There are not many world-leading technology companies listed in London anymore, but one of those still remaining is Pinewood Technologies (LSE: PINE). Until 2024, the company was better known as Pendragon, one of the UK’s largest owners and operators of car dealerships under the Evans Halshaw and Stratstone brands. These divisions overshadowed what was a gem of a tech platform hidden under the bonnet.

Pendragon sold the physical side of the business for nearly £400 million at the beginning of 2024 to the US dealer group Lithia & Driveway. The deal made a lot of strategic sense, considering the platform’s profitability and potential. In the 13 months to the end of January 2024, just before the deal was completed, the discontinued operations generated £4.3 billion in revenue and a profit before tax of £81.6 million, a profit margin of around 2%. The software side of the business reported revenue of £24.5 million and a profit before tax of £9.9 million, a margin of 40.4%.

Legacy tech at Pinewood Technologies

Pinewood’s software arm has been in operation for some time. It was founded in 1981 with the launch of the complete automotive record system (CARS), created to help dealers manage various aspects of their operations. The software was designed to streamline the entire process, from prospecting and vehicle management to workshop and parts management, and accounting, utilising a central database that employees not trained explicitly in complex software would find easy to use.

This so-called dealer management system (DMS) was initially sold as a cost-effective way to manage an operation, effectively eliminating the need for at least one person in each department. It also helped smooth the relationship between franchised dealers and manufacturers, as manufacturers could use the system to maintain control over their franchisees. It’s much easier to control the product when the management is done via an easily accessible piece of software that’s used by hundreds or thousands of other outlets.

Pendragon initially acquired the software in 1998 for £2 million. The business started off with 17 staff and three years later the workforce had grown to 90. Pendragon was a customer of Pinewood when it acquired the company and in the following years utilised its capital and scale to drive an aggressive expansion. In 2001, Pinewood won a contract to supply the DMS system to Ford’s 744 UK car dealerships, with an agreement also to take the software into Europe.

However, one of the problems of the integrated business was the fact that, however good Pinewood’s software was, it was always going to be part of one of the largest dealer groups in the country, a point of contention in what can be quite a competitive market. As a standalone business, the group has the freedom to pursue customers across the UK and global markets without any concerns about competition.

For example, in October last year Pinewood announced it had entered into a five-year contract with Marshall Motor Group to implement its software. Marshall is one of the largest franchise dealer groups in the UK, with 120 dealerships, and is part of the Constellation Automotive Group (which owns the likes of We Buy Any Car). It was the first non-associated major dealership group to adopt the firm’s software since Lithia acquired its physical business, putting the software in four of the top-20 UK dealer groups.

As part of the deal with Lithia, Pinewood agreed to establish a joint venture in North America, with pilots set to start in 2025. The agreement was billed as a way into the $6.5 billion vehicle-systems market in North America by gaining a foothold in over 300 dealerships owned by the joint-venture partner. In mid-2025, Pinewood agreed to acquire the 51% stake in the joint venture it did not already own. The joint-venture stake was valued at $76.5 million on an independent basis, and Pinewood funded the acquisition through the issuance of 14.6 million new shares to its former partner, with the latter entering into a five-year contract to roll out the software by the end of 2028. The rollout is expected to generate annual recurring revenue of $40 million by 2028, and could rise to as much as $60 million.

Pinewood Technologies: growth ahead

Pinewood has been in transition for the past two years, and it’s now primed to grow rapidly. The company outlined medium-term guidance alongside its fiscal first half of 2025 results last week, suggesting underlying Ebitda would hit between £58 million and £62 million in fiscal 2028, implying a 56% compound annual growth rate.

Revenue was up 21.7% in the first half of the year and 85.7% of total revenue is recurring, with net user churn at just 0.3%. The company’s gross margin declined slightly, but only to 86.7%, down from 90% in the prior period, although analysts at Berenberg believe it’s only a matter of time before it returns to 90%. The acquisition of technology group Seez in March is expected to enhance the company’s AI capabilities and accelerate vertical sales.

Sadly, Pinewood’s growth story is well known, and the stock is not cheap. It is trading at a forward price-to-earnings (p/e) ratio of 74.7. But what the company lacks in value, it makes up for with growth. Berenberg has the company trading at a p/e multiple below 20 by fiscal 2028, but more interestingly, the free cash-flow yield is expected to trend up into the high single digits, hitting at least 7% by fiscal 2027. Analysts also believe the company will have accumulated £94 million-worth of cash on the balance sheet at this stage, compared with the market capitalisation of £513 million. In other words, it’s clear this is a highly cash-generative, cash-rich business with a long runway for growth over the coming years.

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Over the past few years electric vehicles (EVs) have developed from being niche products to becoming a well-established subsector of the vehicle market. They are only a few years away from eclipsing cars running on petrol and diesel. EVs comprise a fifth of new cars sold in the UK; if you add in hybrid cars, they also make up a majority of sales in the EU. However, many of the companies attempting to bring products to market will ultimately sink without a trace, as investors in firms such as Nikola and Fisker (both of which have filed for bankruptcy) found out the hard way.

Another company highly likely to follow in their footsteps is the US car firm Faraday Future Intelligent Electric (Nasdaq: FFAI). Founded just over a decade ago, Faraday has spent most of its history trying to break into the luxury end of the EV market, claiming that it was in the process of producing fully autonomous luxury EVs that would sell for more than six figures. More recently, it has shifted its focus to luxury SUVs and minivans containing an AI system to help users do everything from selecting the music played in the car to driving the car itself.

Faraday Future is following the herd

It’s an enticing story with two key flaws. Practically every car company in the world is focusing its efforts on both EVs and AI, so Faraday’s approach is hardly novel. More importantly, the firm has had a troubled history. Over the past 10 years, it has had to ditch plans to build a large factory from scratch in Nevada, while its founder and former CEO declared personal bankruptcy. In the meantime, it has delivered only a handful of cars to customers (many of whom were investors in the company or worked for it). Things are so bad that at the start of the year, it was reported that the company’s flagship SUV is essentially just a rebadged model of an SUV made by a Chinese firm.

Faraday’s accounts make for painful reading, with the company losing $13.8 million on sales of $539,000 in 2024, which means that the shares cost around 330 times trailing sales. While sales are expected to pick up this year, it is still set to lose money. Meanwhile, Faraday has burned through the vast majority of the cash it received when it went public in 2021 (via a special purpose acquisition vehicle, naturally).

Faraday’s status as a company targeted by short-sellers meant that last year it briefly became a “meme stock”, resulting in its share price surging. However, the shares rapidly fell back and investors seem to have lost interest in them, as evidenced by the fact that they have fallen by more than 60% this year. Faraday is now trading well below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. I suggest shorting it as the current price of $1.39 at £8 per $0.01. In that case, I would put the stop-loss at $2.50, giving you a total downside of £888.

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Shares in Close Brothers were up by 20% on Monday. Lloyds was up by almost 8%. The rest of the banking sector was rising, too, as shareholders celebrated the decision by the Supreme Court that some of the wilder claims over mis-selling of motor finance should be thrown out.

It was a rare example of common sense from a body that, in its short life, has rarely shown any inclination to take the side of business. After the market closed last Friday, it rejected the bulk of the claims that millions of car-finance packages had been mis-sold because commissions paid to dealers and other middlemen had not been properly disclosed.

Car finance mis-selling decision

The judges decided, quite sensibly, that the motor trade has, to put it mildly, always been known for sharp practice, and anyone taking out a loan to buy a car should have checked the small print before signing on the dotted line. Given that the total bill for compensation could have run to £40 billion or more if earlier rulings in favour of the claims by the High Court had been upheld, it’s not hard to see why the City was pleased.

There’s just one catch. The Financial Conduct Authority is now proposing a more limited scheme that will compensate customers for commissions that were excessively high. It will pay out on average £950 to each driver, at a total cost to the banking system of between £9 billion and £18 billion. There is still going to be a huge bill for the banks and finance houses involved.

There are two even bigger problems. First, it will be yet another blow to the reputation of the banks. There have already been more than £50 billion in payouts from the mis-selling of personal protection plans on mortgages, and plenty of smaller examples where the main banks have been forced to pay compensation for both personal and small-business products where terms and conditions were not properly disclosed.

The car-finance scandal comes on top of more than 15 years where just about any product more complex than a current account sold by one of the major high street banks has turned out to be dodgy in one way or another. The banks are already facing huge challenges from the rise of new, app-based rivals that have better technology and are not burdened by the cost of hundreds of branches, and typically have far better reputations. If several million motorists are offered payouts for car-finance claims, it will only encourage the belief that everything the banks sell is some form of scam. It is hard to see how any business can thrive in the long term if its customers no longer trust it.

US-style mass consumer litigation

Next, it will only encourage yet more mass claims. It might have been hoped that the Supreme Court ruling would stop the trend towards class actions that has taken root in the British legal system. But if the regulator hands out £10 billion or more in payments, the claims-management industry – which, if we are being honest, probably has even more questionable standards than car finance – will be given yet another huge boost.

The UK is on a worrying path where we develop US-style mass consumer litigation – with all the costs and uncertainties that creates for business – but without US levels of productivity and innovation to make up for it. It is the worst of all possible worlds.

Any global investor looking at a British bank right now will conclude that, with a stagnant economy, there will be very little profit growth, and that it may well be stung for a few billion in compensation payments at any moment. It’s not a very attractive mix, and one that will make it harder to revive the fortunes of the City. In reality, there is almost no form of financial service that doesn’t involve some small print and commissions somewhere along the line. It will always be possible for law firms to argue that the terms were not properly disclosed, that customers didn’t know what they were signing, and that the commissions were too generous.

If the banks have to pay out over this, they will have to pay out again and again, until the whole industry is no longer viable. It would have been far better to stop the litigation when the Supreme Court threw out the bulk of the claims – and give the City a chance to recover instead.

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Drivers have been warned to be on the alert for fraudsters posing as car finance lenders offering fake compensation.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says it has received reports of scammers calling people and offering money in exchange for personal details such as their name, address, date of birth and bank information.

The warning comes after the FCA announced it would set up a compensation scheme for motorists who were sold car finance deals that were unlawful. Eligible people could get a payout of up to £950.

Despite the Supreme Court partially overturning a judgment calling for redress on 1 August, the financial regulator said it will consult on an industry-wide compensation scheme for people who bought motor finance that failed to provide customers with information on the commission paid by lenders to car dealers.

The consultation will be published by early October, with stakeholders given the opportunity to provide their views.

The FCA said it expects that if a compensation scheme goes ahead, it could cost between £9 billion and £18 billion.

Why is the FCA looking at setting up a car finance compensation scheme?

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court judgment said that in many cases, commission paid by lenders to car dealers for organising loans was legal.

However, it also ruled that, in some cases, motor finance firms were not complying with rules and failing to properly disclose commission arrangements that may have been both unfair and unlawful.

While the court overturned a previous ruling by the Court of Appeal that awarded compensation to three cases, the Supreme Court upheld one of them, leaving the door open for redress in certain cases.

The FCA is now looking at setting up a compensation scheme. As part of that, new rules will be proposed to guide how lenders should “consistently, efficiently, and fairly” decide whether or not someone is owed compensation, and how much this will be. The FCA says it will monitor if these firms are following the rules and will act if they are not.

Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the FCA, said: “It is clear that some firms have broken the law and our rules. It’s fair for their customers to be compensated.

“We also want to ensure that the [motor finance] market, relied on by millions each year, can continue to work well and consumers can get a fair deal.”

Rathi said the FCA is aiming for a compensation scheme that’s “fair and easy to participate in” and urged consumers not to use a claims management company or law firm, as this could cost a significant chunk of potential compensation awarded.

It’s not been decided whether it will be an “opt in” or “opt out” compensation scheme.

“It will take time to establish a scheme, but we hope to start getting people any money they are owed next year,” Rathi added.

Car finance scam warning

The FCA has issued a warning about scammers calling people and offering them fake compensation.

It says this is obviously fraud, as no compensation scheme is currently in place yet, and car finance lenders are not yet contacting customers about compensation.

Nisha Arora, director of special projects at the FCA, said: “We’re aware of scammers calling people and posing as car finance lenders, offering fake compensation and asking for personal details.

“If anyone receives a call like this, hang up immediately and do not share any information.”

More information on how to protect yourself from scams is available on the FCA's website. Scam calls and texts should be reported to Ofcom by forwarding them to 7726.

Who could be eligible for car finance compensation?

As the details of a compensation scheme are yet to be determined, the exact group of people eligible for such a scheme is unknown.

However, the FCA has outlined some criteria that it thinks the scheme should cover.

For example, the regulator thinks that agreements as far back as 2007 should be included to make the scheme comprehensive and ensure consumers do not have to use other routes to secure compensation.

Furthermore, the FCA has proposed that the redress scheme covers discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs), where the broker could adjust the interest rate offered to a customer, if they were not properly disclosed.

If you are concerned you were not told about commission and think you paid too much for your motor finance, the regulator recommends you complain now.

The FCA has a guide explaining how to raise a complaint. It's possible to do this yourself. The FCA warns that using a claims management company or law firm to make a complaint could cost you around 30% of any compensation paid.

How much compensation could motorists get?

The FCA estimates most eligible individuals will probably receive less than £950 in compensation per car finance agreement.

The regulator said in a statement that its “methodology for calculating redress will be informed by the degree of harm suffered by the consumer and the need to ensure consumers continue to be able to access affordable loans for motor vehicles”.

Compensation could also be boosted as interest is normally paid on redress awards – the FCA says this will likely be based on the average base rate that year plus 1%.

This means it would be in “the ballpark of a simple interest rate of 3% per annum”, according to the regulator.

When could a compensation scheme be opened?

As mentioned previously, the FCA’s consultation on the compensation scheme will be launched by early October.

The consultation is set to be open for six weeks before a decision over the proposed scheme is made.

If a redress scheme does go ahead, the FCA says it expects the first payments to be made in 2026.

It might be going too far to say the wheels have come off the market in classic cars. But prices have definitely stalled. Take the Blue Chip index compiled by specialist insurer Hagerty, for example. It tracks the prices of 25 of the most sought-after collectable vehicles of the post-war era. In the decade to January 2025, the index rose 5.5%. But in the six years before 2015 – that is, from the start of the ultra-low interest rate era – the index jumped 118%. So we can take a good guess at what got prices motoring and, by extension, what has put the brakes back on.

