2022-09-01 BBC Top Gear

911 SPORT CLASSIC

After a quick service station Sport Classic switcheroo, we make Now, I’m not sure if it’s the debilitatingly beautiful snow-capped
our way past Lake Constance and settle down into a steady canter landscape, but at the Flüela Pass everything seems to click into
given Switzerland’s sense of humour failure when it comes to place. The 992 Sport Classic just works here. On the fast, flowing
speeding. To be honest, I really don’t mind. Because you wouldn’t mountain roads the electronically assisted steering and damping
think it, but the 992 car is an incredibly enjoyable thing to drive slow. (based off a 911 Turbo and 911 GTS) work together ironing out
most of the road imperfections but also providing crisp feedback
The cabin has a fantastic ambience, one akin to a trendy unobstructed by all-wheel drive. And no matter how hard you dare
members’ club thanks to a seriously cool two-tone leather set to push, the chassis feels like it can take so, so much more. It lulls
against a deliciously light open-pored wood dash embedded with you into travelling at speeds that you just didn’t think relevant, or
gold emblems (it’s genuine gold too, Porsche uses 7kg of the stuff actually possible. It’s a deceptively, wickedly fast thing. But like the
for all the badging, worth about £300 per car) and the iconic Pepita 911 R, the Sport Classic is not really a car about figures, as in all
houndstooth in the doors and seats. This, plus the fact it’s quiet and honesty they’re secondary to the experience. An experience with
not harshly sprung makes it an exceptionally easy and comfortable one constantly entertaining trait: BOOST.
GT car in which to unfurl hundreds and hundreds of miles. Which
we do, and in no time we’re in Davos. Home of the World Economic Engineers will hate me saying this, but the time between mashing
Forum where the world’s most powerful one per centers come the throttle and feeling the rush of torque from a turbocharged
together each year to keep capitalism as healthy as possible. The engine is an event. One I think should be celebrated. But sadly, turbo
Sport Classic should help, given it starts at £214k, making it lag is being eradicated through technology, clever gearboxes and
the most expensive 911 ever made. electronic torque fill. Having to self-swap cogs makes lag more

“NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU DARE
TO PUSH, THE CHASSIS FEELS LIKE

IT CAN TAKE SO, SO MUCH MORE”

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 101

Having something no one else has is
strongest currency in the world of the rich.
Here’s a car park full of special wishes

“THE SPORT CLASSIC In St Moritz we pull into a lay-by full of I-have-
something-you-don’t have: pretty much every generation

ADDS UP TO FEEL of 911 with some owner’s Sonderwunsch/Exclusive dream
attached; including a 996 Carrera 4 nicknamed ‘The Joker’

LIKE A SUPER 911” due to its wild purple leather interior with contrasting
green stitching and green wooden inserts. But this is
just the starter, the main course is further south.

Peppered around the pebbly driveways and lush grounds

of Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota are rare Porsches that

even the most ardent Porsche fans may not have seen. It’s

present and adds a sense of nostalgia to the driving experience like opening a pack of Pokemon cards and having nothing but

that’s exciting. It’s foreplay for driving. No one wants to get shiny First Edition Charizards. There are Porsches many may

straight to the action (ask your partner) – something EV not know existed, including not one but two of Abdelaziz bin

supercars with their instant torque are quickly finding. Yes, Khalifa Al Thani’s seven (yes, seven) Exclusive 959s, a 3.2

a performance quickie is fun for a few times but gets boring Carrera Speedster Clubsport, the 911 Vision Safari, 968 Roadster

after a while. But with the SC you have to manage where and a first-generation Cayenne Cabriolet. And there are going to

the optimum performance is, using all three pedals (or the be plenty more limited series cars to celebrate in the future.

spectacular auto-blipper) to prod the engine into a yowl Our delivery is the second of four ‘collector’s items’ that

with every downshift and find the power. Porsche will present from a so-called ‘heritage design strategy’.

In fact, the Sport Classic combines so many elements of That’s where Porsche’s general styling team has teamed up with

enjoyable driving it adds up to feel like a super 911; from quick, the Exclusive Manufaktur team to reinterpret four iconic 911

communicative steering that’s unobstructed by driveshafts, to models from the Fifties through to the Eighties. The first of these

the staggering carbon brakes, exceptional grip and that unique was 2020’s 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition (tipping its hat

flat-six intake noise that fills into the cabin. You wouldn’t think to the Fifties and Sixties) while the Sport Classic is the second and

it looking at the pictures, but the Sport Classic has a completely represents the Sixties and Seventies. What the third and fourth are

different attitude to other cars in the Porsche range. It’s a car is anyone’s guess. A proper Safari car? Modern 959? If the new

that offers effortless GT appeal and pulverising performance, Sport Classic is anything to go by, they’re worth waiting for.

all within a purposefully muscular yet wonderfully austere and

mature package with a unique sense of tactility and old school

engagement. It’s a cracker and needs to be shown off to the

public. So that’s exactly what we’ll do.

102 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

911 SPORT CLASSIC

An orange on orange on Not just another 964... you’ll need
orange 959? God bless the £1.5m to get hold of one of these
Eighties and oil rich Emirates
limited edition Leichtbaus

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 103

Single

104 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

BAC MONO R vs BIKE

MBoMWrWeWhtOaMRhDtSaOd1nL0LoIyE0tMo0hAuReRRImABRGEiAgPhHChaO TtvOMGteRhoAPiinHnnYokMcA,RoRaKmRacI CnmtCuIdOoNaInlly?...

BAC MONO R vs BIKE

P
Passengers don’t enjoy my driving. Being pitched about, hunting BMW M 1000 RR is available with an optional passenger pack but this
for the phantom brake pedal, regretting that recent banana, the one – thank God – doesn’t have it.
conviction that brace, brace, brace is the next instruction. And the
thing is, I don’t enjoy having them there. Aware of their jostling and The idea here is not car versus bike, but to talk about the tech that
grimacing I change the way I drive. End result: disgruntlement reigns, underpins each, the sensations of both and how each reflects on the
tension across the cabin. other. In isolation the Mono R is exceptional, 38bhp more powerful
than the standard car, weighs 25kg less, features graphene in its
To be clear here, I can take my family and friends out without construction and costs £235,000. The £30,995 bike is a little more than
making them violently ill – the kind of driving I’m referring to is a tenth of the price, has carbon wheels like the BAC and sneers at the
the driving for driving’s sake kind. Which raises the question of car’s record 137bhp/litre from a naturally aspirated engine. Its 999cc
why sports cars have to have two seats, when only 50 per cent of 4cyl engine develops 209bhp. It also revs over 6,000rpm further and
the occupants are going to enjoy the experience. Unless they’re weighs about a third as much as the car’s engine (192kg plays 555kg).
approximately 12 years old.
The all important power-to-weight ratios are nuts: 618bhp/tonne
BAC clearly realised this 10 years ago when it created a car (car) and 1,088bhp/tonne (bike). Include a 75kg person and they’re
without an other side, where tension across the cabin could never more level (544 and 782), but you’ll need an Aston Martin Valkyrie to
be a thing. For obvious reasons it was named the Mono. Over the better the bike. I’ll tell you in a bit what it was like chasing the bike
years it’s changed and developed, gaining power, losing weight and around Anglesey racetrack, but let’s start on the road.
so on. But BAC is still yet to build a car that seats more than one.
This is the Mono R and with inevitable predictability it’s the harder, Each is about the most extreme you can go yet still be permitted
faster, sharper, racier one. But mostly it has a bazooka on the side. a numberplate. The Mono R is a wonderful thing – the quality and
execution of it is plain stunning, the materials, the components,
And here it is alongside a motorbike. One that has downforce the thought and attention – no other lightweight comes close. If
winglets. Ever been a pillion on a bike? Different world. One of McLaren made a lightweight single seater, this would be it. Daft
my biggest career mistakes was taking a pro rider out for a lap in money, but up close, worth it.
a fast car, only for him to turn round and insist on returning the
favour. Back of a Suzuki Hayabusa for three laps, contorted with You just step in and slink down. Don’t be big. Everything bar
terror. Through corners he was knee down off the side of the the brake bias and traction is on the steering wheel, you’ll even
bike. I was left behind on the back seat with a clear view forward, find a USB connection tucked away inside a zip pocket. The central
while the bloke in charge appeared to have climbed off. The driving position is just perfect, the symmetry of the experience
instantly satisfying.

106 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

1 B... M... double ewe?
These ladies are looking
2
for better practicality
1 No other car attracts
attention in the same 4
way the BAC Mono
does. Especially one T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 107
wearing a Jetsons
canister on the side
and red graphics
highlighting the
underbody 2 Ollie
chose his goggles to
match. He’s the kind
of person who has a
selection of goggles
for such occasions
3 Must have forgotten
to bring an extra set
to match the Öhlins
dampers 4 Just as well
the DofE instructor
got the memo and
supplied the trousers

3

The budget Batman
and Robin reboot is
coming together nicely

BAC MONO R vs BIKE

For the full F1 on the road
experience, minus the
porpoising, you need a Mono

But the experience is pretty fearsome. The R, tightened and communicating everything that’s happening, I have to choose which
tautened and wearing adjustable Öhlins dampers, jinks and darts messages to respond to – there’s no filter. And when to respond to
around. Cambers pull at it, so you end up wrestling the steering, the them. Because the car, with hair trigger responses and instant
ride is hard and, since the motor is solid-mounted to the back of the reactions, has often dealt with issues before I was even aware there
carbon tub, engine vibrations fizz through the chassis. So accurately was an issue. I’m always behind the curve, mentally straining to keep
in fact that I get a different back massage depending where the revs up. Doubtless a Top Gun pilot would make a better fist of it, but since
are. At 2,700rpm it’s mid-back and rather pleasant. I can play tunes it’s the uneven, lumpy, pitted and barbarous road that’s the main issue,
on my spine. I’ve got a feeling he might as well be trying to pilot a housefly. Richard,
whose backside only rarely seems to be sat in the seat, concurs.
Meanwhile, over on the BMW, I see the pro rider, Richard Cooper
having to sit up every few minutes, stetch his back and shake the tension Production bikes come no more extreme than the M 1000 RR. A
out of his wrists. And he makes a living from racing bikes. Just to put you development of the S 1000 RR, it’s the first BMW two-wheeler to wear
in the picture, I don’t ride motorbikes. There’s a little story associated the M badge. Like the BAC there’s partial bodywork titillating about
with that, so I might as well tell it. My wife is a physiotherapist. The end. what lies beneath. The parallels with the Mono R are more marked
than I’d expected. Both have carbon wheels, switchable traction
Long version: when I first met her she was a student on placement control and adjustable suspension, both have sequential manual
at a spinal injuries hospital. The patients were either girls who had gearboxes that allow clutchless flat-shifts. The materials are equally
fallen off horses or guys who had fallen off motorbikes. It was made exotic: the BAC uses titanium for its towing eyes, the BMW for its
clear to me by date three that if ‘us’ was going to be a ‘thing’, ‘me’ conrods, valves, and pretty much the entire exhaust system, which
did not ride motorbikes. So I don’t. Pretty bloody good at falling now weighs 7.8kg instead of 11.4.
off pushbikes, though.
The winglets deliver downforce – not a lot, just 3.3kg at 90mph,
Back to mid-Wales, where both car and bike are proving a handful. 9.3kg at 155mph, but they add next to no weight, help smooth out
I’m fighting the Mono R along the road, learning that because it’s

108 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

When they started, bets
on Ollie keeping up were

few and far between

airflow, reduce drag and improve wheel contact. They help stop the
mad thing pulling wheelies, in other words.

