Battle Of The Hot Hatches

Hot hatches are back with a vengeance. After years in the doldrums we're now awash with them.  Here are my fave five.

If you're in the market for a hot hatch here are my thoughts on my favourites. The links take you to the written reviews and the video reviews are below. They are the Volkswagen Golf R, Vauxhall Astra VXR, Audi S1, Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo and Volvo V40 T5.

Volkswagen Golf R - Crushingly capable

Audi S1 - By god it's quick

Vauxhall Astra VXR - Manically insane

Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo - Frantic and fun, deserves a better press than it has

Volvo V40 T5 - Proof that you can have speed as well as comfort

By Matt Hubbard

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Renaultsport RS 01 Race Car - Is Renault Missing a Trick?

Renaultsport has released photos and information about the new RS01 race car, but surely a road car would make more sense.

Renaultsport RS 01

This is the Renaultsport RS 01. It has a carbon fibre monocoque with a steel roll cage and is designed exclusively for racing.

The RS 01 weighs 1,100kg and has a twin-turbo 3.8 litre V6 engine derived from the Nissan GT-R which produces 493bhp and 443lb ft of torque.  It's rear wheel drive and the gearbox is a 7-speed semi-automatic sequential unit.

The car has been designed for the track, indeed Renaultsport's Design Director, Éric Diemert, says: "...the reach of Renaultsport R.S. 01 had to extend beyond the range to make it an iconic brand model. This is why it looks nothing like a production vehicle."
Well it will be an iconic brand model but it does look like a production vehicle.  Surely it would have been better designing a road car that looked and went like the RS01.

It wouldn't be beyond the bounds of reason for Renault to bring a very similar looking car to the road, after all many car companies like Audi and Lotus have managed it.  Take a look at the Alfa Romeo 4C to see how much a reasonably expensive sportscar with a carbon monocoque can do for a brand's profile.

Renault is missing a trick if the RS 01 remains a track-only car.

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

Renaultsport RS 01

By Matt Hubbard

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The Best Looking New Cars At 2014 Goodwood FoS - #Goodwood #FOS

I saw every single new car on display at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed.  The one that made me stop, turn and take in its lines was the new Mercedes S Coupe.  It's absolutely fabulous.

The Mercedes corporate grille looks too big on the CLA but perfect on the S Coupe

So pretty is it I reckon the 2014 S Coupe will be considered in years to come as a highlight of Mercedes output in the 2000s.

Under the S Coupe photos are my other contenders for best looking new car or concept.

The Mercedes S Coupe looks best from the rear

The S Coupe's interior is a masterpiece of luxury and simplicity

The new Renault Twingo may be a game changer for the small car market

I couldn't find any nasty materials in the new Twingo's interior

The Mazda Hazumi is a concept. If it makes it to production it'll be a hit

Mazda Hazumi from the rear is the best looking supermini

Nissan iDx Freeflow concept. Awesomely retro-modern

Looks just as good from the back

By Matt Hubbard

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Here's Every Press Release I Could Find About The 2014 Goodwood FOS

If you're headed to Goodwood this weekend there'll be plenty to see and do.  I've trawled the various press releases issued so far and copied them all to the Speedmonkey Facebook page.

Below the Renault 40CV photo are links to them all

BMW

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Maserati

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Williams F1

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Fiat

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Renault

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Honda

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Ford

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Alfa Romeo

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

By Matt Hubbard

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Which Cars Make The Best (And Worst) Sounds

I don't know about you but one of the most important factors when considering a car is the noise it makes.

Engine power can be invigorating and exciting but that pleasure is blunted if not accompanied by a similarly exciting soundtrack.  In cars of old engine sound was just a by-product of the many tiny explosions under the bonnet but nowadays it has to be engineered in.

As cars become more efficient sound is deadened unless actively promoted by the people designing it, which is usually dictated by that company's philosophy.

The sound a car makes comes from two sources - the engine itself and the exhaust.  Engine sound can be spine chillingly good or it can be woeful.  Similarly exhausts can emit a mellifluous note equal to the best music, or they can sound like a wet fart.  Or they can make almost no noise at all.

Sports cars is where we find most decent soundtracks.  Jaguar in particular has decided that its fast cars should not only look fast, they should sound it too.  The F-Type V6S is an angry, snarling thing whose gear change blips could excite even vegetarians.  The F-Type V8 is so sonorous you use twice as much fuel as necessary just so it'll bang, crackle and explode to order.

