BBC Top Gear

SUPER-SUVS T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 101

and visual bow wave that is a yellow Lamborghini Urus that’s for sure Just as well the Aston was at the back Everyone loves an Aston so hopefully it’ll minimise the wake we leave And this stu matters We could and others do evaluate these SUVs purely on their driving ability but we all know the truth of it These cars are brand ambassadors Status is what matters here I put the Porsche at the front as much because it’s the cheapest most common and least obnoxious as because of its electric running It’s the most established carries the least baggage is the happiest in its own skin What to make of the others? It’s complicated In many ways they’re not comparable We wouldn’t compare a Huracán with a Continental GT because they don’t do the same job Well guess what? Scale up to SUVs and they still don’t Each is too caught up conveying its own brand image to deviate into being the best SUV it can be They’re not designed to be good SUVs but good representatives of the raging bull or winged B Having said that knowing what you do about each company which aligns best with traditional SUV attributes? Bentley right? Comfort refinement weight and so on So if we ask He’s got headphones in And I’d spent all morning driving the Cayenne this simple question ‘which is the best SUV here?’ the answer is right about in Sport mode Mutually exclusive events that were about to cause a minor back road irritation Unable to charge the Porsche’s battery last there in front of you The Bentley is It’s got the most interior space night I’d used our morning charge the other type of charge around Winnats Pass and over the Snake Road to prepare our only hybrid for the plushest ride the quietest cabin the most o road ability If that’s a friendly unintimidating run along the pretty popular with walkers one way for cars lane through Goyt Valley your only question there’s your answer Bentley even does it as a hybrid Fifty miles of charging had bought me four miles of charge Is Well it used to but it wasn’t much good However given Bentley’s recent that good? Who knows? But I thought that this approach was not only conscientious but also served as a useful reminder of what the Porsche statement about having a plug in version of every model by and Cayenne Turbo S E Hybrid Coupe and breathe is capable of that its internally combusted only rivals aren’t going all electric by you know one’ll be along shortly However this mph cyclist with his plugs in can’t hear this tonne The others fall into place with equal logic And yes if this dictates silent running SUV a respectful distance behind him He carries on admiring the scenery Tooting would be rude swerving or getting closer the Urus to be the most flawed SUV well there you are Now what’s about as acceptable as my other potential solution pulling over and letting the rowdy Urus have a run at him interesting is that although they come across di erently and each So I do the one thing I didn’t want to switch back to Sport mode successfully epitomises its brand values three of them are built from the and let the hydrocarbons combust The V rumbles into life and whether via sound waves olfactory assault or road vibration the message gets same basic kit As VW Group products the Bentley Porsche and Lambo are through He pulls over and shoots me a dirty look Well I tried all based on the same MLB Evo platform and all use a broadly similar twin I expect the look got dirtier In this company a silver Porsche Cayenne is the gentlest way to part the waves It’s not the metaphorical turbo litre V You’d never guess They sound di erent act di erent The Aston also uses a litre blown V but it’s sourced from Mercedes which recently committed to taking a per cent stake in Aston The bonded aluminium platform underneath the DBX isn’t shared with anything else and the car itself feels very di erent to the others They are very corporate products with standardised materials proven design excellence engineered in They reek of deep development budgets The Aston? Well let’s just say it comes across as more individual This is not a bad thing The Bentayga and Urus feel slightly generic next to the Aston Yes there is carry over from the Vantage and DBS 102 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Five minutes off-road SUPER-SUVS and the Cayenne is simply dying for a venti soy latte “THESE CARS ARE BRAND AMBASSADORS. STATUS IS WHAT MATTERS HERE” Nothing like a nice walk in the country. And this is nothing like a nice walk... T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 103

SUPER-SUVS “HERE’S AN URUS THAT CAN HANDLE FOUR (IDEALLY SHORTISH) PEOPLE AND ALL THEIR TRINKETS” but it feels like a bespoke creation not a Touareg or Q with a the fore A Lamborghini shouldn’t be straightforward but this one thick veneer of sophistication applied However to lump them all nearly drops the ball It’s mostly fathomable in together for a little longer the VW Group’s excellence means three are fabulously well made The other built in a brand new factory at St And probably more practical than it needs to be I refer you to the Athan in Wales has a few niggles It’s to be expected but the electric point I made earlier about each car having to epitomise its own brand windows refusing to raise and the occasional ping from the dashboard Here’s an Urus that can actually handle four ideally shortish people do give cause for concern and most of their trinkets And so can the others The surprise in a way is the Aston in that it’s more spacious than you expect Rear legroom I like the storage area under the transmission tunnel but the shallow is Bentley rivalling and the boot isn’t far o either phone tray hits eject at every roundabout and there’s no induction charging or USB slot down there so you’ve still got to trail a cable You don’t expect much of the DBX because of its pinched waist and around And then we get to the infotainment It’s Merc’s but a couple of svelte looks plus the fact no other Aston is especially well packaged generations old No touchscreen and fairly primitive CarPlay integration The design is clever It doesn’t look big but actually only the Porsche Even over the course of a week I didn’t stop finding the clickwheel and is under five metres long But more importantly the Aston is properly pad frustrating The trouble is that the sort of people the Aston is aimed handsome Yes the facelifted Bentayga isn’t as bad as it used to be or at will have bought their live in nanny a Golf that does all this stu and perhaps time has sharpened its lumpen form the Urus has so many probably has proper matrix LED lights yet their new luxury purchase for edges and angles you wouldn’t be surprised if the wheels were square taking the kids out on her day o doesn’t come to think of it that might explain a few things and the Porsche is a visual bar of soap Especially as a coupe But the Aston with its little You wouldn’t catch a Porsche playing second fiddle to a VW In the duck tail and confident stance just looks great Cayenne you find broad screens fast processors touch sensitive panels massive functionality Bentley isn’t far behind with tactility firmly to Parked up among the regency architecture of Buxton the previous evening it’s the one that had drawn all the attention although a straw 104 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Unexpected COVID upside: You might find a parking space big enough for your über-SUV poll suggested this had more to do with this exact car having been piloted by Paddy on the TV show only a few days before But people do admire it it’s a great thirsty dirty SUV that people compliment you on And that’s not the case with any of the others No one wants to start the Lamborghini outside the hotel at the next morning Should have parked on a downward slope and just coasted quietly away It’s a mouthy bugger first thing trumpeting V easily penetrating the fog Paddy drove an Urus on the TV show this series as well he does love a fast SUV If you haven’t seen the film of it against the Audi RS dig it out if only to see how little the Urus rolls when being Stigged It’s uncanny Like the Bentley and Porsche it has a V roll control system that uses electric motors to apply torque to the active anti roll bars The system is very clever in fact it’s arguably been the making of all these premium sports SUVs allowing a tall car with a high centre of gravity to have astonishing body control The bhp Urus is the fastest car here and as the fog becomes mist and the sun tantalises on the way to Winnats Pass it has a chance to prove itself Left alone the ride’s reasonably well cushioned it doesn’t need sti air springing because of the V system but you don’t leave a Lamborghini alone you drive it In Sport mode it corners flat and fast T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 105

SUPER-SUVS and the deep chested engine bhp up on the British pair is a actually makes the Porsche better through corners There’s enough sledgehammer that hits hard everywhere especially at the top end movement and communication to let you know how hard it’s working But as speeds rise so it becomes more tense the Urus having to keep It’s less overtly aggressive and more deeply satisfying a very rigid grip of itself The ride becomes a bit skittish especially through corners and it’s only if you catch a glance of the speedo that And not slow A kWh battery feeds a single bhp electric you’re aware of how fast you’re moving the momentum you’ve built motor mounted between engine and eight speed auto gearbox With Because you’re not getting the signals you expect from the suspension and overly light steering The brakes certainly do the job which is not bhp it’s the most potent car here And also the heaviest This is a something that can be said of the Bentley But then you never find dense complex piece of engineering and it works very intelligently yourself wanting to drive the more stately Bentley fast Overall it’s indeed deciding how and when to use the engine e motor and mostly got the manners to perform in town and over long distances but gearbox seamlessly The only weak link is the brakes not outright on twisting roads it rarely settles driving like it’s got an itchy collar power but inconsistent feel under your foot when the system is deciding between electric regen and disc stopping We’ve descended into subterranea at the bottom of Winnats Pass the fog is a grey gloop But just two miles away at Mam Tor The Aston pushes the Porsche hard and asks interesting it’s a di erent story one where low orange sunlight pings o questions about how fast a super SUV actually needs to be Not once bodywork I switch to the Porsche It’s immediately more natural while driving it did I think it needed more performance despite being in its movements the steering is better weighted and the driving a second slower to mph Not important It sounds good goes hard experience less fierce and aggressive This more relaxed approach enough and best of all feels clean and natural to drive with clear lines of communication Everything is in the right proportion the body roll the steering weight and feel the operation of the pedals 106 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

“THE ASTON Starter button under flip PUSHES THE cover reminds you this PORSCHE HARD is still a Lamborghini AND ASKS Bentley says it takes INTERESTING 53 artisans 130 hours to QUESTIONS” handcraft the Bentayga Porsche’s hi-def screen wouldn’t look out of place in your living room DBX features all the standard gizmos, plus a herd’s-worth of cow T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 107

SUPER-SUVS A road and some clouds, or a piece of string and a giant cappuccino? Choice is yours Bentley the one to have if your home is of a stately persuasion 108 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

All premium cars, but none of them has bunk beds and a kettle DBX grille comes at you like a grouper fish, but it’s definitely a predator T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 109

it’s an easy content well mannered car to just get in and drive before Those two cars bracket this class The Aston Martin tries to deliver you’ve even found the little mode controller on the console we’d have elements of both but really the car it most feels like is the Porsche it liked to see it on the steering wheel as in the Vantage has the same focus on driving cleanly smoothly and communicatively Sport ish without the aggression Sorting them into an order is nigh on There is a but It does less to shelter you from the bu eting that pointless for reasons already laid out Got a brand a liation? Have that the road doles out Whether it’s vibrations noise background rumbles one As already discussed the Bentley does the job of a load hauling there’s just a little too much commotion going on The ride itself is family packed SUV better than the others mostly pliant maybe a little firm but you’re less well distanced from the oily bits You feel tyre tremors through the seat and jumping into But would you be seen in one? Not just the visuals but the baggage the Bentley after it is a marked change Silence Refinement A car that that goes with owning a car that returned mpg with us the DBX and asks for no compromise Provided you don’t try and jet along At the end Urus were worse still The Porsche is here to highlight the urgency of of a tight road the Bentayga puts its hands on its knees and wheezes The hybrid for these cars Does it work? What does mpg tell you? Not big lad’s not keen Long throttle soft brakes a bit dozy Everywhere else really its g/km of CO against over for the others merely a picture of refinement and ease You glide you ooze although as with assuages your guilt at dinner parties all its rivals if one of these big heavy wheels hits an expansion joint the air suspension does kick noticeably For now the DBX gets a pass due to its looks and image It’ll need more soon And better cabin tech and equipment levels More insulation too We went o road too Much further than we’d intended because Fundamentally it’s a good car one that I’d argue actually performs better all of them coped so well Height adjustable suspension well calibrated in its sector than the Vantage or DB do in theirs It’s an individual and traction and WD make that not just possible but easy Bentley was interesting SUV that just lacks the last bit of polish Not the first time the most at home Urus the least Tell me that surprises you we’ve said that about an Aston and probably not the last “AT THE END OF A TIGHT ROAD, THE BENTAYGA PUTS ITS HANDS ON ITS KNEES AND WHEEZES” 110 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

