Fuel economy# and CO2* results for the New Corsa range: Combined mpg (l/100km): 45.6 (6.2) – 70.6 (4.0). CO2 emissions:99 – 85g/km. #Fuel consumption figures aredeterminedaccordingtotheWLTP test cycle.*CO2 emissions figures aredeterminedaccordingtotheWLTP test cycle however, a Government formula is then appliedtotranslate these figures back to what they would have been under the outgoing NEDC test cycle, whichWLTP replaces. The correct tax treatment is then applied. Figures are intended for comparabilitypurposes only. The fuel consumption you achieve underreal life driving conditions and CO2 produced will depend upon a number offactors, including the accessories fitted afterregistration, variationsin driving styles, weather conditions and vehicle load. Only compare fuel consumption and CO2 with other vehicles tested using the same technical procedures. For more information contact yourlocalVauxhall Retailer.GENERICGENERICGENERICGENERICICONICSearch New CorsaSWITCH IT UPTHE ALL-NEW CORSA WITH UP TO 70MPG
This business is addictive, and never more so than when you look at the headlineacts that will be filling these pages in the coming months. The industrycontinues to deliver new product at an exponential rate and the diversityof that content and the technology deployed in its creation (and during itsexistence) continue to advance following the principles of Moore’s law. Eachgeneration of new vehicles is increasingly capable and more complex than the last.In short, it’s going to be another amazing year for cars. Some will challenge andredefine our understanding of performance, others stretch our perception of thebrand, others will arrive out of left field and antagonise and challenge the statusquo (the industry, not my dad’s favourite band).This year, we start as we mean to go on with a world-exclusive first drive of theMcLaren Speedtail. Elegant or ugly? Technologically advanced or a more extremereworking of the familiar McLaren formula? Chris Harris’s first drive starts on p70.The Speedtail is one of the headline acts in the new series of TopGear. As I write,the team is flat-out, putting the finishing touches to a series that includes as stronga roster of cars, locations and challenges as I can remember. It promises to be acracking start to the year when it brightens up your Sundays later this month.For Aston (arguably the most iconic British automotive brand), its future liesfirmly in the DBX. It’s a stretch for the brand rooted in providing Bond with hismost iconic wheels, but an inevitable one given market trends. Our exclusive accessto the car that will make or break Aston starts on p84.Looking to deliver the antithesis to the rise of theSUVs and EVs and offer a fitting full stop at the endof the hypercar genus is Gordon Murray, a man whoseback catalogue is unrivalled and the only person whocan actually claim to be delivering a true successor tothe iconic McLaren F1... because he created it. Talkingto Gordon, it becomes clear that the fastidiousattention to detail that is being focused on the T.50 willresult in something truly mesmerising – a device thatoffers a stark contrast to those chasing top speed andwho are therefore hampered by power, mass and scale.In short, 2020 looks set to be a truly fascinatingyear. Thank you for your continued support and I wishyou all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.Enjoy the issue,“IT’SGOINGTOBEANOTHERAMAZINGYEARFORCARS” twitter.com/BBC_TopGearfacebook.com/TopGearDIRECTOR’S CUTCharlie Turner“Murray has a wall in his office featuringmodels of his finest creations. Aftertalking to him about the T.50, it’s clearhe’ll need space for another...”Paul Horrell“Collecting the Polestar. Grim weatherdiverted our plane. Pounded motorwaysto meet the Bentley and the McLaren.Mountain roads sunlit. Perfect”Pete Lloyd“I knew that all those misspent hoursplaying GT when I should’ve been atart college would pay off eventually.Neon night vibes FTW!”@TopGearEditor[emailprotected]E d i t o r - i n - c h i e fT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 007
TURNTOPAGE585 ISSUESFOR£5SUBSCRIP T IONTry a subscriptionto BBC TopGearmagazine todayand receive your first5 issues for just £5!ART TEAMCREATIVE DIRECTOR Andy FranklinART EDITOR Elliott WebbSENIOR DESIGNER Peter Barnes008 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MBBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHINGEDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Steve Goodman, Paul Luke, Anne Morrison, Alex RentonDIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL GOVERNANCE Nicholas BrettHEAD OF PUBLISHING Mandy ThwaitesUK PUBLISHING COORDINATOR Eva AbramikMD, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND LICENSINGStephen Davies© Immediate Media Company London Limited 2016WWW.BBCSTUDIOS.COMDIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Tim HudsonINTERNATIONAL PARTNERS MANAGER Anna GenevierSYNDICATION MANAGER Richard BentleyADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jason ElsonHEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS Phil HollandGROUP TRADING HEAD Dan HellensBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Liam KennedySENIOR X-MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES Kit Brough,Lindsey DobsonREGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERRichard BurnsCLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Micaela SowerbyINSERTS EXECUTIVE James Law-SmithDIGITAL SALES PLANNER Isabel BurmanMike Channell, Chris Harris, Richard Holt, Sam PhilipCONTRIBUTING EDITORSLee Brimble, Mark fa*gelson, Jonny Fleetwood, Wilson Hennessy, Rowan Horncastle,Alex Howe, Jamie Lipman, Richard Pardon, Mark Riccioni, Philipp Rupprecht, John WycherleyCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSDEPUTY EDITOR Jack RixMOTORING EDITOR Oliver MarriageASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom FordCONSULTANT EDITOR Paul HorrellEDITOR AT LARGE Jason BarlowUS EDITOR AT LARGE Pat DevereuxSENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR Ollie KewSTAFF WRITER Tom HarrisonEDITORIAL ASSISTANT Greg PottsBRAND MANAGING EDITOR Esther NeveHEAD OF COMMERCIAL CONTENT Chris MooneyEDITOR, TOPGEAR.COM Vijay PattniDEPUTY EDITOR, TOPGEAR.COM Stephen DobieDIGITAL EDITOR AT LARGE Rowan HorncastleSOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Simon Bond, Olivia MortonSUB-EDITOR Tom CobbeDATA SUB-EDITOR Craig JamiesonCHARLIE TURNER EDI TOR-IN-CHIEFWe abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about TopGear magazine, please email [emailprotected]or write to BBC TopGear magazine, BBC Studios, 2nd Floor, 1 TV Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FAMAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING TERRITORIES:BULGARIA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, HONG KONG, INDIA, ITALY, JAPAN, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, PORTUGAL, RUSSIA,SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, TURKEY, MIDDLE EAST [ENGLISH EDITION], MIDDLE EAST [ARABIC]BBC Magazines/Immediate Media is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine is printed on Forest StewardshipCouncil® (FSC®) certified paper. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please dispose of it at your local collection pointText paper StellaPress HB, supplied by Stora Enso from Anjala Mill in Finland. Text paper NovaPress, supplied by Stora Enso from Veitsiluoto Mill in FinlandBBC TopGear magazine is owned by BBC Studios and produced on its behalf by Immediate MediaCompany Limited. BBC Studio’s profits are returned to the BBC and help fund new BBC programmesPRINTED BY WALSTEAD SOUTHERNPRINT IN THE UKMANAGING DIRECTOR, TOPGEAR Adam WaddellGROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Jo BeattiePRODUCTION & REPRO DIRECTOR Koli PickersgillCIRCULATION MANAGER Gareth ViggersAD SERVICES COORDINATORS Tony Dixon, James WebbINSERT SERVICES COORDINATOR Agata WszeborowskaPRODUCTION & AD SERVICES DIRECTOR Sharon ThompsonMARKETING MANAGER Tom Townsend-SmithSENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE Amy DonovanSUBS MARKETING MANAGER Sally LongstaffFINANCE DIRECTOR Stephen LavinSENIOR MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT Len BrightMANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT Davina SwampillaiPUBLISHING DIRECTOR Simon Carrington GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Alfie LewisCEO, IMMEDIATE MEDIA CO. LTD Tom BureauFOR MORE TOPGEARVISIT TOPGEAR.COMPUBLISHING DIRECTOR Simon Carrington