Modern, efficient hatchbacks make very little noise, usually because they are promoted as slick, modern, reliable, economical, clean and efficient.  A lusty roar from 2 inch tailpipes is not in keeping with the image.

Even when a manufacturer builds a hot hatch variant the noise is often disappointing.  The Renaultsport Clio 200 is a marvellous car but its inline-4 1.6 litre turbocharged engine makes hardly a sound, and neither does its exhaust.  Renault knows this so has fitted an array of sound effects to the stereo system.  Check out the video I made of it here.

Renault's R-Sound system is a bit of a cheeky wink to BMW's Milli Vanilli style Active Sound System which pipes fake engine noise through the stereo. BMW tried to keep the system hush hush so buyers actually thought the car made a more lusty noise than it does.  VW does the same with its Soundaktor in the Golf GTI.

For a proper, raucous engine sound and exhaust note we have to look hard to find decent examples.  A few years ago it wasn't difficult - my own 2004 Audi TT 3.2 V6 makes the most wonderful sounds.  The engine issues a tremendous metallic wail at the higher reaches of the rev range and the exhaust's boom at low revs and snarl at high revs is fantastic.

Most cars with an inline-4 engine sound rubbish but the Fiesta ST and Audi S1 make a decent fist of it whilst Mercedes' A45 AMG makes industrial, brutal noises at full chat.  The Astra VXR, great car that it is, is about as aurally emotive as a food blender.

Amongst the Germans the old 6.2 V8 in some Mercedes AMG models was wondrous but the 5.5 twin-turbo is slightly less so.  BMWs can make a good inline-6 noise if they try hard and with Audi it comes down to whether the engineers developing a particular model had got out of bed on the right side or not.

Porsche stands apart from its German brethren by using flat-6 engines which sound marvellous.  They even engineer in some crackles and pops.  The Boxster S I tested sounded brilliant and you could make it sing like Brian Blessed with a throat full of spittle if you so desired.

Of all the cars I've tested the one that came closest to Jaguar is the Maserati GranTurismo Sport.  Good lord that thing sounds fantastic with its Ferrari-built 4.7 litre V8.

All the above cars are petrol powered.  With the exception of the Range Rover SDV8 every single diesel engine sounds rubbish.  Some sound positively dreadful whilst others are merely crap.  The SDV8 is a fantastic engine, powerful, economical and surprisingly good to listen to.

If you don't care about the sound your car makes then 95% of the market will accommodate you.  If you do then you have to fork out a few extra quid and make your choice carefully.

But it'll be worth it.

By Matt Hubbard

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Spotted - 1983 Renault 5 Turbo Barn Find

The seller lists this as a Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, but he's wrong. It's a better car than that.

The Gordini was a front engined, front wheel drive version of the Renault 5 that shared the standard car's silhouette and produced 110hp from it's turbocharged 1.4 litre engine.  The Turbo was a mid-engined, rear wheel drive car with bodywork by Bertone and made 160hp.  It used the same engine block but a bigger turbocharger.

The Renault 5 Turbo was designed for rallying under Group 4 rules (the predecessor to Group B) and the first 400 were built to satisfy homologation.

Octane reckon the car is good for 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds and weighs 970kg.  Pretty spritely.  They also say one in good condition is worth roughly £14k.

This one is listed on eBay as a barn find in need of restoration and will cost £5,500.  Definitely a worthwhile project for someone although all those extra holes in the bodywork will cause a headache.

Here's the link to the ad and here's the text:

Barn Find, Renault 5 Gordini Turbo mid engine. Hill climb car also suitable for tarmac, hydraulic handbrake, full roll cage etc. This is a rare car. Cash on collection. Any enquiries please do no hesitate to get in touch on 07855537562

Not exactly over-selling it is he.

By Matt Hubbard

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Renault Now Owns 100% Stake in Alpine

French car fans and performance motorists alike will find themselves jumping for joy over the latest news released by Renault. Early on Tuesday morning the French car manufacturer announced that a higher stake had been acquired in Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham. To be precise, a 100 per cent stake.

Now under complete ownership by the French brand, Alpine Caterham will join Renault's other stable mate, Dacia, as a subsidiary brand under the Parisian diamond. Rest assure though that Renault are planning more exciting things than budget superminis and crossovers, and they're planning to launch it during 2016.

But what shall they release? A revitalised sports Clio? A tweaked Twingo? These assumptions are far off the mark. In their own words, Renault and Alpine stated that they plan to create the "Berlinette of the 21st century". Certainly, Renault's new acquisition has quite the task on their hands.

