Autocar Lunchbox: When the Mondeo went global, we raced with Senna 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*
Renault’s strong-selling Kadjar SUV will enter its second generation next year, gaining the quality and technology boosts found on the company’s latest cars as well as a greater-than-ever choice of powertrains.
Having been on sale since 2015 and receiving the mildest of facelifts last year, the Kadjar remains one of Europe’s best-selling family SUVs. As with the new Clio and Captur, Renault isn’t expected to venture too far from the current visual approach, with gently evolved styling. However, the brand’s “interior revolution” under design boss Laurens van den Acker will continue in earnest.
*2021 Renault Kadjar to go upmarket, gain electrified powertrains*
*VIDEO OF THE DAY*
The McLaren GT is the firm’s first dedicated grand tourer, designed from the outset to be as easy and comfortable to live with as it is thrilling to drive. With bespoke bodywork, lots of luggage carrying ability, a luxuriously appointed interior and previously unheard or levels of refinement, for McLaren at least, the GT’s task is to both to shrink mammoth motorway journeys and monster mountain passes.
So does it? We strap in for a 1000-mile pan-European schlep to see if Woking's built a genuine Continental GT rival.
*PHOTO OF THE DAY*
Whatever your opinion of the insane McLaren Speedtail's polarising styling, surely you can't disagree that this shot from Autocar snapper Olgun Kordal is worthy of the bedroom wall. Yesterday, Woking revealed long-awaited details of the hyper-GT's 1000bhp-plus powertrain, which mates a screaming 4.0-litre V8 to a Formula E-derived electric motor.
*McLaren Speedtail: hybrid hypercar's 1036bhp powertrain detailed*
*QUOTE OF THE DAY*
"We tested the Mondeo’s civility to its max by driving a year’s worth of miles in a week, by taking in as many European countries in as short a time as possible."
Another European road trip here, but with a vehicle much less conspicuous than a brand new McLaren. And how better to test the mile-munching mettle of Britain's favourite saloon than by taking it straight from the road test to Italy via Portugal? We give you the lowdown on how our 2007 Ford Mondeo road test went dow
*Road test rewind: Ford Mondeo*
*FROM THE ARCHIVE*
Friday 1 May marks 26 years since we tragically lost Ayrton Senna in a crash at the 1994 San Marino GP. To mark the occasion, we look back at when three lucky Autocar writers spent the day with the Brazilian champ, before joining him for a no-holds-barred lap of Silverstone in a Honda NSX.
*When Autocar met Senna: 24 hours in the life of a legend*
*POPULAR OPINION*
Plans are afoot to kick the motor trade back into life when the pandemic is over, but is a scrappage scheme a necessary part of the equation? Matt Prior agrees that it's an effective way of getting people into newer, less-polluting vehicles, but encourages the government to consider the overall environmental and economic costs of building hundreds of thousands of new cars.
*Matt Prior: Is it time to scrap scrappage schemes?*