Since January 2022, roughly corresponding to when the Bank of England picked interest rates up off the floor (0.1%), the index has only managed a 2.6% rise, lagging the annual rate of consumer-price inflation, which averaged 6.3% in that three-year period. It should come as scant surprise, then, that in the 12 months to the start of 2025, the index contracted 2%. A considerable amount of froth continues to come off the market.

But that is to paint a picture using a very broad brush. Collectables markets are notoriously hard to track because, for starters, no two Ferrari 250 GTOs are exactly the same. There are also so many different makes and models of collectable cars that it would be impossible to follow them all – hence the Blue Chip index limiting itself to 25, for example.

The sample size, the number of sales in a given year, is likely to be small, and within the components that make up the index, you are bound to have a relatively wide range of performances. One model might appreciate greatly, only for that performance to be obscured by the other 24.

The classic car market is for choosy collectors

If we look under the bonnet of Hagerty’s Blue Chip index, we see that the value of a 1958 Bentley S1 Continental DHC in “excellent condition” (all the cars ranked in the indices are rated “excellent”, the second highest of four categories) slipped 19% over the course of 2024. Today, you could expect one to fetch approximately $850,000. Likewise, you could have anticipated paying $2.6 million for a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible in January, a 15% discount to the price a year earlier.

But for a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV, you would have had to pay a third more than in January 2024: $4 million. So collectors buying a classic car as an investment need to be particularly picky as to which model they buy – and that is before storage, maintenance and insurance costs are taken into account.

Some car indices have managed to eke out a gain over the year to January. Hagerty’s Supercar index rose 2%, led by the 1994-1998 McLaren F1, whose value rose 5% to $25.4 million. And post-war German collectible cars were worth 1% more than a year earlier, with the price of a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera coupe accelerating 19% to $185,000. But of Hagerty’s 11 indices, seven declined and one trod water. American muscle cars depreciated 10% over the year, and the Ferrari index slid 9%.

Nevertheless, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta (not included in the Ferrari index) became the most expensive car sold at auction in 2024, when one example sold with Bonhams for $38.1 million last August. In fact, seven of the ten most expensive cars ever sold at auction (going back to 2014) are Ferraris. These may be extreme, ultra-rare examples, but clearly Ferraris are still very much in demand. The fact that the prancing horse has its own index rather underscores the point, so a pinch of salt is needed.

The rarest cars continue to fetch stratospheric prices. In February, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamliner joined that top-ten list in second position, when it sold for €51.2 million. But this is the rarefied region of the market, which by and large, and in keeping with other collectable assets, such as blue-chip artworks, tends to be oblivious to whatever else is going on in the economy.

As for the “collector car” market overall, it “has been uneven for the past several years, with auctions recording lower average prices and private sales activity slowing”, says Brian Rabold of Hagerty. So choose what you buy carefully, and buy it because, first and foremost, you like it.

Classic cars sold privately in Britain tend to be “sold as seen” and there is “little [legal] protection for any purchaser”, says David Stedman, a lawyer specialising in classic cars at law firm Clarke Willmott LLP. If buying from a dealer, your statutory rights are set out in the Consumer Rights Act. Cars first registered more than 40 years ago are exempt from MOT tests, so if you intend to drive your classic car regularly on public roads, make this clear to the seller.

A classic car could be advertised as a “collector’s piece”, in which case the car cannot be expected to be road-ready. Courts will also consider how much was paid for the car, with the understanding that “a purchaser paying less for a restoration project cannot have expected the vehicle to live up to ‘concours standard’,” says Stedman. So, state your intended use for the classic car to the seller and inspect it before you buy it “with your mechanic present”.

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Shares in luxury carmaker Aston Martin crashed by 20% after new CEO Adrian Hallmark admitted the company will have to cut targets for car production by a further 14%, say Robert Lea and Martin Strydom in The Times. These cuts, which mean production will now be down 40% from earlier predictions, are due to disruption in the supply chain, with “a number of its suppliers going bankrupt as well as continued macroeconomic weakness in China”. As a result, the company “will not be cash-flow positive in the second half of 2024”. 

No wonder the stock slipped, says Hargreaves Lansdown’s Aarin Chiekrie. It’s impossible to rule out “further disappointments down the road”. The high debt level is a “real problem” and “makes it difficult to obtain additional debt financing should demand slip and the group run into trouble”. However, Aston Martin’s “high price point arguably offers it some level of protection” from general auto trends, given its buyers “aren’t typically short of cash”. This is important given that the group is “not alone in its struggles”. For some other carmakers, the outlook for demand is far worse.

Demand for global carmakers drops in China

Aston Martin is certainly not the only car company in trouble, says Lex in the Financial Times. Shares in the Netherlands’ Stellantis, which makes Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles, have also slipped after it predicted lower profits. And Germany’s Volkswagen lowered its annual guidance for the second time in three months on 27 September, while Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also issued profit warnings. All these firms are suffering from problems in the industry’s supply chains; moreover, sales of foreign cars have slid sharply in China. 

The lack of demand in China is particularly worrying for Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW as they have now become “increasingly reliant” on selling vehicles to China’s “burgeoning upper middle class”, says Louis Goss on MarketWatch. They hope the fall in sales will end once the property market bottoms. However, the government is cracking down on “wealth flaunting” behaviours, while Chinese consumers are now increasingly starting to favour locally made cars, which are far cheaper and offer superior technology. European carmakers may, therefore, continue to lose market share. 

Still, the car manufacturers’ difficulties may help the industry as they come at a “pivotal time”, says Neil Unmack on Breakingviews. European policymakers are about to make a decision on whether to go through with fines on companies for not meeting targets on carbon emissions. The case for at least a partial delay is now “strong”. Fears of increased Chinese competition will also “reinforce the case for tariffs, which many countries, including Spain and Germany, have been opposing”. Still, even if such policy help appears, it may be too little, too late. Stellantis and Volkswagen now trade at just 2.7 and 3.3 times trailing earnings: a “cry for help”.

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Carmaker Volkswagen (VW) is considering shutting down two German factories. They would be the carmaker’s first closures in its domestic market, says Jasper Jolly in The Guardian. The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer has informed its employee works council that it was looking at closing “at least one larger vehicle manufacturing plant and one component factory in Germany” in order to save billions of euros. These proposals underline the difficulties traditional European carmakers are having in “switching from profitable but polluting petrol and diesel cars to cleaner but currently less profitable electric vehicles”. 

Why is Volkswagen considering the closures? 

VW has been hit by unexpectedly poor demand for electric vehicles in Europe as well as a “shrinking market share in China, its most profitable market”, say Patricia Nilsson and Kana Inagaki in the Financial Times. However, its drastic decision to break with tradition has also been prompted by the fact that a savings programme launched last year has fallen short, with not enough workers taking up its offer of early retirement or redundancy. 

VW’s operating margins have therefore continued to fall, reaching 2.3% in the first half of 2024, far below the 6.5% target it aims to reach by 2026. Finalising the closures will be a “major test” for CEO Oliver Blume, say Monica Raymund and Christoph Rauwald on Bloomberg. Union clashes “felled a number of his VW predecessors”, who all left after they “tried to push through efficiencies”. 

Part of the problem is VW’s “labyrinthine governance system”. Management must gain the support of both the billionaire Porsche-Piech family and labour unions for major decisions. The fact that the Lower Saxony government owns a 20% stake is also a problem, as while it supports VW’s cost-cutting efforts, it also insists that “alternative options” to closures must be explored.

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China passed a milestone in the green revolution last month when sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids surpassed those of internal combustion engine cars for the first time. Retail sales of “new-energy” cars – the umbrella term used in China for EVs and hybrids – made up 51.1% of all sales in July, a giant leap from just 7% three years ago. The landmark follows a continuing surge in the popularity of EVs in China over the past year, even as growth in other key markets, including the US and Europe, has slowed. The number of “new-energy” cars sold last month in China, 878,000, was 37% higher year on year; sales of conventional cars fell 26% to 840,000.

The global electric car market 

To put the 50% landmark in perspective, the share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales in the US amounted to 18% in the first quarter of this year. China is by far the world’s biggest market for EVs, accounting for three-fifths of all units sold this year. According to forecasts from the International Energy Agency, some 10.1 million EVs (including hybrids) will be sold in China this year. That compares to 3.4 million in Europe and 1.7 million in the US. All other markets combined account for fewer than 1.5 million. The agency forecasts that global EV sales will grow to 20 million in 2025 and then double to 40 million by 2030 – accounting for 30% of all car sales by that point. China has been a leading market for EVs for several years, but recently the growth has been explosive. This year’s total of 10.1 million units is an eight-fold increase in just three years from 2021 when 1.3 million vehicles were sold. What’s driving the boom is that years of government subsidies and tax breaks for both producers and consumers and major strategic investment in the development of technology and infrastructure, mean that EVs are now the lower-cost option for consumers.

Why is the electric car market booming in China?

Marketing of EVs in China rarely, if ever, emphasises the environmental benefits, says Helen Davidson in The Guardian. Instead, it’s all about cost, and the range of available products, from compact city runarounds to luxury sports cars and large hybrid SUVs, powered by CATL batteries and Huawei technology. “EVs happen to be one rare area where China seems to be leading the world – high quality and low price, not to mention dizzying variety,” says Tinglong Dai, a business professor at Johns Hopkins University. “This is one of the incredible opportunities for China to dominate a highly respected marketplace. And it’s also in line with broad environmental goals in the West.” Yes, the Chinese government is motivated in part by climate and economic factors, but far more importantly the long-term investment that is now paying off was “more of a geopolitical move – a way to get to the top of the food chain of a high-end, high-status industry”.

What about exports?

They are growing fast, especially in developing markets, and Chinese companies are also investing heavily in local manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities (including batteries and raw materials) in countries such as Indonesia and Brazil. However, China faces serious headwinds in the existing biggest non-Chinese markets, the US and Europe, both of which have ramped up protectionist tariffs on Chinese cars, on the grounds that unfair state subsidies are distorting competition and making them unfairly cheap. The US, where China has achieved little market penetration, recently raised its import duty on Chinese EVs from 25% to an intentionally crippling 100%. It was part of a package of measures including increasing levies from 7.5% to 25% on lithium batteries, from zero to 25% on critical minerals, from 25% to 50% on solar cells and from 25% to 50% on semiconductors. In Europe, Chinese EVs are a far more common sight. According to EU data, the market share of EVs imported from China (including those made under joint ventures with European firms) surged from 4% in 2020 to 25% by September 2023, making China’s EV exports to Europe last year worth about €10 billion. Brussels, too, has announced punitive new tariffs.

What is the EU tariff on Chinese EVs?

Up to 48%. Brussels already imposes a 10% tariff on Chinese EVs. It will now impose additional duties of 17%-38%, depending on the extent to which individual manufacturers complied with an EU anti-subsidy investigation. The biggest exporters, including BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, will pay additional tariffs of 17%-20%. European brands such as Mercedes and Renault, which export EVs made in China, will pay 21%. Companies deemed not to have co-operated, including Shanghai-based SAIC, will pay 38%. The state-owned firm dominates the lower end of the European EV market through the MG brand. The charges came into effect last month, but are currently provisional while the investigation into Chinese state support for the country’s EV makers continues. The tariffs are strongly backed by France but opposed by Germany, which fears a costly trade war with China. Beijing has lodged complaints with the World Trade Organisation.

Is the EU’s action justified?

No, says the Financial Times. EU governments – like others across the developed world – have a dilemma. They have pledged to decarbonise their economies within decades, but they are “also moving to limit imports of Chinese green tech, without which decarbonisation will take more time and money – if it can be achieved at all”. At some point they will need to choose between their climate goals and their protectionism, and “it would be better for everyone if it is protectionism that has to give”. Europe’s problem is “not too many Chinese imports but rather too few”. It is “heartening to see the UK refraining from joining the tariff wars”.

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Navigating your way round car finance options isn't easy - from PCP, leasing to hire purchase deals - you may be wondering which one is best and how they work. 

Record numbers of drivers got on the road with new cars during 2023 and data from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed there were 1.9 million new cars registered in 2023 – a 17.9% annual increase and the best year since the pandemic.

February is often hailed as a good month to pickup a used car bargain as dealerships are quieter ahead of new car registrations in March.

The average cost of a car is between £12,000 and £17,000, according to NimbleFins so while buying a vehicle with cash can give you more bargaining power, there are more effective ways to spread the cost of a new or used car with a finance deal.

Many dealerships offer 0% finance deals or even relatively low interest rates on new and used vehicles.

This means you can often purchase a more expensive car and pay it off over a set period, while you aren’t hit by depreciation as soon as you spend on a lump sum on a vehicle and drive it from the dealership.

The Financial Conduct Authority has just launched a review into commission charges in the car finance market so it is worth knowing what you are getting into with these types of deals.

Here is what to consider when looking at car finance options.

How does PCP work? 

One option is personal contract purchase (PCP).

With this option, you pay a deposit followed by fixed monthly payments over a set period.

The level of payments will depend on how much deposit you pay and the length of the deal. For example, a two-year PCP deal will have higher monthly repayments than a five-year deal but you end up paying more on a longer-term deal.

The payments are generally lower than buying a car upfront as they cover only a portion of the car's value and at the end of the term you either pay a final balloon payment to own the car outright, return it, or use any equity towards a new car. 

“This flexibility makes PCP appealing, especially for those who enjoy driving newer models and appreciate the ability to change cars frequently,” says Pete Ridley, Car Finance Saver.

“It’s also good for those who aren’t too bothered about having a ‘legacy’ car i.e. one they’ll have for years on end and might look to pass on to others.”

Buying a car using hire purchase

After paying an initial deposit - usually around 10% of the car's value - you cover the full cost of the car in monthly instalments over a set time. 

This can between one and five years but upon completing all payments, the car becomes yours.

“This option is fitting for drivers who prefer the simplicity of a standard loan or intend to keep their car for a longer duration and aren't looking for the latest models,” adds Ridley.

Leasing a car

A third option is leasing, where you effectively rent the car over a set period. Unlike PCP and hire purchase, there is no option to buy the car at the end, you simply give it back.

