Mason Gibbons

The Land Rover Series launched in Amsterdam 70 years ago today Car maker gathers selection of classic models for special event to mark 70 years since ground-breaking Land Rover was launched The original  Land Rover  was launched 70 years ago today (30 April), and the company is marking the event with a special celebration that is being broadcast online (video below). The Land Rover Series 1 was launched in 1948 at the Amsterdam motor show, having been conceived by Rover in the aftath of World War Two. With demand low for the luxury cars the firm had previously produced and the firm's factory damaged during the war, the company decided to develop a Jeep-style off-road vehicle for agricultural use. It was originally launched with a single, 1.6-litre, 50bhp petrol engine. Steve Cropley: behind the scenes of Land Rover's 70th birthday event The machine proved to be a huge hit, with the line-up of Land Rover models rapidly expanding. In 1978, Land Rover was spun off into its...

The U.S. Army has a new set of wheels. It's called the Ground Mobility Vehicle and it's designed to shuffle airborne troops from a drop zone in a hurry with a 2.0-liter DOHC twin-turbocharged diesel engine buried beneath all that armor plating. Mechanically speaking, the GMV is based on the General Dynamics Flyer Advanced Light Strike Vehicle. A...

While the auto industry has placed an emphasis on alternative fuels, electric cars, and other propulsion methods. The trucking industry is poised for an efficiency revolution of its own. Nowhere could that be more clear than in the Shell Airflow Starship semi truck. The semi truck and its driver, Bob Sliwa, will attempt to set a fuel-economy world...

Pablo Perez Campanc loves all things Pagani. The Argentinian race car driver, who has competed in Indy Car racing among other series, owns a Pagani Zonda that he drives on a regular basis. Now he also owns a Pagani Zonda that he keeps inside his house where it is mounted as a work of art suspended in mid-air. We view any Pagani as a work of art...

Among the celebrations is Land Rover's first prototype vehicle Our man's in Coventry where Land Rover is celebrating a new milestone with a special event It's exactly 70 years since the first Land Rover was revealed at the Amsterdam Show, and the company has all the celebration stops out to make it a big moment. We've already had a 70-car cavalcade (I drove a 1980 Range Rover) and the great and good have been touring Land Rover's fantastic classic Works HQ just outside Coventry, looking at famous cars, half-built restorations and superb cars waiting for titivation. Especially big-price Series Ones (a dozen built and sold so far) and early Range Rovers. Land Rover at 70: a picture special We've had the Series One birthday cake (suitably distressed) and now we're starting a half-hour Youtube TV programme being produced as live ("we want lots of energy from you") fronted by Andy Jay and Quentin Willson. Lots of people in black are suddenly wal...

Evelozcity, an electric car startup based in Los Angeles and formed by ex-Faraday Future staff, announced last week the appointment of Karl-Thomas Neumann as the new head of mobility and European operations. Neumann has almost three decades of experience in the auto industry and served as CEO at supplier giant Continental and the Volkswagen...

Red Bull raised concerns about the prospect of Formula 1 team-mates Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo colliding before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

70,000 motorists were hit with speeding fines from smart motorways last year Record level of speeding fines suggests drivers don’t trust lowered speed limits A record number of speeding fines accrued on sections of motorway with variable speed limits could suggest the limits are confusing motorists. An investigation by The Times showed that more than 70,000 drivers were fined on motorways with variable speed limits last year. This tenfold increase compared with five years ago has led to suggestions that variable speed limits are unfairly operated. Highways England, which operates the country’s motorway network, pre-emptively enforces lowered speed limits before congestion builds up. But a spokesman for the AA told Autocar that such a system is creating “distrust” and encourages speeding. “It’s not surprising that drivers who see the ‘congestion ahead’ message but are the only car on the motorway don’t trust the lowered speed limit,” said the spokesman. “It’s because the...

Tech upgrades and design tweaks make the case for Mini's five-door hatch midlife facelift A new Mini. Well, it’s new in some ways but, in truth, it's largely carried over from the F55-generation car – the third interpretation of this iconic supermini under BMW’s watch – we first drove back in 2014.Even for a midlife facelift, the changes are minimal and pertain chiefly to the infotainment system and elements of design, some of which are now customisable. It means this Cooper model, which sits between the entry-level One and the Cooper S, still touts 134bhp from a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, although you can now opt for a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission alongside the six-speed manual that comes as standard.The easiest way to tell a 2018 Mini from a pre-facelift version is by looking at the tail-lights. Should they exhibit a Union Jack motif, that’ll be the new one. The daytime-running element of the standard LED headlights are now complete rings, within which the i...

