Mason Gibbons

McLaren 540C Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week's gossip from across the automotive industry This week's gossip from the automotive industry brings news of McLaren' s new customers, Jaguar 's design director's thoughts on the decline of rotary controllers, Geely's focus on design and Audi's upcoming autonomous electric city car. McLaren' s new customers More than half of buyers of the ‘entry-level’ Sports Series McLarens , such as the 540C and 570S , are new to the brand. C ompany boss Mike Flewitt said it is crucial to the firm’s long-term health: “Our hope is that, over time, a large proportion will move up to our Super Series models and be part of the McLaren family for years to come.” Read more:  2017 789bhp McLaren P15 will eclipse performance of P1 , McLaren P1 review Jaguar 's design director's thoughts on the decline of rotary controllers While many car makers are ditching rotary controllers from the cabin

In a bid to promote electric cars, the idea of an electric rallycross series to run at the same meetings as Formula E is being examined An electric rallycross series could be launched to run at the same meetings as Formula E single-seater races, Autocar has learned. The move would be part of a manufacturer-led initiative to promote electric cars. Supporting Formula E is favoured because the sport already attracts big crowds in city centres, where electric cars are most likely to be bought. Competing with cars with familiar body shapes is also seen as crucial to promoting the fact that the technology being developed and showcased in Formula E is relevant to road cars. Wolfgang Dürheimer, head of the Volkswagen Group’s motorsport strategy, said: “It is one possibility we are looking at. The idea of electric rallycross is perfect; the cars are spectacular and the races short, so the cars can be charged between them. It could be the perfect complement to Formula E.” It is not clear

This overhaul has given the X-Trail a new lease of life, especially inside - but more hush would have been welcome The Nissan X-Trail is the world’s best-selling SUV, according to Nissan. A remarkable 750,000 examples of the X-Trail (badged Rogue in some overseas markets) found owners in 2016.This family crossover also finds itself right in the UK new car market's sweet spot. According to the number-crunchers at JATO Dynamics, in the first half of 2017 the UK SUV segment accounted for 31.1% of new car sales. That’s a meaty 435,971 sales and way ahead of the supermini sector (20.2% and 282,500 sales) or the hatchback sector (20% and 280,995 sales).Now is clearly a good time for the third-generation X-Trail, initially launched in 2014, to be refreshed. This isn't a massive makeover, with much of the effort going into updating the exterior, making the interior feel more upmarket and adding more electronic gadgetry.On the outside, the nose has been remodelled - it’s more aggressiv

As the internet of things truly begins to come online, many have taken on the responsibility to exploit hacks before potential to harm is done to others. This time, it's something as harmless as an automatic car wash. However, with the right hacking skills, it turns out an automatic car wash can be pretty harmful. Vice reports a group of security...

The 2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is an intensely busy machine. There’s nothing raw or visceral, two words nearly synonymous with Porsche, about this four-door hypercar, and yet it feels every bit the flagship it is intended to be. After on- and off-track drives around Victoria, British Columbia, it has forced us to rethink our...

Motorists likely take it for granted, but countless hours of engineering and research go into planning even some of the most mundane components of our transportation system. That includes guardrails lining thousands of miles of U.S. roads. A recent study shows said guardrails may be due for a raise, though. The study from the University of...

Audi, like most brands at the Volkswagen Group, is turning toward electrification in an attempt to help clean up its image in the wake of the diesel scandal. One of the major goals is to have electric cars account for almost one out of every four sales by 2025. Reaching such a lofty goal will require a lot of electric cars, and that means a lot of...

Just over one week ago, we proclaimed that the Pagani Zonda lived to die another day as the Italian supercar maker revealed yet another one-off special edition. But, here we are again with another bespoke Pagani Zonda. Technically, the Zonda was supposed to exit production in 2013. However, the automaker seems keen on building to taste. Should a...

The Tesla Model 3 has finally reached production, albeit in small numbers. However, there's more to come from the electric-car maker's most affordable model. While Tesla begins to ramp up production of the Model 3 in Long Range trim, with an EPA-estimated 310-mile range, the automaker is also readying a performance variant to debut sometime next...

