Autocar Lunchbox: Green Jeeps, motorsport goes digital and more
We round up our hottest stories, pictures and videos for you to devour in your lunch break
It’s everyone’s favourite part of the working day, lunchtime, and you’re no doubt craving a hefty dose of car-related content.
So we’ve revived our Autocar Lunchbox feature to bring you our favourite videos, stories, photos, quotes and more all in one place. Here are today’s picks:
*HOT NEWS *
*Jeep wrangles with electrification*
Does Jeep really have what it takes to become the ‘most sustainable SUV company in the world’? Its CEO certainly thinks so, telling Autocar just how big a part the new PHEV options of the Renegade, Compass and Wrangler will play in the company’s transition to electrification. That’s not all, either: his comments suggest we could see an electric version of the Wrangler Rubicon off-roader soon hit the market.
*Hybrids lead Jeep's green future, with first EVs to follow*
*VIDEO OF THE DAY *
*That Megane-do attitude*
If you want to go fast around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a front-wheel drive production car, the Renault Megane RS is your answer. The Renault Sport Megane R26R was the first to do it, then came the Megane 275 Trophy R. It did a similar thing again: with no more power (271bhp) than the Renault Sport Megane Trophy that spawned it. And now there's the very latest 2020 Renault Megane RS 300 Trophy R, which again loses its rear seats and very many kilos, gains a lot in price, and laps the Nuburgring in just 7m40s. We drive all three to find out just how Dieppe does it.
*Autocar Heroes: Renault's Nurburgring specials - the world's best hot hatchbacks?*
*PHOTO OF THE DAY*
*Panda bears fruit for Fiat*
Ahh, is there any automotive sight so cheering as that of an original Fiat Panda conquering terrain that would thwart most of today’s slick 4x4 SUVs? Perhaps not, which is why the plucky hatchback has made its way into our list of the most groundbreaking SUVs of all time. From the turn of the century’s early efforts right the way through to the Tesla Model S, these are the cars that really helped four-wheel-drive technology to gain traction.
*The most groundbreaking 4x4 vehicles in history** *
*QUOTE OF THE DAY *
"This gives the necessary stability to reset the business for its long-term future. We have a clear plan to make this happen, including Aston Martin entering an F1 works team next season and I look forward to working with the management team to deliver this programme.”
A big moment for Aston, this. The British brand’s prospects of survival have long been uncertain, but it seems a substantial cash injection from F1 team Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll could bring stability, in the short term at least. The firm says it has enough money to last for the next 12 months, and has confirmed that it will launch a factory-backed F1 team for the 2021 season.
*Aston seals funds for DBX production, but issues long-term warning*
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*FROM THE ARCHIVE *
You know Ultima, the Leicester-based brand that stuffs insane 1200bhp V8 motors into carbonfibre shells that weigh just 950kg? Well, its products were not always so space-age. Back in 1986, we drove the company’s eponymous debut model from the factory to London’s Leicester Square (much to the chagrin of Her Majesty’s Finest) before letting it loose on the country lanes for which it was designed. Forget the useless wing mirrors, fragile body panels and Renault-derived mechanicals, this truly was a Group C prototype for the road.
*From the archive: Ultima first drive*
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*POPULAR OPINION *
You may have noticed there’s not much in the way of motorsport on television of late. Covid-19 has forced everyone into their living rooms, including top Formula 1, BTCC, NASCAR and Formula E racers. But there is something to fill that void: virtual motorsport. Leading e-sports companies and major motorsport promoters have been rapidly organising online events, featuring a fascinating mix of ‘real-world’ racing drivers and e-sports stars. So can simulated racing replace the real thing? James Attwood takes a look.
*Opinion: can virtual racing replace the real thing?*