Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i BBC Top Gear Magazine

It’s fair to say that it’s been a busy few weeks on Planet TopGear, and unless you’ve taken to living in a cave, I’m sure it won’t have escaped your attention that there’s been big news this month with Chris Evans joining the team on 16 June as the new host of TopGear. I caught up with him on his Radio 2 breakfast show, as he performed his role as the nation’s favourite alarm clock. What became immediately clear was that, unlike most blokes, multitasking isn’t a problem for Chris. I watched as he simultaneously tuned, loaded and processed every element of the broadcast while somehow finding time – with the second-bysecond countdown ticking away in the background – to review the papers and edit the many communications that fire…

Of all the things we know about this beautiful and heart-stoppingly fast car, the most convincing fact is apparently the most inglorious. The Giulia’s design and engineering haven’t been done in some historic yet high-tech corporate HQ, but in an abandoned Iveco trucks building on the edge of Modena. Bear with us. There, in semi-secret, 600 specially recruited engineers are free to do what’s right for Alfa alone, and on a big budget. No Fiat or Chrysler engineers lurk down the corridor to prod them into cheapskate parts-sharing. CEO Harald Wester calls it a skunkworks – they operate freely and far faster, he tells TopGear, than if they were part of the main corporate R&D machine. First fruit is the Giulia Quadrifoglio. A RWD twin-turbo V6-engined supersaloon. It packs 503bhp,…

Call the new Mini Clubman “just a stretched hatch” (which is exactly what the idiosyncratic old one was), and Mini gets awfully cross with you. Yes, this Mini wagon is a whopping 29cm longer than before – which liberates a massively useful amount of rear-seat space, and two proper rear doors too – but it’s also wider. Wider than the Countryman crossover, in fact, as Mini tackles the Golf and Focus head on by at last building a car you can fit adults in the back of. The massive swell comes courtesy of a platform pinched from BMW’s front-drive 2-Series MPV, along with the shared engines already employed in the Mini hatch range. The long-roof hearse look is still a polarising one, granted, and the twin-hinged rear doors limit rear…

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED NIKI LAUDA STROKE A COW? Then fire up your DVD player and get ready, because that vision is coming your way in Lauda: The Untold Story – a new documentary that tells the, er, now-familiar story of Lauda’s life.. In 2013 we had Hollywood’s version with Ron Howard’s Rush, but this one takes a far more biographical approach, going beyond the bits with James Hunt and the Nürburgring fireball. It pairs this with a history of safety in motorsport, and although the chronology is a mishmash, it’s still quite watchable. For the most part it’s a straightforward presentation featuring vox pops from earnest Austrians, often with English subtitles complete with comedy typos. There’s also plenty of archive footage, including some hide-behindthe-sofa scenes of the fiery accident…

PLANET / #017 Before the Mercedes monopoly, Formula One safety cars came in many shapes and sizes. The first one appeared in 1973 in Canada, when its driver – Eppie Wietzes – slotted his yellow Porsche 914 in exactly the wrong place, splitting the field and allowing the leading drivers to gain a lap. After its comical debut, there would be no official, FIA-supplied safety car for another 20 years. In the interim, it was up to the circuits to provide one. Of course, being home of the rich, orange and awful, Monaco decided its would be a Lamborghini Countach. It was deployed between 1981 and 1983, topped by the least aerodynamic light bar the world has ever seen. When the course car made its official comeback in 1993, it…

1 Strictly speaking, the term ‘trail braking’ refers to the technique of staying on the brakes into a turn, and then gradually releasing them. 2 Traditional police-style roadcraft driving manuals always advocate getting all that braking, gearchanging and soiling-your-pants stuff over and done with while you’re still going in a straight line. Then you make the turn. 3 However, there are obvious advantages to trail braking. You brake later, so go faster for longer on the straight bits. Braking during the turn will transfer weight forwards, which can help banish understeer and make for a tighter turn. What’s not to like? 4 The sudden and inexplicable collision with the Armco, for starters. Transferring weight forward is all very well, but there’s only so much of it, and that means less…