SUPER-SUVS ASTON BENTLEY LAMBORGHINI PORSCHE CAYENNE MARTIN DBX BENTAYGA V8 URUS TSEH COUPE £158,000/£195,640 £146,700/£181,585 £/as tested: £159,925/£192,875 est £125,946/£141,469 Engine: 3982cc TT V8 3996cc TT V8 3996cc TT V8 3996cc TT V8 + hyb Power: 542bhp @ 6,500rpm 542bhp @ 6,000rpm 641bhp @ 6,000rpm 671bhp @ 5,750–6,000rpm Torque: 516lb ft @ 2,200–5,000rpm 568lb ft @ 1,960–4,500rpm 627lb ft @ 2,250–4,500rpm 663lb ft @ 2,100–4,500rpm Transmission: 9spd auto, 4WD 8spd auto, 4WD 7spd DCT, 4WD 8spd auto, 4WD 0–62mph: 4.5secs 4.5secs 3.6secs 3.8secs Top speed: 181mph 180mph 190mph 183mph Kerbweight: 2245 kg 2416kg 2220kg (approx) 2535kg 323g/km 302g/km 325g/km 122g/km CO2: 19.8mpg 21.2mpg 22.2mpg 52.3mpg Economy: 887 8 Score: 10 10 10 10 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 111

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BECAUSE THEY DON’T MAKE ’EM LIKE THEY USED TO DSEULNIGNHYTHEADLINER The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was the last gasp of the bygone era that gave way to Group B rallying WORDS OLLIE MARRIAGE PHOTOGRAPHY JORDAN BUTTERS T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 113

“EVERYONE IMAGINES LOTUS MADE THE RALLYING SUNBEAM COMPETITIVE. ER, NO” I want to tell you a story It’s not a car’s reputation let’s go for loosely assembled instead Chrysler wanted to close up the British government particularly happy one given that we’re was desperate it didn’t so funded the all new Sunbeam heading back to the late Seventies and All new in this instance meaning an Avenger with four inches removed from the wheelbase and a new fangled talking about the British motor industry hatchback body It didn’t have that other new fangled thing other marques such as VW were banging on about but you can’t tell the fabulously convoluted front wheel drive It didn’t take Chrysler long to realise story of the Lotus Sunbeam without it’d bought a particularly rusty can of worms In it sold Chrysler Europe to Peugeot for lobbing in all the pulling at the withered ties that bind it into British debts and liabilities with it French and American automotive history However in a little workshop in Coventry a man called Des O’Dell had seen something in the Sunbeam It starts with the Hillman Avenger although at the The competition department boss had had some success campaigning rally versions of the Avenger and saw this time it was known as the Chrysler Avenger the British Rootes Group a conglomeration of old names including Humber Hillman and Singer having been bought by the US corporation This was and things were dire Especially so at the Linwood plant in Glasgow where the Hillman Imp had been built Well I say built but given the 114 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Those front wheels are all over the place, maybe the tracking is a bit off Let’s file the colour scheme under ‘Fast enough we don’t care’ The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus took second place at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally. Sideways newly abbreviated hatch as just the thing to take on the The Sunbeam was in a di erent league though dominant Ford Escorts However he needed an engine as Instantly competitive on its first outing at the the fruitiest available wasn’t going to do the necessary San Remo rally it finished fourth in the hands of Tony Pond In the upward trajectory continued firstly Happily Lotus was looking for a home for its litre a podium in Portugal and an RAC Rally win thanks Twincam It was just the ticket bhp for the roadgoing to talented Finn Henri Toivonen at the youngest homologation cars needed but around bhp in rally WRC winner ever the record stood for years The tune The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was born an old Rootes other cars finished third and fourth in what would be Group badge resurrected Everyone imagines Lotus then the Sunbeam’s best result took over and did the work to make the rallying Sunbeam competitive Er no The kg road car of which But delivered across the season largely were built had more Lotus input the rally car not so thanks to the consistency of Frenchman Guy much Engine and exhaust yes even a little suspension Frequelin who finished ahead of the more mercurial work but beyond that the Sunbeam was let’s call it a Toivonen But not first Although Talbot won the Hillman project Ownership had changed but the people manufacturers’ title the drivers’ prize went to Ari hadn’t and much Avenger know how was carried over Vatanen in yes an Escort As history tells it T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 115

Ollie finally gets to act out his fantasy of finishing eighth in the World Rally Championship Wheels have a bewildered octopus air / Nice touch: press the red button for jellybeans / Gearstick especially business-like / Talbot badge not premium, but evocative “IT FEELS LIKE THE REAR AXLE IS UNDER YOUR BUM” 116 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

wasn’t about Talbot or Ford but a car thought too big and heavy to be competitive the Audi Quattro After no rear wheel drive car would win a title WD had arrived Maybe it would have been a di erent story if Frequelin and Toivonen had had this particular Sunbeam Because what you see here is not a nut and bolt restoration but an ‘in a perfect world’ enhancement Tolman Motorsport the firm that did the work describes it as a ‘non invasive re creation’ Because years ago tech didn’t stretch to a pneumatically operated six speed sequential gearbox or three way adjustable Nitron dampers The shell is original although strengthened the body still mainly steel and the engine built by the same chap who did the Sunbeam’s competition engines years ago now has twin injectors and individual throttle bodies Power is up to about bhp total and though the wheels look the same they’re inch larger s to fit bigger AP Racing brakes Outwardly it looks original but open the door and take in the digital dash sequential lever carbon seats gorgeous pedal box Then you learn it has traction control di erent engine maps and launch control and you realise it’s far more bespoke And the quality is o the charts Features such as the colour coded stitching the neat fluid fillers under a polycarbonate cover in the boot the general attention to detail it’s all too good for rallying The eagerness with which the Sunbeam launches itself at the circuit short squat angry and snorting is all consuming It’s furiously energetic largely because the gearing is so short and the noise so present It’s the sound of Seventies rallying a highly strung nat asp Engine bay looks like something Jack four cylinder constantly jackhammering at high revs Bauer would defuse There’s not a moment to relax The rear axle feels like T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 117 it’s under your bum and the front only just beyond your feet As set up the steering is a bit of a reach so I’m sat high and straight armed looking down a low bonnet And it’s physical I’m wrestling it around There’s loads of mechanical grip the wheel is wriggling and writhing in my hands Hard to tell if I’m steering it or it’s steering me One thing’s certain you have to be on top of it bully it into a corner But don’t brake too late or the rear will try to overtake the front Let all four wheels find grip balance the throttle and don’t try to get the power down too soon With zero lag that brief wheelbase and what turns out to be a very tight rear di erential you’ll immediately find yourself with an armful of opposite lock it steers from the back as readily as the front You can feed the angle on and o with practice and appreciate how taut and agile it is But boy does it keep you busy There’s never a second when I’m not jabbing at throttle brakes gears or steering Back then the RAC was an mile five day event Just imagine Group B may have set a new direction but back then it must have been physicality as much as ability that got you through For the team behind the Sunbeam who’d witnessed the car’s challenging gestation and fought so hard those wins at the turn of the Eighties must have been wild They were however the end

TOP FIVE RETRO REAR WINGS 1970 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD Iconic name, iconic rear wing. The Superbird was 18 feet of aerodynamic NASCAR goodness built for the road CONCEPTS THAT TIME FORGOT 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL BATMOBILE MUSTANG RSX, 1979 The 3.0 CSL – for when one rear spoiler just isn’t enough. F ord’s got previous form when it comes team was on a shoestring budget. You see, The wing was illegal in to tinkering with the Mustang formula. The what they did here was glue a bit of black Germany and came in the third-gen car, launched in 1978, did away acrylic over the normal doors. Very Blue Peter. with some of the muscle car looks and boot for buyers to fit tried to modernise. The wedgy lines were The interior was more understated – a a definite product of the taste vacuum that was tastefully sporty affair, with a suede-topped 1978 the Seventies. It was hampered too by Ford’s dash to reduce glare, pillowy leather seats LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH insistence on saving money by spinning off a and a dash-mounted gearstick Americans Inspired by the Walter Wolf load of cars from the same platform, turning it wouldn’t have a clue what to do with. And two Special, Lamborghini first into more of a nag than a pony. Of course, no seats, of course, because the Italians had offered the wild V-shaped rear one would ever make that mistake again. chucked out the back seats from the Mustang wing when it introduced the in the process of chopping the wheelbase. Countach LP400 S in 1978 This didn’t stop 400,000 sales in the MkIII’s first year, but no one would argue it’s the best of the The turbocharged 2.3-litre 4cyl motor sounds 1986 ‘Stangs. It needed a better image – one idea like it could be fun, but then you find out it was FORD SIERRA RS COSWORTH was to let the Europeans at it, like with this the entry-level Mustang engine nabbed from The Cossie’s whale tail may Mustang RSX concept. The RSX (Rallye Sport the Ford Pinto. It produced a heady 89bhp and not have been popular with Experimental) debuted at the 1979 Chicago Motor 118lb ft of torque, and was paired with a four- Ford’s top brass at the time, Show, styled by Ghia in Turin. What better way to speed manual gearbox that we’ve no doubt but we’re very glad that it convince people your muscle car is also good only enhanced the dynamic driving experience. round twisty bits than turn it into a rally car? Weirdly, this engine (introduced in 1974) would got the go-ahead still be going as late as 1997 in the front of the Ghia’s Mustang makeover is to our tired eyes Ford Ranger pickup. 1993 a successful one. The wheelbase was 15cm TOYOTA SUPRA shorter than the production car, for that stubby A happily ever after ending would see the The A80 Supra’s wing Stratos look. The track was 2cm wider too, a plucky little RSX-stang conquer the world, sell is so recognisable that massive rear spoiler fitted to improve stability bucketloads and gallop off into the distance. Toyota built a similar one and the suspension jacked up to deal with But sadly not – Group B was on the horizon and for its A90 Heritage Edition whatever an arduous rally stage might throw up. Ford needed a gun, not a knife. The RSX was a that at SEMA 2019 slightly unconvincing solution to a hazy problem The faired in headlights (because aero – the project that emerged from the ashes, equals faster, right?) were a nifty touch, the however, was the RS200 in 1984 (also designed glass doors a distinct reminder that the Ghia by Ghia). Much more like it. Sam Burnett 118 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

R I C C I ’ S G A R A G ERtheepnoart1f9iv9e0:5“6N0oSmELocrea,m” Ietoulpdfmorysseallfe..A..nd “IT WAS ONCE AUCTIONED OFF AS A SEIZED ASSET MANY YEARS AGO” I am not into gambling Which is good because This car will pay for itself years as its odometer currently reads a weighty I think I’d be really bad at it I’d be that bloke once Ricci finds the drug km And that’s despite it being laid up in the corner convinced the next spin will be stash under the boot floor their last only to go in the green before in a barn for the past years ending up in the red five minutes later Obviously it’s far from being roadworthy I know this because it’s the same approach There’s a reason detail shots are limited the I seem to have with cars Last year I told myself bodywork is an absolute mess Every panel has no more buying after picking up a non running some form of rust on it or at the very least quite BMW M CSi for cheap It was too good an a bit of bubbling The engine doesn’t start and opportunity to pass by a quick fix up and sell it’s also been in an accident at some point Oh Yet a year later it’s in at an estimate bits and it was once auctioned o as a seized asset and undergoing work that’ll cost even more many years ago Which I think is commonplace than I paid for it And I haven’t sold a car in for any Nineties tuner fettled car from Germany nearly years now None of that matters because look at it It’s Six months later a road legal Ferrari metres of blacked out schnitzel Long before Challenge race car popped up for sale the term ‘murdered out’ was being coined by Obviously this too seemed like an unavoidable YouTubers sticking matte black vinyl on leased opportunity Something that daft isn’t going to cars Brabus was busy de blinging the W in a be available for long is it? However with my bid to create something Darth Vader would drive Experian report now making the government’s en route to destroying another planet What’s the plan for this one? Getting it borrowing look quite mediocre enough running would be a good start closely followed was enough after this one by much welding to make it solid again before finally tackling the na bodywork That makes If you’ve ever used that phrase you also know it sound incredibly simple and also assumes that it’s a lie a whimsical promise which is only I won’t get side tracked along the way which as strong as the next interesting car that comes is even more concerning than the rust But it’ll along And unfortunately what came up next absolutely be worth it in the end was inevitably too good an opportunity to miss Here’s hoping TopGear allows this page to continue into when I’ll finally have This is a Mercedes SEL an everything fixed working and back together absolutely stonking car in standard form but Just in time for internal combustion engines this particular one took a trip to Brabus in the to be banned Mark Riccioni early Nineties and never looked back In fact it’s taken many trips to many places over the T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 119

