Autocar magazine 17 February - on sale now
This week: McLaren Artura hybrid supercar revealed, Ruf’s first bespoke car driven, how to spec a Porsche 911 and much more
Meet the plug-in hybrid sports car charged with ushering in a new chapter for McLaren: the £185k plug-in hybrid Artura.
This week’s cover star promises a 205mph top speed and a 0-60mph time of three seconds from an all-new electrified V6 powertrain. For the full lowdown, you’ll have to pick up a copy of this week’s mag.
-Also in this issue-
Other new arrivals this week include the return of Porsche's celebrated track-bred 911 GT3, which finally moves onto the latest 992-generation platform, and a vision of the future out of Hethel as the Lotus E-R9 concept demonstrates what endurance racers could look like by 2030.
Meanwhile, Citroen’s popular C3 Aircross has received a series of mid-life enhancements for 2021, and the Skoda Enyaq iV has been given a dose of extra desirability with a new Sportline trim variant. We also cover BMW's plans to launch an electric version of the next X1 crossover, which is set to rival the Volkswagen ID 4.
A bleaker story now: the debate over smart motorways has reached a new level as Highways England was referred to the CPS for the potential charge of Corporate Manslaughter, a move which was described by SMMT chief Edmund King as a “significant moment for ‘smart’ motorways”.
In our analysis section, we explore the question of EV charging firms and make the case for why the roll-out can’t just be left to the private sector.
Then, we take a look at what the future holds for bus makers - an era of electrification beckons as the industry seeks to bounce back from a dire 2020 - and Jim Holder wonders whether EVs might just be the key to reviving the car industry.
Reviews
It may look like yet another restomodded Porsche 911, but this homage to a 1980s legend is actually legendary tuning house Ruf’s first bespoke creation: the CTR Anniversary. We max it out on Germany's Autobahn.
Next, we explore how Xpeng will bring its P7, the sleek and slick Tesla Model 3 rival, to Europe this year, finding a family-friendly electric saloon. The family will also be impressed by the new Kia Rio, which gains from a perky new engine, before we dirty our hands with a diesel: the fuel may be in crisis, but the Volkswagen Golf GTD remains a defiantly compelling hot hatch.
In the road test, it’s the turn of the Skoda Octavia vRS, in TDI guise, to face the testers. Does Skoda’s understated everyday hero still carry interest?
Features
How should you spec your 911? Porsche’s price list offers a wide range of choices that can make, but also break, your prized sports car, as Richard Lane finds out.
Then, John Evans meets a man enabling aspiring EV drivers to rent their neighbours’ home chargers, before James Attwood speculates on the future of the PSA Group and Renault in the light of the altered landscape of the former’s historic tie-up with FCA.
Finally, Paul Lawrence catches up with racer Andrew Jordan who’s stepped away from the BTCC to concentrate on his family business and enjoy a spot of historic club racing. Why?
Opinions
While busily changing Ford’s whole fabric to embrace electrification, Ford’s CEO Jim Farley still found time to construct a gorgeous model GT40, leaving Steve Cropley in awe. Also earning a gasp from our columnist is the outline of the McLaren Artura, already tipped by Cropley to be one of the shapeliest McLarens yet. Elsewhere, Matt Prior muses on Porsche and its legacy of clarity and consistency in design.
-Deals-
In this week’s used column, James Ruppert is searching for the ideal car for surfers, which leads him to some interesting used estates. Max Adams, meanwhile, has his eye on a nearly new Jaguar E-Pace. For John Evans, a well-used but well-preserved Smart Fortwo is where the real smart money lies.
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