Autocar Lunchbox: The stick-shift BMW M3 CSL, superbike vs rally car 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 *
*Son of P1*
McLaren will launch its first mainstream hybrid car later this year, with sources suggesting it will sit towards the lower end of the British sports car maker’s three-tier model range in terms of power and performance. It’ll eschew Woking’s traditional twin-turbo V8 set-up in favour of an electrified V6, and should be capable of 20 electric-only miles per charge.
*First mainstream McLaren hybrid due later this year*
*VIDEO OF THE DAY*
*CSL - SMG = Gr8?*
The BMW M3 CSL (the 2003 E46 3 Series, code-name fans) is widely regarded as one of the greatest BMW M cars of all time, and couldn’t possibly be improved… or could it? We took a trip to Oxfordshire’s Everything M3s to drive their manual-swapped version to see if you should mess with a legend.
*PHOTO OF THE DAY*
*On yer bike!*
We don’t feature a lot of motorbikes here at Autocar, so you know that any that make the cut are pretty darn special. This is RC Express Racing’s Kawasaki ZX-10R - a superbike that weighs the same as a couple of burly rugby players and packs more power than a 2.0-litre Mazda MX-5. Is it a match for a 1200bhp Nissan GT-R or a Rallycross racer? We found out in our ultimate drag race showdown.
*Ultimate drag race showdown: BMW, Porsche, Ferrari and more*
*QUOTE OF THE DAY*
*Things can only get better*
“The contrast between the Puma and the EcoSport is so stark you wonder if the latter wasn’t actually a canny bit of strategic product planning. A great car is made to seem even better by immediate comparison to a really awful one.”
The Ford Puma has already established itself as an immediate class-leader in the burgeoning compact SUV segment, but can it achieve a coveted five-star verdict in the arduous Autocar road test? Matt Saunders thinks it’s off to a good start, mainly thanks to the shortcomings of its predecessor.
*2020 Ford Puma road test*
*FROM THE ARCHIVE*
*Clear as Glas*
One of BMW's main factories today is Dingolfing, where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 Series are built. It employs some 18,000 people and puts out 1600 cars per day. But while Munich is the brand's spiritual home, the other Bavarian plant was purchased in 1967 from Glas — a name that will be unknown to most nowadays. We look back at the success of that firm’s Goggomobile microcar.
*Throwback Thursday 1964: the excellent Glas 1700 and its maker's story*
*POPULAR OPINION*
*The show(manship) must go on *
At this time of international hardship, taking a McLaren GT out on the road doesn’t exactly scream ‘essential travel’, but Matt Prior was pleasantly surprised at the public reaction when he recently took Woking’s DB11 rival for a (pre-lockdown) spin. Perhaps even flamboyance has a place in times of crisis.
*Matt Prior: What will become of the GT - and the man-bun?** *