PROGRESS REPORT (2021) ALPINA B3 vs ALPINA B6 2.8 (1981) Two interpretations of the connoisseur’s 3-Series, 40 years apart. So what’s changed? COR... AREN’T ALPINAS MEANT TO BE COMFY? WORDS: STEPHEN DOBIE, PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK RICCIONI Exactly. If you want a BMW without any of the iffy image, you get Everything about the titchy B6 suggests it’s going to be a highly WITH THANKS TO ALUN PARRY FOR THE LOAN OF HIS WONDERFUL B6 an Alpina. Questionable typeface on the B3’s numberplate aside, strung little sports car, the distilled spirit of M3 before BMW made these two have nailed it. Up front, we have the glorious and quite such a thing. Yet the most overwhelming thing about it is just how dinky Alpina B6 2.8 timewarped from Eighties Bavaria. Skulking plushly it rides – and how smoothly it steers. It’s like a tiny GT that behind it, a brand new B3 Touring. Different badges – and wholly just so happens to possess neon seat fabric and a willingness different body shapes – but the same principle: take a 3-Series to rasp its way to the redline. It’s got five gears, fifth an overdrive, and give it snazzier trim, a gutsier engine and a comfier ride. and an optional 100-litre fuel tank. How tempting it is to leave owner Alun in the layby and use every last drop. COUPE vs ESTATE DOESN’T SEEM A FAIR FIGHT It’s a representative one, though. Back in the good old days, HOW DOES THE NEW ONE COMPARE? people loved a little two-door saloon car. Now, Tourings account You might fear it’s only a surface-deep nostalgia trip, the B6’s for more than 80 per cent of the Alpina B3s imported to the UK. blue and green dials replicated in TFT – in the right driving mode – Perhaps that can be blamed on the absence of an M3 Touring and its crazy trim echoed in the steering wheel stitching, the seats in BMW showrooms, something that’s about to change. instead wearing creamy, Rolls-Royce-grade leather. But once you’ve experienced its otherworldly acceleration, aided by the SURELY THERE’S A GAP IN THEIR PERFORMANCE... standard xDrive AWD, the B3 will play the gentlemanly GT just as The older car’s 200bhp, produced at 6,200rpm by a 5-Series convincingly. While its (and your) natural inclination is to relax, straight-six, plays the 462bhp and effortless turbocharged there’s a sense of humour entwined through its complex chassis punch of the B3. Its 3.0 6cyl engine is a relation of the new M3’s but tech that means you’ll worry about neither its kerbweight nor produces more torque thanks to Alpina’s smaller, more responsive its lack of purist RWD in corners, which it negotiates with a veracity twin turbos. At a whisker under two tonnes, it weighs a fair bit more that had me repeatedly searching its spec sheet in vain for than its 1,275kg ancestor, yet its 3.9secs and 186mph claims are four-wheel steering. Proper 3-Series talent, then, but with a classy three seconds and almost 50mph better than the B6’s. veneer pulled snugly over the top. Just as Alpinas always were. 120 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

AMERICAN ‘CLASSICS’ CADILLAC ELDORADO LESS BIARRITZ (1979) THAN £5K Price now £4,995 Harris says If you really crave a REMEMBERING Cadillac, this one has everything you need – big, brash grille, an untaxed V8 RETRO GAMING and quite probably some shambolic THE CLASSICS handling. It represents a lot of metal for the money, though. #23 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO LESS SUPER MARIO KART (1987) THAN £10K SUPER NINTENDO, 1993 Price now £8,500 There are racing games with pitch perfect, individually recorded Harris says Similar name, similarly engine sounds, ones with centimetre-accurate renderings of the world’s best racetracks and ones with physics so sophisticated powered, but this one’s quite different. you could submit them as a final-year thesis. Then there are racers that are just undiluted fun – a sub-section of gaming that Super You could argue this was the original Mario Kart has reigned over for 27 years now. crossover, given it entwined the worlds Aped endlessly since its release in 1993, rarely has a Mario Kart pretender come close to recreating the gleeful anarchy of turning of muscle car and the pickup. The ad a race on its head with a well-timed power-up. The genius of the game is that it’s more finely balanced than a motorcycle display says it “runs like a Swiss watch”. team. Sear into the lead at the start and the only items you’ll receive are fiddly, unreliable banana skins. End up stuck at the CORVETTE C4 40TH LESS back, though, and you’ll be gifted the lightning bolt, which shrinks ANNIVERSARY (1993) THAN every one of your opponents and allows you to squish them £15K beneath your wheels. Take note Formula One, this may well Price now £13,500 be your last option for ending Lewis Hamilton’s domination. Harris says You can’t have a retro US sales lot without a Corvette. But For a certain generation of gamers, the sights and sounds of the at this kind of budget, it’s not going original Mario Kart are permanently engraved on their hippocampus to be a classic Stingray, though this after years, even decades, of split-screen multiplayer battles. The special edition does come with a 40th slight hop before initiating a powerslide, the cacophonous screech Anniversary VHS video cassette... of a red shell colliding with its target, the sound of your mate Dave’s plastic control pad hitting the wall as you clatter him off the side of Honest Harris' Rainbow Road. Again. Bargain Corner Even Nintendo’s own brilliant generational follow-ups are lacking the simple magic of the first game. Lobbing red shells at your mates will always be fun, but it’s something that’s always looked and felt best in the chunky sprites and limited palette of the 16-bit era. Dig the SNES out of your attic, blow the dust off the cartridge and you’ll see it’s just as gloriously entertaining today. Mike Channell T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 121

SPDEIECGDIIOIATTFLAIFLOENRO! NSUiFPBOHSROCJNRUEISBATEN9ND9OipPWAD ALSO AVAILABLE ON The iPhone and iPad offer is a 2-month trial for 99p, where you’ll get access to the current issue plus the next two published issues. Only available to new subscribers

TOPGEAR ’S LONG-TERM CARS. TESTED & VERIFIED T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 123

Toyota GR Yaris HELLO £29,995 OTR/£34,375 as tested/£396pcm WHY IT’S HERE Does this hot hatch genuinely channel the spirit of the WRC? DRIVER Ollie Marriage YEP, THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF THE DISASTER THAT WAS 2020 mechanical front and rear Torsen di s In the UK this adds to the is now resident with us for the next six months And as a result I can asking price Scarlet Flare pearlescent added another confidently predict is going to be a humdinger of a year I know that I speak for everyone at TG when I say we’re all completely beside Yes is Golf GTI money but this is a di erent car altogether ourselves at the arrival of this little GR Yaris And in a way we haven’t been about anything ever Because it’s an everyday hero a feisty little not nearly so plain and po faced And underneath it is decidedly more nugget of a car with a big heart and a hot temper specialist We’ll investigate all that in future reports but for now know I’ll let you into a little backstory here In issue we had a go in a prototype and as a result spent the next few months broadly unexcited that Toyota hasn’t yet sold out all of next year’s allocation And that if The car Ollie Kew drove had too much inertia in the engine neither the steering or gearchange were sharp and connected enough “It’s all too you put down one of these is yours for less than per month polite” was Ollie’s conclusion In our experience prototype cars are normally finished apart from the removal of the zebra wrapping paper SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF Not in this instance Because I knew within a few yards that this finished product was something special And not just because the three cylinder’s 1618cc, 3cyl turbo, AWD, Small, light, fast ’n’ feisty, single turbo spins on ball bearings 257bhp, 266lb ft properly inspired by 34.3mpg, 186g/km CO2 top line rallying. When it came to speccing the car there was no decision to be made 0–62mph in 5.5secs, 143mph It was always going to be a Circuit Pack car as that’s the feistiest of all BAD STUFF lightweight inch BBS forged alloys retuned suspension Michelin Pilot 1,280kg Sport S tyres and the red brake calipers but most importantly of all Not everyone is happy MILEAGE: 3,210 OUR MPG: 27.8 about the high driving position, relatively high CO2 emissions. 124 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Land Rover Discovery Sport REPORT 4 £50,635 OTR/£58,990 as tested/£570pcm WHY IT’S HERE To prove LRs are best when they’re more ‘utility’ than ‘sport’ DRIVER Tom Ford NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MILES UNDER THE DISCO’S WHEELS THIS bijou and quite happy in the boot Plus you then can’t use the third row of month which gave me a bit of time to investigate the doggo options And seats In fact the only bit of must have kit for me is the quilted loadspace I think I optioned all of them Sigh Basically there’s a theme it’s all useful liner I know is a lot but it’s perfectly fitted to the back floor/rear/ but you pay extra for the Land Rover branding Not hugely surprising but sides to window height of the Disco jetwashes clean and is padded in a few internet shopping searches would have you kitted out with similar all the right areas It’s got straps and ties and even flaps to access the gear for a good deal less Here’s a quick rundown tie downs and rolls up when not in use There’s even a fold down flap Spill resistant bowl at ? You can get a good one for under a tenner to stop top of bumper scratches from wayward claws Job done without the logo And the portable rinse system is brilliant for washing down dogs/boots/bikes but at it’s too much money Even a cursory SPECIFICATION search reveals decent branded versions for around which are pretty 1999cc, 4cyl, 4WD, GOOD STUFF 240bhp, 369lb ft much exactly the same And a proper portable camping shower with a 36.6mpg, 191g/km CO2 Excellent dog wagon, confident 0–62mph in 7.9secs, 137mph across muddy fields, cleans up reservoir the same idea but more powerful is only around a treat after abuse. 2,015kg The pet access ramp? I loved the idea but use is marginal It’s a hassle BAD STUFF MILEAGE: 5,345 OUR MPG: 35.5 to unbag and fold just to get the dog in the car and once you do it cuts MPG has dropped, gearbox still thumps a gear now and then, down space for an actual dog In fact the only way that the ramp makes throttle response can be tardy. sense is if you have a larger/older/infirm animal you can’t lift In which case fair play but is still a chunk of change nicely made as it is The full height metal luggage partition for is also properly made but feels like overkill it screws into the rear section like a bolt in roll cage and is basically high security prison spec Great for safety but my dog is T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 125

Mercedes-AMG A45 S REPORT 4 £56,570 OTR/£58,365 as tested/£626pcm WHY IT’S HERE Can this hot hatch justify a sports car price tag? DRIVER Ollie Marriage NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, AMG HAS FITTED ONE OF ITS CARS WITH A But as I said before I admire AMG for developing it It must have done so in the full knowledge that vanishingly few owners would ever Drift mode And once again there’s no faster way in which to get shot of a have the opportunity let alone the desire to use it And yet it went load of that superfluous tyre tread Two things about this Firstly I hugely ahead and did it It’s things like this that make me feel good about admire AMG’s dedication to daftness A hot hatch doesn’t need this but the A I find myself being increasingly well disposed to this car currently no other has it or does it putting the A in a class of one I don’t really think of it as a hot hatch but like the RS before it as an all weather family car with a sharpened edge It’s worth pointing out the WD system is very trick a mechanical di at the front but at the rear a pair of sophisticated clutch packs that SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF can send per cent of the torque to either wheel Drift mode then limits torque to the front axle provided you’re giving it maximum 1991cc, 4cyl turbo, 4WD, AMG bothered to sideways attack with the steering and throttle Limits not disconnects 415bhp, 369lb ft develop a Drift mode The A as you can tell from the smoke pouring o the front wheels 32.5mpg, 192g/km CO2 for the A45... is never just rear drive only 0–62mph in 3.9secs, 168mph BAD STUFF Which brings me on to my second point Which is that this is er 1,560kg completely pointless OK maybe not entirely If you have convenient ...but made it so that access to an ice lake then you’ll have a whale of a time However you’d MILEAGE: 6,068 OUR MPG: 28.0 you will never actually have a whaler of a time if you were in something actually rear wheel be able to use it. drive But with no convenient ice lake where are you meant to use this? Because it’s not like it makes any di erence at all to the way it drives on the road Or on a track Unless your track is as you see here Dunsfold’s wide open runway 126 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