Little excites quite like the growl of an engine. That’s until yousee the C60 Abyss, our prancing dark horse on the grid.With menacing stealthy visuals and robust technicality, it’sthe definition of engineering with attitude.Do your research.Mean machine
Sure, the Speedtail has three seats, but the Gordon Murray AutomotiveT.50 is the true philosophical sucessor to the F1. We’re big fans...EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUTMURRAY’SFAN CLUB# N E W C A R S # E N T E R T A I N M E N T # C A R C U L T U R E700bhp, 12,100rpmREAR-WHEEL DRIVECAMERAS FOR WING MIRRORSMCLAREN F1 DESIGN CUESTOTAL WEIGHT: 980kg£2m, 100 ROAD AND 25 TRACK VERSIONSTHREE-SEATER LAYOUT012 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M
# C E L E B R I T Y # G A D G E T S # G A M I N GSIX-SPEED MANUALTWIN ACTIVE SPOILERSALL THE NOISESIX AERO MODES400mm FANRAM AIR INTAKE4.0 N/A COSWORTH V12ACTIVE DIFFUSERT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 013
REAR-WHEELDRIVE014 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MThis is our first official look at the Gordon MurrayAutomotive T.50 – and it may just be the mostaerodynamically advanced, not to mention excitingroad car the world has ever seen.It is completely dominated by that 400mm fan, whichprotrudes from the centre like some form of sci-fi thruster.The fan, which Murray briefly introduced into F1 with theBrabham BT46B in 1978, utilises ground effect aerodynamicsby rapidly accelerating the air passing under the car andforcing it through active elements on the rear diffuser.Its design – combined with the underbody ducting –means there’s no need for a skirt like the one on the BT46B,while ‘vertical inlet ducting’ stops any debris from passingthrough its blades. The fan is also active and works with twomovable rear spoiler elements to provide six aero modes.Auto mode is the T.50’s default – where everything ison and the car’s brain decides what kind of aero trickeryis needed at all times. Stamp on the brakes and you’llactivate (surprise, surprise) Braking mode, whichautomatically deploys the spoiler elements as air brakesand doubles the level of downforce being created. All ofthis is being developed in conjunction with the RacingPoint F1 team too – using its engineers andits wind tunnel for testing.The next four modes are driver-selectable.If you’re on a racetrack, for example, youmight want High Downforce mode, but thenwhen you’re cruising down the motorwayon the way home you can flick a switch forStreamline mode, which reduces drag by 10per cent, boosts straight-line speed and savesfuel. In this setting, the underbody ducts areclosed and the fan works at its highest speed– extending the trailing wake of the car andcreating what Murray describes as a ‘virtuallongtail’. Who said aero couldn’t be cool?Vmax Boost mode applies the sameaero principles, but teams this with an extraboost of around 30bhp from the car’s 48-Voltstarter-generator for around three minutes.All of this in a car that weighs just 980kg.It’s genuine witchcraft. Finally, there’sTest mode, which allows all of the aerosystems to show themselves off with thecar at a standstill.Whereas the aero is advanced, thedrivetrain is pleasingly old-school – abespoke 4.0-litre naturally aspirated V12from Cosworth. It’ll produce 650bhp and332lb ft of torque in its ‘standard’ trim,but Murray says that’ll rise to around700bhp in Vmax Boost mode. It’ll also rev to12,100rpm, at which point your ears will beable to retire – for they will have experienceda sound that will never be bettered.More good news – the T.50 will be rearwheel drive only and feature a six-speedmanual gearbox. “I’m doing it just like we didon the McLaren F1,” says Murray. “There’s fiveclose ratios and an overdrive sixth. Put it insixth and the fuel consumption, the noise –everything – comes way down.”Ah yes, the F1. It’s a miracle we’ve comethis far without mentioning it. Murrayhimself describes this car as its successor,and the similarities are there for all to see.Check out that spine down the centre whichhouses the roof scoop – that’s pure F1. Asare those split windows and, of course, thefamous three-seat layout.Even the build numbers ape the F1. Just100 examples of the T.50 will be made – onefewer than the final number of F1s – plus 25track-only versions. Apparently, the majorityof the run has already been accounted for,although if you’ve got a spare £2m hangingaround, we’d suggest getting in there beforethe full unveiling in May 2020. Greg Potts“WHO SAIDAERO COULDN’TBE COOL?””We knew that crash course influid dynamics would come inhandy one day. Today is that day
What we’re watching/listening/doing, whilewe should be workingCOFFEE BREAKAs a general rule, avoid general rules. But here’s a safe one:branded race overalls should not be worn outside of a race circuit.Ferrari is a particular offender in this regard. The Ferrari pressdepartment loves nothing better than to issue photos of its driversengaged in all manner of unexpected activities while wearing race-dayNomex: riding a log-flume, shooting a quick frame of pool, line-dancing.So: racing driver, driving his company car on the road, wearingcompany race overalls – that shouldn’t be a recipe for cool. Not even ifthat racing driver happens to be the never-corporate Nigel Mansell, andthat company car happens to be a Ferrari F40.But the below photo is stone-cold cool. Thanks to one vital addition.That flat cap. YNBACA cannot think of an object more out of place in anF40 than a houndstooth flat cap. Medieval trebuchet, maybe? Close. Thatflat-cap is the spike of chilli in an otherwise sickly bar of milk chocolate.The unexpected kick that transforms saccharine into strange genius.Now, YNBACA is aware Big Nige didn’t don the flat cap with theexpress purpose of lending pizazz to what would otherwise have been acloying scene. In fact, judging by the majority of photos taken of Mansellin the Eighties and Nineties, he believed almost any occasion couldbe improved by the addition of a flat cap. Sadly, no shots of Mansell inhis local swimming baths have yet found their way onto Google, butYNBACA is sure that, if they do, they’ll show the old flattie firmly uponmoustachioed head as the big man bangs out a few lengths of butterfly.But look at the expression. That’s an expression that says, yes, I’mwearing a flat cap and race overalls, I’m driving my F40, and I’m rockingit. Yes you are, Big Nige. Yes you are.YOU’LL NEVER BE AS COOL AS……NIGELMANSELLWEARINGAFLATCAPINANF40Dry JanuaryLast year came to an inevitableend with the usual ‘silly season’.Now to try dry January, whichat TGHQ, is eating the driest ofdry leftover mince piesJames Bond playlistExcitement brewing @ TGHQafter the trailer release forNo TIme To Die. Everyoneplumps for Tina Turner –nobody picks Madonna...January bluesTo offset the lack of sillinessin January, we’ll be exclusivelyeating blue M&Ms for 31 days.Other confectionery brandsare available.Lunchtime means playtimeThe younger operatives atTGHQ, naming no names, Greg,spend lunchtimes playingwith all their toys that FatherChristmas brought themSantiago E-PrixFormula-E whizzes backinto action this January. Firststop a not so chilly ChileT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 015IMAGE: PHOTO 4
