Still the car we’re promising ourselves? It’s a grey and smoggy November in 1968 at the Halewood factory near Liverpool. Ford had begun production of the Capri two-door coupe, based on the dull Cortina. Across the pond in the United States, a young Ford designer Philip T. Clark was crafting sketches of a two-door fastback […]
“May we see your phones, please?” One of the two receptionists at Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata, Bolognese factory was polite but firm, “There is no photography inside the factory”. The group of journalists were given tiny stickers to cover the smartphone camera lens. The sight of a group of motor journalists trying to peel the cover off […]
Looking for financial freedom? It is worth watching Morgan Housel’s YouTube podcast interview with British entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. His single most important piece of advice is to save money. According to Housel, everyone needs at least one year’s net income stashed in the kitty for a rainy day. He’d certainly approve of the Dacia Duster […]
To the rivals out there hoping Kia would show some shred of decency and drop the design ball with the EV3 electric crossover SUV, I come with glum news. The EV3 has too many striking ingredients not to be a design knockout. Objectively, it ticks so many boxes of coolness that I searched high and […]
If you Google the name Qashqai, up pops a wilfully exotic description. Unless I’ve misspelt it, it means “a semi-nomadic Turkic-speaking people living in mountainous Central and Southwest Iran.” To you and me, it’s the family living over the road at number 37. The things are everywhere and a proper success story for Sunderland, UK, […]
China’s rapid development in construction, technology, and cars is relentless and destined to make life a lot tougher for global economies. China is leaving the Western world behind in business competitiveness despite its recent economic woes. Take the nation’s supply chain infrastructure. It’s more advanced than current European markets in scale and optimization by 10 […]
Tough love Our motoring press colleague’s approach came unstuck. We were deep in the woods at Carton House estate, the forest showroom of Orangeworks Automotive in Ireland, which must rate as one of the most charming OEM importers’ showrooms you’ll visit. What passes for a quaint house nestled in a wooded area is picture perfect. […]
Renault Symbioz Hybrid – another winner in Renault’s impressive mid-size SUV line up The 2024 product drive by Renault was populated by several models, three of which – the fully electric Scenic E-Tech Electric, appealing Rafale E-Tech Hybrid, and the car we’re testing here – the Symbioz E-Tech Hybrid shows how in tune this French […]
The global luxury market in 2024 witnessed a remarkable year of resilience, innovation, and expansion, with several key players standing out due to their exceptional performance. Here are some of the top luxury brands that thrived in 2024, leveraging cutting-edge strategies, bold initiatives, and a keen understanding of their clientele. Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton, a […]
My Car of the Year 2025 – Hyundai Santa Fe The Hyundai Santa Fe is my Car of the Year for 2025. Remaining steadfast in my criticism of large SUVs for city streets, Hyundai’s triumph in winning my highest appreciation above all the mainstream cars I drove in 2024 is a milestone. “Nobody told me […]
Thunderstuck in the mountains. High above Innertkirchenon in Switzerland, we pull over and stop in a lay-by. Getting out to catch a breath our nostrils are assaulted by air so crisp that you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re undergoing some quasi-hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The sun is even higher radiating a blindingly blue azure hue. Moments […]
One HAL 9000 glitch from Lexus magic It all started so well. Even before I collected the €39,440 (as tested) Lexus LBX I was excited. Being the most affordable Lexus I even liked how it looked, I knew it in advance it would have a nice interior because it was a Lexus and they make […]
Volvo, what have you done with my Volvo? My Dad had two Volvos, so I know what makes a Volvo a Volvo. Rugged, certainly. Dependable and comfy like an old sofa that you slouch into after a weary day. You would of course add safety to that list and a reputation for no nonsense function. […]
Dacia Spring: 5 Stars for the most affordable EV After ten years in Ireland Dacia has launched a facelift of the Spring EV A-Segment city car available for the first time in right hand drive. Prices in Ireland should be around €20,000 making it the cheapest new electric car when it launches here in late […]
AC Cars, Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer, has released the first images of the formidable new AC Cobra GT Coupe. The first ever official AC Cobra coupe set for production, working from an enhanced version of the existing AC Cobra GT Roadster platform, this road-going model draws on the company’s racing heritage. Inspired by victories […]