They can only do so much. The next day at Anglesey is a complete
education for me. Everyone says that a fast car has the measure
of a fast bike around a track, but I didn’t want to take that as law, I
wanted to chase Richard around, understand where the bike has the
advantage, and where the car does. Or, to express it more accurately,
see if I could keep up. It takes a few laps to build up speed and get
heat into our tyres, but what happens once we do is... astonishing.

I had no idea that the bike would paint black lines out of every
corner, yep even Church at a tonne, School at somewhere around
125. Richard’s knee, elbow and shoulder are down everywhere and
when they’re not, the front wheel’s in the air, the bike’s bucking and
writhing. I’ve never seen clearer evidence of how hard a piece of
machinery is working, let alone the physical effort of the bloke trying
to keep it under control. And I watch this from maybe 20 metres
behind. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Because the car’s faster where you expect it to be. I can brake
substantially later thanks to the bigger contact patch, carry more
speed through the apex. I don’t know why I’m surprised, but the
bike’s nimbleness, how quick it is flicking over into corners, takes me

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 109

Richard Cooper

110 A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

BAC MONO R vs BIKE

Ollie manages to sneak
a few practice laps to get

his eye in. Just as well...

unawares. It’s such a smooth movement, leaning over as it slows, until For both, tyres are the limiting factor. After maybe half a
I’m convinced it’s beyond the point of no return, then standing up as dozen laps I start realising there’s a slight wooliness on turn-in,
it accelerates out. It’s such a natural movement, makes the car seem some unwanted slip and squidge. And if I could avoid lock-ups,
ungainly and awkward. But I can almost detect the chassis flex as it the carbon ceramic brakes have clearly got much more in them.
tries to get the power out, Richard struggling to not only keep the The Mono R has been designed to use slicks. They would be the
nose down, but the tail from wagging. It looks wild. making of it. Because it is genuinely thrilling. As an experience
it’s more intense and physical than any closed cockpit hypercar
Out of corners the car isn’t much slower. They both have to manage and the central driving position delivers F1 fantasies. I emerge
traction, but the car is on top of that sooner, hooking up cleanly in deafened in my left ear and exhilarated. The sound isn’t tuneful,
second gear, tight diff working well. The bike needs third before it more a buzzing racket to match the fizzy vibrations to be honest,
settles down. And then it just buggers off. Say what you like about but the induction noise as the bazooka next to my left lughole
fast cars, but not even a 1,000bhp Ferrari SF90 can get within half snarlingly rams air down through the throttle bodies is compelling.
a second of the 4.5 seconds it takes the bike to leap from 60–130mph. BAC insists it’s a performance gain, the air flow into it less
interrupted than above the driver’s head. But mainly it looks
And yet I can keep up. Which is great, because watching ridiculous and gets everyone talking.
the bike slide through corners leaving that slender pencil-like line
behind it is one of the best things I’ve ever done. The Mono R both What I said at the start. I’m about to contradict all of that.
settles down and comes alive on track. Although the steering is too Because being able to give someone the Mono R experience, to
heavy and sharp through the really quick stuff, the car isn’t bossing share the thrills, to get out and talk about it while the adrenaline
me around now. I’m entirely on top of it. The brakes are fabulous to is pumping. That would be really cool. But of course the Mono
use, I’m allowing the gearbox to shift up and down itself because it wouldn’t be the Mono if it could carry two. But you can have the
does it so well. The R isn’t skittish or flighty, but tied down and bike experience if you want it. After you.
brimming with confidence.

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 111

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HEADLINER

FIVE ALIVE

An electrically powered Renault 5 to celebrate the
glorious little car’s 50th birthday? Hold on tight

WORDS JASON BARLOW

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 113

Body roll. Like Spangles or Bowie’s sequinned driver. Not skill so much, but definitely commitment. We turn
Ziggy Stardust jump suit, it’s a very Seventies in and the Cinq just sighs over on its pillowy suspension, settling
phenomenon. Back then, it was part of the road into what feels like an irretrievably comical angle. I hold on and
tester’s lexicon, something a regular car did when then we’re through and away.
you pitched it into a corner with enthusiasm.
This particular car has a secret. C’est une électrique. We’re
The Renault 5 likes to roll. Right now I’m about 18 months away from seeing the all-new R5 EV, which,
driving one through a tiny place called Wy-dit-Joli-Village, in says Renault’s design vice president Laurens van den Acker,
Vexin national park, 30 miles north-west of Paris. Picturesque will definitely look as good as the concept version. Interestingly,
in the extreme, with its glades, forests and meadows, a veritable Renault has been here before. Among many other treasures, its
French idyll. Now here comes a minty green Renault 5, as heritage division has an example of an original R5 Electric, a
ubiquitous a sight in rural France as you could imagine back in mid-Seventies outlier which used 34 lead-acid batteries that had
the day, and currently celebrating its 50th birthday. Between to be hoisted into the car on a crane and fed a DC motor good
1972 and 1996, and across two major iterations, more than 5.5m for, erm, 10bhp. It took 10 hours to charge, and only 90 were
were sold, crucially to people from all walks of life. The R5 was made: the first series cars were used by French energy company
classless and pan-generational, wide awake long before ‘woke’. EDF, which co-developed the project, as site vehicles on its
power stations, the second run was made by Renault for
Here comes a corner. Like the Citroen 2CV, the original in-house purposes. It weighed 1,075kg (300 more than the
Renault 5 demands a certain commitment from the keener

114 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Five minutes later the regular 5 TL) had a range of about 65 miles, and cost a then spicy
racing stripe was invented 18,000 francs. “It was not such a success,” says Hugues Portron,
because she couldn’t who oversees Renault Classic, and is keeper of a collection that
reach the middle runs to 750 cars. “But it was a brave experiment.”

The car TG is driving today isn’t that. It’s a fashionable retrofit,
commissioned by Renault to help celebrate the 5’s big birthday.
Retrofitting an electric powertrain is currently de rigueur and the
company responsible here is the Provence-based MCC. It’ll also
electrify your Citroen Mehari or 2CV.

“We were the first company in France to homologate the kit,”
general director Stéphane Wimez tells me. “What’s great is when
a manufacturer like Renault gets involved, it will help spread the
message quicker than if it was just a small company. We can change
the powertrain to a battery pack or a fuel cell, and there are many
benefits. It extends the vehicle’s lifetime, and contributes to the
circular economy, which is going to become more important. It helps
with decarbonisation, and as it grows it will lead to job creation.”

“THE RENAULT 5 We knew cars had grown
WAS A MODERNIST in the past 50 years, but
that’s a Fiesta on the left
MASTERPIECE, A
STARK BUT CLEVER

LITTLE CAR”

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 115

Few products remain this
fresh and fun at 50 – like
bread, for instance

The manual stick isn’t just for show / Practicality slightly impacted by EV switch / Reskinned seats are a delight / Dash harks back to a pleasing analogue age

“THE 5 SIGHS OVER ON ITS
SUSPENSION, SETTLING
INTO AN IRRETRIEVABLY
COMICAL ANGLE”

116 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Is it OK to hoik the 845 or 1108cc engine out of an original Renault 5 was a modernist masterpiece, a stark but clever
R5 and substitute an electric motor and 10.7kWh battery? Well, little car that could trace its inspiration to the bold thinking
it’s probably less of a blow to the car’s character than it is doing of controversial but celebrated French architect and thinker,
a heart and lung transplant on a Jaguar XK120 or Porsche 911... Le Corbusier. Although he may have objected to the pop
colour palette (there were 68 shades available, including
In fact, Renault recently maxxed out on the idea with an 15 different blues). The early cars featured the dashboard
eye-popping collab with French designer Pierre Gonalons, called mounted gearshift, which is initially bamboozling and
the Renault 5 Diamant (see polaroid bottom left). “It was about then lovely to use. The dash itself was designed by Robert
celebrating this timeless design,” Gonalons notes. “The 5 was Broyer, who concentrated the key controls and instruments
a revolution in form when it was launched. It was never about in a little module ahead of the driver, and coated the wheel
status, but the freedom of the era. I thought it was important to and dash in a protective foam. The cabin defies its half-century
keep this spirit.” Quite where a marble-on-carbon steering wheel age to feel refreshing, spacious and oddly fashionable by 2022
fits in with that, who knows, but the matte pink finish and gold standards. Later cars received a more conventional set-up,
accents are brand appropriate. “The first editions of the Renault but one that was still way more appealing than many
5 came in orange,” Gonalons says. “This was new, suggestive cheapskate rivals.
and even a forbidden colour for the age. In 2022, I think pink
has the same connotations, certainly within the car industry.” Under the skin, the R5 borrowed heavily from the extant
R4, so its dynamics are more firmly rooted in its era. But it
Our R5 electric is more modest, but has still had a fantastic rides beautifully, and bobs along the road convincingly enough.
interior makeover. The seats are finished with a kind of space And, as we’ve learned, the body roll is nothing to fear. Rarely
age tinfoil and there’s a dazzling headlining. Mind you, even has travelling this gently been so much fun.
a standard R5 interior was a boldly modern place to sit. The
EV conversion keeps the four-speed manual gearbox, an Might be open road
anachronism that helps reduce the cost. “We wanted to keep in front, but there are
the original architecture,” Wimez explains. “It speeds up the 14 angry cars behind
process, bearing in mind that the length of time it takes to do
the conversion is part of the cost to the customer. It works. JB insists he hasn’t put
When I drive in the city I go everywhere in third gear.” on weight, pics seem
to prove otherwise
Unlike its experimental predecessor, this electric R5 isn’t
much heavier than the standard car. The battery pack weighs
92kg, and with the engine, exhaust and fuel tank removed, the
overall weight is 765kg. It takes about 25hrs to do the conversion.
Inside, only a little LED range display gives the game away.