It’s not just gangsters who change their names. The Mercedes SUV formerly known as ML might not have been a model citizen, but it wasn’t criminally bad. Yet it’s now travelling under the alias GLE. New name, yes. New car, not so much. In a ruse familiar to reformed outlaws afraid of scoresettling from their former associates, this is evidently an ML with cosmetic surgery about the face. Sadly this face is grafted onto what is, to my eyes, the least attractive and most over-styled of all the three generations of ML. Still, it’s got a very nice cabin, which is what matters when you’re driving it, and if you want an ornament for your driveway then get the GLE Coupe – see the previous pages. Mercedes-Benz, having pretty much…

OK, I get it, spot the difference right? Indeed. This is a visual nip/tuck for the Conti GT that starts at the front bumper and finishes at the rear spoiler and does, well, not that much in between. There are new B-for-Bentley vents on the front flanks, three new colours, more leather choices, knurled gearlever paddles, on-board Wi-Fi is standard, there are new dial typefaces and a reshaped steering wheel. What about more power? Oh yes, a bit of that too, but you’re not going to feel a gain of 15bhp when the W12 was already developing 567 of the suckers. That’s a 2.6 per cent power hike. Whoop. That’s the only one that’s been modded – the range still starts with the 500bhp V8, passing up through the 521bhp…

As I write this, the GT3 RS is parked outside my window. I’m finding it a struggle to remain indoors. It’s a lovely warm day, I could just take off, go and get another hit. It’s not long since my last. I got home at 3am this morning, having driven 700 miles in two days all over north Wales. And all I want to do is drive some more. It pains me mightily to admit it, but I misjudged the GT3 RS when I drove it on its launch in Germany and reviewed it on our website. “I can’t help thinking it’s a bit of a shame you have to be going so fast to get your kicks,” I wrote. Wrong. It felt like that in Germany because on smooth…

“The S660 is the perfect little pod to take in this eyeboggling city” Miming and pointing can only get you so far. Japan is a country where English is infrequent, both in speech and writing. This, I had so far concluded, is wonderfully refreshing, enough to make even its capital city, Tokyo, feel fantastically alien. But as I fold my (for once) lanky five-feet-nine-inch frame into the dinky Honda S660, I’m suddenly wishing for an English translator. The minimalist dashboard houses no satnav, see, and while I’m loath to rely on such things, it would offer more than a marginal helping hand in navigating a city that simply dwarfs London. My gestures do nothing to acquire a plug-in device to sucker to the screen and keep John Wycherley and me…

AUDI Q7 3.0 TDI S LINE Engine: 3.0-litre V6, turbodiesel Power: 268bhp @ 3250rpm Torque: 442lb ft @ 1500rpm Transmission: 8spd auto, 4WD Claimed performance: 0–62mph in 6.5secs, top speed 145mph Economy: 47.9mpg, 163g/km CO2 (153g/km CO2 with smaller wheels) Length: 5052mm Width: 1968mm Height: 1740mm Boot volume: 770/1955 litres Kerbweight: 2060kg Price/as tested: ￡52,970/￡71,010 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 3.0 TDV6 HSE Engine: 3.0-litre V6, turbodiesel Power: 252bhp @ 4000rpm Torque: 442lb ft @ 1500rpm Transmission: 8spd auto, 4WD Claimed performance: 0–62mph in 9.3secs, top speed 112mph Economy: 36.7mpg, 203g/km CO2 Length: 4829mm Width: 1915mm Height: 1938mm Boot volume: 543/2558 litres Kerbweight: 2622kg Price/as tested: ￡54,500/￡63,325 VOLVO XC90 D5 INSCRIPTION Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, turbodiesel Power: 222bhp @ 4250rpm Torque: 346lb ft @ 1750–2500rpm Transmission: 8spd auto, 4WD Claimed performance: 0–62mph in…

REPORT 2 5204cc, V10, AWD, 602bhp, 413lb ft 22.6mpg, 290g/km CO2 0–62mph in 3.2secs, 202mph 1422kg ￡180,720 Total mileage 12,578 Driver Charlie Turner Why it’s here Is this the first Lambo you can use day-to-day? Month two living with a Lambo on a daily basis, another few thousand miles on the clock, and two things are becoming increasingly clear. First: it is more than possible to use a modern supercar as your daily driver without losing either your mind or your posture. Even if your commute is a 100-mile round trip that involves an hour’s crawl through London traffic at one end. Something that you would have struggled to say about previous Lamborghinis. Which means that for all those who thought Audi’s influence might be perniciously Germanic, there is obvious…