Milton Keynes-based Urban Automotive is first to produce styling changes for Land Rover’s latest SUV The first aftermarket kit for the Range Rover Velar is on sale now, with first deliveries of completed cars due in December. Produced by Milton Keynes-based Urban Automotive, the so-called Velar GTS kit includes changes to bodywork, as well as new alloy wheels and a switchable valve exhaust system. Urban Automotive has produced carbonfibre front and rear bumpers, with new designs that are more aggressive than the standard parts. There is also a new front splitter, as well as bespoke daytime running lights. Wheel arch extensions are added along with 23in forged alloy wheels, widening the car’s stance. Enlarged, aluminium exhaust surrounds add to the car’s increased scale. Urban Automotive has received 14 orders for cars already, and expects its first finished examples to reach customers by December. No pricing has been released at this stage. The standard Velar costs from £44,830

The self-driving car is a hot topic in the automotive industry. Who will get there first? How will it change transportation and the new car market? How safe will autonomous cars be? All of these questions and more are on the minds of those in the auto industry, as well as governments around the world. But there is one other consideration: when the...

Optional Performance Pack upgrades the four-wheel-drive mega-hatch's brakes, tyres and exhaust Volkswagen Golf R buyers are now being offered the chance to upgrade the brakes, exhaust and tyres of their car with a new Performance Pack. The pack, available with three and five-door hatch models as well as the estate variant , has been developed to enhance the 306bhp Golf R’s track pace and boost consistency. The brake upgrade reduces the car’s unsprung mass by 2kg, thanks to the use of aluminium holders, and offers stronger bite with pads that are more resilient to heat. Cars with the upgrade get silver calipers bearing the R logo. The Performance Pack exhaust is a titanium system that has been developed by renowned specialist Akrapovič. It weighs 7kg less than the standard system and is less restrictive to gas flow, creating its own, more racey tone. Volkswagen will also offer the Golf R Performance Pack with semi-slick tyres, but it is yet to confirm the brand and specifica

General Motors will stop production at the Chevrolet Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky for three months starting from August. It means anyone that’s ordered a 2018 Corvette may not see their car delivered until December—at the earliest. Some 2018 models, including the special Carbon 65 Edition, have made it to dealer lots...

EV B-Class will be culled in autumn, close to the reveal of the brand’s first purpose-built electric hatchback Mercedes-Benz will end production of its B-Class Electric Drive this autumn, leaving space for the EQ A hatch – the second model to come from the brand’s electric division . The EQ A, set to be previewed in a Frankfurt motor show concept, is expected to be a similar size to the B-Class but built on a new, purpose-designed EV platform. As such, it will comfortably outpunch the B-Class and its 124-mile range, meaning a successor to the Electric Drive is highly unlikely. The Electric Drive’s departure also signals the beginning of the end for the current B-Class range, which will bow out in the following months ahead of the launch of the next-generation model, which is due for market launch in 2018. Although the future B-Class is not expected to include a new EV model, it will probably make use of electric technology for a plug-in hybrid variant. Sharing its power train

McLaren's first double-points finish of the 2017 Formula 1 season in the Hungarian Grand Prix felt like scoring a goal before half-time, says chief operating officer Jonathan Neale

Tesla has started deliveries of its highly anticipated Model 3. As promised, the small sport sedan starts at $35,000, and even in base trim it offers a generous 220 miles of range and 0-60 mph acceleration in just 5.6 seconds. BMW plans to unveil an open-top sports car concept at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August. The...

