Every month CAR interviews the stars of motorsport, demystifies the latest in-car technology and shares our writers’ passion for car culture and car design. Discover the world’s newest and most exciting cars: join us to drive everything from supercars and hot hatches to family cars.
WHERE WILL CAR TAKE YOU?
F1’s booming. But the feuding FIA could wreck that • The hard line over F1 and World Rally stars swearing in public has induced a degree of ridicule
Nothing is as it seems
Is your old 911 knackered? Are you loaded? Here’s an idea
Mission impossible: save the small car
At last, Citroën takes the bigcar hint
Software-defined: what it means, why it matters
The car industry has a new saviour
Agony, from the comfort of your armchair
Sex? It’s over-rated • The Renault 5 has all the glamour and excitement, but it’s the frumpier, roomier and far more versatile 4 that actually delivers the goods
Pick-up: 0 miles
Your move, JLR • The real rival to the electric Range Rover is from Korea
The karma chameleon • Suzuki’s Vitara wears a new mask to stay on the right side of history
Halcyon daze • New Vantage Roadster turns the clock back to the good old days
Avantage, Audi • The new A6 estate is a reminder that there are still plenty of alternatives if you don’t want to go for an SUV or an EV
Opinion • COOL CONVERTIBLES + PRICES + GEORG vs THE DRAGON
CAR
‘The most underestimated British car of the 21st century is enjoying an unexpected burst of life’
‘I’m not sure the mainstream manufacturers can summon up a “functional” state of mind any more’
ENJOYING CAR? • SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS AN ISSUE
Fun factory • How can we identify 2025’s best hot hatch? By spending three days in 10 cars on some of northern England’s most glorious roads and a racetrack
What price progress? • Alpine, Abarth, Alfa and Mini have decades of experience in making affordable performance cars. Does that know-how translate to EVs?
Petrol vs electiric • You can now buy your Mini JCW in two flavours. Which version is the better hot hatch, petrol or electric?
Three’s a crowd • The Honda Civic Type R and Audi RS3 have a long history in this sort of fight, but now the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is trying to muscle in
Heartland heroes • Latest versions of three relatively affordable petrol-fuelled favourites head to the moors
The final reckoning • The quartet that have shone brightest so far go head to head at Croft circuit, in wet and dry
SUBSCRIBE TO CAR FROM JUST £3.99* • CAR DELIVERS INSIGHT, OPINION AND INSPIRATION TO FUEL YOUR PASSION
THE FULL MONTE • Buy your dream 911. Drive it on the roads that created the legend 60 years ago. Pinch yourself, a lot
EAST ANGULAR • The Esprit is 50. Helped by dedicated owners and the people who created it, we tell the story of the Lotus that dared to be different
The new sensible • Not so long ago the combination of seven seats and all-electric seemed outlandish. But now it’s completely normal, and available in four distinct flavours
MPVs IN DISGUISE
Unhappy medium • Theory clashes with reality when two potential S3 owners sample our long-term test car.
Getting into the zone • Oxford’s zero-emissions zone is 80 miles away, matching the plug-in Merc’s claimed range. Game on.
Straight answers • Head north and keep going towards the end of the A1 – a simple plan to find out what the Mazda’s range-extender tech can really deliver.
Weight watcher • With its heft and its hybrid powertrain, the latest M5 has been divisive from day one. Will living with one help us understand it?
Greatness runs through it...