Autocar lunchbox: BMW 7 Series plugs in, history of hot Hondas and more
We round up our hottest stories, pictures and videos for you to devour in your lunch break
It’s everyone’s favourite part of the working day, lunchtime, and you’re no doubt craving a hefty dose of car-related content.
So we’ve revived our Autocar Lunchbox feature to bring you our favourite videos, stories, photos, quotes and more, all in one place.
Here are today’s picks:
*HOT NEWS*
*Electric 7 Series*
The next generation of BMW’s luxury flagship will have an all-electric powertrain option, it has been confirmed. Arriving in 2022, the new 7 Series will take on Jaguar’s radically reinvented XJ and the new Mercedes EQS in the increasingly competitive electric luxury saloon segment. It will also offer petrol, diesel and PHEV versions, but we’re not expecting the current car’s thumping V12 to be carried over.
*BMW confirms next 7 Series to be petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric *
*VIDEO OF THE DAY*
*VTEC deep dive*
The current Civic Type R is one of the best hot hatchbacks on the market. With a lairy performance bodykit, 300bhp four-cylinder and genuine daily usability, it’s beaten back competition from Volkswagen, Ford and Renault, but it’s not the first of its kind. We wanted to see just how far Honda’s performance division has come in the past two decades, so took the Civic to meet its Integra Type R ancestor to see what’s changed, and explain why Honda’s trademark VTEC technology makes for some truly addictive power delivery.
*PHOTO OF THE DAY*
*Valkyrie hits the road*
We first saw Aston Martin’s 1160bhp Valkyrie hypercar way back in 2017, and it won’t be long now until we finally get to try it out for the first time. Yes, the insane Cosworth V12-powered two-seater has donned a pair of numberplates and hit public Tarmac for the first time, and looks no less jaw-dropping than it did lapping Silverstone at the British GP last year.
*Aston Martin Valkyrie: road testing begins ahead of deliveries*
*QUOTE OF THE DAY*
“My daily driver is a black 360 Challenge Stradale. I’ve owned it for eight years and done 50,000 miles in it. I go to the shops and take my kids to school in it.”
We’ve been looking back at when we met Scott Chivers, the man who buys battered-up Ferraris that most collectors would shy away from. His bare-bones ‘Ratarossa’ is our pick of the fleet, hiding beneath its rather sorry-looking bodywork one of the finest 12-cylinder motors of all time and a surprisingly solid chassis.
*The man who buys the Ferraris you really shouldn't*
*FROM THE ARCHIVE*
*Renault’s first crack at the Twizy*
This unusual folding car is, believe it or not, what Renault’s bold electric city car could have looked like. Instead of the Twizy’s narrow frame and in-line seating arrangement, the cheery Zoom concept adopts a conventional side-by-side format, and could be shortened by a whopping 350mm, folding itself up and over its rear axle to better fit into tight urban parking spaces.
*From the archive: The 20th century Renault Twizy*
*POPULAR OPINION*
*Man-sorry, not sorry*
We all know Mansory, the German tuner that shows up at the biggest motor shows with a hilariously eye-catching take on the most prestigious new cars on the market. The firm’s most recent effort – a somewhat overwhelming modified Rolls-Royce Cullinan – proves that automotive art won’t always please everybody. At least, that’s what Matt Prior thinks...
*Matt Prior: Mansory's gaudy tune-ups are so bad they're good*