In this week’s issue of Autocar, we look at Tesla ten years on from the launch of the Model S, share highlights in the automotive industry from the autumn budget, drive the new, lairy Abarth 600e and give our final thoughts on the Polestar 2.
News
In an exclusive interview with BMW CEO Frank van Meel, we reveal how the firm will launch electric and straight-six options for the M3.
Elsewhere, Hyundai previews the future of sports EVs with the RN24, the latest in a line of“rolling lab” test cars that use motorsport-inspired technology.
Renault announces production plans for new-era EVs with next-gen batteries that promise a major boost in efficiency and sustainability.
Plus, Suzuki reveals its rival to the Mini Aceman, the eVitara. Jaguar’s cancelled supercar, the C-X75, gets a stunning road-safe redesign from famed designer Ian Callum.
Reviews
Jonathan Bryce drives Abarth’s electric crossover to find out if the brand, synonymous with small Fiat runabouts, can perform like its rivals.
The third generation Dacia Duster 130 TCE drops diesel, but is it all the better for it? Steve Cropley finds out…
The Audi Q8 boasts a ‘volcanic’ turbocharged V8 engine with 631bhp. James Attwood is this week’s lucky tester. Meanwhile, Jack Warrick tells all about Volkswagen’s Golf GTE, the most powerful plug-in Golf to date.
Also in the first drives section, verdicts on the BMW M5 Touring, Audi RS E-Tron, Volkswagen ID 3 GTX, and the Audi RS5.
We also road test the McLaren Artura (5705) and the Lexus RC F (5706).
Features
Can you believe it’s been ten years since Tesla’s Model S hit UK roads? Vicky Parrott takes an original, 260,000-mile example on a road trip to see how the decade-old EV measures up.
LA’s coffee and cars meetups were popularised in the early 2000s, but are they are big today? Jack Harrison soaks up some early morning sun and discovers why they’re still a hub of activity for petrolheads.
Ever wondered what it’s like to import a car post-Brexit? Jack Evans finds out how a 1993 Renault Twingo made its journey overseas in 2024.
Opinion
Steve Cropley heads to the Royal Automobile Club in London for London Motor Week and a public recording of the My Week in Cars podcast. Plus, he heads south alongside Matt Prior in a 1902 Albion Dogcart, for the annual London to Brighton classic car run.