“One of the primary advantages of leasing a car is that monthly lease payments are typically lower than loan payments for purchasing the same vehicle,” says John Wilmot, chief executive of LeaseLoco.

“This can make leasing an attractive option for individuals who want to drive a newer or more expensive car without the burden of high monthly costs.”

Some companies may even offer employees finance to help buy a car and repay through salary sacrifice. This can reduce your tax bill but there may be a benefit-in-kind (BIK) to pay.

It is a popular way to purchase electric vehicles though as the BIK is currently only 2%, says the Electric Car Guide.

The tax rate is rising to 3% in 2025, 4% in 2026 and 5% in 2027 but in comparison the charge on petrol and diesel cars starts at 15%.

All these types of finance may have annual limits on mileage so check the terms as there could be high fees for going over this. You will also have to keep the car in a good condition with regular servicing and MOTs, plus you could be charged for any damage or if the vehicle is left in a poor condition beyond just wear and tear at the end of the deal.

How to choose the best car finance option

It is worth comparing the interest, terms and types of car you can get across all the different sorts of finance.

You can shop around for finance on websites such as LeaseLoco, CarWow and Car Finance Saver as well as from Auto Trader or direct with a dealership.

The rate you are offered will depend on your income as well as your credit score so it is worth keeping your credit report updated.

Ridley suggest matching your budget to the different schemes.

For example, PCP offers lower monthly payments but will mean a larger final payment if you wish to own the car, while hire purchase spreads the total car cost over the agreement period, typically resulting in higher monthly payments but no final balloon payment. 

“Someone on a lower wage might be better off with a PCP arrangement as this will better fit their budget and they aren’t obligated to pay for the car in full at the end if their finances do change,” he says.

“HP arrangements are perfect for those who want to buy their chosen car outright but might have financial commitments that make it easier to pay for the car over a series of months where they can spread the cost.”

It is important to look at the total cost of the deal over the full term rather than just the monthly repayments as well as any administration charges or penalties for exceeding mileage limits.

“Don’t just go for the lowest monthly payment for the sake of it. If you can comfortably afford to pay more, it can work out in your favour if you opt for the higher option,” says Mark Attwell, director of AA Car Finance.

“Make sure you choose a manageable monthly repayment. Buying a car outright with your savings can put a hard ceiling on the make, model and age of car that you end up driving away from the forecourt. Motor finance often removes this ceiling as instead of a one-off lump sum, the cost of the car is split into more manageable monthly repayments. 

“However, it’s important to understand how much interest you will pay and that you feel confident you can afford it for the full length of your agreement.”

There will be more costs to running a car than just the finance though.

Jo Robinson, director of lenders at car finance specialist Zuto, says buyers should add in rough estimates for fuel consumption, servicing and maintenance of your car, MOTs, vehicle tax and car insurance, which can quickly add up. 

“Typically, you’ll find that cheaper cars and cars with smaller engines will mean cheaper car insurance, especially for new drivers,” she says.

“Different car models will also differ on fuel consumption performance and overall reliability, so be sure to do your research to help understand potential costs beyond your monthly payments.”

“Looking at our most popularly financed cars, many people often opt for makes such as Vauxhall, Ford and Nissan due to their affordability and reliability.”

What determines the cost of a car?

There are lots of factors that determine the price of car.

A big factor is the make and model, so a Porsche would typically be more expensive than a Ford.

It will also depend on if you want a top of the range sports car, family-focused SUV or just a hatchback.

If you are buying a used car, then you should consider the mileage, age and condition.

“The car’s age is one of the most essential valuation factors. A brand-new car’s value drops as soon as it is purchased, and with every year, its value depreciates further, by how much will depend on the model, variant, make, and other supply-demand factors,” says Paul Barker, managing editor at CarWow.

 “Mileage is another critical factor – generally speaking, the more miles on the clock, the lesser the car’s value.

 “If a car has been well looked after, regularly serviced and properly maintained, it will be worth more than one that hasn’t. A car’s accident history will also be a significant factor – generally people are reluctant to buy a car they know has been in a serious accident, so cars that have been damaged and repaired will be worth a lot less.”

Timing is also important.

Jonathan Such, head of sales at vehicle finance company First Response Finance,  says June and December may be the best months to grab a bargain as people are less likely to make a hefty investment ahead of the summer or Christmas holidays and dealers might be more willing to negotiate.

“Visiting dealerships at this time of the year can also make you one of a smaller group of motorists who are ready to make a purchase,” he says/

“So, if you sign the dotted line in June and December, you might be able to cruise away with a better deal.

“What’s more, consider popping by a dealership towards the end of the month. There is a chance that salespeople may have already reached their monthly sales target, meaning they might be more willing to let you drive off at a more budget-friendly price.”

Lucy Sherliker, head of customer at car finance specialists Zuto, says February is often the best month of the year to pick up a second-hand car bargain due to new registration plates being released in March.

"In the weeks leading up to this date, demand at dealerships can be is typically lower than average meaning you could secure a good deal," she says.

"Many people also look to part exchange their car, replacing this with a brand new car, meaning you’ll likely have increased options for a used car."

“There’s a new off-roader in town (and country),” says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph: the Ineos Grenadier, an “eagerly awaited” true utility four-wheel drive (as opposed to mere “lifestyle” SUV) that “aims to take up where Land Rover’s Defender left off”. It makes driving off-road effortless and it is in its element in the “rough, tough worlds” of construction, agriculture, and the armed and rescue services.

“Is it any good to drive? In a quagmire in Alsace not far from where it’s being made in a former Smart factory, most assuredly,” says Jason Barlow in Top Gear. The BMW-sourced 3.0-litre powertrain makes light work of even the most “heinous conditions” and is a truly hardy motor: “the Grenadier feels like a vehicle that could hold its own in Mad Max: Fury Road. It feels apocalypse-proof.” The top speed is capped at 100mph, but the car more than comfortably hulks its mighty 2.7 tonnes around on the road and off it.

The Grenadier looks striking too: “ruggedly handsome and undeniably imposing” with “shades of the G-Wagon and Jeep Wrangler”, says Vince Jackson on CarsGuide. Its unwieldy bulk may “cause a few car-park palpitations for urban buyers”, but there is an “uncluttered honesty about its styling” and “you instinctively know this isn’t some poseur’s chariot”: this car was built “primarily as a working tool”. The interior is built on similar principles, with a “blend of contemporary tech and no-nonsense utility”, says Yousuf Ashraf for AutoDaily. There is a 12.3-inch infotainment system and a navigation “pathfinder” function that will help those who like to adventure off-road.

Inside, Ineos has traded luxury for a hard-wearing plastic construction, but it looks almost charming, with an aircraft cockpit-like appearance and chunky centre consoles that you can operate even with gloves on, says James Drujon for CarWow. “In what is now quite a crowded segment of dedicated off-roaders, the Ineos Grenadier has the might to compete with the best of them.”

Prices from £48,000. See: ineosgrenadier.com.

The new Porsche Panamera couples a “fun-to-drive attitude with a four-door body and a premium cabin to create a more balanced option for those who need space for kids and cargo”, say Drew Dorian and Scott Oldham on Car and Driver. Trading high-speed shenanigans for a household-friendly roadster was a choice that even the most diehard petrolhead would have to face eventually; but no longer. The Panamera is as suave as you’d expect from the brand but also has rear seats so you can share the thrills with all the family.

Hair-raising performance

There are more than 24 models in the range, from the more economic and eco-friendly E-Hybrid model to the rip-roaring 4S. “In terms of outright speed, the car surpasses most benchmarks set by like-for-like grand tourers and can be considered alongside the quickest super-saloons you might buy for the thick end of £100,000,” says Autocar. The 4S will shoot from rest to 62mph in a hair-raising 4.3 seconds, and tops out at 180mph. But it’s not a handful to drive. “Unflappable grip and poise rule every Panamera,” says Martin Padgett for Car Connection. Spending extra on a rear-end steering system will make the car even more manoeuvrable at low speeds too.

As you’d expect from Porsche, the Panamera is also pleasing to look at. “Among the competition, the Panamera looks more exotic and retains its sporty identity,” says Nathan Dyer for Car HP. With a sharp front-end adorned by characteristic Porsche LED headlamps, and the sides lavished with aerodynamic grooves and eye-catching alloy wheels, the Panamera really is a beauty to behold.

Artful interiors

The interior is just as artful. “The whole cabin is almost wrapped in leather, including the three-spoke steering wheel that feels premium to hold,” and a central control panel is designed to give tactical feedback when scrolling through options. The dash holds “a beautifully placed 12.3-inch touchscreen display, which is a delight to use”, equipped with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and comes with the option to be linked to a rear-seat entertainment rig, alongside Bose and Burmester sound systems. The plush seats are highly adaptable and heated and can be fitted with ventilation and massage functions too. Expect to pay from £88,196 to £131,152, with the particularly speedy 4S coming in at £98,095.

Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division, is a “hybrid-tech stalwart”, says Richard Ingram in Auto Express. Aside from its V8-engine RC and LC sports cars, every model is available exclusively with electrified powertrains. This new NX SUV is no different. Made for cruising in exceptional comfort, the car is “smooth and refined, beautifully built, and even without a usable zero-emissions range, could genuinely slash your fuel bills”. The NX is Lexus’s bestselling model in the UK – and “on this evidence, will continue to be for some time to come”.

It’s a car built for comfort over raw power, but it is no slouch, with a combined engine and electric motor punch of 244bhp, delivering a 0-62mph time of just 7.7 seconds, says Rory White on YesAuto. It’s grippy through the bends too, and the ride smooth, the suspension absorbing the bumps nicely, says Tyler Duffy in Gear Patrol Magazine. It is exceptionally quiet at low speeds, too: “I didn’t notice I was driving through 30mph wind gusts until I looked up and saw a flag pole”. The car can glide along at low-speeds on battery power alone, allowing you to trickle along in slow-moving traffic at very low cost, says Neil Winn in What Car. In good conditions you can expect a fuel consumption of around 47mpg. The NX may not be as flashy as Jaguar’s or Mercedes’s rival offerings, but there’s a subtle charisma to its aesthetic that can’t be found elsewhere, even in older Lexus models.

Inside, the cabin has been significantly updated, says Jonathan Crouch in RAC. The interior features a 9.8-inch screen – which can be upgraded to a 14-inch Lexus Link Pro set-up – and touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, and is all modelled according to Lexus’s Tazuma design philosophy – a “human-centric” principle intended to make driving cars as straightforward as possible, using high-quality materials and a dashboard that curves towards the driver’s seat. In short, the Lexus NX offers a sophisticated and grown-up driving experience that few rivals can match. Prices start at £48,800.

“When you think of McLaren, you probably think of a few things: loud, fast, and sporty. You don’t, probably, think of a smooth, comfortable, capacious grand tourer,” says Alex Goy on Business Insider. “But the GT is a McLaren that doesn’t shout, scream, or bark. It’s a McLaren that gives you the full supercar experience – power, handling, tech, and everything else –with just slightly fewer antics.”

It remains, of course, as rapid as you’d expect, says Ben Hodges on CarBuyer, with a top-speed of 203mph, a 0-62mph time of a little over three seconds and with an engine pushing out 612bhp. A seven-speed gearbox and a host of electronic aids have been deployed to send as much power as fast as possible to the rear wheels. Under hard acceleration, the GT delivers “ferocious, supercar-pace and a subtly menacing sound from its V8 engine”.

This McLaren has also, however, been crafted for long-haul motoring, rolling steadily over huge distances with comfort. “To be considered a true grand tourer, the GT needed to combine a precise driving experience on twisty roads with effortless progress on motorways, and the McLaren is a success in this respect.” Gliding along at tame motorway speeds, the V8 turbo engine’s aggression is muted and the ride quiet and polished. The handling is just as silky. “The steering is perfectly weighted and the car demonstrates impressive agility when you take corners quickly, yet it’s almost as easy to drive as a family hatchback at lower speeds.”

The GT is a joy to pilot too. “It feels very airy in the cabin,” says Top Gear magazine, “especially with the switchable electrochromic glass roof on its clear setting. Looking forwards and over the shoulder, the view out is terrific.” There is also an infotainment system and all the luxury furnishings you’d want from such an esteemed manufacturer. “The cabin trim is lovely, and customisable in lots of materials and beautiful stitch patterns. The switchgear is all metal, and everything feels expensive and is unique to McLaren.” Prices start from £163,000.

Companies that convert classic cars into electric vehicles (EVs) generally swap the engines for the batteries and electric motors from crashed Teslas. Everrati, which has “given a true British icon, the original Land Rover”, the EV treatment”, does things differently, says Tim Pitt in City AM.

Everrati specialises in converting opulent gas-guzzlers into debonair eco-friendly motors and “substituting cubic inches for kilowatt-hours”. Having previously converted the classic Porsche 911 and Ford GT4 of Le Mans fame, the company has now turned its attention to the Land Rover. It rebuilds the classic workhorse “from the ground up”, with upgraded brakes, suspension and steering, and the result will still turn heads like any retro marvel should.

Characterful flaws

Everrati has done well to retain the car’s character, even going as far as to retain a few of the flaws that Land Rover enthusiasts love so much. Everrati’s Series IIA, like the car it is based on, remains “a frankly terrible drive – it’s noisy, unrefined, wanders about the road and hops over even the smallest bump like a spring lamb”, says Sam Burnett in Top Gear. But it remains “glorious” for all that. A Land Rover should be bulky, a little unwieldy perhaps, with endearing quirks and a charmingly rugged character. And Everrati’s version is just that. It will still excel off-road too, with plenty of power to deliver a respectable performance. It’s pretty comfortable inside as well. The interiors have been refurbished to compete with the best that today’s motoring has to offer, boasting re-trimmed leather seats and an audio system slotted nicely into the old central cubby box.

Even those who miss the clattering diesel engine and crunching gears are catered for, says Adam Hay-Nicholls in GQ. The ride is nearly silent, but you can project engine noises through the car’s exterior. “One customer has specified the sound of a galloping horse. Why not a stampede? With the app, you can do both – or anything else that takes your fancy.” Price: £150,0

“Few things in the automotive industry are as anticipated as the arrival of an all-new Mercedes-Benz SL model,” says Michael Harley in Forbes. The new SL, developed with AMG, Mercedes’ renowned performance wing, is no exception. It is the culmination of luxury, masterful engineering and technological innovation in “one beautifully sculpted package”. Not that pedestrians will have long to admire it, says Hannah Elliott on Bloomberg. It may have the good looks to rival any modern Porsche or Chevrolet, but with a 4.0 litre V8 engine under the bonnet, passers-by won’t be able to keep their eye on it for long.