Oh, how we don’t envy Jaguar’s new design director, Julian Thomson.Improving most things styled by Ian Callum would be tricky at thebest of times, but the F-Type – in coupe form especially – was alreadya fantastic-looking thing. Welcome, then, to the facelifted version. There are,of course, the obligatory new headlights – which now look angrierthan ever– but there’s also a longer and lower-reaching bonnet, as well as a slightlylarger grille, new side vents and a new rearlight signature. It’s a far moreaggressive design for Jag’s sports car, but it could be a polarising update.The stunning, sloping roofline remains, but both the V6 engine and themanual gearbox have been dropped. Jag previously offered eight (yes, eight)different engine and drivetrain options, though, so we’re not surprised tosee the range simplified. Your options are now as follows…The base F-Type will still be the 296bhp turbocharged 4cyl, which isavailable only in RWD flavour, but the step up from that will now be as’charged 5.0-litre V8 producing 444bhp and a hefty 428lb ft. Like all newF-Types, that engine can only be paired with an upgraded version of the old8spd automatic box, but this one can be had with either RWD or AWD.Until we hear word of a new full-fat SVR (fingers crossed), the top of therange will be the R. Again, there’s the 5.0-litre s’charged V8, but here itCAR NEWSJaguar updates the F-Type’sstyling, but ditches the V6engine and manual gearbox016 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MWhen Jag first launched theF-Type, the convertible camefirst, then the coupe. We’ll takeours with a roof, thanksNIPANDTUCK
“THE AWD R REACHES62MPH IN 3.7 AND ISLIMITED TO 186MPH”makes the same numbers as the old SVR – 567bhp and 516lb ft. Underneath,the R also gets an uprated chassis with new springs, dampers and anti-rollbars, and there’ll be the option of carbon-ceramic brakes that save 21kg.Want more numbers? The 4cyl manages 0–62mph in 5.7secs and featuresa mid-mounted single-exit exhaust. The new mid-range V8 does the sprintin 4.6 secs (whether in rear- or all-wheel drive) and tops out at 177mph,while the AWD R reaches 62mph in 3.7 seconds and is electronically limitedto 186mph. V8-engined cars still get the quad-exit exhausts at either sideof the rear bumper, too.Inside, the dash layout had aged well, so things remain similar. Themain update is a 12.3-inch screen that comes as standard in place of theold analogue dials. Don’t worry though, the revcounter is still front and centre.Prices will start at just over £54,000 for thefour-cylinder, whilst the R is a hefty £102,000.Jaguar is making plenty of noise over the factthat you can buy the RWD V8-engined coupefor less than £70,000 – but will that be theone to have? Greg PottsFerrari 512MIt looked worse than theTestarossa from every angleMaserati 3200GTWorld’s first LED lights mademore boring for the YanksChevrolet CamaroSales freefell after thisappalling restyleThunderbirds Are GoThe Sixties puppets cameback as an animation. NoDonatella VersaceAmazing designer, now asurgical cautionary taleHas Jag got things right,or should it have learntfrom these mistakes?FACELIFTS GONEWRONGIMAGES: GETTY, ALAMYJaguarhas decidedto follow the oldfacelift mantra –if it ain’t broke,don’t fix it, justadd one morescreen
018 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MYOU CAN’ T BUY TASTEASTONMARTINDBXNO TIMETO DIETRAILERSix things we learnedfrom the first look atBond’s next adventureCAR NE WSCars aren’t the onlyproduct placement here,note five glimpses at theOmega Seamasteron Bond’s wrist inthe trailerWHO KNEWThere’s an insanebike jumpHard to see from this screengrab,but that bike just raced up a set ofstairs and then decided to fly therest of the distance to access theroad above. Lots of flying in thisnew Bond movie.There’s another 00 agent andshe looks like a total badasswho drives a DBS SuperleggeraThought Bond had the monopoly onAston Martin’s very coolest toys? Ohno. There’s another 00 agent along thistime around, and she’s got impeccabletaste in super GTs. Oh lordy, this isgoing to be good, isn’t it?The Range RoverSport can flyThere it goes, being blownmerrily into the air and beingchased by what appears tobe an old Toyota Land Cruiser.There’s off-road, and there’sjust taking the piss.The Aston Martin DB5is back , and it’ll skidJust look at the ol’ timer getthoroughly, gloriously sideways in oneof the trailer’s earliest moments. Looksa little worse for wear, mind. Does thismean it’s been trashed and rebuiltagain, before being trashed? Comeon DB5, this is – ahem – no time to die.1425
T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 019JIM HACKETTPresident and Chief Executive Officer,Ford Motor CompanyFOUR QUESTIONS THEY REALLYDIDN’T WANT TO BE ASKED...IMAGES: GETTY, MANUFACTURERWORDS: VI JAY PATTNITwo things Premier Leaguefootballers are known for– huge wage packets and,well, an interesting tastein cars. But which playershave combined the twoand could pay off the valueof their car in the shortestamount of playing time?And how could anyonenot love N’Golo Kanté?FOOTBALLERS’ CARSDavid de GeaN’golo KantéPierre-EmerickAubameyangMINICOOPERSCAR£23,395 VALUE10MINUTES, 15SECONDSPAID OFF INASTONMARTINVANTAGECAR£120,900 VALUE21MINUTES, 12SECONDSPAID OFF INFERRARILAFERRARICAR£1,150,000 VALUESIXHOURS, 18MINUTES, 10SECONDSPAID OFF INThe DB5 has MINIGUNSin its headlightsLet us repeat for effect. MINIGUNS. In its headlights.We don’t need to tell you this is exactly what yourinner eight-year-old wanted, because watching this,we are all eight years old. And we all want Minigunsin our DB5’s headlights. We’ve studied the HIghwayCode and, yeah, not strictly legal...The Aston MartinVantage is in thisBond filmYep, here’s another Aston oldtimer, lookingresplendent in the middle of London. However,not once in the two-and-a-half minute trailerdid we spot Aston’s brand new baby, the DBX.Clearly, Aston gets all the sexy supercar stuff,and SUVs are left to Land Rover and Toyota.36
IMAGE: GETTY020 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M“MY 308 GTBCAUGHT FIREAT VERYHIGH SPEEDIN FRANCE”
My father was into cars whenI was young. I remember herebuilt an old Bristol – it wasin terrible shape before hestarted. He had a Jowett Javelin which wasquite a thing, too, although it was 50/50whether it would start each morning.I learned to drive as soon as I was 17years old. I passed my test about six weeksafter my birthday, and I still remember thatfeeling of elation and freedom. I started outdriving my mother’s Triumph Herald,which actually lasted quite well, but then Ibecame a student and got a Mini Van. Theywere very cheap because they were classedas commercial vehicles and didn’t have taxon them – I think I bought it for £29. I usedto drive around in that with all the band’sgear inside. Usually there’d be someonesitting on the handbrake in the middle.After that I had an Alfa Romeo Giulia –I think it was a 1300. It was a beautiful car,my first semi-nice car, but I managed toblow the engine up on it. Then I had oneof the first aftermarket convertible RangeRovers. It was quite unique but it was verythirsty – a bit of a brute of a car, really.As we became more successful, I boughtmyself an Aston Martin V8 Volante. Thatwas a beautiful car too, but not the mostreliable electronically. I sold it in the end.Later, I also had a V8 Vantage Volante,which caught fire. It had a factory-adjusted6.3-litre engine with 450bhp, but it burntit*elf to the ground in my garage.Astons just had something, though.They were quintessentially English, theywere beautiful and the V8 engines madea stunning noise. There was somethingso classy about them.I had numerous cars during thoseyears though – they were my treat. If wehad a big album or a good tour I’d usuallybuy myself a really nice one. I had a disasterwith a Ferrari, which also caught fire,although this was at very high speed inFrance. It was a 308 GTB with the fibreglassbody. It used to overheat at almost everyred light – my Ferrari experience wasshort and not good.The song ‘I’m In Love With My Car’was inspired by a Ferrari, though. It wasthe story of our sound guy/roadie at thetime – a man called John Harris. He boughthimself, to his credit, a beautiful Dino GTS.It was his pride and joy – the centre of hislife – and why shouldn’t it have been? Itwas his fascination with it that inspiredme, and the fact that it was an unusualtopic for a love song.A bit later on, I had two Mercedes 600SELs which I was extremely attached to.They were fantastic cars – unbelievablyfast and very comfortable, although notparticularly beautiful. I actually reallyenjoyed the original Bentley ContinentalGT too, even with its unfortunatereputation for being a footballer’s car.I had a maroon one of those.These days I have a Mercedes-AMGGT C Roadster, as well as a few othercars, but my go-to is an LWB Range Rover.I do sometimes wonder when I’m going tobe too old to drive, though. It’s a reallydepressing thought, because I love driving.Queen’s drummer is in love with his cars. SeriouslyM Y L I F E I N C A R SINSIDEROGER’SGARAGEThe drumthumper’sfavouritevehicles...ROGERTAYLORT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 021
