Under the skin: The Octopus that's helping Bentley's sustainability

Electric drive units (EDUs) – integrating motors, electronics and transmissions into a single, compact drivetrain – are for making sure the various elements work together as efficiently as possible.

With the Octopus research study (it stands for optimised components, test and simulation, toolkits for powertrains which integrate ultra high-speed... ( подробнее )

Rolls-Royce: luxury will always take priority over technology

Digital technology represents a “phenomenal opportunity” for Rolls-Royce to enhance its personalisation options for customers, according to the lead designer of the firm’s bespoke Coachbuild arm – but it won’t fully embrace such systems until they can offer a luxury experience that beats analogue controls.

The British firm has started to... ( подробнее )

Used car buying guide: Jaguar XJ40

We don’t often quote artists at Autocar, but “have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it”, the oft-paraphrased words of Salvador Dal?, seems as good a motto as any for owners of the Jaguar XJ40, an iconic British saloon whose problematic predisposition is central to its charm.

That’s not to say every XJ of this generation listed... ( подробнее )

New BMW iX3: electric SUV priced from ?61,900 in UK

BMW has priced up its second fully electric model, the iX3, which is available to pre-order   today ahead of UK customer deliveries commencing in summer 2021.  

Two exclusive variants will be offered at launch:   the Premier Edition and Premier Edition Pro, which are priced from ?61,900 and ?64,900 respectively. Although not confirmed,... ( подробнее )

Autocar names top 100 women in the British car industry

Alison Jones, UK managing director and senior vice-president of the PSA Group, has won Autocar’s Great Women in the British Car Industry 2020 initiative, held in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Jones also came top of Autocar’s Executive category, alongside 11 other category winners from the Top 100, which... ( подробнее )

Greatest machines with 100 horsepower or less

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How much power do you need?

Or, put it another way, how little can you get away with? Colin Goodwin chooses five sub-100bhp heroes that eschew outright speed without falling short on fun.

... ( подробнее )

4x4 face-off: Land Rover Defender meets G-Class, Jeep rivals

Nothing is moving in the parched valley bowl below except for the whirling dust blown this way and that by the hot summer wind. What water there is is slowly evaporating, leaving behind it only cracking mud, baked hard underfoot. Sandblasted, desiccated vegetation provides the only shade, and there’s very little of it. The temperature is 31deg C... ( подробнее )

New 2021 Volkswagen Golf estate revealed with more space

Volkswagen has again extended its Mk8 Golf range, this time with the unveiling of new Estate and Alltrack variants.

The load-luggers, set to go on sale in the UK early in 2021, complement the standard five-door hatchback launched earlier this year and the subsequently detailed GTI, GTD and GTE hot hatches.

Key to the new Golf... ( подробнее )

Nissan builds 500,000th Leaf in Sunderland factory

The 500,000th Nissan Leaf has rolled off the production line, just in time to celebrate World Electric Vehicle (EV) Day.

The milestone was achieved at Nissan’s Sunderland factory, which has built almost 175,000 Leafs since it began producing the model in 2013.

The Leaf was the world’s first mass-market 100% electric car and remains... ( подробнее )

Best lease deals of the week: Activity cars

Leasing can be an affordable, practical route into having your own private car, but it's not always easy to tell the good deals from the duds.  

The experts at our sister magazine   What Car?   work hard to find you the best pay-monthly schemes, taking into account mileage allowance, montly outlay, contract length and initial deposit. We'll... ( подробнее )