BBC Top Gear

TRIDENT TESTED! EXCLUSIVE GO IN FIRST FULLY ELECTRIC MASERATI Behold! The GREATEST new cars of the year







Editor GET YOUR FIX @jack _ rix There’s more than one way to [email protected] consume the world’s best car content I have said it before, but I’ll say it again – TopGear doesn’t do awards like everyone else. MAGAZINE We don’t draw up a list of categories neatly defined by established body shapes and Order a copy at MagsDirect.co.uk sizes, because automotive is an industry that refuses to be put into a box. Cars are constantly evolving; the moment you identify a cluster of them with identical form, SUBSCRIPTION OFFER function and propulsion and try to stick a pin in it, it’s too late, the market’s saturated buysubscriptions.com/TGSP3M and the world’s moved on to the next thing, the next out of the box idea. DOWNLOAD Far better, we say, to simply gather up the greatest new cars launched in the past The TopGear 12 months, the gems that deserve every ounce of our recognition, and celebrate the genius in each and every one of them. Sure, there’s a bit of overlap between, say, a app from your Porsche Cayman GT4 RS and a Ferrari 296 GTB. You could argue that only one mid-engined, six-cylinder sports car should win anything, but not to acknowledge that App Store both are among the most exciting things we’ve ever driven is, frankly, unthinkable. WEBSITE Besides, variety isn’t exactly an issue for the class of ’22. I’ve never known a year topgear.com where the innovation and bandwidth of the car industry has been on such dazzling display. As hybrids wedge firmly into the performance car space, EVs infiltrate entertainment everything and mature with both range going up and price coming down, design and advice daring continues its rise and pure petrol cars – from hyper to sports to hot and not-so-hot hatches – rage against the dying of the light, we’ve been treated to YOUTUBE a perfect of storm of new and interesting stuff. Subscribe to Standouts for me? The Hyundai N Vision 74 for proving that concepts can be both mad styling exercises and functioning rolling labs the TopGear for future tech, the GR86 for bringing simple to watch the “WE’VE BEEN TREATED rear-drive fun at an affordable price point when best car videos we need it most, the VW ID.Buzz for giving me TO A PERFECT OF an unhealthy obsession with owning one and on the planet the Lambo Huracán Sterrato for pointing out a supercar that isn’t fanatical about lap times and PODCAST STORM OF NEW AND can handle a potholed B-road without crumbling Visit topgear.com can still be super. Oh, and the Honda Civic Type R, for breathing considerable life back into the good to download INTERESTING STUFF” old hot hatch, something Chris Harris articulates in his own special way on page 102. the TopGear Enjoy the issue, podcast @topgear facebook.com/topgear @BBC_TopGear T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 005

JACK RIX LIMITED TIME SUBSCRIPTION OFFER EDITOR WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE! HEAD OF CAR TESTING Oliver Marriage BRAND MANAGING EDITOR Esther Neve & GET A ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom Ford HEAD OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING Chris Mooney EDITOR, TOPGEAR.COM Vijay Pattni JEEP® CONSULTANT EDITOR Paul Horrell HEAD OF CONTENT STRATEGY Rowan Horncastle EDITOR AT LARGE Jason Barlow SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Simon Bond Try a subscription to BBC SUB-EDITORS Sam Burnett, Peter Rawlins TopGear magazine today US CORRESPONDENT Pat Devereux WEB PRODUCER Katie Potts and get a LEGO® TECHNIC™ SENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR Ollie Kew JEEP® WRANGLER CAR REVIEWS EDITOR Joe Holding TURN STAFF WRITER Greg Potts TO PAGE ART TEAM 48 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andy Franklin ART EDITOR Elliott Webb CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mike Channell, Chris Harris, Richard Holt, Sam Philip CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lee Brimble, Mark Fagelson, Jonny Fleetwood, Wilson Hennessy, Rowan Horncastle, Alex Howe, Jamie Lipman, Dennis Noten, Richard Pardon, Mark Riccioni, Philipp Rupprecht, John Wycherley ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jason Elson REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER HEAD OF CLIENTS AND STRATEGY Phil Holland SENIOR BRAND EXEC, CLIENTS AND STRATEGY Kit Brough Richard Burns CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE James Allen HEAD OF AGENCY TRADING Simon Fulton INSERTS SALES EXECUTIVE James Law-Smith HEAD OF DIGITAL INVESTMENT Dan Hellens DIGITAL SALES PLANNER Isabel Burman PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Liam Kennedy DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Tim Hudson INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS MANAGER Molly Hope-Seton SYNDICATION MANAGER Richard Bentley GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Jo Beattie AD SERVICES MANAGER Eleanor Parkman-Eason PRODUCTION & REPRO DIRECTOR Koli Pickersgill AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Hugo Wheatley, Cherine Araman CIRCULATION MANAGER Gareth Viggers INSERT SERVICES COORDINATOR Agata Wszeborowska MARKETING MANAGER Laura Connaughton SUBS MARKETING MANAGER Kevin Slaughter PRODUCTION & AD SERVICES DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING & Sharon Thompson TOPGEAR MAGAZINE Tim Hudson HEAD OF LICENSING Tom Shaw HEAD OF SYNDICATION Richard Bentley HEAD OF PARTNERS, BRAND MANAGEMENT & ETHICAL FINANCE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & BUSINESS COMPLIANCE Molly Hope-Seton Stephen Lavin DIRECTOR, SUPPLY CHAIN & LICENSING Alfie Lewis FINANCE MANAGER Hari Kannapiran EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Tom Bureau BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, MAGAZINES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS MD, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND LICENSING Mandy Thwaites Stephen Davies ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER Eva Abramik COMPLIANCE MANAGER Cameron McEwan CHAIR, EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARDS Nicholas Brett EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Naomi Carter, Jane Lush, Clare Mottershead, Alex Renton, Charlotte Stockting W W W.BB C S T UD I O S . C OM © Immediate Media Company London Limited 2016 PRINTED BY WALSTEAD ROCHE IN THE UK FOR MORE TOPGEAR VISIT TOPGEAR.COM BBC TopGear magazine is owned by BBC Studios and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC Studio’s profits are returned to the BBC and help fund new BBC programmes BBC Magazines/Immediate Media is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well managed forests. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please dispose of it at your local collection point This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified paper MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING TERRITORIES: BULGARIA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, HONG KONG, INDIA, ITALY, JAPAN, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, PORTUGAL, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, TURKEY, MIDDLE EAST [ENGLISH EDITION], MIDDLE EAST [ARABIC] We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about TopGear magazine, please email [email protected] or write to BBC TopGear magazine, BBC Studios, 2nd Floor, 1 TV Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FA 006 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

LIKE NOWHERE ELSE Imagine yourself drifting at 125 MPH in total control… … behind the wheel of the latest supercars with up to 670hp, … round risk-free F1 circuits reproduced full-scale on a frozen lake, … under the northern lights of Swedish Lapland. Yes, you can !

RADO.COM MASTER OF MATERIALS TRUE SQUARE OPEN HEART

CONTENTS ISSUE 367 / JANUARY 2023 052 094 113 082 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 009

#NEWCARS #ENTERTAINMENT # C A R C U LT U R E 010 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

#CELEBRITY #GADGETS #GAMING E VERYONE IS TALK ING ABOUT VOLVO v2.0 All hail the new Volvo EX90, a electric seven-seat SUV that’s not just a car, but a “highly advanced computer on wheels” T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 011

Over £100k and no buttons? Yea, but here it’s called Scandi minimalism L ook carefully and what do you see? don’t worry). A 5G connection is standard, £96,255 for the standard car and £100,555 Seriously, lean in close and take a good for streaming music. Your tunes will for the Performance. Yep, it’s a £100k Volvo. good look. Do you see... a car? If so, sound punchy too, with headrest-integrated We’re assured that a bargain basement Volvo thinks you’re wrong. Well, Bowers and Wilkins speakers among £75,000 entry level model will be along not wrong. But only half right. Because the 25 dotted around the cabin. shortly after launch. this is the all new, all electric EX90. Your smartphone is your key. Which Anything else? Oh yes: bi-directional And while it’s very much a seven- means you can send it virtually to others charging. All the hardware is there so seater SUV, Volvo reckons it’s also “a highly at will. Approach and the EX90 begins you can charge the EX90 at night (when advanced computer on wheels” that marks your personal welcoming sequence while electricity is less expensive) and use it as “the start of a new era” for the Swedish loading your settings and preferences. a whopper of a power bank for your home firm. Which is big talk indeed. So no more fiddling with the seat after during the day. No wonder Volvo thinks you’ve lent the car to the other half. the EX90 isn’t just a car... Joe Holding So let’s dig in. Volvo is promising one new electric car a year as it targets EV-only Crumbs, we’ve not even mentioned sales by 2030; the EX90 is the first, and it’s specs yet. Now there’s a measure of Volvo’s the flagship. That means better everything, focus on the tech. Anyway, from launch and more of it for good measure. there will be two twin-motor versions – a standard EX90 and the Performance. Both Enter state of the art cameras, radar get a huge 107kWh usable battery with the and lidar, all hooked up to an Nvidia Drive former estimating 364 miles of range and core computer to form an invisible shield the latter 360. That hit is because the of safety around the car. Volvo claims the Performance gets 510bhp and 671lb ft, EX90 can build a real time, 360° picture of allowing all 2,818kg of EX90 to sprint the world around it, as well as pick out small from 0–62mph in 4.9 seconds. The standard obstacles in the road hundreds of metres version does still send 402bhp and 568lb ft away. Day or night. At motorway speeds. of torque to all four wheels though, so it’ll only be a second slower. Meanwhile 250kW It’ll also scout the danger within. DC fast charging means a 10–80 per cent Namely you. Sensors and cameras track battery top-up takes just 30 minutes. your gaze to measure alertness behind the wheel. If you get drowsy, it’ll (literally) give In the UK, first deliveries should be at you a nudge; if you fall asleep altogether, the start of 2024, but we’ll only get the top it’ll stop safely and call for help. of the range, 22-inch wheeled Ultra trim to begin with. That means an entry price of For now you’ll have to make do with an upgraded Pilot Assist and steering “FROM LAUNCH THERE “support” while changing lanes, but Volvo says the EX90 is hardware-ready for WILL BE TWO TWIN- autonomous driving. So a future over the air update might one day make that a reality. MOTOR VERSIONS” And what of the tech that isn’t designed to save your skin? The 14.5in touchscreen runs Google everything (you still get wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, 012 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

