The Ford Puma is back. But before you get carried away with thoughts of Steve McQueen, Tiff Needell terrorising fellow Top Gear presenters and front-wheel-drive coupes, the new Puma is a small SUV. Like the old Puma, it’s based on the Ford Fiesta, but aside from the name, that’s where the similarities end. But the return of the much-loved name got us thinking about other cars that have returned from the dead.

The last Ford Puma was, quite simply, one of the best handling front-wheel-drive cars ever built. Pick of the engines was the 1.7-litre unit co-developed with Yamaha, but the Puma also featured a delightful gearbox, complete with a terrific gear knob. No other small coupe could touch it – the car, not the knob – which meant the Puma appealed to both fashion-led buyers and keen drivers.

Toyota Supra

But while Ford has transformed the Puma from a cute coupe to a crossover, Toyota hasn’t messed with the Supra formula. The new car may borrow much from its sibling the BMW Z4 – including engines – but this rear-drive sports car is a near figure-for-figure copy of its predecessor.

And by figure-for-figure, we mean they both produce near-on the same power and share the same footprint. Back in 1993, 320hp+ was not to be sniffed at. You could see off the top end of the Porsche 911 range with that. Today, it’s more Cayman than 911 territory, but we’re pleased that Toyota didn’t disappear down the horsepower wars rabbit hole.

Alpine A110

Alpine took a similar approach for its resurrection. It’s a back-from-the-dead double-whammy, as both the Alpine name and the A110 model return. The new car is so good, it came within a count-back of beating the Jaguar I-Pace to the 2019 European Car of the Year crown.

The new A110 has a lot to live up to. This lightweight sports car tore up the rally stages, to claim the first World Rally Championship in 1973. The new car apes the original’s style as well as its less-is-more ethos.

Ford Galaxy

Technically, the Galaxy doesn’t succeed the Galaxie, even in name. The Galaxy arrived at the height of the MPV revolution in the 1990s, sharing underpinnings with the Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra. It was a perfectly competent but not particularly inspiring machine.

The humble MPV is not to be confused with the earlier Ford Galaxie. More than a spelling change, this Galaxie was a monstrous luxury saloon and coupe from the 1960s that turned its hand to NASCAR and various other race disciplines. You won’t find a 7.0-litre V8 under the ‘hood’ of the modern-day MPV, that’s for sure…

Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2 turns 43 this year, but it still looks futuristic today. This utterly ridiculous and mad luxury saloon must have made a Rolls-Royce Shadow resemble a horse and cart in its day.

Now, Lagonda is on its way back, albeit as a standalone car marque. Still, it retains the pro-futurist vibe of the 70s wedge, claiming to be the world’s first all-electric luxury car brand. We can’t wait to see the first cars on the road, but in the meantime, here’s the Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf at Goodwood.

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Being front-wheel-drive, the Mitsubishi Eclipse wasn’t the sharpest coupe in the toolbox, but it shot to fame thanks to the Fast & Furious franchise.

Meanwhile, the new interpretation of the Eclipse is unlikely to shoot to fame in any shape or form. This paint-by-numbers crossover feels like a bit of a wasted use of the Eclipse badge, especially given the name’s illustrious past.

BMW 8 Series

First shown at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the BMW 850i followed the 750i saloon as the second post-war German car to be powered by a 12-cylinder engine. It made a great first impression – by the summer of 1990, it was reported that the entire production of 10,000 to 12,000 units had been sold until 1993 – but the 8 Series never really fulfilled its undoubted potential.

Which is partly why the 8 Series range was dormant for 20 years following the end of production in 1999. But now it’s back, with the new 8 Series boasting an eye-catching design and a bespoke interior. Coupe and convertible versions are available, with prices starting from £76,295.

Honda NSX

The original ‘everyday supercar’, the Honda NSX proved that cars of this ilk needn’t be badly built or hard to drive. Launched in 1990, the NSX enjoyed a 15-year production run, before the badge was put out to pasture for more than two decades.

If the original NSX was an analogue affair, the new version is more digital. With a combined output of 581hp from its V6 engine, the new NSX can hit 62mph in a hypercar-baiting 2.9 seconds. In the words of our Tim Pitt, “it’s as straightforward to drive as a Civic or Jazz, yet it still inspires reverence on the right road”.