REPORT 6 Rolls-Royce EJ200 turbofan, Nammo hybrid rocket, 47,700lb thrust 200 litres of jet fuel and 800 litres of rocket fuel per run 0–1000mph in 42.0secs, 1050mph max 7750kg Weeks to go 22 Run by Mark Chapman Why it’s here It’s Bloodhound SSC... It’s the nature of a project like Bloodhound SSC, featuring 3,000 bespoke components and targeting unprecedented speeds, that we will experience parts delays. So if you’ve noticed the ‘Weeks to go’ ticker in the panel above has grown since last month, that’s sadly no mistake. We’re now aiming to test on the Newquay Airport runway in November, rather than August as originally planned. This has a knock-on effect on next year’s desert runs, of course, and we’ve taken the decision not to rush out to South Africa…

Seven minutes and 10 seconds. If that’s the answer, you can guess the question, because you are the sort of person who watches every fraction of your car’s speed on a track. Especially a certain hilly, lengthy, treacherous German one. And that’s the number Lotus is claiming, admittedly so far via its spookily accurate simulation software rather than an actual test, of the pre-limit Nürburgring Nordschleife. There’s also a fractionally heavier, fractionally slower road version – it’s the fastest road Lotus ever. Like the 2007 2-Eleven, the 3-Eleven is a stripped-out, ultralight, barely-legal bathtub on wheels that nibbles at the very extremities of what any normal person would define as a ‘car’. Both ‘road’ (but still trackable) and full-track versions have a louder 450bhp version of the Lotus-Toyota supercharged 3.5-litre…

1978 RENAULT ALPINE A442B It was third time lucky in ‘78 for Renault Sport when home favourites, Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud beat the powerful works Porsche team by fi ve laps. It remains Renault’s only victory at Le Mans, the French manufacturer going on to introduce turbocharging to Formula One, using a version of the same 2.0 litre, V6 engine. 1989 SAUBER C9 MERCEDES-BENZ The last year that the full, uninterrupted Mulsanne straight was used, before it was remodelled to include two, speed-reducing chicanes. C1 sports prototypes like the victorious Sauber C9 were reaching speeds as high as 250mph on the 3.7 mile straight, terrifyingly quick given how notoriously bumpy this public road section of the track actually is. 1923 CHENARD ET WALCKER SPORT The year it all began.…

Dear Uncle TG The other day I had to do an emergency stop in my Ford Focus, and the brake pedal had a funny ‘gritty’ feel to it when pressed hard. Is this normal? Pete, by email I once had a car with gritty brakes. By which I mean they were black and white, with a Northern accent and lots of crying in them. They went on to win a BAFTA. Dear Uncle TG If cars were dogs, what sort of dog would a Fiat Punto be? Sara, by email My Uncle Billingham used to ask questions like this. It was only much later that we discovered he was drinking his way through a simply enormous quantity of floor cleaner. Dear Uncle TG I have a Seat Ibiza FR. What…

TOMORROW’S WORLD As the owner of an independent workshop, Lee Alsford is acutely aware that Brystone’s quality of service is built around the people he employs. “Whenever we recruit for a new technician,” he explains, “there is never a shortage of applicants, but it’s all about finding that quality; people with the right combination of experience and expertise are few and far between.” But once Lee does ‘get his man’, it’s usually the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship. “Our technicians are not paid on a time-related bonus basis,” explains Lee. “They don’t earn more money if they work on more cars. Our technicians are paid a flat rate, higher than the industry average, and their motivation is to work to the highest standards possible. It’s not about getting the…

DUB BOX The Dub Box is not a chopped-up campervan. It might look like the rear end of a classic Volkswagen bus, but it’s actually a proper, working caravan with a one-piece fibreglass shell on a modern chassis. It’s handmade in England, and the options list is pretty much infinite, with many different colours, cupboards, cookers, cabinets, sinks, sofas, beds, tables and pop-tops. In fact, the only standard bits are the wheels, tow bar and bodyshape (available in two sizes, including a ‘shortie’ version). At 750kg it’s also very light, meaning you can haul it with almost anything, including an original VW camper, so it becomes a rolling extension. Ordinarily TopGear would murder such a convoy with fire. Not this time. From £11,000; dub-box.com FUGOO TOUGH SPEAKER It’s a portable…