The Berlinette, most well-known in Britain as the Alpine A-series, was a Renault powered series of performance cars which gained legendary status worldwide. Launched in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, the first A106 was based on mechanical components from the ancient Renault 4CV. Three years later, the next model arrived. The A108 was designed with components equally borrowed from the Renault Dauphine, although this time the Gordini engine was used to provide some real sporting pedigree.

Fast-forward to 1961 and the most iconic design in the series was launched. The A110 was simply beautiful and cemented its legacy as a spirited rally car. Powered by the Gordini unit from the R8, the A110 became the first World Rally Champion and the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally winner. The next model, the A310, later utilised a rear-mounted V6 power plant, Renault 5 Turbo suspension and provided all of the tail-happy handling characteristics of a Porsche 911. The Renault Alpine GTA which followed was a more modern and sleek design, which featured polyester plastics and fibreglass body panels. This design, which arrived in 1986, proved faster and lighter than the Porsche 944. Power came from 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre Renault sourced V6´s. The Alpine name died however with the 1991 A610 which followed, with the only other Renault produced at the Alpine plant being the Spider ever since.

Alas, what can we expect from this new acquisition by Renault? Well according to Renault's Laurens van den Acker, senior vice president of corporate design, the future design is "as good as finished", with a launch in 2016 reported by the brand. Also, Bernard Ollivier, Manager of the project, stated more recently that: “90% of design specifications [are] complete and an interior design to be finalised before the summer". We can also expect it to resemble the design from 2012, the A110-50 Concept, with a Caterham based variant already confirmed for simultaneous production.

The concept car from 2012 was powered by a 3.5-litre V6, producing 400bhp. Although the engine size and output has yet to be confirmed for the production model, and will probably fail to reach the aforementioned output.

The news of the corporate takeover of this legendary French sporting brand is certainly an exciting episode in the Berlinette saga, with the new model promised in two years amidst almost completion at this early stage. So eager are some customers that some orders have already been placed, despite very limited figures officially revealed. The motoring world will be keeping a close eye on these developments, for they are certain to whet our appetites further in the coming two years.

by Mike Armstrong

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Geneva Motor Show - Mercedes, Audi, McLaren, Alfa, Renault and Infiniti

You've seen our coverage of my favourite cars at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show over the past few days.  This is the best of the rest.

The new Mercedes C Class was on display at Geneva.  I didn't get a poke around inside but the exterior, some say a mini-S Class, looks great.

The Audi TT was another new car on show.  Most people I've shown the photos to have said it looks boring but the TT 420 on display at Geneva looked fantastic, as you can see below.

The Alfa 4C Spider was on display.  It looks wide and squat - and beautiful.  The new headlights are much better than those in the coupe and it suits a targa shape more than a coupe too.

The Renault Twingo was my favourite small car. It's rear engined, rear wheel drive and looks pretty cool.

Infiniti showed off its new Q50 Eau Rouge concept in a deep sparkly red that looked awesome under the lights.

McLaren's 650S Spider was on display.  Yep, it's a looker.

This is the new BMW M4. Great colour!

By Matt Hubbard

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2014 Renaultsport Megane 265 Review

Graham King reviews the facelifted 2014 Megane RS Lux

For 2014 Renault has given the entire Megane range a new look. A new bumper, headlights, grille and bonnet bring the styling in line with last year's new Clio, which debuted Renault's latest 'face'. A similar makeover has been applied to the rest of the range, too.

As well as the revised front there are some detail changes but, frankly, you would need a magnifying glass to find them. Apart from the nose job, it is essentially exactly the same as before.

In the case of the Renaultsport 265 version, that isn't actually a bad thing. We know it be near the top of the hot hatch table, as Matt explained when he drove the RS Cup last year. In fact, if you value driving precision above all else, you could make an argument for the RS Cup being the greatest hot hatch of all time.

I drove one myself last year in damp, cold and greasy conditions that were a long way from ideal for a car with track-biased suspension, trick tyres and a LSD. And yet despite the torque steer, the tramlining, the incredibly stiff ride and the nagging doubt about whether or not the tyres could cope, it was the most fantastically exciting car to drive.

This time I drove the non-Cup model. Like I said, the 2014 car is little different from the pre-facelift version, but it is worth going over the difference between the Lux and the Cup.