COFFEE BREAK IMAGE: MANUFACTURER FAIL OF THE CENTURY #091 What we’re watching/ T he C6 wasn’t a fail. It was a magnificent, avante-garde, pillowy listening/doing, while success. This was Citroen doing what it does best: cooking up we should be working oddball machines with all the comfort of a piping mug of Horlicks, and all the sporting intent of a piping mug of Horlicks. The Secret Genius of Modern Life, BBC Two Introduced in 2006, the C6 was pitched to be a soothing, pulse- Dr Hannah Fry has a new series. Prepare to lowering alternative to the sportlich German premium mainstream. be amazed by the stories, facts and genius It succeeded in spades, delivering dangerously indulgent levels of behind the mundane. First up: bank cards! waft to the exec saloon sector. You’ll learn so much and feel a lot clevererer So, no, the problem wasn’t the C6. The problem, without wishing ‘Back in Time’ exhibition, from Nov to point fingers, was you. Specifically your utter failure to actually Great Scott Camden Market! For the first time buy a Citroen C6. ever in London, official memorabilia from the Back to the Future films will be on show. Don’t Because, in its half dozen years on sale in the UK, the C6 shifted forget your self-lacing Nikes... unless you’re from fewer than 900 units. In the same period, BMW sold 130,000 the past – then just bring your normal shoes 5-Series. Britain, take a long, hard look at yourself. TopGear magazine fix And sure, you can offer excuses. Excuses like, “but the 5-Series You can download the latest was more economical and tax-efficient”, and, “the reliability of the edition and back issues direct to hydropneumatic suspension was always an area of concern”, or, your phone or tablet from the App “I wasn’t even old enough to drive in the late Noughties so why Store. Because when life gives you are you blaming me?’ lemons... settle in and read TG Frankly that’s just passing the buck. We all played a part Gaz Coombes, in the glorious C6’s dismal failure, and we must all own Turn The Car Around our mistakes. Can’t. Stop. Listening. Apple Music talks about his “yearning melodies” T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 013 and “nervy electropop” but you still get a hint of his Supergrass background TopGear TV, BBC iPlayer Don’t forget that ALL of TopGear telly is ready and waiting on iPlayer

MY LIFE IN CARS VAUGHN GITTIN Jr The American drifter talks transitioning from a 240SX to a life of Mustangs VAUGHN’S DREAM GARAGE What’s next on the drifter’s wishlist? M y whole life has been cars, powerslide. The friend then tried to drifting. I remember thinking to myself, MUSTANG to the point of my mum do the same thing, but he put it straight why didn’t I give this a chance as a MACH-E 1400 having to pry Matchbox into a tree. So I bought the car back and teenager? I came to the conclusion that cars out of my hand during it sat on my parents’ drive in pieces for I was just being hard-headed. I’d build a second her wedding when I was supposed to be two years while I figured out how to Mach-E 1400. It’s carrying the rings down the aisle. My get the funds to fix it. It was through Once I started driving a Mustang a great introduction father was a used car salesman and he restoring and personalising that car that and getting involved in the culture I was to electric for me. always brought cool cars home from I learned about the sport of drifting, inspired to start RTR. I grew a passion auctions. He was an old school hotrod which would effectively change my life. for Ford and from then on all of my road LAMBORGHINI guy and had 1955 Chevrolet Bel Airs, cars, everything transitioned into Fords. COUNTACH Mustangs and lowered Pro-Street I started Formula Drift in a 240SX in Right now I’ve got Mustang RTRs and pickup trucks. its very first year in 2004. That was also an F-150 Raptor. My wife drives a Ford I drove one and the year that Ford debuted the fifth-gen Explorer. We’re very proud of the was disappointed, When I was four years old he got Mustang, and I just fell in love with it. products that Ford is putting out and but I’d still have me a go-kart for my birthday and I used From 2005 to this day I’ve been in pumped to be working on projects like one in there! to run it until the gas was empty. Fast Mustangs and haven’t looked back. the Mach-E 1400 with them. forward and it was remote control cars, ZAKSPEED skateboarding, dirt bikes, BMX and then I still have the Nissan in my garage. I can’t leave things alone though. The FORD CAPRI I finally got my first car at 16. It was a It’s just sitting, but it’s something I’m Raptor has a set of RTR wheels on it and 1964 Oldsmobile Cutlass lowrider. not ready to part with yet. So many some chunkier tyres. It’s so impressive A favourite – Group 5 learnings and progression as a person as it sits, and it has a full warranty was literally just ‘do A few years later I got my first RWD are associated with that car. There’s a which allows you to go and have a lot whatever you want car – a Nissan 240SX – and I would go to lot of attachment there. of fun with it, so I haven’t messed with to a car and race it’. industrial parks and parking lots to do that too much. My Mustangs – I have donuts, burnouts and figures of eight. Once I transitioned into the Mustang multiple, it’s embarrassing – range – and I was in a Mustang before I had a from RTR Spec 2s which just have our When we first bought that car it was relationship with Ford – that was my suspension, all the way to Spec 3 and actually for my father’s business to sell first feeling of torque. The Mustang is Spec 5. The latter is our supercharged on to a friend. As we were leaving the perceived to be a larger, heavy car, but it widebody car with 750bhp. auction I did a little clutch kick and was so nimble and it worked so well for 014 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

CAR NEWS T his is the production spec Cadillac is the huge smart-glass roof. It’s apparently Celestiq EV. And already, there are a the “biggest piece of automotive glass in the CADDY few things we feel we need to clear world”, can reflect infrared to keep cabin COOL up. First, it’s hardly a production car: each temperatures comfortable in direct sunlight Celestiq will be entirely hand built. And and has four independent electrochromic This electric Cadillac second, that rather puts us in mind of sections to allow each passenger to make gives luxo-barges another car manufacturer who also just their seat as light or dark as they please. a good name got through designing and developing an electric luxury car, and shall not be named. The Celestiq won’t go into production until the end of 2023. And even then, it’ll It’s only reasonable we start with the be a custom-order job where each whim, immense, elongated shape you see in these decision and flight of fancy takes the buyer pictures: a huge, fastback, Kamm-tailed further away from the $300,000 base price. four-door riding on the wheelbase of your Which sounds a lot like the Rolls-Royce, average school bus. Six pieces of cast um... Craig Jamieson aluminium are all it takes to build the entire underbody of the Celestiq. Cadillac hasn’t pegged down official power and torque numbers just yet, but the ballpark is about 600bhp, 640lb ft and a 300-mile range. Inside, you’ll be unsurprised to find more screens than a cinema. But the centrepiece YOU CAN’T BUY TASTE BMW M2 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 015

WAT C H E S H ave you tried explaining the metaverse to an elderly relative? A multi- dimensional digital world is a big leap from looking up your grandchildren on THAT’S Facebook. And you can’t blame Grandma – even the eggiest heads in Silicon SO Valley can’t agree on what the metaverse will actually be like. But with uncertainty META there is opportunity, and watch companies don’t want to miss out. There’s much talk about the metaverse – and Soon we are going to be encouraged to spend increasing work and leisure time watch companies are getting involved, too in a place that is going to feel a lot like a giant video game. And freed from real world restrictions, we’ll all soon be able to own a £100k watch and a million-pound car, right? Not exactly. Speaking to insiders, one thing they agree on is the importance of maintaining brand value. So if a watch costs £100,000 in the real world, you can’t just give it away in the metaverse, because you devalue it. And if you ask full price for a digital copy, people will think you’re crazy. This is a quandary for the industry. What is a fair price for a copy of something that costs a lot of money to develop? One way is to give away digital versions, but only to people who have bought the real thing. What about fakes? Once something has been produced digitally, making a copy is easy. But blockchain technology used in NFTs makes checking authenticity in the virtual world easier than the real world. So you could theoretically get a fake Rolex and Ferrari, but everyone will know they are fake. And everything leaves a digital footprint, so if you infringe copyright, they can sniff you out. Forward-thinking watch companies are getting metaverse-ready by dabbling with NFTs and cryptocurrency, as seen from Hublot, Breitling and others. Tag Heuer, often on these pages due to its motoring links, is emerging as a metaverse contender in no small part because of the appointment of a videogaming enthusiast as CEO. Frédéric Arnault is in his 20s and the son of Bernard Arnault, boss of parent company LVMH and one of the richest dads in the world. Doubters muttered about nepotism, but young Arnault has impressed since taking over a couple of years ago. Arnault senior might be elderly, but he had the foresight to ask Frederic the right question. Namely: “So, son, what is this metaverse all about?” Richard Holt 016 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

