Latest from Auto Car
Auto Car
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
I love this rear-engined, air-cooled, ultra-exclusive resto mod - because it's not what you think...
Have you seen the Twisted TBug? Twisted, the friendly, Yorkshire-based modifier of classic Land Rover Defenders (and now owner of a marine division as well), has started offering a Volkswagen Beetle Baja Bug restomod too. (If it starts doing Hillman Imps, our respective garages will look even more alike.) Unsurprisingly, the TBug looks somewhat nicer than my Baja Bug, because Twisted are people who are used to doing things properly. The interior looks trimmed beautifully, the stance is just so (I'm tempted to have a word with the front end of mine and a grinder) and there's a reinforced chassis, a new engine, new electrics and LED lights that don't look daft. The power output has been about doubled over the original, but it's still making less than 80bhp, so it isn't a fast car – but that doesn't matter a bit. 'What makes the TBug special is that it makes you smile every time you slide behind the wheel,' says Twisted founder Charles Fawcett. 'In a world of increasingly serious and complex vehicles, there's something wonderfully refreshing about that.' As they might have said in the 1970s, I can dig that. Unlike Twisted Defenders and Suzuki Jimnys, this car exists in the 'special projects' bit of the company's offerings. Lots of personalisation and customisation is on offer and it's the sort of thing you could get lost for days in with the designers – although Twisted has made three for sale already to its thinking, in grey, green and yellow. You can spend around £95,000.
Auto Car
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Boxster, Focus, MR2, Twingo... These are the amazing 1990s cars you need to buy NOW (from just £1000!)
Close The 1990s were a time of great speed. As marathon-ready trainers became everyday footwear and hard-and-fast house music pulsed through city streets, it seemed a given that even the most snooze-worthy family hauler would be reheated into a have-a-go hero. Sierra Sapphire Cosworths and Lotus Carltons hit the headlines as the joyriders' favourites - eminently nickable and so fast the fuzz couldn't keep up. Japanese manufacturers finally stamped their mark on the performance car scene, undoubtedly helped along by the immense popularity of Sony's game-changing Playstation and the Gran Turismo series. And, as if we didn't already have it good enough, we witnessed a speed war between Jaguar, McLaren and many more besides. So revered were those cars that a great many of the '90s' motoring highlights are now well out of reach. What was once a £20,000 Honda NSX is now an £80,000 garage queen. Lancia Delta Integrales can push six figures, and even the common man's Ford Escort RS Turbo is £20,000. That isn't to say there aren't bargain superstars out there, however. Here are some of the best… Porsche Boxster (986) A howling flat six, super-sharp steering and stunning wide-hipped looks – they can all be yours from just £3000. Of course, the cheapest Boxsters are best avoided, but the truth is that these are surprisingly hardy little roadsters – provided you buy carefully. Its best-known Achilles is the intermediate-shaft (IMS) bearing, which in some cases fractures or even shatters after a long and hard life. This then throws off the engine's timing and shunts pistons into valves, requiring a really rather expensive rebuild. Thankfully, many examples' bearings have already been replaced, and typically with a sturdier aftermarket item that isn't prone to exploding. If it hasn't been done, add another £800 or so to the car's price, if you get it done alongside a new clutch – which you probably should. It's also worth checking the immobiliser, locks and alarms work as intended: blocked door seals or a leaky roof can mean the ECU (located under the driver's seat) gets wet and dies. Replacements are £500-plus. Still, it's easy to snag a good 'un – and you absolutely should, before prices soar. Volkswagen Corrado VR6 Volkswagen's junior coupé was always a tidy steer, but its full potential wasn't unleashed until 1992. The fitment of a potent 2.9-litre narrow-angle V6 made it the fastest front-driver of the day, and it somehow improved the handling compared with the smaller (but turbocharged) four-pot. Every Corrado was made from galvanised steel, so they hold up better against rust than many rivals – and it's a good indicator of a dodgy repair, which should be easy to spot. High-milers go for around £6000, but you shouldn't be scared off by that: these are generally reliable bona fide modern classics. Vauxhall Calibra 4x4 Turbo Early Calibras were tarnished with a reputation for being a bit too much like the Cavalier on which they were based. The 4x4 Turbo flipped that notion on its head, turning