This is not one of those EVs that snaps your neck back into
the headrest when you accelerate. French law demands that
any retrofit has between 65 and 100 per cent of the original
power output, so we’re talking seriously modest horsepower
here; the 22kW motor is ponying up just shy of 30bhp. We’re
advised to start in second gear, and most of the time third is all
that’s needed. Pulling away from junctions is smooth enough if
not hugely zippy, but the biggest problem is the gearbox’s rather
gnarly change. There’s no regen on the brakes, but the speeds
remain so amusingly low that stopping is not a problem. The
conversion costs £13k on top of the cost of a donor car –
about £7k–8k for a really good one.

A spin in a very early R5 TL turns out to be a revelation.
This is a car whose designer, Michel Boué, was experimenting
with the 5’s wonderfully clean form language as early as 1967.
Project 122 was done on an accelerated time frame, and one
of Boué’s proposals was run through something called the
‘Renaultrama’, a (very) early VR simulation that placed a
scale model in a variety of moving backgrounds.

“[The R5] has clean sides that are reminiscent of today’s
electric vehicles,” says Nicolas Jardin, who designed the 2021
R5 EV concept. “In 1967, Michel Boué already imagined such an
architecture. What is very beautiful is the attempt to integrate
the technical functions in a natural corner of the car – the grille
and lights, so as not to disturb the form. He wanted to draw an
essential object, devoid of aggression.”

With its wraparound glassfibre and polyester bumpers – a
world first – recessed doorhandles, and vertical rear lights, the

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 117

CONCEPTS THAT TIME FORGOT TOP FIVE

OPEL MAXX, 1995 PININFARINA
DESIGNS
118 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M
1946
CISITATLIA 202
The car that put “Pinin”
Farina on the map. The
aluminium-bodied 202 was
so perfect it was honoured
by New York’s MOMA in 1951

1966
ALFA ROMEO SPIDER
Has there ever been a more
perfectly proportioned
roadster? The Series 1 Spider
is easily one of the prettiest
Alfas ever built. No mean feat

1980
LANCIA 037
The Group B era threw up
some fantastic-looking rally
cars, but none could hold
a candle to the 037. Best
enjoyed in a Martini livery

1984
FERRARI TESTAROSSA
Ferrari and Pininfarina – a
perfect match from the Fifties
onwards. The pair’s most out-
there creation? The gloriously
Eighties Testarossa

PEUGEOT 406 COUPE
We could’ve included more
Ferraris and Maseratis, but
the 406 Coupe has to be one
of the best-looking ‘normal’

cars of the modern era

“THE VIPER IS A SNAPSHOT
FROM WHEN THINGS WERE

ALL A BIT DIFFERENT”

Rbeepdororto2m5 wMaalrlkfa’sngtoansyeianntodbturrignhetdrehdisrteeaelnitayge

T here’s a single poster still hanging in my Who had Baywatch taller than 6ft your scalp became the roll hoop.
old bedroom. A poster once surrounded babes on their walls? And you know what, the older I got the cooler
by angry nu-metal bands and foldouts from Not Mark Riccioni all of this sounded.
Max Power magazine which now wouldn’t
look out of place in a museum of Woke. engine. Its 8.0-litre V10 was a guaranteed The problem with Vipers is they don’t come
Top Trumps winner before that phrase became up for sale very often, and when they do it’s
But as tastes in music changed – and a girl associated with right-wing lunatics. By 2022 usually with some overly American specialist
appeared who wasn’t printed at 300dpi – one by standards, it’d be less offensive to slap David who definitely wears a Stetson on weekends.
one these posters started being removed. All Attenborough with a pangolin than launch a car
bar one; the very first poster I ever hung up with an 8.0-litre engine. As luck would have it, I found this one on
nearly 30 years ago. And the only poster my late Car & Classic (complete with a half-arsed
mum never had the heart to tear down. Whatever it was, the Viper was the first car description and pictures taken on an old
that made me think “Phwoar, these car things are Nokia flip phone) and paid £40k for it.
Clearly you can see where this is going. The alright... aren’t they?”. It had side-exit exhausts,
silly red car pictured above makes it obvious, no roof and no traction control. It was widely You could argue that’s a lot for a truck
otherwise it’d be weird if I suddenly said that reported as a complete death trap, and if you’re engine with fibreglass bolted around it, but
poster was of The Undertaker. And while I’m with lunatics paying £25k for 205 GTIs now
not particularly sentimental about any car, it’s actually a complete bargain. Or would be
the original Dodge (Chrysler) Viper RT/10 has if we weren’t in a cost of living crisis.
been living rent free in my head ever since.
But how can you be depressed with
It was the first car I chose on the first PS1 an 8.0-litre V10 in a car which looks like a
game I ever bought – The Need For Speed – back Great Dane’s lipstick? I love how a single car
in 1996. It was also the first car I remember can invoke so many memories. That’s not
watching Clarkson review, and that meant it something you can force with any amount
became the default 1:18 scale model of choice of targeted marketing – it only happens
for birthdays. “That’s the one you like, isn’t it?” naturally and once it’s got you, it’s impossible
Mum and Dad would say. They’d actually to shake. In a world of ethically sourced vegan
bought a later Viper GTS, but even eight-year- quinoa from Dalston, the Viper remains
old Mark knew not to be that unreasonable. a rump steak freshly cut from a Route
66-prepared roadkill. It’s ridiculous in
Maybe it was the styling? I can’t think of every single way, and that’s exactly why
many cars which look more like a Hot Wheels I’ll never ever sell it. Mark Riccioni
model straight from the factory. And in a world
where a BMW M3 can now be specced with Internationally renowned photographer Mark has
quad-stacked exhausts, the Viper’s proportions been working with TG for many, many years. When
are still downright comical. Then there’s the not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars.
Here he shares his addiction with the world

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 119

PROGRESS REPORT

(2022)PEUGEOT 508 PSE vs PEUGEOT 405 Mi16 (1994)
Two interpretations of fast Peugeot saloons, 28 years apart. What’s changed?

PHWOAR, THAT Mi16 LOOKS LOVELY… than you get on a standard 508, while you also get three-stage WORDS: PETER RAWLINS PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK RICCIONI
adjustable damping and wider tracks (24mm at the front, 12mm WITH THAN KS TO TR ISTAN WOO D FO R TH E LOAN O F H IS PEUG EOT 405 M i16
Doesn’t it just? A sporty saloon that’s stood the test of time. rear). And then there’s the more obvious visual upgrades, most
Launched in 1988 it featured a few subtle tweaks over the original noticeably those vivid green accents and aero winglets. It’s a
Pininfarina-designed 405, including new bumpers and side skirts, real love it or loathe it aesthetic, but certainly eye-catching.
a rear spoiler, sport suspension and five-spoke alloy wheels,
while power initially came from a 1.9-litre 16V engine with 158bhp ENOUGH OOGLING. HOW DO THEY GO?
and 133lb ft of torque. The Phase II made its debut in 1992, before
this special Le Mans edition was presented in 1994, to celebrate the At first the Mi16 appears a comfortable cruiser: smooth, quiet, all
Peugeot 905’s victory in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race a year earlier. very refined. Don’t be fooled – it’s at its best when pushed hard,
pulling strongly from around 3,500rpm and capable of 0–62mph
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE LE MANS SPECIAL? in 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 134mph. Throw in gloriously
weighted steering, silky handling and a kerbweight of just 1,180kg
Just 500 were built for starters (this one, in immaculate condition, is and it’s easy to see why it was so coveted, before it and the 405
#485), meaning you’re unlikely to ever see another one. According were discontinued and replaced by the 406 in 1995.
to the How Many Left? website there are just seven Mi16s of any
iteration left on the road in the UK. In line with the facelifted 405 AND PUG’S SPORTY SALOON OF TODAY?
it featured a 2.0-litre engine along with a unique Diablo Red
paintjob, Le Mans decals front and rear, and 905 motifs on the Believe it or not, this is Peugeot’s most powerful production car
doors. Inside there’s more Le Mans decals, plus half-leather/ ever, combining a 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol engine with a pair of electric
Alcantara sport seats and branded carpet mats. motors for a 355bhp and 384lb ft peak. Zero to 62mph takes 5.2
seconds with top speed limited to 155mph, while you also get up
LOVELY. WHAT’S THIS 508 PSE ALL ABOUT, THEN? to 26 miles of electric only range. Handy around town, but like the
Mi16 it’s on open roads that the PSE most impresses, with its sharp
Peugeot’s latest sporty saloon, the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, handling, sure-footed grip and deft pace defying its 1,850kg
to give it its full name. Like the Mi16, it adopts a more aggressive bodyweight. A £55k starting price is tough to swallow, mind...
stance – the suspension sits 4mm lower and is 50 per cent stiffer

120 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

ACCEPTABLE
PICKUPS

TOYOTA HILUX LESS
(1993) THAN
£10K

REMEMBERING

RETRO GAMING
THE CLASSICS

#41

AUSTIN MINI LESS CISCO HEAT
PICKUP (1968) THAN
£20K ARCADE, 1990

HOLDEN MALOO LESS The world of videogames is littered with examples of misuse of police
(2010) THAN budget, but arcade game Cisco Heat: All American Police Car Race
£30K has to be among the most taxpayer troubling. That’s because it takes
place during what’s known as the National Championship Police Car
Steeplechase, a high-speed rally through San Francisco’s streets. If
you’re planning to rob a bank, it might be a good idea to pick the day
when all the cops are distracted by their legal illegal street race.

Your era-appropriate choice of squad car is between a classic
Cadillac Brougham with its 5.0-litre V8 engine and breezeblock styling
or a rather more nippy turbocharged Nissan 300ZX Z32, though once
you’re in-game there’s little practical difference between the two.
Far more important to your success is how you handle the dramatic
90 degree corners that made negotiating the streets of San Fran
uniquely challenging. Though not quite as challenging as holding
onto your lunch as you lurch up and down the undulating hill sections.

At the very least, the streets are mercifully devoid of civilian traffic,
but regardless you’ll be using the siren and lighting up the cherries
throughout. What’s more, even though your competition in the race is
entirely constituted of other police cars, for some reason they’ll leap
conveniently out of the way when you mash the button in the centre
of the steering wheel and add your airhorn to the cacophony.