VOLVO XC40 PHEV D E A R LY DEPARTED REPORT 5 DS 5 HYBRID Volvo XC60 PHEV £42,305/£48,105/£630 A long-termer REPORT 5 WHY IT’S HERE we don’t miss £57,720 OTR/£63,395 as tested/£692pcm Does the baby Volvo work Ollie Marriage with added eco gubbins? This probably tells WHY IT’S HERE you what you need DRIVER to know. When the Volvo is stopping diesel engines, but does hybrid suit a family SUV? DS5 went back, the Sam Philip opening lines read DRIVER as follows: “Should UNEXCITING PHOTO UPDATE you buy a Citroen Andy Franklin alert! This month I have mostly DS5? I can’t in good employed the XC to lug large conscience YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT WE HAVE TWO VOLVO SUVS ON THE volumes from one place to another recommend it.” It’s one which means you all get treated to of the most damning TG fleet currently a big one and small one Because I outrank Sam in some truly arresting shots verdicts I’ve delivered. the number of children three versus two I got the big one And even But here was a car then the XC is probably more suited to larger families But fear not So how does the XC fare as where the designers I managed to move my Multimac seats across from my Series Touring a load lugger? The good news is understood what was so all was saved Like Sam I too have used the XC to often lug ‘stu ’ it has a good shaped hole Not needed, but the about not just this month but every month My whole life seems to be all crossovers are this way A year engineers didn’t. a constant need to fill the boot does anyone else have this problem? or so back I ran a Mazda CX which according to the o cial It looked right And while as Sam says you’ve probably heard the SUV versus estate stats is actually slightly more – coolly different and argument too many times it’s true Swapping from a Series Touring to capacious seats down than the slightly raised – but the an SUV earlier in the summer highlighted this point when I managed to XC Not if you want to transport way it drove... “It was squeeze in a holiday to France the packaging just wasn’t as spacious a selection of long handled garden as if Citroen had the inside There’s less space for the kids’ legs granted the extra seats don’t implements and a couple of money to buy the help and while the middle sized Volvo SUV does feel super premium lawnmowers it isn’t components, but then it also feels cramped The boot isn’t quite large enough and the floor sits ran out of funds to oddly high because of all the spare tyre equipment And when it comes to Of course if you’re really actually develop it,” moving exciting large things as Sam does with his XC I have totally bothered about moving large and I wrote, going on to shot myself in the foot Because unless I’m prepared to remove the kids’ awkward objects I suspect most criticise the ride, seats every time I can’t fold the seats down Insert facepalm here of us would still be better o with powertrain, gearbox, a good old fashioned estate But steering and so on. That said the interior is really stylish which goes hand in hand you’ve heard that argument with the exterior The portrait iPad like centre console is intuitive to enough times now right? Looking back use easily swiping left or right to various pages and using the physical now I have few fond ‘home’ button to go back to the overall screen So if you aren’t like me SPECIFICATION memories: commuting in always having a full boot this is definitely one of best SUVs I’ve frustration that had driven and run and certainly better value than the four hyper posh 1477cc, 3cyl + e-motor, nothing to do with SUVs in our group test on p Almost half the price in fact! FWD, 262bhp, 313lb ft traffic, but quite a lot 117.5mpg, 55g/km CO2 to do with the DS 5’s 0–62mph in 7.3secs, 127mph refusal to use e-power and economy that 1,741kg rarely bettered 35mpg. I’d grown up with MILEAGE: 2,920 OUR MPG: 40.1 Citroen CXs. This in no way lived up to those memories. SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF 1969cc, 4cyl + e-motor, Everyone thinks the wheels AWD, 407bhp, 295lb ft look massive but really cool. 94.2mpg, 54g/km CO2 0–62mph in 5.5secs, 140mph BAD STUFF 2,091kg Noticing a difference now it’s colder that the large MILEAGE: 4,600 OUR MPG: 46.2 wheels and sporty tyres aren’t suited to winter. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 127

Morgan Plus Four Toyota Supra REPORT 3 REPORT 4 £62,995 OTR/£71,245 as tested/£279pcm (Morgan finance scheme) £54,340 OTR/£55,050 as tested /£504pcm WHY IT’S HERE WHY IT’S HERE They claim the Plus Four is a modern Morgan. Time to see if it’s true Is the new Supra a better daily than a Porsche Cayman? DRIVER DRIVER Stephen Dobie Rowan Horncastle RH: WITH ALL ITS SAMURAI SLASHES AND CURVACEOUS, COMPLEX RH: The thing is on the whole the Supra’s engine is a good one It has plenty of torque cruises comfortably and likes to rev OK it’s hardly characterful lines the Supra looks like it came from the nd century Whereas your like an old hefty JZ lump but it is equally as tunable Admittedly it never makes a properly sonorous and scintillating six cylinder noise but that’s tube of toothpaste could have fallen o the set of Downtown Abbey But what exhaust companies are trying to fix with header and manifold trickery At least you have a gearbox to waggle around That’s what I really miss and there is something in common And not just that they get all the attention what I think would change the Supra’s personality for the better SD: Let me tell you why you’re wrong Well probably I specced the manual SD: The two turbos five litres and cylinders of BMW power that’s on our Mog because I’d feel a fraud of a car lover if I didn’t but the box Morgan has sourced is longer geared than a Cayman GT ’s I’ve since unevenly distributed between them? All without a propeller badge in sight tried a Plus Four with the optional spd auto BMW usually lashes onto this engine as standard and it was a notably quicker more thrilling car Eek RH: Exactly Some see this integration as utterly sinful and lazy behaviour RH: Ah that’s not the answer I wanted to hear But I reckon it’s not the BMW engine and gearbox that makes most people throw a wobbly at the by Toyota To them a Supra should be so Japanese it bleeds wasabi so Supra it’s the interior It’s got a similar gearlever switchgear and steering wheel to a Series Does yours? a German engine is an insult But your Morgan is as British as an overly SD: You only get German switchgear in the Morgan if you go for the auto where there’s an old gen BMW stick in the middle This manual is buttered crumpet yet it seems people have just shrugged o the pleasingly short of buttons and just as simple to operate as Mogs ever were The bits that do parachute in from elsewhere don’t o end me one bit I’m newfound Germanic pacemaker SD: A crateful of BMW V s first arrived at Malvern in so the integration of a litre cyl from a Series into this Plus Four and the same cyl as your Supra ending up in the Plus Six has barely sent a tremor through the bottom half of the internet It’s sent a tremor through their dynamics though loads of turbocharged torque with all of BMW’s electronic assistance systems binned make Morgan’s entry level car quite frisky Which I love I also think the chu s and whistles of turbocharging are so weird in a car still made partially of wood they come full circle They’re a really entertaining part of the experience 128 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

MORGAN SPECS MINI ELECTRIC 1998cc, 4cyl turbo, RWD, GOOD STUFF REPORT 4 255bhp, 258lb ft I’m getting an overly mature £30,900/£33,900/£427 39.0mpg, 165g/km CO2 thrill out of the Morgan’s WHY IT’S HERE 0–62mph in 5.2secs, 149mph absurd fuel economy. Is the electric Mini also the best? 1,013kg BAD STUFF DRIVER MILEAGE: 2,758 OUR MPG: 45.5 Good job that the economy Jason Barlow is reliably mid-40s, because WALL BOXES CAN TRIP, TOO. EVEN its tank is a tiddler. so the domestic charging process has become so habitual that it was TOYOTA SPECS still a surprise to see a red glow on my BP Chargemaster rather than 2998cc, 6cyl in-line turbo, GOOD STUFF the reassuring restive orange one RWD, 335bhp, 368lb ft 34.4mpg, 188g/km CO2 The Supra definitely feels As a devoted fan of The IT 0–62mph in 4.3secs, 155mph livelier now the roads are Crowd I was naturally overjoyed cold and grimier. when the woman on the end of 1,495kg the helpline asked me if ‘I’d tried BAD STUFF turning it o and on again’ MILEAGE: 4,028 OUR MPG: 28.6 Honestly I was unaware you could Some of the seat leather is even do that with wall box charging starting to sag... and we’re points But you can and I did Well only 4k miles in. I flipped the switches in the fuse box and service was resumed looking out of the windscreen not at the Peugeot wiper stalk And how Some TG consumer advice there exciting do you need to make a wiper stalk anyway? RH: Fair point So the big question do you think yours has su ered from Now it’s working again the the foreign exchange? Mini’s spending more time hooked SD: I think it’s better for its European union A punchy engine to liven up up Winter’s here the temperatures the chassis and all the benefits of BMW’s arduous e ciency chasing pop are dropping and so is its range It a clean little turbo in a lightweight sports car and you get odd mpg on a was showing just miles the other long trip with ease Such a grown up thing to compliment but I’ve got a day fully charged Morgan and a moustache now I am a grown up RH: The problem is no matter if you think it’s good or bad this Supra SPECIFICATION will be remembered for its corporate matrimony What’s not helped is the mighty little GR Yaris proof Toyota can get it right when it goes it alone Electric motor, 32.6kWh battery, FWD, 181bhp 3.9 miles per kWh, 141 miles 0–62mph in 7.3secs, 93mph 1,365kg MILEAGE: 4,098 OUR MPKWH: 2.9 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 129

WHAT ELSE WE’RE RUNNING WHAT WERE AUDIE TRONSPORTBACK THEY THINKING? FREOPRORDTP4UMA REPORT 3 This month: Holy crap, the filth on the roads is monumental at the Morgan’s £79,185/£89,470/£1,020 the moment. Or is it just that the Puma attracts dirt? central locking Obviously not... but there is a school of thought that says WHY IT’S HERE different paint colours hide dirt to different degrees. Stephen Dobie Well, it seems that Solar Silver is a colour that is low on The Plus Four is Is Audi’s electric SUV the future the ‘disguising dirt’ scale. A shame really, especially as a modern Morgan. or just a stepping stone? we have months of these conditions ahead. EN It therefore has a good fistful of things DRIVER HONDAREPORT5 e ADVANCE we’ve not really seen come out of Charlie Turner So, it turns out that if you switch the ESC off from within the Malvern gates the ‘safety config’ menu, it actually means OFF. If you before. Bluetooth WITH ITS MASSIVE 95KWH then hand the Honda to The Stig in a large aircraft stereo, ABS brakes, hangar with a highly polished floor and stand well digital speedo... and battery and ballooned proportions back, it seems the Honda e can, in fact, do sideways rather well they all to contain said battery the e tron with aplomb. You can see Stig having a ‘play’ in our work too. But there’s has a claimed range of miles In TopGear.com Awards 2020 video on YouTube, now. JR one bit of tech I’d the real world and despite driving it happily do without: in the saintly e ciency mode we’re BMW i3SREPORT 4 remote central struggling to get over miles at locking. The fob is an average consumption of Even at seven years old, the BMW i3 is nicer and HUGE, but sometimes miles per kWh You’re unlikely to better than today’s electric small cars. Should be, ineffectual. It can be considering the e tron for your though. Look at the price. This one is £38,445 after take several goes next cross continental drive then the grant... and all driver assist is optional. Doesn’t – and a lap of the even have lane departure warning. I rather miss it car via interpretive Surely we have to turn this on motorway journeys: the steering is a little light dance – to find the problem on its head Rather than and twitchy just off-centre. PH button-blipping angle engineering a generation of cars at which the hazards that weigh over tonnes we 130 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M flash and the locks should be creating an infrastructure clunk. You can bend that supports rapid charging of down and turn the key smaller lighter and more e cient in the door, like our vehicles that truly deliver a vision of forefathers used to, the future rather than the current but it doesn’t trigger crop of heavy ine cient first the lock on the other generation solutions that I fear the side... A theatrical e tron and others like it represent movement piece to end each drive SPECIFICATION it is, then. Electric motor, 95kWh battery, AWD, 402bhp 2.5 miles per kWh, 240 miles 0–62mph in 6.6secs, 124mph 2,520kg MILEAGE: 4,684 OUR MPKWH: 2.1