There is no getting away from the fact that, for everyday use on Britain's ruined roads, the standard Megane RS is a much better prospect than the Cup. Lacking the LSD, the power is much more manageable without the torque steer, and it does not sniff every line and camber in the road. Equally the ride is orders of magnitude more forgiving, being just on the firm side of comfortable.

Incidentally, I could forgive the RS Cup for its ride, because it has the most fabulously comfortable seats. The leather pews in the car tested here offer less lateral support, but are still among the best I've ever used - I speak as someone with long-term back issues who lasts about 10 minutes in a bad seat.

While we're on the interior, it's a nice enough place to be. The design isn't exactly interesting, even with a few Renaultsport flourishes, but the materials feel almost premium and there's more than enough equipment to keep you entertained.

But don't think that, just because it's more compliant and forgiving, the regular RS has lost its edge entirely. It is still possible to make indecently fast progress, surfing the engine's considerable power and torque. Grip is prodigious and body roll is near-enough non-existent. But the simple fact is that you just don't feel quite as involved in the whole process.

In many ways this Megane RS reminds of my old Octavia vRS: get to the end of a good, fast drive and you feel satisfied that it was a good, fast drive, but you didn't necessarily have all that much fun in the process.

If you do a lot of trackdays, then the Megane RS Cup is unquestionably the one you want. But if you do most of your driving in the real world, with its broken and potholed roads, the standard RS will be much easier to live with and probably ultimately faster on your favourite B-road, thanks to the extra give in the suspension. But you would have more fun (and save a couple of grand) in a Focus ST.

Stats

Price: £26,925 (£31,665 as tested)
Engine: 1998cc, 4-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, FWD
Power: 265hp
Torque: 360Nm
Weight: 1394kg
0-62mph: 6.0secs
Top speed: 158mph
Combined fuel consumption: 37.7mpg

 Co2 emissions: 174g/km

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The Top Ten Best Handling Cars I've Driven

In the last couple of years I've driven more than a hundred cars.  Prior to that I must have driven more than 40.  Here is my top ten best handling cars.

Handling, to me, doesn't necessarily mean how fast a car can go round a corner.  It's something a little more ethereal than that.  Handling is about steering feel and sharpness, the sensation communicated through all those parts of the driver that touch the car, the warning the car gives you before it loses grip completely, how fast it loses that grip and the grip level itself.  Handling is a combination of factors that deliver a sensation that you can push a car to the very edge it's limits - and have fun whilst doing so.

1 - Porsche 911 (991) Turbo

I drove this on track at Silverstone in late 2013.  In my review I said: "The confluence of active aero, ceramic brakes and rear wheel steering means you can drive heroically. The rear wheel steering is not felt on turn in or through the corner but come out of a corner, mash the throttle and you feel the rear end moving. It adds a degree of emotion, never mind speed, to driving the car. Nail a corner exit and the Turbo rewards with a squatting and sliding of the rear end and a perfect punch on to the next straight."

2 - Lotus Exige S Roadster

I drove the Exige on track at Hethel in 2013.  All Lotus' handle heroically well but the Exige is numero uno: "The Exige S Roadster is an amazing car at the limit. You can feel it moving around underneath you, yet all the while it stays on the road and pointing the right way."

3 - Jaguar F-Type S

I drove the F-Type on the road in 2013.  It's not an outright track car but it's amongst the best on the road: "It corners magnificently but its true skill is in mid-corner direction changes. Give the direct steering a flick one way or anther in a corner and you can feel the chassis turn on its axis with very little in the way of pitch. It feels alive, agile and controllable."

4 - Renaultsport Megane 265

I drove the Megane in early 2013 on the road.  It's my favourite front wheel drive car:  "Amid the frantic delivery the chassis copes well. Scream into a sharp corner, change into 2nd as you enter, foot heavily on the brake pedal, turn in, foot on accelerator, ESC copes with tyre slip, tiniest amount of wheelspin from inside wheel, eyes on next apex. Never revs. Don't look down."

5 - BMW 435i M Sport Coupe

I drove the 435i in late 2013 on the road: "The 435i's chassis allows you to feel where the front and rear of the car is going, and to work with it. Rounding corners or roundabouts and the rear wheels want to push the back out just a tad. You feel it and apply just enough throttle to lean on the rear. From the outside this angle of oversteer would be invisible but it's satisfying and rewarding to work with."