TVR Griffith

According to the TVR Car Club, an order was taken every eight minutes following the unveiling of the Griffith at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show. Hardly surprising, given the classic sports car styling, the thunderous V8 under the bonnet and the supercar-taming pace. Just over 600 were built in 1992, with production continuing into the new millennium.

The second coming of the TVR Griffith arrived in 2017, with power sourced from a Cosworth-tuned 5.0-litre V8 engine. The new Griffith features Gordon Murray’s iStream architecture and weighs just 1,250kg. Sadly, a production delay means that the new TVR is unlikely to hit the road until 2020 at the earliest.

Ford Bronco

Launched in 1965, the Ford Bronco enjoyed a three-decade production run before bowing out in 1996. Conceived as a ‘modern-day symbol for the American cowboy’, the Bronco achieved immortality following the OJ Simpson car chase in 1994.

Ford announced the Bronco’s return in 2017, with the new SUV expected to hit the streets in 2020. It’s likely to feature a removable roof and doors, along with the option of a hybrid powertrain. We’re not sure about modern-day American cowboys, but we expect to see a number of former Bronco orders forming a disorderly queue for a slice of nostalgia.

Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar might be the most stylish SUV in the Land Rover range, but its name is steeped in history. From a product perspective, it sits between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport, with prices starting from a little over £45,000.

The Velar’s styling might be ultra-modern, but its name is a link back to the earliest days of Range Rover. The Velar name was used for the secret prototype built in 1967, ahead of the Range Rover’s launch in 1970. “We wanted to develop a more comfortable on-road Land Rover that would combine the comfort of the Rover with the Land Rover 4×4 capability,” said Roger Crathorne, also known as ‘Mr Land Rover’.

The new Ford Puma is a super-stylish small SUV that looks set to cause a stir in the sector when it goes on sale later this year. Not only does it look fantastic, it literally contains hidden depths inside, too.

Going up against the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Seat Arona, Volkswagen T-Cross and umpteen others, the Puma sits between the Ecosport and Kuga in the Ford range.

It doesn’t replace Ecosport, and arrives just months after the similarly stylish new Kuga goes on sale, in December 2019. Ford’s SUV game is about to get serious.

Designer Thomas Morel says styling has been central to the creation of the new Ford Puma, which began with sketches back in 2015. “We wanted it to stand out in a crowd,” he told Motoring Research.

Describing how the Puma team brainstormed in a single room dedicated to the Puma project, Morel said the design team “had much more leverage” to create the vehicle they wanted. “We wanted it to have attitude, and character, with simple, sculpted lines and no odd quirks.”

The high front end, with vertical headlights that hint at the Ford GT, is distinctive, and the side featureline swoops down as it moves rearwards; Morel calls it ‘anti-wedge’. The Puma has a sporty rear roofline and muscular rear wheelarches.

It has a squat, foursquare stance on the road, thanks to a wide track and tyres bigger in diameter than even a Ford Focus.

Fiesta roots

The new Ford Puma is derived from the acclaimed Ford Fiesta platform. It is 4186mm long, 1,805mm wide and 1,537mm tall: a Fiesta is just over 4 metres and an Ecosport is 4.1 metres.

The Puma’s dimensions are similar to rivals such as the Captur and T-Cross.

Inside, the dashboard architecture is similar to the Fiesta too, although it’s deeper and occupants sit 60mm higher off the ground.

There are lots of soft-touch plastics, the option of an all-new digital instrument cluster, and plenty of cubbies “because people expect more storage.

“We wanted to create an interior that made people confident and feel protected.”

It is roomy and comfortable up front, and surprisingly spacious in the rear. Six-foot-tall adults will find sufficient headroom, knee room and space for feet.

Ford is even offering washable seat covers that can be easily unzipped and placed in the washing machine.

Practicality points

But it is the boot that packs the biggest surprise of all with the new Ford Puma. Despite the stylish appearance, it is enormous.

A total of 456 litres is larger than anything in this class and bigger than today’s Ford Kuga, a much larger vehicle.

