Porsche has revealed its new Cayenne Electric at an exclusive event in London. The UK debut took place at the flagship Porsche Mayfair dealership on Piccadilly, W1.
Two versions of the SUV were unveiled: the 442hp Cayenne Electric and 1,156hp Cayenne Turbo Electric. Both use a 113kWh battery and offer blisteringly fast charging speeds of up to 400kW.
Porsche Formula E development driver Gabriela Jilkova pulled the wraps off the new Cayenne. Last summer Jilkova broke the SUV record at Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in a Cayenne Turbo Electric prototype. Her time of 31.28 seconds smashed the previous record, held by a Bentley Bentayga W12, by more than four seconds.
The most powerful Porsche
Occupying the prime spot inside Porsche Mayfair’s showroom window, the battery-powered, £130,900 Cayenne Turbo (pictured above) is the headline act. Its two motors – one for each axle – provide four-wheel drive and up to 857hp in normal driving.
Press the Sport Response ‘push to pass’ button and you unleash an extra 176 horses for 10 seconds at a time. Or you can activate launch control for the full 1,156hp and 1,106lb ft of torque: good for 0-62mph in a hypercar-baiting 2.5 seconds, plus a top speed of 163mph.
The four-figure output makes this Porsche’s most powerful production car ever, surpassing even the stripped-out Taycan Turbo GT – along with rivals such as the Lotus Eletre, BMW XM and Lamborghini Urus SE.
Up to 398 miles of range
At the more sensible end of the SUV spectrum, the regular £82,200 Cayenne Electric serves up 408hp, or 442hp when using launch control. With 2,525kg to shift (the Turbo weighs an even heftier 2,645kg), that’s sufficient for 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and a 143mph maximum.
In terms of electric range, the standard Cayenne achieves 398 miles in the official test, while the Turbo manages 387 miles. Find an ultra-rapid 400kW charger and you can replenish the battery from 10-80 percent in just 16 minutes.
On the move, range is boosted by ‘Formula E levels of recuperation’ (up to 600kW). Indeed, Porsche says the electric motors can handle ‘97 percent of all braking operations’. PCCB ceramic-composite brakes are optional on the Turbo.
Both versions of the Cayenne ride on adaptive air suspension with PASM adaptive dampers, with the Turbo also gaining a PTV Plus torque vectoring rear differential. Further options include rear-axle steering and Porsche Active Ride, which counteracts body-roll when cornering.
New Cayenne Electric in London
The new Cayenne’s styling combines elements from the smaller Macan Electric and long-established Porsche Taycan. Despite its bluff and boxy silhouette, a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.25 makes it one of the most aerodynamic SUVs on sale.
Eye-catching elements of the design are slim Matrix LED headlights, a sharp crease along the lower doors and illuminated ‘PORSCHE’ lettering on the tailgate. The Turbo has new ‘active aeroblades’ that jut out from the rear wings when you select Sport Plus mode, plus badges and brightwork in Turbonite – a darkened chrome finish unique to Stuttgart’s Turbo models, including the new 911 Turbo S.
Seen in the metal, the Cayenne Electric’s proportions are quite striking. It looks more purposeful than the existing petrol and hybrid models – which will continue to be sold alongside the EV – with a squat and purposeful stance that’s almost more estate car than SUV.
It’s worth taking your time on the configurator, though, as this Porsche is very spec-dependent. The entry-level Cayenne displayed in London looked rather anonymous in grey, but the Turbo in Mystic Green Metallic – and wearing 22-inch alloy wheels – drew an appreciative crowd all evening.
Deliveries in spring 2026
We also had a chance to sit inside the Cayenne Electric for the first time. Like many modern cars, its dashboard is dominated by screens, most notably the new curved ‘Flow Display’ that blends into the centre console. Combined with the (also curved) digital dials and optional 14.9-inch passenger screen, it creates the largest display area ever found in a Porsche.
Other innovations are a head-up windscreen display with augmented reality tech, plus an AI-powered voice control system that ‘responds like a real conversation partner’. Who needs friends anyway?