Mercedes has injected a surprising amount of power into the AMG SL. It comes in two flavours – the SL55 and the slightly racier 63, with a top speed of 195mph. And whereas the original SL from the late 1950s was lucky to maintain an 80mph cruising speed on the highway, “you’ll have to actively rein this one in”. Inside, it has all the “latest technologies, comfort settings, fragrances, and textiles that make it feel special without forcing them upon you”. The whole package clocks in at a hefty 1,895kg, every ounce of which glues itself to the road, says Georg Kacher in Car magazine. As the AMG SL tears from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds, “the adaptive sports exhaust plays Godzilla vs Kong at every blip of the throttle”. It produces an impressive 590lbs of torque on the tarmac, more than enough to deliver a bite-sized adrenaline rush. And let’s not forget that it’s a convertible, blow-drying your hair on command.

No doubt, this is a heavy car, says Greg Kable in Autocar. And yet, despite packing in every luxury you could want, “it operates with the fluidity of movement and responsiveness to inputs of something much lighter and more Spartan”. The big increase in body stiffness, lower centre of gravity and networked suspension with four-wheel steering results in “sweetly struck handling and great athleticism”. Mercedes has yet to say how much it will cost, but expect to pay around £120,000. For your money, you will get the best SL in decades.

Price: £120,000 (estimated). Engine: V8, 3,982cc, twin- turbocharged. Torque: 590lb ft. Top speed: 195mph. 0-60mph: 3.6 seconds

You could be forgiven for thinking the new electric Tesla Model Y is just a Tesla Model 3, the best-selling car in Britain, “that’s been pumped full of growth hormone”, says What Car magazine. It has a higher driving position and more room inside than its hatchback predecessor. And like the Model 3, there is a Long Range version and a Performance model. The Model Y is not quite as rapid as the Model 3 due to the extra weight it carries, but the Performance version can still hit 60mph from a standing start in 3.5 seconds. As for going the distance, the Long Range can officially clock up 315 miles on a single charge. Sure, you won’t get that in the real world, but 250 miles should be possible if you take it easy.

Even so, in Performance guise, the Model Y is fully “capable of embarrassing much more expensive machinery off the line”, says Auto Express. “Not bad for a family-friendly SUV.” The dual-motor/all-wheel-drive set-up helps put the power down, while providing added reassurance when the roads are slippery. But it’s inside where Tesla has really outdone itself, says Will Dron for The Sunday Times. The Model Y has kept the Model 3’s minimalist design, with clean lines, lots of space and an “airy feel in the cabin”. The dashboard is dominated by the huge touchscreen, from which most of the car’s functions are controlled. You can check the speed limits of the roads you are driving on, as well as battery range and level. There is also a large satnav that is “nicely integrated with the car”, and an infotainment system for web browsing, music streaming and even playing video games. Tesla has “nailed it” when it comes to keeping customers entertained while waiting for their electric cars to charge. “It’s very, very smart stuff.” Not that you will have much time. Tesla claims the Model Y can “swallow 150 miles of charge in 15 minutes on the punchiest superchargers”, of which Tesla has around 800 in the UK, says Car magazine’s Phil McNamara.

The first Long Range Model Ys, priced at £54,990, are expected to arrive in Britain in the next few weeks, with the £64,990 Performance arriving in the summer. The price is high for a hatchback/SUV crossover. But if you’re not fazed, you might want to consider getting one. The Performance is “dynamic to drive and addictively fast… [although] the Long Range is plenty quick enough to be honest, and enjoyable to drive”. The Model Y has set the new crossover benchmark.

BMW began its foray into the electric-vehicle (EV) world nine years ago with the i3 hatchback – “a courageous and radical little car that didn’t quite work”, says Steve Cropley in Autocar. But the new i4 “sits at the other end of the engineering and styling spectrum”. This mid-sized saloon doesn’t take the “I’m-electric-so-I’m-different route”. Instead, it “adopts relatively familiar Gran Sport four-door body styling that looks sleek and sporty, but doesn’t frighten the horses”.

“The i4 is built for those who traditionally shun EVs thinking they are cold and clinical and are looking for more spirited drives,” says Jeremy White on Wired. The steering is “famously precise”, coupled with the kind of performance that means drivers must keep their wits about them. It’s a car for those who have “let petrol power go, but can’t bear to see it leave”.

“The ‘entry-level’ eDrive40 model, with rear-wheel drive and one electric motor, competes with everything from small premium SUVs… through to the award winning Tesla Model 3,” says WhatCar. It produces 335bhp and goes from zero to 62mph in 5.7 seconds, with an official range of 367 miles. That’s enough for most drivers, “but if you’re the kind of person who finds roller coasters a bit boring”, there’s the “range-topping” M50 with two motors and four-wheel drive. This produces a “whopping 536bhp” – pitching it against the Model 3 Performance and Polestar 2 – races from zero to 62mph in 3.9 seconds, and has a range of 318 miles.

The M50 is “seriously fast” in its sport boost setting, says TopGear, yet the milder modes make it “easy to dawdle”. It’s a “better steer” than Tesla’s Model 3, has the range for most road trips, and charges fast. “This is a proper BMW.”

Like the 812 Superfast it’s based on, Ferrari’s new 812 Competizione boasts a 6.5-litre V12 engine. That engine, however, has been cranked up to produce “the most powerful purely petrol-powered road car engine Ferrari has ever made”, says Adam Towler for Evo.

The rods are made from titanium, making them 40% lighter, and the pistons have been coated in a low-friction, diamond-like coating (DLC) compound. The cylinder head has been heavily revised to permit a higher rev limit and there’s a completely new intake system. That all adds up to an engine that revs to 9,500rpm, producing 819bhp – 30bhp more than an “ordinary” Superfast. The only sacrifice is a slight reduction in torque, from 530lb ft to 510lb ft.

The dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox has also been recalibrated for faster shifts between gears, and while the car is 38kg lighter than the standard 812, its reworked body produces more downforce that sticks you to the tarmac. Changes to the Ferrari’s aerodynamics make the Competizione look “shorter, wider and more menacing than the regular Superfast”.

For all that, driving it “doesn’t scare one silly”, says Matt Prior for Autocar. While sitting behind the wheel is “tremendously exciting” – anything that “slams into a 9,500rpm limiter with this verve could be nothing else” – the Competizione is a “much more complete, rounded car” than you might imagine. It’s agile, too, with the huge front tyres and active rear steering acting to disguise the weight. Even with this amount of power and speed at your finger tips, the Competizione remains responsive and earns your trust.

A triumphant send-off

It’s a triumphant send-off for Ferrari’s goosebump-generating engine, says Alexander Stoklosa on Motortrend. Following the release of the F12 tdf in 2015 and the 812 Superfast two years later, Ferrari is unlikely to make any more naturally aspirated, non-hybrid V12s. Worse still, the Competizione’s limited run is already sold out, not withstanding the £446,970 price tag before optional extras (you can still buy a regular 812 Superfast from around £250,000).

So, if you can’t get your hands on one, why bother reviewing it? Because it is “too intoxicating to not share, and because it is a rolling preview of clever advancements from [Ferrari’s home in] Maranello that in all likelihood will make their way into other Ferraris someday, including those that are electrified, mid-engine, and all-wheel drive”, says Stoklosa. “And won’t those be something?”

For a car enthusiast, “seeing a $4m Pagani Huayra Roadster BC in the wild is akin to laying eyes on the Mona Lisa,” says Tony Quiroga in Car and Driver. The supercar is the pinnacle of motoring artistry, with bodywork that has been sculpted with more skill and dedication than anything you’d find in an art gallery nowadays and, like all great works, there is a strict limit to supply, with only 40 cars being built.

Tarmac-melting performance

The machine is also atom-splittingly fast, with a top speed of 257mph and a 0-60mph sprint time of just 3.3 seconds. “Once those 12 cylinders all start pushing in the same direction, well, let me tell you, Newton’s laws of physics really don’t stand a chance,” says David Booth on driving.ca. “Punching the throttle of a Pagani, I think, is as close as a road-based vehicle gets to the relentlessness of a Space-X booster rocket. The thing just doesn’t ever let up.” Churning 791 horsepower through a paltry 1,250kg body, the Roadster BC is powered by a Mercedes-AMG V12 which can hit 6,500rpm and generates “tarmac-melting torque”.

It handles well too. Even at high speeds, the steering remains stable as 500kg of aerodynamic downforce presses the tyres into the earth, and computer-controlled suspension keeps it from lifting off around corners. If you’re going fast enough, it can even hit 1.9Gs on a hairpin bend; the engineers having tuned the ride to perfection.

It is all maybe a tad too much for the street, says Jonny Lieberman in Motor Trend. “I was a touch scared and alarmed. I was also eyes-wide smiling while shouting something to the effect of mio Dio while simultaneously swearing profusely.”

A tasteful, futuristic look

The car’s design is space age and futuristically insectoid in appearance, with arcane silver curves and aerodynamic grooves along the bodywork. “The colour combination of the interior is also tasteful,” says Motor Authority, “the look is warm and inviting thanks to brown leather with tartan inserts on the seats in combination with exposed carbon fibre and grey Alcantara on other surfaces.”

For the price of nearly £3m, you could instead pick out a sizeable Tuscan villa, a small island somewhere in the South Pacific, or a Velázquez masterpiece. But none of those will raise your hairs on end, throw your heart into your mouth at 250mph, and make every motorist within earshot drool over your engine rattle.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) – electric cars with fossil-fuelled back-up – are not everyone’s cup of tea. They make it possible to save on fuel costs, “but only if your driving habits fit a very specific pattern of behaviour”, says Richard Lane in Autocar.

However, the technology “is coming of age” with the new Mercedes C300e. Its 201bhp, 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine is combined with a 127bhp electric motor fed by a 25.4kWh battery. The battery charges at a rate of 55kW, meaning a 100% charge should take around an hour and a half. And the electric motor has a range of 62 miles, double that of the outgoing version, and significantly more than the rival BMW 330e, which manages only 37 miles.

The C300e is, then, a PHEV that’s ideal for everyday uses, but also for longer journeys. “With its digitised cockpit, sweeping design and plush upholstery, the latest C-Class really wants to be an S-Class impersonator at half the price.” It does a very good impression, too.

The impressive tech is all wrapped up in Mercedes plush hardware, says Steve Fowler in Auto Express. The material quality is top class, the design cohesive, and the cabin dominated by an 11.9-inch central touchscreen. With older PHEVs, “the salesman was never keen to let you see inside the boot or rear passenger compartment for fear you’d spot how much space had been robbed to fit in the battery cells”, says electrifying.com. But the Mercedes has solved that problem too, and the driving experience “hardly differs from a pure electric car”, switching from the battery to the engine gently and quietly.

The good news for drivers of company cars, which are taxed at different levels according to carbon emissions, is that the electric-only miles a car can drive are also considered – the rival BMW 330e will incur benefit-in-kind charges of 11%, while the levy for the C300e is just 7%.

So are PHEVs really an alternative to your favourite diesel-powered cruisers? The answer is “an emphatic ‘yes’”, says Alan Taylor-Jones in Car magazine. And the charming and accomplished C300s is the one to go for. Price: £45,000

South Korean manufacturer Hyundai’s latest addition to its luxury car brand Genesis, the GV70, provides a masterclass in affordable yet lavish motoring. Its bold aesthetics aim to please and make quite a statement, says Tom White in Australia’s CarsGuide magazine.

Its “signature design elements”, including the curved bodywork and V-shaped grille and badge, emulate a Bentley’s, and have made it into something “distinctively unique”. The GV70 looks like it will succeed in offering SUV enthusiasts something genuinely new – unlike rival offerings from Toyota and Nissan.

Happy with hoonery and refined cruising

Its corpulent frame has impeded the performance a little, but it’s no slouch, accelerating from rest to 62mph in a smooth 7.9 seconds and going on to a top speed of 133mph (for the 2.2-litre diesel model; a petrol version is also available). And the car can be great fun when you want to floor it, says Jake Groves in Car magazine. From a set of dials that are “properly Tron-like”, you select from a variety of drive modes, ranging from the relatively tame “Eco” to “Sport+’”, which disables the traction control and ramps up the power.

The result can be exciting, even if raw speed isn’t the main feature of the car. “It’s quick to react to your inputs, giving you a surge of power and a sporty soundtrack to accompany it if you hoof it. The all-wheel drive system is unfazed by all of your hoonery; there’s no understeer even if you get silly with your corner speeds.” Still, the car is made more for elegant cruising than boy racing and its 1,985kg heft anchors you to the road while the effective suspension floats you effortlessly over unexpected potholes.

The high-quality interior is impressive too, says Alex Ingram in AutoExpress. It’s clear that “great care has been taken to ensure that all of the bits you touch most often are finished to a high standard” and tech-inclined drivers will be pleased with the wireless phone-charging ports, futuristic dash with 14.5-inch touchscreen, and hi-tech augmented-reality navigation programme.

More clever tech comes with the optional Innovation Pack (£4,190)”, says Motoring Research, which includes remote hands-free parking, surround-view cameras and a child-safety system that prevents the rear doors from opening if a car or cyclist is approaching. All in all, the Genesis GV70 is cheaper than a Bentley, better looking than your average Volvo, and packed full of tomorrow’s best gadgets. It’s something of a steal and an indulgence at the same time. Prices from £39,450

The Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo is “an electric family car with a sporty, adventurous twist”, says Guilherme Marques for Portugal Resident, and boasts all the hallmarks you’d expect from the pedigree. Porsche may not be the brand most associated with practical family estate cars, but its new Taycan may change all that – if you have deep enough pockets. The all-wheel-drive car is a little hardier than its stablemates and is hungry for the miles – without being thirsty for the fossils. But the shift to electricity from petroleum won’t mean any compromise on the horses. The twin electric motors deliver 563bhp and the battery can take the driver a comfortable 277 miles between charges.

