Autocar

It’s easy to focus on the (hopefully) safe bets of the car world: BMW 5 Series, Volkswagen Golf and the like, as well as those aspirational models that many of us can’t afford but can be lived vicariously through these pages. But there are more great cars than the big names many people first think of. We’re always keen to represent a broad church at Autocar so this week we take such a car – the hugely relevant Vauxhall Corsa – on a British road trip to equally underrated car museums (see p48). I’m embarrassed to say I’d not heard of them before, but based on Matt Prior’s musings and the accompanying photos, they’re now on my list to visit. What makes a car underrated? It might be a less…

“The new electric supercar is considered a key part of Mercedes-AMG’s future” Mercedes-AMG is hatching plansfor a spectacular electric supercar that will launch the performance brand into the EV age. The new performance halo model was previewed by last year’s retro-inspired Vision One-Eleven concept, and it is described as a “brand-defining successor to the SLS Electric Drive”, the 730bhp quad-motor EV that was launched in 2013 and which cost £333,000. But while that car was limited to just nine examples, the new AMG supercar is planned for significantly higher production numbers when it arrives later this decade. Making its flagship less of an exclusive offering is central to AMG’s evolving electrification strategy. It has already launched powered-up versions of the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV, with specific motors…

Toyota looks to be readying its GR Corollahot hatchback for a European launch as prototypes begin testing at the Nürburgring. Hot hatch fans have long called for Toyota to bring the Gazoo Racing variant of the Corolla to Europe. The standard car is the Japanese brand’s third-biggest seller in the region, behind the Yaris and the Yaris Cross. Toyota’s performance division already has a strong presence in Europe with its three current models: the GR Yaris, GR Supra and GR86. However, the GR86 is being killed off soon by the EU’s new GSR2 safety regulations – and that could make space for the GR Corolla to finally go on sale in Europe. Production of the standard Corolla takes place in Burnaston, but the all-wheel-drive hot version is built at the…

RENAULT HAS REVIVED the Estafette as a high-tech, city-focused load carrier. The new concept previews the debut model from the French company’s tie-up with Volvo Trucks, called Flexis, and it has been designed to stand out from the “anonymous”-looking diesel vans currently on sale. It features Estafette-inspired twin round headlights and soft curves, which – combined with a striking livery – are intended to brighten up European city streets, according to Renault. “Vans will no longer be anonymous shapes. They will be endearing, expressive and come in eye-catching pop colours,” said Sandeep Bhambra, chief designer of concept cars at Renault’s electric car spin-off, Ampere. The new EV is 4.87m long and 2.59m tall and has a turning circle on a par with that of a Renault Clio. Renault has yet…

AUDI IS GEARING up for the launch of a hardcore electric off-roader – and a distinctive prototype has been spotted testing at a company facility in Germany. Based on the upcoming Q6 E-tron Sportback, it is dramatically taller and wider than the regular Q6 and features swollen arches, a more aggressive-looking front bumper, redesigned daytime-running lights and larger air intakes. Thick-walled all-terrain tyres and a similar roof rack to that of the limitedrun Q8 E-tron Edition Dakar suggest that Audi could be readying a similar version of the Q6, albeit with a much more overt focus on off-road performance. However, it could also be a test mule for the brand’s upcoming rival to the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes-Benz G-Class, plans for which were unearthed by Autocar last year. This…

The spike in Tesla’s share prices in 2021 – which eventually valued the EV maker at more than a trillion dollars – triggered an unprecedented wave of optimism about EVs in the boardrooms of global car companies. Against a backdrop of financial markets rewarding the bold strategy of exiting combustion engines early, car companies were happy to set ambitious targets. Brands including Bentley, Ford, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Vauxhall and Volvo all laid out plans to go EV-only within the decade. Now, the sugar highs of the post-Covid EV stock market have crashed and manufacturers are facing the reality that electric car growth is proving to be far lumpier than they expected. Added to that, there is the UK’s zero-emission vehicle mandate (80% ZEV new car sales by 2030) and European Union…