Considering the technology available in 1990, Cisco Heat did an
impressive job of recreating San Francisco and its landmarks, kicking
off the action on the Golden Gate bridge, haring along Fisherman’s
Wharf, up to the Twin Peaks and finally arriving at the finish on
Treasure Island. Though given the fact that even the ending
sequence admits that you’ve broken “every law in the books”
on the way to victory, perhaps a more appropriate finishing line
would have been Alcatraz... Mike Channell

Bargain Corner

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 121

BRAND
NEW!

CAR CHAT, INTERVIEWS, SPECIAL GUESTS
AND GAMES – ALL BROUGHT TO YOU FROM THE
TEAM BEHIND THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE CAR MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIBE AT

or wherever you get your pods...

TOPGEAR ’S LONG-TERM CARS. TESTED & VERIFIED

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 123

GO TO

TOPGEAR.COM

FOR EXTENDED TG
GARAGE REPORTS,
AND TO EXPLORE

THE ARCHIVE

Dacia Jogger

HELLO

£18,745 OTR/£19,640 as tested/£313pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Can the cheapest MPV cut the TopGear mustard?

DRIVER

Sam Philip

A DACIA JOGGER HAS JOGGED GENTLY ONTO THE TG FLEET, AND I On the inside it’s not tough to spot signs of penny pinching, but griping
that a Jogger’s not as ritzy as a Rolls Phantom (or indeed a Skoda Fabia) is
am giddy with excitement. Which I realise could read a little... sarcastic to miss the point. This is a people carrier that asks: if you want loads of
– after all, it’s a budget MPV, not a thousand horsepower mid-engined seats and a sensible price, on what are you prepared to compromise?
firestorm with butterfly doors – but it’s really not. I am genuinely, totally
pumped for this reddish-brown Romanian people carrier. Do you, as a budget seven-seat MPV buyer, need a massage function
ventilated clutch pedal? Or auto-fold wing mirrors? Or a five-star NCAP?
Because, yes, of course there’s great joy to be found in a car that’ll hit All these questions, and more, to be answered over the next six months...
60 in the time it takes you to say “plummeting residual values”, but there’s
also great joy to be found in a car that’s utterly fit for purpose. A machine SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF
that does exactly what you need of it, and no more.
999cc, 3cyl turbo, FWD, A manual gearbox! This,
And, at this stage in my (admittedly quite boring) life, what I really 109bhp, 148lb ft truly, is a people carrier
need from a car is a) to ferry my kids and their great array of mucky stuff 48.7mpg, 130g/km CO2 for the discerning driver.
around the country uncomplainingly and b) that’s basically it. Doesn’t 0–62mph in 11.2secs, 130mph
need to be luxurious. Doesn’t need a rorty V8 under the bonnet. I want BAD STUFF
it big, I want it straightforward, I want value for cash. 1,205kg
Clutch pedal’s a bit sticky.
Even the basest Jogger comes with everything you need (steering wheel, MILEAGE: 1,340 OUR MPG: 43.1 Hopefully it’ll bed in with a
brakes, seats), but we’ve got the range-topping Extreme SE version, which few miles on the clock.
adds alloys, an infotainment screen and some slightly ambitious black
decals. Our test car is also fitted with literally every available optional
extra, comprising: metallic paint (£595) and a spare wheel (£300).
That’s your lot. All in, our Jogger tips the scales at just under 20 grand.

124 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

DS 9 DS 9 Fiat 500
NUGGETS
HELLO GOODBYE
The signature DS triangle/
£46,100/£50,415/£686 diamond design is on the £27,995 OTR/£30,132 as tested/£257pcm

WHY IT’S HERE start/stop button... WHY IT’S HERE

Can a luxury French car cut it ... on the control What’s it like to live with an urban EV without home charging?
against its established rivals? and click wheels on
the steering wheel... DRIVER
DRIVER
... on the main volume Vijay Pattni
Esther Neve control at the bottom
of the central screen... “IT’S GORGEOUS,” COOED PASSERS-BY AS I WAS SAT CHARGING
MEET THE NEWEST RECRUIT TO THE
BabyCar – sorry, TopGear’s long-term Fiat 500. Where every other car
TG Garage. Do you know what it is? on the road appears to be ‘shouting’ at you – to paraphrase what Polestar
Anyone? Fine, we’ll stop teasing – boss Thomas Ingenlath told us recently – the 500, with its puppy dog
it’s a DS 9. And though we don’t eyes and adorable proportions, feels like a reason to smile.
expect to see many others – sadly,
history and experience show that Is this why we like it? Objectively, there are a few important things
fancy French saloons just don’t sell to consider. It’s a car built for the city, but if you actually live in the city
as well as their German counterparts chances are you won’t have access to home charging. I did live in the
– we do still expect it to wow us. city, and I didn’t have access to home charging, which meant I spent a
disproportionate amount of time hunting for fast charging. Expensive to
It’s got off to a great start; it has fill up e-juice in the city too, as we’ve discovered in previous instalments.
a stack of standard equipment too And despite Fiat proudly claiming 199 miles of range from a full charge,
vast to mention the individual I never saw the readout display more than 161 miles on a full battery.
items. However, there is one that
stands head and shoulders above So it requires a bit of forward planning. During our time in the 500,
the rest as my favourite thing – DS we managed just over 4.0mpkWh which is decent. Plus, it rides and steers
Active Scan Suspension. This super well: comfortable but not wafty, paired with light, easy steering that’s
smart system uses a camera to scan geared perfectly for town. The regenerative braking takes some getting
the road ahead and then sends its used to but very quickly it’s so easy to develop a one-pedal driving style
intel to the damping which is made that using the brake pedal feels like you’re doing something wrong.
more or less stiff to accommodate
the potholes and road creases. It is Nothing wrong with the spec. We lucked out with Rose Gold paint and
amazing. Even on the rutted roads black wheels – special mention to the Ocean Green paint too – because it
the UK seems to specialise in, the looks plush. The Fiat 500’s legacy stretches back decades, and has almost
DS 9 does the wafty thing. The ride become shorthand for Italian style (maybe to the point of cliché), but in
is so supple, so pliable, I genuinely its new guise as a full EV, there’s no denying it is a gorgeous, desirable
believe (apart from other DS 9 little thing. If you can afford to run it, we can heartily recommend it.
drivers and anyone in an 812
Superfast with the bumpy roads
button) I have the smoothest
journeys of anyone in the UK.
A really good start to our time.

SPECIFICATION ... on the window SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF
and door lock buttons
1598cc, 4cyl turbo + e-motor, Electric motor, 42kWh Great looks, huge charm,
FWD, 222bhp, 266lb ft by the gearlever... battery, FWD, 118bhp peppy powertrain, good
176.0mpg, 35g/km CO2 4.7 miles per kWh, 199 miles entry into the EV world.
0–62mph in 8.3secs, 149mph ... and created digitally on 0–62mph in 9.0secs, 93mph
the many versions of the BAD STUFF
1,839kg 1,465kg
clocks in the binnacle. Expensive, interior feels a little
MILEAGE: 5,610 OUR MPG: 42.3 MILEAGE: 10,500 OUR MPKWH: 4.0 dated, infotainment not the
most responsive.

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 125

GO TO

TOPGEAR.COM

FOR EXTENDED TG
GARAGE REPORTS,
AND TO EXPLORE

THE ARCHIVE

Bentley Bentayga

HELLO

£157,800 OTR/£198,790 as tested/£1,700pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Does downsizing and plugging in a big, luxurious SUV actually work?

DRIVER

Rowan Horncastle

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! CAN EVERYONE PLEASE BE UPSTANDING FOR Still, if like me you have one of those lifestyles an electric car can’t quite
slot into, these PHEVs offer a natty solution. With the Bentayga serving up
the latest addition to the TopGear Garage: a Bentley Bentayga Hybrid. 25-ish miles of range from a 13kWh battery, it’s just about enough range
Believe it or not, Crewe’s luxo SUV is now seven years old. To counter for mooching around town. When those batteries are depleted, a 3.0-litre
single-turbo V6 cavalry good for 335bhp comes out from under the bonnet
the seven-year itch, this new hybrid Bentayga (the bestselling model) gifting you flexibility free of any major range or charging issues. But is it
arrived as part of an extensive 1,000 new component midlife facelift. A the best fit for a Bentayga? Well, we have a few months to find out.
facelift any plastic surgeon would be proud of as it’s taken some age and
flab out of the bodywork and significantly sharpened the looks. SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF

More importantly, the fact it’s a hybrid helps move the game on as 2995cc turbocharged V6, The removal of visual weight
it’s the first stepping stone to Bentley’s greener, electrified future. By next AWD, 443bhp, 516lb ft means it no longer has looks
year every Bentley will be available as a plug-in hybrid. Then, by 2026, all 86.0mpg, 79g/km CO2 that only a mother could love.
Bentleys will be either plug-in hybrid or fully electric – with Crewe’s first 0–62mph in 5.5secs, 158mph
all-electric car due to be launched in 2025. And get this, by 2030 all BAD STUFF
Bentleys will be EVs, with the W12 and V8s consigned to history. 2,626kg
Hmm. The TV screens in the
So, what exactly have we got in the garage? Finished in Dark Sapphire MILEAGE: 886 OUR MPG: 28.7 back don’t work and there’s
paintwork with the optional £5,435 ‘Blackline’ specification (which adds a rattle in the dash...
some mascara around the headlights and turns all chrome elements –
including the massive grille – black) it looks rather smart – which a big,
expensive (£158k) SUV like this should. Inside it’s got a belly full of
expensive wood and fine Brunel and saddle leather contrasted against
piano black fascias... which has caused a few raised eyebrows in the office.