Stopping off for a charge needn’t slow you down by much either: “if you can find a point fast enough, a 5% to 80% charge will take less than 23 minutes”, says Sean Carson in Auto Express. The futuristic cabin is a pleasant place to be, with digital dials and a state-of-the-art infotainment system. It’s also easy to use through “one of the industry’s less complicated touchscreens”, says Matt Prior in Autocar. The result is a “serious driving environment”.

Porsche’s most important quality has also been retained: it goes fast. The 2,245kg estate car shoots to 62mph from rest in 4.1 seconds, goes on to a top speed of 149mph and delivers “seemingly limitless traction and masses of grip”, says Dan Prosser on Pistonheads. “If you want to spank a Cross Turismo along a rollicking B-road there’ll be the right setting for it, and there you’ll find the same control, precision and response that makes the regular Taycan so surprisingly athletic to drive.”

Price: £88,270

BMW’s design choices raised eyebrows when the company unveiled its new flagship electric car. Online, people called the iX a “Bugs Bunny look-a-like” and an alien, and asked for bleach for their eyes. But it’s a shame that its exterior is hogging the attention, says Shane O’Donoghue in The Sunday Times, “because underneath is a cutting-edge electric SUV that previews the technology that will underpin the next generation of BMWs”.

The car’s figures are impressive enough. It can go 280 miles on a single charge (380 if you splash out for the xDrive50 model), can recharge pretty rapidly, has a top speed of 124mph and goes from zero to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. It also debuts a “swish” new operating system, a new direction for BMW’s cabin design, and “the near-future promise of ‘level 3’ self-driving capability, meaning drivers will be able to hand control over to the car completely under certain circumstances”.

The iX is “a competent, practical crossover-style EV that fully delivers BMW’s excellent craftsmanship and quality”, says Hannah Elliott on Bloomberg. “BMW has done enough here to retain, even excite, its brand loyalists” and it is great to drive too. The ride “is really good”, agrees Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. It may weigh 2.5 tonnes, but it is “astonishingly quick… overtaking is absurdly quick and easy. It can even be quite fun.”

The iX is not a sports car, and BMW “isn’t selling this as a driver’s champion”, says Top Gear. But it is nevertheless “pretty good”, accelerating smoothly, and throwing its weight around neatly enough. The car is really all about “comfort, silence and relaxation” – it is a “big comfy home-on-wheels” with a lot of new technology that will allow the driver to remain soothed and those in the passenger seats to “kick back” and relax – even when “covering the ground at surprising speeds”.

British car marque Caterham has introduced its lightest model yet. That’s no mean feat given that “these titchy two-seat sports cars have never been ripe for fat shaming”, says Rowan Horncastle on Top Gear. The new Seven 170 is “edging on anorexic”. It weighs just a little over 440kg, “which is about two times as heavy as the heart of a blue whale” or half that of an Alpine A110, a car held in high regard by automotive weight watchers. It is “ridiculously light” and this at a time when cars tend to be getting ever heavier.

The Seven 170 follows in the tracks of the simple Caterham 160 of a few years ago, and follows the same Japanese Kei car (the smallest road-car category in Japan) principles. Under the aluminium sardine-tin bonnet is a Suzuki K-car 660cc, three-cylinder unit, boosted by a tiny turbo. “In a world of 600bhp super saloons and 2,000bhp EV [electric vehicle] rocket sleds, the 170’s power and torque figures look like typos: 84bhp and 85lb ft, respectively.” Nor will you find anything in the way of driver assistance. “None. Zip. Nada.”

But it is precisely this paucity of power and weight that is the “ultimate expression of the brand”, says Curtis Moldrich for Car. It has the power-to-weight ratio of a daddy-long-legs. “It feels frantic and chaotic – but never slow.” But what the 170 lacks in horsepower, it makes up for in “visceral communication and fun”.

This is also Caterham’s least-polluting car, delivering 58.4mpg and 109g/km of carbon dioxide, “which, given that it can hit 60mph in less than seven seconds, shows what saving weight and reducing frontal area can do for you”, says Matt Prior in Autocar.

The 170 comes in two flavours. There’s the S version that comes with the standard weather gear, heater and carpets. And there’s the more racey R, with its sports suspension pack, carbon fibre dashboard and composite seats. The S will set you back £22,990 (£1,000 more for the R) if you build it yourself. Caterham will do it for you for £2,395.

“Nobody could ever accuse the GT Speed of not doing what it says on the tin,” says Matt Bird on PistonHeads. Each and every iteration of Bentley’s flagship grand tourer has delivered more power every time. This time, performance is still “abundant”, but there has been a new focus on handling.

For the first time, the 2022 Continental GT Speed brings four-wheel steering, electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the rear and the option of the largest ceramic-brake system in the world, as well as revised all-wheel-drive system and recalibrated electronic stability control. The result is a willingness to turn keenly, matched with a consistent and satisfying steering system, creating “a more engaging drive than any current GT”.

The Speed snakes through streets with little effort and drama, says Jon Wong on Cnet. The four-wheel steering shows its worth. The engine “sings on long straights” as the car shoots through the road. A firm press of the accelerator out of corners results in “controlled tail wags” due to the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, which can send up to 93% of the engine’s torque to the back.

Even while “romping around” the car offers “serene comfort”, but in Comfort drive mode, everything slows down. It becomes less jumpy and the engine turns silky on the road. The dual-clutch transmission “is buttery smooth… never fumbling”. The manual mode allows you to “swap cogs yourself” but the auto mode is well tuned enough that the Sport and Comfort settings do all the work.

The GT Speed offers the best combination of luxury and increased sporting character, says Simon de Burton in the Financial Times. Driving it around Sicily’s Comiso aerodrome “felt akin to being inside a video game, not least since the car seemed capable of negotiating it at implausible speed”. As we move towards electrification, cars like the GT Speed will cease to be made. “If you’re still up for the last hurrah in luxurious comfort, make your move.”

If you are banished to the Highlands for yet another holiday, the Mercedes G400d will bring a touch of off-road extravagance to your otherwise prosaic family trip. A redesign of the iconic G-Class, engineered in 2018, the new model makes a great addition to the German manufacturer’s catalogue. Its hardy-looking and rugged utilitarian exterior open up into typical Mercedes luxury inside – it’s “a vehicle capable of traversing a post-apocalyptic wasteland and can give you a soothing back massage while doing so”, says James Attwood in Autocar.

The car boasts a powerful three-litre, straight-six, turbo-diesel engine that can generate 700Nm of torque, so it’s more than capable of scaling any incline the Lake District has to offer. For its size, the machine will do it quickly too; hurtling all 2,489kg of its mass from rest to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds, says Sean Carson in Auto Express, and on to a top speed of 130mph. It will have no trouble tearing up the moor in every one of its nine gears or dragging a small boulder in its wake with a massive 3,500kg towing capacity.

The lavishly-lined interior, with its “diamond-quilt” leather upholstery and open-pore wooden trim, is also “an extremely nice place to spend time”, says Martin Pretorius for AutoTrader, and features a generous amount of gadgets to complement the more delicate traditional furnishings with all the mod cons. The dashboard has an infotainment system, standard operating navigation and even voice control. Fitted with a selection of ambient lighting in 64 colours, three-zone climate control and adjustable dynamic front seats that remember how you like to sit and counteract lateral forces when cornering, going for a drive starts to feel more like a spa day than piloting a typical SUV.

It’ll cost you a fair bit more than your average spa day, however. The most basic model costs £101,565. That asking price seems “less lamentable” when you consider that it’s built almost entirely by hand in a bespoke facility and undercuts similar luxury SUVs, including the offerings from Bentley and Maserati, says South Africa’s Car Mag. It also provides the most “mesmerising 4X4 experience” you can buy.

Alfa Romeo’s standard Giulia Quadrifoglio was already a brilliant sports car, says Matt Prior in Autocar. And with the new limited edition GTA, “it has turned it into something even better”. The car has it all. It’s responsive, has “an uncanny ability to absorb bumps” and deftly navigates all types of roads. It’s lighter than the original car and adds “fever, specialness, and involvement” to the mix. The original car has basically received the Jaguar XE Project 8 or BMW M4 GTS treatment: in other words, a full-on ascent into “raciness” has been engineered. Only 500 will be made, but the high price tag – it will set you back around £153,000 – makes sense: this is an extreme car.

It “looks like a million dollars in the flesh”, which is a good thing given the price, says Steve Sutcliffe in AutoExpress. “But for that you get a sports saloon like no other.” It’s “a crazy car for an insane amount of money… but on the right road [it] could be the most exciting saloon car we’ve ever driven”. Under the bonnet there is the same Ferrari-developed 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, which produces 533bhp and torque of 600Nm. That propels the car from rest to 62mph in around 3.6 seconds.

Yet despite a host of modifications to make the car more racy and high-speed, it’s a “surprisingly polite” saloon to drive at lower speeds, says James Dennison in Car magazine. At the same time, it’s Alfa’s “most serious performance car for years” and a different beast from the car on which it’s based – something the driver will sense as soon as they slide into the seat and push the start button. The car feels “tenser, more focused, coiled up like a jack-in-a-box, ready to deliver on its considerable promise”. It “is the finest fast Alfa in years”. It is “Alfa’s love letter to the fast saloon”, agrees Top Gear. Buying one may not make much rational sense. But that’s true of all the best things in life.

“When it comes to horsepower, too much is often just about right,” says Mike Duff on Car and Driver. The new Land Rover Defender V8 proves the rule – that a car can only get better “with more cylinders under its hood”. The new Land Rover has a slightly chunkier body than its predecessors and treats you to the “deep burble” characteristic of V8 engines at startup. That gives “by far the strongest clue that this isn’t a regular Defender”. The chassis handles the engine’s full power impressively and the acceleration is “heady”. The steering also gives better feel than with “lesser Defenders”, with more weight and “meaningful communication” with the driver. The brakes too are reassuring, boasting good stopping power “with a pleasingly solid pedal feel”. And as you would expect from a Land Rover, it performs excellently off-road: around Land Rover’s Eastnor Castle test site, “it conquered pretty much every type of terrain without breaking a sweat”.

This Land Rover is actually quite a few “characters” rolled into one, says Matt Prior in AutoCar. At low speeds on slippery bits, “it mooches with generous wheel movement, easy, long throttle travel and a great-sounding steady rumble”. When pushed further, it becomes more responsive, doing a “passable impression of a rally-raid car” on grassy fields. On the road, it’s “smooth, refined and still very, very fast”. This new supercharged variant boasts 518bhp and a 0-60mph speed of just 5.2 seconds. True, it will set you back at least £98,575, so it might not be the most sensible choice. “But it is a pretty lovely one.”

It’s far more than just a “full-bore performance version of the brand’s off-roader” though, says James Brodie on Auto Express. “It’s an option for those demanding a bit more presence and a small sense of luxury from their Defender.” The near-six-figure price tag takes the Defender into “proper luxury vehicle territory”, but it’s no limited-edition toy, “just the top end of the regular line-up”.

Just starting the car “is enough to prompt a wry smile”, says Jake Groves in Car magazine. There are “no thunderclap theatrics… you simply hear the engine briefly harrumph to life before settling down”. Land Rover has tried to “choke the engine as best it can to maintain the very latest emissions standards”, allowing the engine to continue in service until 2027 – but it won’t be long before you can no longer buy one of these new on the market. Cars are changing fast as governments put plans in place to make them ever greener. So make the most of it now, says Greg Potts on Top Gear – “if you can park the feeling that everyone else on the road thinks you’re a bit of a pillock”.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Touring reaches 62mph from rest in around three and a half seconds and goes on to a top speed of near 200mph. But the numbers don’t matter, says Ollie Marriage in Top Gear. “If they do matter, go and buy electric. You’re looking at the Touring for the wrong reason. This is a car for the feels.” And how does it feel? Truly “awesome”. It’s unusual for a car to be this special without “drawing attention to itself”, but the Porsche is understated. “The engine chunters and rattles slightly at idle, the clutch has a springy action, you need some throttle to pull away” – there’s no anti-stall technology – but the result is “a car as cars used to be”. Despite the “hardcore” performance, it’s also one you can “drive daily without concern”. This is “a ten out of ten car”.

You wouldn’t have thought that the last 911 GT3 left much room for improvement, but “somehow Porsche has made the new one feel like a noticeable step forward”, says Matt Robinson on Car Throttle. While other supercar makers put out models with ever-fancier technology and “ludicrous” levels of power and speed, Porsche relies instead on “decades of honing the same effective recipe”.

The GT3 is the “antithesis of the turbocharged, pointlessly powerful supercar elite” with “old-school sensibilities” that make for a “fabulous” drive. After a few plays on a track, the GT3 will quickly become “your best friend” and you’ll have years of fun exploring its potential. If you have supercar money to spend, this is the one to buy.

Marriage, Robinson and Steve Sutcliffe in Evo all agree that the manual is the model to go for. It makes the already brilliant car “even more engaging to drive”, says Sutcliffe – the shift quality is “peachy” – and the car a lot more civilised on the road than you might have thought. “Even on soaking wet bumpy Welsh B-roads”, the car has an “entirely unexpected knack of being able to cope with whatever comes your way”, making you “appear to be an even more highly skilled wheelman than you already are”. In short, the manual GT3 “is one of those cars that makes your heart beat faster every time you climb aboard”, whether on the road or the track. It is exceptionally good value too, with no obvious rivals for the price. Demand, though, will considerably outstrip supply. “Nice work – if you can get it.”

Price: £127,820. Engine: 3,996cc, flat six, six-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive. 0-62mph: 3.9 seconds. Top speed: 199mph. Power: 503bhp at 8,400rpm. Torque: 346lb ft at 6,100rpm.

At first glance the latest Aston Martin Vantage “might appear to be little more than an extreme and expensive new version of a car we already know and mostly love”, says Steve Sutcliffe in AutoExpress magazine. “But in reality, it is a sign of things to come under the new regime at Aston Martin, and it’s a good sign.”

The luxury car brand re-entered Formula One just over a year ago as a manufacturer in its own right, having taken a break from 1960. It has also appointed Tobias Moers as its new boss. It felt right, then, to “launch a new version of an existing road car” to commemorate both events. The Vantage F1 has been made “sharper, quicker and more focused than the V8 Vantage on which it’s based”.

