Autocar magazine 20 May - on sale now

This week: Britain’s top 50 new cars, new Porsche 911 Targa revealed, Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD road tested and more

Porsche has revealed its latest 911 Targa, combining the open-roof driving pleasures of the cabriolet with the chassis and styling of the coupé version.

Available in two power levels, the new Targa promises either 380bhp or 444bhp and will arrive with four-wheel drive as standard. It’s officially the heaviest 992-generation 911 yet, but still manages to eclipse the previous-generation Targa with a 0-62mph time of 4.2sec. We’ve got all the technical details, and ask whether Porsche may call time on the bodystyle now the coupe and convertible versions are more closely matched than ever. 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

The DBX is meant to transform Aston Martin’s fortunes, but it won’t remain a single model for long - we investigate forthcoming bodystyles promised during the brand’s first quarter financial results. We also get news that Toyota’s seven-seat Highlander SUV will be coming to the UK next year, and get an early glimpse at the next Mercedes-Benz S-Class thanks to our spy photographers.

Jaguar Land Rover tells us how it is adapting to the coronavirus crisis, while Kia admits lockdown has actually made it easier to hit ambitious CO2 targets. Mercedes details plans to offer services through its MBUX infotainment system, and MG unveils a concept roadster that could see the Indian-owned company return to sports cars.

-Reviews-

The Bentley Flying Spur leads this week’s drives, with UK roads providing a tougher challenge than the streets of Monaco that hosted our first experience of the luxury limo late last year. Is it still head and shoulders above the competition when it isn’t on the continent?

We also drive Volvo’s new entry-level XC90, with a mild-hybrid petrol engine that promises greater efficiency and reduced emissions, and try the Mercedes-Benz GLA 220d for the first time. It’s poised to become one of the more popular models here in the UK, but is it any good to drive?

Then we put the Lamborghini Huaracan EVO RWD through the demanding Autocar road test. Is the Italian supercar’s naturally-aspirated V10 powerplant even more intoxicating with one fewer driven axles?

-Features-

Autocar’s writers get to drive so many new cars every year - but which ones make their top 50? Our annual list of the best cars on sale today rejects value, practicality and outright performance in favour of which models are the most enjoyable to drive.

We also imagined how to bring now-dormant British motoring marque Bristol back from the dead, creating an all-new model with the help of coachbuilder David Brown, then talk all things creative with Jaguar’s new design director Julian Thomson. 

Drivers of Change, Autocar’s initiative to find clever ideas for retail, technology and digital areas of the car business, is now open. To give you some inspiration, three writers share their ideas for what they’d want to see pioneered by the automotive industry.

Then, this week’s motorsport section sees Martin Brundle give his opinion on F1’s lockdown latest, the changing grid of drivers, and whether Bernie Ecclestone would have been more effective at getting the sport back on the track than its current owners.

Opinions

Steve Cropley has been reminiscing about Jaguar concepts that never came to be this week, after speaking to the brand’s new design director. He bids goodbye to his lockdown wheels, and wonders whether an old Bristol might scratch his ‘new’ old car itch. Elsewhere, Matt Prior finally understands why working from home hasn’t opened his diary for finishing off his project car.

-Deals-

Social distancing rules have opened up the possibility of solo test drives, and James Ruppert has been thinking of the models that would benefit most from a lockdown thrash. The Hyundai i10 is the star of our nearly-new buying guide, representing something of a city car bargain now the new-generation model has arrived. Then it’s the turn of the Mazda RX-8 in our used buying guide - the rotary-engined four-seat coupe can be had for pennies, but there’s a reason. We can help save you from buying a dud.

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