We’ve already sampled the fourth-gen MX-5 a couple of times and, well, we’re smitten. As an exemplar for Mazda’s carefully metered development of the MX-5’s friendly, foolproof persona, the littlest 1.5 version seems nigh-on perfect. But for just ￡850 extra, this 2.0 not only swells power by 29bhp and torque by 37lb ft, cutting the 0–62mph time by a second, but it also brings with it 17in alloys and sharper mechanicals, including a limited-slip diff at the driven rear axle. While it shares its 158bhp output with the old MX-5 2.0, this engine is totally new. As well as being 8kg lighter than before, it sits lower and further back in the chassis to assist the centre of gravity. Both driver and passenger also sit lower, and ought to know…

It’s easy to pigeonhole this new Hyundai Tucson. It’s a compact SUV that has the Nissan Qashqai in its sights, just like the ix35 before it, but the resurrection of the original name signals Hyundai’s desire to align its new crossover with the Santa Fe in buyers’ minds. The sharp design takes its cue from the full-sized SUV, and parked side by side they look remarkably similar, making the old ix35 instantly old-fashioned. Built on an all-new platform, the Tucson is a little bigger where it matters than the ix35, so there’s appreciably more space inside the cabin, beating the Qashqai for rear accommodation and bootspace. The split-folding rear seats fold flat at a pull of a lever and the boot has split levels. Access to it is via a…

The old Avensis wasn’t very interesting. This is the new Avensis. And... it isn’t very interesting. Sorry. Not that Toyota hasn’t tried. The front end now comes with added pointiness, the interior’s had a rehash and there are a couple of new BMW diesels. Ours was a 2.0-litre, with 141bhp and a 6spd manual ’box – quiet, fairly refined, frugal and easy to manage. However, all 236lb ft arrives at 1,750rpm, and by the time you hit 2,250rpm, it’s fizzled out to nothingness. And then you have to change gear. Again. Meanwhile, the suspension gurus have had a play with the spring rates and anti-roll bars. It still lacks the dynamism of a Mondeo, though. It won’t offend you, but doesn’t excite, either. For a car designed to sit at…

The 488’s 3.9-litre, flat-crank V8 owes its block and cylinder position to the engine from Ferrari’s California T, but is unique in almost every regard beyond that. There’s a new dry-sump system – the Cali is wet-sumped – along with redesigned cylinder heads, new cams, a new intake system, a new crankshaft, specific intercoolers and new pretty much everything else. The twin-scroll turbos are cutting-edge, with turbine wheels made of an aerospace-grade titanium alloy generating 50 per cent less friction than the standard Inconel turbines found in the Cali T. They’re mounted on ball-bearing shafts, reducing friction by a further 30 per cent. The exhaust system is unique, too, a beautiful tangle of metalwork ensuring extended, even-length runners. The result of all this modification is a modestly sized engine with…

REPORT 5 2993cc, V6 diesel, 4WD, 290bhp, 443lb ft 40.4mpg, 185g/km CO2 0–62mph in 6.8secs, 138mph 2115kg £ ￡76,250/￡95,250 Total mileage 13,872 Driver Esther Neve Why it’s here Is there any point in a Range Rover ‘Sport’? It doesn’t happen very often, but, every now and then, I have an urgent and pressing need for a tow vehicle. The Lexus NX300h I normally drive is somewhat lacking in the tow-bar department (and towing capacity, come to that...), but, fortunately, the RRS is totally up to the job. I commandeered it (very nervously, considering how associate editor Tom Ford can be about the long-term cars he has) for a weekend trip to northern France. First thing: Tow Assist is pure genius. If you’re not a hardened towist, it takes almost all…