UNDER £5K BREITLING CHRONOMAT Every Breitling now comes with its own NFT, a proof of ownership that gives access to other services like Breitling’s platform for selling or trading in pre-owned watches. The Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 has dual-time display, automatic movement in a 40mm steel case and is water resistant to 200m. £4,700; Breitling.com BLOW UNDER THE £2,500 BUDGET TAG HEUER CONNECTED The Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition is inspired by the PANERAI RADIOMIR all-electric Taycan. Has all the usual smart fitness Panerai is offering not just a watch, but an invitation into features, plus the ability to monitor your Porsche’s vital another world. Part of that world is digital, with each buyer stats and a ‘viewer’ feature allowing you to display NFT presented with a unique NFT artwork that unveils itself over artworks. Water resistant to 50m, with a 45mm black time. And part is in the real world, with each of the 50 buyers invited on a luxury trip along the Amalfi Coast onboard titanium case. £2,300; tagheuer.com Panerai’s restored Thirties yacht, Eilean. The watch, a limited edition of the classic Radiomir design, contains bronze UNDER accents salvaged during the boat’s restoration. Brown £400 leather strap, engraved bronze caseback and 45mm stainless steel case. Hand wound mechanical movement BULOVA COMPUTRON with three-day power reserve. Water resistant to 100m. Bulova has long been at the cutting edge, making the first electronic watch in the Sixties. This collaboration with £35,000; panerai.com the digital brand D-Cave comes with an NFT that gives buyers a metaverse-ready version of the watch. With LED digital display, visible circuit board and 40x31mm steel case. Splash resistant. £399; uk.bulova.com T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 017

GAME OF THE MONTH THE KNOWLEDGE GEAR Need-to-know nuggets of automotive news APL McLAREN HYSPEED BULLY BOY US-based restomodder Ringbrothers has built a 1,200bhp 1972 Chevy Blazer nicknamed ‘Bully’. Some 8,500 hours went into building it – and no, we wouldn’t like to come face to face with it down a dark alley, either TWITTER TAKEOVER Elon Musk has finally completed his £38.1bn takeover of Twitter. He celebrated by firing several top execs and introducing a monthly fee for ‘verified’ status. The man knows how to ruffle feathers PIT PALS Audi has confirmed that Sauber will become its F1 works team from 2026, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Work is already underway on an Audi engine built to the new set of V6 turbo hybrid regulations JUST SAY NO True to form, BMW has announced a heap of M Performance Parts for the new M2. Take your pick from splitters, spoilers, suspension, performance exhausts and more, but beware the taste police 018 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

TOPGEAR TOP 9 FORMULA ONE TRACK FAILS 01 02 03 04 05 06 I MAG ES: MAN U FACTU R ER, D E TANY 07 08 09 T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 019

CAR NEWS IT’S GOT A HYBRID POWERTRAIN 5 THINGS YOU NEED The Ferrari 499P’s engine is a stressed TO KNOW ABOUT THE. . member (no giggling, now) and sends its 660-odd horsepower to the rear FERRARI wheels exclusively. The front axle gets 499P a dedicated 268bhp e-motor and uses a KERS system to charge the 900V battery A handful of facts on Ferrari’s up under braking. brand new Le Mans Hypercar IT’LL COMPETE IN THE LMH CLASS IT SHARES ITS ROOTS WITH ROAD CARS The 499P will compete in the Le Mans The 499P has a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 – the same Hypercar or LMH class, which replaced the architecture as the 296 GT3 and the 296 GTB road familiar old LMP1 class last year. But that’s car the GT3 racer is based on. We’re not naive not the end of the upcoming changes to enough to suggest that every single part hasn’t endurance racing... from 2023 LMH cars will been tweaked, optimised or flat out replaced, be joined by LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) but there’s a link there we weren’t expecting. cars in the new top tier of WEC racing. IT’S KEEPING RACING REAL After the LMH rules were published back in December 2018, Ferrari was one of the teams to suggest the top tier of endurance racing was too expensive (LMP1 annual budgets were often €200 million), and proposed that costs should be limited. It’s all relative, of course... the target for an LMH budget was a bargain €30 million. IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING When it takes to Sebring in March 2023, the 499P will be the first Ferrari endurance racer in the premier road racing series since the early Seventies. Or the last time there was an energy crisis tanking the British economy and creating massive inflation... Shares bit of its engine with a 296 GTB, apparently. The rest wants to swallow racetracks whole WORDS: CRAIG JAMIESON 020 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

VAX BLADE RANGE NOW ONLY FROM £169.99 CORDLESS VACUUM RANGE FREE TOOLKIT Proven to clean carpets better FREE toolkit worth than the UK’s top 3 best-selling over £50. cordless vacuum cleaners* Handheld mode: Cord Free Cleaning clean above the floor The VAX Blade 4 cordless vacuum cleaner range is powered by the VAX ONEPWR Removable VAX ONEPWR battery, giving up to 45 minutes runtime† for cleaning carpets, hard floors, up high, Battery down low – and everywhere in between. Combining the battery, brushless motor and innovative design, the Blade 4 range is proven to clean carpets better than the UK’s top 3 best-selling cordless vacuum cleaners*. With no cord holding you back, this cordless vacuum cleaner range also gives you the cleaning performance of the UK’s best-selling corded uprights.** Vax Technology The brushless motor, controlled by Vax CoreTM technology, continuously monitors and ensures optimal cleaning performance, whilst 3-stage filtration captures up to 99.8% of particles and fine dust down to 0.3 microns in size.Δ The dirt bin is also easily removed for simple and hygienic emptying, and with a removable brushbar and filter, maintenance of a VAX Blade 4 is made simple. Compact & Lightweight Weighing just 3.1kg, it’s lightweight, balanced and easy to use. It features our DustTracker headlights, leaving nowhere for dirt to hide, and with the removable ONEPWR battery, charging can be done separately with the handy charging dock. Upstairs, Downstairs & The Car Fingertip controls allow you to choose the right mode for the job – select having the brushbar on or off and boost mode gives you up to three times the power to tackle tougher jobs.± Easily turn the VAX Blade 4 into a handheld, perfect for cleaning stairs, pet beds, cars and upholstery. Plus, when you buy direct from Vax, get an additional free toolkit worth over £50. Really happy with my new vacuum cleaner. It’s lightweight, with fantastic suction. Easy to use as a handheld cleaner. The tools are great, and I like the light too. JMK27 Cordless Vacuums March 2022 PAYMENT OPTIONS AVA I L A B L E *UK Market data Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 (by sales volume), tested in boost mode on carpet according to IEC 62885-4:2020 part 5.3. For further information email [email protected] **UK Market data Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 (by sales volume), tested in boost mode on carpets and hard floors according to IEC 62885-2:2016 parts 5.2 and 5.3. For further information email [email protected] †Tested in standard power mode on hard floor, with floor brush switched off. ΔTested according to EN60312-1:2017 Clause 5.11. ± Maximum suction power, tested in boost mode according to IEC 62885-2:2016 clause 5.8. Orders before 5pm Monday-Friday, next day delivery available. Offer only while stocks last. VVAAXUXK2U47K5 2230A ORDER TODAY FROM JUST £169.99 FREE TOOLKIT + FREE DELIVERY. WHILE STOCKS LAST ORDER NOW AT vax.co.uk or CALL 0800 031 4970



TOPGEAR’S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING M Y T H R BU S T E “ENERGY rate. If you plug in at home and have a PRICESARE tariff that responds in real time to local KILLINGEVS” demand, you might still pay perhaps 10p/ kWh overnight, or about 3p a mile. time in the past three years. Underlying all this is the extreme – and extremely It’s not even that simple. If I charge on upsetting – variability at any given time my local lampposts and pay using the QR of electricity prices. The dearest high code on the post, it’s 49p/kWh. If I draw power DC chargers, Ionity, have been 69p/ from the same socket at the same time kWh since they began trading three years at the same power but use the VW app ago. That’s well over 20p a mile, meaning supplied with the ID.4 I’m driving, it’s 76p. if a diesel is doing better than 40mpg Most manufacturer apps have the same it’s cheaper. problem. I mean, huh? Paul Horrell But no one regularly charges at those. WHO KNOWS? If you use public (not home) 7kW AC you’ll probably be around half that Ionity EV UPDATE NOW LATER I MAGES: GET T Y, MANUFACTURER ATTACK THE BLOCK TURNING POINT DELOREAN DÉJÀ VU For the first time in Gymkhana GMC has unveiled its first ever all-electric There’s a new DeLorean about town, history, Ken Block’s in a fully electric Sierra pickup, complete with a reported and it musn’t be confused with that 400-mile range. This could be a big one other new DeLorean. Wait, what? AWD drift machine. YouTube, now T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 023

