BMW M’s star new models, testing the i7 you can’t blow up, and the return of Morris
This week in Autocar, we meet BMW M’s star new models, test the BMW i7 that you can’t blow up, and reveal how Morris could have returned and been bigger than MG.
News
BMW is just months away from revealing the totally reinvented M5 as a hardcore plug-in hybrid with 708bhp and 43-mile EV range – we have every detail you need to know.
Meanwhile, Porsche’s largest and most luxurious car yet, codenamed K1, is being primed as a rival for the BMW iX, and we’ve spotted it testing ahead of its scheduled launch.
Chinese giant Chery has a cunning plan to win over UK buyers with its new models – the Omoda 5 and Jaecoo 7. We detail exactly what that plan is.
Ford has also suggested future plans for its line-up, with smaller, lower-slung EVs on the cards. News editor Felix Page has all the details.
Reviews
Porsche’s acclaimed GT division has been let loose on the Taycan, creating the 1093bhp Turbo GT edition. Our road test editor Matt Saunders heads to Seville to find out if tuned handling, honed aero and lower weight makes it a true performance EV.
The Mazda MX-5 has been treated to retuned steering, a slippy diff, a more lenient DSC mode, and interior updates. We find out how it can possibly be better than before.
Meanwhile, GWM’s Ora 03 has received a bigger battery and updated tech in an attempt to boost its appeal, but there are a couple of chinks in its armour…
We’re also testing the Peugeot e-208 and, for road test 5669 we’re in the Morgan Plus Six.
Features
When even a five-star safety rating won’t do, BMW has something bigger, beefier and 7 Series-shaped to offer. Greg Kable samples the armoured yet agile i7 and 760i xDrive limousines.
McLaren’s design boss Tobias Sühlmann is working on some big changes at Woking. We meet him to hear his plan.
We’ve all heard of the UK government’s ZEV mandate, but what exactly does it mean? Our editor explains.
GTs may be surplus to requirements these days, but they still get under your skin like little else, says Richard Lane. He drives a Bentley Continental to Cannes to find out why.
Propulsion methods, traction control tech and kerb weights have all moved on since winter testing was introduced, but do we still need it? Murray Scullion heads to Sweden to find out.
Two decades ago, a plan was hatched to resurrect Morris – and Autocar had a man on the inside. Richard Bremner revisits the Minor revival that never was.
Opinion
Matt Prior riffs on manufacturers making irritating April Fool’s jokes and why he wishes some of them would be true.
Steve Cropley, meanwhile, speaks of the Ford Mustang’s ubiquity, the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf, and the streaming of the 2024 BTCC season of TikTok.
Used
The first-generation Volvo XC60 is a family-friendly SUV that has aged particularly well. John Evans finds out why it’s a great contender for a second-hand buy.