what was a slightly humdrum coupé into Britain's cheapest 150mph car. Today, though, they're an expensive window onto the past, with prices venturing well into five figures. Honda Integra Type R This was the car that really put the Type R name on the map when it landed here in 1998, thanks to an all-time-great engine and tremendous handling. Clean cars go for about £15k, but it's also worth considering importing one from Japan while the yen's value is low. Rover 220 Turbo 'Nasty steering, a vague gearchange, dubious handling and dead-feeling brakes,' we said back then, pulling no punches. The 220 may not be a good car to drive, but it has an intangible appeal as the plucky underdog. These are now incredibly rare and prices vary wildly, but around £5000 should be enough to secure one in mint condition. BMW 328i (E36) 'The hardest-hitting, least compromised all-rounder on sale for less than £30,000,' is what we reckoned of the 328i back in 1995. Much of the same remains true today, except you can snag one for one-tenth of the as-new asking price. Many have led hard lives, though – these were sub-£1000 cars for a long time – so buy carefully. Fiat Coupé A Chris Bangle masterpiece, and not half bad to drive either. The five-cylinder 20-valve engine, offered in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, has the most exotic feel, but the four-cylinder option, a descendant of the Delta Integrale powerplant, still has the means to entertain. Rust is by far the biggest issue: inspect the sills, subframes, wheel arches, footwells, boot floor, exhaust… Basically, just give the whole thing a thorough going-over. Interior plastics are prone to developing a horrid sticky finish, too. Running project cars can be found for £500, but the best examples are north of £10,000. Toyota MR2 (SW20) Forget the second-generation MR2's reputation for having a wayward tail – we never thought that held very much water. Still, Toyota revised the model no fewer than five times, with updates two (in 1991) and three (1993) gradually softening the handling to tune out the risk of snap oversteer. Any MR2 is a great drive and a fairly reliable proposition, barring rust or any extensive modifications. It's worth seeking out a Japanese-import Turbo model or one with the atmospheric 'Beams' engine that came with Yamaha-developed cylinder heads; either example brings with it the soundtrack and performance the car's chassis and looks deserve. Such cars will set you back around £10,000. Renault Twingo The Twingo has aged like Mr Blobby: once a tad unsightly, but now remembered for flouting convention and embracing the absurd. In the Twingo's favour, it didn't single-handedly traumatise a generation of children, so it's looked back on a bit more fondly. You can occasionally find them from £5k, but it's perhaps easier to source and import a clean car yourself. If it's a pure driver's car you want, look elsewhere. But the Z3 has otherwise aged tremendously, with long-nosed, low-slung proportions and – as long as you go for the 2.0-litre engine or bigger – some of BMW's greatest straight-six lumps. Prices – from £1000 – are on the up, so now is the time to buy. Peugeot 306 GTi 'The GTi is back,' declared our road testers after sampling the performance-enhanced 306. For years, hot hatchbacks had been iced over, hamstrung by horrendous insurance premiums and the looming threat of theft. But the French machine's combination of a 167bhp four-pot (then one of the most powerful engines to have featured in a hatch), a six-speed gearbox (when most rivals made do with five ratios) and a simply stunning chassis raised the bar. Suddenly, the race was back on. Avoid track-converted cars; clean examples should start at £5000 or so. Mercedes-Benz SL (R129) Technically speaking, the R129's life started in the late 1980s, but the fourth-generation SL didn't really hit the limelight until a few years later. Its sheer desirability – thanks in no small part to those futuristic lines and stonking £50k-plus price tag – made it the darling of the burgeoning hip-hop subculture. And if you can picture yourself rollin' in a 500 Benz, just like Tupac, the good news is that SLs are today shockingly affordable. Just £3000 gets you behind the wheel of a ropey car, but we'd budget £10,000 or so for something more dependable. Engines ranged from a 2.8-litre V6 all the way up to a 7.3-litre V12 fettled by AMG (good luck finding one of those), but our pick was the grunty 5.0-litre V8, badged 500 SL. Look out for an original car with a good service history, and you shouldn't encounter too many issues. A hard-top roof is a desirable extra for the colder months, but the standard soft-top should prove adequate, providing it's been properly looked after (or replaced in the relatively recent past with an official Mercedes-Benz part). Ford Escort RS2000 Hot