The all new Renault Megane E-Tech 100% electric has been a decade in the making – here are 10 reasons why it’s a Top Gear Electric Awards 2022 winner IT’S A LOOKER IT’S ROOMY A familiar name that’s now fully Renault’s dedicated all-electric architecture frees up plenty of room. With electric, the all new Megane no engine, exhaust or transmission tunnel, there’s more space for people E-Tech 100% electric mixes classic and storage, and thanks to the ultra-slim battery pack and compact 160kW hatchback practicality with motor, the designers have maximised the interior space, while retaining cutting-edge, crossover style. Its compact dimensions. In other words, it’s bigger on the inside than it looks shape is informed by aerodynamic innovation on the outside. The flat floor means there’s more room to stretch out and – the low, coupe-style roof and those sculpted there’s 440 litres of boot space, with the charging cables hidden away in lines actually help to increase the driving an under-floor compartment. range. They also give it a futuristic look, along with the 20-inch alloy wheels, standard on the GOOGLE IS BUILT IN “Hey Google” to make calls, find a destination Techno and Launch Edition, distinctive LED or even change the temperature. It’s as smooth lights and gold chrome accents on the Launch The all new Megane E-Tech 100% as a smartphone and just as easy to use. Edition. There’s a bit of theatre about it too. As electric is one of the first cars you approach, puddle lamps even illuminate the with Google fully integrated, IT’S PACKED WITH APPS Renault logo on the ground. which comes as standard on the Techno and Launch Edition1. That In addition to Google Maps, YOU WON’T WANT means you can use all the best apps – including other integrated apps include TO GET OUT Google Maps – without having to connect Spotify, YouTube Music, Google or mirror your phone. You can add up to five Play Books and more. Just log The cabin is completely reinvented, accounts, so different drivers and passengers into your Google profile and use taking the all-electric experience can log into their own profiles. And there’s the apps as you would on your phone. It’s the to another level. The dashboard hands-free help with Google Assistant – just say ultimate on-board entertainment. On top of is fully digital, with a sweeping widescreen displaying essential information and digital dials. Then there’s the central tablet- style nine-inch OpenR link screen, which is home to the navigation and built-in apps. The inside is smart and uncluttered, with a choice of finishes and inventive materials, including recycled fabrics. Plus, being a Megane, it’s also practical – it has lots of storage, including a seven-litre cubby between the front seats. 1. Google and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC. 2. WLTP figures shown are for comparability purposes. Actual real world driving results may vary depending on factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted after registration, weather conditions, driving styles and vehicle load. 3. Charging times may vary depending on factors including charging conditions, battery and ambient temperature at point of use.

CHARGING IS EASY With its 60kWh battery, the all new Megane E-Tech 100% electric can travel up to 280 miles on a single charge2. When it’s time to top up, you can plug in at home, or make the most of public charging stations out and about – with a charging speed of up to 130kW, you can add 186 miles of driving range in just 30 minutes at a rapid charger3. The car also automatically regulates battery temperature, giving you the best range even on a cold day. that, there’s the My Renault app, which allows IT’S QUICK TOP GEAR LOVES IT you to remotely set the cabin temperature, schedule charging, plan your journey to go via With a compact yet powerful motor Winner of ‘best hatch’ prize available chargers, and show the battery level. producing 220hp, performance is in the Top Gear Electric smooth, silent and swift, with Awards 2022, the all new REAL-TIME NAV RULES 0-62mph taking 7.5 seconds. That Megane E-Tech 100% electric neat battery – the slimmest on the was a judge’s favourite. In Google Maps gives you accurate market – gives it ideal weight distribution and a their words: “Here’s an electric hatch with a and reliable navigation, including low centre of gravity, which is great for corners. real spring in its step, proving that crossovers real-time traffic updates. With Further weight-saving features, like aluminium don’t need to be the default. We enjoy its cabin, millions of users constantly doors, means it weighs just 1,636kg, making it great ride/handling balance, terrific refinement one of the lightest EVs in its category. and fine looks. It does the electric stuff well.” informing Google’s database, the system is always bang IT’S SAFE AND SOUND The all new Renault up-to-date, alive and Megane E-Tech 100% continually evolving. Depending on the edition, you’ll electric is available Special features for have up to 22 safety and assistance to test drive now. To all-electric driving systems at your disposal, all working find out more search include routes away to give you a helping hand and all new Megane optimised for driving an extra pair of eyes – from road range, battery level and sign recognition to emergency braking assist. available charging points.



The Ferrari 296 GTB is rewriting the fast car rulebook and leaving so-called rivals in its wake, says Chris ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING I haven’t had the chance to fully eulogise about the Ferrari people expect such things to happen. But I can’t quite get my head 296 GTB because my cricketing friend drove it when we were in around the level of performance a 296 offers. And that leads me Germany filming. It is many of the things we now blithely expect to the next thought – how does Ferrari see the world of fast cars a new Ferrari to be: beautifully developed and offering so much looking for the next decade if it has set the initial bar for itself performance you really do wonder how much more any human at a tick over 800bhp? The last time I felt like this was when Merc being could need. But what struck me when I had the car in launched the SL55 in 2001. You’ll think that’s a random car to pick, the UK was how it comprehensively exploded the existing gap but I remember driving one and thinking, “This car has nearly between supercar and hypercar. Of course there is no definitive 200bhp more than anything it is supposed to compete with.” The line of demarcation between such random categorisation, but my SL55 totally altered what we thought a quick open top GT should be. backside has alway considered it to be the difference between “Crikey, that’s rapid” and “Woah, what just happened there?” These moments always stick with me. The first time I drove a Mitsubishi Evo I just couldn’t fathom how any car could cover What happens when cars like the 296 appear is they cause ground so quickly. An S2000 spinning beyond 8,500rpm seemed geeks like me to stop and rethink what we had assumed were crazy – how was it even possible to offer that car with a warranty? accepted ‘classes’ of cars. This happened to me when I was driving The 996 Turbo S felt like it was ripping the asphalt from under all the 296 and following Paddy in the Pagani Huayra BC. Because he four wheels – but now would feel utterly pedestrian. was driving something that looked like a livid insect, I assumed it would simply disappear in a straight line. It didn’t. The 296 is even more mind bending than those because, as I’ve said, it isn’t a statement of ultimate performance, it’s the What we now have is an ‘entry level’ Ferrari that is as fast as new introductory level from which the company will now build. one of the craziest hypercars ever sold. It’s a remarkable reset in It’s a car that feels as fast as a LaFerrari. I no longer know what a the history of fast cars, yet it seems to have passed most people supercar or a hypercar is – perhaps what the 296 has done is push by. Perhaps that’s because these machines are so competent that the categorisation into more subjective areas like noise and the ability to be seen and heard? “I CAN’T QUITE GET MY HEAD ROUND THE PERFORMANCE It also leaves me concerned for brands who think they rival A FERRARI 296 OFFERS” Ferrari – because right now the gap between Maranello and the rest is at its greatest in the quarter of a century I’ve been testing cars. The Artura is a honey, but plagued with problems and doesn’t have the explosive acceleration, and Aston Martin just isn’t in the same league now. It could take them a long time to catch up. Presently, it doesn’t feel like it will ever happen. Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 027

NEEDWIT2I0O2N2 World’s ultimate supercars Stunning images Incredible adventures On sale now

The Alpine A110 R Fernando Alonso has left TGTV’s Sam Philip scratching his head ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING Last month, Alpine unveiled the A110 R Fernando Alonso, a But as an adult human with a reasonably well-developed limited edition of its new track-focused sports car celebrating the sense of shame, I don’t think I could be seen driving a car team’s Spanish F1 hot shoe. Just 32 examples will be built, each scrawled with several examples of the signature of said thick- with a unique plaque marking one of ’Nando’s 32 career GP wins. necked 40-something Spaniard, Alonso’s ‘signature colours’, and a sun visor laser-etched with the slogan: “There is more than one Beyond that, things get baffling. For starters, the A110 R path to the top of the mountain.” (Fernando’s motto, just not one Fernando Alonso was revealed shortly after Fernando Alonso’s he seems to have mentioned to anyone beforehand.) shock announcement he was defecting from Alpine to Aston Martin, which lent the special edition’s unveil some strong That’s a level of celebrity devotion not healthy in anyone ‘sarcastic divorce settlement’ vibes. In fact, so frosty were relations old enough to drive, right? Even at the same £80k as the regular Alonso didn’t attend the launch of his own car, leaving duties to A110 R, it’d be a tough sell. Alpine’s asking £130k+ grand. A full fellow driver Esteban Ocon. (“What’s that, Esteban? The A110 body Alonso tattoo conveys the same message for a lot less cash. Ocon Edition? Win a few more races and then we’ll see, big lad...”) Alpine isn’t the only offender here. A couple of years But more baffling than that is... who’s it for? I know they only back, Hyundai released an Iron Man edition of its Kona. Giant need to shift 32 of them, but even so... to who? Are there really 32 Marvel logo on the roof, daytime running lights that “mimic humans on this planet harbouring both a) a desperate yearning the glowing eyes of Iron Man’s metal mask”, Stark Industry for a small, expensive, lightweight French sports car and b) graphics, Tony Stark signature on the dash, £28,000 asking a borderline stalker-grade obsession with Fernando Alonso? price. Seriously, who’s going to buy it? Do 12-year-olds now have the disposable income to buy South Korean SUVs? Put it this way. I very much like the sound of the A110 R. If I was in the market for a two-seat sports car, it’d be right at Apparently they do. Because I’ve just checked the estimable the top of my list. And I like Fernando Alonso. As thick-necked howmanyleft.co.uk, and it turns out Hyundai’s shifted pretty 40-something Spaniards go, he’s in my top three, no question. much all of its UK allocation of 300 Iron Man Konas (all, I’d guess, to people who own mugs declaring, “You don’t have to “I VERY MUCH LIKE THE SOUND be mad to work here, but it helps!”). Which no doubt means the OFTHEA110R. .ANDILIKE A110 R Fernando Alonso Editions will sell like laser-etched hot FERNANDO ALONSO” cakes, too. Just not, presumably, to Fernando himself, who’s already lining up his V12 Vantage company car... Sam Philip is the TopGear telly script editor, and a TG mag and website regular for 15 years. Once wrote a Vauxhall Corsa joke that Paddy McGuinness described as “not totally crap” Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 029

