More than 9 in 10 car buyers say the test drive is a crucial part of the purchase process – but 7 in 10 say they would prefer unaccompanied test drives to continue.
Solo test drives became commonplace during the pandemic as it was not possible to reliably practice social distancing with the salesperson in the car.
But as restrictions ease, car buyers are calling for unaccompanied test drives to continue, as it allows them to concentrate on the car and not be distracted by the salesperson.
Young drivers aged 18-24 are particularly keen on solo test drives.
It also allows for longer test drives without tying up a busy sales executive: two in three car buyers say from 15 minutes to two hours is ideal – and one in five want test drives to last longer than two hours.
Track test
AX Innovation is a company that manages the vehicle tracking systems necessary to make solo test drives possible.
This includes alerting car dealers about driver behaviours and misuse, and removing disputes around speeding fines and other charges car buyers may receive during the test drive.
MD Vince Powell said: “Driving an unfamiliar car requires an extra level of concentration, particularly when you are trying to determine whether or not the car is right for you, and many buyers clearly don’t welcome the distraction of a salesperson.
“However, it’s perfectly understandable for dealerships to have concerns that some customers may mistreat vehicles without the supervision of a salesperson.
“This is where telematics devices play an important role, deterring customers from driving vehicles inappropriately.”
Apple’s digital car key is now available to use. The function was introduced as part of the iOS 13.6 update in mid-2020.
The car key brings the ability to unlock and start your car, simply by using your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Read on for a full explanation of how it works, along with the cars that currently support this new technology.
Which Apple smartphones support the car key function?
Apple’s newest iOS smartphones are the ones which offer car key functionality.
To use the digital key, you will need one of the following iPhones:
iPhone SE
iPhone 11 (including Pro and Max)
iPhone XS (including Max)
iPhone XR
The phone will need to be updated to the latest iOS 14.6 operating system. You will also need to be signed in to the iPhone using your Apple ID, and have access to your iPhone password protected.
What about using my Apple Watch?
Only Apple’s latest version of Watch range is currently able to work as a digital car key.
That means you will need to have a new Apple Watch Series 5, ideally running the latest Watch OS 7.5, to use the functionality it brings.
What cars support Apple car keys?
At the moment, BMW is the only manufacturer to offer support for Apple’s digital car key.
The German marque does at least offer it for a broad range of vehicles. The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 Series models are all compatible, along with the X5, X6, X7 and iX3.
The relevant car will need to have been manufactured after 1st July 2020, and be fitted with the Comfort Access (SA 322) option. Connected Drive Services will also need to be active on the car.
When will other cars use Apple car keys?
Apple is yet to confirm any other manufacturer opting to offer the digital car key function.
Apple is part of the Car Connectivity Consortium, which also includes Volkswagen, General Motors and Hyundai, so these companies may follow BMW in adopting the technology.
Although other companies include standalone digital key apps, the new Apple version sees access fully integrated into the wallet function of the iPhone. Using the wallet function means greater security, and the enhanced usability.
What else do I need to use Apple car keys?
Users need to download the BMW Connected app to their chosen Apple smartphone. This is needed to create a BMW ID, or link an existing BMW ID, to your compatible car.
After creating a BMW ID, and adding your BMW to the Connected app, you can then create the digital car key.
BMW requires users to be inside the car, and with both physical keys present, to prove your ownership. The Connected app will then take users through the steps to add your Apple device as a digital key.
What does the Apple digital car key actually do?
The digital car key offers two functions with compatible cars. Users can unlock and lock the car with their Apple device, and also start the car once inside.
This is as simple as holding the Apple device near to the door handle to unlock, or lock, the car. Only the driver’s-side door will be unlocked with the digital car key.
Once inside, users can place their Apple device in the smartphone charging tray, then press the engine start button.
An ‘Express Mode’ allows owners to use the digital car key without the need to enter a passcode, or use Face ID on the Apple device.
Can I still use Apple car keys if my iPhone battery is flat?
Yes. Apple has pre-empted worries about how to unlock your car if your iPhone battery runs flat.