As you’d expect, the Porsche’s cabin is spacious and flawlessly finished. It has grown by 55mm in length versus the petrol model, creating more rear legroom than any previous Cayenne. Luggage capacity is an enormous 781 litres with the rear seats in place, supplemented by a further 90 litres beneath the bonnet. You can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, too.
After their brief appearance in Mayfair, the two Cayennes will be going on tour to Porsche dealerships across the UK. If you like what you see, orders are open now, with the first deliveries expected in late spring 2026.
The Renault 5 and Renault 4 are now eligible for the top-tier £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) following a shift in battery production to France.
The long-range 52kWh is now being built in Renault’s gigafactory in Douai, rather than in China. This means it meets the sustainability part of the ECG, duly taking the grant up from £1,500 to the full £3,750.
This takes prices for the new Renault 5 Techno+ down to £23,945. Iconic Five+ models cost from £25,945 and Roland Garros+ are from £26,945.
Renault 4 prices now start from £23,445, with the ECG applied.
Renault has also taken the opportunity to tweak the spec of both Renault 5 and Renault 4, following early customer feedback.
Renault 5 Techno+ get a contrast black roof as standard, while Iconic Five+ and Roland Garros+ get a Harman Kardon stereo.
Renault 4 Evolution+ models get a new 18-inch steel wheel design, Techno+ have a contrast black roof and Iconic+ get the Harman Kardon stereo.
The 52kWh models now carry the ‘+’ designation to denote they use the Douai-made batteries – and benefit from the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant.
Alpine A290 also gets ECG boost
The Renault 5’s sporty sister car, the Alpine A290, also now qualifies for the full £3,750 ECG.
The entire Alpine A290 range – that’s GT+, GT Performance+ and GTS+ – now enjoy lower transaction prices, which start from £30,245.
“Earning the full £3,750 grant eligibility is fantastic news and I’ve no doubt will accelerate the already amazing interested we have had in the award-winning Alpine A290,” said head of Alpine Cars UK Nicola Burnside.
“The awarding of the top-tier £3,750 Electric Car Grant is great news for customers who are thinking about switching to electric,” added Renault Group UK MD Adam Wood.
“We are pleased to see that our focus on environmental accountability and investment in made-in-Europe battery manufacturing has been recognised.
“Since the grant was introduced, we have seen momentum build in the market, and this decision will further boost the UK’s rising EV sales even further.”
The Renault and Alpine models join other cars qualifying for the full £3,750 ECG, including the Ford Puma Gen-E and latest Nissan Leaf.
The overwhelming majority of UK motorists would support the introduction of alcohol interlocks to deter drink-driving.
Alcohol interlocks, also known as ‘alcolocks’, prevent a vehicle from being started or driven if alcohol is detected in the driver’s breath.
A survey undertaken by the RAC found that 82 percent of respondents would be in favour of alcohol interlocks being used in the UK.
Only seven percent of respondents were against the idea of interlocks for convicted drink-drivers, with 12 percent unsure.
Motorists want tough action on drink-driving
Alcolocks are already used in numerous countries around the world, including France, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
In these countries, a court can order an alcohol interlock to be fitted to a drink-driver’s vehicle as part of their sentencing.
Fully 71 percent of those surveyed by the RAC believe an alcolock should be mandated for every motorist caught over the drink-drive limit. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) believe it should be reserved for repeat offenders instead.
Support for alcohol interlocks was high amongst all age ranges. However, younger drivers (87 percent) were most in favour of their introduction.
Some 86 percent of respondents aged between 25 to 44 were supportive, along with almost three quarters (73 percent) of drivers aged over 65.
The latest Department for Transport statistics show that 260 people were killed in crashes involving drink-driving offences in 2023. A further 1,600 were seriously injured, too.
RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Giving courts the power to mandate the fitting of alcohol interlocks – which prevent a convicted drink-driver from getting behind the wheel after drinking – is something that drivers believe warrants serious consideration as they’re telling us the current penalties aren’t working.
“Alcolocks are already in widespread use in other parts of the world and have the potential here in the UK to reduce the number of alcohol-related collisions and casualties, and the costs associated with them.