GOODBYE 1998cc, 4cyl turbo petrol, FWD, 271bhp, 266lb ft 37.7mpg, 174g/km CO2 0–62mph in 5.8secs, 158mph 1280kg £ ￡36,430/￡38,445 Total mileage 8104 Driver Ollie Marriage Why it’s here Can you live with the most hardcore hot hatch? GOODBYE 1499cc, 3cyl turbo petrol, 4WD, 357bhp, 420lb ft 134.5mpg, 49g/km CO2 0–62mph in 4.4secs, 155mph 1490kg ￡99,845/￡105,825 Total mileage 24,017 Driver Ollie Marriage Why it’s here Is this the future of the sports car? For two of our Garage cars, last month’s Speed Week extravaganza was more than a test of handling ability and driver entertainment. For the BMW i8 and Megane RenaultSport Trophy-R, this was also a farewell tour, a last grand blast across Europe before they left us. This should have been a traumatic experience – albeit for very different…

GOODBYE Electric motor, FWD, 88bhp, 162lb ft n/a mpg, 0g/km CO2 0–62mph in 13.5secs, 84mph 1468kg ￡20,043 Total mileage 3868 Driver Jason Barlow Why it’s here Can a family live with a pure electric vehicle? So it turns out there’s a burgeoning EV community spirit. Loads of ‘users’ have been in touch about the TG Zoe, and the dialogue is more progressive than gesticulating at a fellow Beetle driver with a plastic flower in the dashtop vase. So much so, we thought we’d wrap up our reports on Renault’s brilliant little electric car with a few enlightening case studies. “The Zoe replaced my wife’s 11-year-old Micra, which was going to need a new clutch, new tyres and a service, and was costing ￡85pm,” says TG reader Nick Appleton. “The Zoe’s…

GOODBYE 1598cc, 4cyl turbodiesel, AWD, 128bhp, 236lb ft 53.3mpg, 139g/km CO2 0–62mph in 11.0secs, 116mph 1615kg ￡28,995/￡30,245 Total mileage 12,521 Driver Andy Franklin Why it’s here Is this the next logical step after the Qashqai? It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to TG’s Nissan X-Trail this month. This car has been a real success and also a hit in the Franklin family. In fact, I’d almost go as far as saying it’s been one of the best cars I’ve run over the last 12 years, although some of the reasoning behind that is because of my current family situation, which consists of having two young kids and lots and lots of stuff. That said, I think great praise needs to be given to Nissan for taking…

“The question wasn’t ‘Why would you do it?’ but ‘Why wouldn’t you?’” CHRIS EVANS ON TAKING THE TG JOB Chris Evans does not have a problem with multitasking. A point which becomes increasingly clear as I sit in the studio of his Radio 2 breakfast show and watch him simultaneously process myriad instructions from his production team, read edited snippets that fire in at an incomprehensible rate from every available multimedia channel and absorb the daily papers. He is also loading, fading and generally masterminding every aspect of the broadcast, with the constant countdown from one item on the playlist to the next clicking away portentously in the background. He’s also answering questions from me as the music plays, and doesn’t appear to be intellectually overloaded. At all. It’s… impressive.…

Since the well-documented glory days of fast 205s and 306s, Peugeot’s GTI badge has spent too long in the doldrums. But is one of the most hallowed suffixes in hot-hatch history back from the brink? The 308 GTI suggests Peugeot might finally, finally have cooked up a genuine rival to the Megane RS, Focus ST and the rest of the hot-hatch big boys. Utilising some serious input from the knowledgeable types over at Peugeot Sport, the 308 GTI is lower and wider than the regular 308, and features a posh new suspension set-up with stiffer springs, aluminium wishbones and a semi-hollow anti-roll bar. Then there’s the engine, Peugeot turning to its 1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder from the RCZ-R. Two hot 308s are on offer: the first, badged GTI 250, offers up…

It would be wrong to remember Paul Newman as a movie star who dabbled in cars. In fact, he became a professional racing driver who dabbled in movies, and only half-jokingly threatened to burn any scripts that interfered with the race calendar. Yet if it weren’t for Hollywood, he might never have discovered his love of cars. It was only when filming Winning, the 1969 classic about the Indy 500, that he took some driver training in order to look more convincing behind the wheel. And that was it, he caught the racing bug. One of the most revered actors in American cinema suddenly had a new role, and it wasn’t long before the movies took a back seat. This is the subject of American comedian Adam Carolla’s new documentary:…

