Visitors to the 2018 LA Auto Show who love Volvo, at ease: you will be able to check out the firm’s latest cars at the final big motor show of the year after all.
It seems the company’s claim it is “to show nothing” is not all it seems. Yes, Volvo will indeed not have a single car on its stand during the LA Auto Show’s Automobility LA event.
But Automobility LA is actually a four-day trade and press gathering, held before the LA Auto Show.
When the doors open to the public on 30 November, Volvo cars and SUVs will be there, a spokesperson has confirmed to Motoring Research and will remain so until it closes on 9 December.
“Volvo Cars to show nothing at Automobility LA” is correct, therefore… but the cars will be on show in all their glory for the 2018 LA Auto Show itself.
Confused? You’re certainly not alone.
Besides, Volvo has past form for PR campaign red herrings. Many took its 2017 claim that every new car it launches from 2019 would be electric to mean it was going all-electric. In fact, it included plug-in hybrids in the mix (that’s electrified, rather than fully electric…).
And so its world-first boast to attend a motor show with “not a single car on the stand” is not quite as headline-grabbing as many think.
Bosses have still hyped up the event, which is admittedly a bold statement to make. “By calling the trade show Automobility LA, the organisers have recognised the disruption affecting our industry,” said Mårten Levenstam, responsible for product strategy at Volvo Cars. “We want to demonstrate that we got the memo and start a conversation about the future of automobility.
“So instead of bringing a concept car, we talk about the concept of a car. We will not win the ‘car of the show’ award this year, but we are comfortable with that. Because this is not a car show.”
Volvo is expected to show the new S60 saloon at the LA Auto Show, fresh from its market launch in the summer. This is the first Volvo to be built at the firm’s brand new US factory in Charleston, South Carolina.
There’s another good reason to show cars at the 2018 LA Auto Show: Volvo confirmed earlier this year it will not be at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next March.
The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ made its debut during Monterey Car Week in California and is the latest version of Sant’Agata’s flagship V12 supercar.
Production of the SVJ – or Superveloce Jota – is limited to 900 units, with power increased to 770hp, enough for it to accelerate to 62mph in just 2.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the SVJ 63 pays homage to Lamborghini’s founding year and just 63 will be built.
They’re the latest in a long line of extreme Lamborghinis and the headline act of our celebration of 30 of the best.
Lamborghini Huracan Performante
First, some housekeeping – this gallery is focused on road-going Lamborghinis rather than the wild concepts and crazy motorsport creations. In fairness, the Huracan Performante is at home on the road and the track, featuring active aerodynamics, forged carbon-fibre and a 640hp 5.2-litre V10 engine.
Little wonder it had set eight track records within a year of its official debut.
Lamborghini Terzo Millennio
We said we’d be steering clear of concepts, but we must make an exception for the Terzo Millennio. When Lamborghini has to ditch the internal combustion engine, it’ll need to embrace electrification, which is where this concept comes in.
We applaud the electric drivetrain and many of the systems, but the ‘Piloted Driving’ simulation is a tad concerning. Do you really want to be driven around Imola by a so-called ‘virtual expert’? Hmmm.
Lamborghini Veneno
Lamborghini called it a ‘racing prototype for the road’, although we see it more as otherworldly. How else could you describe the styling and the 220mph top speed? What a way to celebrate a 50th birthday.
Only five were ever made: two for Lamborghini and three for some seriously loaded customers.
Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce
Lamborghini dusted off the fabled SV moniker for the extreme Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. Its 6.5-litre V12 developed 30 extra horsepower and Lamborghini put the SV on a weight-loss diet, saving 100kg. The 0-62mph time was 3.2 seconds and it would go on to reach a top speed of 212mph.
Lamborghini Egoista
You wouldn’t be surprised to see this roaming another planet in some outrageously over-the-top science fiction movie. Either that, or it would be driven by a laser-gun-wielding Will Smith as he attempts to save the planet from impending doom. The Water de Silva-designed Egoista isn’t exactly attractive, but it doesn’t lack presence either.
Lamborghini Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo
As soon as Lamborghini launched the hardcore and rear-wheel-drive Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo racer, we knew there’d be a road-going version driven through the rear wheels. The super-light race car weighs a mere 1,270kg and its V10 engine develops a magnificent 620hp. It also looks superb.
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
The Sesto Elemento is Lamborghini at its best – bonkers and brilliant. The figures are astonishing. At 999kg, it weighs less than your average supermini. But your average supermini isn’t powered by a V10 engine developing 570hp. It means this carbon-fibre-enriched supercar will sprint to 62mph in 2.5 seconds.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Edizione Tecnica
According to Lamborghini, this is the best Gallardo ever made, while Chris Evans said it was the most exciting and frightening road-legal car he had ever driven. As with most of the cars here, the figures are astonishing. A V10 engine developing 561hp, a top speed of 202mph and a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds.
Lamborghini Countach
It needs no introduction. For many children growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, this was the pin-up car of choice. The ultimate Countach was the Quattrovalvole or QV, complete with its 414hp 5.2-litre engine. It’s all about those doors. It’s one of the most famous supercars ever created.
Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 SuperVeloce
Launched at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Aventador LP 750-4 SuperVeloce is a stripped back and seriously hardcore race car for the road. Free of soundproofing or needless accessories, the SV isn’t for the faint-hearted. Four-wheel drive just about manages to keep this V12 monster on the road.
Lamborghini Reventon
By today’s standards, the aeronautical-inspired Reventon looks quite tame. Only 20 of these £840,000 ‘fighting bulls’ would be made, although Lamborghini built one extra for its museum. Well, you just would, wouldn’t you?
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Pirelli Edition
This isn’t the wildest Lamborghini you’ll find here, it’s just that we really like the styling. It was built to celebrate the partnership between Lamborghini and Pirelli. When celebrations involve 700hp and 0-62 times of 2.9 seconds, we’re more than happy to raise a glass.