“The fact a huge majority of drivers support the use of alcolocks sends a clear message that they want to see more being done to tackle drink-driving. The Government will hopefully address this in its soon-to-be-published Road Safety Strategy.”
Alfa Romeo has unveiled extremely limited-edition versions of its Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models.
Declared by the Italian marque to be an ‘instant classic’, production of the Quadrifoglio Collezione will be limited to 63 examples worldwide.
The low build number is a reference to the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Super, launched in 1963.
The Ti Super was the first road-going Alfa Romeo to wear the now-legendary Cloverleaf badge, which made its motorsport debut decades earlier.
Honouring the Cloverleaf legend
Built at Alfa’s Cassino factory in the Lazio region of Italy, the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Collezione will come in bespoke paint colours.
A reinterpretation of the’ Rosso Villa D’Este’ hue used on the 33 Stradale supercar, the paint can appear red or black depending on the lighting.
The commemorative duo will each use a special twist on this colour. ‘Rosso Collezione Giulia’ favours darker shades, while ‘Rosso Collezione Stelvio’ has a brighter red hue.
On the inside, both cars have leather and Alcantara upholstery, with red stitching used throughout. Sparco carbon fibre seats will feature the individual production number of each Collezione embroidered into their headrests.
Just two examples for the UK
Under the bonnet, Alfa Romeo has left the 520hp 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine unchanged, although an Akrapovic exhaust system is fitted as standard, along with carbon-ceramic brakes.
Carbon fibre trim is used for the front badge, mirror caps, central tunnel and dashboard, with the roof also crafted from the lightweight material. ‘Instant Classic Certification’, issued by Alfa Romeo Classiche department, is also part of the package.
For UK enthusiasts, the chance to own a Giulia Quadrifoglio Collezione will be slight, with just two examples destined for our shores. And British Alfa fans will be denied any opportunity to own the Stelvio SUV.
Alfa Romeo has not confirmed prices for the Giulia Quadrifoglio Collezione, but expect a hefty premium over the £86,885 asked for the standard super saloon.
Land Rover has unveiled an off-road racing version of the Defender, ahead of its motorsport debut in 2026.
The Defender D7X-R shares its underpinnings with the high-performance Octa version of Land Rover’s 4×4 – and is built on the same production line.
However, the D7X-R is destined for a hard life in the formidable 2026 World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC).
The W2RC will begin with the Defender D7X-R’s toughest test: the infamous Dakar Rally. The famous endurance race covers more than 3,000 miles of competitive stages across Saudi Arabia.
Related to the Defender Octa
Land Rover will enter the Defender D7X-R 110 in the new ‘Stock’ category of the W2RC, which has strict rules on what can be modified for competition use.
The D7X-R uses the same platform as the Defender Octa, along with its 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The latter remains unmodified, but will make use of sustainable petrol to meet FIA regulations – supplied by a gigantic 550-litre fuel tank.
The Defender Octa’s suspension setup remains, albeit with new dampers developed by Bilstein.
There is even a special ‘Flight Mode’, developed by the Defender Rally team. This automatically adjusts the level of torque from the engine when the D7X-R is airborne, helping to ensure a smooth landing on sand dunes.
Racing into the unknown
Other key changes include the fitment of an FIA-specification roll cage, bespoke bodywork to improve off-road clearance, and integrated hydraulic jacks for quick tyre changes.
Land Rover has entered three crews into the 2026 Dakar Rally, including the two-man team of Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge.
Peterhansel is a true Dakar legend, having won the event a record 14 times. His most recent victory was in 2021 with Mini.
Ian James, Defender Rally team principal said: “Defender is driving into the unknown – to overcome the dunes, handle the heat and race flat‑out against the clock. We know Dakar represents one of the toughest challenges in motorsport – but that’s exactly why we are entering.
“With world‑class partners and some of the best rally‑raid drivers on the planet, we’ll give it our all. I’m incredibly proud and excited to make our competitive debut in the W2RC and I look forward to what the season will bring.”
