My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.144)

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This week Steve Cropley and Matt Prior head to the Autocar store room to talk classic Mini tours, the new Bovensiepen Zagato - the latest car from the family behind Alpinas - and the GWM Haval Jolion Pro, a forgettably-named car from the maker of the Ora Funky Cat, a name you wouldn't ignore. There's much more too, including your correspondence.
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The Sun

34 minutes ago

• The Sun

Roger Moore's favourite James Bond car hits auction… but the motor used in an iconic chase scene is not an Aston Martin

Douglas Simpson Published: Invalid Date, BOND star Roger Moore's favourite James Bond car, seen in iconic chase seen, is due to be auctioned. It's not a vintage Aston Martin due to sell but a small French hatchback used in the iconic For Your Eyes Only chase scene. 8 8 The tiny Citroen 2CV is currently available for purchase after it was rescued from a French scrapyard. Six of the little motors were destroyed during the filming of the chase scene. This is the only one of the six to ever be offered up for sale at auction. A month long online bidding war has been started for the little car with bids already reaching $120,000 or £89,000. It's hoped that the motor will fetch a price of about $500,000 or £370,000 by the time bidding closes on July 17. The iconic chase scene featuring the little 2CV sees Moore jump into the passenger seat of Melina Havelock's (Carole Bouquet) Citroen to escape the gun fire of villain Hector Gonzalez's goons. In the ensuing chaos of the chase the 2CV ends up flipping onto its roof to avoid a bus. It's then flipped back onto four wheels by Bond and some helpful locals before fleeing once again. The small 2CV is eventually rolled down a hill by one of the pursuing Peugeot's, ending up partially crushed before being reversed off towards a sharp turn by 007. In the iconic chase scene Bond takes the tiny Citroen off-road through olive groves and says the famous line: "I love a drive in the country, don't you?" Iconic 90s Ferrari Jeremy Clarkson dubbed the 'greatest car in the world, ever' up for sale for eye-watering price Six bright yellow 2CV's were left damaged in the filming process of the chase scene which sees Bond jump one over the last pursuing Peugeot. The 2CV up for auction is one of only three to avoid complete destruction. All three surviving 2CVs received a few dents and scrapes with the model up for auction boasting a missing headlight and a fair few scratches in the paintwork. The models used for filming were fitted with more powerful engines not available in standard 2CVs. Standard 2CVs were powered by a 602cc flat-twin engine mustering around 33bhp. 8 The six Bond vehicles used in filming featured a larger 1.1-litre engine that was lifted from the Citroën GS. No roll cage was fitted to the one up for auction as it was used specifically for driving shots with Moore and Bouquet. Moore gave a Top Gear interview stating the little French hatchback was his favourite Bond car writing later in his memoir about the fun he had driving the small motor. The three surviving motors were split up after filming with one sold off to a UK collector. One was taken by Citroen for the firm's private collection and the third, which is now up for auction, was sent to a recycling facility in Paris. The famous little car was rescued from the scrapyard and sold to its current owner in 2004. It has been fitted with replacement yellow doors and boot lid, yellow roof, and seats. The car is being sold for display purposes only and is not considered to be roadworthy. A certificate of authenticity will be provided to the winning bidder. 8 8 Car Auctions: How To Nab A Bargain Car auctions are a way to sell vehicles based on a bidding system with the highest offer securing the deal. Auctions aren't restricted to the rich and famous as thousands of cars are sold at motor auctions in the UK each week. Here's what you need to know before attending an auction: Be prepared: Do your research on the car you would like to purchase beforehand. Check the car: Cars will usually be lined up before the start, so make sure to arrive early to inspect the desired car thoroughly. Have a back-up: Be ready for disappointment as your desired motor may be sold to someone else and select a few back-ups. Be realistic: Realise that there won't be a "perfect" car at an auction and adjust expectations accordingly. Set a budget: It is easy to overspend in the heat of the moment during bidding. Ensure you have set a budget and do not go over it. Key phrases to look out for: 'No major mechanical faults' – suggests that there shouldn't be any issues with the car's drivetrain, gearbox, suspension, or engine. 'Specified faults' – the auctioneer will read out specific faults. 'Sold as seen' – the vehicle is sold with any problems it may have. The auction company will rarely entertain complaints regarding the mechanical or cosmetic condition of these vehicles after sale. 'Sold with a warranted mileage' - The car is being offered based on the report, which confirms the mileage through an independent check.