It took years for Americans to embrace Japanese performance cars and the different philosophy behind them. If the 2018 Kia Stinger GT is any indication, it won't take South Korea nearly as long to gain a foothold with American performance shoppers. That's because there's something intrinsically American in the way the Stinger GT drives. It feels...

Audi is working on a new generation of its A1 subcompact hatchback. The latest prototypes are wearing barely any camouflage gear, which suggests the reveal can't be far. Sadly, it isn't expected in the United States. Mercedes-AMG has revealed a new E53 sport sedan. It replaces the current E43 and swaps in a new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-6...

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting says the FIA was not made aware of the debris that cost Valtteri Bottas victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The Volkswagen Group brand will pass some production for the SUV to Osnabrück Skoda Karoq production has extended to Germany in order to meet demand while the company’s flagship Mladá Boleslav facility in the Czech Republic is upgraded with a new paint shop. This means that, for a limited time, some examples of the Yeti successor will be built at the Volkswagen Group’s Osnabrück factory, where the Volkswagen Tiguan is made. The site also paints Skoda Fabias  and has assembled the Porsche 718 Cayman since 2017. Skoda has yet to officially announce the move, but Automotive News Europe reports that the brand will produce Karoq models in Germany into 2019 to meet high demand for the SUV. Skoda readies 19-model product drive in next two years Last month, CEO Bernhard Maier said during Skoda's annual results conference that customers in some markets had to wait for up to 10 months for their car to be delivered. He said this was too long and could encourage the...

The Pure McLaren driver training program has spawned a new one-make race series, with the first round held over the weekend at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps race track. The FIA-sanctioned series, which rivals the Ferrari Challenge and Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, is organized by the McLaren GT motorsport department of McLaren's road car...

Porsche's 911 GT2 RS is already the fastest production car around the Nürburgring but a quicker version designed strictly for track use may be in the works. Porsche over the past six months has been testing a GT2 RS fitted with additional air vents, a more aggressive rear wing borrowed from the 911 GT3 Cup race car, and exhaust pipes mounted...

Lewis Hamilton believes other Formula 1 drivers would celebrate an inherited victory more than he did in Azerbaijan on Sunday, because he is "wired differently"

Toyota's new Supra won't reach showrooms until next year but you can already test the car, or at least a concept of it, in the latest update for the “Gran Turismo Sport” video game on Sony's PlayStation 4. The concept is the GR Supra Racing concept that Toyota rolled out at last month's Geneva auto show, a race car indicative of what a...

Engineers from Audi are out testing prototypes for a new generation of the A1 subcompact hatchback. The current A1 debuted in 2010 and sadly was never offered in the United States. We’re afraid there’s also little chance we’ll see the redesigned model as Audi has ruled out launching anything smaller than the A3 in these parts...

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda believes Max Verstappen was 70% to blame for the accident with Daniel Ricciardo that took both Red Bulls out of Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ingram took second race win of 2018 Ingram, Cook and Morgan bag victories in another trio of entertaining BTCC battles Toyota Avensis driver Tom Ingram took his second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race win of the season at Donington Park to strengthen his points lead during another strong weekend for the rising stars in the series. Power Maxed Vauxhall racer Josh Cook claimed his maiden BTCC win in the weekend’s opening race and was only narrowly beaten by Adam Morgan ( Mercedes ) in the final race of the day. Ingram now leads the championship by seven points from Morgan, with Cook eight points further back. These are the key takeaways from the second race weekend of the BTCC season. Cook sizzles in opener Cook bagged his first BTCC pole position in a wet qualifying session, but showed his pace was no fluke in the dry on Sunday. After briefly losing out to fellow front-row starter Chris Smiley ( Honda Civic Type R) on the first lap, Cook reclaim...

Williams Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin says he was perplexed that the FIA stewards did not quiz him about his Azerbaijan Grand Prix clash with Sergio Perez before penalising him

Mercedes-AMG added the E43 sport sedan a couple of years ago to appeal to the buyer looking for a fast car but without the flashiness and firm ride of something like the full-fat E63. Well, the boffins at AMG have now enhanced the car by adding mild hybrid technology and in the process renamed it an E53. We first saw the technology in the 2019...