And it’s far from just a “stripes and fancy paint special edition”, says Adam Towler on Evo. A myriad of structural improvements have delivered a new “calmness and precision” to the way the F1 changes direction “that simply wasn’t there before”. Drivers can feel “genuinely connected to the car now”, accurately placing it on the road thanks to its stable steering, “which in turn makes you... enthusiastic about dispatching a sequence of curves with gusto”. Although “barely different on paper”, the engine “certainly feels more energetic” and gear shifts have become more sophisticated. This upgrade has made it “a lot less intimidating, while simultaneously being much more effective and enjoyable at the same time”.

It is “a thorough dynamic revision of a car that was already pretty well sorted”, says Matt Bird on Piston Heads. Anyone who “feels a modern sports car lacks a sense of occasion owes it to themselves to drive an F1”.

Price: from £142,000. Engine: 3,982cc, twin turbocharged V8. Power: 535bhp at 6,000rpm. Torque: 505 lb ft at 2,000-5,000rpm. Top speed: 195mph; 0-62mph: 3.6 seconds.

Genesis, the luxury division of South Korean carmaker Hyundai, is a relatively new premium car brand, says Richard Aucock on City AM. It successfully launched in the US and South Korea and has now expanded to the UK. There was a “sort-of” launch back in 2015, but “this time around, [it] is much more serious”. The G80 is the brand’s first executive saloon and comes with either a 2.2-litre diesel or 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine, and in a choice of trims: Premium Line, from £37,460 as a diesel, or the Luxury Line from £47,950. What stands out is “the finesse of the drive” – “quiet, easy, precise and stress-free”.

The G80 is snapping at the heels of the class-leading BMW 5 Series, says Steve Fowler on AutoExpress, seeking to rival the German brand “on quality and class” and offering some new technology that has yet to make it into any BMW. The 5 Series remains the best car of its type, but Genesis has managed to create “the best non-German model in the executive-saloon sector”. The G80 looks the part more than any other recent arrival in its class, with “just the right amount of chrome and high-quality paint finish that make it look as posh as any rival… The best compliment we can pay the car is that it feels very Germanic”.

It’s a car “you can really drive on the nose” too, says Phil McNamara in Car magazine, “surging into corners and relying on the plentiful front-end grip to haul you through”. The eight-speed automatic transmission “whips through the gears smoothly”, the steering is responsive, “jinking the saloon left-right to swerve round cyclists” with aplomb, and the braking is “alert”, delivering “meaty stopping power”.

Ex-Bentley and Lamborghini design chief Luc Donckerwolke “pulled out all the stops when designing the G80”, says Kristen Lee on The Drive. The previous model “erred on the polite side of bland”, but the new and improved version is “a lot more memorable and striking” as well as “absolutely a joy to live with”. Some cars are built “expressly for sportiness”, but the new G80 is a “rolling testament to luxury”. Whether on the highway or in town, the ride is “incredibly smooth”: “you can barely feel the transmission shifting and the brakes grab progressively and predictably”. The car would “certainly be fine” on back roads too, but overall the G80 is a “highly capable cruiser” that prioritises comfort. And despite the “punchy” performance – the 2.5-litre turbo delivers 304bhp and whisks the car from rest to 62mph in just six seconds – “behind the wheel of the Genesis, there’s little urge to rush anywhere in particular because it’s just such a nice spot to sit”.

Rimac’s Nevera “turns everything you thought you knew about hypercars on its head”, says Top Gear. Petrolheads convinced that electric cars are “somehow missing something” are in for a surprise with the Croatian upstart’s latest offering. The car is named after an electrically charged storm that “can pummel the Croatian coast at speeds of up to 155mph” – which feels appropriate, “if somewhat more leisurely than its new four-wheeled namesake”.

Indeed, the Nevera is fast “in a way that’s tricky to put into words”. Flooring the throttle doesn’t just “squeeze the air from your lungs, it sends your eyeballs hurtling into the back of their sockets”. The car goes from zero to 60mph in 1.85 seconds, to 100mph in 4.3 seconds and reaches 186mph in just 9.3 seconds, making the Nevera “marginally faster than a contemporary F1 car”. And there’s “definitely a pioneering feel” to this “first true pure-electric hypercar”. It’s not only for those wanting to be “way ahead of the technological and software curve”, but also for those with a true love “for the hardware too”.

The numbers are staggering, says Jeremy White on Wired, but this isn’t just “speed for speed’s sake”. The Nevera boasts 1,740lb ft of torque, but despite its capabilities, “it proves to be child’s play to drive on the open road”. In comfort mode, “an exceedingly pleasant ride” awaits. Taking the car to 160mph on track mode is entirely different, and must be akin to “what going into hyperspace feels like as light bends around the cockpit”. The car houses a 6,960-cell, 120kWh lithium/manganese/nickel battery designed “from scratch” by Rimac that can be topped up from zero to 80% in 19 minutes when connected to a 500kW charger.

At £1.7m, the price tag is hefty, but no part of the Nevera, “apart from nuts and bolts”, was bought from the shelf from a supplier, says Tudor Serban on Autoevolution. From the seats to the steering wheel and the chassis, all were designed in-house by Rimac. The price isn’t stopping people, however – 150 units are going to be sold and 50 have already been bought.

The noise from the car’s motors under acceleration is intense, says Ben Oliver on Car and Driver. “Four motors scream and whine as 1.4 megawatts – that’s 1,877 horsepower – pump through them, and four tyres rip at the tarmac, constantly on the edge of grip.” The powertrain is “definitely the main attraction” here, but the Nevera “is no one trick pony”. The power doesn’t seem excessive, “just unlimited”. Indeed, “the Nevera has power like the Fed has money. It just cranks out whatever you need”.

Price: from around £250,000, plus tax and donor car. Power: 500bhp. 0-60mph: under four seconds. Battery: 53kWh. Range: 150 miles

Surrendering a perfectly tidy classic Porsche 911 to the green cause will seem like sacrilege for petrolheads, says Stephen Dobie for Top Gear. Justin Lunny, founder of British start-up Everrati, which aims to “future-proof past masters”, says that the switch from petrol to electric is reversible, if that reassures you. But you probably will not want to go back as the result of the firm’s conversions is “so impressive”. You hand over your favourite 911 from the late Eighties or early Nineties, along with around £250,000. You get back an Everrati Pure – the same car powered by an electric motor. You may have traded in the heart of the Porsche for an electric motor, but rest assured – the car will have “kept its soul”.

Purists may need persuading, says Colin Goodwin in Evo. If you love engines, those “beating hearts” will seem like an “essential part of the experience”. For those struggling to let go, Everrati will “supply you with a perspex case in which to display your flat-six and rest your Nescafé upon”. Down the line, Everrati plans to develop its own bespoke electric motors, but for now, where Porsche’s 3.6-litre engine used to live will sit a motor lifted from a Tesla Model S. The 53kWh battery pack is split, with 80% located in the engine bay and the rest in the rear to maintain the original weight distribution of the regular car. Otherwise, it would “wreck the feel”. Charging from empty to 80% takes around 45 minutes; a full battery should give a range of around 150 miles.

An “eerie sound of silence” greets the turning of the starter key, says Jake Groves in Car. But “it takes mere yards… to get over it as other, better, sensations wash over you one by one.” The steering is “just so gorgeously weighted and accurate” and the suspension “works exactly as intended”. Sat “behind the wheel of Everrati’s creation, I couldn’t stop smiling”. The result is still very much a 911. “If the idea of future-proofing your classic for the zero-emission age sounds appealing, and you have plenty of dosh, it’s at least worth giving Everrati a call.”

“You know how they say never buy the first version of a new Apple product? Perhaps a similar golden rule should be applied to electric cars,” says Georg Kacher for Car magazine. The first model based on Volkswagen’s entry-level MEB electric-car platform, released last summer, “had a premature, unfinished edge to it”. But every derivative since has improved on the last. Now, the Audi Q4 e-Tron has arrived, raising the bar yet again “for looks, perceived quality, driveability and performance” (Audi is a part of the VW Group).

The Q4 also comes in an all-wheel-drive Quattro version as well as in Sportback – that is, with a slightly more coupé-like shape. Importantly, says Kacher, the Q4 hits all of the “trendy new targets” of electric-car ownership (range over power, charging speed over top speed) “with aplomb”. It even passes for a “planet-friendly urbanite… [calming] the social-acceptance watchdogs”.

Inside, however, is where the new Audi “immediately impresses”, says Greg Kable in Autocar. The cabin in the Sportback version looks and feels “very contemporary” and you can “quickly strike a comfortable driving position behind the hexagonal-shaped multifunction steering wheel”. The dashboard, featuring the “Hey Audi” voice-recognition system, is expansive, but the materials are “agreeable”. This is also the first Audi to feature an augmented-reality head-up display, which projects information onto the windscreen. The car is powered by a “compelling powertrain, running a combination of an asynchronous electric motor up front and a synchronous motor at the rear” and the result is instant, smooth performance. The refinement is outstanding, “even by electric-car standards”.

This could well end up being the car that hands Audi the lead in the Tesla-chasing pack, says Thomas Geiger in Auto Express magazine. The Q4 e-Tron “feels like a compact electric SUV that ticks so many of the right boxes, with loads of space, good range, high-quality materials, and new tech you won’t find on any other Audi just yet”. This has all the makings of being a big success.

Price: £53,470 (for the 50 Quattro version). Power: 295bhp. Torque: 339lb ft. Top speed: 111mph. Battery: 77kWh. Range: 305 miles (estimated).

The “newest stallion in Maranello’s stables” is “the most beautiful Ferrari built in decades”, says Jared Zaugg on Maxim. The Roma represents “a return to the elegance of the 1960s grand tourers”, whose original purpose was to “embody elegance, luxury, power and performance in the most balanced way possible”. There is nothing “brutal” about the Roma’s design: it’s smooth, but evocative, indicating “reserved aggression ready to be unleashed if necessary” while remaining “incredibly harmonious to the overall sophistication”.

On the road, the Roma’s 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 delivers 611 bhp and jolts you from rest to 62mph in just 3.4 seconds. But unlike with previous Ferraris, “you only get 560 torques. That’s still a lot, but it’s not so much that you immediately hit a tree,” says Jeremy Clarkson in The Sunday Times. When you put your foot down “there’s a combination of sound and torque-driven fury, it’s like you’ve dived head first into a vat of dopamine after drinking three pints of serotonin”. For years Ferrari has made cars that have been “way too big, way too powerful and really only suitable for the rich and famous in Saudi Arabia”. Driving one in Britain “is like trying to ride a cow through your local antiques shop”. Not the Roma. “It’s elegant and subtle and pretty and fast and surprisingly practical.”

The seats are “all-day comfortable” and the interior is “an easy and pleasant place in which to while away the miles”, says Ben Miller in Car. The ride is “surprisingly sweet for such a poised, responsive car” too. It’s easy to push the car to its limits, “safe in the knowledge” that the it “won’t be skittled off-line or caught out by mid-corner bumps”. And in race mode, “the Roma covers ground at a breathtaking rate… Gearshifts are complete before you know you’ve asked for them”.

The Roma is not as fast or ferocious “as a “proper supercar”, says Sam Sheehan on Piston Heads. But it still delivers “many of the same sensations… it remains a mesmeric super-GT”.

The Ghibli Hybrid 2021 is Maserati’s first-ever electrified vehicle and “I’m sitting here like a Spurs fan after a dreadful first half, hoping against expectation for a change in fortune”, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. “Somehow you want this car, named after the dusty Libyan wind which blows down from the highlands to the Mediterranean, to actually live up to the promise of the marque. Yet few modern Maseratis have managed this. Is this Ghibli saloon the one to break a series of ducks?”.

Well, it’s certainly fast enough. The electric motor only really “adds a shoulder to the wheel” to the two-litre, turbo-charged petrol engine, meaning the Ghibli’s sonorous V6 has given way to a horrible-sounding if clever and “surprisingly adept” engine that should keep the EU’s emissions bureaucrats happy, if not fans of Maserati’s racing heritage and “ultra-cool” name. But the performance is respectable – the near two-tonne saloon can go from rest to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 158mph. And the car looks as great as ever, with “sleek and flowing lines” outside and an interior that showcases “the artisan craft of leather trim”. Still, it’s doubtful this will be enough to please buyers shelling out £63,700 and seeking the genuine Maserati experience.

You can’t blame Maserati for wanting to “keep up with the Joneses” in the industry’s “frantic rush towards a greener future”, says Steve Sutcliffe in Auto Express. Italy’s answer to Tesla this is not, but there has at least been an attempt to hold on to Maserati’s “core values”, with “strong styling, an elegantly classy interior and keen if not quite ground-breaking performance”. This is a “good-looking mild-hybrid saloon with a large hit of brand desirability whose owner will definitely want to drive rather than be driven in”.

On the whole, it is a “splendid electrified executive ride to spend time with”, says Tim Barnes-Clay on Drive.co.uk, with “fulfilling, hard-hitting performance” and decent fuel consumption, considering its size. But the main draw is that Maserati remains a low-volume producer. “If you drive a conventional vehicle, you’ll park up, and nobody will give you a lingering look. If you drive an electrified Ghibli, many people will do a double-take. What value you put on that reaction is entirely down to you.”

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Bentley, says Piers Ward on Autocar. The carmaker teamed up with coachbuilder Mulliner to launch “ever more exclusive cars” – and the Mulliner Bacalar was born. Everyone who signed up for the limited-production model in 2020 is still committed, and every one of the 12 cars being made “found a home within days”, despite sporting a hefty price tag of £1.5m – rising to something more like £2m after customers’ specifications. The exquisite details, though, “add up to more than the sum of their parts”. A push of the starter button and you’re greeted with the “muffled muscularity” of Bentley’s 626bhp W12 engine. The result is “a blisteringly rapid car” that feels “more than capable of the claimed 200mph-plus top speed”.

