Road tests

How many engines does one car need? We've heard of bi-motor vehicles, but Toyota's latest environmentally friendly hybrid uses three powerplants to cr…

Becoming a rap star isn't easy, but if you haven't got the lyrical talents or the inflated ego, you can at least have the car to go with the lifestyle…

What is the most influential hot hatch of all time? It's a typical car enthusiasts' debate, and the final is usually between the Volkswagen Golf GTI a…

One man blocked off a lay-by to prevent us getting away and demanded to know what the car was and where he could buy one. Later, another asked for the…

Brightly coloured cars look great in the sun, so Audi has launched an eye-catching special edition A2, named Colour Storm, to boost summer sales.

If there's one thing that matters in the company car class, it's emissions. With the Government setting CO2 tax brackets at ever more stringent levels…

According to Lotus, out-and-out performance is no longer enough for buyers looking for an Elise. Die-hard fans love the agile two-seater as it is, but…

If you buy a base model, you don't normally expect a bagload of creature comforts thrown in for free.

The cruising season has reached its peak in America, and Chevrolet's new SSR has been crowned this year's king of cool. Born out of the States' obsess…

Think of a special edition, and chances are it'll be nothing more than a base model with metallic paint and a CD player added. But Mitsubishi has done…

It's pretty sunny in Barcelona at this time of year, but it's not only the weather that's getting warmer.

No matter what you are used to driving, nothing prepares you for Mercedes' latest autobahn crusher. The SL is one of the finest cars in the world, and…

When a car is engineered by Lotus, you would usually expect the result to be a brilliant handling, powerful and thrilling machine to drive.

There was a time when the Ford Mondeo could do no wrong. At its launch in 2000 it was the undisputed class leader, winning group tests left, right and…

The reaction to Ford's Fusion has been a little cool, to say the least. Compared to the funky concept seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001, the pr…

There's a heat haze blurring the view of the Barcelona test track, but otherwise the circuit ahead is clear, so we risk squeezing the throttle a littl…

If you do the sums, this car should cost a cool £1million. After all, Jensen's investors spent £10m producing an exciting new roadster, but the ventur…

As many ageing Hollywood stars will tell you, going under the plastic surgeon's knife can be risky - get it wrong and the consequences can be disast…

Black is back in fashion - at the petrol pumps at least. More people than ever are switching from unleaded to diesel in search of lower fuel bills. Bu…

Sporty, MPV, and diesel are not words that usually appear in the same sentence - unless, that is, you're talking about the new SEAT Alhambra TDI SE. A…

The compact MPV market is getting tougher and tougher, and the Nissan Almera Tino has always struggled for exposure. Launched back in 2000 as a rival …

Subtle is not a word that the designers at Daihatsu are familiar with. Following the decision to bring the distinctive Copen roadster to the UK, boss…

Supermodel looks and girl-next-door prices. It's no wonder red-blooded enthusiasts will spend a lifetime saving for a TVR. For the cost of a BMW M3, y…

Some cars are ripe for tuning. Take any small Ford or the old Mini - such models are designed with frugal rather than high-performance engines and a c…

Arrive in a Mercedes S-Class and you ooze style, roll up in a BMW and you are thrusting and dynamic, but what does it say about you if you drive a Vol…

You don't have to enter a reality TV show to find out what it feels like to be a minor celebrity - simply drive a Daihatsu Copen down a busy British s…

We've known for a long time that Toyota's Yaris is a great supermini, so a raft of improvements and a minor facelift can only make it even more popula…

Who said that squares can't be cool? Nissan's sensational new Cube mini-MPV, with its asymmetrical detailing and hard edges, proves even the most cons…

With a 4.0-litre V8 engine, aluminium spaceframe body and quattro four-wheel-drive system, it's no surprise that the latest addition to Audi's A8 rang…

Things are done very differently at the grass-roots level of bargain-basement motoring. Priorities such as style, refinement and brand image go out of…

Creating the perfect performance car needs a complicated recipe. What if you remove one or more of the ingredients?

We've always felt disappointed by the C-Class Sports Coupe. Although sharply styled and impeccably built, it has traditionally lacked the driver appea…

Meet the Donkervoort D8. You may never have heard of it, but we bet you can guess what it's based on by looking at the long bonnet and tiny, door-less…

Age is no barrier to beauty - take Alfa Romeo's GTV Coup� and soft-top Spider as proof. Launched in 1996, the two cars stopped traffic with their adve…

Check out these statistics: two turbos, 308bhp and a whopping 750Nm of torque. Only Bentley's Arnage and the Mercedes S600 can offer more pulling powe…

Turbos have long been a Saab trademark. In 1977, the Swedish firm became an innovator when it unveiled the 99 Turbo - the first really successful blow…