Lightened drop-top will swap turbo-four power for high-revving unit of its sibling Porsche is developing the most driver-focused version of its current 718 Boxster with the naturally aspirated, flat-six engine of the latest 911 GT3 , instead of a more potent version of the regular car's four-pot. The next Boxster Spyder, which will be heavily related to the 718 Cayman GT4 , will use a 4.0-litre engine in place of the current hottest engine in the 718 range, the turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four, in order to stay more closely aligned with its predecessors - which have all been hailed by enthusiasts as excellent driver's cars. Porsche Motorsport has stuck to this formula, which has been integrated into Spyders  since the special Boxster variant was introduced in 2009, to give the car an even more responsive drivetrain, with the intention of making it the most involving Boxster to go on sale yet. “Natural aspiration is one of our main USPs,” Andreas Preuning...

Lewis Hamilton picked up a surprise win in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix World champ dodges drama in Baku, while Red Bull drivers end up in the dog house Lewis Hamilton picked up an unexpected victory in a wild Azerbaijan Grand Prix, benefiting from a late-race error by Sebastian Vettel and a puncture for his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Vettel led much of the race on the streets of Baku in his Ferrari until stopping for new tyres, with Bottas able to benefit by holding out for his stop until a late-race safety car. That allowed him to emerge in the lead ahead of Vettel and Hamilton. Then Vettel’s attempt to reclaim the lead at the restart ended with him locking up and running wide, allowing both Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen to go past. The German then lost another spot to Force India’s Sergio Pérez. The drama wasn’t over, because Bottas’s bid to win a second race in 2018 ended when a tyre blew in dramatic fashion after he ran over some debris. That gifted Hamilton ...

BMW's new flagship has been shown in camouflage; it's due to go on UK sale in November BMW  is seeking to create an  8 Series  that's more enjoyable to drive than the  Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé  and  Bentley Continental GT , so it has moved testing for its upcoming two-door to the technical B-roads of Wales. Ahead of its reveal on 15 June, just before the  24 Hours of Le Mans , the car's dynamics are being evaluated and finalised on some of the world's finest stretches of Tarmac, with the brief for engineers to produce a mix of "fascinating sportiness and supreme comfort". First drive: BMW M850i xDrive Coupe 2018 prototype To achieve this, BMW has provided the car with a host of driver-focused hardware and software, including adaptive damping and a dynamic stability control setting that allows for more playfulness while still retaining a 'safety net'. Markus Flasch, BMW 8 Series project manager, said: “Whether a driver...

Pierre Gasly has labelled Haas Formula 1 rival Kevin Magnussen "the most dangerous" driver he has ever raced against following their clash in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The Land Rover Series launched in Amsterdam 70 years ago today Car maker to gather selection of classic models for special event to mark 70 years since ground-breaking Land Rover was launched The original  Land Rover  was launched 70 years ago today (30 April), and the company is marking the event with a special celebration that will be broadcast online. The Land Rover Series 1 was launched in 1948 at the Amsterdam motor show, having been conceived by Rover in the aftath of World War Two. With demand low for the luxury cars the firm had previously produced and the firm's factory damaged during the war, the company decided to develop a Jeep-style off-road vehicle for agricultural use. It was originally launched with a single, 1.6-litre, 50bhp petrol engine. The machine proved to be a huge hit, with the line-up of Land Rover models rapidly expanding. In 1978, Land Rover was spun off into its own company, which is now owned by Tata Motors. In pictures: 70 years of Land Rove...

This is a 365bhp, rear-drive sports saloon with something to prove. Let’s see if it can Why we're running it:  To get fully familiar with the dynamic successes and foibles of an alluring driver’s car. And to see if the UK public can ‘get’ the idea of a truly desirable Kia Month 1   -  Specs Life with a Kia Stinger GT S: Month 1 Every Autocar staffer is keen to learn what it’s really made of, which is good. Except… - 11th April 2018 Our Kia Stinger GT S may be becoming a victim of its own success . If it had met with a bit less praise when first introduced, it might not have this problem. But when fellow Autocar staffers get their first taste of the car, I’m getting the impression they’re giving it what we might politely describe as ‘a pretty thorough workout’. Makes sense, given that t here are no predecessors from which to get a guide on exactly how good a driver’s car it might be . What else is there for a car reviewer to do but be sure to find out for himself?...