Lamborghini LM002
Why have a Bentley Bentayga when you can have a Lamborghini LM002? Back in 1986, the ‘Rambo Lambo’ was the first four-wheel drive car the Italian firm had ever built and it was powered by a V12 engine. It was influenced by the equally bonkers Cheetah: a military prototype of 1977.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante Edizione Tecnica
All the benefits of Alcantara and carbon-fibre, without a roof. The usual figures apply: 201mph, 3.9 seconds to 62mph and 561hp.
Lamborghini Aventador J
You won’t need to look too closely to spot the Aventador J has no roof. Or windows. But you won’t be able to see that it doesn’t have air conditioning. Or a radio. Yet despite all this, Lamborghini sold the one-off J for $2,800,000 (£1,840,000). In case you’re wondering, J stands for Jota. And we’ll come to that a little later…
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Balboni
The rear-wheel-drive Huracan has something in common with the Gallardo LP 550-2 Balboni, not least because – at the time – it was the first rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini since the Diablo SV. It was built as a tribute to former test driver, Valentino Balboni, who insisted on rear-wheel drive. Good man.
Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4
No, the Asterion concept of 2014 isn’t extreme in the Lamborghini sense, but it was unexpected. Thanks to three electric motors and a 5.2-litre V10 engine, the Asterion plug-in hybrid developed a claimed 897hp. The CO2 emissions were quoted at a rather un-Lamborghini-like 98g/km.
Lamborghini Miura Jota
You can thank Bob Wallace, Lamborghini’s legendary chief test driver, for the Miura Jota’s existence. He felt the Miura had unfulfilled potential for the race track, which is how the one-off Jota of 1970 was born. Sadly, the car, quite literally, crashed and burned on the outskirts of Italy, but a selection of enlightened customers ensured a handful of Miura Jotas were actually built.
Lamborghini Diablo GT-R
Just look at it. Surely the GT-R is the best looking Diablo ever built? The road-going Diablo GT arrived in 1999, but the GT-R followed soon after. Only 40 units were built, with each one featuring an integrated roll cage, a huge rear wing and an uprated 6.0-litre V12 engine. Top speed was 216mph.
Lamborghini Marzal
We’re trying to keep this feature free of concepts, but we can’t let the stunning Marzal of 1967 pass us by. Bertone created a four-seat masterpiece, with ‘gullwing’ doors made of glass. Ferruccio Lamborghini wasn’t impressed, saying: “a lady’s leg would be there for all to see”. Quite.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale
Making its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, only 150 units of the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale were ever made. As a road-going version of the Super Trofeo race car, it was typically hardcore, with an adjustable rear spoiler offering three times the aerodynamic load of the standard LP 560-4.
Lamborghini Veneno Roadster
Wait, haven’t we see the Veneno already? Well yes, but this is the topless version. Thanks to the strengthening required due to the loss of the roof, the Roadster is slightly heavier than the ‘standard’ Veneno, but its performance figures remain the same. A total of nine were built.
Lamborghini Walter Wolf Countach
The Walter Wolf specials are legendary within Countach circles. Walter Wolf was a Canadian who owned his own F1 team and even considered buying Lamborghini. Being a very rich man who had bought several Lamborghinis in his time, Wolf had enough influence to convince the company to build three personal specials. Walter Wolf, we salute you.
Lamborghini Estoque
Sure, it’s not wild. It’s not even extreme. In fact, it’s rather elegant. But the idea of a modern Lamborghini four-door saloon in the style of an Aston Martin Rapide or Porsche Panamera is rather appealing. We can’t decide if the Lamborghini nose works on a four-door super-saloon. What do you think?
Lamborghini Jarama
The Jarama is so 1970s. Whatever your thoughts on the Lamborghini Jarama, you can’t deny it has got bucket-loads of presence. It was one of Ferruccio Lamborghini’s favourites, so who are we to argue? Besides, we have a soft spot for the V12-engined curio.
Lamborghini Pregunta
You didn’t think we’d miss this, did you? The Pregunta was based on the Diablo and was powered by the same V12 engine, giving it a claimed top speed of 207mph. Carrosserie Heuliez of France built the car, which was painted in the same colour as the Dassault Rafale fighter jet.
Lamborghini Miura SVR
According to the good people of Sant’Agata Bolognese, the Miura SVR is “one of the most astonishing Lamborghinis ever built”. It’s a one-off, inspired by the Miura Jota and created by the factory at the behest of German importer, Herbert Hahne. For 40 years, it lived in Japan, before it was restored by the talented folk at Lamborghini Polo Storico.
Lamborghini Urus
While not extreme by Lamborghini’s standards, the Urus is arguably the wildest SUV on the planet. If you’re going to cross a continent with the family and their luggage, what better way than in a Lambo with a 650hp 4.0-litre V8 engine and a 189mph top speed. You might not like it, but it’s thanks to the Urus that Lamborghini will be able to carry on producing extreme supercars.
Lamborghini Diablo SVR
We conclude our gallery with the first Lamborghini officially entered into racing by the factory. The SVR was based on the ‘standard’ Diablo SV and stripped back to race spec, including the removal of the headlights and the fitment of a huge carbon-fibre rear wing. When the racing was over, some SVRs were converted for road use.
Despite Amazon being rather busy with everyone taking advantage of Black Friday deals, the online giant has partnered with Alfa Romeo to offer an experience of the Stelvio SUV.
Forget heading down to your local dealership, Amazon will bring a Stelvio direct to your home or offices. Interested customers will then get to take the brand’s first SUV on a 45 minute test drive, providing they live within one of the chosen locations.
Booking a test drive is simple, making use of a dedicated section on the Amazon website, and can be done from either a desktop computer or mobile device.