DOIUSRCEODDVIIGTEIIRTOEANL!NJOY THE CONTENT YOU LOVE ON YOUR MOBILE OR TABLET WITH THE DIGITAL EDITION OF BBC TOPGEAR MAGAZINE! ALSO AVAILABLE ON

Startup car company? Try looking at the existing infrastructure first, reckons Paul Horrell ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING I’m standing at the Paris Motor Show looking at a brave new It’s so clever. Environmental cost of battery manufacture? green car. All I can think is, I might be wrong here but too often Solved! Recharging times? Solved! Hydrogen availability? the cleverest ideas turn out to be the dumbest. Solved! CO2 emissions from petrol? Solved! The car in question is branded NamX. It’s a biggish electric Yet so dumb. First, is now the time to try another form of crossover that’s been designed by Pininfarina. Not a great start, infrastructure? Electricity is on every street, in every lamppost mind. Of the few new cars at Paris, most were also biggish and building. Yet still there isn’t enough investment to make electric crossovers from startups who’ve used the otherwise charge spots by spurring off those wires. Will we really get over underemployed Italian carrozzeria. So far then, so unexeptional, the chicken and egg threshold of providing hydrogen capsule even if the NamX looks more distinctive than those others swap points, even if the capsules are open-source standardised? from Wey, Vinfast, BYD, et cetera. Worse than that, NamX ignores the efficiency disadvantage The real NamX difference is that it’s powered by electricity of hydrogen. Basically, when you put a unit of electricity into from a fuel cell rather than a battery. And what’s even more producing green hydrogen, you can drive a fuel cell car a mile. different is that beyond the main fuel tank there’s also a Put that same unit directly into an EV’s battery and you can drive space for smaller removable capsules. So you don’t need a three miles. Until we have unlimited electricity – don’t see that conventional hydrogen filling station (they’re far apart and any time soon – we need to use it as sparingly as we can. expensive to build) because you can have the capsules, refilled with green hydrogen, delivered to home. Then just swap them That doesn’t mean hydrogen has no place. It’s expensive to out like the butane cartridge on your camping stove. Or you transmit electricity over long distances. So when the world starts can buy them at roadside pick-up points. Sound like your generating lots of low cost renewable energy in remote places – sort of car? You can preorder now online. All major credit wind in the tundra, solar in the deserts – then it’s a good idea to and debit cards accepted. use this to produce green hydrogen, and transport it to where the fuel cell vehicles are. But frankly, battery cars work well enough; “UNTIL WE HAVE UNLIMITED hydrogen would be better used in trucks, aircraft or home ELECTRICITY, WE NEED TO USE heating. (Or we could use that remotely generated electricity IT AS SPARINGLY AS WE CAN” to synthesise renewable ‘petrol’ for our existing cars.) So NamX is launching a new car that’s expensive, has no brand awareness, unproven technology, no existing infrastructure, and a battle against the relentless inefficiency logic of its chosen fuel. I wish it success. I predict failure. TG’s eco-conscious megabrain, Paul Horrell, is one of the world’s most respected and experienced car writers. Has attended every significant car launch since the Model T T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 031

suspension for a smooth ride and regenerative braking for enhanced control and efficiency. There are five driving modes, including Snow for slippery surfaces, Sport for powerful acceleration, and Eco for energy saving. TECHNOLOGY The MG4 EV makes all-electric driving The MG4 EV is MG’s most technologically an affordable, everyday reality. Discover advanced car yet. Standard features include how this impressive newcomer does it regenerative braking, a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen, Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™. MG Pilot driver assistance also comes as standard, with Active Emergency Braking, Intelligent High Beam Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. In addition, the Trophy model comes with a 360° parking camera, satellite reat EVs needn’t cost the earth. The SPACE AND STYLE navigation, heated front seats and steering All-New MG4 EV proves you can wheel, and a smartphone Bluetooth key. have performance, practicality and Designed as an EV from the ground-up, the MG4 EV uses clever tricks to give you a family- All models can sync with the iSMART app, which allows you to control many functions of your MG4 EV from your phone, such as charging, finding your nearest charging point usability without spending a fortune. friendly space in a hatchback package. Its long and pre-starting the climate control system. Here’s an electric car that makes sense wheelbase, compact motor and ultra-thin for real people in the real world. It has battery free up space, so there’s plenty of A POWER PACK ON WHEELS a generous range, rapid-charging capability, headroom and legroom, as well as an ingenious life-improving tech and features usually only array of smart storage for toys, keys, bags and Vehicle to Load (V2L) technology means the found in dearer EVs. All supported by a seven- phones. The boot is roomy and versatile too. MG4 EV’s battery can power external devices year warranty, for complete peace of mind. and gadgets. These could be anything from an A distinctive exterior is complemented by electric scooter to a TV or kettle, as long as they RANGE AND CHARGING a choice of six bold colours, including the new can be connected to the charging port with an exclusive Volcano Orange with two-tone black adapter. Think of V2L as an electricity hotspot The MG4 EV might be a compact hatchback, roof and twin-aero spoiler available with Trophy that’ll give you power wherever you are, from but it ticks a very big box with a driving range models. Other features include the Active Grille car parks to campsites or festival fields. of up to 281 miles*, so it’s here for the long haul. System, which regulates airflow for optimum battery range on the SE Long Range and Trophy. MORE FOR YOUR MONEY You can charge at home using a standard 7kW wallbox (ideal for overnight or off-peak PERFORMANCE The All-New MG4 EV is available from £25,995 use), but when you’re on the road and need to with plenty of high-tech features as standard, top-up quickly, it can charge at speeds of up to This isn’t just a great electric car, it’s also a including some usually only found on more 135kW, so you can take advantage of the best great car to drive. The MG4 EV SE will zap from expensive EVs. On top of that, MG EV owners rapid chargers. In fact, charging the 64kWh 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds, while the SE Long can also spread running costs with a full EV battery in the SE Long Range and Trophy models Range and Trophy models, with their slightly service plan from just £6 per month, while from 10% to 80% can take just 35 minutes. bigger battery, take just 7.7. All versions a rigorous seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty are rear-wheel-drive, with independent is there for extra reassurance. And with the UK’s public charging network growing quickly, with almost 60,000 connectors in more than 20,000 The All-New MG4 EV. Say YES to electric. locations** and many more being added Say NO to compromise. From £25,995. every month, it’s easier than ever to find For more information, visit mg.co.uk a place to plug in.

*Range applies to MG4 EV SE Long Range with the 64kWh battery from a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle; Combined Range 281 miles (450 km); City Range: 360 miles (579 km); Combined Driving Efficiency: 3.8 miles/kWh (16.0 kWh/I00km); **Source: zap-map.com With a long list of high-tech features as standard, the All-New MG4 EV gives its competitors a serious run for their money

The big test: Maserati GranTurismo Folgore Say ciao to Maserati’s first fully electric car, the 750bhp, three-motor, £200,000 GranTurismo Folgore WORDS OLLIE MARRIAGE PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN WYCHERLEY 034 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 035

01 02 M aserati. The definitive grand But what that does mean is that all 750bhp can 03 touring marque. No other brand go to any of the motors. The rear pair for max lends itself better to the idea acceleration, or divvied up for complex torque 04 of driving a long way, fast, and vectoring stuff through corners. looking cool while doing so. 1. A huge 995lb ft means way And now it’s gone electric. Famously not good The GranTurismo is built around an all-new more torque than grip 2. Driving for going a long way at high speed. But who uses platform. Curious decision to develop it for pure a GT to do that any more? (If you do, don’t panic, petrol as well as electric in this day and age you position and seats are spot on Maserati is here to help. Keep reading.) might think. Consider the compromises. But 3. New materials abound, including This is the new GranTurismo Folgore. you’re not really aware of them. Once you’ve When it arrives next year, finally replacing got over the fact it looks a lot like the old car recycled fishing net upholstery the last gen coupe that died three years ago, (I can’t make up my mind whether it’s a lazy 4. Folgore wheels are more aero it’ll be the marque’s first pure EV. Folgore (it reinvention, or a stroke of genius to have such roughly translates as lightning or thunderbolt) a classically styled electric car), the packaging than those of petrol versions versions of the MC20 supercar and Grecale SUV is the first thing that strikes you. will follow soon after. All Maseratis will have an electric version by 2025. By 2030 there will be Where’s the battery? That’s the question no more petrols. you ask yourself. It’s not under the floor, because But there is one now. Maserati’s strategy the seating position and roofline are low. It isn’t forgoes hybrids for the bookends. As well as this sandwiched between rear seats and boot, because tri-motor electric, the new GranTurismo will both are genuinely spacious – it accommodates be offered with the MC20 supercar’s twin-turbo four adults as easily as Bentley’s Continental GT, V6 Nettuno motor – 483bhp in the entry level has a 270-litre boot (there’s no frunk). Instead, Modena version, 542bhp for the Trofeo. Chicken Maserati has used the space between front feed. The electric one develops 750bhp. wheels and windscreen, the so-called prestige You might have heard different, that it gap that designers like to bang on about. The develops 1,200bhp. Well, the motors can do 93kWh battery is T-shaped, across the car in it (each 33kg permanent magnet motor, one that gap then extending up the transmission for the front axle, two for the rear, is rated at tunnel where the gearbox sits in the petrol car. 400bhp) but the battery can’t. It can only send out enough electricity to deliver 750bhp. Think That’s clever use of space, but I know what of it like an air restrictor on a petrol engine. you’re thinking: surely that must make it nose heavy? Well, Maserati claims a 50:50 weight distribution, and my bum telemetry tells me understeer isn’t an issue. 036 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