Paul di Resta has revealed his feet were "killing me" during his Formula 1 comeback with Williams in the Hungarian Grand Prix

Rival to the Mercedes-AMG A45 gets an extra 33bhp over its predecessor and a revised gearbox The updated Audi RS3, the mega-hatch with a once-unfathomable 394bhp, is now on sale, priced from £44,300. First revealed at the  Geneva motor show  in March, its all-wheel-drive rival is the £41,875  Mercedes-AMGA45 4Matic, while the  BMW M140i , which costs from £33,150, is a slightly less potent, rear-wheel-drive alternative. Following the step taken by the new RS3 Saloon , the new RS3 hatchback has a heavily re-engineered variant of Audi’s turbocharged five-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine, which is claimed to create even sharper acceleration without any detriment to fuel consumption. Billed as the world’s most powerful series-production five-cylinder engine, the transversely mounted 2.5-litre unit features a series of new developments, including a lighter but stiffer aluminium crankcase (in place of its predecessor’s steel crankcase), a new dual-injection process, Audi’s pate

The Bugatti Chiron returns some pretty poor fuel economy figures, but are you surprised? Likely not. Nevertheless, Veyron owners interested in a Chiron may be delighted to hear the latest supercar will return marginally better gas mileage while putzing around town. According to the EPA, the Chiron's 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W-16 consumes fuel...

The numbers for the first six months of 2017 are in, and it’s the Renault Nissan Alliance that’s now the biggest automaker when it comes to sales volume. The worldwide sales of the Renault Nissan Alliance over the first six months of the year came in at a staggering 5.27 million units. That compares with the Volkswagen Group’s...

Romain Grosjean wants the FIA to define the limits of what constitutes fair racing in Formula 1 after his first-corner clash with Nico Hulkenberg in the Hungarian Grand Prix

Remember the Arrow supercar unveiled by Apollo at the 2016 Geneva auto show? Well, the company is working on an even more extreme version designed for the race track, and it’s just received a name. The car will be called the Apollo Intensa Emozione, and we should be seeing it soon. Potential customers were shown the car at a private...

Vettel won at the Hungaroring despite suffering a steering issue Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel now leads Formula 1 standings by 14 points; Lucas di Grassi beats Sébastien Buemi to take Formula E title Sebastian Vettel fought through a steering issue that plagued his car for the entire Hungarian Grand Prix to convert his dominating pole position into a win. The  Ferrari driver had to contend with an misaligned steering wheel that he said became obvious “as soon as the jack stands let the car down” on the grid, but managed to hold off a late charge from the chasing Mercedes drivers of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, thanks in part to his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, playing the role of rear gunner. The high-downforce nature of the Hungaroring meant neither Silver Arrow could follow closely enough in the dirty air behind Räikkönen's car, enabling the limping Vettel ahead to escape untouched. The result extends Vettel’s championship lead over Hamilton to 14 points, up from just o

Research reveals that the UK’s collective annual car repair bill could rise by more than £2 billion if tariffs are implemented UK motorists could be slapped with a 10% rise in annual car servicing costs if the UK can’t negotiate a deal with the European Union for Brexit . A new report, called the Importance of the Aftermarket to the UK Economy 2017, shows that annual car service bills could rise by about £70 per person if the government fails to prevent the implementation of tariffs on imported goods . The study, commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), shows that since 80% of car parts sold in the UK aftermarket are imported, with more than three-quarters of them coming from Europe, that would equate to a national increase in costs of £2.14 billion. The main trigger for such a rise would be a 2.5-4.5% World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff, which could be enforced if no free trade deal with the EU is made. The added costs passed on to motorists would b

Revived German automaker Borgward is planning something special for September’s 2017 Frankfurt auto show. The automaker recently released a teaser image for a Frankfurt-bound concept car which is believed to be a low-slung, sporty coupe. Along with the teaser, Borgward released the tag line: “She is back!” This suggests that...

Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner thinks the FIA was too "zealous" in giving Max Verstappen a 10-second penalty for hitting Daniel Ricciardo in the Hungarian Grand Prix

The Alfieri concept will likely influence Maserati's first all-new electric car Italian luxury car maker will spearhead Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' push for electrification, starting with the Alfieri Every new Maserati will use some form of electric propulsion from 2019, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne has revealed. During a conference call with investors, the boss of Maserati’s parent company said the brand would now spearhead the wider group’s push to electric, which will see more than half of FCA's range use some form of electric power by 2022. FCA's brands, which also include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Dodge, will all benefit from the new electric plan. Marchionne said Maserati will switch almost all of its investment in power trains to electric after “it completes the development of its next two models”. The first new electrified Maserati is predicted to arrive in 2020 and will be based on the Alfieri concept  that made its debut at