hatches are nothing new, but it's rare that the treatment proves to be the redemption story for what was otherwise a generational stinker. So it proved, however, for the maligned Mk5 Escort, transformed by a fizzy 148bhp twin-cam four, quicker steering and a chassis overhaul. The addition of four-wheel drive in 1994 only raised its limits, making it a genuine Cossie-lite. As remixes go, it's tantamount to The Prodigy turning a kids' safety ad about not talking to strangers into a rave classic. Not cheap today, though: expect to pay about £8000 for a good runner. Peugeot 106 GTi All the joy of the 306 GTi, but in a smaller, lighter and slipperier package. The 106 GTi was as close as Peugeot ever came to properly replacing the 205 GTi, and today a good example can fetch a five-figure sum. At that price, though, you should also consider the 106 Rallye, which went without power steering and much of the cabin kit in pursuit of pure driving thrills. Ford Focus The Focus was the car that righted all the later wrongs of its Escort predecessor and democratised the attributes of all the best driver's cars. Ignore the ST and the eye-wateringly expensive RS, and instead look for a tidy Zetec petrol that has managed to elude the tin worm. Just a few thousand pounds should snag one you can enjoy for years to come. BMW 8 Series Munich's Icarus was too heavy and too blunt in its responses to be a proper grand tourer, and it cost around the same money as Mercedes' SL. But in 1993 the tide began to turn with the introduction of the 850CSi. It was an M car in all but name, with its V12 engine upsized and boosted to a hearty 375bhp so the 8 could finally provide a driving experience that lived up to its gorgeous looks. It's also worth considering the later 4.4-litre 840Ci, which finally felt like the 8 Series had become a proper GT car. Prices for the 8 Series start at around £10,000, but CSis are now hitting £50,000-plus. Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here. Next Prev In partnership with
Auto Car
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Renault confirms new Clio will be revealed imminently
New supermini will introduce radical new look and is set to offer hybrid power exclusively Open gallery New car is recognisable as a Clio but introduces several new design cues… …including a diamond-pattern grille Twin-decked lip spoilers hint at importance of aerodynamic performance Close Renault has confirmed that the new sixth-generation Renault Clio will be revealed imminently, with September's Munich motor show a likely venue for the supermini's debut. Currently the best selling car in Europe in its facelifted fifth-generation form, the next Clio is set to go on sale early next year with one of its biggest overhauls in generations. Renault has not confirmed a precise reveal date, but has announced details of a 'pre-show' unveiling for the new supermini, which would suggest it will be the the French firm's headline unveiling in Munich on 8 September. Renault has revealed an important new model at every European motor show since the pandemic, including the Renault 5, 4, Twingo, Turbo 3E, Scenic and Mégane E-Tech. While it will also bring a host of new design cues, such as a more prominent nose and twin-decked lip rear spoilers, the sixth–generation Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only. Autocar understands that, under the skin, the next Clio is an all-new car rather than a development of the current model, which was introduced in 2019. However, it is likely to use an upgraded version of that car's CMF-B platform aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs. The new Clio will be powered by an evolution of the existing E-Tech hybrid powertrain , in which an atmospheric four-cylinder engine and two electric motors put out a combined 143bhp and 151lb ft. This is set to become the sole powertrain option, in part because of stringent fleet emissions targets being rolled out across the European Union. From next year, car manufacturers in the EU will be required to hit an average of 93.6g/km of CO2, down from 95g/km this year. This incentivises manufacturers to drop powertrains that do not feature electrical assistance, such as the current Clio's TCe 90 turbocharged three-pot, due to their higher carbon emissions. For reference, the TCe 90 puts out 120g/km, whereas the E-Tech is rated at 96g/km, a reduction of 20%. Axing the pure-petrol engine would therefore provide a significant cut to Renault's fleet average – crucial, given the EU's fleet emissions targets will only become stricter in the coming years, hitting 49.5g/km in 2030. Autocar understands that Renault has now decided not to offer the new Clio with a battery-electric powertrain, however. It is therefore possible that it may not be offered in the UK, due to the new Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. This requires brands to sell an increasing proportion of electric cars, starting at 24% of total sales this year and ramping up to 80% in 2030. Limiting the number of combustion-engined cars that manufacturers can sell means they will prioritise their most profitable models. Renault will most likely limit – and could even end – Clio sales in the UK because the closely related Captur crossover makes more money from an equivalent number of sales. Complicating the matter is the cachet that the Clio name holds with buyers in the UK. 