“MASERATI CLAIMS A 50:50 WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, AND MY BUM TELEMETRY TELLS ME UNDERSTEER ISN’T AN ISSUE” T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 037

“IT EXHIBITS THE SAME FLUENT, MASERATI TOGETHER, COMPOSED BEHAVIOUR GT FOLGORE AS THE MC20 SUPERCAR” Before we get on to driving, a word on cabin but more importantly the GranTurismo looks As you’d hope, it’s very quiet on the move. design. You won’t find a picture of the dashboard and feels expensive inside. Nice materials, A ruffle from the wing mirrors is about it, no anywhere here. This is a late stage prototype car, especially the blue trim in here that’s made trace of creak or flex from the chassis, no noise so it’s still secret, won’t be revealed until early from recycled plastic fishing nets. or vibration from the suspension. It feels very 2023. I can tell you that it still has paddles, only together and easy to drive. A car you’d be happy they’re to alter the brake regen, the classic clock Plus it gets the important stuff right. The driving a long way. I was limited to track driving has been reimagined as a digital display similar seats are beautifully shaped, the driving position only, but the ride seems good – body control to Porsche’s Sport Chrono, and that there are is exactly how you want it to be in a grand tourer: certainly is. There’s a hint of roll, but it’s several screens, one for the driver display, then a low yet commanding, with a view out over that nicely managed. In fact, at most speeds the two part upper infotainment/lower aircon screen huge aluminium clamshell bonnet – the biggest GranTurismo exhibits the same fluent, together, that’s like a flip phone opened not quite all the in the industry, it claims. As an object, this new composed behaviour as the MC20 supercar. way. It’s all pretty responsive to touch inputs, Folgore Maserati is convincing and desirable. That changes a little when you switch up And it’s absolutely fast enough: 2.7secs to the modes. GT limits you to 80 per cent power 62mph, 8.8 to 124. This isn’t acceleration that and is ideal for most driving. Sport gives you all lets up, it carries on pushing hard, top speed is the power and holds itself together, managing quoted as “over 199mph”. The fastest petrol traction well at the limit, so you aren’t too aware (all are 4WD) takes 3.5secs for 0–62mph despite of torque being shuffled around. Corsa mode being 450kg lighter. Lap times, apparently, are releases the shackles on the powertrain. Ooof. much more even. Imagine the harm to your It really starts to move around – the tyres are range though. It’s quoted, incidentally, at the limiting factor. These Goodyears are 280 miles on the WLTP cycle, which is good the everyday rubber, low noise, low rolling for a fast car that weighs 2,260kg, wears 265 resistance. Also low grip. Now you need to be front and 295-width rear tyres and has a less careful, but you realise the chassis has great than exceptional 0.26 drag coefficient. 038 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

01 02 04 03 Specifications MASERATI GRANTURISMO FOLGORE VERDICT The design doesn’t rock the boat, but the 05 packaging and performance does. Maserati leads the way POWERTRAIN 3 e-motors, 83kWh battery (usable) natural balance and clear communication. have gone before, but less histrionic, more TRANSMISSION AWD, 1spd auto Lift off as you turn in and the rear will come polished and capable. POWER around, it’s agile and playful. Poke the throttle TORQUE 750bhp now (especially if you’ve jabbed the extra Drift And I reckon it could give potential rivals a ACCELERATION 995lb ft function) and the tail will scoot sideways as proper headache. Porsche’s Taycan is the only 0–62 2.7secs if it’s on casters. Be quick with the steering. near opponent this has now, but in due course Bentley, Aston Martin and (we must assume) TOP 199 Now you and the torque vectoring are Ferrari will pile in. That’s the market Maserati is SPEED mph second guessing each other. You back off, it pitching itself into. This will not be a cheap car. sends power forward to straighten things up, The £190k MC20 took the brand into a new price CLAIMED 3.4mpkWh / 280 miles but you expected this, so you straightened bracket. The GranTurismo is going to reinforce MPKWH / RANGE the steering to prolong the slide. End result: that. Petrols are likely to be around the £150k you’re busy with the wheel and pedals, it’s a bit mark, this Folgore closer to £200,000. BOOT snatchy, but you’re having a great time. Hardly CAPACITY a core function for a grand tourer anyway. But I can see a role for it. Look, if grand touring was still a thing, I’d be nervous, but 270 litres More good news. It’s very hard to spot the the days of blasting across Europe have gone. join between regen and caliper braking, the car They’ve especially gone for EVs. Instead the WEIGHT 2,260kg acts naturally, steers precisely and consistently, grand tourer has been reinvented as the SCORE and the artificial noise, while nowhere near the everyday supercar. Less ostentatious and 9 strident rasp of the old 4.7-litre nat-asp V8, is more habitable than a mid-engined machine, 10 deep, rumbling and reassuring. It’s an engaging, but still exclusive and desirable. And this one well engineered and executed car with enough is guilt free, emission free, and has stolen an of an edge and a hint of drama to convince as electric march on its rivals. They’re all playing a genuine Maserati. In tune with all those that catch up. And this is going to take some catching. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 039

8 10 RENAULT AUSTRAL French, not fancy £35,000 (approx) other crossovers, especially in profile, but that multistorey ramps, and has strong main said it’s handsome for its kind. road stability. The suspension is fairly taut, 1.2T 3cyl 199 4spd 8.4 P CO2 containing roll and body heave well, but it’s +e-motors bhp auto secs It comes only as a full hybrid. It’s Renault’s not about feedback or engagement. Because 61.4 104 geared hybrid system, E-Tech. A petrol engine it’s a family crossover. Without 4WS you’re mpg g/km with a simple four-speed gearbox works with running on a simpler torsion beam rear an electric motor with two gears of its own. suspension, which will likely mean less FOR Very quiet and economical Those two have 15 different allowable steering precision and more road noise. in the suburbs, nice cabin permutations of drive, either combined or singly. It always starts off in electric drive In the smart cabin, the transmission AGAINST If you’re just looking because there’s no clutch. A second smaller is controlled by a stalk, so the centre console for cheap space, this isn’t it motor starts the engine and synchronises the is freed up for big trays and cupholders, gearshifts. New for the Austral is a 3cyl turbo variously covered and uncovered by a novel R enault originally planned the Austral engine, and higher battery voltage. That’s sliding thingy that contains the wireless to be launched in 2021, but then good for 200bhp. charge pad and a padded wrist rest for when switched the sequence and pulled the you’re jabbing at the touchscreen. Real Megane ahead. Crossovers matter hugely for It’s BIK-happy, as all versions score under switches cover matters that need quick access. sales, yet for Renault’s self-identity and 110g/km CO2. Hybrid rivals are mostly around reinvention it was more urgent to get the 125–130g/km. Real world, petrol hybrids are It arrives here early next year with electric hatch out there. In that lengthened more economical than diesels on give-and- the stuff families use: comprehensive interval between design freeze and launch, take roads, less so on the motorway where connectivity, sliding rear seats, reassuring Renault got a new design director, Gilles there’s not much chance to recover energy. safety kit. There isn’t a base trim or low-spec Vidal. He didn’t change much. Inevitably the engine, so you need to pay a fair bit, but it Austral struggles to stand out among a sea of We drove the four-wheel-steer option, and mostly feels worth it and you can save BIK thus fitted the Austral is remarkably easy to too. Paul Horrell thread through cramped streets and 040 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