BMW has previewed its upcoming Z4 concept Future production Z4 will be inspired by this concept; the final model has been co-developed by Toyota BMW  will offer an early glimpse of its next  Z4  roadster with the Z4 Concept, which will be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on 17 August. A new preview image released on social media suggests that the open-top concept will feature a pair of rear butresses. The production Z4 it influences, however, is expected to feature a more conventional folding soft top – as seen on Z4 development cars. The concept Z4's other features are expected to show the design direction for the third-generation Z4, which is planned to go on sale in late 2018 as part of what BMW’s head of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson, describes as the most comprehensive new model push. Codenamed G29, the 2019 convertible is being developed in a joint engineering programme between BMW and  Toyota , which will sell a coupé version as the  Supra . The two

The Alfieri concept will likely influence Maserati's first all-new electric car Italian luxury car maker will spearhead Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' push for electrification, starting with the Alfieri Every new Maserati will use some form of electric propulsion from 2019, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne has revealed. During a conference call with investors, the boss of Maserati’s parent company said the brand would now spearhead the wider group’s push to electric, which will see more than half of FCA's range use some form of electric power by 2022. FCA's brands, which also include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Dodge, will all benefit from the new electric plan. Marchionne said Maserati will switch almost all of its investment in power trains to electric after “it completes the development of its next two models”. The first new electrified Maserati is predicted to arrive in 2020 and will be based on the Alfieri concept  that made its debut at

ABARTH: The scorpion represents Scorpio, the astrological sign of company founder Carlo Abarth. At the top is the Italian flag, and the red comes from the national racing colours of Italy. These logos are etched deep into our collective consciousness, but do you know the reasoning behind them? Car makers' emblems are synonymous with their companies and their cars, and they're something every car fan, and many non-enthusiasts, can recognise in an instant. However, most people don't know the often fascinating detail behind these emblems and the symbolism they represent. We explain the origins and meanings in our gallery above.

BMW has released a shadowy teaser image of a new open-top sports car concept set to debut on August 17 in Monterey, California. The car is set to be the automaker’s star attraction at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance taking place on August 20. The concept is thought to preview the new Z4 that BMW is developing alongside a new...

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has dropped the firmest hint yet that Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will be retained for the 2018 Formula 1 season

Mercedes admits it could regret Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas's Hungarian Grand Prix place swap if it ultimately costs it the 2017 Formula 1 championship, but stands by its decision

Felipe Massa has stepped down from Williams duties in this week's post-Hungarian Grand Prix test as he continues to recover from illness

Ferrari recorded its fourth win and second one-two finish of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship on Sunday at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Ferrari had been fast all weekend, with its drivers managing to lock out the front row after qualifying. Star driver Sebastian Vettel started on pole with Kimi Räikkönen next to him. The two would...

The long-wheelbase Volvo saloon isn't available in the UK, but we had a go in one anyway to see what we're missing out on Volvo managed a great deal of media mileage out of its electrification of the future model line-up announcement but, in China, the longest-ever Volvo doesn’t even get Start/Stop technology to help reduce fuel consumption. The Chinese-built S90 long wheelbase (LWB) adds 12cm to both the wheelbase and overall length of the standard S90.In the early days of Chinese ownership of the marque, there was tension between the Chinese and Swedish sides. Owners Geely Holdings wanted to concentrate on larger, more luxurious cars to compete against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 in China, whereas the Swedes wanted to concentrate on smaller, more mass-market models. As the S90 LWB shows, despite the 'Thor's hammer' running lights and the small Swedish flag on the front passenger seat, the Chinese side won. And it is no bad thing.Chines