Times

an hour ago

• Times

A grand design — the watch that captures the spirit of Ferrari

'And this is Alain,' says Amanda Mille, the brand and partnerships director at the company her father, Richard, founded. We are in Paris at the Palais de Tokyo to see the unveiling of Richard Mille's new collaboration with Ferrari. And the Alain who has just been so insouciantly introduced is none other than Alain Prost, racing legend and winner of four Formula 1 world championships. Between 1990 and 1991 the Frenchman was a Ferrari driver, and this is why he is here today, along with a more recent alumnus of the team's school, the Brazilian Felipe Massa, who raced for Scuderia Ferrari from 2006 to 2013. Massa also has the distinction of being the first brand partner to sign up with Richard Mille, back in 2004 when the company was a fledgling business making only about 300 watches a year. He talks fondly of how he agreed to wear a watch as a test driver at a time before Richard Mille had any formal budget for such things. The relationship has endured, and Massa always raced wearing a Richard Mille. The RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari, POA, The luxury Swiss watchmaker launched in 2001 with the aim of crafting thoroughly modern timepieces. A fan of motors and motor racing, Mille described his supertechnical lightweight designs as being like 'a racing machine on the wrist'. His son Alexandre, the company's commercial director, says, 'For my father, this partnership with Ferrari is a dream come true.' Beyond the synergies of quality, technology and innovation that connect the two firms, both are also clearly about passion. Massa puts it well: 'It is a great pleasure to be part of [Richard Mille] history, being part of the family. It is like when you enter Ferrari — you are always a Ferrari driver from the beginning and part of the 'religion'.' The Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who now drives for the team, would surely agree. He has been supported by Richard Mille since 2009, when he was karting. Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari's chief design officer, sees the two brands as natural partners. 'A collaboration like this is as much predicated on similarities in values as it is on the visual similarities between a Ferrari engine or component and the elements in a watch.' The first Richard Mille and Ferrari joint effort, 2022's RM UP-01 Ferrari, is a 1.75mm-thin timepiece, a curious and distinctive design that references dials on a dashboard. But the new launch is more recognisably Richard Mille. The RM 43-01 has the firm's signature barrel shape and skeleton construction. But it is not a piece that has simply been badged with a Ferrari logo: the watchmaker worked closely with Ferrari's Centro Stile in Maranello, near Modena, for three years to express the spirit of the cars in the form of a timepiece. It is the beauty of the RM 43-01 as much as its performance that captures the attention. The oscillating tourbillon compensates for the impact of gravity and the chronograph can measure split times with its two seconds hands, but it is the crafted look and feel — and the echoes of the driving machines — that really set it apart. The clutch wheel of a Ferrari V8 engine inspired the barrel jewel setting, while x-shaped supports combined with screws in gold with hexagonal socket heads reference details on Ferrari crankcases and engine blocks. The pushers, case and indices take styling cues from the geometry of the bodies of Ferrari's SF90 Stradale, Daytona SP3 and 488 Challenge Evo models, while a titanium plate shaped to recall the rear wing of the 499P hypercar is engraved with the firm's famous prancing horse motif. 'In terms of performance, anything that has a technical purpose can also be beautiful,' Manzoni says. 'The concept of functional beauty is something that we really love.' And clearly Richard Mille loves it too.

Daily Mail​

3 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

RAY MASSEY: It's a Grand day out for Vauxhall's spacious new SUV

To be fair, I haven't tried the kitchen sink yet, but over hundreds of miles of driving, I've had a good go at squeezing a whole assortment of items into the new Vauxhall Grandland SUV. That includes: supermarket shops, potted shrubs and bags of top soil, compost and bark-chipping, plenty of luggage, golf clubs and trolley, DIY kit from B&Q, and even an Ikea 'Billy' bookshelf – the ultimate test. But it's not just the flexible boot and folding-down rear seats that are a boon in this comfortable five-seater family vehicle. With its contemporary styling, black roof and tinted rear windows, it looks cool, too. This SUV will grow on you, as it did me. Riding on 19-inch wheels, my 136 horsepower Grandland GS hybrid was powered by a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, connected to a 21kW (28hp) electric motor. The GS trim is the middle of three levels between Design and Ultimate. For everyday use, I kept mine in Sport mode – which was jauntier than the other two options of Eco and Normal. With an acceleration from rest to 62mph in 10.2 seconds, and a top speed of 126mph, it achieves a decent lick on faster roads and for cruising long distances on motorways. It's frugal, too: it will start with well over 500 miles of range on a full tank. But generating additional electric power on the move means that it also does more than 50 miles to the gallon. It's surprisingly nimble, too. While the range starts from £34,755, as driven, my SUV was priced at £37,350 – including £700 for the spectrum blue paint. You can shop around for finance deals and offers and, after a deposit, you could be paying as little as a few hundred pounds a month. I must admit that when, in Germany last autumn, I first tried out the more powerful 213hp battery-powered Grandland Electric (0 to 62mph in nine seconds and a range of 325 miles) along with the petrol hybrid version, I found the latter a bit underpowered. But having lived with the hybrid for a while on UK roads, I've grown to enjoy its virtues. The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres Vauxhall may not be the most fashionable of badges, but with plenty of interior space, the sharp, modern face and uncluttered lines of the new Grandland won't disgrace anyone's driveway. The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres. The shallow V-shaped grille and 'vizor' lights and illuminated Griffin badge and illuminated Vauxhall name on the rear hatch adds to a tidy package. This month Vauxhall launched the new range-topping 325hp Grandland Electric AWD, its first fully electric car with all-wheel drive, which accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 6.1 seconds and has a range of 311 miles. It goes on sale in early Autumn priced from around £43,000. Howay the Leafs! As Sunderland climbs back into football's Premier League alongside rivals Newcastle, Nissan has unveiled its third generation Leaf electric compact SUV at its factory in the north-eastern city. In a vote of confidence in Britain as Nissan makes global cuts, the sportier- looking model will be built at the Sunderland plant with its 6,000-strong workforce. Vote of confidence: Nissan has unveiled its third generation Leaf electric compact SUV Just over five inches shorter but slightly higher and wider than the outgoing model, this new Leaf crossover has sharper looks, up-to-date tech and promises plenty of interior space. It accelerates to 62mph in 7.6 seconds, and Nissan say it can cruise for 200 miles at 80mph (where legal). Two battery options (52kWh and 75kWh) give ranges of 270 miles and 375 miles respectively – the latter getting you from London to the Scottish Borders. Orders begin in autumn ahead of spring deliveries. Expect prices to start from just under £30,000.