Skoda Octavia Estate REPORT 2 £26,230 OTR/£30,655 as tested/£367pcm WHY IT’S HERE Can Skoda still do practicality at an attractive price? DRIVER Adam Waddell PRETTY MUCH EVERY REVIEW OF THE SKODA OCTAVIA STARTS BY While my regular ride was away Skoda sent a Kamiq courtesy car making the point that it shares a platform and many of its mechanical It’s been good to drive something else from the range and it’s a handsome bits with the VW Golf and yet it’s both cheaper and roomier inside But thing that gives Ford’s Puma and VW’s T Roc a run for their money I there’s a lot more to it than just that headline It won’t win any awards particularly like the bright red paint job black trim and sports seats on my for performance or handling but that’s not to say that it isn’t entirely loaner but calling it a ‘Monte Carlo’ edition might be pushing things a bit capable in those departments and to be fair it is a comfortable and well Then again it’s probably the only car I’ve driven in the past five years with thought out car which gives you many of the benefits of the Golf but for an actual old fashioned handbrake so that’ll keep the rallyists happy less money And while on paper it might be a Golf or Focus competitor the interior space feels more Passat or Mondeo like SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF I’m enjoying my time with the Octavia and having run a long term vRS 1498cc, 4cyl, FWD, It’s bigger than you’d think inside estate a couple of years ago I can confirm that the model represents 148bhp, 184lb ft and a wonderfully practical another step forward in sophistication But our time together hasn’t been 52.3mpg, 115g/km CO2 family car all round. without technical issues The satnav has on numerous occasions completely 0–62mph in 8.4secs, 127mph confused itself thus leaving me to rely on the Waze app on my phone BAD STUFF I’ve also found that on pretty much every journey the voice command will 1,227kg without prompting ask me ‘what is it that you would like me to do?’ and OK, I’ve had a few electrical at random intervals I’ve had the emergency call button warning system MILEAGE: 2,120 OUR MPG: 40.1 gremlins, but don’t let that put you ping and advise me to return to a Skoda garage All of this has been mildly off. They were minor and easily irritating but a quick trip back to Skoda HQ saw these minor issues quickly and quickly fixed under warranty. and e ectively sorted with a software update These things happen T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 131

BMW M440i xDrive HELLO £54,645 OTR/£62,995 as tested/£769pcm WHY IT’S HERE Is the new 4-Series good enough that we forgive its cursed face? DRIVER Ollie Kew DON’T YOU THINK IT’S INTERESTING THAT BMW CHOSE TO SEND iDrive and infotainment from the 8-Series and X7 is transplanted into a TG its new coupe – a car which surely sells on looks ahead of all other two-door 3-Series. I’m already considering disabling the gesture control. practical and sensible criteria – in a spec that’d make even Bruce Wayne say, “hmm, bit murky isn’t it Alfred?” But I’m not getting distracted by the garnish. What I want to know is if BMW’s heavy-handed approach to grab some coupe headlines has In this intensely menacing spec, I sort of get what BMW’s designers gone too far. Will it turn my fellow motorists against me? Will the tired, were aiming for. The 4 has a brooding, muscular presence. It’s not pretty, creaking, ‘it looks like a drug dealer car LOL’ cliches ever stop? And is but is it cool? I think it might be. this M440i secretly a better everyday bet than a new M car? Like the imminent M4, this range-topping ‘M Performance’ 4-Series SPECIFICATION GOOD STUFF offers a 3.0-litre turbocharged 6cyl engine, which spins a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system through a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. 2998cc, 6cyl in-line turbo, Neighbours think blue AWD, 369bhp, 369lb ft headlights = undercover The bodywork might have been toned down more than a milky korma, 37.9mpg, 176g/km CO2 cop. Car is shockingly frugal. but our 4er’s interior has had the kitchen sink lobbed at it. Cue Attack 0–62mph in 4.5secs, 155mph of the Packs. The Comfort Plus costs £1,950 and throws in keyless 1,740kg BAD STUFF entry, a powered bootlid and a heated steering wheel which warms up automatically below 8°C. That’ll be doing overtime. Comfort Plus MILEAGE: 2,125 OUR MPG: 37.0 This spec looks best also adds electric seats and some extra oddment stowage netting. when spotless. And it’s winter. Damn. Then there’s the Visibility Pack: £1,500 in return for intelligent beam-dipping laser lights. Ironically, the Shadlowline Pack means the lenses are tinted darker. Finally, the M440i groans under the weight of the £3,650 Technology Plus Pack. This basically ensures top-of-the-line 132 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AGBUUEGDIDIINENTEOR’S From greatest hits to lowest moments, everything you ever wanted to know... and a fair bit you didn’t WORDS TOM HARRISON T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 133

I MAGES: AL AMY, G ET T Y, MAN U FACTU RER Who’s Audi, and when did it start making cars? Audi is one of the foremost makers of quite It’s quite a young company in the grand posh cars for the world’s middle classes scheme of things having only existed in its alongside Mercedes Benz and BMW It’s current form since the mid Sixties But you can German of course and nowadays makes trace its history back much further than that to up part of the colossal Volkswagen empire the beginnings of the four independent companies together with Skoda Seat Bentley and one of which was actually called Audi that Porsche among others Which is why many eventually merged to become Auto Union AG in Audis share engines platforms and other parts with cars from those companies hence the rings The Audi name meaning ‘listen’ in Latin has existed since about 134 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST Audi’s greatest hits 01 02 03 Audi R8 (Le Mans Prototype) Audi RS2 Audi A2 Audi has won Le Mans outright an astonishing One of the very first fast estates, and the first The A2 was way ahead of its time. It had an 13 times. And the R8 was the car that started it all-aluminium spaceframe so weighed next all, with the first five of those wins. Every year Audi to wear an RS badge. Developed with to nothing, was incredibly efficient thanks to except one between its debut in 2000 and 2005, (quite a bit of) help from Porsche, no less, the slippery aero and looked like nothing Audi had before it was replaced by the diesel-powered RS2 had a single-turbo 2.2-litre five-cylinder built before (or since). It’s ace. But customers didn’t buy enough of them, so that was that. R10 TDI (which only won three times. Ugh). motor making 315bhp. As quick as the then-current Ferrari 456. Cooler, too. 04 05 06 Audi R8 Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO Audi TT Named for the all-conquering race car, the One of the horniest looking race cars to ever To its critics, little more than a MkIV Volkswagen turn a wheel in anger. Dominated IMSA in 1989, road-going R8 was Audi’s answer to the winning seven of the series’ 13 races, but didn’t Golf in a pretty frock. To everyone else, a Porsche 911 and Aston V8 Vantage. A mid- take the championship because it missed two tremendous piece of design that survived the engined, all-wheel drive everyday supercar. races. The 2.2-litre five-cylinder motor was transition from concept to production reality It’s brilliant, too. You want an early one, with almost completely untouched. Wasn’t anything the 4.2-litre nat-asp V8 and six-speed manual. good for 720bhp. AWD, too. Unstoppable. special to drive, but precisely nobody cared. 07 08 09 Audi Sport quattro Audi RS6 Audi S8 The ultimate road-going version of the The definitive fast estate, against which all others If you’ve never seen Ronin, put this magazine legendary Audi quattro. Purpose-built to must be measured. Today’s beefy-arched model dominate Group B rallying, the Sport quattro down and go watch it immediately. John was shorter and stockier than the car on is a bit flash but undoubtedly the most capable Frankenheimer’s excellent but bewildering which it was based. Under Group B rules, RS6 to date, with clever cross-linked spring/ damper units, all-wheel steering and a thriller made a star out of Audi’s subtle a little over 200 road cars were built. conservative 0–62mph time of 3.6 seconds. über-limo. There is no stealthier way to go about your business, nefarious or otherwise. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 135

What’s the cheapest car FACTOID Audi builds... and what’s the most expensive? Get this – Audi used to be owned Audi doesn’t really do cheap That’s not the Meanwhile the most expensive Audi is by Mercedes. Well, point In the context of the VW Group Skoda the R specifically the Spyder which starts at kinda. Auto Union – and Seat build the ‘cheap’ cars and Audi the the company, formed expensive ones with VW itself sitting It’s a mid engined V supercar that from four struggling somewhere in between The cheapest Audi actually isn’t bad value considering a how fast German carmakers in then is the A supermini starting at it is in ultimate bhp V Performance spec 1932, that would go on which is actually one of the most expensive to become Audi as we cars of its type costing thousands more than an mph in secs mph b how usable know it today – was equivalent Ford Fiesta Renault Clio or VW Polo it is day to day and c how much it shares bought by Daimler- technically with the far more expensive Benz in 1958. It wasn’t Lamborghini Huracán We’re big fans in good shape after WW2, but a slug of cash from Daimler led to the release of the first post-war Audi in 1965, which used a largely Benz- developed engine. Incidentally, 1965 was same year VW Group took ownership of Auto Union. It has held on to it ever since. What’s Audi’s fastest car? Well the fastest road car late Thirties AU and But Adolf Hitler wanted newly opened autobahns Audi’s ever built is also Mercedes dominated more he wanted to its most expensive the Grand Prix racing with establish Germany as an in pursuit of ever higher V engined R supercar its astonishing state engineering powerhouse But Audi’s motorsport sponsored race cars most so AU and Merc set about speeds In AU’s heritage goes right the way of which used colossal running streamlined back to the Auto Union supercharged V engines versions of their cars up Rosemeyer was trying to days pre WW In the and could do over mph and down the country’s beat Merc driver Rudolf Caracciola’s mph record when he crashed and died at mph 136 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST NOTABLE Where are Audis built, and PEOPLE how many does it build a year? August Horch 1.8 Close as we’ve got to ‘Mr Audi’. Established MILLION All over the place naturally at factories Audi owns/operates the name in 1910 itself along with sites that also build other VW Group Ferdinand Porsche Designed the V16 GP engines products There are two main factories in Germany in that helped Auto Union Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm but Audis are also built in dominate pre-war racing Hungary Belgium Spain Mexico Brazil Slovakia China India and Russia In together these factories built a combined million cars Which is a lot Jörg Bensinger What’s the best The engineer who helped concept Audi made? convince Piëch to green- light the Audi quattro Ferdinand Piëch Legendary engineer/exec who turned Audi into a proper high-end player Tom Kristensen The Audi Quattro Spyder Concept mainly Quattro Spyder was mid engined all wheel Danish racing driver, AKA drive and aluminium bodied Widespread ‘Mr Le Mans’. Won the 24hrs because it was very nearly a whole lot more speculation that it would be built apparently led to dealers taking thousands of orders but Audi for Audi SEVEN times than just a concept The reason this thing supposedly couldn’t figure out a way to build the car cheaply enough for it to be viable Shame looks ready is because it basically was an R years before its time Having made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show the T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 137

What’s been Audi’s What’s been Audi’s best moment? worst moment? We’re gonna go with winning Le Mans times in the space of years As part of the VW Group Audi was embroiled in the ‘Dieselgate’ making Audi the second most winningest manufacturer at La Sarthe scandal uncovered by US regulators in The group admitted behind Porsche The Four Rings finished third overall on its debut in up to million of its diesel powered cars were fitted with a ‘defeat but would win the next three on the trot with the litre V R device’ to cheat global emissions tests In Audi dumped the V Dumped petrol altogether for that In September former Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler became matter when it arrived in France with the mighty V diesel powered the first top executive to stand trial over the scandal charged with R TDI That thing dominated the first diesel to win Le Mans it took fraud false certification and criminal advertising practices Former first overall three times in a row from Audi would then win an VW group boss Martin Winterkorn is also due to stand trial on charges astonishing five times in a row between and Peugeot won of fraud and stock market manipulation but proceedings against the in during which time it became the first manufacturer to win Le Group’s current boss Herbert Diess were dropped after the company Mans with a hybrid before pulling out of the WEC after the season paid a million settlement to focus on its Formula E entry Audi has since announced it’s quitting ‘Dieselgate’ has so far cost the VW Group more than billion Formula E and and will return to Le Mans in the new LMDh category in fines compensation and legal fees according to BBC News 138 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