It can take loads 1 metre wide, up to 1.15 metres tall, and swallows numerous suitcases and folding bicycles with ease. A clever new parcel shelf design, attached to the tailgate, further aids practicality.

Ford also brings this sector’s first hands-free power tailgate as an option. 

The real surprise is beneath the boot floor, though. This is the Ford MegaBox, an 80-litre plastic box that gives more space, more practicality and more usability.

Video: Ford MegaBox

Ford demonstrated it by loading in two sets of golf clubs, packed upright: the tailgate still closed.

Because it is tough, washable plastic, muddy items can be thrown in and stored out the way.

Brilliantly, it even has a drain plug: rinse it out with a hose, pull the plug and the water drains away.

The Ford Puma’s MegaBox is a sector-standout feature that takes practicality to an entirely new level, particularly for those used to the sorely compromised Nissan Juke. Ford admits one of its biggest challenges will be communicating how practical the stylish new Puma is…

Puma power

Engine-wise, the Puma will launch with two petrol engine options, the 1.0-litre Ecoboost with either 95 horsepower or 125 horsepower.

In November 2019, two mild hybrid ‘MHEV’ versions will arrive, with 125 horsepower or 155 horsepower. Lower power one will be exceedingly economical, with CO2 emissions from 124g/km.

A 1.5-litre diesel and a seven-speed DCT automatic will follow in May 2020.

Ford is also promising the new Puma will handle much better than the competition. It will be roll-free and use its ample Focus-like track width to offer an ability “far higher than its rivals”.

New research commissioned by Seat suggests that a large proportion of parents are not using a child seat correctly. A study of 1,000 UK parents of children aged 12 or under yielded some troubling revelations.

As many as one in three said they’d transported someone else’s child without a child seat, while one in five said they let their child sit on a cushion rather than a booster seat. One in 10 said they’d had four or more children sat across one three-seat row.

A third of parents admitted they’ve used a car seat designed for an older child, while one in five said they’d used an incorrectly installed child seat.

Sometimes it’s not willful disregard of the rules, though. Many parents are not-so-blissfully ignorant of the regulations and dangers. Three-quarters of parents think the government should do more to make parents aware of car seat regulations.

A fifth of parents are confident about the rules around kids and car seats, with 40 percent of parents worried they’ve not fitted a child seat properly.

The law states that children under 12 or under 135cm tall, legally require some form of booster seat when travelling in a car, to prevent sliding under the adult belt in the event of an accident. As many as 47 percent of parents were unaware of this.

Take a seat, kids

In a bid to reduce injuries, drivers face a fine of up to £500 and three penalty points for using the wrong restraints. There were almost 10,000 injuries to children aged 15 or under, recorded in 2017, while 20 were killed.

“According to research from Spain’s Traffic Department, the difference between correct and incorrect child seat use can reduce the risk of casualty by 75 per cent and injuries by 90 per cent,” said Javier Luzon, from the Seat vehicle safety development department.

“It is crucial to use the seat which is certified for the child’s height and weight, as the design of each one meets the specific requirements to protect children’s bodies.”

A bad Brexit deal risks reversing a decade of UK automotive industry growth because of its dependence on free trade, said the £101 billion industry trade body’s chief executive today.

However a 20 percent industry boost is possible if the next Prime Minister secures a good Brexit deal and then works with industry.

Mike Hawes (pictured below), speaking at the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Trader’s (SMMT’s) international summit, said the next PM should prioritise frictionless trade.

“You cannot operate a ‘just-in-time’ network without frictionless trade,” said Hawes. Hard Brexit border delays risk a £50,000-per-minute cost to the automotive industry, according to SMMT calculations.

In a worst case scenario, this could cost £70 million a day. “Combine with WTO tariffs… this would deliver a knockout blow to the sector’s competitiveness.”

WTO passenger car tariffs alone would amount to £4.5 billion a year, “reducing consumer choice and increasing costs to UK car buyers,” said Hawes.

Earlier SMMT figures suggested WTO trade could add £1,500 to the price of the average British new car.

Export is vital for the UK automotive industry: 8 in 10 new cars built in Britain are exported. Most go to the EU. Add in imports, and 3.3 million new cars are traded between the UK and EU every year.