When the iPhone battery gets very low, it enters a special ‘Power Reserve’ mode. This setting will see the iPhone retain enough charge to use the digital car key function for up to five hours.
If you manually turn your Apple device off, it will need to be turned back on to use the digital car key.
How can I share my Apple car key with others?
One of the more impressive functions of the Apple car key is the option to share it with up to five other people.
Users will need a compatible iPhone. The main user can then send an Apple iMessage from their device, inviting the new driver to add the digital car key to their wallet.
Access conditions can be set, including limiting the maximum speed and preventing the stability control from being turned off – if your son or daughter is borrowing the car, for example. The original owner can also revoke access to the digital car key at any time.
Are Apple car keys safe to use?
Apple says that the digital car key is saved within the secure section of the iPhone. It is also protected by a passcode or Face ID. This makes it extremely tough for others to get their hands on.
BMW also notes that the Apple car key uses near-field communication technology (NFC). This means both the Apple device and car must be in very close proximity for it to work.
Should you lose your Apple device, the digital car key can be deleted from iCloud or Find My iPhone.
The radical new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette can now officially be ordered by UK enthusiasts – in right-hand drive form.
After being unveiled at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed, both the coupe and convertible versions are up for grabs.
Although the Corvette has been offered in the UK before, this is the first time it has appeared in right-hand drive form.
Right-hand drive at last
A move to a mid-engined layout shocked American Corvette purists. But, the new packaging makes a right-hand drive model simpler to build, letting Chevrolet offer the Corvette to more markets.
Japan has already taken delivery of the first right-hand drive C8 Corvettes, with the UK and Australia to follow later this year.
Unlike unofficial imports, European-specification Corvettes will be homologated to meet emissions regulations. Helping achieve this is the addition of a gasoline particulate filter.
Performance packs as standard
Being fully homologated for Europe has affected the 6.2-litre LT1 V8 engine powering the new Corvette.
Output is still a considerable 469hp and 452lb-ft of torque, with all versions using an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
However, full-fat American versions of the Corvette offer 495hp and 465lb-ft of torque, when fitted with the optional Z51 Performance Package.
All UK cars will at least come with the Z51 package. This means Brembo brakes, an electronic limited slip differential, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres come as standard.
Despite the lower power output, a UK-specification Corvette will still be capable of 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Top speed will be a respectable 184mph, too.
Competitive pricing included
UK and European Corvettes will start at the higher-specification 2LT trim. This includes a Bose sound system, rear-view camera, and a performance data recorder.
Initial launch models, offered in a selection of 16 different interior and exterior colour combinations, will use the top 3LT specification. Carbon fibre detailing, and magnetically adjustable suspension, mark out these cars.
UK prices for the launch edition Corvette Stingray coupe begin at £81,700, with the Corvette Convertible priced at £87,110. Choosing additional colour combinations will add £1,750 to the price tag.
Chevrolet promises that the eighth-generation Corvette will hit dealerships – including the single UK Chevrolet retailer in Virginia Warter, Surrey – across Europe from October 2021.
We’ve all been there. That familiar feeling of emptiness, when you stare at the 80 or so vehicles in your collection, knowing that something is missing. For Alexander Klein, manager of the Classic Car Collection at the Porsche Museum, this would have been a daily occurrence.
You see, the museum lacked one vital piece of Porsche 911 ancestry: the 901. But everything changed in August 2014, when Klein received the kind of telephone call you can only dream of.
Two 911s had been found in a barn in Brandenburg, Germany, and would he like first refusal?
The person on the other end of the phone happened to mention that one of the ‘barn-finds’ wore chassis number 300 057: one of the first 911s ever produced, as a 1964 Porsche 901. A golden opportunity to complete the Museum’s 911 jigsaw.
Ferry Porsche’s brief was simple: build a car with a more powerful engine sound and refined road behaviour than the Porsche 356. And Ferdinand Porsche certainly delivered, creating one of the most iconic vehicles of all-time.
Zeroes and ones
A show car was unveiled as the 901 at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show before a production-ready version was produced a few weeks later. But things didn’t go entirely according to plan.