BMW has announced a celebratory special edition to mark the end of Z4 roadster production.
The appropriately named Z4 Final Edition will be available to order from January 2026, before the final Z4 sports car rolls off the line in March next year.
Changes for the last-of-the-line Z4 are limited. However, BMW still hopes that the Final Edition ‘may well become a collectors’ item’ over time.
Originally unveiled at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the third-generation ‘G29’ Z4 sold in modest numbers over the years that followed.
End of the road for BMW’s roadster
The Z4 Final Edition’s most distinguishing feature is the exclusive option of Frozen Matt Black paint.
Other paint colours from the Z4 range are also available, but M High-gloss Shadowline exterior trim is standard on all cars – along with red-painted BMW M brake calipers.
Inside, contrasting red stitching is used on the dashboard, centre console and door trims. M Sport seats are finished in a combination of Vernasca leather and Alcantara, also with red stitching.
Clock is ticking for the Z4
The finishing touches are a sports steering wheel clad in grippy Alcantara, plus engraved door sill trims that mark out the Z4 as a Final Edition.
It marks a low-key end for the third-generation Z4, which was developed to share its platform with the Toyota GR Supra coupe.
Earlier this year, Toyota announced its own GR Supra Final Edition. Production of the Japanese marque’s sports car also ends next year.
BMW will offer the Final Edition package for all versions of the Z4 roadster, ranging from the four-cylinder sDrive20i and sDrive30i models, right up to the 340hp M40i. Prices and availability for UK customers have yet to be confirmed.
The gift was kindly meant, but I found it hard to hide my disappointment. About 20 birthdays ago, my parents bought me a supercar experience. You know the sort of thing: drive a fast car – a Ferrari 360 Modena in my case – around a track, then take home a framed photograph to prove it. After a doom-laden safety briefing, I spent more time signing insurance waivers than actually behind the wheel. Then, when we finally ventured onto the circuit, my chaperone urged me to go slower and shift up sooner to “protect the engine”.
The PalmerSport experience day is absolutely nothing like that. Over the course of nine action-packed hours, you will drive an array of bona fide competition cars, from a Caterham Seven to a McLaren Artura GT4. The instructors are all racing drivers who live and breathe motorsport (a certain Sir Lewis Hamilton once worked here), and each activity is timed so you can compete against your colleagues. Oh, and you are encouraged to push the cars to their limits, driving as fast as you possibly can.
PalmerSport was established in 1991 by former Formula 1 and BTCC driver, Jonathan Palmer. His company, MotorSport Vision, owns and operates circuits such Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Snetterton, and runs a variety of race series – including the GB3 Championship and Ferrari Challenge UK. In 1999, PalmerSport moved from its original base at Bruntingthorpe airfield to the purpose-built Bedford Autodrome, where it has remained ever since.
Taking a plunge
The milky winter sun has barely edged above the horizon when I sign in at Bedford, but the forecast is dry and unseasonably warm. Phew. Over a cooked breakfast and coffee, a fellow guest tells me about the Le Mans simulator rig he has at home. Clearly, unlike me, not everyone here is a racing rookie.
We watch a briefing video presented by Martin Brundle, then jump on a bus to the South Circuit for the first drives of the day. It turns out I’ve been thrown straight in at the deep end…
Yep, I’m starting off in the McLaren Artura GT4. The new pride of the PalmerSport fleet is a full-blooded endurance racer with slick tyres, an F1-style steering yoke and an air jacking system for quicker pit stops. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 does without the plug-in hybrid tech of the regular Artura, which is outlawed by GT4 regulations. Kerb weight is thus around 1,200kg – nearly 200kg less than its street-legal sibling.
Playing by Papaya rules
In vibrant Papaya orange with Palmersport decals, the McLaren has an aura of single-minded intent. Folding myself through a beefy rollcage, its cabin looks cluttered yet starkly functional. The bucket seat is fixed in position, but a sliding pedal box means you can find a good driving position. “Ready?” asks my instructor over the in-helmet intercom. I pull the right paddle to engage first gear with a clunk. “As I’ll ever be.”