Though it “shares key hard points with the regular GT convertible”, the Bacalar is longer, wider and shorter, cruising closer to the road than its cousin, and is “all sinew and muscle under a tautly stretched skin like LeBron James in a Savile Row suit”, says Angus MacKenzie on MotorTrend. The engine and transmission deliver Bentley’s “trademark 12-cylinder thrust in a single smooth surge all the way to 6,000 rpm”, but the car is calm when it goes down the road, “light on its feet and surprisingly responsive”. Though fast, the Bacalar is not “for ricocheting from apex to apex with your hair on fire”. Rather it has been “perfectly pitched for a languid late morning run along the Grande Corniche, the blue waters of the Mediterranean sparkling in the distance, en route to lunch at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco”.

The exterior is “striking”, says Stuart Gallagher on Auto Express, and the interior “a delight of details”. The cabin is “decked in 5,000-year-old riverbed wood” and surfaces are finished with an elegant golden tinge. The car is a “thoroughly precise and exact piece of design and engineering… Cocooned in the Bacalar’s strictly two-seater cockpit, you’re a world away from the normality of the day-to-day”. And on the road, it’s surprisingly agile for such a heavy car. “If any of the 12 owners find themselves away from a boulevard and on a more testing stretch of road, they won’t feel all at sea.” It’s “undeniably special”, agrees Kyle Fortune on motor1.com. If this is a preview of what’s to come from Bentley’s Mulliner division, “then the super-rich have got good reason to get very excited indeed”.

The new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is a “bigger, badder and awesomely more powerful” version of the supercar first introduced to the world in 2016, says Viju Mathew on Robb Report. The Chiron has “always been about mind-blowing stats”. The 2016 model “targeted the type of straight-line acceleration best suited to airport runways” – going from rest to 60mph in just over two seconds and onto a top speed in excess of 260mph. The Pur Sport, “despite having more than triple the horsepower of a Porsche 911 S and enough thrust to meld you with the sport seat”, offers an entirely different driving experience from your usual supercar, however – what’s “perhaps most amazing” about it is its “unfussiness and ease of use – the refined, comfortable car-ness of the experience”.

Limited to just 60 units worldwide, the Pur Sport’s £3.4m price tag “would make an oligarch blush”, says Bradley Iger on Motor1. But what you get for that is “an entirely new level of respect, attention, and care at the helm”, an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged W16 engine, and “an all-around stunner”. The acceleration, as you would expect, “is comically savage”, but the car is also agile to drive and “a legitimately honed tool for corner carving”. The car, like its predecessors, “exists as an example of what we’re capable of when we target the superlatives”.

Innovation in supercars lately has been all about electric power, but Bugatti remains “committed to combustion”, says Hannah Elliott on Bloomberg. Those lucky enough to get their hands on it won’t be complaining. “It accelerates more quickly and smoothly and with less effort than anything I’ve driven in 15-plus years of reporting.” Perfectly balanced, responsive, and “glued” to the road, its ability to “manoeuvre through traffic, surge up hills, and dance down canyon curves” far surpasses that of most other supercars out there.

Alpine has been busy, says Richard Lane on AutoCar. The arrival of its new A110 Légende GT might seem like a small event compared with its joining Formula 1 and committing to becoming an electric-only brand. Yet, at £59,410, the limited-edition A110 Légende GT, of which only 400 will be made, is the most expensive Alpine to date – and “that makes it worth discussing”. Billed as the A110 you’d choose for touring duties, the Légende GT features a 1.8-litre turbo engine that delivers 249bhp and a top speed of 155mph.

This latest iteration of the A110 has been enhanced throughout, says Sean Carson on AutoExpress. The upholstery feels more luxurious, the trim has been tweaked, and it looks more elegant overall. Parking sensors, a reversing camera and a seven-inch touchscreen with satnav have been fitted too. “Glossy carbon-fibre trim” denotes Légende GT status. It feels the “most upmarket and expensive Alpine yet”, but remains “a thoroughbred sports car, and a brilliant one at that”. The ride quality is “better than you might have imagined from a low-slung mid-engined two seater”, effortlessly gliding over bumps in the road “that would send a juddering thunk” through other cars. It sprints from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, with “characterful boosty hisses” from the turbo. It’s “not the most tuneful engine, and it’s quite loud”, which can be wearing on a longer journey, but despite its flaws, “the A110 is a sports car through and through”.

Where the car really shines is in the way it handles, says What Car magazine. “It’s full of sensation and allows you to place the nose with millimetre precision… it feels balanced and athletic like a ballet dancer, and makes the Jaguar F-type and Toyota Supra seem heavyweights by comparison”. It’s certainly not cheap, but “it’s one of the most entertaining and rewarding cars you can buy, regardless of price”. It’s a “genius little sports car”, agrees Ollie Kew in Top Gear, and one you could live with every day. But if you want one of the 400 available, “you’ll have to be as swift and agile as the car itself to secure it”.

Price: £59,140. Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder turbo. Power: 249bhp. Torque: 236lb ft. 0-62mph: 4.5sec. Top speed: 155mph.

“Maserati is back,” says Wolfgang Gomoll in Auto Express. The new MC20 supercar steps out of the shadows of Ferrari and McLaren and represents the start of a new era for the brand, with the model sliding into “the sweet spot between racetrack agility and everyday comfort”. The car was developed on a heavy diet of €5bn from the Fiat Chrysler parent company and is to be the first in a series of new models. Judging by its performance, it has more than eaten its fill.

Under the bonnet beats a mighty 622bhp, three-litre, V6 engine, Maserati’s first in-house design in more than 20 years. Making the leap straight to twin combustion technology, derived from Formula One racers, the car can chase down 62mph in 2.9 seconds, and climb to a top speed of around 202mph. In part, this incredible performance is down to the body’s elegant design and carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, leaving the whole car with a kerb weight of only 1,500kg.

The MC20 is a “delectable slice of exotica”, says Georg Kacher in Car magazine. The power does not come at the expense of the handling either, with a hyper-responsive accelerator and steering keeping things on an even keel at high speeds. The brakes, thankfully, work just fine too and you can order carbon ceramic upgrades as an optional extra.

This is not just a track car either, says Dell Sellmeyer on gtspirit: “the interior itself is crafted like a work of art”. Open the butterfly doors and you’ll see the minimalist interior is sculpted from layers of leather, Alcantara and carbon fibre, impressed with sparse dials and a touchscreen. It’s also driver-oriented and battle ready, and has the kind of engine roar you’d expect from a car with Maserati’s Italian heritage.

Maseratis are renowned for their “top-line interior craftsmanship and engine growl”, says James Raia in The Weekly Driver – “a Maserati’s vocal pedigree is unlike any other car on the road or track”. Amplified when in “sport driving” mode, the cries of the engine will be sure to wake the neighbours and make them wish they were behind the wheel. Get behind the wheel and “the MC20 will let its performance and beauty speak for itself”.

Price: £187,000 (sales start later this year). Engine: 3,000cc, twin-turbo, V6. Power: 622bhp at 7,500rpm. Torque: 539lb ft at 3,000rpm. Top speed: 202mph. 0-62mph: 2.9 seconds.

Make the Triumph Trident your first big bike

The Triumph Trident 660 is being pitched as an ideal first “big bike”, says John Hogan for SuperBike magazine. “It combines an intimidating amount of power with an incredibly well-balanced chassis that can cope with anything you choose to throw at it.” The suspension is simple yet high quality and the bike is “great fun to ride”, handling well even in heavy rain and at high altitudes, where power is sapped and ice a danger. “If you’re new to big bikes, you’ll have fun with the speed while you learn lots about managing bigger bikes in the twisty bits.” The “super soft” traction control is the “star of the show” here. It teaches you how to ride safely by being a “gentle hand holder” more than something that “smacks you about a bit. It cares about the rider and that’s nice”.

Price: £7,195. Engine: 660cc, liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, inline three-cylinder. Power: 80 bhp at 10,250 rpm. Torque: 47 lb ft at 6,250 rpm. Top speed: 135 mph. Contact: triumphmotorcycles.co.uk.

Ducati’s new Multistrada – a civilised beast

Press the start button on Ducati’s new Multistrada V4S and the engine comes alive, “not with a lumping big V-twin shudder, but the busy, rustling burble of a pair of them, firing as two 579cc V-twins side-by-side in quick succession”, says Simon Hargreaves in Bike magazine. On a clear and crisp afternoon in Ducati’s Italian home of Bologna, the V4 “slides into traffic with a hand-tailored ease. Ducati have been civilising their big V-twins for years, but this is another level of silkiness”. Moving into the surrounding hills, the V4 “continues to astonish, mixing pulsating character with a cascade of power”. The clouds threaten rain, “but the Ducati is safe, secure and confident; no undue see-sawing on the long-travel suspension under braking, no tail-heavy squatting at the back on the gas”. The result is a much smoother ride. “The new V4 is a major, and deeply impressive, forward move in pretty much every area: engine, ride quality, steering, durability, technology, and comfort. Molto bene.”

Price: £18,565 (£20,345 for the V4S model). Engine: 1,158cc, 16-valve DOHC 90° V-four. Power: 170bhp at 10,500 rpm. Torque: 92 lb ft @ 8,750 rpm. Top speed: 155 mph. Contact: ducati.com.

The Zero SR/S – a two-wheeled Tesla

The Zero SR/S zero-emissions sports bike is made by a Californian start-up that’s out to disrupt makers that have been in the market for decades, says Stephen Dobie for Top Gear. Just think of it as the Tesla of bikes “without the Twitter meltdowns”. The SR/S may have a superbike aesthetic, but its performance is “somewhat calmer”. Its range on a full charge is 109 miles. You can expect more in town, “much less if you’re wringing its neck on a country road”. There are no clutch and gears to worry about, and “you’ll whizz almost silently away with just a twitch of your right hand on the throttle”. Cleverest of all are the Zero’s riding modes. “You effectively choose your own power output and top speed, and therefore difficulty level,” which is great for those new to motorbikes. “I loved it.”

Price: £19,590. Motor: 100% electric powertrain. Top speed: 124 mph. Contact: zeromotorcycles.com.

Rolls-Royce and Bentley are generally considered the best mass-produced cars you can buy if you’re looking for luxury and refinement. But “my money’s on the Merc”, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. Mercedes’s flagship S-Class saloon remains “the best car in the world”, now in its seventh incarnation. The classic design is “simply gorgeous” – it “doesn’t shout, but massages your eyes” – and the ride is “sublime”. It drives smoothly and is happy cruising round the major capitals “like a big shark”, but equally capable being driven “like a hot hatchback” should the mood take you. It is nothing less than a work of art with “a fit and finish to make other luxury cars look a bit shoddy”.

“Plenty of delights await inside,” says What Car magazine. The interior is supremely comfortable, with massage options in the seats for driver and passengers. There is real wood, high-quality metal detailing, bespoke switch gear and swathes of double-stitched leather throughout, giving a “sense of sheer indulgence”, and a panoramic infotainment dashboard display keeps the car feeling “modern”. There is some clever technology too, including an “astonishingly effective” Magic Body Control system that “reads bumps in the road” and adjusts the suspension accordingly, and driver-assistance technology that uses sat-nav data to slow the car down and steer smoothly through bends. The car can even locate a parking space and park itself.

With a “discreet” engine and operating style, the S-class trades “outright pace for the ability to move away from a standstill with beautiful smoothness and to change gears imperceptibly even at wide throttle openings”, says Autocar. Everything the car does is engineered to happen “quietly and with the minimum of intrusiveness”. Even at higher speeds, the S-Class “spears along with a wonderfully nonchalant manner that will make it hard to beat as a trans-continental express”.

The attention to detail verges on the “crazy”, says Top Gear, with “the sort of restrained elegance in the flesh that you know its creators will have poured over forensically”. No stone remains unturned in Mercedes’s search for perfection. In all, high technology and “sumptuous luxury” merge in the S-Class to “deliver a car that lights the way forward”.

Price: from £78,705. Engine: 2,999cc, six-cylinder with 48-volt hybrid system. Top speed: 155 mph (electronically limited). 0-62mph: 4.9 seconds. Power: 429bhp at 6,100rpm.

The Ford Mustang is often considered the original “pony” car: the younger, more-compact sibling of the distinct American muscle car. The small but powerful car first appeared in 1964 and is the oldest Ford brand still in production. Now Ford has converted this symbol of American engineering into the Mach-E, a “near-silent, totally environment-friendly galloper shaped like a crossbreed cocktail of Aintree winner and steeplechase champion”, says Georg Kacher in Car magazine.

The fully electric car will sprint from rest to 62 mph in around five seconds, depending on which model you buy, and has an advertised range of between 248 and 379 miles, which is as much as any Tesla currently on the market and considerably more than the Mach-E’s main rivals, the electric Jaguar, Mercedes and Audi.

The car “gets the really important answers right, in terms of dynamics and usability”, says Matt Saunders in Autocar. It has five useable seats, along with two boots, giving the car a total of 481 litres of carrying space. “It exceeds your expectations of a car with a plunging roof line” and doesn’t “dominate a parking space like a taller SUV might”. It is smooth to drive and steers “meatily, with scant feedback but consistent pace and the right kind of weight”. While not an agile car, it “does handle precisely and grips quite keenly”.

The car also bristles with fancy technology, says Andrew Hawkins in The Verge, including driver-assist functions such as blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracking technology and automatic emergency braking. The car also features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and contains a camera feature so you can see a 360-degree top-down image of the car. It uses “a good amount of screen to show you these images, which really helps when reversing or navigating tight spaces”.

The car “looks fantastic” too, says Steve Fowler in Auto Express, “and the technology inside is innovative but easy to use”. The Mach-E is not particularly cheap, with the cheapest versions starting at £40,270, but the Mustang will prove vital in “persuading people that driving can still be fun and practical in an electric car”.

The previous iteration of the BMW M5 has come and gone despite only being launched in early 2018, when BMW thought a 591bhp executive saloon “ought to be more than feisty enough for the majority of customers”, says Matt Saunders on AutoCar. “But, of course, it wasn’t.” When it comes to the modern luxury car market, more is always more. And so the “extra-hardcore” M5 Competition was born.

On the road, the M5 remains one of the most dynamically ambitious performance cars of its kind. It tries to be as “taut, agile and playful” as a sports car, but also as fast as a supercar. Importantly, it succeeds, and it does so “against that backdrop of high-speed stability and real-world touring comfort on which the lumpiest German autobahn specials have been trading for decades”. The eye-watering six-digit price tag risks making it out of reach of “people of remotely ordinary means”, but the lucky ones who drive it will quickly learn there’s no other car quite like it.