6 - Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black series

I drove this in 2012.  It's the best handling Mercedes I've ever driven: "...when you reach the open road, the C63 AMG Black series basically turns into a race car. Precise steering, instant throttle response, brakes that stop in an instant and never fade. But a race car without a harsh ride and banging and rattling as you feel every bump in the road with your spine. This is a race car that smooths out the imperfections and cossets your ego."

7 - Lotus Evora

I had an Evora on a weekend long test in late 2013: "Feedback through steering, and seat of the pants, is scalpel accurate. Combine this with the fact the car isn't too wide and it makes for an ideal road hooner whereby placement is accurate and confidence is high."

8 - Porsche 924S

This is my own car. It's amazing fun to drive: "You feel the road through your fingertips, your feet, your bottom. You communicate with the 924. This is when you know you are not in a Volkswagen but a true Porsche."

9 - Subaru BRZ

I had a BRZ on a week long test in summer 2013: "The BRZ is the best car I've ever driven for sheer naughty mucking about in a car. Its toolkit of fun is chock full. It feels light, like you can throw it around, yet you never get out of control. The car will oversteer through power alone in the first three gears. It responds nicely to a Swedish flick."

10 - Porsche Cayman

I had a Cayman on a four day test in Autumn 2013: "That interactivity runs through the entire driving experience, from the firm seats, the noisy cabin, the bolt-action gearbox, the need to manage the engine yourself, the ride quality. In an era when electronics are taking over the Cayman is a, or possibly THE, driver's car."

By Matt Hubbard

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Renault Will Fit Digital Radio As Standard From 2014 - Hurrah!

One of the things I constantly bang on about when reviewing new cars is the lack of digital radio, or DAB.  I even went so far as to write an open letter to car manufacturers about digital radio, pleading with them to fit DAB as standard.

Digital radio offers hundreds of stations instead of just a handful on FM -most of which are run by the boring old BBC.

The aforesaid BBC has hosted an industry conference called Go Digital ( I bet some marketing agency charged them thousands of £££ to come up with that name).  Several manufacturers have issued press releases to coincide with Go Digital.

Volvo said they already fit DAB as standard so ner ner ner ner ner, Ford said they'll be fitting some kind of daft app which you sync via your smartphone (NOT good enough Ford) and Renault has said they'd be fitting DAB as standard across the whole range.

Hurrah for Volvo and Renault!  And Jaguar Land Rover who also fit DAB as standard.

Renault will also offer Connects2 DAB radio to all old models from 2008 for £240.  More hurrah!

Connects2 wrote a blog about their system for Speedmonkey a while back.

We're slowly getting there, but there are hurdles to overcome.  I asked Nissan on Twitter if they fitted DAB to their cars.  The answer - no.  Not even as an option.

Nissan is Renault's sister company.  Hopefully they'll see the light soon.

By Matt Hubbard

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Catch-up Corner - Dacia Duster Plus Quad, Seat's Sporty Ambitions And More

Graham King takes a look at some stories we missed this week

DACIA DUSTER FINDS ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD

I've always thought the Dacia Duster is the ideal farm/country estate hack as it's cheap, spacious and tough. Dacia clearly think so too and are unashamedly chasing after the farmer-on-a-budget market with the ATV Pack that's now available on the Duster.

Ticking that particular option will get you a towbar, an Ifor Williams trailer and a Yamaha Grizzly quad bike. Choose between the basic 2WD 125cc version for £5,400, or the 350cc with 2WD or 4WD for £7,800. You can spec it on any Duster model, so at its cheapest you get car and quad for £16,495. You can retro-fit it to an existing car, too.

Completely unsurprisingly, the Duster/ATV combo will debut at the Royal Welsh Mid Winter Fair next week. Like I said, they clearly know their target market...

SEAT LEON EUROCUP LAUNCHED

Since May, SEAT has been hawking its new Leon Cup racer around. It's a pretty serious piece of kit: 300bhp+ from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, choice of DSG or sequential gearboxes, full race suspension and brakes, an aerodynamically-effective bodykit and those wheelarches that add 40cm to the car's width, and all the usual safety gear. All for EUR70,000 with the DSG (EUR95k with the sequential).

It was inevitable that SEAT would run a one-make series for the Leon Cup as it has with previous generations of the car since 2003. And so they have announced the 2014 SEAT Leon Eurocup that'll run over six rounds in six countries, using the DSG version of the car. No doubt various national Leon Supercopa championships will follow - previous versions have run in eight countries.