'Clio is a brand in itself,' Renault product performance chief Bruno Vanel told Autocar earlier this year. 'In the UK, it is probably as well known as Renault – or even more.' A decision is unlikely to be made until 2025, given the car is at least a year away from hitting showrooms in Europe. A spokesperson for Renault declined to comment. As well as its environmental impact, cost is a key consideration in the development of the new Clio. Vanel said maintaining the current car's positioning is crucial as the brand introduces a range of new – and more expensive – electric cars to ensure it does not abandon a significant proportion of its customer base. 'We are not moving directly towards 100% electric,' said Vanel. 'We are doing it step by step, to have this transition with hybrid cars so that we remain an affordable brand.' Renault will lean on monthly payment schemes – such as leasing or PCP finance – to ensure the car is affordable, rather than reducing the overall list price of the car. 'We will try to keep the affordability of the monthly rentals,' Vanel said. 'If you compare the rentals in 2018/2019 to last year [2022], with the improvement of residual values and even with some price increases, I think we experienced quite a good performance there, which kept the affordability safe. ' Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here. Next Prev In partnership with
Auto Car
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Volkswagen Group profits have plummeted 29% so far this year
Uptick in demand for less profitable electric cars also weighed on VW Group's margins Close The Volkswagen Group's operating profit fell by 29% in the first half of 2025, off the back of the impact of tariffs on US imports and the restructuring of its workforce. US import tariffs cost the VW Group €1.3 billion (£1.13bn) in the second quarter of 2025 alone and CEO Oliver Blume said that it 'cannot assume the tariff situation is temporary'. The Group's operating figure of €3.83bn for the first half of 2025 resulting in an operating margin of 4.2%.
Auto Car
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Bad driver assistance systems are just as frustrating for passengers
So it was interesting to be removed from the role of ADAS victim. A bit like the loved one who gets bullied by their boss but can't quite see it and muddles through, only when you witness somebody else getting harried by these systems can you appreciate just how overwhelming it is. They go off constantly, chip, chip, chipping away. I will say this, though: while they're all subject to the same regulations and are all to an extent very annoying, these systems do work in subtly different ways, and that is starting to matter. By MIRA, the two of us had reached the conclusion that we're not far from ADAS behaviour being a part of the brand-loyalty equation. Performance, design, practicality and price are all big decision-influencing areas when it comes to car buying, but none of them are going to matter if the thing drives you up the wall every time you want to pop down to the shops. Two things particularly matter: the manner of the intervention (everything from the timbre of the bong to the pick-up of steering auto action) and how simple the systems are to disable. Some manufacturers do get it. They tend to be the ones that have traditionally put the driver first. BMW, for example, has a superbly gentle lane keeping action and lets you curtail the speed limit warning with one push on the wheel (seriously, who can stand bings going off at 52mph in a 50mph zone when, as every road tester can confirm, you're really doing only 49.5mph?). And with the launch of the Vantage Roadster, Aston Martin has introduced a physical ADAS shortcut button, right next to the exhaust and damping switches. To them, it's that important. On the other side of the equation there is Toyota. God I love Toyota, from Yaris to Land Cruiser, but its current, faintly paranoid ADAS are just infuriating. There's even an alert to tell you when another car is wafting up behind you. Gratuitous or what? Would I like to take a break, as it suggests, 12 minutes into my trip? No, but I might like to steer off that cliff. The 'off' switches are also buried in fiddly menus and you can't access them on the move. Not sure I'd buy one.
