’s also refreshingly practical, with
five doors, a usable rear bench,
and good efficiency, too
THE BAD: Fiddly gear selector
stalk; no frunk

THE UGLY: What ugly? Look at it

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry point is

£22,995 but we’d splash a few
more grand on mid-spec Techno,
which gets the ‘5’ charging
The competition’s indicator on the bonnet and other
hotting up, but the desirable bits of kit, plus the option
5 stays on top of the bigger battery, 52 rather
than 40kWh

PCM (per calendar month) figures are typical prices for PCP (personal contract purchase) deals available at the time of writing. For guidance only
GIANT
TEST
WINNER

H Y U N DAI P OR SC H E KIA E V 3 R E N AU LT
IONIQ 5 N TAYCAN SCE N IC
THE GOOD: Roomy
THE GOOD: Electric THE GOOD: Totally and clever interior; THE GOOD: Good
and exciting – overhauled but still great value for such value; long range;
synthetic drive modes fast, responsive and long range; funky pleasant to drive;
and gearchange are fluid; now more looks – it’s a shrunken looks smart inside and
game changers efficient EV9 or EV6 out

THE BAD: Breadth of THE BAD: Info screen THE BAD: Air trim THE BAD: Sometimes
configurability takes in front of the feels cheap inside, but lumpy ride; poor rear
getting used to. passenger is faintly only when compared visibility; rear seats
Ignore that it’s ridiculous to bigger Kia EVs don’t slide or do other
software-driven – it family-friendly tricks
feels real THE UGLY: Prices are THE UGLY: That weird
all up, and be aware climate-control screen THE UGLY: The boot
THE UGLY: Interior of poor demand for is very deep, but not
quality below par for a used Taycans THE ONE TO BUY: actually that big, and
£65k car The 270-mile-range you have to pay extra
THE ONE TO BUY: car is brilliant value for a variable floor
THE ONE TO BUY: Prices start at £86.5k but most will want the
Just one model; paint for the rear-drive basic longer-range option. THE ONE TO BUY:
and a sunroof the only Taycan; you can pay a GT-Line is our pick for Go for the big battery
options – all the drive lot more and get a bit value-to-comfort in Techno trim; your
modes are included more performance goodness family will thank you

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 127

 TOP 5 SUVS/CROSSOVERS
GIANT
TEST
WINNER

L AN D ROV E R D E F E N D E R

THE GOOD: Reboot brings untold

dynamic improvements wherever
you drive

THE BAD: Second-row access is a

pain in the 90; expensive; 130 in
particular is very big, so parking
can be tricky
THE UGLY: Very nice inside, so
you’re wary of getting it muddy

THE ONE TO BUY: Range spans

90, 110 and 130 bodies, with
significantly different dimensions
but remarkably similar character
You see and the genuine off-road ability
Defenders that Land Rover always delivers so
everywhere convincingly. Heart says Octa or
for good reason petrol V8 90, head/wallet say
diesel-six D250 110

GIANT
TEST
WINNER

PORSCHE A STO N M A RTI N M E RCE D E S I N E OS

MACAN D BX 707 G - CL A S S QUARTE R -
M A STE R
THE GOOD: The new THE GOOD: Now with THE GOOD: Rejigged
one is electric – and a much improved range spans diesel, THE GOOD: Pick-up
as impressive as the interior, the DBX petrol, AMG and EV, version of the
outgoing combustion keeps the glorious and they’re all good: Grenadier has a long
version noise, masterful agile off-road, smooth wheelbase that if
balance, rear-axle bias and comfy on-road anything improves the
THE BAD: As family and surprising handling
transport it has flaws, practicality THE BAD: It’s all a bit
especially boot space fancy; how do you feel THE BAD: Not very
THE BAD: High fuel about muddy wellies? roomy for passengers
THE UGLY: Don’t consumption and
want EV? You’ll need emissions from the THE UGLY: Merc’s THE UGLY: Isuzus are
to be quick (or wait for twin-turbo V8 premium mission much cheaper, if far
the rumoured return means it’s a posh less cool
of engines) THE UGLY: There’s no version or nothing
longer a non-707 THE ONE TO BUY:
THE ONE TO BUY: version, so you need THE ONE TO BUY: Prices start at £66k,
Starts at £67k and to pay top dollar Electric is but a Trialmaster
goes up to £95k for astonishingly good, edition at £74k brings
the Turbo; £70k 4 THE ONE TO BUY: but painfully together a practical
offers all you could The 707 will cost you expensive at and good-looking set
sensibly want around £210k £180k-plus of extras