Peugeot lodged a complaint, arguing that it owned the rights to the three-digit type designation with a zero in the middle, forcing Porsche into a rethink. But rather than raise the alarm, Porsche simply changed the car’s name to ‘911’.
One benefit of this pragmatic solution was that it prevented extensive changes being made to print layouts that had been prepared for sales and marketing copy, operating instructions and official documents.
Ferry gave the order for the name to be changed on 22 October 1964, but number 300 057 was already in production as the third and last vehicle built on this day. It left the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen factory as a ‘Typ 901’ vehicle, but was marketed as a 911.
In the first model year, 236 911s were built, and the first 82 cars were produced with the ‘Typ 901’ designation. This makes ‘300 057’ a rather special Porsche.
Brandenburg state
The barn-find vehicles were in a severe state of disrepair, having languished at the back of a former farm for many years. The 901 was covered by a thick layer of dust, with large sections of the vehicle eaten away by rust. Worse still, the interior consisted of mere fragments, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the engine was seized.
Crucially, the chassis number was pristine and proved beyond all doubt that the Porsche was an original 901 from 1964. The other vehicle – a 1968 Porsche 911L – was in a similar state of disrepair.
Following an inspection in Zuffenhausen, two independent valuation reports set the prices at a staggering €107,000 for the 901 and €14,500 for the 911L, making a tidy sum for the seller. Further proof that there’s cash to be made from genuine barn-finds.
The 911L will remain in its as-found-in-Brandenburg condition, acting as a tribute to barn-finds across the world, or, as Porsche labels it, like a slice of ‘unwashed, living history’.
Chemical romance
Chassis number 57, on the other hand, has been treated to a makeover of epic proportions, with Porsche going to great lengths to retain as much originality and authenticity as humanly possible. It kinda helps when you’ve got access to Porsche’s top bods.
First, ‘Number 57’ was wholly disassembled before the body was placed into a chemical bath for de-rusting and paint removal. Before the process, Porsche assumed that 50 percent of the body had been destroyed, but it transpired that over half of the sheet metal was worth preserving.
Any parts that needed to be replaced were sourced from a 1965 Porsche 911, thereby guaranteeing the composition and characteristics of the sheet metal. In a painstaking process, it took the engineers about a year to mould and weld the steel and sheet metal.
When complete, the body was resprayed in Signal Red 6407 paint, using environmentally-friendly water-based paints and more modern methods. The six-cylinder engine was restored over the course of 120 working hours.
Rebuilding the past
“Many of the features only included in the very first models have been preserved in the car,” said Kuno Werner, head of the museum workshop. One example is the leather sleeve around the shift lever, which was only installed during the 901 era.
Some of the problems experienced by the restoration team were incredibly complex and detailed, such as the shape of the screw that had initially been used to mount the indicators.
It took a total of three years to return the 901 to its original condition, and it takes pride of position in the Porsche Museum as the oldest 911. For the Museum director, Achim Stejskal, it fills a massive hole in the collection.
“This is exactly what has been missing,” he explained. It completes our collection of all the important production cars from Porsche.”
Paris residents have only a few weeks to prepare for the imposition of new lower speed limits.
Since 2016, Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of the French capital, has overseen 60 percent of the city’s roads limited to 30kph (19mph).
From the end of August, only the Boulevard Périphérique ring road, and key routes such as the Champs-Elysées, will escape the 30kph limit.
According to the Financial Times, angry Parisians believe that the new speed limits will only add to the challenges of driving around their congested city.
La révolution verte
The reasons for the reduction in speed limits from 50kph (31mph) to 30kph (19mph) are familiar ones.
Acting to mitigate climate change, reducing traffic noise, and improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians are the factors behind the changes.
Mayor Hidalgo has made no secret of wanting to eradicate the space dedicated to cars in the confines of Paris. Plans are already in place to cut public parking spaces from 140,000 down to 60,000. Scooters and mopeds will also soon be required to pay for parking, having enjoyed years of free rates.
Next year will see Paris take even stricter anti-car measures. Traffic in the four central arrondissements will be limited to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport only.