Specialist staff will be on hand to make sure drivers discover the most about the car, and are also able to answer any questions about the Stelvio.
Sadly there are no online shopping discounts should you want to buy, with customers directed to their nearest Alfa dealership should they want to order a Stelvio.
Prime choices
Alfa Romeo joins other marques who have partnered with Amazon in recent months.
Volvo made use of the company to offer test drives of the V40 hatchback in May this year. Demand was so high, that the company offered a second round of Prime Now events a month later.
In the USA, Hyundai has an online store integrated into the Amazon.com website. This allows customers to arrange test drives at a location of their choice and discover specifications.
James Marsh, Alfa Romeo customer experience director, explained the Amazon partnership as a chance to put “customers at the centre and make the whole process of trying a new car as convenient as possible while still allowing them to experience the Alfa Romeo passion”.
2018 Amazon Alfa Romeo test drive schedule
Offered on a first come first served basis, test drives will be available on the below weekends:
With risk comes reward. That’s the theory, anyway. Betting your life savings on black will either make you rich or sitting on the brink of financial ruin. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’m not going to pretend that blowing £100 on a Renault Laguna is quite the same as risking your rainy-day cash on the spin of a roulette wheel, but the effects could be just as severe.
My life in surprisingly reliable cheap cars
The Laguna has become an axiom of unreliability. It is the antithesis of the Honda Jazz. The opposite of common sense. Only a fool would buy one. Which probably explains why I’m the custodian of a 2004 Renault Laguna II Sport Tourer.
Yep, the Laguna II is the problem child. It all started so well for Renault’s family exec, with the first-generation Laguna securing a foothold in a segment dominated by Ford and Vauxhall, helped in no small part by the exploits of the Williams-Renault BTCC cars, most notably in 1997.
Win on Sunday, sell more toner cartridges on Monday, or something along those lines.
The toast of Leigh Delamere
The Laguna II, unveiled at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, looked set to carry Renault’s repmobile into the new millennium, riding on a wave of avant-garde styling. Regie invested heavily in the car, developing the hatchback and estate models individually from the outset to create two different vehicles.
Things started well. The design, influenced by the Initiale concept car of 1995, was smart, if not exactly groundbreaking, and the Laguna packed enough tech to keep a sales rep chatting over his Early Starter for hours on end.
Entering and starting a car with the aid of a keycard felt otherworldly back then, while sat-nav, parking sensors and xenon headlights were the preserve of the cars lined up in the senior management parking bays, not those jostling for position at South Mimms or Leigh Delamere.
But the Laguna’s pièce de résistance, its main party trick, was its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Crash tested in 2001, the Laguna became the first car to achieve the maximum score: a milestone in the history of European safety ratings.
However, 17 years is a long time in the car industry, and it hasn’t been kind to the Laguna II. Spend a few minutes online, and you’ll be greeted with tales of terror, shocking stories and ‘approach with caution’ notices.
The Honest John ‘Good & Bad’ section provides the perfect demonstration of the Laguna’s many imperfections, with the list of faults far outweighing the positives, of which there are just two. Seriously, nobody in their right mind would buy a leggy Laguna II after perusing this CV.
Or would they? The problem is, I dream about different cars to most folk. While many car enthusiasts head to the numerous car festivals or concours events to get their motoring kicks, I tend to find my thrills in less salubrious surroundings.
Under the arches, at the back of industrial estates or searching the ‘under £500’ category in the classifieds are the kind of places you’ll find me. It’s a dark, gritty and occasionally oily existence, but it makes me happy.
Which is why the £100 Laguna ranks as my best purchase of 2018.
Shabby, cheap
Admittedly, £100 isn’t a tremendous amount of cash to risk on a car – some kids spend more than that playing an hour of Fortnite – but, you need to factor in the cost of insurance (£140), tax (£195) and petrol, servicing and maintenance.
Standard costs regardless of what car you’re buying, and at least there’s no depreciation to worry about. Which is great, because you have plenty of other things to lose sleep over when you own a Laguna II.
It’s not perfect, but what would you expect from a car costing a ton? Cosmetically, you could describe it as tatty, bordering on shabby. But, isn’t shabby chic all the rage, or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
There’s a nasty scrape on one of the wheelarches, a bodged repair on a sill and enough scratches to make me think it has had a tussle with Edward Scissorhands. But, it’s all original, it has never been in an accident, and it even wears its original dealer number plates.
It helps that it has had just two previous owners in its 14-year life. The original custodian kept it for the first three years, racking up 60,000 miles in the process, with the second owner holding on to it ever since.
There are enough invoices, receipts and old MOTs to fill two box files, providing the kind of service history used car buyers dream about. Admittedly, in the case of the Laguna II, a history of maintenance is as much a paper trail of terror as it is evidence of loving care.
But, everything has been fixed when required, advisory notes have been acted upon and, mechanically at least, the £100 Laguna has wanted for nothing. Let’s also remember that it has survived various scrappage schemes and opportunities for it to be traded in for something less troublesome.
Not that getting rid of a Laguna II is a straightforward process. According to Honest John, some dealers refused to take these cars in part-exchange, preferring to chance their arm with something less problematic, like an unexploded bomb, Katie Price’s financial affairs or world peace.
It means that the Laguna II tends to be cheaper than the original Laguna – it’s not hard to find a selection of cars available for £300 to £500. You can thank our disposable society and the rise of the PCP deal for the plethora of bargain-basement family cars, but there are far safer options at this end of the market.
The Honda Accord, Toyota Avensis, Ford Mondeo, taking the bus or staying indoors – all preferable to a cheap Laguna II.
A moustache and monkey’s leotard
OK, enough of the doom and gloom, what’s this car really like? Well, subjectively, I think it has aged as well as any other estate car of the previous decade. It doesn’t have the Teutonic class of a German wagon, but in profile and from the front, it remains elegant and understated. The brushed aluminium ‘tache’ above the grille is a nice touch, as if the designers took inspiration from a Magnet kitchen catalogue.