At EUR70k the car itself is very good value. I doubt it'll be all that expensive to run either and it'll be eligible for many more racing series besides. If you can swap between DSG and sequential 'boxes, it would open up a whole world of possibilities. Am I starting to sound like I want one?

TWINGO TURNS 20

The Renault Twingo is 20 years old. We never got the cheery and cheeky first-generation version in the UK, though I'm sure some you had one as a holiday hire car. It looked like a shrunken Espace and was surprisingly spacious. The second-gen version arrived on our shores in 2007 (the Mk.1 lasted 14 years) and though the cooking models arguably aren't as characterful as the original, the Renaultsport version is a suitably exuberant little pup.

RECORD RUN IN ANCIENT FORD

These smiley happy people are Rod Wade and Michael Flanders, pictured on Venice Beach in Los Angeles, having driven 3,000 miles from New York, non-stop in their 1930 Ford Model A. Their time of 50 hours, 20 minutes 6 seconds is a new record for a pre-war car.

The run wasn't entirely trouble free, the car suffering a broken camshaft before battling through freezing conditions in Texas. It was done in a bid to raise awareness and funds for kidney disease - the Wade family run a project to fit caravans and campers with dialysis machines so sufferers can travel. They're the kind of people that make the world a better place...

C-CHARGE-FREE PANAMERA

Porsche has confirmed that the 416bhp, 71g/km of Co2 Panamera S E-Hybrid will be exempt from the London Congestion Charge. With a top speed of 167mph, it has the slightly useless distinction of being the fastest car to be C-Charge exempt (it's not quite the quickest - the 0-62mph time of 5.5secs is around a second behind the Tesla Model S).

Much more significant to the people who will actually buy the Panamera is that it carries a company car tax liability of only 5%. With a £88,967 price tag, that could save tens of thousands of pounds a year. Which would be enough for me to see past the styling.

By Graham King

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Catch-up Corner - Clio Rally Car, 918 Is FAST, Honda FCEV & A Skoda Taxi

Graham King takes a look at some stories we missed this week

Renault launches new Clio rally car

For the last couple of years, the Citroen DS3 has had the R3 rallying class pretty much all to itself. But not for much longer. Several other manufacturers have rivals in the works, but Renault is the first out of the gates with its Clio Renaultsport R3T.

As the name suggests, it's based on the 1.6-litre, turbocharged Clio RS 200. The engine is more-or-less standard, though re-mapped for rallying, but the road car's controversial dual-clutch 'box has been ditched in favour of a six-speed sequential unit. The rest of the spec reads as you would expect for a rally car with uprated suspension and brakes, and all the usual safety gear.

As per R3 rules, you can't actually buy a complete car from Renault Sport Technologies. Instead you buy the parts as a kit that you fit to a road car bodyshell. Renault has been here before. Pre-DS3, the old non-turbo Clio RS was the car to have in R3. 373 kits were sold and huge success followed. The DS3 is getting on a bit now in racing terms, so it'll interesting to see how the Clio measures up.

Porsche 918 is bonkers fast

We know the 918 Spyder, Porsche's 887bhp hybrid hypercar, is fast. A Nurburgring lap time of 6 minutes 57 seconds makes that point emphatically. But Porsche has now released some performance figures that underline the point several times with a Sharpie.

With the 'Weissach' weight-optimisation pack fitted the number are as follows: 0-62mph in 2.6secs; 0-124mph in 7.2secs; 0-186mph in 19.9secs. Bonkers. Not quite as bonkers as the McLaren P1, but still bonkers. And it'll do 0-62mph in 6.2secs on battery power alone. Oh, and the standard car does 94mpg and emits 70g/km of Co2.

Honda unveils next-gen fuel-cell car

Honda took the wraps off this incredible machine at the LA show earlier this week. The FCEV Concept uses Honda's next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell system which is smaller and has better power-density than the system in the old FCX Clarity. Like the Clarity, something that looks a bit like the FCEV will go into production in 2015. Unlike the Clarity, it'll be widely available - including Europe - not just in California. But it'll still be limited by the lack of infrastructure to support it.

Skoda Superb named top taxi

Ever heard of the Professional Driver Awards? Nope, me neither (nor me - Matt). Anyway, among their awards is 'Private Hire Car of the Year' and the fourth time its been won by the Skoda Superb. Specifically, the 2.0TDI 140PS SE hatchback. This isn't even slightly surprising to me, as the vast majority of Superbs I see are indeed taxis.

Article by Graham King

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