£20 billion Brexit boost?

Britain is the world’s 10^th largest exporter, and automotive is the largest single export industry. Take out automotive, and SMMT research suggests Britain would fall to 14^th, behind Canada, Mexico, Russia and Belgium.

The sector, which is worth £101 billion, employs 168,000 people and contributes an annual £18.6 billion to the UK economy.

The SMMT has published a new study, the 2019 UK Automotive Trade Report, which also outlines the positives of a good Brexit trade deal.

The organisation has identified opportunities that, if backed by a positive automotive-focused trade strategy, could yield a £20 billion uplift in global automotive trade.

“This report shows that, if the right choices are made, a bright future is possible.”

The SMMT has outlined eight recommendations for the UK’s new PM, which include seeking new trade opportunities in global markets and strengthening government engagement with industry.

But free trade remains the top priority. “I will keep repeating it until I am blue in the face,” said Hawes. “We need a deal: no deal is not an option.”

Nissan has expanded its support of netball in Australia with the appointment of Gretel Tippett as brand ambassador. 

The 25-year-old Queenslander becomes the latest netball star to enter a partnership with Nissan, and took delivery of a brand-new range-topping Qashqai Ti. 

Tippett has been named as a Australian Diamonds player for the forthcoming Netball World Cup, which takes place in England from the 12th to 21st July. 

At the tipping point

Adding Tippett to the Nissan roster sees her placed alongside two current Australian Diamonds players. Diamonds captain Caitlin Bassett, and defensive player Jo Weston, are existing brand ambassadors. Australian netballing legend Sharelle McMahon is another representative for the company. 

Speaking about her appointment as ambassador, Tippett stated she was: “very humbled when asked to join the Nissan family, I absolutely love the brand and Nissan has done so much for Australian netball, the sport that I love, so it’s very exciting for me”.

The Queensland Firebirds player added that: “most of my family drive Nissans, dad had a Nissan Navara and the family car for many years was a Nissan Pathfinder, so I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Nissan team. It means a lot to me.”

Along with being Nissan fans, the Tippett family is also rather sporty, with two of Gretel’s brothers having played in the AFL.  

Nissan squad goals

Along with appointing brand ambassadors, Nissan is a major partner of the Australian Diamonds team, and also provides player performance data for the Suncorp Super Netball league. 

Netball is recognised as the highest-profile female sport in Australia. The establishment of the professional Super Netball league provides guaranteed player salaries, along with primetime TV coverage of matches. 

Nissan has a track record of collaborating with young female sports stars. Last year the company named 21-year-old tennis player Naomi Osaka as a brand ambassador, and even allowed her to help design a special edition of the GT-R sports car. 

Osaka also drives a Nissan GT-R Nismo, meaning Gretel Tippett might want to push for something a little quicker if the Diamonds are successful in the 2019 Netball World Cup. 

Porsche Heritage Design: it sounds like it could be yet another generic design package like ‘Black Edition’, ’Shadow Edition’ or the like. But that’s not the case, according to Porsche.

It’s a nomenclature that was first used to preview a special version of what its arguably the most special modern 911: the new 911 Speedster. Now, Porsche is saying we’re going to get even more examples, limited in number, that take influence from its colourful history.

Porsche Heritage Design: explained

The Speedster Porsche introduced at the New York Auto Show previewed the ‘lifestyle’ interpretations of classic elements. Flashes of gold hark back to the original Porsche Speedster, while the white-with-silver paintwork looks back at Porsche’s motorsport history. The tanned-leather cabin in combination with the exterior colour palette is a classic combo.

More of the same, Porsche Heritage Design editions will bring the style of the past into Porsche’s contemporary models. Special colours, materials, liveries and more will subtly pay tribute to unique historical styles and fashions. Take, for instance, houndstooth material on the seats, wooden dashboard elements, ‘fuchs’-style wheels.

“Old colour and equipment cards, museum vehicles, design elements from the corresponding era – we took all this as our inspiration to reinterpret the design language of the past”, explains Ivo van Hulten, director of interior design style at Porsche.