Parisienne Walkways
BBC News highlighted earlier this year how Mayor Hidalgo aims to transform Paris into a “15-minute city”. Instead of a reliance on cars, the aim is to have everything within a 15 minute walk or cycle from home.
Earlier in 2021, Hidalgo approved a £225million scheme to halve the number of car lanes on the Champs-Elysées. Replacing cars will be pedestrianised areas, featuring an abundance of trees and gardens.
Despite the concerns of some Parisians, lower speed limits are unlikely to trouble many. As one of Europe’s most congested cities, average driving speeds rarely exceed 15kph (9mph).
In fact, the GR Yaris has become so popular that Toyota has had to create a waiting list for potential buyers.
Supermini superstar
Built to homologate Toyota’s World Rally Championship contender, the GR Yaris is a true motorsport creation. A combination of a 261hp three-cylinder turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive have made the supermini into a hot hatch star.
The result is that Toyota now has filled its GR Yaris order allocations for both this year and next.
Additional cars will come to the UK in the future. However, customers will need to reserve one.
Toyota will open the GR Yaris waiting list, available through its official UK website, on Monday 12 July.
The most important list to be on
Toyota is keen to stress that this does affect existing orders. Those who have already placed an order for a GR Yaris will have their car delivered as planned.
Stuart Sanders of Toyota GB said: “The success of GR Yaris has been unprecedented. The huge public demand has resulted in all the new cars destined for the UK having now been snapped up for the coming 18 months.
“This isn’t the end of the story, however, as we are opening a new waiting list from next week so that prospective customers can put their name forward to be first in line when the next allocation of vehicles is confirmed.”
For those on the waiting list, there is always the Tamiya R/C version of the GR Yaris to pass the time with.
The Experimental Polestar 2 is a heavily-tuned, 476hp ‘Goodwood special’ that makes its surprise debut at the 2021 Festival of Speed to ‘push the boundaries’ of the firm’s performance EV.
Polestar boss Thomas Ingenlath charged both design and engineering teams to create a “strong statement for Goodwood”, and the Experimental Polestar 2 is the result.
Now, chief chassis engineer Joakim Rydhold is to get his reward for putting such hard work into developing the car – by blasting it up the Goodwood hill throughout the 2021 Festival of Speed.
And prepare to be surprised: he exclusively suggested to Motoring Research it is as fast off the line as a Ferrari F40 supercar, suggesting 0-62mph in well under 4.0 seconds.
Sadly, there is no official word on whether this exotic Goodwood one-off itself will make production – although don’t be surprised if certain elements do in time reach showrooms, particularly if the reaction at Goodwood is positive…
Extreme Experimental
Polestar has upped power of the dual motor model from 408hp to 476hp. All-wheel drive helps deliver this power to the ground.
Big 21-inch wheels from the Polestar 1 have been fitted, and the special Pirelli P Zero Rosso performance tyres are also carried over.
The wheels and tyres sit below widened wheelarches and the track is also 10mm wider, while ride height is 30mm lower.
There are also six-piston Akebono front brakes from the Polestar 1.
Suspension is extreme, too: it’s 80 percent stiffer at the front and 40 percent stiffer at the rear.
Exotic, expensive Ohlins dampers from the regular Polestar 2 are upgraded further to three-way Ohlins dampers, which themselves are 30 percent stiffer than normal.
There’s even a carbon fibre front strut bar from the Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered, and a rear strut bar fabricated by the engineering team itself.
It is identified by its Snow Matte paint with a Magnesium Matte racing stripe, upgraded front and rear bumpers and colour-coded front grid.
‘Up the stakes’
“We wanted to flex our muscles and explore opportunities,” explained Mr Ingenlath in describing the Extreme Polestar 2.
“This is what happens when we are given freedom to go beyond our limits,” said Mr Rydholm.
“We already have such great handling and performance characteristics in Polestar 2, but when Thomas asked me to make something special for Goodwood, I was really excited to up the stakes.”
“The new chassis set-up for Goodwood has really taken it to the next level. I can’t wait to go up the hill!”