2024 BYD Dolphin. The thing about being in a Witness Protection Programme is this – you need to blend in a bit. Heading out and about will get you noticed or worse, caught. You’ll need a car that’s so unmemorable that it melts into a sea of boxy hatchbacks. Welcome then to the 2024 BYD […]
Meros Yachtsharing’s revolutionary Flexshare co-ownership model gives owners access to a series of exclusive lifestyle events throughout the year, including the Monaco Grand Prix 2024 weekend Meros brought its Signature 95 Blue Infinity One to Monaco with a sought-after trackside berth for one of the most iconic sporting events in the world Flexshare owners enjoyed […]
Performance and elegance combined With the introduction of the latest special model, ABT Sportsline has added another high- performance complete vehicle to the S-model range. The 720 hp RS7-S is the perfect complement to the recently introduced RS3-S with up to 460 hp, the 510 hp RS4-S, the 700 hp RSQ8-S and the RS6-S, which […]
The Renault Clio E-tech Hybrid. It’s supermini brilliance. And breathe. The amount of suffocatingly fully electric EVs with unheard of brand and model names invading our streets is relentless. We’re awash with the things. Gone too are the simple to understand milestones. Like miles per gallon. Remember those? Now we have to somehow work out […]
Does the 2024 Audi A6 hold enough of the imposing swagger and buttery smooth luxury of an A8 to sate the ambitions of the go-getter while saving them a bundle? The most worthy car reviews should remain objective and offer wherever possible a reader respected advice to enable them to pick the best car model […]
The W Collection set to break records with its €30 million collection of classic cars – 9th May in Monaco Connoisseurs of the most desirable classic cars should mark this coming May in their busy calendar. The W Collection, a wholly private collection of cars is set to break records as the collection’s 44 cars […]
Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer originated March 8th, 1901 Production of AC Cobra GT Roadster at company’s advanced UK facility AC Cobra GT Roadster client test drives begin in spring at Donington HQ AC Cars to reveal AC Cobra GT Coupe this spring Enquiries and orders for the AC Cobra GT range via ac.cars AC Cars, […]
Plug in stealth When is the last time you thought about Lexus? Apparently in Ireland not often enough. Lexus Ireland says the brand sold 610 Lexus RX’s in 2023. Break that down further and 147 of those were the RX plug in hybrid models. That’s a pipsqueak amount of units from the premium Japanese car […]
Lunaz delivers elevated and electrified Range Rover ‘Safari’, inspired by 007 Product of more than 5,000 collective hours of test and development 3D printed composite centre console incorporates modern infotainment Redesigned interior incorporates innovative and sustainable textiles Cabin alone required 1,000 hours of design, development and production Full process undertaken in-house at Lunaz’ Silverstone facility […]
Amsterdam / Stockholm, 31 January 2024 – Global electric mobility technology brand ZEEKR is showcasing its state-of-the-art, luxury electric vehicles at eCar Expo Stockholm – Europe’s largest electric car fair – taking place from Friday 2 February to Sunday 4 February at the Friends Arena. On the stand will be a ZEEKR 001 luxury shooting brake, and […]
Late last year I tested the Mercedes GLE 350 de 4 MATIC AMG Line. You may be familiar with it: it’s a large luxury SUV. Hidden in that elongated model name is one key letter but more on that in a moment. Priced at €105,900 and just under €127,000 (when tested) with options it’s important […]
The third edition of the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival took place this weekend at the Dubai Autodrome, and marked an unbridled celebration of motor racing’s glory years. Five scintillating racing categories were on show across the three days, with rarely seen racing machinery pushed to its limits by a grid of determined drivers aiming […]
One immediate observation which strikes you when approaching it is the enormity of the car. The Rolls-Royce Spectre stands 5 feet 11 inches tall. Walk up closer, next to the top of the front wing, and stand beside it. It meets exactly at your lower rib cage if you are 6 feet tall. The car […]
It is virtually impossible to review Audi’s e-tron GT quattro without mentioning the €102,400.00 Porsche Taycan that was co-developed with the €110,265 (when tested) Audi. The Taycan sits on the same J1 platform and somehow for a car costing six figures is not an uncommon sight in Europe. There are two Audi e-tron GT versions […]
Since 1909, Bugatti has been steadfast in its forward-thinking, innovative mindset; inspired by the unwavering can-do attitude of its founder, Ettore Bugatti. Following this path, the brand has grown beyond its roots as an iconic hyper sports car manufacturer to become a key luxury brand. Bugatti’s evolving brand identity is testament to this shift, with […]