“Individual memories that are brought back to life by certain colour schemes, a feel or patterns – this is a trend we are also witnessing in fashion or interior design and it forms the fundamental idea of our approach.”

Contemporary cars, classic style

Porsche doesn’t exactly need to re-embrace its past. It’s not afraid to incorporate style elements of old cars into new models. The new 911’s central analogue dial, bonnet creases (not seen since the 993) and broadened hips are all nods to classic 911 design tropes, for instance.

As for what’s to come? Perhaps think back to the 911 50 edition, but not as far as the old 997 Sport Classic.

It sounds like Porsche’s intention is to invoke retro style in a more subtle fashion. Needless to say, there’s a precedent for Porsche referencing its past. Porsche Heritage Design should only add to that.

All new electric and hybrid vehicles are now legally required to have an external sound generator so they can be more easily heard by pedestrians and cyclists.

The EU-mandated system is called an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System, or AVAS. It becomes law on 1 July 2019 after years of campaigning by groups such as the European Blind Union.

Related: The sound of the Jaguar I-Pace is Guide Dogs for the Blind approved

AVAS systems need to work at speeds of up to 13 mph, and the volume must be at least 56 dB (similar to the volume of an electric toothbrush).

The volume must not be louder than 75 dB, equivalent to the noise of a conventional car.  

The sound must also be continuous, and help road users understand the driving behaviour of the vehicle by sound alone – for example, by varying in volume and pitch when a vehicle is accelerating. 

Harman, a supplier to the car industry, is already fitting its ‘external Electronic Sound Synthesis’ (eESS) to new cars, after developing it since 2009.

It works via speakers at the front and rear of a vehicle. It uses a speed sensor, and another sensor on the accelerator pedal, to meet the EU requirements of signalling a vehicle’s characteristics by sound.

The new law, applicable to all new silent electric cars and hybrid vehicles, comes into force Europe-wide on 1 July 2019. It applies to any vehicle with four or more wheels – which means electric motorcycles are not required by law to have it.

But what about inside the car?

The new EU law does not apply to the sound inside a vehicle – but Harman still offers a modular system that gives acoustic feedback inside a vehicle too.

This, it says, helps connect drivers to the vehicle. Because electric vehicles literally are silent, eESS gives acoustic cues when a vehicle is switched on or off. Otherwise, motorists may be unsure and could even think a vehicle is broken.

And addressing concerns that cars without engines will be boring or unengaging for enthusiast, Harman allows brands to create custom-designed sounds, for “a sound signature that reflects the brand DNA of their cars”.

The wailing V12 or burbling V8 may yet live on, albeit virtually…

German tuning company ABT loves to increase the performance of Volkswagen Group products, and the Amarok pickup is the latest to benefit.

The upmarket commercial vehicle has proved to be a hit for Volkswagen, with more than 81,000 examples sold globally during 2018.

Last year also saw the introduction of a more powerful 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine for the Amarok, producing 258hp and 428lb-ft of torque.

Ready to rock out

However, this was not enough for ABT, and the company immediately got to work on extracting more from the range-topping Amarok.

Following several months of development, ABT has now released their new plug-in tuning Electronic Control Unit. The result is an impressive output of 306hp and 465lb-ft of torque from the turbocharged diesel.

Both the increased power and torque are produced in the same rev range as the standard model, meaning no change in driveability for the extra output.

Between a rock and a hard place

The tuned Amarok also benefits from increased outright performance, with the 0-62mph time falling from 8.0 seconds to 7.8 seconds. Top speed also rises slightly from 128mph to 131.1mph as well.

With many Amaroks having to work for a living, ABT is also keen to stress that the extra power and torque make a noticeable difference when the pickup is towing, or carrying weight.

We imagine Volkswagen fans will be keen to note that the boosted V6 TDI Amarok comfortably outguns the Ford Ranger Raptor in the horsepower stakes.

Ford’s new product uses a twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine, producing just 213hp and 369lb-ft of torque. Although the impressive off-road ability of the Ranger Raptor means it could well have the measure of the Volkswagen in the rough stuff.

ABT has also recently unveiled a modified version of the Lamborghini Urus SUV, taking peak power output to 710hp.