Autocar magazine 19 August - on sale now
This week: BMW’s nine new EVs detailed, BMW M2 CS road tested, Polestar 2 vs Tesla Model 3 and much more
BMW will launch as many as nine new electric cars by 2025 - and Autocar has details on all of them.
The German brand is looking to dramatically ramp up its electric car offerings, which currently lag behind that of premium rivals including Audi, Mercedes and Tesla.
Battery-powered variants of its existing model lines will underpin an ambitious 10-year growth plan, with i5 and i7 saloons set to join the iX4 SUV and Telsa model 3-rivalling i4 due by 2022. Pick up this week’s issue to find out more.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
BMW isn’t abandoning combustion power altogether just yet - and its M performance division has just committed to launching an M3 Touring for the first time. The M3 has never been sold in estate form before, but now the brand will have a direct rival to the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate and Audi RS4 Avant.
We get an official look at the AMG One hypercar testing on circuit for the first time, along with confirmation the 1000bhp-plus all-wheel drive model will begin deliveries in 2021. Audi reveals the latest-generation S3 Sportback, with 306bhp and quattro all-wheel drive making it the most potent junior Audi until the hardcore RS3 arrives next year, and Aston Martin reveals limited-run 007 Editions of the Vantage and DBS Superleggera to tie in with the new James Bond film, No Time to Die.
‘New car smell’ may become a thing of the past as manufacturers conform to legislation that increasingly dictates the use of odourless, less harmful materials. We investigate.
Finally, our Business section looks at how car firms are turning to new technology to ensure ethical sourcing of cobalt, a mineral proving vital to EV production, and Jim Holder asks whether it was Carlos Ghosn holding the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance together - and if it can survive without him.
-Reviews-
The Donkervoort D8, the Dutch equivalent of a Caterham, takes its five-cylinder engine from an Audi RS3 for fierce performance in a lightweight chassis. This latest GTO-JD70 version gains all manner of carbonfibre upgrades to mark the founder’s 70th birthday, which makes for an impressive 610bhp per tonne. We head to the Netherlands to drive it for the first time.
Then we get behind the wheel of the McLaren 620R, the last Sports Series model to arrive before a replacement arrives early next year. The track-focused special is essentially a street-legal GT4 racer - is it every bit as exciting as that sounds? We also drive the Peugeot e-2008 electric compact crossover on UK roads for the first time, and get an early drive in a prototype version of BMW’s upcoming 545e, the plug-in hybrid that promises performance as well as efficiency.
Another, altogether more hardcore BMW is the focus of this week’s road test. The M2 CS is the ultimate version of Munich’s compact coupé, building on the M2 Competition with a host of upgrades and two famous letters - but do they lift it to icon status? Then we wind back the clock to 2004 to find out what made the Peugeot 407 stand out as a desirable middle-management repmobile.
-Features-
Tesla’s Model 3 has quickly become a regular sight on UK roads, mixing long distance electric driving with minimalist interior styling and class-leading technology. But now a rival has arrived from Sweden to upset the balance. We put the Model 3 back-to-back with the Polestar 2 to see which comes out on top.
When an epic drive to celebrate 70 years of the Volkswagen Type 2 Bus got pulled on account of the UK lockdown, we had to put the T6.1 California camper booked to make the trip to good use. It turns out a week-long staycation can be plenty enjoyable when you aren’t relying on a questionable travel tavern. We also explore the world of automobilia, meeting the collectors that spend thousands on old motoring signs, reconditioned petrol pumps and oil canisters.
Meanwhile, a month spent with the new Mini Electric revealed a car that, for a certain kind of motorist, really is as good as it gets. We also speak to Lincolnshire racer Jack Harvey, who has made America his home, ahead of this weekend’s Indy 500.
Opinions
Listing other cars you could have bought for the price of a brand new one - it’s seemingly the hobby of many a motoring fan, but Matt Prior wonders if they might have a point this week, after spending some time in a quarry with a Jeep Wrangler. He’s not a hypocrite, honest.
Elsewhere, Steve Cropley considers the proliferation of online-only car events, in the light of yet another open-air cancellation, and explains why he couldn’t be happier that Jim Farley will become Ford’s new CEO later this year. The man’s a car fan, you see - willing to take to the race track and rock a retro green suit every once in a while.
-Deals-
Unkindly known as ‘vans-with-windows’ by many, MPVs that share their underpinnings with commercial models manage to combine real practicality with a tempting real-world price. As James Ruppert explains, a Citroen Berlingo could save you a fortune compared to a similarly-sized SUV.
The Morgan Aero 8 is the star of this week’s used buying guide, as we explore how to get one of Malvern’s more modern-looking exports onto your driveway for considerably less. Then in the nearly-new guide, it’s the turn of the current-generation Renault Megane RS: an equally appealing French hot hatchback that represents big savings for a second owner.
-Where to buy-
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