No question, the McLaren feels brutally quick, its shorter-ratio gearbox blamming through 8,500rpm upshifts before the bellowing V6 can pause for breath. Once the Pirelli P-Zero tyres are up to temperature, though, it isn’t the untamed animal you might expect.
In fact, it’s relatively easy to drive, as befits a turn-key customer racing car, with smooth steering, fade-free carbon brakes and staunch grip. Its balance feels neutral, erring towards safe understeer at the limit, although stomping on the throttle too early can certainly unstick the rear end – as I discover on only my second lap.
Getting back to basics
Driving any circuit for the first time, most of your brain’s bandwidth is occupied by where you are going: the racing line, braking points, the correct gear for each corner and so on. With the PalmerSport instructor’s crisp, calm directions in my ear, however, I felt able to relax and simply enjoy the car. And what a car! The Artura feels up on its toes, reacting instantly to your inputs. Yet also seems to flatter your mistakes, encouraging you to commit to fast corners and feel the enhanced downforce at work.
Back in the hospitality suite, I rush over to the electronic leaderboard. Hmmm. A fastest lap of 1min 6.16sec puts me 11th out of 12 in our group – a sobering reminder that perhaps I’m not a driving deity after all. I quietly resolve to do better in the next challenge: the back-to-basics Palmer JP-LM.
A roofless (and ruthless) sports prototype with a spaceframe chassis and mid-mounted 3.0-litre Cosworth V6, the JP-LM is an unapologetically raw racing car. Dropping down into its snug cockpit feels like wriggling into a 164mph bathtub, facing a tiny steering wheel and simple LCD rev counter. My backside is millimetres from the tarmac and the mirrors are filled by a hulking rear wing. There are no driver aids – not even anti-lock brakes – and no excuses.
Mario Kart made real
I’d thought the McLaren would be an abrupt wake-up call, but in retrospect it mollycoddled me. With 450hp per tonne and no windscreen, the JP-LM takes no prisoners; it’s an assault on the senses. The cacophony is such that my co-driver uses hand signals, rather than the intercom, to indicate gear shifts and braking points, encouraging me to clip kerbs and use every inch of the track in the quest for quicker lap times.
It works. When I stumble dizzily out of the car, face flushed and fingers tingling, my best time for the lap of the West Circuit is 1min 24.25sec, placing me fourth overall. It’s an encouraging result, although a further reality check comes from my instructor, who takes me for a passenger lap in the JP-LM and promptly goes 10 seconds faster. Point taken.
Next up is go-karting, perhaps the purest motorsport of them all. Despite mustering just 13hp, the Honda-engined karts are raring to go fast and sideways. As two groups of six drivers take turns on the circuit, what ensues feels like a real-life version of Mario Kart. I’m wrestling with the steering wheel, bouncing off stacks of tyres and drifting through corners at 90 degrees like I’ve just hit one of Bowser’s banana skins. By the time the chequered flag falls, my wrists are aching with the strain, but I have set the third fastest lap. Onwards and upwards.
Flying with wings
Suddenly, things get serious again; it’s time to go it alone in Formula 3000 cars on the West Circuit. After another video pep talk from Martin Brundle, I pull on a fireproof race suit and clamber into the cramped, single-seat cockpit. Under its skin, the F3000 is closely related to the JP-LM, with the same 250hp V6 and paddle-shift gearbox, but it has less weight and a lot more downforce. Two onboard video cameras will also capture my performance for posterity.
Taking a deep breath, I exit the pit lane and start steadily, acutely conscious of my cold tyres. The gear shifts feel jarring at first and I seem to be steering in a series of straight lines, like the perimeter of a 50p piece. As my speed increases, though, everything starts to coalesce. Being able to see the front wheels means you can place the car more precisely and nail each apex.
Still, the window between grip and slip is a narrow one, and learning to trust the F3000 through high-speed corners feels like a leap of faith. When the fun stops, my fastest lap of 1min 29.17sec is good for third place – albeit an eternity behind the pro record of 1min 12.1sec. Practice makes perfect, I suppose.