The 1.9-litre dCi engine is relatively economical – I’ve averaged 42.0mpg since buying it, which isn’t bad for a diesel estate in the autumn of its existence. With a fleet of petrol-engined coupes, hot hatches and convertibles, it’s rather refreshing to see a 700-mile range when you fill the tank.
Similarly refreshing is the fact that I don’t give a monkey’s leotard where I park the Laguna, or indeed what happens to it. Only last week, when the winds were whipped into a frenzy by Storm Seigfried – or whatever the latest bit of bad weather was called – a six-bar gate swung back and struck the nearside wing mirror.
Had this happened to my other cars, I’d have gone a little pale, muttered a few obscenities and prepared myself for a bill. In this instance, I didn’t give it a second thought until a couple of days later when I returned to the car to find the wing mirror folded in.
For the first four weeks of ownership, I even left the car unlocked, as the keycard’s lock function wasn’t working. Fortunately, I soon realised that the spare keycard is fully operational, but I can’t imagine leaving any of my other cars open to a legion of ne’er-do-wells.
That said, I’m guessing the underclass have standards – a getaway car is no good if it’s going to leave you stranded before Jamie Theakston has climbed into the back of a 3 Series patrol car to give chase.
It’s also an excellent car for the tip run, and not just because of the massive load area. Two dumpy bags of hawthorn bush cuttings were merely forced into the back, with little regard for the headlining, seats or trim. Who’d have thought a French estate could be so liberating?
To liberation joy, I’ll add comfort to the mix. You’d expect a family car from France to offer a soft ride, but I wasn’t expecting so much comfort from the Laguna. The seats are both supportive and soft, while the suspension is beautifully damped and cossetting. It’s hard to believe the car is running on 17-inch rims and 225/45 tyres.
Bump and grind
Have I fallen hopelessly in love with a seemingly hopeless car? Possibly, but if it’s good enough for Rhianna, it’s good enough for me.
What started out as a bit of an experiment – I’ve bought a £100 Laguna, so you don’t have to – has the makings of yet another car to gain membership as a permanent member of the fleet. It’s the car I have used the most often since buying it four months ago to the day, and I’m already planning a trip to France. Well, if it’s going to die, it may as well be in its native country.
Many things are either broken, faulty or in need of attention. One of the washer jet units has gone AWOL, the outside temperature gauge is wrong, the climate control unit doesn’t light up at night, the sat-nav is dead, and the offside front alloy wheel requires re-sealing, to name just five problems off the top of my head.
Rainwater has a tendency to collect in the bottom of the nearside rear passenger door, the self-levelling headlights do a little too much self-levelling, the wiper blades sweep across the windscreen like an R. Kelly song, the split-tailgate doesn’t always shut at the first attempt, to name a further three issues.
But by far the biggest problem is the ABS light, which has the potential to kill the car when the next MOT looms into view next June. It might be a sensor, but it might be something more sinister, and therefore more costly. I should get it checked out, but I might be left with something akin to a doctor telling you how long you have left to live.
Budget accordingly
For now, ignorance is bliss, but that orange warning light serves as a reminder that the Laguna might not make it beyond its 15th birthday.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy life with one of the world’s least desirable and most unreliable cars, safe in the knowledge that I’m not locked into a lengthy finance contract and I’m driving a car that cost the equivalent of a single PCP payment on a new city car.
At the moment, it owes me £100 plus the cost of tax and insurance. If it dies tomorrow, I’ll get a few quid scrap, keep the seats for the office, and receive a refund for what’s left of the tax and insurance. That’s budget motoring done well, even if the smart money would go on a Honda Accord.
The best thing I have bought this year? Unquestionably. Because everybody needs a little mild peril and jeopardy in their life, right?
Many of us might dream of being a racing driver, but access to motorsport is a tough and costly process. Could one of the latest powerful games consoles offer a solution, or just a welcome dose of escapism?
Xbox vs PlayStation – the age-old rivalry
Coke vs Pepsi, Ford vs Holden, City vs United. All huge rivalries, and the games console world is no different with Microsoft’s Xbox against the Sony PlayStation. Both companies have new upgraded consoles available, and there’s no definitive right answer to which is best. However, one may suit your gaming needs better, whilst the lure of brand-exclusive games may also draw you to a particular console.
Why should I buy the Xbox One X?
The brand-new Xbox One X is described as being the most powerful games console on sale, and closer to a gaming PC wrapped in a user-friendly box. Think of it as the equivalent to road-legal race car and you’re on the right lines.
With the ability to display games in fancy 4K HDR, along with 76% more CPU power than the regular Xbox One, this is a serious piece of kit. It’s also more powerful than the PlayStation PS4 Pro, and packs a 4K Blu-Ray player to watch the latest movies. Oh, and if you’re done with discs, it’ll also happily stream Netflix and Amazon Video in 4K as well.
Performance doesn’t come cheap, with the Xbox One X still retailing at £412 in the UK, despite being a year old. Microsoft also offers the cheaper £206 One S 1TB, which can still play all the same games but lacks the ultimate processing power of its bigger brother. Games for both average around £40-60.
On pure technical comparisons, no. The stats of the PS4 Pro lag behind the Xbox One X, but that doesn’t mean you should automatically discount it, especially if you’re only looking to game casually.
Whilst the PS4 Pro will still show games in 4K HDR, it does this via upscaling it to the TV, rather than in native 4K. It sounds a small difference, and for many will be negligible, but will be a consideration for those wanting the ultimate visual performance.