What’s Audi’s most EXHAUST surprising moment? LOGO No doubt Ford Peugeot Lancia and so on were pretty taken aback EVOLUTION when Audi took its new car rallying in and almost immediately 1932 started winning things Four struggling German car companies merge Said new car was called the quattro and it represented the first time to create ‘Auto Union’ all wheel drive had been fitted to a high performance car The quattro 1949 changed rallying pretty much overnight it helped Walter Röhrl Hannu Each ring repesents a company – Audi, Horch, Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist to World Drivers’ Championships in ’ DKW and Wanderer and ’ respectively Because of the quattro no two wheel drive rally car 1969 has won the WRC since Now under VW ownership, Honourable mention goes to the fact the first gen R was so good given Audi merges with NSU, maker Audi had never built a mid engined supercar before and the mad limited of Wankel-powered Ro80 edition A Quattro And we mustn’t forget the company’s announcement it’s 1978 ditching Formula E and will campaign a plug in hybrid in the Dakar rally NSU is effectively dead by this point, so back to Audi. Black oval, white lettering 1985 The rings return, now ever so slightly 3D. Still using the old typeface, though 2016 Audi simplifies because now logos “need to look good not only on paper, but online” T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 139

Now you’re an Audi expert, it’s time to buy one... Audi RS6 / 2002–2004 / £10,000–£20,000 What is it? And with prices of good C s starting at it looks temptingly attainable too When the first Audi RS launched the RS badge was in its infancy Just two cars had The RS launched with a twin turbo litre worn it previously the RS and RS both V co developed with Cosworth producing sold only as estates The ‘C ’ RS was sold as both a saloon and Avant though fast Audis bhp That was enough for a second have always been intrinsically linked with the mph time and the mph limited top latter body style In this model’s case you can speed so associated with German performance possibly thank pre Bond Daniel Craig in Layer cars Towards the end of the RS ’s life Audi Cake for that saw fit to boost its power output launching the bhp ‘Plus’ version which you see here It was a perfect bit of car casting for a cool gangster type a hugely characterful and quite Driving naughty car clothed in a crisp subtle body A whole years after its introduction we’d This thing flings itself down a road with a pace argue this RS is more appealing than ever as indecent feeling as the bhp ‘C ’ RS Seriously And don’t go thinking you need to heave on the brakes and shed all that speed Servicing Do it every 12 months. Change the cambelt every five years, or 40,000 miles. The water pump ought to be swapped at the same time WORDS STEPHEN DOBIE Gearbox Suspension Only five speeds. And Audi’s ‘Dynamic Ride Control’ system is a slow – really shows how mechanical take on adjustable dampers. far gearboxes have Great when it works, but may leak. If one come since 2002. Needs corner goes you should replace all four its oil and filter changing every 40,000 miles 140 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

EXHAUST to have a vague hope of making it around a system doing wonders to shake o some of Tyres corner RS Audis may not have the most prolific the worse road surfacing Britain has to o er If you haven’t heard of hit rate of dynamic success but this isn’t a car the brand, walk away. that immediately flops into understeer Get the On the inside Speaks volumes about nose tucked into a corner and as you get back owner’s attitude to car- on the throttle it feels almost like a bigger The availability of a television with Teletext care. Or lack thereof fatter Impreza You can sense power going to would have struck us as witchcraft back the rear axle to propel you out the other side in Of course nowadays the whole infotainment system doesn’t really work There’s the slightest bit of turbo lag when to the extent you’re better o suckering you first prod the accelerator then a huge your phone to the dashboard But that’s OK surge of power And it’ll happily rev right up This is year old technology remember to rpm a classy eight cylinder burble providing a backdrop to it all Audi has always been good at interiors making them feel solid and hard wearing A special mention for the steering It’s super The RS is no exception a well looked after quick intuitive and reasonably well weighted car ought to age pretty well regardless of how It rides well too that Dynamic Ride Control many miles it’s done Economy Next The fuel tank is 82 litres, so it’ll cost a month: bundle to fill. Especially because you FORD should be running this thing on premium fuel. Expect daily mpg in the mid teens

CITY CARS SUPERMINIS FAMILY HATCHBACKS These small cars are perfect for urban life, You drive mostly around town, with occasional A good electric family hatch needs decent but the trade-off is a much lower range need for longer distances? Try these for size range without compromising interior space 1. HONDA e 1. BMW i3 1. VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 PRICE: £27,160–£29,660 RANGE: Up to 136 miles PRICE: £33,025–£35,555 RANGE: 175 miles PRICE: £29,990–£39,290 RANGE: Up to 336 miles TG’s reigning city car of the year has retro-tastic Remember when BMWs used to be cool? Well the VW’s new something-like-a-Golf volume seller is styling, but the range isn’t great. No worries – you i3 does. Perhaps the only model in the company’s an impressive all-rounder, with budget/range don’t need to drive anywhere, just sit inside it. range where everyone else will be tailgating you. compromises that will suit everyone’s needs. 2. MINI ELECTRIC 2. PEUGEOT e-208 2. KIA SOUL EV PRICE: £25,100–£31,100 RANGE: Up to 145 miles PRICE: £25,050–£29,650 RANGE: Up to 217 miles PRICE: From £34,295 RANGE: Up to 280 miles The electric version of the home grown favourite The e-208 is competent and stylish, but ultimately A lot of electric vehicles lack soul, but not this one. squeezes the BMW i3’s powetrain into a familiar you’ll fall into one of two camps: outraged about the There’s a distinct style/practicality trade-off, but package. Range not massive, but the car’s still fun. tiny steering wheel or you don’t understand the fuss. you can’t argue with the magnificent range. 3. FIAT 500 3. RENAULT ZOE 3. NISSAN LEAF PRICE: £19,995–£26,995 RANGE: Up to 199 miles PRICE: £26,995–£30,495 RANGE: Up to 245 miles PRICE: £26,845–£34,720 RANGE: Up to 239 miles The latest version of the 500 offers sharper looks, They grow up so fast, don’t they? The Zoe’s not long The Leaf is the electric equivalent of getting your good value and decent range – and a parcel shelf turned eight, but a recent refresh has given the car a pants from M&S – a reasonably comfortable known full of soft toys shouldn’t hurt the battery too much. boost. The entry model is a touch underpowered. quantity that doesn’t ask you to risk very much... 4. VW e-Up 4. VAUXHALL CORSA-e 4. HYUNDAI IONIQ PRICE: From £19,695 RANGE: 161 miles PRICE: £26,640–£30,045 RANGE: Up to 209 miles PRICE: £30,950–£32,950 RANGE: 194 miles It’s always been one of the finest city cars out there, A Peugeot e-208 in a Vauxhall suit – the EV’s gone Hyundai has covered all the bases here – the Ioniq but you’ve got to be sure you could cope with all of fully mainstream. This is the one to buy if you don’t also comes in ICE, PHEV and hybrid versions. It’s the Yorkshire-accented jokes that plague the e-Up. want anyone to notice you’ve taken the plunge. the safe bet if you’re making the move to new tech. FOR ALL THE FACTS, STATS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS FOR EVERY NEW CAR ON SALE GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

READY TO MAKE THE SWITCH? WE SEPARATE WHAT’S HOT FROM WHAT’S NOT COMPACT SUVS FAMILY FRIENDLY SUVS PREMIUM SUVS Small, but perfectly formed. These cars are a Slightly larger electric cars that are designed Go big or go home, we say. Wafting along perfect second motor or teeny family wagon to cope with everything you can throw at them in style is perfect for an electric powertrain 1. HYUNDAI KONA 1. TESLA MODEL Y 1. JAGUAR I-PACE PRICE: £30,150–£38,500 RANGE: Up to 279 miles PRICE: £TBC RANGE: 296 miles PRICE: £65,195–£74,395 RANGE: Up to 292 miles The Kona is highly specced, offers a solid slug of A Model 3 with more headroom and the option of The I-Pace is the electric vehicle you’ll want range and looks pretty sharp too. Good value, seven seats. Expect the usual blend of innovative to show off to your neighbours. If they’ll listen to you. good range and good looking. What’s not to like? disruption and occasionally iffy build quality. Decent range, solid performance and great looks. 2. VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE 2. POLESTAR 2 2. BMW iX3 PRICE: From £59,985 RANGE: 249 miles PRICE: £46,900–£51,900 RANGE: 292 miles PRICE: £61,900–£64,900 RANGE: 285 miles ‘Normal’ XC40 is a peach of a car, and the EV version Undercover Volvo offers Scandinavian attention to Slightly stealthier than some of BMW’s more adds the Polestar 2 powertrain to brilliant effect. First detail paired with a level of build quality that would aesthetically challenging EVs, this car is essentially Edition-spec is pricey, cheaper ones are on the way. shame a number of much more expensive cars. an electric translation of the best-selling X3 SUV. 3. MAZDA MX-30 3. FORD MUSTANG MACH-E 3. AUDI e-tron PRICE: £25,545–£30,045 RANGE: 124 miles PRICE: £40,350–£46,650 RANGE: Up to 379 miles PRICE: £61,350–£83,350 RANGE: Up to 252 miles Not the sportscar the MX moniker might have you The Mach-E isn’t really a Mustang at all, or a men’s Audi’s effort is the safest premium bet if you’re believe, but a decent first stab at an EV. Range isn’t razor, but it looks pretty good. It’s definitely a Ford, worried about switching, but overall it’s a fairly great, but Mazda doesn’t think that you’ll need it. though, so relentless competence is guaranteed. conventional EV, just with cameras for mirrors. 4. DS 3 CROSSBACK e-TENSE 4. KIA e-NIRO 4. MERCEDES-BENZ EQC PRICE: £33,990–£39,490 RANGE: Up to 206 miles PRICE: £29,595–£36,145 RANGE: 282 miles PRICE: £65,640–£74,530 RANGE: Up to 255 miles Another car running on the same set-up as the The e-Niro is bigger than its Kona stablemate and The EQC is terribly fancy, but loses out to rivals in e-208, the DS 3 is an alternative choice that favours represents very good value, but it is also a sight terms of practicality and performance. It’s a comfy style over substance, if you like that sort of thing... duller to behold. A very sensible family purchase. car, but doesn’t really move the game on in any way. FOR ALL THE FACTS, STATS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS FOR EVERY NEW CAR ON SALE GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

PERFORMANCE EVs SPECIAL MENTIONS “I’VE BOUGHT ONE! WHAT NOW?” For when money’s no object and the sky’s The EVs that have caught our eye, for all the the limit on car performance right reasons. Who said they aren’t cool? You have a home charge point. Don’t you? Well, get 1. PORSCHE TAYCAN 4S BEST FOR INTERIOR DESIGN: one. There’s a grant, so it’ll cost you less than £500. If PRICE: From £83,367 RANGE: Up to 258 miles It’s rare to see tech so seamlessly integrated, but you don’t have a driveway, the Honda e’s interior is stylish and full of the details to get an overnight or all- Leave it to Porsche to come and show everyone you’ll want to show off. Not to mention the HDMI input day recharge check zap- how it’s really done – the Taycan offers stonking and three-pin socket for plugging in your console. map.com for posts near performance, proper quality and innovative tech. home or work that give between 5kW and 7kW. 2. TESLA MODEL 3 PERFORMANCE BEST FOR RANGE: Always make sure that you know in advance the PRICE: From £56,490 RANGE: 352 miles The Tesla Model S is the original and the best when supplier for the post you it comes to headline mile-munching. The long-range want to use, and register Ignore all of the Tesla hype and what you’re left with version of the car does an impressive 396 miles on on its app or get its is a solid car with impressive performance. Possessor a full charge, which is further than most bladders. dedicated RFID card. of easily the most minimalist interior on sale today. Rapid (DC) chargers, 3. RIMAC C_TWO BEST FOR PARKING: at a slightly higher price, are best used for long trips, PRICE: £1.8m (approx) RANGE: 340 miles You might not be able to get far on the Smart like you’d stop for fuel. ForTwo’s 63-mile range, but you’ll have a blast They take roughly as long Electric hypercars are all the rage right now, but parking it. The original’s chuckable go-anywhere as filling with petrol and something about C_Two (launching early 2021) has (within reason) spirit lives on in the latest version. having a full English. caught our imagination – 1,900bhp? Yes, please. In winter, keep plugged 4. LOTUS EVIJA BEST FOR SHAMING SUPERCARS: in until you drive away, as pre-warming the battery PRICE: £2.4m (approx) RANGE: 215 miles The Taycan Turbo S doesn’t even have a turbo, but and cabin increases range. with 751bhp on overboost you definitely won’t care. When possible, choose A bold move this, but you’d expect a firm with the A 2.8secs 0–62mph run will leave most other drivers heated/cooled seats over pedigree of Lotus to knock this out the park. It hopes weeping in its wake – basically a bargain at £139k. cabin heating and aircon. to pip Rimac on sheer bhp too when it arrives in 2021. Try to drop your motorway speed by 10mph: it’ll hugely increase range, getting you there far more quickly if it avoids a recharging stop. FOR ALL THE FACTS, STATS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS FOR EVERY NEW CAR ON SALE GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

