The best and worst things I’ve seen this week: 29 September 2017

Behind-the-scenes glimpses and other observations from the last seven days around the car industry

These two Alpine models: Forget vintage Ferraris, with an embarrassment of riches I’d head straight to Alpine for a classic. Either the Le Marquis prototype or the one-off Meyrignac wedge will do. Or both. With such a rich history of stunning cars, the revived Alpine has plenty to go on for its future cars.
Honda’s Sports EV announcement: Honda has only shown us a glimpse of the Sports EV ahead of its Tokyo motor show debut, but I’m already smitten. It takes the retro cues and simplicity of the Urban EV and mixes them with the chunky but svelte lines of a sports coupé. There’s no production date yet, unlike the Urban EV, but if we wish hard enough, our fairy God-product-strategists at Honda might actually do it.
The Ford GT’s interior: It may not be the GT's strong point, being described as more ordinary than it should be on a car of £420,000, but personally, I find the interior perfectly fitting to the car. And anyhow, if you've bought a GT for the plushness of its interior, you probably shouldn't have been sold one. It’s attractive and different in a retro, Blade Runner kind of way, with the steering wheel from a spaceship and dashboard which wouldn’t look out of place in a Vector W8.
The Hyundai i30N’s third brake light: If ever there was an example to show that paying attention to boring but important things such as third brake lights is worthwhile, the i30N is it. It may not radically change the styling of the car, but it marks it out in a different way while still playing by the rules. The way it’s incorporated into the spoiler is neat, too.
Toyota and Mazda’s joint EV deal: Think about it: the looks of a Mazda, with the benefit of an electric powertrain and Toyota’s new-found excitement. Or a Toyota with that dynamism, Mazda’s fun-to-drive ethic and the same electric car benefits. Either way you look at it, it’s exciting.
Dacia’s lack of range expansion plans: IIt’s almost definitely harder than it sounds, but as an honest, no-frills brand of cars which are unashamedly budget without the classic budget car lack of dignity, it’s a shame that a headline-grabbing, cheap and cheerful £4495 city car or a tough-as-nails, seven-seat large SUV for Ford Focus money isn't coming.

29 September 2017

You'd think that in the same week as Dyson announced that it is to produce an EV, with unconfirmed whispers of the design being Chris Bangle's return to glory, that would have made it into the list. But seeing as we haven't seen it yet, and don't have a single clue what it'll look like, I thought it best to hold fire until there's at least an inkling of its look.

Find an Autocar car review

Driven this week

21 August 2018

First Drive

Renault Zoe R110 2018 UK review

New motor boosts electric car's performance; it's no every-occasion...
21 August 2018

First Drive

BMW 7 Series 740Ld long-term review

Does this 7 Series have that all-important sense of occasion its predecessors...
21 August 2018

First Drive

McLaren Senna 2018 UK review

Woking’s new model is designed to be the 'ultimate road-legal track car...

Still, there have been plenty of other things this week that have caught my eye, and not all of them good. Here's the five best and one worst thing I've happened across this week.

The best things I've seen all week

These two Alpine models

Forget vintage Ferraris, with an embarrassment of riches I’d head straight to Alpine for a classic. Either the Le Marquis prototype or the one-off Meyrignac wedge will do. Or both. With such a rich history of stunning cars, the revived Alpine has plenty to go on for its future cars. Read more about both in our history of Alpine here.

Honda’s Sports EV announcement

Honda has only shown us a glimpse of the Sports EV ahead of its Tokyo motor show debut, but I’m already smitten. It takes the retro cues and simplicity of the Urban EV and mixes them with the chunky but svelte lines of a sports coupé.

There’s no production date yet, unlike the Urban EV, but if we wish hard enough, our fairy God-product-strategists at Honda might actually do it.

The Ford GT’s interior

It may not be the GT's strong point, being described as more ordinary than it should be on a car of £420,000, but personally, I find the interior perfectly fitting to the car. And anyhow, if you've bought a GT for the plushness of its interior, you probably shouldn't have been sold one.

It’s attractive and different in a retro, Blade Runner kind of way, with the steering wheel from a spaceship and dashboard which wouldn’t look out of place in a Vector W8.

The Hyundai i30N’s third brake light

If ever there was an example to show that paying attention to boring but important things such as third brake lights is worthwhile, the i30N is it.

It may not radically change the styling of the car, but it marks it out in a different way while still playing by the rules. The way it’s incorporated into the spoiler is neat, too.

Toyota and Mazda’s joint EV deal

Think about it: the looks of a Mazda, with the benefit of an electric powertrain and Toyota’s new-found excitement. Or a Toyota with that dynamism, Mazda’s fun-to-drive ethic and the same electric car benefits. Either way you look at it, it’s exciting.

... and the worst thing I’ve seen this week

Dacia’s lack of range expansion plans

It’s almost definitely harder than it sounds, but as an honest, no-frills brand of cars which are unashamedly budget without the classic budget car lack of dignity, it’s a shame that a headline-grabbing, cheap and cheerful £4495 city car or a tough-as-nails, seven-seat large SUV for Ford Focus money isn't coming.

Join the debate

Comments

rpf72

Dacia

1 October 2017

I 'get' what Dacia stands for and its positioning in the marketplace but, blimey, their cars sound rough, even when brand new. A neighbour's just bought a 2017 Duster and there doesn't seem to be any soundproofing whatsoever in the car.

Can your GP prescribe anything for range anxiety?

Byzantine

Oh dear

2 October 2017

Employees of a motoring magazine, especially one such a long history, ought to be clear what the term 'vintage' means when applied to a car. This isn't Mail Online.