It is substantially cheaper than the One X though, with a current retail price of £349. The regular PS4, now fitted with a 1TB hard drive, can be found for £299, but there’ll be no 4K ability with that machine. It makes buying the PS4 Pro seem like a no-brainer. Games prices are similar to the Xbox.
Microsoft’s Forza franchise was first introduced in 2005, with the latest Forza Motorsport 7 launched in October 2017. Forza 7 packs in a garage crammed with 700 road and race cars, each with detailed interiors and the option to tune and customise them to your heart’s content.
There’s a challenging single-player mode, along with the option to race online against real people, allowing you to be fully immersed in motorsport competition. The Forza Racing Championship also offers the ability to compete for actual cash prizes and glory.
There are a number of driver assists like traction and stability control to help out newcomers, whilst changeable difficulty settings allow it to be challenging without frustrating. New cars are added each month, but do cost extra, whilst 32 different race circuits offer multiple thrills.
Forza’s other offering is the Horizon series. Centred more on having fun, these offer a massive open-world environment to explore and tackle jaw-dropping challenges.
Forza Horizon 4 is the latest version, and sees Britain used as the backdrop of the automotive action. If you’ve ever had the urge to race a car against a Vulcan bomber jet, or drift around the streets of Edinburgh, this game is for you.
The thirteenth game in the now two decades-old Gran Turismo series, Gran Turismo Sport is intended to offer a genuine motorsport experience.
It may have only launched with 177 cars on offer, but developers Polyphony Digital have focused on modelling real racing as closely as possible. A number of key updates have also added a host of new cars to the game, along with expanding the choice of circuits to race them on.
Aside from a few arcade challenges, and the inevitable licence tests, the meat of GT Sport is racing online against others. Thankfully, the game encourages good online behaviour, but is worth noting you’ll need to be constantly connected to the internet to even save this game.
However, GT Sport can lay claim to offering genuine FIA-sanctioned competitions. Battling against online rivals, the winners will receive trophies, and an invite to attend the formal FIA annual awards event alongside real racing drivers. Gran Turismo also has a strong history of creating real racing drivers through the GT Academy, with Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez achieving real-world success.
Driveclub is another PS4 exclusive, although now slightly aged. It’s packed with supercars, and offers real-world locations like Norway and Scotland to race them in.
What other racing games are out there for both consoles?
F1 2017
Dirt 4
Need for Speed Payback
If you’re unhappy with Lewis Hamilton winning another World Championship, F1 2018 lets you change history and compete in the full Formula 1 season. All the tracks and drivers are present, along with bonus classic cars. This year also lets you take part in media interviews, so start practicing your Kimi-style answers now.
Should the rough stuff be more your style, Dirt 4 centres on rallying and rallycross, with a detailed career mode and the voice of famed WRC co-driver Nicky Grist. It’s the latest in the Dirt stable, with the anticipated Dirt Rally 2.0 delayed until the new year.
A recent remaster of EA’s Burnout Paradise brings the classic arcade-style spills and crashes to a new generation of consoles.
Meanwhile, Project Cars 2 and Assetto Corsa are both renowned racing simulations that will require commitment to truly get the best from.
An internet connection (whether wireless or wired) is going to be a necessity for either console. Frequent updates and new content are added constantly, so playing in isolation would defeat the point. Essentially, it’s like using a supercar just to drive to the shops.
The Xbox One uses the Xbox Live service, and you’ll need to pay for the ‘Gold’ subscription in order to undertake multiplayer gaming online. Factor in £39.99 for a full-year, but you will get a host of additional content and even free games through the Gold service.
Sony’s PlayStation Network ‘Plus’ service is the equivalent to Xbox Live, and would be needed to take part in the majority of features offered by GT Sport, for example. Right now, thanks to Black Friday, it costs the same £39.99 for 12 months, but guarantees you two free new games each month and more.
It’s worth remembering that console networks are exclusive, meaning you sadly can’t race against someone with an Xbox if you have a PlayStation – even with the same game.
Do I need to buy a steering wheel?
It all depends. Almost all of the games featured above can be played perfectly fine with a standard control pad. If you’re only planning to use your console for casual gaming, and keeping it in your main living room, sticking with the control pad is perhaps easiest.
However, if you plan on creating the ultimate racing experience, a steering wheel is the first step on that deep dive. Dedicated force feedback steering wheels are offered for both Xbox One and PS4 Pro, with £200-300 needed for the best ones.
Given that both the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro focus heavily on 4K HDR gaming, if you haven’t done so recently it might be time to invest in a new TV.
Both consoles will work perfectly well with a normal HD television, and therefore you don’t need to upgrade immediately. However, you’ll get the most from your shiny new console by pairing it with a 4K TV, and especially one which features a dedicated ‘game’ mode.
Decision Time
As noted, there is right answer to this question. Will you tempted by the cheaper PlayStation PS4 Pro, and the lure of FIA-sanctioned online racing with Gran Turismo Sport? Or would you rather go for the ultimate performance console experience with the Microsoft Xbox One X?
Don’t discount the cheaper Xbox One S or PS4 either, as both offer the same games as their more expensive brethren, just without the graphical trinketry.
Whichever choice you make, there is a wealth of games and accessories to on offer to make your console racing as realistic as you could want.
What if I just want to have fun?
OK, not everyone dreams of becoming a racing driver. For many, consoles offer the chance to just to have fun with friends and family. There is still the chance to add racing to the mix, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe available for the Nintendo Switch.
It might not be serious motorsport, but expect the competition to be just as fast and furious when you’re competing for family pride.
The Rolls-Royce of SUVs has made a splash in London, with no less than six Cullinans descending on the H.R. Owen showroom for deposit-holders to experience.
The Cullinan is the most important Rolls-Royce to launch since the re-introduction of the Phantom – the first car developed under BMW ownership – in 2003.
The SUV market has shown no signs of slowing down and, as such, the Cullinan is tasked with going in at the top and setting the standard.