TG TOP FACT Due to a lack of brakes, it takes 457 metres for the LCAC to stop. And the turning circle is a mere 1.1 miles! What on earth is this? It’s a giant hovercraft and amphibious assault craft for transporting tanks and troops from ship to shore. It’s also armed, so you probably don’t want to mess with it. Really? The image above is not some Photoshop fantasy. It was taken in May by senior chief gas turbine system technician Micheal Macdonald, on Virginia Beach in the United States. It looks quite serious… It can carry 75 tonnes and access 70 per cent of the world’s coastline, at considerable speed. Which makes it an excellent way to ruin a beach picnic in north Devon. Is it new? It’s…

PLANET TG / #06 FLY TIPPING Mayflies swarm a Pennsylvania bridge, forming inches-deep piles on the road and causing motorcycles to crash UNDER PRESSURE Panamanian TV show puts pressure pads in capital’s potholes that, when run over, automatically tweet the government. CRUSHING DEFEAT Learner driver in Germany pulls out in front of British tank. Car is half squashed. Thankfully driver is not. DRIVE-THROUGH Bristol crooks ram raid a travel agency. Realise it’s the wrong shop. Then smash the one next door. BACON ROLL Over 2,000 piglets escape into Ohio woods after US truck overturns. Resulting hog hunt proves only partly successful “We’re disappointed where they’ve gone with the cars, the lap times. They’re just not stimulating for the drivers, and this is rubbing off. The fans can see this.” Mark…

CHRISTOPHER WARD C8 P7350 It’s not unusual for watchmakers to put bits of other things in their creations, from fragments of F1 engines to specs of moondust and even fossilised dinosaur droppings. This one from Christopher Ward contains a piece of metal from ‘P7350’, the only remaining airworthy Spitfire from the Battle of Britain. It’s not the first time a slice of old warbird has found its way into a watch – Bremont did the same thing with the EP120 – though this particular plane has a properly spiffing history. James May will also notice the dial’s resemblance to the Smith MkII A clock found in the P7’s cockpit, and watch fetishists will appreciate the hand-wound movement, certified by the Swiss authority that approves the world’s toughest, most accurate calibres.…

I try to approach every car with an open mind, but I was happy to make an exception for this one. First thing, AMG’s hyper-powered versions of Mercedes’s big SUVs have never had much finesse, and fast lorries aren’t my thing. Secondly, the whole idea of a sport-utility coupe is in any case clearly an assault on good sense. Like a pair of high-heeled trainers… but people buy them too. And yet by the end of my time with it, the AMG GLE63 Coupe had gone a long way towards melting my prejudices. The GLE Coupe – available as a Mercedes-Benz with more moderate engines as well as this high-test Mercedes-AMG version – turns out to be a bit of a looker. Certainly much sweeter than the GLE on which…

Nonsensical name notwithstanding, the Kadjar is an important car for Renault. It’s the brand’s first crack at a biggish crossover since 2008’s notably terrible Koleos, which was so unpopular with Brits it was canned after just a couple of years on sale. And as we know, though the crossover is a relatively recent phenomenon, they haven’t half caught on in these parts. Then there’s where it’s going to be built. European Kadjars will be built in Spain, but in 2016 Kadjar production will be expanded to include the brand’s new factory in China – thanks to an agreement with Dongfeng. And Renault has gone about the Kadjar in the right way. It’s built on the same Renault-Nissan Alliance CMF (Common Module Family) platform that underpins the Qashqai and X-Trail. The…

The Skoda Superb has always been a very large car, so bolting a loadlugging boot onto the back of it can only make things even more commodious within. Though we’re on Superb MkIII now, this is only the second estate – and it’s a brilliant machine. For a start, it looks great. No matter what size wheels it’s on, or what colour it’s finished in, or which spec it wears, the Superb Estate is a lean and angular creation with more than a flattering hint of Audi Avant about it. The interior is enormous. Four tall adults would have no problem travelling in here, while the 660 to 1,950-litre boot is the very definition of cavernous. The fit and finish of everything is high, and all models are well-specified as…

This car has a turbo. It says as much on the back, which reads ‘i30 Turbo’. Nearly every car these days has a turbo, which makes the specific mention of this one Something Important. It means we are looking at a Hyundai hot hatch. Well, lukewarm hatch, anyway. This Turbo is the new range-topper in the i30 line-up, here featuring a boosted version of Hyundai’s 1.6-litre four-cylinder ‘Gamma’ petrol engine. Boost is good. And the premise is set up nicely; there’s a handy 28 per cent hike in power, 38 per cent more torque, stiffer, ‘sports-tuned’ suspension, a more direct steering set-up, bigger, 300mm vented brake discs up front and 284mm solid discs at the back. About that suspension. Hyundai has – whisper it – honed the new i30 Turbo…