126 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

BMW iX WHAT WERE Citroen e-Berlingo Electric
THEY THINKING?
REPORT 3 REPORT 2
This month:
£94,000/£115,670/£2,259 the DS 9’s lane £31,995 OTR/£33,870 as tested/£519pcm

WHY IT’S HERE keep assist WHY IT’S HERE
programme
This is BMW’s techo flagship, Can a van with windows triumph as an EV?
but what’s it like to live with? Esther Neve
So this one isn’t DRIVER
DRIVER exclusive to the
DS 9, but it is still Andy Franklin
Jason Barlow one of the more
annoying modern I’VE BEEN A BIT SPOILT THIS MONTH AND BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO
IT WAS ABOUT HALFWAY ROUND inconveniences that
modern carmakers spend some time in Jason Barlow’s BMW iX. And what a lovely thing it
the M25 – rarely the scene of many are forcing upon is. It also has a huge range, getting me to Bristol and back (a 320-mile
epiphanies, it must be said – when us. Hands up those round trip) on one charge... it even had 50 miles left when I got home.
I decided that the BMW iX was who switch off lane Then, after a full charge, it gave me a whopping 393 miles range the next
officially ‘The Future’. There is keep assist the day – that is the kind of EV motoring that is becoming a game changer.
arguably no more comfortable moment they get On average, I get a 120/130-mile usable range from the Berlingo.
and thought-provoking car into their car? Yup,
than this currently on sale. At every one of the TG When Jason and I discussed our cars on the changeover, we agreed
a steady motorway lope, it’s so team does the same. there were similarities we weren’t expecting. They both feel rather large
refined that it’s almost possible to While it can be useful on the road, which in the Berlingo’s case is quite deceptive, less so for the
achieve transcendence. It makes on a monotonous more imposing brutalist iX. Even their looks could be considered similar,
the torture of that road, and its motorway journey, both polarising opinion in different markets, a bit Marmite. And while
ilk, tolerable. And any car that if you’re on a quiet inside the Berlingo isn’t a patch in terms of either quality or the absolutely
can enliven your mood when road with just you stunning and futuristic design of the iX (I really recommend you go to
you’re struggling along clearly and a cyclist, trying a dealer to see the inside), they do both feel really roomy and relaxing.
has something going for it. to overtake the Quirky too, I love those Seventies inspired seat patterns.
pedal pusher without
Another observation: this being pushed back I’ll confess I spent my time in the iX thinking that if future BMWs
is an electric car whose software toward the kerb (and are as good, if not better, than this, then the future is very bright.
algorithms calculate its range therefore the cyclist)
accurately rather than basing them by LKA is impossible. It also made me consider more deeply the range limitation on
on pie in the sky being passed by Normally there’d be the Berlingo. If ever there was a car that oozes practicality but needs
flying pigs. Fully charged, the best no need to indicate a long range for families to do big trips, then this is it. I feel it’s going
I’ve seen is 350 miles, which drops except if you don’t, to hold this car back, which is a real shame. Just to prove me wrong,
to 250 after 100 miles of driving, the car will try to our very own Sam Burnett is going to take the Berlingo on a camping
assuming you’re not travelling at attack the innocent trip to the south coast – find out how he gets on next month. I’m off
warp speed, and maintains a cyclist. Even just going to southern France, but the family voted not to tolerate the charging
believable trajectory. BMW says past a parked car stops required...
that the iX’s battery is 40 per cent on a similarly quiet
more efficient than the one in the road causes the LKA SPECIFICATION
i3, and it definitely feels like a step to push you to the left
forward in real world conditions. again. Sadly I have Electric motor, 50kWh
no solution, I’m just battery, FWD, 136bhp
SPECIFICATION hoping the smarty 3.6 miles per kWh, 182 miles
pants car engineers 0–62mph in 9.0secs, 84mph
Twin electric motors, 4WD, will come up with one.
105.2kWh battery, 516bhp 1,664kg
GOOD STUFF
2.9 miles per kWh, 380 miles MILEAGE: 2,090 OUR MPKWH: 3.0
Had the opportunity to
0–62mph in 4.6secs, 125mph experience an EV in a
really positive way.
2,510kg
BAD STUFF
MILEAGE: 4,850 OUR MPKWH: 2.7
The range on the Berlingo
means an international family
break is impossible.

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 127

Volkswagen ID.4 Audi Q4 e-tron

REPORT 4 REPORT 2

£46,035 OTR/£49,400 as tested/£659pcm £55,435 OTR/£61,955 as tested/£690pcm

WHY IT’S HERE WHY IT’S HERE

It’s the bedrock of Volkswagen’s all-electric future push Is the Q4 e-tron superior to its VW Group siblings, or just pricier?

DRIVER DRIVER

Paul Horrell Jack Rix

JR: MR HORRELL, WE MEET AGAIN... EXACTLY AS WE DID 18 MONTHS mountaineering – the social kind. I don’t want to be associated with
that. I want something that looks as little as possible like a normal
ago to compare the Honda e and BMW i3. German crossover, and more like it might be electric. That said, I
PH: Indeed. And we have some new cars to argue about. The i3 and do have to concede your point about the amorphous blobbiness of
e were both designed as short distance compact cars, but they met the ID.4. The principle of its design suits me, but the execution
that aim by very different technical and design solutions. Not so this doesn’t. Now, opening the door to their interiors...
time. Here we’ve got two family electric crossovers that are exactly JR: This is where the Audi pulls a few car lengths ahead. I love the
the same technically. They’re even made at the same plant in Zwickau, way this interior looks – from the chunky slices of metal on the steering
Germany. But I rather fancy I’ve got the better deal. The differences wheel to the sleekly integrated screen and the quilted seats. However,
are looks, price, perhaps even image. Audi is also very good at putting the expensive bits where you see and
JR: It’s true, when they’re parked next to each other and you fully touch them, and saving money elsewhere. So there’s cheaper plastic
appreciate the identical proportions and shared tech, it’s tricky to justify lower down, and manually adjustable seats (on a £62k car!). The
spending more on the Audi... but Audi is the master of doing just enough infotainment works great except for the touch-sensitive thumb pads
to make its prices stand up. And it’s not even close on the looks front for on the wheel, they’re crap, although I must be honest and point out
me, there’s an amorphous blobbiness to the ID.4’s back end that’s mildly I use the wireless Apple CarPlay 98 per cent of the time, risking the
offensive, whereas the Q4’s creases and stubby nose aren’t adventurous, built-in nav only when I’m in deepest Normandy with no phone signal,
but certainly understated and premium – bang on the brief. and the radio when I fancy Test Match Special instead of a podcast.
PH: All those creases and chrome? Hardly ‘understated’. But yes, the PH: I like the cabin trim and decorative simplicity of the ID.4. And
Q4 looks like it slots neatly between the Q3 and Q5. Which is why I when I drew up you too couldn’t help saying you like the colour scheme.
dislike it. For most owners, a premium SUV does just one sort of

128 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

(Sadly that was a launch pack and has fallen from the configurator.) PH: As you say, there’s so little to distinguish these two cars. Odd
But I do so covet the Q4’s interface and screens. The ID.4 has VW’s to think that this is the only Audi except an R8 RWD that’s driven by
usual awful laggy touchscreen and an info-deficient driver’s display. the rear wheels alone. Not that you’d notice. Like the VW, the Q4 is a
I see you have the Q4’s binnacle set to show 13 different numerical household appliance rather than a driver’s car. Dynamic engagement
values, which might be a bit much. But the ID.4’s four – speed, cruise set has been sucked out of the pair of them. But they’re relaxing in town.
speed, range guesstimate and navigation ETA – are too few. And don’t Roomy and efficient too, so both of them have served us well for long
get me started on the idiocy of giving the driver just two switches for trips with loads of people and clobber. Now, the money. The VW feels
the four electric windows. Grrrrr. Need to calm myself... by going for cheaper inside, and it is cheaper, whether you buy on sticker price or
a little drive in south London’s traffic mayhem. finance. Is the Audi worth the extra? It thinks it’s better; I don’t think
JR: Breathe Paul, just breathe. In fact, toss me your keys, here are mine. it is. Still, as you’re the boss, I’ll let you have the last word.
Ah yes, I remember this interface from my drive to Scotland and back JR: Bizarre isn’t it, how you find yourself championing your own
in the ID.3, less said the better. The way it drives is fascinating – by and long-termers over rivals, like by taking the keys for six months you’ve
large there’s a mouse’s fart between this and ‘my’ Audi – but it does feel sworn to uphold their honour... which we haven’t. But I’m sticking
a fraction softer, waftier and pillowier. Got to say I prefer the slightly to my guns here – I’d take the Audi every day of the week. For a fairly
sharper steering and firmer ride in the Audi, because it’s not that firm joyless couple of cars, it at least gives me illusions of grandeur. That’s
at all. How you enjoying that upper-premium experience PH? what being editor is all about, isn’t it?

VW ID.4 SPEC AUDI Q4 E-TRON SPEC

Electric motor, 77kWh GOOD STUFF Electric motor, 77kWh GOOD STUFF
battery, RWD, 201bhp battery, RWD, 201bhp
3.9 miles per kWh, 317 miles Even in D mode, it automatically Hot weather equals more
slows when you get near a give 3.4 miles per kWh, 299 miles miles, range predictor now
0–62mph in 8.5secs, 99mph way, or the car in front brakes. consistently around 300.
0–62mph in 8.5secs, 99mph
2,045kg BAD STUFF
2,125kg BAD STUFF
MILEAGE: 7,468 OUR MPKWH: 3.3 This rather attractive launch
interior is no longer available. MILEAGE: 1,515 OUR MPKWH: 3.2 It’s a rear-wheel-drive Audi...
Only black now. but lacks any dynamism.

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 129

SKODA FABIA WHAT ELSE WE’RE RUNNING

REPORT 3 REPORT 6

£19,400/£21,925/£273 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

WHY IT’S HERE

Does relentless all-round
competence get boring?

DRIVER

Vijay Pattni

TG’S LONG-TERM SKODA FABIA IS

a humble three-cylinder supermini
with five doors, a manual gearbox,
some red paint and a rather
annoying lane assistance system
that you must turn off. Every.
Single. Time.

But not all heroes wear capes,
and in times of crisis they rise from
the most unexpected places. Places
like the bowels of a 1.0-litre, 108bhp
engine. Its frugal nature has been
a welcome boon during the recent
spike in fuel prices. At the time of
writing, the little Fabia’s clocked
just over 400 miles since I last filled
it up to full, and there’s an eighth
of a tank left.

Admittedly, at least 200 of those
miles were conducted on motorway
slogs, but that doesn’t automatically
grant it an easy pass. Because the
engine has such a narrow power
band, any time you have to
interrupt your consistent progress
means you have to row down the
gears, floor it, wait a bit, and then
continue. This, as you can imagine,
burns through petrol. And yet,
we’re seeing 50mpg easily.

SPECIFICATION REPORT 2

999cc, 3cyl turbo, FWD, JAGUAR F-PACE SVR
108bhp, 148lb ft
50.4mpg, 117g/km CO2
0–62mph in 10.0secs, 127mph

1,267kg

MILEAGE: 3,123 OUR MPG: 51.9

130 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Honda HR-V

REPORT 4

£32,260 OTR/£36,035 as tested/£443pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Does Honda’s eco champ stand out from the crossover crowd?