In spite of being engineered to be able to tackle the world’s harshest environments, London’s congested roads might be the greatest challenge many Cullinans will face.
Future customers were able to experience the Cullinan’s ‘magic carpet ride’, traversing London in ‘the tranquillity of the most luxurious interior of any SUV on sale today’.
All things considered, a high-riding view, insulated from the hustle and bustle of London in Rolls-standard comfort, sounds pretty good to us. The car’s ‘Effortless everywhere’ ad tagline doesn’t just mean the Sahara or Arctic Circle, after all.
There’s something weirdly right about seeing the Cullinan in London. A car that’s as stately and cathedral-like as its surroundings, if not more.
Read more:
Grab a Black Friday deal on the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup
Even the entry-level SZ4 has air con, cruise control, Bluetooth and front foglights. It also comes wtih ‘Dual Sensor Brake Support’, Suzuki’s name for autonomous emergency braking.
The SZ5 costs £17,999, which is quite a jump, but the spec list bears this out. It adds 15-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, LED headlights, climate control, sat nav, heated seats and a 7-inch touchscreen with smartphone compatability (so, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).
An SZ5 automatic is available for £18,999.
Miniature hero: history of the Suzuki Jimny
Metallic paint is a £485 option, and so-called dual metallic paint (all with a black roof) is £650. Personally, we’d pick the ultra-bright Kinetic Yellow paint pictured here: it’s been developed especially for the Jimny, to stand out like a safety beacon when off-roading.
All Jimny use the same 101hp 1.5-litre petrol engine. They’re all equipped with switchable 4WD: it normally runs as a rear-wheel drive car, with selectable high- and low-ratio all-wheel drive.
The arrest of Carlos Ghosn has shocked the automotive world, with the Nissan chairman accused of underreporting his salary, using company funds for personal use and “significant acts of misconduct”.
As a result, Ghosn will be dismissed, with the Nissan board apologising “for causing great concern to [its] shareholders and stakeholders”. It’s the latest in a long line of scandals to rock the car industry. These are some of the biggest.
Cancer-causing cadmium found in Volkswagen hybrids
The discovery of cadmium – a highly toxic cancer-causing metal – in 124,000 Volkswagen plug-in hybrid and electric cars has led to a production shutdown. The issue affects Golf GTE, Passat GTE, e-Golf and e-Up! models, which may be recalled to fix the fault.
Volkswagen is, of course, no stranger to controversy (read more about ‘Dieselgate’ below), but it’s certainly not the only car company with skeletons in its closet. Here is our pick of the biggest motoring scandals.
Jack Sears hits 185mph on the M1 motorway
Prior to July 1967, users of Britain’s motorway network were unfettered by speed limits. Although most contemporary family cars would struggle to top 100mph, some drivers had slightly loftier ambitions.
In June 1964, AC Cars used the M1 to test high-speed performance of its A98 Le Mans Coupe, with driver Jack Sears reaching a completely legal, but terrifying, 185mph. Although it may not have directly lead to the 70mph speed limit, it certainly focussed the minds of policymakers.
Tesla Model 3 production woes
With Tesla CEO Elon Musk touting the Model 3 as the affordable face of all-electric motoring, including competitive pricing to match, interest was naturally high. Some 455,000 reservations were taken for the Model 3 by August 2017, and Tesla was confident of producing 100,000 cars in 2017, and 400,000 in 2018.
However, Tesla fell way short of the predicted numbers, with just 260 cars trickling out of the factory by the end of September. A series of ‘bottlenecks’ were blamed, although Elon Musk at least ensured that he took home the very first Model 3 to be built.
Ralph Nader swings opinion on the Chevrolet Corvair
As a core subject of the 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed by US consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the Chevrolet Corvair garnered attention for all the wrong reasons. With a rear-engined swing-axle setup, Nader argued that the Corvair was inherently dangerous and a risk to everyday drivers.
Although independent studies suggested the Corvair was no riskier than other contemporary offerings, the media scandal forced General Motors to make changes. A new front anti-roll bar was added to make the handling more controlled, but the damage to sales was already done.
Cost-benefit analysis and the Ford Pinto
That the Ford Pinto, introduced in 1971, was prone to catching fire after even minor rear-end impacts was not even the most sordid part of this debacle. That instead was found in an internal Ford memo, which weighed the cost-benefit analysis of fixing the known problem, versus doing nothing.
Despite the required modifications adding just $11 to the cost of building the Pinto, Ford’s analysis found that taking no action would be more economically beneficial. By 1978, Ford was forced into recalling 1.5 million Pintos for modifications, whilst subsequent lawsuits would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Takata airbag recall
The irony of a safety device like an airbag being potentially lethal was seemingly lost on the Takata Corporation, who allegedly covered up knowledge of manufacturing defects in its airbag inflators. When exposed to hot and humid conditions, the Takata inflators could rupture unexpectedly, showering drivers and passengers with deadly shrapnel.
With the airbags fitted to tens of millions of cars across the globe, covering brands from Audi to Volkswagen, a giant recall is still ongoing. Takata executives pleaded guilty to criminal wrongdoing, and paid $1bn to resolve a US Justice Department investigation. The cost of the payout, and related compensation, resulted in Takata filing for bankruptcy.
John DeLorean and the FBI
No, it’s not the shocking news that the DeLorean DMC-12 is actually unable to time travel if fitted with a flux capacitor. Although the ability to go back in time may have been useful for John DeLorean, who found the company facing financial difficulties early in the DMC-12 project.
Unable to produce and sell enough cars to meet costs, DeLorean considered cocaine smuggling in 1982 as a way to meet the company’s debts. A sting operation by the FBI saw DeLorean charged with drug trafficking, although he was able to argue entrapment and escape conviction. The company still fell into bankruptcy, whilst DeLorean himself would be declared personally bankrupt in 1999.