Mud, sweat and gears
After a delicious steak-and-salad lunch that does my power-to-weight ratio no favours, we head for the off-road course in a convoy of Land Rovers. Each one has a target sticker in the middle of its windscreen, the idea being to score points by hitting the bullseye with tennis balls that are suspended on strings above each obstacle. Like most things I’ve attempted today, it’s harder than it looks, but I can’t fault the classic Defender. Up steep ramps, through water splashes and balancing on parallel logs, it maintains a dogged, low-range crawl while I simply steer. As another ball misses the target, this feels like a showcase of the 4×4’s ability more than mine.
Next we’re back on track in the Caterham PalmerSport: a bespoke racing version of the Seven that weighs less than 650kg and hits 60mph in 3.9 seconds. The first challenge is a back-to-back drift battle on identical oval circuits, finishing with a tyre-smoking donut around a traffic cone. Having previously taken part in a Caterham Drift Day at Brands Hatch, I know how readily these cars spin up their rear wheels and slide around. However, doing so against the clock requires a cool head and measured inputs. “The traction control is your right foot,” my instructor says.
I end up finishing in second place, then head to the East Circuit brimming with confidence. Yet pride inevitably comes before a fall, and I have my first spin of the day, sending the Caterham backwards across the grass until we glide to an undignified halt. If anything, the Seven – which is shod with Falken winter tyres – feels even more playful here, demanding constant corrections as you barrel into each corner at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. It’s the closest thing I’ve driven to a go-kart since, well, earlier today.
Seven in a spin
Given my unplanned pirouette, I’m satisfied with fifth place on-track in the Caterham. Now, as the daylight starts to fade, there is only one car left on our agenda: the Ginetta G56 GTA. A derivative of the most successful GT4 racer of all time, the British-built Ginetta has a 270hp 3.7-litre Ford V6, rear-wheel drive and perfect 50:50 weight distribution. After a few sighting laps of the short and tightly coiled North Circuit in an electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, I’m ready for a last blast.
All day I’ve been focused on lap times, but what follows next feels like a race. With my instructor shouting over the metallic thrash of the Ginetta’s dog-ring gearbox, I’m driving flat-out, tight on the bumper of the car in front with another G56 looming large in my mirrors. I’m desperately trying to defend my position while looking for opportunities to overtake.
Shifting up as the LEDs on the steering wheel flicker red, then braking as late as I dare, the experience is intense and all-consuming. By the time the marshals end our session, I’ve set a fastest lap of 52.73 seconds – only 2.4 seconds slower than the pro target and good for third place. I’m mentally exhilarated and physically exhausted.
A dream day for drivers
The PalmerSport experience isn’t cheap, with prices from £1,000 for a full day. That said, in terms of the cars available and how hard you’re encouraged to push, there really is nothing like it. Bedford Autodrome also has conference facilities for corporate guests, so you can discuss sales strategies in the morning, then hit the circuit after lunch. For car or motorsport fanatics, it’s the ultimate driving day out.
More than a quarter (25.9 percent) of vans on British roads fail their first MOT test, according to new data.
Analysis of MOT test outcomes from 2024 found Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) have a first-year failure rate more than twice that of other vehicles.
By comparison, failure rates for non-LCVs were recorded at 12.6 percent for the same period.
Given the ever-increasing number of vans on UK roads, fleet industry experts have said this van MOT failure rate ‘poses a significant threat to national infrastructure and traffic flow’.
There are now more than 5.1 million vans in use on UK roads – an increase of one million in the last 10 years.
‘Flashing amber light’ for the van sector
Brakes and tyres were highlighted as being the primary MOT failure points, with ignorance of previous advisories noted as a potential cause.
Stuart Lovatt, chair of TyreSafe, highlighted the link between advisories and failure: “Verifleet’s data is a flashing amber light for the entire van sector. Our primary concern is that a quarter of tyre failures were previously noted as advisories.
“This means fleet managers had a documented warning and chose to gamble. As the only contact point between the vehicle and the road, a tyre advisory ignored on a loaded van is a critical safety gamble. Simple, regular checks save lives and prevent breakdowns.”
