
WATCH: V12 super-battle as new Aston Martin Vanquish takes on Ferrari 12Cilindri – but which one will win?
If you want to compare Aston and Ferrari, there's no end of criteria. Yet the comparison that hits hardest and means the most remains Il Classico. We're talking grand tourers, especially the V12 ones. For us these extraordinary cars still define the companies. Does it matter which wins? In truth, not especially. I'll tell you now that, barring the odd quirk, both the 12Cilindri and the Vanquish offer an experience so absurdly gratifying, exciting and evocative that you would give a kidney to own either. Today's verdict is more of a gun-to-the-head affair – watch the film above to find it out…

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Auto Car
8 minutes ago
- Auto Car
This smartphone maker broke a Nürburgring lap record – and now its bringing its EVs to Europe
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is planning to start selling its new electric cars in Europe within the next two years. Historically best known as a manufacturer of consumer electronics (primarily its hugely popular smartphones), Xiaomi launched the SU7 saloon as its first EV in 2023 and announced plans to become one of the world's five biggest car makers. With its second EV, the YU7 SUV, now also on sale in China, Xiaomi Auto is one of the fastest-growing car brands in its home market, with more than 80,000 cars delivered in the last quarter alone (a near-200% yearly increase), and is laying the groundwork to soon start exporting cars internationally. In an earnings call this week, company president William Lu told international media that Xiaomi Auto plans to enter the European EV market in 2027, having recently shared a photo of an SU7 on German plates to his Weibo account. Lu is reported as saying the company is in the research and preparation phase of its European rollout and did not give any specific details on timings or model lines. Before sending its cars overseas, however, Xiaomi must contend with severe production bottlenecks at its factory in Beijing. Wait times for the SU7 are currently at 41 weeks, according to Chinese outlet CnEVPost, and orders placed now for the YU7 won't be fulfilled for more than a year. Xiaomi reportedly took around 240,000 orders for its Tesla Model Y rival within 18 hours of its unveiling in June – largely attributed to a low starting price equivalent to just £29,000 – leading to a backlog as the firm ramped up production of its two debut models in very short succession. Responding to criticism of the delays on social media, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun recommended that disappointed customers consider rival products. "If you need to buy a car quickly, other China-produced new energy vehicles are pretty good,' he said, highlighting the Xpeng G7, Li Auto i8 and even the Tesla Model Y - which he called "a great car". Amid high demand for its first two cars, Xiaomi's EV business generated revenues of just over £2 billion in the last financial quarter and is expected to achieve monthly or quarterly profitability later this year, Lu said in the earnings call. However, he added that the company is still ultimately operating at a loss following investments of more than £3 billion in the company's launch and scale-up. Xiaomi's EVs are likely to be pitched more overtly at the premium end of the market in Europe, given their performance focus and high levels of technology.


Auto Express
19 minutes ago
- Auto Express
New Dacia Bigster 4x4 2025 review: the only off-roader you'll ever need
Despite it being the flagship model, Dacia's cost-cutting is still evident - yet it's fine given the Bigster's sub-£30k status. With the 4x4 you'll notice a drop in efficiency so unless you're regularly taking your Bigster onto the rough stuff, keep with the two-wheel-drive models. However, if you want a spacious SUV that has proper credentials off-road, then the Bigster 4x4 is hard to fault. Advertisement - Article continues below The Dacia Bigster is the most versatile car to date from Dacia. Along with being Dacia's largest SUV, the Bigster comes with either mild-hybrid and full-hybrid engines, and an additional plug-in hybrid is expected in 2026. The only thing the Bigster hasn't got covered for Dacia is seven-seat capacity, which keeps the Dacia Jogger MPV in a job at least. We've already driven the Bigster in its two-wheel-drive guises (the Hybrid 155 and the TCe 140), but given Dacia has tried hard to shift its image from that of a budget-focused brand to a more off-road adventuring car company, we thought it was about time to get behind the wheel of the Bigster 4x4. All-wheel-drive Bigsters are offered with just the one engine option, the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid TCe 130. Our car is also the 'Extreme' variant, possibly the most suitable trim for the Bigster regarding Dacia's targeted brand identity. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Bigster range skips the Essential trim level other Dacias start with, and begins with Expression, which in 4x4 guise costs from £27,465. Then comes Journey, costing from £26,765 and finally the Extreme at £29,265 – £2,695 more expensive than a Duster Extreme with the same engine and all-wheel drive system. Advertisement - Article continues below If you're tempted, you can find the very best Dacia Bigster deals via our Find a Car service. You can also find great prices on used Dacia Bigster models . It's no surprise to learn that the Bigster and Duster share the same CMF platform. When we tested the Duster with this engine and all-wheel drive set up in 2024 we came away impressed with its off-road ability and the fact it didn't diminish its on-road manners or usability too much. The TCe 130 mild-hybrid used in the Bigster 4x4 is the least powerful engine available in Dacia's flagship SUV. It produces 128bhp and 230Nm of torque, and the Bigster 4x4 will eventually get to 62mph in 11.2 seconds (the two-wheel-drive TCe 140 and Hybrid 155 versions take 9.8 seconds and 9.7 seconds respectively). However, the Bigster 4x4 doesn't actually feel that slow on the road. Okay, you won't be rewarded with thrilling straight-line pace but it's only 0.2 seconds slower to 62mph than the smaller Dacia Duster 4x4, thanks to the Bigster weighing 1,428kg (just 38kg more than the Duster). Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The engine is pretty smooth in its power delivery, too. You get the sense the turbocharger is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and the motor's a little more vocal than you might expect, but it's responsive enough and doesn't need to be thrashed to get the Bigster to shift. The six-speed manual is a known entity and just like in other Renault Group products we found the overall shift to be pleasant enough, although the clutch pedal remains spongy. Advertisement - Article continues below This Extreme 4x4 version of the Bigster gets 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-season tyres as standard (as opposed to the 19-inch rims on the Journey) in keeping with the off-road focus of the Extreme. This is a good thing because during our drive of the Bigster Journey we experienced a bit of unwanted tyre roar at motorway speeds, but this wasn't the case with the smaller wheels. There's still some wind noise surrounding the door mirrors and a floaty sensation to the Bigster's ride in the 4x4 model, but it coped with any potential tramlining exceptionally well. On the motorway, we almost matched Dacia's claimed 46.3mpg with 44mpg without really trying. This dropped to 42.5mpg once we'd pottered around town for a bit, but those are impressive figures considering the size of the Bigster. However, against the claimed 52.3mpg of the TCe 140 and the whopping 60.1mpg of the Hybrid 155, you'll have to think long and hard if you're willing to forego efficiency for the extra capability of the 4x4. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below If you are in need of off-road ability at the expense of efficiency then the Bigster 4x4 has you covered. The numbers are impressive - its approach angle of 24 degrees and departure angle of 29 degrees (the maximum angles you can go up and down a hill without scuffing some bodywork), along with a ramp angle of 23.2 degrees are the best you'll find this side of a Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class. The Bigster's ground clearance is impressive too at 219mm, largely because it has no traditional transfer box for the four-wheel drive system lurking underneath. Advertisement - Article continues below On all-terrain tyres, the Bigster 4x4 provided us with all the grip and off-road potential we could hope for during a mild journey down a rather derelict farm track. We got the sense that the Bigster's light weight helped massively in this area, enabling it to scamper over ruts and potholes that would cause heavier and more expensive SUVs to flounder. While it's not exclusive to the Extreme or the 4x4, the recycled material (called 'Starkle') that Dacia uses for the body cladding on the bumpers and wheelarches is a good idea, too. It's able to take the punishment of hedge scratches or scuffs without much impact or cost, because it's cheap and easy to replace. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Bigster 4x4 might be one of the cheapest C-segment SUVs out there, but it comes with various drive modes. There's 'Auto' which automatically distributes torque between the two axles, depending on speed and grip levels. There's also the self-explanatory 'Snow', 'Mud and Sand', 'Eco' and 'Off-road'. A hill descent control also comes standard on the Extreme and works at up to 19mph, operating in all gears including reverse. There's also an off-road readout on the infotainment screen that displays useful information such as your altitude, the slope or tilt of the car, plus that all-important gadget for proper adventurers, a compass. Equipment levels as a whole are very solid in the Bigster 4x4 Extreme - although it is the second most-expensive Bigster you can buy after the Extreme and Journey trim levels with the Hybrid 155 engine. You can't get a 4x4 version of the mid-spec Journey so compared to the Expression 4x4, the Extreme comes with a heated steering wheel, panoramic opening sunroof, tinted windows, a block two-tone roof, wireless phone charger, 10-inch driver's display, heated front seats, integrated sat-nav on the 10.1-inch central touchscreen, an upgraded sound system, roof bars and 18-inch wheels instead of 17-inch. For an extra £1,800, all that seems like a worthwhile investment. What doesn't look as good value are the YouClip extras. These nine plastic attachment points can be added throughout the interior individually with prices ranging from £10 to £41; they offer you extra storage spaces for smartphone holders, cupholders or even a removable lamp. They all felt quite flimsy to us and the smartphone holder placed on the dash rattled frequently. There's loads of room inside the Bigster, as you'd expect given its size, and boot space is plentiful, too. The 4x4 comes with 629 litres with the rear seats up, which is 17 litres more than the full-hybrid models, but it's down 48 litres on the two-wheel-drive mild-hybrid because of the all-wheel-drive system. Model: Dacia Bigster Extreme TCe 130 4x4 Price: £29,265 Powertrain: 1.2 turbocharged three-cylinder mild-hybrid Power/torque: 128bhp/230Nm Transmission: Six-speed manual 0-62mph/top speed: 11.2 seconds/112mph Economy/CO2: 46.3mpg/134g/km Size (L/W/H): 4,570/1,812/1,711mm Did you know you can sell your car with Auto Express? 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BBC News
34 minutes ago
- BBC News
North Northamptonshire's taxi 'knowledge' policy changes delay
The introduction of a wider local "knowledge" test in part of Northamptonshire that taxi drivers warn could force them out of the profession has been Northamptonshire Council approved the changes, which included the scrapping of four taxi zones to create one covering the whole of the district, in implementation had already been delayed from April to September, but the Reform UK-controlled authority said it was now working towards a revised start date of 3 Harrison, the council's executive member for regulatory services, said he wanted to provide the update as "we know that this topic has been a talking point within the industry for some time". As part of this, the council has started a consultation on its proposed "knowledge" test for drivers, similar to the famous one in London, where black cab drivers have to learn the names of all streets and best routes between new test would mean drivers would have to learn the streets in the whole of North Northamptonshire rather than choose a smaller area, based on the old district council follows the scrapping the four district councils of Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and East Northamptonshire to form North Northamptonshire Council in a meeting earlier this year, when the changes were approved, taxi drivers claimed a new enlarged taxi zone would be unworkable because they would struggle to learn all the were also concerns raised about the need to transition to cars that were accessible for wheelchair-users by 2026, which is also included in the now-delayed policies. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.