Vic Lee transports more than just race cars
In the early 1990s, Vic Lee Motorsport saw considerable success in the British Touring Car Championship, with star drivers like Tim Harvey and Will Hoy taking title wins. However, suspicions were raised as to why a team based in the UK was testing at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. The answer was drug smuggling, with team owner Vic Lee caught stashing £6m worth of cocaine in the team’s race transporter in 1993.
Lee received a 12 year prison sentence, but was released on parole in 1998. He returned to motorsport, but was caught again in 2005 transporting £1.7m of cocaine in the boot of his car.
1995 Takata seat belt recall
Killer airbags were not the Takata Corporation’s first taste of scandal, with the company becoming embroiled in the recall of over eight million cars sold in the United States between 1986 and 1991. Following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority (NHTSA), it became apparent that the plastic used in Takata seat belts became brittle when exposed to ultraviolet light.
A total of 11 manufacturers were affected, with Honda penalised for failing to make authorities aware of the Takata seat belt problem, despite knowing of the issue since 1990.
Audi 5000 unintended acceleration
An episode of American news show 60 Minutes aired in November 1986, alleging that the Audi 5000 (sold as the 100 in Europe) was capable of accelerating unexpectedly, even when the brake pedal was depressed. With a number of drivers reporting the phenomenon, 60 Minutes used engineering trickery to make it look like the Audi 5000 was an unhinged killing machine on TV.
Despite an NHTSA report concluding that driver error was the cause of the problems, and changes to the automatic gearbox by Audi, US sales for the brand collapsed almost overnight from 74,000 in 1985 to just 12,000 by 1991.
Ford Explorer and Firestone
Launched during the 1990s SUV boom, Ford’s Explorer saw sales of up to 400,000 units per year, with Firestone tyres fitted to the cars rolling off the production line. However, the tyres developed a worrying trend of failing at high speed, pitching the sizeable Explorer into a rollover accident. More than 270 deaths were attributed to the Explorer/Firestone combination in the USA alone.
Ford and Firestone became entangled in legal warfare, with hundreds of millions paid out in compensation to victims. The end of the relationship between Ford and Firestone also resulted in the closure of a Firestone factory, and the need to recall millions of tyres.
Fire risk in thousands of BMWs
Faulty exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) modules caused a Europe-wide recall of 324,000 BMW cars due to potential engine fires. The issue affects 1 Series, 3 Series, Z4 and X1 petrol and diesel models built between March 2007 to August 2011. So far, 27 cases have been recorded.
A criminal case has been filed against the marque in Korea for its hesitance to recall more than 100,000 cars that may suffer similar issues.
Chevy Cobalt ignition key scandal
General Motors became aware of a problem with the ignition switch in the compact Chevrolet Cobalt as early as 2004. But, the American giant did nothing, despite the fact it could lead to the car inadvertently turning itself off whilst in motion. One GM engineer even found a solution in 2005, yet no action was taken to implement it.
A total of 13 deaths have been attributed to the defective ignition switch, with GM only recalling vehicles in 2013 to fix the problem. A fine of $35m was levied on the company as punishment for the decade of inaction.
Mk1 Audi TT high-speed stability
With smooth and rounded Bauhaus-inspired styling, the 1995 Audi TT Concept looked like nothing else on the market. That Audi brought the finished car to production virtually unchanged was even more impressive. Yet problems became apparent from early in the life of the TT, with a number of cars involved in high-speed accidents.
With five fatalities, Audi was forced to act. A rear spoiler was bolted to the boot to reduce aerodynamic lift, whilst modifications were made to the suspension to make the handling more predictable. An Electronic Stability Programme was also added as standard to tame the wayward rear end.
Toyota sudden unintended acceleration
The spectre of unintended acceleration rose again in 2009, with three separate recalls undertaken globally by Toyota covering some nine million vehicles. Following reports of cars accelerating without warning, ill-fitting floor mats were initially blamed for the problem. Yet when other cases occurred without the floor mats, sticking accelerator pedals and even faulty software were investigated as causes.
After information came to light that Toyota had hidden knowledge of the unintended acceleration incidents, the US Department of Justice issued a $1.2bn fine against the company to bring proceedings to an end.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the elk test
It may have had an innovative ‘sandwich’ chassis construction to help safety in frontal impacts, but the high-sided Mercedes-Benz A-Class had a fear of elk. Or, more specifically, a test by a Swedish car magazine seeing how well the A-Class fared at avoiding a hypothetical big mammal in an emergency manoeuvre.
After a prominent test failure with an A-Class rolling over, Mercedes was forced to recall all cars to fit them with electronic stability control. The embarrassment dented the image of the German giant, which had denied the problem when it was first highlighted.
Phoenix Four Consortium
Having purchased the MG Rover Group of companies from BMW for a nominal £10, the Phoenix Four of John Towers, Peter Beale, Nick Stephenson and John Edwards embarked on a plan to push the British brand forward. But it failed, with MG Rover racking up losses of £611m in just four years.
Despite the company collapsing around them, the Phoenix Four took over £36m in salary and pensions before the final collapse of the firm in 2005 with the loss of 6,500 jobs. A £16m government investigation found Peter Beale had used special software to delete data from his computer, whilst Nick Stephenson had paid £1.6m to a close friend acting as a consultant.
Tucker 48 fraud fiasco
Having earned success during World War II producing turrets for armoured cars, Preston Tucker set his sights on building cars with futuristic features. His Tucker 48 was planned to have a fuel-injected engine, disc brakes, direct-drive transmission, and a body with a built-in roll bar. Tucker assembled a wealth of automotive experts, and the largest factory building in the world.
