Prince Charles is well-known as a committed environmentalist, and his new car reflects this ethos. He’s bought an all-electric Jaguar I-Pace.

We say “bought”, because he actually has. It’s reported he’ll be leasing the £60,000 electric Jaguar SUV out of his own pocket.

It wouldn’t be a royal car without a few special touches, though, so HRH’s I-Pace will arrive in custom ‘Loire Blue’ paint – the only car finished as such. Ahead of his acquisition later this week, Charles has already had his Clarence House home prepared for EV ownership, with the installation of a fast charger.

The prince is no stranger to electric cars, either. He also test-drove a Tesla Model S, with a view to buying one, but preferred the handling of the Jaguar.

And Charles isn’t the only royal to have shown a keen interest in alternative-fuel vehicles. In front of millions of TV viewers, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived at their wedding in an all-electric Jaguar E-type, the E-Zero.

The I-Pace will join an impressive garage of classic and luxury vehicles, including a biofuel-converted Aston Martin DB5.

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Abarth is no longer simply about go-faster versions of the Fiat 500. Since 2016, the Turinese tuner – treated as a standalone manufacturer within the Fiat-Chrysler group – has also sold its own sports car: the Abarth 124 Spider.

For the uninitiated, the 124 Spider is a faster, more focused take on its Fiat cousin (itself based heavily on the Mazda MX-5). Power climbs to 170hp for 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds, while stiffer suspension and a strut brace sharpen the handling.

Now, there’s a new GT version of the 124, and we were among the first to drive it. The key difference is a removable hard-top roof: a homage of sorts to the 1972 Abarth 124 Rally. Made of carbon fibre, it weighs just 16kg.

That modest weight gain is good news, as the standard fabric soft-top remains hidden beneath the rear deck. It’s there for when it rains and you’ve left the roof at home, making the GT the best of both worlds – apart from its £2,000 price premium.

Even with the hard-top in place, the 124 sounds brilliant, its snarling, quad-tailpipe exhaust echoing off the concrete walls of Rockingham circuit. Lively steering, a snappy gearshift and a revvy engine complete this fast and fun package.

Check out our video to see the Abarth 124 GT in action, plus other highlights from the Abarth range: a 595 Competizione, 695 Rivale and 695 Biposto Record – the latter with a dog ring gearbox from the Assetto Corse racer.

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This summer’s heatwave might have had drivers reaching for their sunglasses, but prescription eyewear might be more appropriate for some.

The DVLA is seeking to remind drivers that they need to meet the minimum eyesight standards at all times. To do this, a campaign throughout the summer will aim to raise awareness, and remind drivers of the basic level their vision must meet.

Worryingly, some 50% of UK drivers are not even aware of the standards they are expected to meet for eyesight whilst out on the roads. Many may not have bothered to check since passing their driving test – potentially decades ago for some of the 48 million drivers on the road.

For those in need of a reminder, the basic test for drivers is if they can read a standard car number plate from 20 metres (65 feet) away. For those who don’t carry a tape measure around with them at all times, this is equivalent to around five car lengths.

DVLA figures show that 50,000 drivers having had their driving licence revoked or refused between 2012 and 2016 due to their eyesight. Some 3,000 accidents a year have also been linked to vision impairment.

Drivers can potentially be prosecuted for failing to meet those minimum standards. As such, the DVLA is encouraging drivers to see an optician should they be worried about their vision.

Furthering the message is the Driving Blind campaign, backed by road safety organisations including the FIA and GEM Motoring Assist.

This includes a petition to press for legislation to require drivers to undergo eye tests every ten years, along with a field of vision assessment.

McLaren has launched a certification scheme for its iconic F1 supercar. F1 Certified aims to document the originality, service record, competition history and condition of the 106 F1s – 64 road cars and 28 racers – built between 1993 and 1998.

The first car to get factory-approved sign is the one-off F1 GTR ‘25R’, revealed today at London’s Concours of Elegance. Restored to ‘as new’ condition by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), it will be on display at Hampton Court Palace until 2 September.

Each F1 Certified car gets a certificate of authenticity, confirming its provenance with reference to the factory archives. Owners also receive a bespoke illustrated book documenting their particular F1. Much like Ferrari’s Classiche scheme, having the official thumbs-up from McLaren should boost the car’s value, too. 

“Even among F1 GTRs, this car, designated ‘25R’, is unique – and now it is as near to being new as we can make it,” said Ansar Ali, Managing Director, MSO. “The car is the exemplar of everything that the new certification programme stands for and we are proud to have 25R as the very first McLaren F1 Certified car.”

