Autocar magazine 1 February: on sale now
Porsche's 911 SUV, why the Ora Funky Cat can't cut the mustard, how Skoda is preparing for the future
This week in Autocar, we put Porsche’s new 911 ‘SUV’ through its paces, break the silence on Audi’s newest radical concepts and make our case for keeping combustion cars on the road. Find out more in this week’s Autocar!
*News*
We bring you the lowdown on Audi’s two radical new concepts. The first is a hardcore off-road rival to the Land Rover Defender and the other is called the Activesphere - the firm's last entrant into the Sphere concept series. We also reveal everything there is to know about Ford’s latest long-awaited electric SUV.
*Reviews*
The Porsche 911 Dakar is the star of the show in this week’s reviews. With 473bhp and 4WD, is it the ultimate desert racer?
Meanwhile, Matt Saunders visits Spain to test the hardcore, stripped-back Alpine A110 R. For road test #5609, the Ora Funky Cat is put through its paces - can this distinctive Chinese EV make the cut in the UK?
*Features *
Piers Ward is off to Saudi Arabia to meet the mechanics who make the infamous Dakar Rally happen.
We also meet up with Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer to find out how he is refining the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ recipe for the EV age, before Hilton Holloway makes the economic and environmental case for keeping combustion cars on the road.
*Opinion *
Matt Prior comments on the fast-increasing use of simulators in the development of modern cars and how they can be used to engineer driver enjoyment.
Meanwhile, Steve Cropley questions why people don’t like car dealerships and recounts his time following a careless Hyundai i10 driver (coincidentally one of his favourite cars).
*Used *
Are you looking for a sensible, practical, well-made estate car? Well, Dylan Lumpe might just have your perfect nearly new car - the Volkswagen Passat Estate.
Mark Pearson takes a closer look at the Porsche Cayenne as this week’s cult hero. It’s big, it’s brash, it’s luxurious, and it’s yours from £2000.