CAR NE WSThe GLA is back for itssecond album, and it’sgoing to sell its socks offWHY YOU SHOULDBE FOLLOWING... @CAFFEINEANDMACHINE022 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MScreenscan be twoseven-inchers, aseven and a 10.25, ortwo 10.25-inchers forthe full widescreenlayout
W hat we have here is basically a high-rise RS6 with a4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 knocking out 592bhp, goodfor 0–62mph in 3.8 seconds and a limited topspeed of about 190mph. Which is pretty damn fast.Under that Hulking exterior, there’s 4WS for nimblercornering and settled cruising. There’s electrically actuatedanti-roll suspension that fights physics in corners, and 23in rims.The RSQ8 will also jack itself up by 50mm for off-roading andhunker down 40mm on the way to its top speed, cutting drag.All of these weapons-grade systems are juiced by a 48-Voltmild-hybrid system driven by a starter motor buried on the V8’scrank. When the battery is juiced, the whole engine shuts downas the car coasts. Everything is heavy duty: the 10-pistonbrakes, the ceramic discs that save 12kg per corner.Apparently, they thought about widening the body like thebutch RS6, but the Q8 is already 1,993mm wide and the paintshop at the factory can only fit cars less than two metres across.Breathe in… Ollie KewT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 023Looks betterthan Urus,worse thanDBX... Subarno SinhaFUN FACT:In PortugueseQ8 (Qoito)sounds a lotlike “coito”,which means coitus!Silvio SilvaWhen you crossa thoroughbredracehorse witha giraffe THEGR Tony Barnett ILLEISBIGINDEEDBUTSOMEHOWACCEPTABLEKaloLOOKS LIKE THERS3’S STEROIDINJECTEDBIGBROJUSTROCKEDUPChris OxleyOh yes!!!Sign me upbrother!Daniel GrayIf Iron Manturned intoThe Hulk, thisis the car hewould driveHari GopalakrishnanDark Metallic greyand I’m setMike MockusCOMMENTSAUDIRSQ8Asdriven by Pl@n@ers!John CleaveLooks like ash*tty made upHot Wheels carJulian NicollsKERMIT WILL LIKE IT,MORE SUITEDTO MISSPIGGY WITHTHOSE LOOKSFred BassettDoesn’t matterwhether youbadge it Aston,Audi, Lamborghinior Bentley, SUVsare making thecar utterly boringSteve, AlexanderDOES IT COMEFITTED WITHINDICATORS?Shane DanielTHE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY
Oh dear, why do they keep putting watches in the middle of a carmagazine? Perhaps you flick past these pages because you don’t seewhat all the fuss is about. Fair enough – they look nice, but watchesdon’t do very much. They can’t perform burnouts or set impressive lap times.Other than a bit of ticking, a watch just minds its own business.Yet people can’t get enough of the things. This isn’t how it was supposed toturn out. Nobody predicted that countless companies would still be churningout clockwork watches by the millions. So how did things go so right?Watchmakers once held the fortunes of the world in their steady hands.Britain’s dominion over the seas was due in no small part to the invention ofmarine chronometers that allowed us to plot our way across the seas to all thosecountries that were so keen to be colonised. By the middle of the 20th century,the writing was on the wall for the mechanical watch. Cheap, battery-poweredwatches were here and nobody was going to need springs and cogs any more.The thing that nobody foresaw was this: want and need are very differentthings. People no longer need mechanical watches, but they still want them.And things that have a longer shelf life than we do are appealing in a way thatthrowaway stuff never can be.Are there lessons to be learnt for the car industry? Once we decide that weshould no longer be allowed to drive on the road, perhaps the car as we knowit will go the way of the mechanical watch – a luxury product for fun.Unfortunately, cars are a bit more trouble than watches – they need spaceto roam. When piloting a sports car on the public roads is no longer anoption, you’ll either need access to your own racetrack, or you’ll have tomake do with a driverless electro-Uber. When that day comes, cars will be sorare that you will be resigned to flicking through a watch magazine with afew cars in the middle. So you may as well start discovering the joys ofwatches now – and the pretty face is only the start. Richard HoltTHEENDTIMESWATCHESWill the car go the same wayas the mechanical watch?IMAGES: GETTY024 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M
DOXA SUB 200Swiss brand Doxa is 130 years old and best knownfor ground-breaking Sixties divers’ watches. Awhole range of modern watches pay tribute to theoriginals. With a high-quality automatic movementand 200m water-resistance, the Doxa is great valuefor money. doxawatches.com; £950SEIKO PROSPEX DIVERS 200MSeiko Watches sells everything from entry-levelwatches, right through to handmade GrandSeikos. Like Doxa, it made its name with Sixtiesdivers’ watches, and this modern interpretation isa great way to get a bit of the past updated andapplied to your wrist. seikoboutique.co.uk; £799CASIO G-SHOCKNothing says the Eighties like an old-schoolCasio digital. This adds modern tech and a bitof armour plating to boot. It has radio, Bluetoothand solar power. Outside, there is a protectiveion-plated stainless steel case which iswater-resistant to 200m. g-shock.co.uk; £499HAMILTON CHRONO-MATIC 50Watchsellers don’t like to miss any anniversary. Hamilton has a legitimateclaim to inventing the world’s first automatic chronograph 50 years ago.Now owned by Swatch, it was founded in Pennsylvania in 1892, and stillmakes much of its US roots. In the early 20th century, it made a railroadpocket watch that was credited with cutting accidents by helping trainsrun on time. Then in World War I, it became an official army supplier. Ohand Elvis wore one. With a back catalogue like that, there’s plenty for themto keep celebrating for years to come. The Chrono-Matic 50 has anautomatic movement with a 60hr power reserve in a 48mm stainlesssteel case, water-resistant to 100m. hamiltonwatch.com; £2,195UNDER£1000UNDER£800UNDER£500BLOWTHEBUDGETT O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 025
E S T A B L I S H E D 1 8 8 5ON ROAD. ON TRACK. ON AVONS.
Farer (Noun) Explorer Wayfarer, Seafarer, Farfarer.The spirit of adventure is at the heart of the Farerethos, which is why we are proud to be the officialtimekeeping watch of the Bernina Gran Turismo2019. Launched at the world’s most iconic hillclimb, the Farer Hand-Wound Chronographs areborn to race. Beautifully bold dials housed in a41mm sports profile case, powered by the SellitaSW510 BH Elaboré grade movement - delivering ahigh performance 58-hour power reserve.Explore the range at Farer.comBRITISH DESIGN. SWISS MADE.SEE YOUON THEHILLBERNINA HAND-WOUNDCHRONOGRAPHHand-Wound Chronograph vintage off-whitedial and brilliant gloss white ceramic outerbezel • Tachymeter and telemeter outerscales plus 60-second, 30-minute and 12-hoursub-dials • 1.25mm domed sapphire glass,0.75mm flat sapphire exhibition glass on rearshowcasing the highly decorated Swiss-madeSellita SW510 BH Elaboré grade manualmovement • Compact and ergonomic 316Lsteel case at 41mm diameter, 12.9mm depth and44mm lug to lug • Polished capped recessedchronograph pushers set at 2 and 4 with steelcrown featuring inset solid bronze cap.