The 25R F1 GTR Longtail was the last F1 to compete in-period and has a rich racing heritage. Its highlight was the 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours, where it was driven by Ray Bellm, Andrew Gilbert-Scott and Masanori Sekiya. Sadly, 22 hours in, its race ended in retirement after an oil leak and subsequent fire. 

MSO has painstakingly returned the car to the exact same specification – including Gulf Racing livery – as that 1997 Le Mans race. This includes tall Le Mans gearing for high speeds on the Mulsanne straight, plus blue roof identification lights that were originally fitted to an aircraft wing.

The 25R was later sold to a team in Japan where it raced until 2005. At the Fuji Speedway that year it was the last F1 GTR to compete in a contemporary (non-classic) race series.

After years sitting idle in a Japanese car collection, it returned to the UK in 2016. The subsequent restoration included old-stock GTR parts ‘stored at the factory in containers last opened 20 years ago’.

“McLaren cherishes its rich heritage of iconic and world-beating cars such as the F1,” said CEO, Mike Flewitt. “Maintaining the integrity of these historically significant cars is paramount and F1 Certified will play a big role in allowing us to do that for the peace of mind of owners today as well as preserving a wonderful heritage for future generations of car lovers.”

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Gran Turismo Sport has received a free 1.25 version update, which includes the Red Bull Ring circuit, as well as eight superb additions to the cars available to race.

The list of cars in the update is a tribute to the variety that gamers love in Gran Turismo. Which other title bundles a JDM Amuse Honda S2000 tuner special in with a Shelby Daytona Cobra? 

The historic racers

We get a hot and heavy dose of classic American racing power in this update, with the Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe and the Le Mans-winning Ford MKIV. Both are just as at home ripping their way up the Mulsanne straight as they are sat pretty on a concours lawn. You can drive both in the new Nostalgic 1979 historic racing league.

The iconic classics

The original Mini and VW Beetle are joined by… a Bertone-bodied Abarth 1500 Biposto. Yup, this coachbuilt classic probably won’t be up to much as a racer, but we can’t think of many prettier cars to fully take advantage of Gran Turismo Sport’s stunning graphics and epic photo mode. You can race the Beetle in the new ‘Beetle and Samba Bus Fest’ event, which comes with the update.

The Italian hot hatches

Granted, they come from two very different eras and were forged in very different fires. Nevertheless, the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione and Abarth 500 share that Italian fizz that is so hard to quantify.

The monster JDM tuner

The odd one out has no fear of solitude as, for many, it’ll be the star of the show. The Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo is an animalistic refugee of the mad Japanese tuner era. Be-winged and boosted up to the eyeballs, this S2K turbo is a tōge-destroying monster. A proper Gran Turismo car.

Other new game features

As well as the aforementioned Nostalgic 1979 and Beetle and Samba Bus Fest, the Group 3 Cup adds to the line-up of new events.

A ‘Sport mode’ archive and internet connection quality check are two new facilities added, while Cuba has been added to the special featured section (Delta HF pictured there above).

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Latest UK car manufacturing data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows a dramatic 35 percent decline in the amount of British-built cars purchased by Brits in July 2018.

Export figures slipped slightly too, by 4.2 percent, resulting in an 11 percent drop in British-built cars in July.

The SMMT blames model changes and preparation for the upcoming new WLTP fuel economy regulations.

As for the UK decline, the SMMT points to “a particularly strong July in 2017”. This time last year, several new model introductions saw monthly figures grow by 17.7 percent. 

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes also warned people not to be too alarmed by the July figures. “While the industry is undoubtedly feeling the effects of recent uncertainty in the domestic market, drawing long term conclusions from monthly snapshots requires a health warning.

“The bigger picture is complex and month by month fluctuations are inevitable as manufacturers manage product cycles, operational changes and the delicate balance of supply and demand from market to market.”

The decline in Brits buying home-built cars is still striking though: the July total fell to less than 20,000 cars, compared with exports of over 101,000 models. 

Exports now make up 84 percent of overall British car production, with more than 8 in 10 going to Europe.

Because of this, Hawes sounded another warning to UK politicians. “To ensure future growth, we need political and economic clarity at home, and the continuation of beneficial trading arrangements with the EU and other key markets.”

Year to date, just under 1 million cars have been built in Britain, a 4.4 percent decline over this time last year.

The UK car industry, added the SMMT, “remains broadly on track to meet 2018 expectations”.