The latest M5 “remains a sports saloon with absurd composure”, adds Top Gear. It’s not an unruly hot rod, but rather a showpiece that cracks 0-62mph at supercar speed. It’s so quick, you’ll rarely be able to use full throttle for long. If you’re manually going through its eight gears, it’d be wise to tackle everything “a gear higher than your heart desires just to quell the warp speed” that slingshots you from the apex of each corner.

It’s a car that will make an average driver feel like a pro, “and an experienced performance pilot a great deal faster behind the wheel”, says Trevor Hofmann on Hot Cars. It is luxurious inside too. The cabin features a top-of-the-line 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system, personalised driving modes, and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The charcoal black leather, glossy carbon fibre and “dazzling metal brightwork” results in a sumptuous blend of style and quality.

The regular M5 was already highly rated, says Car magazine, but this version adds more drama and finesse, and “more outright muscle to make it even better”. The quickest M5 ever is also now the most comfortable M5 ever, says Top Gear. Indeed, it may be “the most complete super saloon of them all”.

Price: £100,850 Engine: 4,395cc, V8, turbocharged, petrol Top speed: 190mph 0-62mph: 3.3 seconds Power: 616bhp Torque: 553 lb ft

The new Chevrolet Corvette has yet to land in the UK because General Motors has not yet made it in right-hand-drive form, says Paul Horrell on Top Gear. But the new eighth-generation, mid-engined Corvette was designed to compete with European supercars and it will be available in the UK from late 2021. “Crucially, it will have the steering wheel on the right side.”

The C8, when bought with a “high specced” Z51 package of extras, features several “tasty bits of sporting engineering”, says Horrell. The nose of the car lifts hydraulically for ramps and speed bumps, and it’s connected to the satnav too, so it will remember to rise automatically next time you’re there. Most importantly, the car features “performance you can use, in its entirety, on the road. Give it full throttle, hear – feel – the noise, and enjoy holding it there.”

With its 495-horsepower, 6.2-litre V8 engine, the C8 is “stupidly easy to drive fast”, says Lawrence Ulrich in The Drive. It feels most alive in “race” mode, but in other modes it will still allow less-experienced drivers to exit corners “without excess drama or danger”. That “lack of drama” means few would call the C8 “playful”, but its comfortable ride, luxury features, and versatility “make it a far-better choice as an everyday sports car”. On the street, the C8 proves itself as a “total crowd-pleaser”. There’s a convertible option for a few extra thousand pounds, but the manually removable roof option is just as effective.

This is easily the best Corvette to drive there has ever been, says Rory White on CarWow. The C8 is the first Corvette to have its engine “behind the driver, in the middle of everything” – its rightful place – and it comfortably makes its way over bumps and feels agile on country roads. The engine “loves to rev”, coming to life with a staggering roar.

The C8 puts its 495 horses to the road without issue in an incredibly addictive way, says Aaron Brown on Road and Track. The growls, mid-shift rev changes and wind-buffeted pops off-throttle are pure bliss. With the roof down and the exhaust fully open, “it’s borderline mixtape worthy”. Its usable for running errands and everyday use, but at the same time, it’s ready for “spirited driving whenever demanded”.

Price: around £81,700. Engine: 6.2-litre V8. Power: 495bhp. Top speed: 184mph. 0-62mph: 2.9 secs (claimed)

“T he best 4X4 by far” was what they used to say at Land Rover and in most cases, its models still are, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. This latest revamp of the classic Defender is no exception. It was already looking “pretty good” in the form of the long-wheelbase 110 model, but this shorter 90 version “is, if anything, even better”. It has better dynamics, the same “lovely interior” and “looks terrific, too”. It is also as much of a dab hand at “the tough jobs” as its forebears. After a test drive that “hauled me through a few miles of sopping, slippery mire that you wouldn’t tackle on a goat with crampons… it didn’t miss a beat”. It’s just as happy on a trundle to the shops. “Look out of the Defender’s large front screen and a world of adventure and potential beckons, even on the humblest of drives.”

On the road, the 90 feels fast, “a utility vehicle with sporty performance” rather than an SUV, says Tim Pitt of Motoring Research. It’s “a riot in a muddy field”, but with the right engine it can “out-run a hot hatchback” too. The automatic gearbox is quick to respond and the engine sounds “throaty” and has “plentiful muscle to shrink the straights”. Driving it feels like “an event”. Just don’t expect much more than 20mpg “if you get carried away”.

The engine, while effective, lacks “manners”, being short on refinement and sounding loud and coarse on the go, says Mike Duff of Car and Driver. But “to be fair”, this is only really that noticeable because the rest of the car is so good. The 90 cruises “remarkably quietly” for something with such a blunt aerodynamic profile, the seating position is comfortable even after “long stints at the wheel” and the uncluttered dashboard is a “model of clarity”. And although obviously smaller than the 110, the cabin doesn’t feel cramped, carrying up to six passengers comfortably.

The top-of-the-range model, with a new straight-six, three-litre petrol engine, developing 400bhp, is the one to have, says Paul Horrell in Top Gear, being the version that’s “fastest on the road and the most capable off it”. That engine may not be “exactly dripping with high-rev aural charisma”, but it’s “pretty smooth in the mid-ranges” and the eight-speed automatic gearbox “anticipates your needs well”, overtaking smartly enough and delivering a dignified, supple and controlled ride. But it is off-road where the 90 excels. The engine “dispenses torque gingerly when you need to ease across slippery mud, but with vim when you’re pointing up a precipitous slope”. The traction is “awesome”; the wading depth “almost scary”. Whatever the terrain, it “just paws along like a hippo. So don’t stand in its way”.

Price: from £43,625. Engine: 1,998cc turbo petrol (£50,690). Power: 295bhp. Top speed: 119mph. 0-62mph: 7.1 secs.

Seven years after the launch of the i3, BMW has finally brought out its second fully electric car, says Top Gear. The X3 is BMW’s biggest-selling model and this electric version, the iX3, is intended to meet the needs of the average driver. It is more efficient than rivals, has a smaller battery and can accept high charge power. That means you can start at full power after an overnight charge, stop after 220 real-world miles at a 150kW charger and add about 180 real-world miles in half an hour, then go on to complete a 400-mile trip. What’s more, it feels “ridiculously normal” to drive. The power “comes in with urgency… but is never brutal” and “keeps on going determinedly” up to its limited top speed of 112mph. The “top-spec” model even has an in-cabin sound generator that produces an “electronic hum that rises and falls in pitch as you change speed, and in volume as you press the pedal harder”, but otherwise the car is silent. It is “superbly easy” and relaxing to drive too.

The iX3 looks “normal” on purpose, says Jonathan Burn on AutoExpress. It is designed to “feel entirely conventional” and appeal to those delving into electric vehicles for the first time. It might not look all that special, but “it’s spacious, quiet, well built and packed with clever tech”. “This is simply an X3 that also happens to be electric.” One “neat piece of tech” is the car’s digital key, which allows owners with iPhones to share access to the car with others without them needing a key. Owners can set restrictions on speed, power, even music volume for each driver.

The car is too expensive and will do little for your “street cred”, says Georg Kacher in Car. But it is “remarkably efficient and dynamically up to scratch”. Three things stand out: the “superb” handling, which delivers “plenty of old-school emotions”; the long range between charges for peace of mind; and the low cost of ownership, meaning you won’t have to pay a “hefty penalty for saving the world”. Switch the energy-recuperation technology to its lowest setting and it is fun to drive when “pushing on” too.

The iX3 is BMW’s first model to be made in China, but this has had no effect on quality, says Greg Kable on AutoCar. “If you’ve decided that it’s time for an electric car… you would be foolish not to give it a good look.”

Price: £58,850; Engine: 80kWh battery, one electric motor; Power/torque: 283bhp/400Nm; 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds; Top speed: 112mph; On sale: summer 2021

The Land Rover badge coupled with plug-in hybrid capability will “likely be enough to convince a small mountain of buyers” to try this new hybrid Discovery Sport, says Matt Bird on PistonHeads. The “sheer number” of Discovery Sport models already on the road attests to their popularity and hybridisation was a natural next step.

The “chunky” SUV can dash to 62mph in under seven seconds and it hits top speeds of 130mph. It’s also able to reach around 40 miles on electric power alone “and you’d have to be a long way from the catchment area for that to be used up in a school run”. Because hybridisation “was always part of the plan”, the car seamlessly accommodates its new electric motor and 15kw battery pack. The new 1.5-litre engine “memorably and effectively” boosts the hybrid to a “competitive level”, supporting the electric motor “without fuss or delay”.

The engine “emits a typically pleasant three-pot thrum when used hard”, says Steve Cropley on Autocar, and the electric equipment smoothly awakens the car at traffic lights, with a “decent proportion” of the car’s power coming from its hybrid mechanism. “Integration seems excellent.” The steering and handling also “set a high standard” and the car is “compact” enough to be comfortable to drive in modern conditions. The ride is “supple and smooth”, the electric element keeps noise levels low and its energy consumption figures are simply “staggering”. Carbon-dioxide emissions come in at just 32g/km (the UK average is 122.1g/km), giving the Sport a company car tax rate of just 10%. That should help the car to impressive sales figures, but “those who buy it for tax reasons will soon discover they’ve chosen a good car into the bargain”.

The styling remains similar to its fossil-fuel-consuming sisters because owners are more interested in knowing they’re “doing their environmental bit rather than virtue signalling the fact to all and sundry”, says Keith Jones on Car Magazine. And the adoption of an electric motor doesn’t affect its four-wheel-drive credentials, says John McIlroy on Auto Express. It has “bags of grip to give you confidence” no matter what the driving conditions, it can “glide around town without much effort at all” and, on the open road, the drive is “every bit as accomplished” as you’d expect from a Land Rover.

Price: from £47,000; Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl petrol plus electric motor, 15kWh battery; Power/torque: 304bhp/540Nm; 0-60pmh: 6.2 seconds; Top speed: 130mph

The Carolina Reaper has been named the hottest chilli in the world, 200 times spicier than a jalapeno, and far too hot to use in normal cooking. Think of the McLaren 765LT as the Carolina Reaper in car form, says Adam Binnie in Car magazine. The McLaren 720S already provided more power and grip than you could ever realistically need. The new 765LT is “even hotter” – “faster, lighter and more powerful than any previous car with the LT badge”. The numbers “don’t really do it justice” – it is “shockingly fast” at road legal speeds and from there, “it just doesn’t let up”. The engine “rips through its revs” alarmingly, the power delivery is “immediate and urgent, willing you on with gearshifts that are seamless on the way up and back-thumpingly fierce on the way back down”. To top it off, it “sounds furious… angry, raw and metallic regardless of engine or road speed”.

It feels like “something of an explosive celebration” of McLaren’s current era, says Matt Saunders on Autocar – “a yardstick… by which we might measure just how far it has developed in its first decade of continuous car production”, taking the McLaren driving experience to “spectacular” new heights. It is, depending on which options you choose, up to 80kg lighter than the car it’s based on. In fact, “every external panel and functioning aerodynamic feature on this car can be made out of carbon fibre”, if you’re prepared to pay extra. “It’s practically standing there in crêpe paper underpants.” The weight saving makes it “startlingly quick”, but it’s also stable with powerful brakes. The result is “probably the most entertaining car that McLaren has built”.

The 4.0-litre, twin turbo V8 engine makes 756bhp, and goes from 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds, says Sean Carson on Autoexpress. “The more impressive statistic is that it will streak from 0-124mph in seven seconds dead. Forget supercar rivals, that’s superbike-fast.” It also brakes, steers and turns effortlessly, yet is not intimidating to drive. “The sensations it feeds back… inspire confidence.” This is a serious machine “that indulges you”.

The driving position is superb too, says Top Gear. The low position allows you to feel the vibrations and hear the car roar over every inch of the road; the dashboard is lean, the steering wheel firm in your hands. The car is even a relatively practical proposition – perfect for a weekend away, with a 150-litre boot and 210-litre back deck. In short, it looks fantastic, the ride is wild and it will keep you on your toes. “Take your brave pills and strap in.”

It would have been hard to imagine, back in 1996 when the first Porsche Boxster was launched, that the “baby” sports car would one day pack an engine that would propel it to 400bhp, says Jonathan Burn on Auto Express. “Even harder to imagine” would be a Boxster that costs more than £66,000. Yet that is just what we have in the new 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. As roadsters go, it is difficult to fault. On the move, it feels light, nimble and beautifully balanced at any speed, “all essential sports-car traits”. Its size and power make it a “near-perfect sports car for UK roads”.

The “important” part of the car’s name is at the end: the 4.0 indicates a bigger four-litre engine and that represents more than just “an injection of extra performance” – it “completely transforms the car’s character” for the better. Enjoy it while you can: Porsche is “seriously considering” making the next generations of its Boxster and Cayman cars fully electric.

The naturally aspirated six cylinder you get here, though, is “exactly what you want and expect from a Porsche engine”, says Joel Stocksdale on Autoblog. It is “eager to rev” and rewards the driver with “more and more power the longer you stay on the throttle”. Most importantly, it sounds like a Porsche, with a thundering growl. “This engine wants to rev, you want to hear and feel it rev, yet to do so, you have to drive at speeds that’ll send you to jail… or require frequent trips to a racetrack.”

The “getting-to-know-you phase” in this Boxster is short – within moments car and driver are well acquainted, says James Taylor in Car magazine. Twist the key and you’ll feel all six cylinders come alive at the small of your back. Handling it at road speeds “is apparently viceless” and it’s as safe and stable as it is eager. The way the GTS changes direction is “quite something… turning on its heels like an action-movie hero in a slow-motion gunfight”. Whatever nits the car does have are “barely pickable”.

It has all the right ingredients for driving perfection, agrees Ollie Marriage on TopGear, and “you won’t find much to complain about” inside either. The quality of the materials is top-notch, the driving position is comfortable and the space it offers result in a “very usable and pleasing roadster”. All in all, this is a car that would be a delight to live with.

Price: £66,340. Engine: 4.0-litre, six cylinder, petrol. Power/torque: 396bhp/400Nm. 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds. Top speed: 182mph