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This week in Autocar...
Aston Martin’s radical electric 4x4, Rolls-Royce Spectre driven and Akio Toyota - a master at work
This week in Autocar, we’ve got all the details on Aston Martin’s radical electric 4x4, deliver our verdict on the long awaited Rolls-Royce Spectre and Aston Martin DB12, and find out how Akio Toyoda has transformed Toyota in his 13 years as president.
*News*
Aston Martin has struck a deal with American start-up Lucid to use the nascent firm’s battery technology in its next-generation models, including an SUV, a GT and sports cars - we have all you need to know.
Ferrari has also unveiled the SF90 XX as a 1016bhp road-legal track monster and the firm’s most extreme road-going model yet - so what makes it different from the standard car?
Fiat, meanwhile, has been busy gearing up the 600e as its rival to the Kia Niro EV and Jeep Avenger. In an attempt to clinch a sizeable chunk of the profitable crossover segment, does this car, new from the ground up, have what it takes?
We also investigate the recent phenomenon of fake car ads and get a passenger ride in the potent, UK-developed Polestar 5.
*Reviews*
We’ve gone behind the wheel of the production Aston Martin DB12 - as a replacement to the DB11, can this thoroughly overhauled, 671bhp GT cut the mustard against the Ferrari Roma and Bentley Continental GT? Our editor, Mark Tisshaw, reports.
Matt Prior has been out testing the Rolls-Royce Spectre - as the firm’s first EV, is this elegant, £330,000 all-electric coupé a fitting welcome to a new era of noiseless motoring from the world’s pre-eminent luxury car maker?
Skoda gave us the keys to a prototype of the new Kodiaq - we drive it in France to find out why it is still a solid choice for everyday motorists.
Elsewhere in our packed reviews section, we test the brand new Renault Clio, the sharply-styled Peugeot 508 PSE, the Audi RS4 Avant Competition, the new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrofoglio, the BMW X7 40d, and the Polestar 2.
*Features*
As Toyota’s current chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda has overseen multiple Le Mans and WRC wins and spearheaded the firm’s move to make better and more diverse cars - we find out what he did to transform Toyota over his 13-year tenure.
Nio might seem like a distant manufacturer, but it’s building its brand by using a wide-reaching, innovative approach that goes far, far beyond cars. From campsites to coffee shops, we find out what that entails.
This weekend’s British GP at Silverstone is an event like no other, but how is it organised? Damien Smith meets the man in charge of it all to find out his chores and challenges.
*Opinion*
Matt Prior tells us what he thinks of Fiat axing the colour grey on its cars, and what he thinks that does for the company’s reputation.
Meanwhile, Steve Cropley learns about various erroneous scare stories about racing and engineering firm RML, is getting used to people staring at him in his Bentley Flying Spur, and explains why range anxiety is not dead.
*Used*
Would you buy a second-hand Ford Fiesta? You’ve probably thought about it at one point in time. That’s why we’ve got John Evans to explain its used pitfalls.