VERDICT FOR Looks zany, very spacious and the cabin is properly sorted. At ￡13k basic, it’s very reasonably priced... AGAINST Schizophrenic controls and overworked engine need polishing. VERDICT Fit for purpose. If Lidl made cars... 5/10 1597cc, 4cyl, FWD, 126bhp, 118lb ft 44.1 mpg, 149 g/km CO2 0–62mph in 12.0secs, 106mph 1270kg £14,600 FOR Suzuki is ace at honest, cheap cars. This is fundamentally a good egg. Comfy, too. AGAINST Gutless engine and crass cabin betray the penny-saving. VERDICT Hardly dear, and worth it for the sweeter drive. 7/10 1586cc, 4cyl, 4WD, 118bhp, 115 lb ft 50.4 mpg, 130g/km CO2 0–62mph in 12.0secs, 112mph 1382kg £19,799…

Alpine’s Antony Villain is the latest car designer to accept TopGear’s sketch challenge. It’s not quite The Great British Bake Off, but it’s still illuminating. The rules are simple: can you nail the basic form of a car in three lines? Villain’s task is made trickier because we’re talking in the paddock during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. BJ Baldwin’s Chevy Silverado monster truck has just arrived behind us, star of a gazillion YouTube views and the throbbing, thunderous antithesis of Alpine’s elegant and elfin Celebration concept car. Actually, it sort of sums up the scale of Alpine’s challenge, as it tries to gain traction in a very noisy world. The brand is here in force at FoS, fielding a handful of cars from its 60-year history, including 1978’s outright…

Supercars are pointless. This is a conclusion drawn from the slinky bulwark of a Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Super Veloce that’s currently staring at the back of a tipper lorry that smells worryingly of bacon, schlepping forlornly along one of London’s viciously clogged arterial roads. I have around 740bhp from a glorious, naturally aspirated V12. When pushed, my paddleshift gearbox reacts in just 50 milliseconds. I have all-wheeldrive traction, air-bending downforce and a top speed of more than 217mph. And it is all, without question, completely gelded by insidious traffic planning and dubious roadworks. It’s like having a powerboat in a paddling pool. It’s not all a wasted opportunity, mind. There are some advantages. For instance, you can tell that the Lamborghini looks the part and is undoubtedly doing its…

HELLO 1984cc, 4cyl turbo, AWD, 296bhp, 280lb ft 40.9mpg, 159g/km CO2 0–62mph in 4.9secs, 155mph 1495kg £ ￡30,820/￡41,330 Total mileage 1340 Driver Ollie Kew Why it’s here Can we expose chinks in the ultimate Golf’s armour? Well, we needed to make life at TG as difficult as possible for our 2014 Hot Hatch of the Year. So, we’ve got a potentially very desirable car in a very esoteric specification. OK, I like the 19-inch Pretoria alloys (￡895). And five doors (￡655) is helpful for wrestling my bike onto the folded rear seats. But the seats themselves? They’re ￡2,615 of carbon-fibre effect and cream nappa leather. The two-tone look is properly geriatric spec to my eyes and not conducive to blue-denim wearers. Maybe I’ll start donning corduroy. Another ￡250 heats them.…

REPORT 4 2143cc, 4cyl diesel, RWD, 201bhp, 369lb ft 62.8mpg, 117g/km CO2 0–62mph in 6.9secs, 150mph 1660kg £ ￡37,125/￡45,035 Total mileage 3444 Driver Owen Norris Why it’s here Were we right to make this our Family Car of the Year? You’re looking at not only the TopGear Family Car of the Year but also the current World Car of the Year. High praise indeed, and the longer I spend with the C-Class, the more I’m falling in love with it. It just does everything with amazing ease. Town driving? No worries. It wafts around and glides over bumps, making commuting a less draining experience. Motorways? It’ll munch through hundreds of miles with no fuss at all, thanks to the many driving aids available. Lane Keeping Assist stops you from drifting…