7 10 NISSAN battery, while power is provided to the front By equipping the new X-Trail with both X-T R A I L wheels by a 150kW electric motor delivering e-4orce electric all-wheel drive and seven a peak output of 201bhp. seats, and styling it more like an SUV than a X marks crossover, Nissan clearly hopes to prise open the watt We’ve already seen this e-Power system the gap between this car and the Qashqai to in the Qashqai, but the X-Trail variant we’re give it a tad more of a fighting chance on the £34,465 driving here features a first in the form of showroom floor. four-wheel drive, called e-4orce. It adds a 1.5T 3cyl 211 1spd 7.2 P CO2 100kW electric motor to the rear axle for a It isn’t going to set the world on fire, but hybrid bhp CVT secs total system output of 211bhp and the promise it has been pretty carefully crafted to offer 43.5 147 of 0–62mph in 7.2 seconds with enhanced as close to all things to all family members as mpg g/km traction, handling and ride comfort. possible. Sure, anything with electric motor drive which still bangs out CO2 at the rate Why not a conventional EV or run-of-the- of 147g/km is bound to elicit some head mill hybrid? It’s all about driving feel, Nissan scratching, but you’ll forget all about that tells us. e-Power combines the most efficient once you’ve tried it. Anthony ffrench-Constant use of the petrol engine with a small battery FOR Most of the pleasure of EV and a quiet, smooth EV driving experience. motoring with none of the pain Nissan also points out that, as AGAINST Powertrain gets bridge technology e-Power is a better distractingly noisy on occasion proposition globally as a stepping stone to full electrification than a plug-in hybrid or T he Nissan X-Trail has always suffered full EV; sound thinking given the sparsity something of an identity crisis. The of charging posts in some areas. MkIV sheds its crossover pretensions in favour of added SUV chunkiness and also Largely, the system works well. Power boasts a self-charging, electric motor drive delivery is indeed smooth and quiet, though powertrain – and shares the same platform as protracted periods of hill climbing will still the Renault Austral on the previous page. elicit mooing as the engine perks up somewhat vocally to keep the battery topped up. In this case, Nissan’s gently novel e-Power system relegates a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol If you drive it with an ear on keeping engine to the sole job of charging the 2.1kWh things muted in the engine room it rewards with tidy handling, light, precise steering, well controlled cornering posture and a supple ride, the underlying firmness of which only surfaces on the very worst, um, surfaces. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 041

9 10 BMW B MW’s sixth pure electric car motors, its hardware very similar to i7 is cunningly disguised as the the set-up in the excellent iX. The front all-new 7-Series. This is the seventh motor delivers 255bhp, the rear one 308bhp, Nose generation of the company’s rangetopper with 549lb ft of torque overall. The claimed ahead but the rules have changed. There will 0–62mph time is 4.7 seconds and the i7’s be petrols and a diesel, but the electric top speed is limited to 149mph. £108,305 i7 moves centre stage as BMW reframes the luxury car experience around onboard The lithium-ion battery pack provides 101.7kWh 536 1spd 4.7 149 388 well-being, a class leading digital experience 101.7kWh of useable energy, and with a cell mph miles via its new OS8, and standard setting height of just 110mm it sits comfortably battery bhp AWD secs sustainability. And also a huge rear under the floor. BMW claims between 3.1 entertainment screen that folds out of the and 3.3mpkWh, and a range of up to 388 FOR Drives beautifully, roof. Who doesn’t love the idea of that? miles on a full charge. Find a 195kW fast incredible refinement, charger and you’ll add 106 miles in about 10 world beating interior The 7-Series’ new look is not as crowd- minutes. That’s the sort of mid-journey pleasing. The internet seems to think this energy bump that matters in the real world. AGAINST Some of the is more proof that BMW has lost its marbles. tech is overwhelming, it’s But all is not lost. Go for the right colour, BMW’s mastery of the ICE is a given, but heavy, debatable design render all the shiny bits in gloss black, and drive the 760i following a stint in the i7 and the i7 looks defiantly, compellingly different. even a diehard petrolhead would have their That huge grille illuminates at night and the faith tested. Both are hushed, effortless, upper lights are the focal point, with the and feel spectacularly well engineered and option of Swarovski “iconic glow” crystal dynamic, but electrification suits this sort glass. Importantly, the new 7-Series is also of car. Despite its suboptimal 2.6-tonne very aerodynamically efficient. In EV land, mass, the i7 is an amazingly fluent machine. slipperiness equates to efficiency, and the The ride is sublime courtesy of new double i7’s drag coefficient is just 0.24. wishbones at the front, a five-link set-up on the rear, with self-levelling air suspension Bigger in every dimension and more and electronically controlled dampers. rigid, the 7-Series uses a new steel and Electric power steering is standard, and aluminium flexible vehicle architecture active steering an option that brings with engineered from the start to accommodate it rear steering up to 3.5° and a low speed three different drive types. The i7 xDrive60 nimbleness and improved cornering acuity. has a combined 536bhp from two electric Executive Drive Pro adds a 48V anti-roll 042 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

“THE INTERNET SEEMS TO THINK THIS IS MORE PROOF THAT BMW HAS LOST ITS MARBLES” stabilisation system that also suppresses Audio, navigation, Apple CarPlay and treatments are available for the wood and body vibrations. And it can really move. And so on live in individual, customisable metals. The overall effect is absolutely stop: the friction brakes and regenerative tiles. Beneath the central screen is the dazzling. As is the much anticipated element are seamlessly combined. new full width, backlit and crystalline 31.3in 8K Theatre Screen, which folds ‘Interaction Bar’. It takes its colour out of a recess in the headlining, and has There’s also the full suite of assistance cues from whichever of the ‘My Modes’ built-in Amazon Fire TV connectivity. systems, as we inch ever closer to you’ve gone for. This also alters the sound Order the Executive Lounge option and autonomous driving. Too many to list signature, as codeveloped with Hollywood you’ll get perhaps the finest seat ever fitted here, but once again we wonder if modern movie soundtrack superstar, Hans Zimmer, in a car: the front passenger one slides and cars are basically infantilising the driver. offering a variety of escalating sci-fi tilts forward, leaving the rear occupant free whooshes. Automatic doors are also new; to recline to a record 42.5°. What an interior this car has. The push the brake pedal to close the driver’s Curved Display is core to BMW’s push door or push a little button on the dash. BMW has thrown everything it knows to digitalisation, and combines a 12.3in The multifunctional seats are absolutely at the 7-Series. The i7, in particular, is a instrument display behind the wheel with magnificent, the (optional) wool cashmere fearsome techno onslaught, but there’s a longer 14.9in main infotainment glass trim sustainable and tactile. Various interior charisma here, too. It’s a stellar touchscreen. It’s so well done you barely achievement. Jason Barlow notice the absence of physical switchgear. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 043

8 10 HYUNDAI IONIQ 6 Black sheep £54,995 the Ioniq 5. It’s likely to be similarly priced is a waste of time, not even big enough to cope too (so far this £54,995 flagship is the only with the charge cables. 77.4kWh 321 1spd 5.1 n/a 320 version announced). And it’s a similar size. battery bhp 4WD secs mph miles So surely they overlap? Compete for buyers? But it is a fine electric car, and can charge Not so, says Hyundai, which, instead of its 77kWh battery at up to 350kW, meaning FOR Efficiency and range, copying every other marque and creating a a 10–80 per cent charge in 18 minutes. And driving characteristics range of Russian dolls, is giving us a chess set, you can use it to power your house. We easily with each piece performing a different role. achieved over 4.5mpkWh. AGAINST Exterior design not as successful as Ioniq 5’s So the Ioniq 5 is your futuristic all-round This version sports twin motors for family car, while the 6 is the long range exec 320bhp and 0–62mph in 5.1secs. Although it’s T he Ioniq 6 has a drag factor of just model. You can tell as much from the styling neat and tight round corners with good body 0.21Cd. That single fact encapsulates – although to our eyes the Seventies-inspired control, its demeanour is far from sporty, and all you need to know about this car 5 is the more successful. There’s an odd you pay a range penalty. Opt for the single and its ethos. It’s a long range, fast charging, confluence of lines at the back of the 6, the motor 225bhp car on 18-inch wheels instead smooth riding cruiser. Lift off at motorway headlights are a little pinched. It’s more of 20s, and the range swells from 320 miles to speeds and it barely loses any momentum at successful inside, especially the bold door 382. And there’s not much that can touch that, all, just continues carving near silent progress cards, which are cleverly carved out to including the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 through the air. It’s a good trick. enhance space. Rear legroom is downright that this lines up most directly against. generous, and Hyundai has resisted the But more than that, it’s an interesting temptation to bury everything in the This is a capable, very well engineered and strategy. Underneath it shares underpinnings, touchscreen. Physical buttons FTW. finished car with performance entirely in line including platform, motors and battery, with with how Hyundai is pitching it – it soaks up The 401-litre boot isn’t big enough to cope miles, uses charge surprisingly sparingly and with a family holiday, while the 14-litre frunk does as much as possible to mitigate range anxiety. Ollie Marriage 044 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

