Autocar Lunchbox: Motoring's best liveries, E34 BMW 5 Series driven 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 *

*Bigger Bentayga? You betcha!*

You know how you thought the Bentley Bentayga was quite a large car? Well get ready for something even bigger… Crewe is set to replace its ageing Mulsanne saloon flagship with a new range-topping SUV, CEO Adrian Hallmark has hinted. The new model could potentially sit at the top of an extended range of SUVs complementing the Bentayga, which has already transformed the brand's sales volumes and accounted for 47% of Bentleys sold last year.

*Bentley plots flagship SUV to replace Mulsanne*

*VIDEO OF THE DAY*

*Messing with classics*

Ah, the restomod. To some, the idea of stuffing modern mechanicals inside a motoring icon is nothing short of sacrilege, but to others, it’s the best of both worlds. So, then, what do we think? To reach a definitive conclusion, we gathered an Alfaholics GTA-R, a JIA Interceptor R and a Tuthill Porsche 911 and headed to our favourite track for a group test with a difference. 

*PHOTO OF THE DAY*

This week, we’ve been fiercely debating the best liveries and colour schemes of all time, and we reckon we’ve finally come up with a definitive list. Lotus was no stranger to iconic colour schemes on its race cars, from the early British Racing Green with a yellow stripe to the Gold Leaf colours used in the late 1960s. There’s one, though, that stands out above all others: the black-and-gold John Player Special livery that Lotus sported in Formula 1 between 1972 and 1978. Take a look at the rest below.

*Most iconic car colour schemes in history*

*QUOTE OF THE DAY*

“Russians are very nationalistic and the Lada brand is a Russian brand. It’s part of the history of Russia and it’s important not to lose those roots. You have to be proud of where you’re from.”

We don’t talk about Russia’s automotive output a lot, and that’s because domestic brands there don’t have much in the way of global reach. But that could be about to change, as we discovered when we visited the thriving, colossal headquarters of revived value brand Lada.

*Behind the scenes at Lada's Russian headquarters*

*FROM THE ARCHIVE*

The E34 BMW 5 Series was the executive saloon to beat during its decade of service and noted for its exemplary reliability. The third-generation model made a great leap over the E28 that preceded it, having been developed in parallel with the E32 7 Series and so echoing the larger model in terms of styling and engineering. So, what did we say when we first got behind the wheel back in May 1988?

*Throwback Thursday: 1988 BMW 535i first drive*

*POPULAR OPINION*

As the world of sport went into lockdown along with the rest of us, television broadcasters understandably scrambled to fill the void left in their schedules. Racing esports seemed the natural fit: the cars and tracks we all know, some of the drivers we recognise and all possible without stepping outside. After all, a steering wheel and pedals are closer to real driving than moving football players with a control pad. But here’s what you might not have known: esports was already massive before the pandemic. Tom Morgan takes a look.

*Opinion: Virtual racing was booming before lockdown – you just didn't notice*