To fund all this, Tucker raised money through offering shares, and subsequently by selling parts and accessories to buyers before their car was built. The US Securities and Exchange Commission indicted Tucker for fraud, and began a three-month trial. Tucker was found not guilty, but the company was destroyed by debt and bad publicity, with just 51 Tucker 48s eventually made.
American Motors assassination
The smallest of the mainstream US manufacturers, American Motors Corporation struggled during the 1970s and eventually agreed to a Renault takeover. French executives took to fixing the problems at AMC, increasing efficiency and modernising production. But then Renault itself hit trouble in the 1980s, and called on the help of George Besse in 1985.
Appointed as director, Besse had a plan to turn Renault around, and returned the company to a profit within 18 months. This had involved making some 25,000 Renault employees redundant – making him a target for the anarchist Action Directe group. Besse was shot dead outside his home in 1986, sparking a chain of events that led to Chrysler buying AMC, making the brand defunct by 1987.
Volkswagen Dieselgate
In order to meet stringent diesel engine guidelines, aimed at reducing the emissions of harmful NOx particulates, Volkswagen fitted ‘defeat devices’ to a range of TDI engines across the VW Group. The special software detected when the car was being driven in laboratory conditions, changing performance to minimise emissions. Only when real-world testing was undertaken was the discrepancy discovered, and VW owned up.
With over 11m vehicles affected across the world, Volkswagen set aside over €16bn to cover the costs of recalling cars and settling litigation, with billions more due in fines from admitting criminal liability in the United States alone.
Mitsubishi fuel economy cover-up
Facing aggressive targets to hit fuel economy goals for Japanese-market cars, Mitsubishi Motors employees falsified data and used unapproved testing methods for more than 25 years. This covered Kei (micro) cars like the Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Space.
Nissan uncovered the discrepancies whilst developing a new range of cars with Mitsubishi, bringing the findings to light in early 2016. The scandal caused the value of Mitsubishi to plummet rapidly, conveniently allowing Nissan to swoop in and acquire a controlling interest in the company.
The EPA takes on FCA Chrysler
Proving that ‘defeat devices’ are not solely the preserve of the Volkswagen Group, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched action against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in May 2017. The EPA alleges FCA fitted almost 104,000 EcoDiesel Dodge Ram trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokees with software to make engines perform differently when tested.
With vehicles sold between 2014 and 2016 affected, the EPA also banned the sale of new EcoDiesel vehicles, unless FCA could provide software update to bring the engines into line with NOx emissions requirements.
Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has for many years underreported his salary, used company money for personal use and committed other “significant acts of misconduct”, the firm has revealed in a statement.
As a result, it plans to “promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as chairman and representative director”.
The misconduct was exposed by a whisleblower report, the firm has revealed. “Nissan deeply apologies for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders,” it said.
Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa later confirmed Ghosn has been arrested by prosecutors in Japan.
“This act cannot be tolerated by the company,” said Saikawa. “Experts judge we have enough reason for dismissal…. [we have] decided to propose dismissal to the board of directors.”
This is expected to happen during an extraordinary board meeting on Thursday.
Watch: Nissan Motor Corp press conference
Representative director Greg Kelly also had “deep involvement” in the acts and Nissan CEO Saikawa will propose to the Nissan board that he be removed too.
In a press conference, Saikawa described Kelly as the “mastermind of events”.
The misconduct has apparently occurred “over many years” and Nissan has already been providing information to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office.
During the press conference, Saikawa revealed the investigation had remained secret: even senior executives only found out about it “a few hours ago”.
Hiroto Saikawa, CEO of Nissan about Carlos Ghosn bombshell: “I feel a big disappointment, frustration, despair, indignation and resentment” pic.twitter.com/FhvsNphD9G
Nissan is part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, following Renault’s 1999 rescue of Nissan. Following today’s news, shares in Renault have tumbled more than 10 percent, wiping 2 billion Euros off the value of the company.
Earlier in the year, Renault asked Ghosn to stay on as chief executive of the Alliance for a further four years. He first took up his role in 2005.
He has been chairman of Nissan since 2000. It is not yet clear how Ghosn’s other roles in the Alliance will be affected by today’s developments.
MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has taken delivery of another BMW M car after once again being the fastest qualifier in MotoGP 2018.
This year’s BMW M Award is an M3 CS, and makes it six times in a row that Marquez has picked up a new BMW M car for being top qualifier.
Marquez first won the BMW M Award in 2013, becoming the first rookie to take the prize car. And he hasn’t stopped since.
“I can hardly believe that I have won the BMW M Award for the sixth time running,” he said during the handover ceremony.
“I want to thank BMW M GmbH… this shows special appreciation for us as MotoGP riders. The prospect of winning this prize provides even more motivation for us.”
BMW has been the official car of MotoGP for 20 years and has handed out the top qualifier prize car for 16 of them.
“There are hardly enough superlatives to describe Marc Marquez,” said BMW M GmbH president Markus Flasch. “The fact he has now won the BMW M Award for the sixth time running is more than just impressive… Marc has made history again.
“The prize is a token of our appreciation for his outstanding performance.”
How does the MotoGP BMW M Award work?
MotoGP riders get points for their performance in races, but also clock them up for qualifying performances.
Riders get 25 points for pole, 20 points for second, and so on: they’re awarded in the same way as race points.
Marquez is way ahead in the all-time rankings, but Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have each received three BMW M cars for qualifying speed.
Jorge Lorenzo has won two BMW M cars, with Sete Gibernau and the late Nicky Hayden taking one M car each.
Visitors to the 2018 LA Auto Show who love Volvo, at ease: you will be able to check out the firm’s latest cars at the final big motor show of the year after all.
The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ made its debut during Monterey Car Week in California and is the latest version of Sant’Agata’s flagship V12 supercar. 
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Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has for many years underreported his salary, used company money for personal use and committed other “significant acts of misconduct”, the firm has revealed in a statement.
MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has taken delivery of another 