Honda and Red Bull have held their first formal meeting over a possible Formula 1 engine supply

Fernando Alonso believes other drivers would have "parked their cars" had they suffered the kind of damage he had at the start of Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ford Edge ST The US market is getting a 330bhp Edge ST, but we won't be seeing it in the UK Ford will not launch high-performance ST-badged SUVs in Europe, reasoning that it won’t deliver what customers want from such cars, according to UK boss Andy Barratt. Explaining why the US market is getting an Edge ST , which is powered by a 2.7-litre V6 Ecoboost engine making around 330bhp, Barratt said: “All our research shows buyers want a combination of the sporty ST styling with a more luxurious feel to it, from the interior finish to the engine package.” Barratt also played down the likelihood of that decision changing, despite premium marques making good business cases for high-end sporty cars in the booming SUV segment. “The customer will always have the casting vote. If the demand is there, it is unlikely we’ll resist it,” he said. “But we already have plenty of evidence that ST-Line is the way to go. The Kuga  (above) has led the way on this and the Fiesta is following sui...

Mercedes-AMG's Lewis Hamilton secured his first-ever win in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a bout of luck on more than one occasion during Sunday's eventful race in Baku. Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen crossed the finish line second just 2.460 seconds back while Force India's Sergio Perez claimed the final spot on the podium after...

Force India Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez has kept his third-place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having escaped punishment following a stewards' investigation into a possible DRS irregularity

Red Bull Formula 1 drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have both been given a reprimand by the FIA for their part in the collision that put them out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Kimi Raikkonen has revealed he was lucky to finish Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix after hitting the wall "at full speed" in the closing stages of the race.

Sebastian Vettel says he had to try to make a race-winning pass in the closing stages of Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, even though its failure cost him a podium

Azerbaijan Grand Prix victor Lewis Hamilton was late to the Baku podium because he went to tell Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Valtteri Bottas that the win should have been his.

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have been ordered to Red Bull's Formula 1 factory to make a personal apology to staff over their collision in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Williams Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin has been penalised for his collision with Force India's Sergio Perez on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has blamed both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo for the collision that took the Formula 1 team-mates out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Sergio Perez's Azerbaijan Grand Prix podium could be in jeopardy after the Force India Formula 1 driver was summoned to the stewards over improper DRS use

Lewis Hamilton stole Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory from Valtteri Bottas after a safety car caused by the Red Bull Formula 1 drivers colliding set up a dramatic Baku finish

Esteban Ocon has hit out at Kimi Raikkonen following their accident during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, saying the Finn doesn't belong in Ferrari.

For Aston Martin, the most important set of initials isn't AM. Nor is it JB. But rather the two letters "D" and "B." They belong to David Brown, who rescued the company from financial doom back in 1947. It's his initials that adorn Aston Martin cars to this day and the British brand is celebrating 70 years of DB-badged beauty. David Brown owned an...

Hennessey once looked to exorcise the Demon with the Exorcist based on the Camaro ZL1, but now the Texas tuner is embracing the Demon. The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon has been receiving attention from Hennessey's wrenches, and now the company is ready to offer its HPE1000 package to Demon owners. To prove how fast the car can run down the...

A last-minute vote on Monday will decide whether Formula 1 cars are modified for 2019 to improve overtaking

Kimi Raikkonen should have been the man to beat in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and is still a threat despite his qualifying error, believes Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff

Renault Formula 1 drivers Carlos Sainz Jr and Nico Hulkenberg admitted they were surprised to see Force India dominate the midfield battle in Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying

197bhp and 151lb ft comes from this 2.0-litre flat four The fun-loving rear-wheel-drive coupé is almost identical in every way to its Subaru BRZ sibling and either makes a great used car. We explain why Reliable, bought new by enthusiasts, cherished by subsequent keepers and supported by owners clubs and specialists, the Toyota GT86 and the almost identical Subaru BRZ make top used buys. For its greater availability at prices ranging from £8500 to £26,000, plus the possibility of covering older examples with a Toyota used car warranty that’s great value for money, the GT86 gets our vote. There’s no official Subaru warranty but dealers offer something called AutoProtect. See Toyota GT86 for sale on PistonHeads Toyota servicing prices tend to be a little lower, too, and you’re more likely to have a Toyota dealer on your doorstep than a Subaru one. Used GT86s are available in at least eight flavours ranging from the standard car through Giallo to Club Series Orange Edition. Sta...