The Experimental Polestar 2 will be showcased in the First Glance Paddock throughout the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed event, which runs from 8-11 July.
The Collecting Cars online auction platform has seen a special 2004 Porsche Carrera GT achieve a big sale.
Already a desirable modern classic, being originally owned by a Formula 1 World Champion added to the Porsche’s collectability.
Once belonging to Jenson Button, the mid-engined Porsche supercar sold for a considerable €820,500 (£703,000 or $970,000).
What would a Formula 1 veteran drive?
Competing in more than 300 Formula 1 races between 2000 and 2017, Jenson Button racked up 15 grand prix wins. This included clinching the 2009 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with the Brawn GP team.
However, it was earlier in his career that Button purchased the Porsche Carrera GT. In 2004, the British driver was competing for the British American Racing team.
When your company car is a 3.0-l V10-powered Formula 1 racer, a Carrera GT was perhaps the closest road-going equivalent.
Unadulterated performance
Matching a lightweight chassis with a 5.7-l naturally aspirated V10, Porsche created a hardcore machine with the Carrera GT. With 603 hp, and 435 lb-ft of torque, the mid-engined Porsche could hit a top speed of 205 mph.
A six-speed manual transmission added to the driver appeal, with carbon ceramic brakes standard equipment.
When ordering his Carrera GT, Button opted for Seal Grey paintwork, complemented by a Terracotta leather interior. A Porsche car cover, matching leather luggage, and covers for the removable roof panel were all included.
Extra collector’s item included
Button later sold the Porsche but the car was offered for sale with a letter confirming his tenureship. A special pewter sculpture of the V10 engine, gifted to those who ordered a Carrera GT, features Button’s name engraved on it.
Along with having been owned by a Formula 1 World Champion, the Carrera GT was backed by an extensive service history. This included a recent new ceramic clutch, along with the replacement of all three radiators.
Interest in the Porsche was strong on Collecting Cars, with 37 bids received. This culminated in the winning bid, with a value more than doubling the original price of the Carrera GT.
The new Le Mans Hypercar class has been created to attract more manufacturers to endurance racing. Spiralling costs previously pushed Audi and Porsche to withdraw from the World Endurance Championship.
Along with specialist prototypes, manufacturers can also enter cars based on road-going models. This requires 20 street-legal cars to be made.
This should allow manufacturers to make the link between road and race cars more tangible. Peugeot itself notes that the 9X8 has “styling excellence, efficiency and technological expertise” that can transfer to its road cars.
Part of the Peugeot family
The three “claw-like strokes”, forming the LED lights at the front and rear of the 9X8, are an obvious nod to current Peugeot products. Selenium Grey paint, matched with Kryptonite Green highlights, is similar to that seen on the new Peugeot 508 PSE models.
Choosing to call the new Le Mans Hypercar 9X8 links it to Peugeot models past and present.
Previous Peugeot Le Mans racers have used a “9” branding, whilst the “X” refers to the hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain. Finally, the “8” is a reference to current Peugeots like the 3008 and 508.
Race car interiors are typically spartan affairs. But, Peugeot has made ample use of Kryptonite Green inside the 9X8. It should certainly help keep drivers awake on those lengthy Le Mans stints…
No longer winging it
Peugeot has opted to go without a rear wing, typically seen on endurance prototype racers. Instead, Stellantis motorsport director Jean-Marc Finot says the 9X8 has “a degree of aerodynamic efficiency” that allows it to go wingless.
Hybrid powertrains are optional in the Hypercar category, but Peugeot has chosen to use one. A twin-turbocharged 680 hp 2.6-litre V6 will power the rear wheels, with a 200 kW electric motor driving the front axle.
We will have to wait until next year to see if the 9X8 can deliver on track, and continue Peugeot’s previous Le Mans success.
A new series production Lotus doesn’t come along very often; the last was the Evora in 2009. So this already feels like a significant event. The Emira also kick-starts a new era for Lotus under Geely ownership – and will be the marque’s final combustion car. A red-letter day, then.
