Autocar magazine 27 December - on sale now

This week: we drive the Audi E-Tron GT concept, look back at our year in motoring, review Porsche’s new Macan SUV and much more...

Our cover star this week is Audi’s E-Tron GT concept, which we were lucky enough to drive on public roads following its launch at the Los Angeles motor show in November. Find out what it’s like to be behind the wheel of the £4.5 million, one-off EV, which Audi says is 95% ready for production.

In other news, BMW is plotting a new hybrid-powered super-sports flagship, with twice as much power as the current i8, to take on the McLaren 570S. We chat to Klaus Fröhlich of the brand’s product development board to get the inside track on why electrification is the way forward for performance cars.

Elsewhere, we were in France to drive the radical X E-Tense concept car from DS. The firm’s design chief Thierry Metroz was on hand to explain how the three-seater, which sits on running gear borrowed from the brand’s Formula E racer, represents a compromise between autonomous technology and driving thrill.

One of the biggest launches of 2018 was the 992-generation Porsche 911, which is set to receive mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains over the course of its seven-year lifecycle. We ride shotgun in the 444bhp sports car on a few laps of the Hockenheimring, to see if it manages to be simultaneously more driver-focused and more comfortable than the previous generation.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Reviews

Amid the hype surrounding the launch of the new 911, Porsche released the facelifted and upgraded Macan S sports SUV, the range-topping variant of what was, by far, its bestselling model throughout 2018. Can styling updates and a new V6 engine help the Alfa Romeo Stelvio rival to win over even the most inveterate of Porsche cynics? Our first drive found little to suggest otherwise.

Jaguar is also in the business of providing performance with a practical side, with its new XF Sportbrake 300 offering 296bhp and an ample amount of boot space. We find out if a more appealing price point is enough to entice buyers away from rivals like the Audi A6 Avant 50 TDI and BMW 540i Touring xDrive.

Rounding up a week of road tests is Vauxhall’s Combo Life MPV, which, with seven seats and a range of driver assist and active safety functions, has the potential to be the last word in space and usability. However, can we look past divisive styling and a lack of performance to justify choosing this over the more visually appealing and dynamic Citroen Berlingo 1.5 BlueHDi 100 Flair?

Features

In the last issue of 2018, we take a look back at 12 months in motoring with our Road Test Yearbook. With highlights from our favourite road tests, features, comparisons and news stories, it’s 23 pages of proof, if any was needed, that it’s been a great year for cars.

Back at the beginning of the year, we cruised along memory lane behind the wheel of two very different classic car ‘continuation’ models, the Peel P50 and Aston Martin DB4 GT. As the trees got greener, so did we, conducting a shootout between three of the UK’s best-selling electric cars, before heading to the Cotswolds to try out their extreme opposite: the massive Ford F150 Raptor.

Summer saw us try out Jaguar’s most important car in years, the I-Pace SUV, which we branded “the best long-range battery electric vehicle on sale”. The 710bhp Ferrari 488 Pista impressed as well, earning itself a coveted five-star rating in our first drive verdict.

More recently, we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Autocar road test, explaining how and why we’ve adapted our methods to suit the ever-changing automotive landscape. Looking to the future, the hugely impressive McLaren Speedtail showcased the direction the hypercar segment is moving in, and if that means more three-seat, 250mph miracles of engineering, then we’re fairly excited.

Opinions

Steve Cropley trades decadence for dynamism this week, swapping his Mercedes-Benz S-Class for a 503bhp Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Can poke and practicality win over our luxurious limousine lover? Elsewhere, Matt Prior runs us through a year of rejected column titles and half-developed ideas.

Deals

With prices for the pocket rocket pioneer that is the Peugeot 205 GTi on the up, we reckon it could be one of the most visually pleasing, satisfying and profitable investments you’ll ever make. The Jaguar S Type R, meanwhile, is our choice of motors currently floating around the second-hand market. A good example can be had for less than £8000; we offer some advice on how to keep it cheap, should you take the plunge.

Finally, James Ruppert thinks the used car market should be open to all, and has a plan for drivers with disabilities to get a good deal on their next motor which could, in turn, provide more work for mechanics and engineers.

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