8 10 LAMBORGHINI Rally. This reduces the ESP threshold and uses The overall weight reduction is a modest but URUS PERFORMANTE the torque-biasing rear diff to fire more drive to not insignificant 47kg. the fun bit of the car. The results are very slidey. Rally The 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 hasn’t been Raid It runs a little bit wide in the tighter turns, dramatically reworked; its power output has but that’s more driver error than vehicle increased to 657bhp, there’s 627lb ft of torque, £209,000 ineptitude. It even manages to land securely and the turbos now work harder. Accelerating after a ‘yomp’. One of the Performante’s major to 62mph in 3.3secs (versus 3.6 for the regular 4.0 TT 657 8spd 3.3 P CO2 changes is the fitment of steel springs instead Urus) and 124mph in 11.5 in a car with this sort V8 bhp auto secs of the standard air suspension, for more linear of mass is initially odd. But it only takes a few n/a n/a responses. Along with the 48V anti-roll bar, it laps to dial in to Vallelunga’s challenges. mpg g/km conjures a level of body control that’s faintly spooky in a car of this type. The Performante speaks of the engineering and design talent Lambo currently commands. The steering and throttle have been Regardless of how you feel about this particular reprogrammed for faster responses, and the market sector, that much is undeniable. It’s active rear axle is also swifter acting than quite the device, this. Jason Barlow on the standard car. The eight-speed gearbox FOR This thing can be seriously shifts more aggressively. There’s a new Torsen hustled on a track central diff and active torque vectoring at the rear, plus various aero revisions. A new air AGAINST Expect to see some curtain on the front bumper tidies up the ‘unusual’ personalisations turbulent kerfuffle around the wheelarches, and a rear spoiler generates 38 per cent more V allelunga, about 20 miles north of downforce in that area. Rome, is a tight and technical track, and the fact that we’re here at all in The Urus Performante sits 20mm lower the new Lamborghini Urus Performante – all than before, and has a wider front and rear 2,150kg of it – is a testament to the company’s track. A carbon-fibre bonnet is standard, but belief in its fast selling super-SUV. you’ll have to pay more if you want a composite roof to go with it. An Akrapovič sports exhaust What’s new? Well, the Urus Performante’s is fitted, whose bass frequencies and overall drivetrain now features a fourth setting on its resonance depend on which drive mode you Tamburo drive controller, in addition to the select. In the spirit of marginal gains, titanium familiar Strada, Sport and Corsa modes, called bolts feature on the wheels, with three new designs available, including optional 23 inchers. T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 045

MUST TRY HARDER DS 7 E-TENSE 4x4 360 £55,790 8 10 1.6T 355 8spd 5.6 P CO2 hybrid bhp auto secs 148 40 mpg g/km FACELIFT TIME FOR THE DS 7, THE FRENCH MASERATI the doors open more upwards than marque’s inaugural SUV launched back in MC20 CIELO outwards. That’s good for drama and 2017. What’s new? Sharper looks, improved makes it a surprisingly easy car to get tech, upgraded cabin materials and a Sky into and out of. You don’t want to be shortened name, now going about its sports flopping gawkily onto the pavement business minus the Crossback badge. from a car that gathers a crowd around it. All pretty standard stuff. And then there’s £231,885 the introduction of a 355bhp PHEV. A carbon tub, strategically reinforced 3.0T 630 8spd 2.9 P CO2 for the Cielo, and compact non-hybrid This new range-topping variant gets V6 bhp DCT secs V6 keep the weight down, so the 630bhp a 15mm lowered chassis, a wider track 24.1 255 really does hit home. As does the edgy (24mm at the front, 10mm at the rear), bigger mpg g/km growl of the 90° V6. The MC20 corners brakes (380mm in diameter) with four-piston like you want a mid-engined car to: calipers, and new 21-inch alloy wheels. In the FOR Fancy roof. Gorgeous pivoting effortlessly around tight bends, past, DS has stuck to its guns and ignored the looking, absorbing to drive finding lots of traction on the way out. It’s traditional sporty approach to SUVs, instead a bit playful and engaging, even when you’re firmly focusing on comfort. No longer. AGAINST Character allows GT well on the prudent side of the limit. Which work but tiny boot doesn’t on the road is pretty well always. And yet Yes, the body control is improved over the ride is remarkably supple, almost the standard DS 7 and it feels more stable I n a supercar, real roads often McLaren-like. when thrown around a corner, but who’s feel like a constrained dawdle. going to buy one of these to do that? The A dropped roof is a remedy, The MC20, coupe or Cielo, has a payoff is the additional weight and firmer intensifying the passing of the scenery rather apt place in the sports/supercar ride, despite the manufacturer’s much and the voice of the engine at whatever landscape. It can be relaxed, comfortable talked about Active Scan Suspension speed. The Cielo’s is a hardtop that retracts and genial when you’re not driving like system. It all just feels slightly muddled. under a cover to lie horizontally above the your pants are on fire. Yet it’s also ready engine. It doesn’t leave an ugly hump or and able when you do give it the chance And then there’s the price. Your take up bootspace. Mind you that’s just to open its lungs and tense its muscles. cheapest entry point into DS 7 life is now as well, because the boot is tiny to begin This double-headed version widens that £36,760 for the diesel engine, or, as most with – a huge shame given this is a car scope even more. Paul Horrell buyers will likely plump for, £44,190 for the that invites long journeys. base 222bhp plug-in petrol. An additional £11k on top for this, a car that’s marginally Retraction or erection of the fully better to drive, but suffers in its primary electric mechanism takes a snappy 12 purpose? Tough sell. Peter Rawlins seconds. It can get a bit breezy mind. There’s no compulsion to raise the roof 6 even on a motorway, but to quell the 10 turbulence I find myself lifting the side windows at lower speeds. The roof panel itself is made of electrochromic glass, instantly switchable between clear and near-opaque. Fancy. As with the coupe, 046 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

The overrun Small but perfectly formed reviews. The best of the rest from this month’s drives 86 10 10 ALPINA To create the B4, Alpina uses a GENESIS Interesting one this; basically B4 GRAN COUPE modified example of the M4’s ELECTRIFIED GV70 Genesis’ Hyundai/Kia-derived twin-turbo straight-six, with smaller pure electric hardware jimmied £79,900 turbos that spool up at lower revs. £64,405 into a conservative small SUV. It’s The result is more power than a anonymously handsome, with a FOR Supremely smooth, hugely standard M4 and way more FOR Performance, interior, lovely interior, good tech and lively comfortable grand tourer torque than the full fat M4 ownership prospect performance. Though it does feel AGAINST Big-booted B3 Touring Competition. There’s classic AGAINST Not a bespoke electric decidedly FWD. It also charges costs £900 less 20-spoke Alpina wheels and platform, a little bland, pricey with the best of them, has a a fresh bodykit too. That hefty generous ownership package 3.0TT 488 3.7 P CO2 torque figure helps it feel warp 74kWh 483 4.2 146 283 and delivers on range targets. But 6cyl bhp secs speed quick and the recalibrated battery bhp secs mph miles for just under £65k, there’s a lot to 28.0 229 gearbox fits the B4’s relaxed-but- choose from – and from better mpg g/km rapid character. GP recognised makers. TF 56 10 10 AUDI RS5 You’d forgotten this existed, hadn’t MAZDA MX-30 Well over 2,000 MX-30s have found COMPETITION you? Audi’s fastest A5 is just that: EXCLUSIVE-LINE homes in the UK after its launch last an A5 with 444bhp, bereft of the year, and Mazda aims to build on £n/a (not on sale in the UK) depth of engineering or sense of £33,750 those numbers with some modest specialness you get in a BMW M4 upgrades for 2022. And we mean FOR Slender spoked, lighter or AMG C63, or any other fast car FOR Cool cabin, funky doors, modest: peak charging rises from wheels look quite smart for around £80k. This new version stylish exterior 40kW to 50kW for quicker top-up AGAINST Still utterly brings adjustable dampers, AGAINST Range still pitiful, times, and the augmented sound embarrassed by any rival lighter wheels and a revamped uninspiring to drive has been tweaked to better align gearbox tune, but it’s still bottom with your throttle inputs. Apart from 2.9TT 444 3.9 P CO of the class for sensations. Audi 35.5kWh 143 9.7 87 124 some new colour options, that’s it. V6 bhp secs 2 says it hasn’t decided if the mph miles Hmm. Nothing there to address 30.3 Competition will be put on sale in battery bhp secs the joyless driving manners or mpg 199 the UK. Don’t bother, we say. OK the 106-mile real world range. JH g/km T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 047

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY & GET A JEEP® WRANGLER Subscribe to BBC TopGear Magazine for just £39.49 every 12 issues and we’ll send you a LEGO® TECHNIC™ JEEP® WRANGLER worth £44.99*

Have fun exploring the LEGO® Technic™ Jeep® Wrangler. This iconic off-roader is packed with authentic details, including opening doors and hood, fold-down rear seats, a full-size spare tyre, winch and classic Jeep branding. This fun toy model car brings you closer than ever to the real Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Plus, the eye-catching, yellow and black colour scheme means this model looks great in action or on display. REASONS TO 12 issues, saving 40% on the covers – only seen by SUBSCRIBE usual shop price our subscribers Free delivery direct to You’ll never miss an issue your door of Britain’s bestselling car magazine Money-back guarantee – you can cancel at any time SUBSCRIBING IS EASY SIMPLY CALL, GO ONLINE OR SCAN THE CODE buysubscriptions.com/TGP123 03330 162 130 Quote code TGP123** *This offer is open to UK delivery addresses only and is subject to availability. Offer ends 11 January 2023. The LEGO Jeep Wrangler is only available to the first 600 subscribers paying by Direct Debit, not single payment. We reserve the right to fulfil all subsequent orders with a product of equal value. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery. You will pay £39.49 every 12 issues, saving 40% on the shop price. All savings are calculated as a rounded percentage of the full shop price. Should the magazine order change in frequency, we will honour the number of issues and not the term of the subscription. 12 issues: £66 / Europe and Republic of Ireland: €104 / Rest of the World: $149 / USA and Canada: US$138 / Australia and New Zealand: A$163. **UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages, call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Please visit buysubscriptions.com/contact for customer service opening hours.

BRAND NEW! CAR CHAT, INTERVIEWS, SPECIAL GUESTS AND GAMES – ALL BROUGHT TO YOU FROM THE TEAM BEHIND THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE CAR MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBE AT or wherever you get your pods...