MAYBACH GLS600 MAYBACHWhat’s that? Chromeis your favouriteshiny metal?Great news – theMercedes-MaybachGLS 600 is for you.The Maybach-onlytwo-tone paintworkcan be had in sevencombinations.PORSCHESPACESHIPSeen Star Wars: TheRise of Skywalkeryet? We hope younoticed the PorscheTIE Fighter Carrera4 S Targa. We jestabout the name, ofcourse, but Porschedid actually designthis for the movie.DUBAI POLICECYBERTRUCKNobody does policecars like Dubai.We’ve seen thelivery applied tocars from Veyronsto 918s. Now the richrozzers have theireyes on Elon’sCyberTruck. Mightbe a bit of a wait...DACIAPOPEMOBILEHear the Good News!His Holiness’ newwhip is a bargain 4x4.Yep, Pope Francisnow has a TG hero– the Dacia Duster– as his companycar. Serious divinebrownie points forthe Romanians.BUGATTIHOMAGEThis is the ChironNoire Élégance – alimited homage tothe £12m one-off‘La Voiture Noire’,itself a homage tothe 1936 Type 57Atlantic that waslost in WWII. Nope,us neither.JET ENGINE$10M BIG RIGNicknamed Thor,this US-built truckhas two 14.0-litreV12s, 12 s’chargersand a nitroussystem to produce3,974bhp. It also hasa jet engine APU,weighs 15 tonnesand does 130mph.MINIMINIIS COMING!Mini boss BerndKörber has toldTopGear that thenext gen of mini willget a new, smallervariant. Finally! Thereason? An all-newEV platform with farcleverer packaging.MASERATIPROTOTYPEThis is the firstdevelopment mulefor Maserati’s newpowertrain. Will theproduction car lookanything like this?Probably not. Wereckon there wasan unused Alfa 4Cshell lying out back.The other stuff making us deliriouslyhappy or horribly sad this month...030 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M0102030405060708
UNBEL IEVABLETEKKERSDAMONHYPERSPORT[ANTI-CRASH]SHOULDI C ARE ?If you’ve ever fallenoff a motorbike, wesuspect you will.Hypersport Pro, thework of DamonMotorcycles, will debut atCES 2020 in Las Vegas.SHOULDI BE SC ARED ?Probably. Amotorcyclist isaround 27 timesmore likely to havea serious accidentthan a car driver,which is why this is thefirst bike to come equippedwith CoPilot tech – a co*cktailof sensors, cameras andradars. Vibrating grips tellyou someone or somethinghas stepped out in front ofyou and warning lights tellyou there’s somethingin your blind spot.SHOULD ITELL M YFRIENDS?Best not to – don’t wantto spoil your bad-ass image.But they’ll like this: one buttonpush flicks the handlebars,seat, screen and pegsbetween touring and‘supersport’ layout.SHOULD ISPE NDMY MONEY?Not quite yet. No wordon price and performancefigures. But we expect ‘a lot’and ‘very good ones’ if it’sto live up to its name.BHPCONFIRMEDPOWER OUTPUTOF BMW i4……and 374 miles of range. The i4is BMW’s new 5-Series sized allelectric saloon, due in 2021. Don’tworry, M5 – we still love youI T ’ S C O M I N G .F O R T U N A T E L YT O P G E A R I SH E R E T O H O L DY O U R H A N DFACTOID
Hybrid cars, remember, also carryhigh-voltage batteries and motors, andthey’ve been running around some of theworld’s rainiest areas for years. I once testeda Lexus 4x4 by repeatedly sploshing throughmuddy fords up to the sills. The car was fineand I’m still here.By the same logic, then, you don’t haveto spend Sunday morning cleaning yourEV with baby wipes. Feel free to take itthrough a car wash. It’s absolutely designedwith that in mind.There is, of course, one event where partof the wiring is visibly exposed: plugging in.Can you safely recharge in the rain? Yes. Acharging plug isn’t permanently live at highvoltage, nor’s the socket in the car.You plug in, and a series of pulse-widthmodulated signals check it’s all connectedsafely, that the cable is locked to the car, andvarious other data. That all happens at 12V.Barely a tickle. Only when all’s safe does thebig voltage kick in, and in any case that’sprotected by earthing trips. And the systemwon’t release the lock for unplugging untilit’s satisfied the high voltage is off again.If you’re still not convinced, Renault hasrecently unveiled an electric boat poweredby secondhand high-voltage batteriesrecovered from old Zoes. Paul HorrellSNAPPYSNAPST O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 033THINK TANKIMAGES: GETTY, MANUFACTURER
FIND O UT MO RE A B O UT THE F O RD F O CUS S T AND B O O KSlippery, Normal, Sport and Track. Eachadjusts the car’s settings to allow you toexperience hot-hatch nirvana in varyingdegrees, including engine mapping,throttle position, brake pedal and steeringresponse. Whether you’re driving on busycity roads or cruising on the motorway,Enhanced Torque Vectoring, ElectronicStability Control and a performancetuned chassis combine to ensure smoothF ord’s faultless Focus ST is the toast of 2019, andfor very good reason: it’s used to leading fromthe front. After the Fiesta ST swept the board lastyear, the Focus ST triumphantly follows in itstyre marks. Put simply, no other hot hatch on the marketticks as many boxes so resoundingly.The Focus ST comes with four selectable Drive Modes:It’s official: the BBC TopGear magazineHot Hatch of the Year is the Ford Focus STModel shown is a Focus ST 5 Door 2.3 Manual Petrol. Fuel economy Mpg (l/100km) (Combined): 34.4 (8.2). *CO2 emissions: 179g/km. Figures shown are for comparabilityresults, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted, variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. There is a new test used for
A TE S T D RIV E AT F O R D .CO . U K /C A RS/ N EW-F O CU S -S Thandling every time. The experience isfurther enhanced with eLSD technology.This system limits the amount of enginetorque delivered to any wheel with reducedtraction and redistributes up to 100% of theavailable torque through the wheel with themost traction.HAPPYSHIFTINGAnd if you’re taking the ST to the track,the combination of speed off the line anda metronomic gearbox makes it such apleasure to drive. The Launch Control isdesigned to maximise acceleration off theline, allowing drivers to set their desiredmaximum rpm for the engine beforeaccelerating. The gearbox, however, iswhere it really starts to show off. Revmatching technology makes downshiftingan impossibly slick process, especially asit allows drivers to maintain momentumwith advanced heel-and-toe techniques.Old-stagers needn’t worry, however. It canbe easily turned off.You can leave even more of the hardwork to the ST if you fancy it, thanks toCo-Pilot360 – a bundle of tech that makesnavigating congested roads less likelyto grind your gears, including StandardPre-Collision Assist with AutonomousEmergency Braking, Evasive Steering Assistand Adaptive Cruise Control. It’s designedto recognise speed signs and adjust yourspeed accordingly.EASYRIDERIt’s the same story on the outside.Adaptive Lighting with Ford Dynamic LEDheadlights can adjust automatically to suitthe road and driving conditions, and theglare-free high beam will dull to help avoiddazzling other drivers. This is where itgets really clever, as the new system is alsodesigned to read the curve of the road andilluminating corners and crossings beforeyou enter them.All this is to say nothing of the ride,which is blissfully serene thanks to Ford’ssophisticated Continuously ControlledDamping technology. It constantly feedsinformation to the suspension, and adjustsindividual damping responses accordingly.Choose the Performance Pack and anenhanced, adaptive version of CCD willmake further damping adjustments basedon your chosen drive mode.Inside and out, everydetail of the Focus ST iscrafted for the ultimatehot-hatch experienceCHARTTOPPER276BHP0-62MPHIN5.7SECONDSFORDSYNC3675 WATTS10SPEAKERS360º SOUNDEvery Focus ST comes with aBang & Olufsen audio systemfitted as standard, featuring:and an intuitive 8-inch colourtouchscreen mean you cancontrol everything with easeThe 2.3-litre Ford EcoBoostengine delivers more than300 lb ft of torque and up toWHAT SEPARATES A WINNERFROM THE REST OF THEFIELD? HERE ARE THE FORDFOCUS ST’S VITAL STATISTICSpurposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life drivingfuel consumption and CO2 figures. The CO2 figures shown however, are based on the outgoing test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration.