Men's Lifestyle Insurance & Finance Registrations TracksnDoaityasrts&igEeRvents sssyCntaraodoirtpkascSrrataosrttliogedMesnRa Lifestyle Prsoedcuivcretss &&sStceurdvoircPes TugnniilnytgS&& gSntiynluiTng MARKET PLACE - 0207 150 5216 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 145

TG’S BIG BAFFLED BY ELECTRIC CAR JARGON? YOUR GUIDE TO DECODING THE FUTURE IS HERE EV Volts, amps plug. Fast or level 2 refers accurate than the old NEDC Supercapacitor and Watts to the wall-mounted AC standard, but still optimistic. Let’s start with a simple one. charging boxes you can Supercapacitors can charge EV means electric vehicle, as We’re going to go full science install in your house or office, Regen and discharge more quickly opposed to one powered by teacher on you and use an which go up to 7.4kW on than regular batteries – good petrol, diesel, used chip oil, analogy. Imagine a river: the normal 240V single-phase Shorthand for ‘regenerative for bursts of speed – and can Chanel No 5 or magic. Volts are how fast the river AC, or 22kW on industrial braking’. Electric motors work tolerate more charge and flows, the amps are how three-phase. Rapid or level 3 by using electricity and discharge cycles, but they’re BEV much water is flowing, and is the high-power, DC supply, magnets to spin a shaft. So, if still not as energy-dense as the Watts are how easily it’ll this is the sort you’ll find at you were to spin it manually, batteries, so you’re unlikely Must not be pronounced carry you downstream. motorway services and say, by coasting, you’ll to see them as direct battery ‘Bev’, like your favourite lunch dedicated charging areas. generate electricity, because replacements. More likely lady, but ‘B-E-V’. It stands for kW generators are basically to supplement a petrol battery electric vehicle. As CHAdeMO motors operating the engine’s performance. opposed to what... steam- Logical, metric countries use opposite way. See Lamborghini Sian. fuelled? Just call them EVs kilowatt to measure power CHAdeMO is not the result like everyone else. from petrol and diesel of a cat walking across a Range CCZ engines. For the rest of us a keyboard. It’s basically the ICE kilowatt is 1,000 Watts, and is fast-charging standard How far you’ll get in your car The Congestion Charge the most common measure Japan came up with. from the amount of energy Zone in London. From 7am The internal combustion of power in an EV. A kilowatt Competing standards you put into it. So, it’s been to 10pm, it’s £15 to drive in this engine. Confusingly, ICE is equal to about 1.34bhp. include CCS and Tesla fuel from a tank for most of zone. Used to be cheaper can also stand for in-car Superchargers, which all your life, now it’s a battery. and apply over fewer hours, entertainment (ie the stereo, kWh look reaaaaally similar. but it’s been ‘temporarily’ touchscreen and so on). Range anxiety hiked to cover post-COVID-19 Stands for kilowatt hours and CCS costs for the authorities. But, PHEV can cut two ways – how much The fear of being very far with an electric car you can power you’ve used (which The DC charger you’ll most from home, on a dark and pay a one-off £10 for an Plug-in hybrid electric a utilities bill does), or how likely use across the UK and cold night, without enough exemption that lasts a year. vehicle, or a hybrid with a much capacity there is in a Europe. Works in everything power to make it to a bigger battery that you can battery. For instance, a Tesla from a Tesla to a VW. charging station. In the ULEZ plug in to charge, giving you Model S has 100kWh of short term, the solution is a short, say 20-mile, electric- capacity, of which you’ll Supercharging more rapid charge stations, The CCZ is there to ease only range. Amazing tax- be able to use about 90, in the long-term, better traffic; London’s Ultra Low dodging mpg figures in the because fully depleting If it looks like a CCS charger energy density and more Emissons Zone is to ease official tests, not so amazing a battery is a great way and works like a CCS charger, efficient cars should ease pollution. The ULEZ is in effect in real life... unless you plug in to ruin it forever. it could very well be a Tesla our furrowed brows. every hour of every day, and every night and use the car Supercharger. But you can’t will rain down with great exclusively for short trips. AC and DC use it unless you’re in a Tesla. Li-ion vengeance and furious application of a £12.50 MHEV AC stands for alternating mpkWh A contraction of lithium-ion, charge if you drive into current, and DC stands for which refers to the chemical the zone in a petrol car The mild hybrid EV, or MHEV, Batman comics... er, wait... Not content with the unholy make-up of a typical battery that doesn’t meet Euro 4 the very bottom rung of the direct current. AC’s better for union of litres of petrol and pack. The 12V brick used to standards or a diesel car electrified vehicle ladder. A long-distance transmission, pints of milk, the UK’s uneasy start your petrol-powered car that doesn’t meet Euro 6 small electric motor assists because it can easily be blend of metric and Rees- is a lead-acid battery, but standards. The good news the engine, but doesn’t have transformed (to higher Mogg leaves us measuring lithium-ion is now the global is that full EVs are exempt. enough gumption to push the voltage, lower current, EV economy in miles per norm for powering new EVs. car on its own. MHEVs usually so fewer heat losses). kilowatt hour. So, if you have FCEV manage a fuel saving of Transforming DC power 50 usable kWh, and run at Solid-state about 10 per cent compared is a faff but, because DC 4.0mpkWh, you’ll do 200 miles battery Fuel cell electric vehicles, like with a pure petrol car. charging stations can be as before you’re stranded. the Toyota Mirai. Separating big as they need to be, they The next big step in battery hydrogen and oxygen takes REX can employ high-voltage W LT P tech – holds more energy a lot of energy, but reuniting power, giant transformers than an equivalent-sized them in just the right way Refers to range extenders, and rectifiers and get huge Stands for ‘Worldwide li-ion battery, or the same releases energy. You can or small internal combustion power – up to 350kW. Harmonised Light Vehicle amount of energy but in burn hydrogen, but in a engines used as generators Test Procedure’. A way to test a smaller and lighter pack. hydrogen fuel cell you to recharge EV batteries on Slow, fast and new cars to see how much They’re easier to cool, too, generate electricity to drive the move. Engine can be rapid charging fuel, or energy, they use, how which means you can charge an electric motor. It’s also run at its most efficient rpm, much greenhouse gas they them quicker before they get easier to move H2 over long converting fuel to electricity, Slow or level 1 charging is expel, and how far they get too hot. At least five years distances than electricity. which is fed to the motors that when you use a regular wall on one tank/charge. More until any come to market. supply the motive force. FOR ALL THE FACTS AND STATS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY CAR ON SALE IN THE UK GO TO TOPGEAR.COM/REVIEWS

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Tuning & Styling Products & Services Lifestyle Car Sales Track Days & Events Motorsport Track Days Insurance & Finance MenC'sarLSiafleesstyle ReganisdtErvaetnitosns MARKET PLACE - 0207 150 5216 148 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M

