Blog posts
I was there to witness the Volvo 850 T5-R miracle. A press car appeared in the BBC Pebble Mill car park – where those early-Nineties series of Top Gear were filmed – and Clarkson and I took it for a spin. We ripped through Birmingham, front tyres fighting for grip and out onto the M6, laughing out loud at the amazing, incredible urge. That day we both sensed that this was a seminal moment in Volvo’s history. A break from its sensible heritage with a large helping of Swedish mischief.
With all the hype currently out there surrounding electric vehicles, Evanswonders if the real world implications have actually been considered. GMC Hummer EV. Image: GM Recently I tuned into a press conference regarding electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
Our new Italian columnist – design critic Matteo Licata – explains why the new Alfa-Romeo Tonale needs to succeed at all costs I'll turn 40 this year, and I've been hearing bold Alfa Romeo revival plans for as long as I've been alive. Yet, to put it mildly, success has proven elusive. Arguably, there have been times when it seemed the ‘Biscione’ was back for good, for instance between 1998 and 2002 when the 156 and 147 posted record sales and Alfa dominated European Touring Car racing.
Looking at these pictures you could be forgiven for thinking that this G-Wagen is something of a stealth machine, with its gunmetal paint, sharp edges and slab-sided panels. But the briefest of encounters with this unfeasibly cool 4x4 would soon make it clear that if there’s one thing that it cannot do, it’s stealth, on account of its ear-splitting soundtrack. If only there was some way for us to bring you moving pictures complete with sound.
These Golfs might not have captured the hearts of enthusiasts but good ones can still entertain. Here’s how to buy the best of them. BUYING GUIDE: Mk3 GOLF GTI & VR6Still something of an undervalued gem in the GTI story, the Mk3 can be an easy modern classic to own. THIRD ACT Enthusiasts might debate about whether it was the first ‘hot hatchback’ but few would argue that the Golf GTI defined the genre.
The Ferrari-inspired executive hatchback which fired the imagination and took Rover from the BL era to the Honda generation. Words: Paul Wager. DATABASE: ROVER SD1Facts, figures and history on the car which brought Ferrari style to the executive class. The SD1 is something of an enigma.
Familiar from generations of Hollywood movies, the diving bonnet was actually created in central London © THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM There’s no historical record of deep water diving activity around Denmark Street in London’s Soho. In the 20th Century it became known as Britain’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’, and a blue plaque commemorates the fact, but more observant passers-by will notice high on the face of no.
Bentley’s late 20th century rebirth may have started with turbocharging, but it took an even more significant step forward with the distinctive-looking Continental R and T models. WORDS: RICHARD GUNN PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE/RICHARD GUNN Throughout the 1980s the Bentley marque, for so long overshadowed by its Rolls Royce parent, enjoyed an unprecedented revival.
Google ‘ugly MPV’ and you’ll be presented with a stream of Fiat Multipla images. All but one of the first 15 results show the criminally under-rated and unfairly panned Italian MPV, with a rear view of the SsangYong Rodius the only thing preventing a clean sweep for the Multipla. It’s as though the designer Ken Greenley saw the Rodius as an opportunity to save the Fiat from a lifetime of derision and cheap laughs. Much like the Multipla, the SsangYong Rodius was designed from the inside out.
To car people there's no such thing as a spare garage, because if there's even the tiniest piece of land onto which we can put a classic, that's exactly what we do. But my parents weren't car people back in the eighties when I was 15, so they did have an unused garage – and my mum's friend Alistair had his eye on it. Alistair lived in Cheltenham where parking was at a premium, and when the winter hit, he persuaded my mum to garage his (t)rusty Triumph for him.
Is it true? Can you really buy a turbocharged Porsche for less than the cost of a Nissan Juke? In this guide, we arm you with information you'll find useful when on the lookout for a 944 Turbo... Words Dan Furr, Shane O'Donoghue. Photography Dan Sherwood. BUYING GUIDE: 944 TURBOBag yourself a turbocharged transaxle. The world of sports cars from Porsche's transaxle family of products is a curious one, populated by vehicles ranging from complete basket cases to concours condition award winners.
Though more purebred Porsche than its predecessor, the 944’s normally aspirated inline-four owes much to the existence of the 924… Words Shane O’Donoghue. Photography Porsche. As the prices of all classic Porsches inexorably rise, models previously snubbed by self-appointed connoisseurs are coming of age. As a case in point, the 924 has historically been regarded as the runt of the litter, despite its considerable commercial success.
Like many European businesses, due to the current situation in Ukraine, Porsche has suspended the delivery of its products to Russia until further notice. Additionally, Porsche has decided to donate one million euros to those affected by the conflict. Of this amount, €750,000 will go to the UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe e.V. (UN Refugee Aid), a long-standing partner of the Volkswagen Group delivering crucial practical support on the ground.
Good things often come in threes, and Ian Macaulay’s collection is proof positive. WORDS AND PHOTOS: SAM SKELTON THE MAGIC NUMBERCOMMUNIST COLLECTION The classic car bug is addictive. And Ian Macaulay has it. Never short of classics, his current fleet includes not only Eastern Bloc heroes, but also a pristine Mazda MX-5 and a delightful Austin Metropolitan.
First owned by a general in the Bulgarian People’s Army, this Volga is now bringing some Cold War intrigue to the streets of Cambridge. WORDS: ANDREW ROBERTS PICTURES: MATT RICHARDSON THE GENERAL’S MOTOR A slice of Soviet bureaucracy, Kiril Vitanov’s Volga is arguably the most Communist entity in Cambridge since the spy ring. Some cars inspire respect. A few that shall remain nameless inspire apathy, but a 1969 Volga has the power to evoke awe, especially when photographed in Cambridge.