When it launched in 2010, the BMW 1M coupe was accusedof not being a proper M car. Whatever that means. The adenoidalvoices of complaint pointed out the engine was straight from a135i, and that the core of any M car was a special, high-revvingmotor. I often think of those whingers as my glorious 1M, now justpassing the 60,000-mile mark and pushing an easy 400bhp with adecent remap, demolishes V8 E90 M3s built in the same year.I drove an E90 recently. It felt like a museum piece – quaintand noisy, but slow and mechanically brittle. Age hasn’t been kindto it. And yet I think that in the nine years since its supposedlyless worthy sibling was born, the car that M-snobs said wasn’t areal M-car, is probably the greatest M car I’ve ever driven.There was no design brief for the 1M, because BMW never hadany intention of building the car. It came to be because a bunch ofhot-headed engineers were desperate to make something spicyout of the compact E82 1-Series platform, and went begging to theboard. They were told a limited run of cars could be built, but thatcash was tight – remember, this was just post the 2009 recessionand everyone assumed high-performance cars were dead. Tomake it cost-effective, it would use the 135i’s turbo straightsix and rob as many parts as possible from the E90 M3.Wander round, or under, the 1M now and it really is a case ofspot where the parts bin was raided. The mirrors are M3, prettymuch the entire rear suspension and differential are too – but italso looks hard as f**k. It always did, and still does now.Somehow, a car that was saddled with shared and inheritedcomponents has ended up having a stronger identity than themore ‘special’ machines used to underpin arguments about itsunworthiness to carry an M badge a decade earlier. The car-geekworld really is a strange place. So how has this happened?In two ways. First, and most obviously – the world has come tomeet the 1M in one crucial area: turbocharging. Back in 2010, welived in a purist, normally aspirated reality. Carmakers spentcrazy money developing wonderful, exotic engines that wouldscream beyond 8,000rpm. And you know what? Most of them arenow a disaster to maintain. Emission targets forced a change toturbos, and modern electronics allowed those turbos to performand produce power we wouldn’t have believed possible back then.The second? Simple – people allowed their M-snobbishness toaffect their judgement. The 1M was a stunner from the outset. Yes,it didn’t rev like an M3, but that torque meant it was real-worldfaster. The squat chassis was more fun and it had better steering.My old girl has been through a pair of turbochargers andLitchfield Motors has tweaked the software to give some extraoomph, but the rest is standard. Well, the exhaust isn’t. This is thecar that gets laid-up when something newer and fancier arrives,but always re-emerges when that folly is sold or becomes a pain.I love its punchy character and its quirky name, and the heavysteering and the way it snarls and snaps on a damp road.Pretty much all current über-fast versions of ordinarymachines now run turbo sixes, wrapped inwidened body panels – the 1M created the trend,and it continues with the M2, which is nearly asspecial as its predecessor. You see, I was drivingmine the other day and I said to it, you’re awonderful car. I’m going to write about howspecial you are in the magazine. So I just did.T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 037“IDROVEANE90RECENTLY. ITFELTLIKEAMUSEUMPIECE–QUAINTANDNOISY”This month: a love letter from Chris to the unsungstar of his garage – the unfairly maligned 1MILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING
LIKE NOWHERE ELSEYvan MULLERFour-times WTCC World Champion10 Andros Trophy titlesEach year, Lapland Ice Driving takes the necessary measures to completely neutralise its carbon footprint.
ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDINGThe last speaker of the Cornish language died, it’s believed,in 1914, presumably yelling, “I’ve been bitten by several pitvipers; someone call a doctor” in Cornish, as everyone stoodaround wondering what the hell he was shouting about.Yes, Cornwall once had its own language. A genuine, distinctlanguage, too, not just English spoken through a mouthful ofstraw with additional ooh-arrs (I’m from Cornwall; I’m allowedto be rude about my people). At its peak, more than 40,000people spoke Cornish as their mother tongue. Now, no one.This is a shame, not least because Cornish could haveoffered some excellent additions to the TopGear road-testvocabulary. What review of an off-roader wouldn’t be improvedby describing it as ummin and dappered (filthy, dirt-covered)after tackling the clingy drang (muddy lane)? The majority ofCornish words revolved around mud. Mud and creepy-crawlies.Who wouldn’t rather live in a world of chuggypigs andgrammersows rather than boring regular woodlice?But languages die out, even languages capable of suchmagnificent constructions as ‘polrupmtious slawterpooch’ (arude and slovenly person). Worse, languages tend to die outwithout anyone noticing, until far too late, that they’re gone.And so to cars. Because, as we stand at the dawn of the AgeOf Electricity, what will become of the strange language we’vedeveloped to describe the strange process of turning petroland diesel into forward motion? The language of internalcombustion. Turbochargers and superchargers, V8s andflat-sixes, compression ratios, hemispherical cylinder heads:these are soon to go the same way as piggywidden (the runtof a litter) and knockers (spirits that dwell underground –what did you think they were?).And not only words. We’ve all become fluent in the visuallanguage of fuel-drinking cars – particularly fast fuel-drinkingcars – but that’s set to die out too. Sure, fast EVs of the futuremight still boast the wings and spoilers we know denote a carof great speed. But bonnet vents and NACA ducts are out.Not to mention exhausts. On their school field trip to theBeaulieu Motor Museum, our great-grandchildren will beutterly bemused by all the pipes sticking out the back of thelast surviving R35 Nissan GT-R. (“No one knows for sure,kids. Best guess, they dispensed this ‘cinnamon latte’ ofwhich our ancestors seemed so fond.”I’m not saying everything was better in olden times, andwhy can’t we just go back to the days when kids were happywith a hoop and a stick and the odd bout of tetanus. The EVera should be every bit as exciting and diverse as the petrolage, and will bring its own language, too: permanently excitedasynchronous motors and hairpin stators and who knows whatnext. What I’m saying is, in 100 years’ time, will anyone have aclue what the hell we were all blathering on about?T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 039TGTV script editor Sam Philip muses howour language will change when EVs rule“LANGUAGESTENDTODIEOUTWITHOUTANYONENOTICINGTHATTHEY’REGONE”
ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDINGInterviewing car designers can be a frustrating way tospend your day. Their language might make some kind of sensewhile their lips are moving, but as you read it back it often meltsto an impenetrable fog. It’s like printing in invisible ink. I’mabout to meet Domagoj Dukec, head of design at the BMW brand(not Mini and RR, just the BMWs) and while part of me knowsperfectly well that direct questions get enigmatic answers,another part feels compelled to walk in and say it flat out:“Why are your cars so ugly these days?”It wouldn’t get me thrown out. He’s polite. But it’d be a wasteof time, because to him they aren’t and we’d be at total crosspurposes from the off. OK, try this: does their design prioritisedistinctiveness over elegance? ‘Distinctive’ is my euphemism for‘eye-assaulting’. It still fails to get clarity. “BMW is a playbetween elegance and dynamism,” he says, adding that differentcars in the huge range lie all along that spectrum. “Some areelegant, some expressive.” Maybe it’s the ‘expressive’ ones we’rehaving trouble gazing upon: the new 7-Series and X7 for instance.Picturing his as an overstaffed department with everyonetrying to add yet another idea, I venture that some of the currentdesign is jarring, covered in too many lines.“The 8-series Gran Coupe has more lines than the Coupebecause its customers have come from luxury saloons. Thosepeople need structure. They’re business people, not pimps.” (Didhe just say that?) “Anyway, they were designed five years ago. Theshow cars say where we’re heading and they are have fewer lines.”He mentions the iNext and the 4-Series Coupe concepts.Which means he’s bringing us directly to the most contentioussubject of all: BMW grilles, and their escalating mahoosiveness.“All our early kidneys were vertical. So we’re not just doing it forchange’s sake. It’s our original. Also, they all look different for thedifferent cars now. The G30 [5-Series] and G11 [pre-facelift7-Series] looked the same but weren’t. That was a waste of effort.”He adds that the iNext concept’s conjoined kidneys will beseparated again for production. Apparently at that time theycouldn’t make autonomous driving sensors fire through thechrome, so the central vertical bar was erased. Now they can.OK, let’s move on to the sometimes challenging proportions.Faced with the fresh needs of all this huge range of cars and newpowertrains and new laws, is it about embracing the changes ordisguising them? “With the previous 3-Series, we needed a low,domed front for legislation, and we kept it, didn’t hide it. But withthe X models you do have to trick people that there’s a dynamic.You have to cheat more.”So there you are. If you’re one of the many who filltopgear.com’s comments with complaints of BMW’s awkwardvolumes, guppy faces and incoherent surfaces, this chat mighthave helped. But whatever the difficulties of interpretingdesigner talk, shouldn’t great design speak for itself?T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 041Trying to translate designspeak intoplain English is polymath Paul Horrell...“THEYNEEDSTRUCTURE. THEY’REBUSINESSPEOPLE,NOTPIMPS”
The gap between saloon and coupe has narrowed intonon-existence. So which treads the tightrope best?W O R D S S T E P H E N D O B I E P H O T O G R A P H Y J O N N Y F L E E T W O O DThe big test:coupe saloonsDeP-OHRYSBCRHIEDPSAPRNOARMTETRUARI4SMOIV£85,865AUDI S7SPORTBACK£68,680042 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M
2 with an extra set of doors. It’s here in840i trim, using the 335bhp 6cyl turbo enginealso found in the Toyota Supra and costing£69,340 before options (but close to £79,655as you see it here).Then there’s the Audi S7 Sportback,the madras of the A7 range where the RS7is the vindaloo. It’s newly diesel-only in theEuropean market, using a 344bhp V6 engineto power its quattro all-wheel drive, and it’spriced close to the BMW at £68,680, or £78,455in the spec before you. A slicker version of theVESBMW 8-SERIESGRAN COUPE£69,340
“ALL THREE EMBRACE YOU IN A COCOONBUT IT’S THE PLUG-IN PORSCHE THAT TAKESTHE FEELING TO ITS NTH DEGREE”01044 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M
1 England: where the forecastdoesn’t matter 2 Greenbadges show everyone yourPanamera’s gone green.Unsubtle 3 Carbon makes theEight our lightest coupaloonby far 4 Amuse your friendsby wedging a ‘club’ betweenthe S and 702T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 045gliding away silently in the morning and sailingthrough towns and villages without a fuss.All three embrace you in a quiet cocoon ona long journey, but it’s the plug-in Porsche thattakes the feeling to its nth degree when the V6drops away entirely. Perhaps it goes too far, giventhat the tyre roar – kicked up by rear rubbertwice the width of an original 911’s – has somuch chance to dominate.It’s fairly brilliant to drive, mind, evenwithout the handful of chassis options so vitalon a Cayenne. At 2.2 tonnes it cannot hope to actthe role of a sports car without fluffing a few ofits lines, but the magic dust Porsche sprinkleson all of its cars is here in abundance: sweetsteering, expensive damping and even fantasticbrake feel, something few hybrid cars get right.It feels ginormous on a tight back road, but that’sits biggest weak spot. It’ll otherwise attack thatroad with dizzying speed and ability, just with alayer of complexity between you and the roadthat a Cayman or 911 conspicuously lacks. Ifyou’re still unconvinced, then the witchcraftof energy recuperation means a mischievousA6 saloon rather than an elongated coupe,it’s a proper five-door, thanks to a whoppinggreat hatchback.Our oldest contender is the PorschePanamera Sport Turismo, the ever-so-slightlyestate-y version of the Panamera, which bringsa bigger boot and an extra seat to Stuttgart’ssaloon car. Another flavour of the breed again,then, especially as you see it here in 4 e-Hybridform, using a petrol-electric powertrain thatpumps out a total of 456bhp and claims 86.5mpg(expect low thirties in the real world). Muchlarger figures than the other two, but then at£85,865 base – and an eye-watering £104,181as tested – it’s also priced much more heavyhandedly (although ST prices start at £75,037).It doesn’t own the best engine in the SportTurismo range – sorry, Greta, that’s still the542bhp Turbo – but it’s undoubtedly the mostrelevant and probably the easiest to justify toyourself. And others. These cars are all ratherco*cksure, so all credit to the Panamera, capableof around 20 miles on electric power only, forshaking off a bit of swagger and aggression by0304
046 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O M030402020101BMW8-SERIESAUDIS704030505
03040201PORSCHEPANAMERA“DRIVINGCARS HARDTO SAVETHE WORLD.WE CAN GETON BOARDWITH THAT”thrash actually charges the battery up prettyquickly, should your end destination not havea socket. Driving hard to save the world. Wecan get on board with that.The boot is big (if 100 litres down on nonhybrid versions) and it’s the only car here that’llseat the tallest of adults in the back withoutmaking them contort their body like they’re in a‘how many people can you fit in a Mini?’ recordattempt. The Sport Turismo is perhaps the carthe Panamera should always have been, thegawky looks of the first-gen saloon havingmatured wonderfully like a gangly teenagerthat’s grown into adulthood.And the Gran Coupe is arguably the new8-Series at its least awkward, too. See, the twodoor hasn’t yet set our world alight, feeling toobig and bloated to be a sports car, but not roomyor soft enough to work as a GT. The four-doortreatment is sympathetic to both causes: lessexpectation of racetrack refugee handling,more space and comfort to boost its luxurycredentials. The regular Eight can barely fita toddler in their kiddie seat in the back, butanyone under six foot ought to be fine in thehindquarters of the Gran Coupe.We’ve got the cheapest version – a dieseland a pair of V8s, including a full-strength M car,sit further up the range – but my suspicion is itmight be the sweetest on sale. It’s certainly thepurest, the only Eight with a petrol straight-sixup front and the drive sent solely to the rearaxle, making its layout pleasingly akin to BMWsaloons of old. It drives with a deft balance thatsuggests every member of the engineering teamhas an E46 3-Series at home, in fact... thoughwith a £1,750 caveat.That’s how much it costs to add rear-wheelsteering, and it’s money well spent if you’re adriving nerd, as it metaphorically shaves somelength from the car in tight corners. But it makesme feel a touch melancholic, too. Just as thereseemed to be a collective industry effort to slimperformance cars down a bit, their makerssuddenly discovered the four-wheel-steer cheatcode that, alongside fitting a suite of parkingcameras, allowed their products’ briefly stuntedgrowth spurt to resume.If it makes a big fat Eight drive like an oldThree I’m less offended, mind, and the handlingflair on display here proves BMW still caresabout a good old sports saloon (and a handsomeone, at that). If the company is to survive theenthusiast malaise brought on by the hideous X7and front-driven 1-Series, cars like this are prettycrucial. You can forgive some rough if there’sa sparkling diamond among it, and I’m nottalking about the godawful gear-selector betwixtdriver and passenger. It helps control a joyouspowertrain, though, this 6cyl full of vigour andattached to an 8spd paddleshifter that reallyknows how to extract the best from it.05