DRIVER

Charlie Rose

HAVING JUSTIFIED THE HR-V AS A SUITABLE WORKHORSE FOR THE TG To my delight, upon arrival at the festival, we had averaged a
respectable 49mpg. This was most definitely helped by the amount of
video department, this month I had my sights set on something far more variable speed limit zones we encountered along the way. Still, it’s good
testing: Glastonbury. Love it or hate it, it’s the holy grail of the British to know that the HR-V is capable of decent economy on congested British
festival scene and with 200,000 revellers descending on a field in rural motorways. This also meant that when all the fun was had and the party
Somerset, you better be sure you come prepared for every eventuality. was over we still had well over half a tank left to drive home in one swoop.
Just as well given Glastonbury’s parting gift to me was a bout of COVID-19.
Having toyed with the idea of catching the train down for no more
than a second, my wife and I set about accumulating as much camping SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF
equipment as we could physically stuff into the HR-V. A large tent,
inflatable mattress, gas cooker, cool box, chairs, table... the list goes on. 1498cc, 4cyl turbo + e-motor, Even the entry-level
Fortunately, the space that Honda’s ‘Magic Seats’ provide in the rear once AWD, 129bhp, 187lb ft spec has a decent
again excelled at gobbling up the large, unusually sized objects. 52.0mpg, 122g/km CO2 amount of kit.
0–62mph in 10.7secs, 106mph
The HR-V’s e:HEV hybrid powertrain consists of a 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol BAD STUFF
engine and two electric motors which operate seamlessly around town, 1,380kg
giving me an impressive 53mpg. Sadly, as soon as you get up to higher The 1.5-litre engine
speeds where the engine sends power to the wheels instead of the battery, MILEAGE: 9,101 OUR MPG: 50.3 sounds strained at
the mind-numbing drone of that engine and e-CVT transmission begins. higher speeds.

The HR-V does however, redeem itself with a well designed, comfortable
cabin containing an abundance of gadgetry like a 9in display with Apple
CarPlay, wireless charging, heated seats and adaptive cruise control with
lane keep assist. Ours also includes the premium speaker system.

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 131

GO TO

TOPGEAR.COM

FOR EXTENDED TG
GARAGE REPORTS,
AND TO EXPLORE

THE ARCHIVE

Nissan Qashqai

GOODBYE

£36,125 OTR/£37,270 as tested/£450pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Can millions of Qashqai owners be wrong?

DRIVER

Peter Rawlins

AS OUR TIME WITH THE QASHQAI COMES TO A CLOSE, TIME FOR ONE During our time with the Nissan it’s handled everything we’ve thrown
at it with ease, be it commute, staycation, tip trips or the supermarket
final test: a face-off against one of its many crossover competitors, namely run. It’s been much loved by our art editor Elliott and his family, as well as
the recently facelifted Vauxhall Grandland. Size wise it’s slightly bigger its long-term keeper Esther. Point of fact, I know she was loathe to hand it
than the Qashqai, measuring 52mm longer and 14mm wider, but whisper back, which is further evidence of the Qashqai’s all-round capability. A car
it, we reckon it’s the slightly better looking of the two. this well suited to family life is hard to ignore, and it’s obvious why
millions of Qashqai owners have bought one. Good choice.
Here, we’ve got the 1.3-litre Qashqai with 156bhp and auto box, and
the 1.2-litre Grandland with 128bhp and six-speed manual. Both are very SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF
quiet (the Qashqai particularly so), refined and economical, averaging
around the 40mpg mark. The Qashqai is arguably slightly better to drive 1332cc, 4cyl turbo, FWD, The original crossover still
– it steers smoothly and suppresses all but the harshest bumps and ruts 158bhp, 200lb ft holds its own up against
in the road, with little roll around corners. The Grandland fares slightly 43.8mpg, 146g/km CO2 its latest rivals.
worse – it’s by no means terrible, just a little less refined than the Qashqai. 0–62mph in 9.2secs, 124mph
BAD STUFF
Inside both are pleasant enough, with well thought-out cabins and 1,511kg
plenty of nice finishing touches. Both get a digital instrument cluster The competition is fast
(12.3-inch in the Qashqai, 12.0-inch in the Grandland), infotainment MILEAGE: 13,210 OUR MPG: 43.8 catching up, especially
screen (9.0-inch and 10.0-inch respectively), physical shortcut buttons and in the style stakes.
– best of all – proper climate control buttons. It’s again a close-run thing,
but we reckon the Grandland is the slightly sleeker of the two.

It’s interesting comparing rivals, and in this instance, though we were
impressed with the Grandland, it’s reinforced our positivity for the Qashqai.

132 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST
BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

BEGINNER’S
GUIDE TO NISSAN

From greatest hits to lowest moments, everything you ever
wanted to know... and a fair bit you didn’t

WORDS SAM BURNE T T, GREG POT TS

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 133

IMAGES: MANUFACTURER

FOR MORE
MIND-BLOWING
MANUFACTURER

GUIDES

What’s Nissan and when
did it start making cars?

In 1911 a fellow called Masujiro Hashimoto because ‘son’ sounds like a lot like a word for foreign factory opened in Mexico in 1966. In
started a company in Japan called Kwaishinsha disadvantage in Japanese). DAT had meanwhile 1984 the Nissan brand began to be phased in
Motor Car Works, building its first car in 1914. merged with Tobata Casting, later swallowed and the Datsun badge withdrawn.
That was called the DAT, based on the initials up by a holding company called Nihon Sangyo,
of the three main investors’ surnames. founded by Yoshisuke Aikawa in 1928. Phew. Nissan has remained independent, but did
enter into an alliance with Renault in 1999, which
The marque became DAT Motors by 1925, The Nissan Motor Co name was established resulted in the world’s fourth largest carmaker.
making trucks and cars. The 1931 Type 11 was a in 1934, and the Datsun Type 15 was Japan’s first There were hints of a merger between the two,
smaller car than it had built before, and termed domestically mass produced car in 1937. Exports but it all ended badly in 2018 when CEO Carlos
a son of DAT, or Datson (tweaked to Datsun to the US began in 1958, and Nissan’s first Ghosn was arrested in Japan. Erp.

134 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST

Nissan’s greatest hits

01 02 03

04 05 06

07 08 09

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 135

What’s the cheapest car FACTOID
Nissan builds... and what’s
the most expensive? Nissan’s name
comes from Nihon
The stalwart Micra is Nissan’s cheapest car, opened for orders. The oddly named top spec Sangyo (or Japan
though it looks different in its fifth generation e-4ORCE Evolve model comes with an 87kWh
than it has before. You’ll spend £17,235 to get battery and a 285-mile range. It’s well specced, Industries), its
behind the wheel of the base spec Acenta model, with reams of safety tech, heated seats all round, parent firm from
which comes with auto wipers and headlights, and a table that pops out of the central storage. 1933. Nihon Sangyo
cruise control, front electric windows and was a zaibatsu, a
smartphone integration on the 7in touchscreen. You can bump the £56,290 RRP up further by pre-WW2 family
opting for the £1,295 blue upholstered interior, owned conglomerate
Nissan’s current most expensive model in same again for the panoramic sunroof or £850 (Mitsubishi was
the UK is the Ariya electric SUV, which has just for the 20in alloy wheels with aero covers. another) similar

to the chaebol
(Samsung, Hyundai,
LG) in South Korea.
When it was listed
on the Tokyo stock

exchange in 1933
Nihon Sangyo was
shortened to Nissan

on the ticker,
a name which
eventually stuck.

What is Nissan’s fastest car?

With a reputation like out at top speed, although hang on, that car isn’t buy in the UK, with a top
Nissan’s, you’d think it would as it turns out that car is only actually going to be available speed of 128mph. Instead
be easy to pick the Japanese available in Japan these days in Europe either. That’s a bit of taking your trusty family
car firm’s fastest car out because of Europe’s pesky annoying. It also means crossover on your local track
of a line-up of the usual emissions rules. Well then, the Qashqai SUV and its day, maybe it’s best to look
suspects. The venerable perhaps there’s the new 156bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine around on the secondhand
GT-R T-Spec does a Nissan Z with its perky top complete with 6spd manual market... just watch out for
magnificent 196mph flat speed of 155mph... except is the fastest Nissan you can anything too fast.

136 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

NOTABLE EXHAUST
PEOPLE
4,065,014
Masujiro Hashimoto
Engineer with a vision to Nissan has six main production plants in Japan, including
make domestic cars when its original factory in Yokohama, as well as dozens of other
everything was imports facilities across the globe. In the UK, its Sunderland plant
opened in 1984, and it’s here the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf are put
Yoshisuke Aikawa together for the European market to the tune of half a million
Entrepreneurial type started cars a year. Nissan sold 4,065,014 cars in 2021, down a mere 0.9
the enormous company that per cent on the year before but significantly lower than recent
took Nissan on to greatness highs of 5.8 million in 2017. That of course was at the height of
Carlos Ghosn’s volume chasing era, which has given way to
Carlos Ghosn
Divisive celebrity CEO something a bit more sober and profitable.
brought sales success, hid
in a box, now lives in exile What’s the best concept
that Nissan’s made?

Kazutoshi Mizuno Nissan has done some nice concept cars in offered a tastefully leathered interior, rear-
Former Nissan chief its time, but its greatest concept is the one that wheel drive and a four-wheel steering system
engineer was the brains got away – the Foria, shown at the Tokyo Motor for ferret-like agility.
behind the iconic GT-R Show in 2005. A retro-styled tribute to the 1965
Silvia, it promised a delightful little 2+2 coupe. Any effort to put the car into production
Makoto Uchida got canned by Carlos Ghosn’s strict cost-cutting
Homegrown CEO appointed There was no mention of what engine would measures at the height of the financial crisis in
in 2019 to lead the dicy post- have powered the Foria, but the concept car 2009. Sad times.

Ghosn era and go electric

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 137

What was Nissan’s What was Nissan’s
best moment? worst moment?

At the turn of the millennium Nissan was actually quite a cool brand, Nissan resumed production very quickly after World War Two
somehow capturing the zeitgeist. It was the brand for petrolheads thirsty under the watchful eye of the US and UK occupying forces – trucks in
for overpowered, driftable, underground performance cars that they could 1945 and cars by 1947. The zaibatsu conglomerates were dismantled and
mess with at home. rules introduced to improve standards for workers in the country.