Verifleet’s analysis highlighted that around 25 percent of vans presented for subsequent MOTs had received advisories beforehand. Ignoring these warnings is likely have contributed to the 25.9 percent failure rate.
Failures caused by business decisions
Ian Andrew, CEO of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), spoke for frontline service providers: “Our members – the tyre distributors and fitters – are on the frontline, and they see these neglected advisories every day. The 25 percent failure rate is a direct reflection of businesses choosing to defer necessary vehicle maintenance rather than investing in timely, professional attention.
“This decision inevitably leads to unnecessary call-outs, unplanned downtime and missed deliveries, directly impacting the bottom line. We urge all LCV operators to ensure their drivers are conducting their daily walk-around checks.”
Mark Cartwright from National Highways added: “A vehicle breakdown on the Strategic Road Network is not just a commercial inconvenience; it’s a major cause of congestion and poses a significant risk to road users.
“When one in four vans is found to be non-compliant, it translates directly into avoidable safety incidents and hours of disruption for the five million-plus vehicles that are essential to the UK economy.”
A 2013 Bentley Mulsanne originally used by King Charles III is set to be auctioned next week.
The H&H Classics Millbrook Sale will see the Bentley saloon sold amongst a range of other intriguing vehicles, from an Aston Martin DB4 Vantage to a Ford Capri.
However, the Bentley used by the former Prince of Wales will likely be one of the leading lots, with an estimate of between £80,000 and £100,000.
That it comes with a desirable and very luxurious specification, and Bentley’s twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine, will only heighten the Mulsanne’s appeal.
A Bentley fit for royal service
Originally owned by the Bentley Motor Cars Press and Special Vehicles Department, the Mulsanne was allocated to the royal household in December 2013.
A number of Mulsannes were used by the royal family, with several built to a special specification for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
This particular Bentley, finished in Dark Sapphire with a Magnolia leather interior, was used extensively by the Prince of Wales. Numerous images on the auction listing show ‘DA63 XGO’ with the now-King Charles III.
This included 21-inch alloy wheels, four-wheel air suspension, burr walnut interior trim, a rear-view parking camera, power-adjustable lumbar support in the front and outer rear seats, a power-closing boot lid, a digital radio, television reception and a heat-insulating windscreen.
In total, nine service stamps are found in the Mulsanne’s history file, with around 34,000 miles now showing on its odometer.
Ready for a new household
Bentley retained ownership of ‘DA63 XGO’ until 2017, when it was sold to a private collector. It subsequently changed hands again in 2023, becoming the property of the current vendor.
Given the provenance behind the Mulsanne, along with its strong level of standard specification, expectations are high for when it crosses the block.
The Bentley will be auctioned on Wednesday 3 December 2025, with the H&H Classics sale taking place at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.
New research reveals that male drivers pay out far more than women when it comes to speeding fines.
The UK-based study by road safety tech specialist Ooono uncovered a major disparity between the amount of fines paid by male and female drivers.
On average, analysis found that men paid £804 for speeding fines, with women spending £324 in comparison.
During the past 12 months, more than a fifth (21 percent) of male drivers said they had paid more than £1,000 in speeding fines. This is in contrast to just three percent of women admitting the same.
Bigger fines for male drivers
More than a third (35 percent) of men said receiving a speeding fine has affected their monthly finances, compared to 24 percent of women.
In addition, 18 percent of men admitted to being late with their mortgage payment as a result of receiving a speeding fine, versus just eight percent of women.
Some 10 percent of male drivers said they had to borrow money to cover the cost of a speeding fine. Only three percent of women said the same.
Ooono’s wider Driver Distraction survey found that men were more likely to check their phone while driving, with 43 percent saying they had done so. In contrast, only 26 percent of women admitted to doing this.
More than a third (36 percent) of men said they could be distracted by in-car infotainment systems, versus 15 percent of female drivers.
Sean Morris, Ooono UK’s chief operating officer, said: “We see, from our research, that men drive faster and take more risks, probably due to over confidence. That confidence can be misplaced, and the fines speak for themselves.”