More practical variant of the new Insignia will get the same torque vectoring driveline as the recently launched hatch Vauxhall will launch a GSi version of its new Insignia Sports Tourer later this year, using the same 252bhp driveline as the recently launched Grand Sport GSi hatchback . As shown by an Opel estate testing in Germany, the Insignia estate model, badged as a Vauxhall in Britain, will get the same treatment as its hatch sibling, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that outputs 252bhp and 295lb ft. It will come mated to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters that sends drive to all four wheels. The fronts will distribute torque via an electronic differential lock, but the rears will get a more complex twin-clutch system, developed by British engineering firm GKN. The system, which is shared with models such as the Range Rover Evoque and Ford Focus RS , is capable of torque vectoring to improve agility. A prototype versi

Ashley Sutton takes two wins at Snetterton, while Gordon Shedden leads the championship Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ashley Sutton will be celebrating this evening after taking two of the day's three possible wins at Snetterton. Sutton, driving his Subaru Levorg , briefly took the lead in the championship standings after race two, but now sits in fourth place - well ahead of team-mate Jason Plato and with Rob Collard, Colin Turkington and Gordon Shedden ahead.  Here's how the day's action unfolded. Round 17 At the start, it looked as if the BMW 125i M Sport of Colin Turkington might take the win with ease, such was the pace with which he left the line. An overly charismatic turn-in by Turkington, though, saw him spin off, leaving the way clear for pole-sitter Jack Goff in his Honda Civic Type R . Goff's pace began to fall off in the latter stages of the race, though, believed to be down to Eurotech Racing's decision to use the softer of the two tyre compo

Mercedes has revealed that a cracked fibre optic cable was the cause of the Formula 1 radio problems it suffered during the Hungarian Grand Prix

Haas Formula 1 team boss Gunther Steiner believes his driver Kevin Magnussen was right to hit back at "bully" Nico Hulkenberg after their Hungarian Grand Prix run-in

Hungarian Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel has admitted Ferrari Formula 1 team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was "a lot faster" than him as he struggled with steering problems

Esteban Ocon accused Force India Formula 1 team-mate Sergio Perez of damaging his car at the first corner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as they suffered another collision with each other

Lewis Hamilton hopes his gesture to move aside for Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the Hungarian Grand Prix does not end up costing him the 2017 Formula 1 world championship

Nico Hulkenberg lambasted Formula 1 rival Kevin Magnussen as "nasty" after they argued over their Hungarian Grand Prix clash in front of television crews

A new 330mm steering wheel has had the biggest effect on how this 122k-old Clio drives My new racing steering wheel is 330mm in diameter, wrapped in suede and can be reached with a slight bend in the elbows. It is the single best modification I have made to the Clio yet. Those who’ve read earlier blogs may know that this steering wheel is the latest addition to my Renaultsport Clio 182 since it was revived in the spring after a year off the road. It’s going through a mild transformation into a, breathe in, ‘track car-inspired fast road hot hatch that’s still fairly usable on a day-to-day basis’. My latest fitment of an Oreca-branded wheel has removed the horrible, bus-like 370mm standard helm, which made a car that weighs little more than a tonne feel cumbersome to steer. Now it feels more sprightly and reactive – through illusion, of course, because I’ve not changed anything chassis-wise – and this ultimately translates into more fun. The addition of an OMP boss has also edged

Max Verstappen says he will apologise to Red Bull Formula 1 team-mate Daniel Ricciardo for their first-lap collision in the Hungarian Grand Prix

In case you hadn’t heard, the Ford Fiesta has been best-seller in the UK for a number of years. Here’s what other European Union countries are buying The top ten best-selling cars in the UK are easy to spot ; on every street there’s at least one Fiesta , Corsa , Focus or Golf . What is the best-selling car in other countries, though? Find out below which cars the rest of Europe loves as much as the UK loves the Ford Fiesta , measured by market analysts JATO Dynamics: Austria: Volkswagen Golf   With no mainstream car manufacturers, Austria’s top-seller can’t be from a domestic manufacturer. 7520 buyers have flocked to the Volkswagen Golf so far in 2017, while the next two are also VW big-hitters; the Polo, at 5411, and the Tiguan at 5154.  Belgium: Volkswagen Golf   The same can be said for Belgium, but clearly being wedged between France and Germany has its effects: the Volkswagen Golf is the most popular car, followed by the  Renault Clio  and  Opel Corsa . 8294, 6873 an