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 The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

TOP 5 LUXURY CARS

EV
GIANT CHOICE
TEST
WINNER

R A N G E ROV E R RO LL S - ROYCE B E NTLE Y M E RCE D E S RO LL S - ROYCE

PH A NTO M F LY I N G S PU R S - CL A S S S PE C TR E
THE GOOD:
Masterful and THE GOOD: THE GOOD: Now a THE GOOD: Tech- THE GOOD: A joy
hugely desirable Money-no-object hybrid V8, the Spur fest with timeless to drive, and
reinvention of an pinnacle of serenity has great waftability. Few cars exquisitely built
icon. An EV version and craftsmanship performance and are more calming
is due soon poise plus decent THE BAD:
THE BAD: Is e-range THE BAD: Efficiency not great
THE BAD: this really you? Surprisingly
Reliability remains a And is this really THE BAD: Other unrefined petrol six; THE UGLY:
worry. EV likely to appropriate in VW Group cars get doesn’t ride as well Fabulous detailing
be extremely heavy 2025? even smarter as it should and engineering
chassis tech will benefit so few
THE UGLY: The THE UGLY:Filthy- THE UGLY: Trying
D350 mild-hybrid money associations THE UGLY: Lots of not to crash while THE ONE TO BUY:
straight-six diesel is emphasis on using the It’s £330k in theory,
sublime. Can you THE ONE TO BUY: expensive options, Hyperscreen but in reality, as
live with the guilt? It’s ‘standard’ or so brace your credit every one is spec’d
long-wheelbase, card THE ONE TO BUY: from a large and
THE ONE TO BUY: from £380k. All cars Hybrid 580e works flexible options list,
The above (from are built to order THE ONE TO BUY: best. That’s £114k in it’s going to cost
£107k), though the and most owners Go for the Speed, entry AMG Line you more than
V8 is fun spend £500k from £266,500 Premium trim £400,000

TOP 5 FAMILY CARS

EV EV
BIG GIANT CHOICE
SELLER TEST CHOICE
WINNER

B MW 3 - S E R I E S BMW 5-SERIES DAC IA VO LKSWAG E N AU D I A6

JOGG E R I D. 7 E -TRO N
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: Much
On-the-deck has changed; still THE GOOD: Seven THE GOOD: The THE GOOD: Electric
driving position; great. Handling seats; massive boot most coherent ID to saloon and estate is
dreamy handling defines the class with the rear row date now in a choice refined, quick and
balance; slick removed; prices of hatch and estate. pretty sharp, with a
interior; 50 years THE BAD: It’s now start just over £18k Not posh, but highly typically smart cabin
on, a brilliant car to a very hefty car agreeable and decent range
drive and live with THE BAD: Sandero
THE UGLY: Is base means it’s a THE BAD: Frumpy THE BAD: Rear
THE BAD: Knowing nowhere safe? bit narrow; spartan styling and that still passenger room
you’ve made the Even the tradition- sub-par interface isn’t great
obvious choice embracing 5-series THE UGLY: Low
gets a full EV option Euro NCAP score, THE UGLY: So few THE UGLY: Audi’s
THE UGLY: You’ll in the form of the i5 although it’s pretty electric estates to constant model
need an M340i or safe in a crash choose from name changes are
M340d for six THE ONE TO BUY: just confusing
cylinders Prices start at THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY:
£51,915 for the 520i Hybrid usefully Pro Match with THE ONE TO BUY:
THE ONE TO BUY: but can easily punchier than 77kWh battery does Go for the £69k
330e if you want a exceed £80k (and petrol, but much the job just fine, rear-wheel-drive A6
hybrid; 320i if the M5’s well into clunkier. PCP a steal priced from £51,500 e-Tron Sport
you’re on a budget six figures) at £184 a month for the hatch Performance