The two-seat, mid-engined Emira offers a choice of four-cylinder or V6 power, plus manual, auto or dual-clutch transmissions. Power outputs at launch range from 360hp to 400hp.
A starting price of less than £60,000 means the car is pitched directly at the Porsche Cayman, but higher-spec models will edge into 911 territory. Let’s hope the Emira is as good as it looks.
Inspired by the Evija
Low-slung, sculpted and dramatic, the Emira seems to be shrink-wrapped around its bonded aluminium chassis. It looks like the 2,000hp Evija after a boil wash.
The tapered bonnet, vertical LED headlamps and hungry side scoops are clearly influenced by the flagship hypercar, although the Emira does without its huge rear venturis or pop-up spoiler. ‘There are no active aerodynamics as clever engineering means they’re not needed,’ says Lotus.
Look closely and you’ll see the Emira badge on the C-pillar. It’s pronounced ‘Eh-meer-ah’ and translates as ‘commander’ or ‘leader’ in various ancient languages. So now you know.
Pure petrol power
Lotus is already working with Alpine on a fully electric sports car to replace the Elise and there were rumours the Emira would be a hybrid. Not so. New Lotus MD Matt Windle told CAR magazine the technology is “anathema to Lotus’s performance out of light weight philosophy”.
So the Emira has pure petrol power – and we’re quietly thankful for that. Two engines are offered: the familiar 3.5-litre Toyota V6 from the Exige and Evora, plus a new four-cylinder unit from Mercedes-AMG. Said to be ‘Lotus engineered’, we believe the latter unit is closely related to the four-pot firecracker in the A45 S hot hatch.
Performance figures are a bit vague at present, and seem to relate solely to the V6 engine. Power is quoted as 360-400hp and maximum torque as 317lb ft. Zero to 62mph takes ‘less than 4.0 seconds’ and top speed is ‘up to 180mph’.
The decision to offer manual, paddle-shift auto and traditional automatic gearboxes is said to ‘maximise global appeal’. We suspect the latter transmission will mostly be targeted at Asian markets – including Geely’s native China, of course.
McLaren-style steering
Slush ‘box or not, you’d expect a new Lotus to deliver the dynamic goods. And chassis guru Gavan Kershaw assures us it will.
For starters, EU kerb weight (with fluids) has been kept to 1,405kg in the car’s lightest form: around the same as a four-cylinder Cayman, albeit heavier than an Alpine A110.
Like McLaren, Lotus has persisted with hydraulic power steering, rather than a more efficient electric rack, for the superior feedback it offers. The Emira also has a wider track than any recent Lotus road car and rides on 20-inch wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres.
Super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber is a cost option as part of the Lotus Drivers Pack, which also offers a stiffer Sports suspension set-up. The Emira is “a true Lotus sports car that builds on the legacy of the Elise, Exige and Evora,” reckons Kershaw.
Calm like a bomb
Inside the Emira, Lotus promises a step-change in quality, comfort and connectivity. Features to get S1 Elise owners scratching their heads include rain-sensing wipers, parking sensors, cruise control and keyless start.
Behind the squared-off steering wheel is a 12.3-inch TFT driver display, while the 10.25-inch touchscreen alongside offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A 10-speaker audio system, developed with high-end British audio brand KEF, is on the options list.
It isn’t all about gadgets, though. The high position of the manual gear lever echoes the classic Esprit, and its exposed linkage nods to the Elise and Exige. Incidentally, we still think Lotus should have christened this car ‘Esprit’. Few nameplates are more evocative.
You might spot the red ‘bomb switch’ cover over the start button – an idea nicked wholesale from Lamborghini. We doubt Lotus founder Colin ‘Simplify, then add lightness’ Chapman would have approved.
Deliveries in spring 2022
Like so many Lotus sports cars of the past, the Emira will be built in Hethel, Norfolk. A new £100 million factory has created more than 200 jobs and contains a first-for-Lotus robotic paintshop.
You can place a deposit now, with first deliveries expected in spring 2022. We’re hoping to drive the Emira and bring you our verdict later this year. While doing our best to remain impartial, we desperately want it to be brilliant.