The R34 Skyline GT-R ramped that model to fever pitch between 1999 It was a difficult time, though, and there were constant arguments
and 2002, achieving cult status and setting the Nürburgring on fire. The between Nissan and its powerful workers’ union, demanding higher pay
200SX models of the late Nineties and early Noughties became cars of while the company was in financial difficulty. Things came to a head in
choice for drifters, and the 350Z in 2002 was a welcome return to a more 1953 with a now notorious 100-day strike. Nissan took a hardline stance
traditionally hairy chested sports car, opting out of the suave slickness of on negotiations – there wouldn’t be any.
the German efforts of the time.
The factories were locked and hundreds of workers sacked. Union
And for everyone who couldn’t drive the cars there was Gran Turismo leaders were arrested by the occupying forces and after a 100-day strike
on the Playstation, establishing Nissan’s following. Then came the Qashqai the union ran out of cash. A new union was set up by Nissan that agreed
SUV in 2006 and Nissan’s never looked back... to a deal for wage cuts to protect jobs.

138 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

What was Nissan’s EXHAUST
biggest surprise?
LOGO
Money was looking a bit tight again in 1999, and Nissan announced EVOLUTION
a surprise alliance with French carmaker Renault in an effort to pool
resources. Renault CEO Louis Schweitzer sent his hatchet man Carlos 1933
Ghosn to become CEO of Nissan in 2001 with a mission to cut costs and
put the Japanese manufacturer back on an even keel. First company logo
took its inspiration from
The proof of the pudding was in the quick turnaround and return to
profitability, which made Ghosn a celebrity in Japan and he had plaudits Japan’s rising sun
thrown at him. There was even a comic book of his life story, at one point.
1950
An even bigger surprise was to come, however. With continued profits
and talk of a Renault/Nissan merger in the air in 2018, Ghosn was arrested Spent 20-odd years
in November by the Japanese authorities on fraud charges. Skip forward messing with different
to December 2019 and still under house arrest, Ghosn fled the country by
hiding in a box for musical instruments. He now lives in exile in Lebanon. logos. Here’s one

1960

Cursive Sixties effort has
an air of Diet Ford about it.

Looked nice on the cars

1983

Back to basics in the
Eighties, but with a

more boring font

1990

Went chrome before
it was cool – real

trendsetter is Nissan

PRESENT

Minimalist logo based
on one of the knobs
from your gas hob

T O P G E A R . C O M › S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 139

EXHAUST

Now you’re a Nissan
expert, it’s time to buy one...

Nissan 350Z / 2003–2009 / £4,000–£15,000

What is it? and helped the 350Z to sprint from 0–62mph Belts and braces
in under six seconds and on to a top speed of Guides and tensioners
The Nissan 350Z was first shown to the world 155mph. On sale through to 2009, the drop-top for timing chain can fail
in the summer of 2002, although it wasn’t until Roadster went on sale in the UK in 2005, before – check for a rattling or
a year later that it finally made its way over power was upped to 296bhp in all manual cars in clunking from the engine
to Europe and the UK. It was conceived to 2006. Then, in 2007 the whole lineup was given a bay on ’03–’06 cars
continue the bloodline of Nissan’s Z cars – a facelift, which brought a more prominent
then four-generation dynasty that had begun bonnet bulge and a new, higher revving
in 1969 with the Datsun 240Z. engine that made 309bhp and an improved
264lb ft of torque.
Penned at Nissan Design America in
California, the 350Z followed the classic sports Driving
car recipe of beefy engine up front, two seats
in the middle and all of the power sent out to These days the 350Z is like instant mashed
the back of the car. The name came from the potato or playing a bit of Snake on a Nokia
3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 – no cheeky 3310. It’s a comforting throwback to simpler
turbos here – which at launch made 276bhp

WORDS GREG POTTS PHOTOGRAPHY JONNY FLEETWOOD Price is right
Cheaper cars will be convertibles, autos
or those with very poor modifications.
Avoid if it’s been messed about with

140 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 › T O P G E A R . C O M

times – a sleek-looking coupe with a brawny Pre-facelift cars will rev to 6,500rpm, Brass tax
engine that sends its power to the rear wheels with post-2006 cars bettering that by another You’ll pay less VED on
through a chunky manual gearbox. That is, thousand revs. All 350Zs sound impressive a pre-facelift car (£360)
unless you specced the five-speed auto back for the money you’ll be spending on a than a later car with the
in the Noughties. If you did, please feel free secondhand one, though. updated engine (£630)
to show yourself out. The manual doesn’t have
the slickest shift you’ll ever experience and the Interior
clutch is particularly heavy, but all of this adds
up to an engaging drive and matches up nicely The 350Z was well priced when it launched,
with the weighty steering. with an entry-level version kicking off at around
£24,000. Most customers added the £2,500 GT
A 235-litre boot meant reasonable touring Pack though, which brought cruise control,
potential if you packed very lightly, and while heated leather seats and a Bose stereo. Don’t
24mpg was nothing to write home about, a large expect soft touch plastics and knurled metal –
fuel tank meant you could just about nudge over this is a bargain basement 2000s interior and
400 miles fully brimmed. feels it. Great seating position, though.

Thirsty work
Both versions of the 3.5 V6 like to
burn through oil so check levels
have been properly maintained

Stir gently Next
Synchros are prone to wear so make month:
sure you shift through all the gears
on a test drive to check Lamborghini

CITY CARS SUPERMINIS FAMILY HATCHBACKS

These small cars are perfect for urban life, You drive mostly around town, with occasional A good electric family hatch needs decent
but the trade-off is a much lower range need for longer distances? Try these for size range without compromising interior space

1. HONDA e 1. BMW i3 1. RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH

PRICE: £34,420–£37,520 RANGE: Up to 136 miles PRICE: £33,805–£34,805 RANGE: Up to 189 miles PRICE: ££35,995–£39,995 RANGE: Up to 292 miles

This TG favourite has retro styling and a brilliant Remember when BMWs used to be cool? Well the Renault hopes to bring a bit of va va voom (French
interior, but it’s a smidge expensive and the range i3 does. Perhaps the only model in the company’s for increased car sales) to its electric line-up with this
isn’t great. Somehow we can’t help but love it... range where everyone else will be tailgating you. larger electric Megane. Early signs are promising.

2. MINI ELECTRIC 2. PEUGEOT e-208 2. HYUNDAI IONIQ 5

PRICE: £29,500–£33,610 RANGE: Up to 145 miles PRICE: £30,195–£34,345 RANGE: Up to 232 miles PRICE: £37,600–£46,090 RANGE: Up to 298 miles

The electric version of the home-grown favourite The e-208 is competent and stylish, but ultimately Hyundai’s newest addition is much bigger than it
squeezes the BMW i3’s powertrain into a familiar you’ll fall into one of two camps: outraged about the looks in pics, but comes with solid range, loads of
package. Range not massive, but the car’s still fun. tiny steering wheel or you don’t understand the fuss. space and a host of life-enhancing touches inside.

3. FIAT 500 3. RENAULT ZOE 3. POLESTAR 2

PRICE: £23,835–33,835 RANGE: Up to 199 miles PRICE: From £31,995 RANGE: Up to 245 miles PRICE: £40,900–£45,900 RANGE: Up to 336 miles

The latest version of the 500 offers sharper looks, They grow up so fast, don’t they? The Zoe’s not long Undercover Volvo offers Scandinavian attention to
good value and decent range – and a parcel shelf turned eight, but a recent refresh has given the car detail paired with a level of build quality that would
full of soft toys shouldn’t hurt the battery too much. a boost. The entry model is a touch underpowered. shame a number of much more expensive cars.

4. VW e-Up 4. VAUXHALL CORSA-e 4. KIA EV6

PRICE: From £24,085 RANGE: 159 miles PRICE: £28,555–£31,160 RANGE: Up to 209 miles PRICE: £44,195–£56,095 RANGE: Up to 328 miles

It’s always been one of the finest city cars out there, A Peugeot e-208 in a Vauxhall suit – the EV’s gone It’s not just Volkswagen that can do platform sharing
but you’ve got to be sure you could cope with all of fully mainstream. This is the one to buy if you don’t – Hyundai/Kia’s efforts are pretty solid. The EV6 is
the Yorkshire-accented jokes that plague the e-Up. want anyone to notice you’ve taken the plunge. smaller than the Ioniq 5 but still massively impressive.

FOR ALL THE FACTS, STATS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS FOR EVERY NEW CAR ON SALE GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

READY TO MAKE THE SWITCH?
WE SEPARATE WHAT’S HOT FROM WHAT’S NOT

COMPACT SUVS FAMILY CARS PREMIUM SUVS

Small, but perfectly formed. These cars are a Slightly larger electric cars that are designed Go big or go home, we say. Wafting along
perfect second motor or teeny family wagon to cope with everything you can throw at them in style is perfect for an electric powertrain

1. PEUGEOT e-2008 1. SKODA ENYAQ 1. BMW iX

PRICE: £33,700–£38,850 RANGE: Up to 206 miles PRICE: £40,915–£47,820 RANGE: Up to 336 miles PRICE: £77,305–£116,905 RANGE: Up to 380 miles

Wait, when did Peugeots become so desirable As usual, Skoda offers a down-to-earth and slightly A lovely cabin and it’s not too bad to drive – which is
again? The e-2008 is surprisingly fun to drive and cheaper alternative to whatever Volkswagen is great, because inside the BMW iX is one of the few
offers a chic interior with lots of nifty touches. pumping out. To great effect, as it turns out... places where you don’t have to look at the outside.

2. HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC 2. VOLKSWAGEN ID.BUZZ 2. JAGUAR I-PACE

PRICE: £30,450–£37,900 RANGE: Up to 300 miles PRICE: From £57,115 RANGE: Up to 250 miles PRICE: £65,620–£76,920 RANGE: Up to 286 miles
Our electric car of the year comes with an imposing
The Kona is highly specced, offers a solid slug heritage, but it’s a solid family wagon that shows off The I-Pace is the electric vehicle you’ll want to
of range and looks pretty sharp too. Good value, a different side to Volkswagen’s electric platform. show off to your neighbours. If they’ll listen to you.
good range and good looking. What’s not to like? Decent range, solid performance and great looks.

3. VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE 3. TESLA MODEL Y 3. AUDI E-TRON

PRICE: £45,750–£60,300 RANGE: Up to 264 miles PRICE: £57,990–£67,990 RANGE: Up to 331 miles PRICE: £62,785–£95,685 RANGE: Up to 252 miles
A Model 3 with more headroom and a seven-seat
‘Normal’ XC40 is a peach, and electric version adds option. Latest Tesla gets usual blend of innovative Audi’s effort is the safest premium bet if you’re
Polestar 2 powertrain to great effect. Expensive, but disruption and occasionally iffy build quality. worried about switching, but overall it’s a fairly
you won’t have to explain to everyone what it is. conventional EV, just with cameras for mirrors.

4. VAUXHALL MOKKA-e 4. FORD MUSTANG MACH-E 4. BMW iX3

PRICE: From £31,935 RANGE: 201 miles PRICE: £47,530–£68,030 RANGE: Up to 379 miles PRICE: £62,865–£65,865 RANGE: Up to 282 miles

We’re not exactly sure how to feel about finding a The Mach-E isn’t really a Mustang at all, or a men’s Slightly stealthier than some of BMW’s more
Vauxhall stylish, must be the pandemic strain. New razor, but it looks pretty good. It’s definitely a Ford aesthetically challenging EVs, this car is essentially
Mokka-e gets PSA undercrackers, so it’s decent too. though, so relentless competence is guaranteed. an electric translation of the bestselling X3 SUV.

FOR ALL THE FACTS, STATS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS FOR EVERY NEW CAR ON SALE GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

PERFORMANCE EVs SPECIAL MENTIONS “I’VE BOUGHT ONE!
WHAT NOW?”
For when money’s no object and the sky’s The EVs that have caught our eye, for all the
the limit on car performance right reasons. Who said they aren’t cool? You have a home charge
point. Don’t you? Well, get
1. RIMAC NEVERA BEST FOR RELIVING THE SIXTIES one. There’s a grant, so it’ll
cost you less than £500. If
PRICE: £1.7m RANGE: 340 miles Everyone wants to be all futuristic, but electric cars you don’t have a driveway,
are allowed to be a little bit retro too. We love the new to get an overnight or all-
Brain-scrambling performance from the Croatian Volkswagen ID.Buzz. Let’s party like it’s the Swinging day recharge check zap-
entry, and £1.7m might be a lot, but it’s a bargain next Sixties and we’ll completely skip the Seventies oil crisis. map.com for posts near
to the Pininfarina Battista that nicked its underpinnings. home or work that give
between 5kW and 7kW.
2. PORSCHE TAYCAN SPORT TURISMO BEST FOR CHEAP RANGE Always make sure that
you know in advance the
PRICE: £73,650–£140,080 RANGE: Up to 306 miles There are all sorts of factors involved in getting a supplier for the post you
new car, but if you want maximum bang (range) for want to use, and register
The Sport Turismo version of the Taycan takes your buck (money) then the MG ZS EV Long Range on its app or get its
nothing away in terms of the car’s impressive costs £31k and does 273 miles on a WLTP charge. dedicated RFID card.
performance, adds sleek rear that looks great.
Rapid (DC) chargers,
3. TESLA MODEL 3 PERFORMANCE BEST FOR CARRYING PEOPLE at a slightly higher price,
are best used for long trips,
PRICE: £61,490 RANGE: 352 miles You can seat up to nine people in the 50kWh Citroen like you’d stop for fuel.
e-SpaceTourer, or if your life has taken a particularly They take roughly as long
Ignore all of the Tesla hype and what you’re left with strange turn you can get up to six Isofix points in the as filling with petrol and
is a solid car with impressive performance. Tesla’s car. Saving on fuel could really be a priority here... having a full English.
charge network means it isn’t just for early adopters.
In winter, keep plugged
4. BMW i4 M50 BEST FOR HILLS in until you drive away, as
pre-warming the battery
PRICE: £63,905 RANGE: 315 miles The McMurtry Spéirling effortlessly dismantled Nick and cabin increases range.
Heidfeld’s long-standing Goodwood hill climb record When possible, choose
In case you were worried that BMW’s M division was this year. The electric hypercar started with one fan heated/cooled seats over
going to drop the ball in our glorious new electric and ended up with thousands after its exciting run. cabin heating and aircon.
future, along comes a brilliant i4 to calm our fears. Try to drop your motorway
speed by 10mph: it’ll hugely
increase range, getting you
there far more quickly if it
avoids a recharging stop.

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BAFFLED BY ELECTRIC CAR JARGON?
YOUR GUIDE TO DECODING THE FUTURE IS HERE

EV Volts, amps plug. Fast or level 2 refers accurate than the old NEDC Supercapacitor
and watts to the wall mounted AC standard, but still optimistic.
Let’s start with a simple one. charging boxes you can Supercapacitors can charge
EV means electric vehicle, as We’re going to go full science install in your house or office, Regen and discharge more quickly
opposed to one powered by teacher on you and use an which go up to 7.4kW on than regular batteries – good
petrol, diesel, used chip oil, analogy. Imagine a river: the normal 240V single phase Shorthand for ‘regenerative for bursts of speed – and can
Chanel No 5 or magic. volts are how fast the river AC, or 22kW on industrial braking’. Electric motors work tolerate more charge and
flows, the amps are how three phase. Rapid or level 3 by using electricity and discharge cycles, but they’re
BEV much water is flowing, and is the high-power, DC supply, magnets to spin a shaft. So, still not as energy dense as
the watts are how easily it’ll this is the sort you’ll find at if you were to spin it manually, batteries, so you’re unlikely
Must not be pronounced carry you downstream. motorway services and say, by coasting, you will then to see them as direct battery
‘Bev’, like your favourite lunch dedicated charging areas. generate electricity, because replacements. More likely
lady, but ‘B-E-V’. It stands for kW generators are basically to supplement a petrol
battery electric vehicle. As CHAdeMO motors operating the engine’s performance.
opposed to what... steam- Logical, metric countries use opposite way. See Lamborghini Sián.
fuelled? Just call them EVs kilowatt to measure power CHAdeMO is not the result
like everyone else. from petrol and diesel of a cat walking across a Range CCZ
engines. For the rest of us a keyboard. It’s basically the
ICE kilowatt is 1,000 watts, and is fast charging standard How far you’ll get in your car The Congestion Charge
the most common measure Japan came up with. from the amount of energy Zone in London. From 7am
The internal combustion of power in an EV. A kilowatt Competing standards you put into it. So, it’s been to 10pm, it’s £15 to drive in this
engine. Confusingly, ICE is equal to about 1.34bhp. include CCS and Tesla fuel from a tank for most of zone. Used to be cheaper
can also stand for in-car Superchargers, which all your life, now it’s a battery. and apply over fewer hours,
entertainment (ie the stereo, kWh look reaaaaally similar. but it’s been ‘temporarily’
touchscreen and so on). Range anxiety hiked to cover post-COVID-19
Stands for kilowatt hours and CCS costs for the authorities. But,
PHEV can cut two ways – how much The fear of being very far with an electric car you can
power you’ve used (which The DC charger you’ll most from home, on a dark and pay a one-off £10 for an
Plug-in hybrid electric a utilities bill does), or how likely use across the UK and cold night, without enough exemption that lasts a year.
vehicle, or a hybrid with a much capacity there is in a Europe. Works in everything power to make it to a
bigger battery that you can battery. For instance, a Tesla from a Tesla to a VW. charging station. In the ULEZ
plug in to charge, giving you Model S has 100kWh of short term, the solution is
a short, say 20-mile, electric- capacity, of which you’ll Supercharging more rapid charge stations, The CCZ is there to ease
only range. Amazing tax- be able to use about 90, in the long term, better traffic; London’s Ultra Low
dodging mpg figures in the because fully depleting If it looks like a CCS charger energy density and more Emissons Zone is to ease
official tests, not so amazing a battery is a great way and works like a CCS charger, efficient cars should ease pollution. The ULEZ is in effect
in real life... unless you plug in to ruin it forever. it could very well be a Tesla our furrowed brows. every hour of every day, and
every night and use the car Supercharger. But you can’t will rain down with great
exclusively for short trips. AC and DC use it unless you’re in a Tesla. Li-ion vengeance and furious
application of a £12.50
MHEV AC stands for alternating mpkWh A contraction of lithium-ion, charge if you drive into
current, and DC stands for which refers to the chemical the zone in a petrol car
The mild hybrid EV, or MHEV, Batman comics... er, wait... Not content with the unholy make-up of a typical battery that doesn’t meet Euro 4
the very bottom rung of the direct current. AC’s better for union of litres of petrol and pack. The 12V brick used to standards or a diesel car
electrified vehicle ladder. A long-distance transmission, pints of milk, the UK’s uneasy start your petrol powered car that doesn’t meet Euro 6
small electric motor assists because it can easily be blend of metric and Rees- is a lead-acid battery, but standards. The good news
the engine, but doesn’t have transformed (to higher Mogg leaves us measuring lithium-ion is now the global is that full EVs are exempt.
enough gumption to push the voltage, lower current, EV economy in miles per norm for powering new EVs.
car on its own. MHEVs usually so fewer heat losses). kilowatt hour. So, if you have FCEV
manage a fuel saving of Transforming DC power 50 usable kWh, and run at Solid-state
about 10 per cent compared is a faff but, because DC 4.0mpkWh, you’ll do 200 miles battery Fuel cell electric vehicles, like
with a pure petrol car. charging stations can be as before you’re stranded. the Toyota Mirai. Separating
big as they need to be, they The next big step in battery hydrogen and oxygen takes
REX can employ high-voltage W LT P tech – holds more energy a lot of energy, but reuniting
power, giant transformers than an equivalent-sized them in just the right way
Refers to range extenders, and rectifiers and get huge Stands for Worldwide li-ion battery, or the same releases energy. You can
or small internal combustion power – up to 350kW. Harmonised Light Vehicle amount of energy but in burn hydrogen, but in a
engines used as generators Test Procedure. A way to test a smaller and lighter pack. hydrogen fuel cell you
to recharge EV batteries on Slow, fast and new cars to see how much They’re easier to cool, too, generate electricity to drive
the move. Engine can be rapid charging fuel, or energy, they use, how which means you can charge an electric motor. It’s also
run at its most efficient rpm, much greenhouse gas they them quicker before they get easier to move H2 over long
converting fuel to electricity, Slow or level 1 charging is expel, and how far they get too hot. At least five years distances than electricity.
which is fed to the motors when you use a regular wall on one tank/charge. More until any come to market.
that supply the motive force.

FOR ALL THE FACTS AND STATS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY CAR ON SALE IN THE UK GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

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MODERN CLASSIC INSURANCE

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High Street, Ripley, Surrey GU23 6AZ

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Here at Karmann Classics we pride ourselves in sourcing and
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