MAY 2025 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 129

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

TOP 5 FAMILY HATCHES

GIANT
TEST
WINNER

BMW 1-SERIES PE UG E OT 2 0 8 MINI VO LKSWAG E N F I AT G R A N D E

COUNTRYMAN G O LF PAN DA
THE GOOD: THE GOOD: Style;
Premium and big-car character; THE GOOD: THE GOOD: THE GOOD:
practical, and a lot knockout interior; Wonderful interior Brain-out default Remarkably roomy,
more normal than EV version and all-round choice still a solid keenly priced,
the original 1-series available feelgood factor from all-rounder; ride, charming and
the big five-door visibility, roominess useful
THE BAD: Actually THE BAD: So-so
a bit too normal for handling; a squash THE BAD: You THE BAD: Seat THE BAD: Not the
some tastes for adult rear-seat need to be in the Leon a very similar sharpest or
passengers mood for the package for a lower quickest
THE UGLY: Facelift built-in zaniness price
has dialled down THE UGLY: THE UGLY:
the ugly, thankfully Dumping the wheel THE UGLY: Options THE UGLY: Revised Everything looks a
in your lap like a TV can send the price Mk8.5 version just a little plain next to a
THE ONE TO BUY: dinner to see the into the bit better, especially Renault 5
Choice of £30k dials clearly stratosphere the infotainment
mild-hybrid THE ONE TO BUY:
front-drive 120 and THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY: £21k entry point or
£41k all-wheel-drive Range from £21k, Your basic 1.5 TSI 150 Match at £24k for the
296bhp M135; both but £26k GT is Countryman C £28,375; roomy better-kitted posh
good, if a bit much worth saving up for. Classic is just fine at estate is also great version; EV for now,
for some tastes Bright colour is best a sniff over £30k value hybrid will follow

TOP 5 SPORTS SALOONS

B MW M3 M E RCE D E S - B MW M 5 A LFA G I U LI A PO R SCHE

A M G S 63 QUADRIFOGLIO PA N A M E R A
THE GOOD: Mighty THE GOOD: Very
straight-six; front THE GOOD: V8 rapid, ridiculously THE GOOD: THE GOOD: New
axle’s never-give- plus e-motor shows agile and Charisma in spades, version builds on
up attitude; dreamy AMG can do a great refreshingly low on fantastic agility and success of the very
chassis balance performance hybrid, emissions; a clever almost as good as fine model it
and in the most reboot in PHEV an M3 to drive replaces
THE BAD: No unlikely of places: a form
manual; nearly 911 huge luxury saloon THE BAD: THE BAD: Barely a
money now THE BAD: Lots of Emphasis on almost saloon – four-up is
THE BAD: Boot size modes, and an odd as good as an M3 okay, but forget five
THE UGLY: M3 suffers, and ride amount of wind to drive
Touring £88k new quality isn’t perfect noise; more divisive THE UGLY: Estate
but now changing than previous M5s THE UGLY: Flaky version is no longer
hands for much less THE UGLY: It’s a interior quality; available, even
pity this approach THE UGLY: Heavy infotainment still though it was the
THE ONE TO BUY: wasn’t applied to and expensive, so lags behind the best best looker
The CS, if you were the latest C63 it’s not that clever
lucky enough to THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY:
bag one of the 100 THE ONE TO BUY: THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the £79,500 gets the
brought here. Used Two versions, both £113,405 for the one, wonderful, base model; Turbo
Touring is a good at £189k, one with Touring; £2k less for model from E-Hybrid at £141k
secondhand buy more black trim the saloon £79,495 now tops the range

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