MARKET PLACE - 0207 150 5216 Men's Lifestyle AAS 682 £I500 M9I ANG £I400 E282 BEV £650 Elite Registrations L3I LES £I300 L2I NNS £I300 L23 SAL £750 AAZ 655 £550 649 ANG £3I00 KI23 BEX £750 M32I LES £II00 K27 NNY £950 K26 SAM £2300 K3I ABB £550 L28 ANK £550 BEZ 727 £550 K23 LET £750 M3I NNY £750 KI2I SAM £I800 N28 ABE £550 PI5 ANN £750 600 BJ £3200 KII LEW £850 KI2I NNY £850 L2I SAN £950 KI2I ABS £550 R2I ANN £I300 L29 BJC £550 LEZ II7 £550 NPO 342 £950 K23 SAN £950 GI9 ABY £850 L3I ANN £2I00 N9 BJG £550 K23 LFC £650 K3I NSY £I500 R45 SAN £950 L27 ABY £650 EI09 ANN £550 K25 BJW £550 LIL 556 £850 K23 NTH £650 K28 SAR £850 K28 ABY £850 GI5 ANS £550 BL 632 £3500 OPEN: MON-FRI 9AM-7PM, SAT 9AM-5PM, SUN I0AM-5PM K24 LJB £750 738 NTT £550 KI23 SAR £750 Insurance & Finance £550 M24 ANS £550 L29 BLA £550 £750 P27 ANS £550 P2I BLU £550 £850 L23 APB £550 L24 BLU £550 £950 L29 APP £550 R29 BLU £550 MI6 ACC K28 LJH £650 K2I OAK £750 K23 SAV £650 CI8 ACE K3I LJM £650 407 OFM £650 C9 SCD £650 M24 ACE I5I LL £3I00 J2 OHN £6500 E6 SCW £650 EII6 LLA £650 OIB II3 £550 SDD 72I £850 Tel: 01380 818181 elitereg.co.ukK3IACH P2I ACK £550 T29 APP £550 P26 BMC £550 All registrations are offered on a first come, first served basis. All are subject to VAT and the £80 L2I LLL £650 OIL 77I £850 K2I SER £750 L25 ACK £550 N26 APR £550 EI BMW £2700 Dept. for Transport transfer fee. Prices may fluctuate. See website for full terms. We have been K27 LLY £I300 D9 OLY £I400 K2I SES £750 N3I ACK £550 P23 APS £550 L44 BMW £850 KII LMB £750 M23 OLY £650 L3I SEY £850 PI0 ACT £550 W9 APT £550 W555 BMW£650 trading for over 45 years. THOUSANDS MORE AVAILABLE. Write: P.O.Box 100, Devizes, SN10 4TE A7 LOO £750 K3I ONA £II00 SEZ 774 £550 M24 ACT £550 843 APW £I900 J600 BMW £550 630 LOO £950 N60 ORM £850 SF I979 £2500 R2I ACY £550 K25 ARA £2I00 5555 BO £2200 R24 CEC £550 P2I CUN £550 M3I DLE £550 N32I ELS £550 P24 FUN £550 L27 HAT £550 P2 JER £750 N24 LOR £650 K3I OVE £750 M24 SHA £650 L25 ACY £550 N88 ARA £550 H9 BOB £I900 L3I CEC £550 M28 CUR £550 K50 DMB £650 R24 ELY £550 M26 FUN £550 M24 HAW £550 P25 JES £II00 M2I LOS £750 2 PAM £I2500 N24 SHE £850 M23 ADD £550 P28 ARB £550 K20 BOB £II00 X2I CED £550 N26 CUT £550 K32I DMC £550 L27 ELY £550 K3I FUN £650 K24 HAY £650 J92 JES £I200 LUI I33 £550 E9 PAM £I400 V90 SHE £650 K26 ADD £550 K3I ARC £550 N2I BOB £I400 Y3 CEL £750 K23 DAB £650 L29 DMS £550 ELZ I66 £750 476 FYT £650 NI23 HAY £550 JHZ I44 £550 LUI 33I £550 M9 PAM £I500 639 SHW £I300 R27 ADD £550 L23 ARD £550 P24 BOB £I200 GII CEL £650 P23 DAB £550 CI8 DOB £550 K25 EMA £I500 RI2I GAB £550 HAZ 778 £II00 JIJ 846 £550 A27 LUK £650 SII PAM £I200 SHZ 655 £750 N29 ADD £550 M24 ARD £550 T55 BOB £I300 M28 CEL £550 NI23 DAC £550 L25 DOB £550 K32I EMA £750 MI23 GAB £550 R90 HEB £550 JIL 9333 £550 K23 LUM £650 T3I PAM £750 SIB 224 £550 L40 ADD £750 L2I ARE £550 H9 BON £750 N28 CEL £550 L27 DAD £550 M27 DOB £550 M26 EMB £550 N2I GAL £650 R27 HED £550 45I JKJ £550 K24 LUN £650 K33 PAM £950 SIG 838 £550 ADE IIY £2600 K3I ARH £550 L2I BON £550 M3I CEM £550 K5 DAF £750 PI2 DOC £550 L28 EMB £550 P23 GAM £550 T3I HED £550 K27 JLH £750 K23 LYD £650 G37 PAM £850 SIW I66 £550 K3I ADE £750 P2I ARJ £550 P23 BON £550 N27 CER £550 L23 DAF £550 N28 DOG £550 EMM 3Y £3200 R23 GAM £550 P24 HEL £550 L23 JMB £650 K23 LYN £I400 PAM 45G £I300 K3I SJB £850 KI23 ADE £550 K24 ARK £550 K24 BOO £550 M28 CER £550 L2I DAG £550 K29 DOG £650 K29 EMM £750 L28 GAM £550 L22 HEM £550 K32I JMC £650 L24 LYN £I500 PI2I PAS £750 KI23 SJB £750 Registrations JI7 ADM £750 P28 ARK £550 K2I BOS £550 P23 CES £550 M26 DAG £550 R29 DOG £550 N32I EMM £550 L2I GAR £850 N23 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£2500 R29 FAT £550 K24 GUS £850 6054 IW £2200 L29 KMC £650 MJZ 363 £550 ROD 5Y £2400 T50 VAL £I300 K28 ALM £550 N24 BAN £550 L27 CAF £550 K24 CON £950 P24 DEN £950 L2I EAR £550 T3I FAT £550 T60 GUS £650 K3I JAB £750 T3 KOP £650 A3 MKH £750 ROD IIR £I300 M666 VAL £950 K29 ALN £550 P26 BAN £550 BII CAG £650 K32I CON £550 N3I DEN £II00 R25 EAR £550 RI FCB £550 TI3 GUY £550 K32I JAB £650 2258 KP £I500 P4I MLA £650 N20 ROD £750 VAL 899S £850 L25 ALP £550 H97 BAN £550 R27 CAG £550 S66 COO £550 A83 DEN £I300 L3I EAS £550 26 FD £4I00 K24 GUY £950 N23 JAC £I300 K3I KRK £750 G7 MLL £750 A62 ROD £850 K2I VAN £I300 N29 ALP £550 L24 BAR £550 K28 CAG £550 N99 COO £550 L24 DER £550 P66 EAS £550 L6 FEB £550 GYL 8S £I900 K27 JAC £I400 679 KUG £550 JI MLT £I500 ROG 9N £2900 K23 VEN £850 P29 ALP £550 L28 BAS £550 M29 CAG £550 GI6 COP £550 K3I DER £550 L2I EAT £550 P23 FEE £550 P23 GYM £550 T3I JAD £650 LAC 7Y £2700 D6 MMB £750 DI2 RON £I400 VHO 522 £550 R29 ALP £550 M29 BAS £550 D83 CAG £550 HI7 COP £550 DES 2M £2500 I72 EBE £650 M24 FEE £550 K24 HAD £550 P24 JAF £550 M8 LAC £I200 L8 MMS £850 WI4 RON £850 VJI 9I9 £550 MI2I ALS £550 N28 BAT £550 K29 CAH £550 R26 COP £550 C3 DES £I700 I988 EC £2200 FEL 3T £950 N27 HAD £550 HI0 JAG £I500 A20 LAD £650 B7 MOW £950 R2I RON £I500 K3I VOS £I700 K25 ALX £650 L26 BAX £550 K24 CAL £850 W8 COR £950 Y28 DES £850 N40 ECK £550 JI9 FEL £550 HAG I4T £650 XI23 JAG £850 LAH 3I6 £I600 I544 MP £2400 E34 RON £950 VSU 358 £550 Prsoedcuivcretss &&sStceurdvoircPes TugnniilnytgS&& gSntiynluiTng FI9 ALY £850 K32I BAX £550 KI2I CAL £650 K24 COR £750 P700 DES £550 L27 EDS £550 EI9 FEN £550 N29 HAG £550 K23 JAK £I500 M2I LAM £650 L23 MPH £650 RON 47A £I700 VTF 682 £550 K27 ALY £750 N24 BAY £550 KI2I CAM £850 NI23 COR £550 YI2 DEV £750 R27 EDS £550 L26 FEN £550 L3I HAG £550 P27 JAK £I400 LAR 3Y £I900 K3I MPP £650 J66 RON £I400 VXO I74 £550 ALZ 776 £650 BAZ 889 £950 N23 CAN £550 K32I COR £650 BI4 DEW £550 M27 EDY £550 R29 FEN £550 HAJ 829 £650 KI23 JAM £850 L28 LAS £650 MUI 998 £550 S77 RON £I500 L26 WAN £650 L3I AMA £550 BAZ 4460 £550 L25 CAN £550 M24 COS £550 N3I DEW £550 EE 994I £I400 P25 FER £550 2 HAL £7500 JAN IIM £2200 K24 LAW £II00 P2I MUR £750 S333 RON £850 K27 WAN £650 K28 AMB £750 R23 BBB £550 N23 CAP £550 N3I COS £650 L24 DEX £550 N2I EEL £650 N28 FER £550 R2I HAL £550 PI3 JAN £850 L3I LAW £I200 K29 MUR £650 RON 948 £3300 WAZ I44 £550 K24 AMC £750 N29 BBY £550 P23 CAP £550 L29 COT £550 N27 DEX £550 P23 EEL £550 FIG 433 £550 L24 HAL £550 HI6 JAN £I400 42 LAW £3800 K3I MUR £850 ROS 9A £I500 K2I WED £950 KI2I AMC £550 B8 BCC £550 R23 CAP £550 P33 COV £550 R27 DEX £550 LI23 EGH £550 FIL 47I £950 N27 HAL £550 CI9 JAN £I500 GI LAY £I900 5854 MX £750 K24 ROS £I200 DI5 WES £750 K27 AMD £550 K24 BEA £550 L29 CAP £550 L7 COW £850 N9 DFR £550 87I3 EH £I500 FIL 9I63 £650 M29 HAL £550 N2I JAN £I600 L24 LEE £I700 H8 NAM £850 S50 ROS £750 P2I WES £650 R23 AME £550 P25 BEA £550 L29 CAR £950 RI8 COW £650 SI DGB £I500 N27 EJB £550 R3I FLO £550 I39 HAL £I500 B92 JAN £II00 K25 LEE £I700 NAS 2H £3600 J900 ROS £650 WIL 557 £I300 K29 AME £550 R27 BEA £550 P222 CAR £550 L24 COW £550 K6 DGC £550 T8 EKS £550 TI8 FLY £550 B9 HAM £I500 E427 JAN £650 LEN 6P £I800 L2I NAS £750 MI0 ROY £I300 WIL 998 £950 M32I AME £550 L24 BED £550 K24 CAS £950 KI3 COX £850 L27 DJB £850 K24 ELA £650 I78 FM £3300 K24 HAM £750 N27 JAS £950 LEN 6X £2I00 K28 NAT £II00 TI4 ROY £I200 WJI I44 £550 K29 AMH £550 L23 BEE £550 W555 CAS £750 BI4 COX £950 P300 DJC £550 L29 ELA £550 I699 FM £I300 P24 HAM £550 K28 JAW £650 LEN 8A £2500 J77 NAT £I200 ROY 60W £I300 WON 970 £I300 P24 AML £550 R29 BEE £550 AI6 CAT £I500 B555 COX £750 RII DJG £850 P23 ELE £550 L27 FOS £550 R53 HAM £550 K26 JAX £650 BI2 LEN £I300 K2I NDA £650 ROY 398W £650 WS 3985 £I800 K25 AMM £550 BEK 4A £2800 D24 CAT £I300 MI2I COY £550 K29 DJG £550 K27 ELE £550 G22 FOX £I200 K32I HAM £550 KI23 JAY £950 DI8 LEN £I400 K23 NDY £850 N999 ROY £850 9289 WW £I500 L26 AMM £550 K24 BEN £I800 M28 CAT £I200 BII CRA £550 N32I DJH £550 N27 ELE £550 K25 FOX £850 JO04 HAN £750 JAZ 353 £950 L2I LEN £I200 L2I NED £650 K2I RSH £650 L3I WYN £950 M33 AMM £750 VIII BEN £I500 KI23 CAT £950 L2I CRA £550 L24 DJM £750 L24 ELF £550 P26 FOX £II00 K24 HAN £I700 K26 JCB £650 K24 LEN £950 NEG 520 £750 K32I RST £750 DI4 XEY £850 M24 AMP £550 L2I BER £550 L29 CAW £550 S28 CRA £550 K26 DJP £550 P24 ELF £550 M555 FOX £750 RI5 HAR £750 AI5 JCK £750 N24 LEN £II00 Y8 NER £650 L2I RUS £750 587 XKM £750 P26 AMR £550 R2I BES £550 L99 CAW £650 K27 CRG £550 K3I DJR £550 K23 ELL £650 R29 FRA £550 L25 HAR £650 K27 JDW £650 LEN 26 £3500 DI NEV £I300 N2I RUS £750 K26 YAS £750 L25 AND £750 P23 BET £550 B7 CBS £550 P2I CRO £550 K24 DJS £850 N40 ELL £I500 GI6 FRY £650 R25 HAR £550 R2I JEF £750 R555 LEN £650 K2I NEY £II00 M29 RUS £750 YAZ 334 £550 K29 AND £850 R25 BET £550 M2I CCH £550 L26 CRO £550 PI2I DJS £550 K32I ELL £550 HI6 FRY £550 PI9 HAS £550 K24 JEF £850 LEN 630 £I900 K2I NGM £650 RUT 9H £2600 K28 YES £950 M23 ANE £550 L28 BET £550 M2I CCK £550 22 CRU £I900 K23 DJT £550 L27 ELM £550 M28 FRY £550 K25 HAS £550 K24 JEM £II00 K24 LEO £750 K3I NGY £I600 SI2 RYN £950 M28 YES £750 FI0 ANG £I600 EI6 BEV £I200 N2I CCO £550 B8 CSP £750 B20 DJW £750 R28 ELM £550 FRZ 2II £550 M28 HAS £550 K29 JEN £I600 V26 LEO £650 NJI II4 £550 K27 RYN £650 YVP 257 £550 L24 ANG £I500 R23 BEV £II00 V6 CDH £750 W5 CSR £550 K3I DJW £550 PI23 ELS £550 L2I FUN £650 P2I HAT £550 JEO 754 £650 N2I LES £I400 K3I NKS £850 N2I SAL £950 K3I YYS £950 T O P G E A R . 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Men'CasrLSiafleesstyle MARKET PLACE - 0207 150 5216 Insurance & Finance Regtransfers.co.uk Your PERSONAL NUMBER PLATES 10,000+ 01582 967777 INITIALS9am-9pm • 7 days Motorsport Track Days • Established 1982 • Over 50 Million Numbers Available ReaginsdtErvaetnitosns • The UK’S Largest Private Dealer • Over a Million Satisfied Customers Photo courtesy of Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd Archive Track Days & Events BH 8 EN 7 6 FS HE 6 LN 2 PR 3 UN 6 WG 9 1903 1903 1964 1913 1906 1923 1927 1930 BO 2 EP 2 GB 6 HN 4 LS 7 RU 6 VG 2 WH 4 1904 1903 1922 1921 1903 1924 1927 1927 BV 8 EK 3 GF 6 HW 6 MB 9 RY 9 VL 3 WL 4 1930 1904 1930 1927 1922 1925 1928 1925 E2 ET 5 GN 4 JJ 9 MF 6 SU 5 VM 4 WM 6 1904 1903 1931 1932 1923 1904 1928 1927 EF 8 FB 6 GY 7 JN 4 9 MV TO 3 VP 3 WN 6 1903 1903 1932 1930 1960 1924 1928 1927 EG 5 FD 3 HC 4 6 KF NV 9 TY 6 VS 5 WT 6 1931 1903 1911 1963 1931 1925 1904 1923 EL 8 FR 3 HD 2 4 KV PE 8 9U WE 2 YW 4 1903 1904 1913 1963 1924 1957 1927 1928 Car Sales The year of issue is shown beneath each registration illustrated above. Lifestyle Products & Services TB 2 Tuning & Styling TB 2 was issued in 1903 by Lancashire County Council. 150 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 › T O P G E A R . C O M