170mph456bhp 335bhp 344bhp0–62 4.6secs 0–62 5.2secs 0–62 5.1secsTOP SPEED86.5mpgACCELERATION35.8mpgECONOMY32.5mpg155mphAWD,8spdauto RWD,8spdauto AWD,8spdauto155mphPOWERTORQUETRANSMISSIONBOOT CAPACITYWEIGHTENGINEVERDICT3.0TV6dieselAUDIS7Specifications1 2 3SCORE610525litres 1,380litres(seatsdown)516lbft3.0T6cylBMW8-SERIES369lbft710440litres2.9TV6hybridPORSCHEPANAMERA516lbft8102265kg 1875kg425litres 1,295litres(seatsdown)2010kg(seatsdon’tcomedown)
nary a concern where the BMW will exhibit anoccasional flicker of traction control light.But it’s stereotype Quick Audi in a way itshotter RS sibling simply isn’t. The ride is toofiddly in its Comfort setting, the steering isvague and the whole thing just feels aloof. Somewill love its mix of assertive looks and relaxeddemeanour, and the ease at which its monstrousmid-range torque can be deployed will pleasepeople who care not for the vagaries of ‘feel’and ‘feedback’. But if you’re among them, maywe suggest a regular A7 diesel? If you can livewith a 0.6sec-slower 0–62mph time, a 50 TDIis 10 grand cheaper in still-chintzy S line trim.The S badge brings more speed and muscle,but no tangible character shift, which is a shame,and something that could so easily have beenprovided by nabbing the mild-hybrid V8 dieselfrom the SQ7. Snubbing it feels like a missedtrick, both in terms of badging parity and givingthis car the personality its striking looks deserve;it’s unarguably a lovely object, if that’s all you’re inthis weird old corner of the market for. For a truewindow into the S7’s soul, consider the use ofAudi’s latest ‘hockey stick’ rev-counter – so coolin the RS7 – but with a red line so low it’s shapedlike a boomerang. Or simply have a gander at itsfake quad tailpipes.In short, the S7 is form before fun. It offers awonderful cocoon from the rigours of the outsideworld, but then so does the less practical but moreexciting 840i. They both just lack the flexibilityneeded to feel like a one-car-fits-all solution: theyare fine trinkets, but trinkets nonetheless, wherethe Panamera is a properly sized car that’llswallow people and their things with a nonchalantshrug of its shoulders. The BMW wins as a drivingexperience, but Porsche’s shooting brake wins asan overall experience. Neither coupe nor saloon,yet somehow, the best coupaloon here.T O P G E A R . C O M › J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 049“THE S7 IS UNARGUABLY A LOVELY OBJECT,IF THAT’S ALL YOU’RE IN THIS WEIRDOLD CORNER OF THE MARKET FOR”The S7 lands at the same time as thethoroughly excellent RS7, one of the best fastAudis in a good while. It arrives as quite adifferent proposition on our shores, though,missing a petrol engine from its options listand idling like an upper-class airport taxi as aresult. The engine is quiet on a long cruise andaugmented by some petrol-aping noise underheavy acceleration – until you see sense and turnit off – but there’s no escaping its power sourcewhen it’s at a standstill.There’s some mild-hybrid stuff at play, whichhelps the engine coast and the stop/start kick ina little more smoothly, and it’ll achieve the bestreal-world fuel economy of this lot with saidassistance. It also has the most luggage spacedespite not visually channelling the estate carvibe like the Panamera, while it’ll be the oneleast foxed by the trudge of a British winter,thundering through appalling conditions with
050 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 › T O P G E A R . C O MLike the start of the football season, anew Golf always seems to come aroundsooner than you expect. Here we arethen: the eighth. The Golf is the lingua francaof the hatch world, universally understood.Although it’s always bang up-to-date, eachgeneration is an evolution, with few surprises.No Golf buyer ever had to respond to someonesaying, “You’ve bought a what?”Something’s different here, though. Thisgeneration of Golf lies at a crossroads. At thesame time as it hits the streets, VW launchesthe ID3, a mass-market electric car that you canown for similar money, paying more to buy itbut less to run it.So, in some ways, the Golf faces backward,like the Cutty Sark, last of the great tea-clippersailing ships. A highly perfected version ofsomething the world might no longer need. Butit also looks forward, with a glass co*ckpitrunning new highly connected systems for info,entertainment, control and hazard warning.The MkVIII uses the same MQB platform asthe MkVII, so you’ll find no significant changesin dimensions or basic hardware. Instead, mostthings in the suspension and powertrains aregently improved and finessed.First under our scrutiny, a 1.5 TSI with130bhp. It’s an engine with low-rev lag and4,000rpm gruffness, but overall stays quiet. It’spaired with a torsion-beam axle, and it does feela bit soggy on the turn-in, yet it nicely resistsgetting ragged at the limit.Then a 150bhp version of the same engine,and because it has DSG it’s paired with a 48Vmild-hybrid motor-generator that sends out apulse of torque as you open the tap, covering upfor turbo lag. Works well. In the Golf hierarchy,that 150bhp output entitles it to an aluminiumfront subframe and multi-link rear end. It’sdefinitely more precise and progressive, withnice transparent steering. Fun stuff that bodeswell for the GTI that’s less than a year away.The ride is generally supple and quiet overthe sharp-edged bumps our nation specialisesin. And you’ve the usual great Golf drivingposition and seat support.All outside panels are new. If only a bit.Recognise it by the new front graphic, a bladethat slashes across the vestigial grille and intothe shallow all-LED headlamps. On the side,a new crease runs through the door handles.Out back we find new-shape tail-lamps anda more slit-like rear screen.It’s inside that the MkVIII Golf presentsits transformation: the dash and infotainment,and the level of connectedness. I’m slightlyunconvinced by the dash – the screensresemble an engineers’ test system hacked intoa last-gen car. The dash has no actual clickyswitches. Most controls are on the screen, andthose few that remain are awkward touchbuttons like a cheap microwave.Still, the 10-inch central screen itself, likethe digital instruments, has clean graphics andis responsive. The climate, cannily, has somesettings labelled with effect rather than cause:‘warm feet’ for instance. All Golfs get Car2X,a system of swarm intelligence where carsautomatically warn each others’ drivers ofrelevant upcoming hazards. Most makes willeventually join the system (Ford is next) andalso infrastructure – the same info that feedsmotorway gantry signs. Even if you’d like to,you can’t unspec these screens and switchgear– they’re present even on the lowest UK trim.And shared with the ID3, come to that.For the next few years, VW doesn’t evensee Golf sales falling. Early orders suggestID3 buyers will come from other places,while yesterday’s Golf buyers stick to today’sGolf. They won’t go far wrong. Paul Horrell£28,000 estThe newnormalVOLKSWAGENGOLF 1.5 eTSI DSGFOR The body and mechanicsare as sorted as you’d expect.Specced carefully it’s great to driveAGAINST The compulsory glassco*ckpit feels gimmicky. Noactual fuel and CO2 numbers yetc. 48.0 mpg7spd DSGn/a g/kmCO2150bhp1.5T 4cyl8.5 secs108P
