What’s your favourite car from Fast and Furious?

The Fast and Furious franchise defies all known metrics of the film industry. It's still going, and soon enough we will witness Fast and Furious 7.

We'll have a special treat for you next week regarding the new film, but for now, we've just seen this mini retrospective montage from the previous six films.

It includes all the major ‘hero' cars from the franchise, which we must admit, do include a few rather delightful ones, like the Honda NSX.

So, a simple one for you: name your favourite motor used in a FF movie. And remember to thank FF for providing us with direct-port nitrous injection, four-core intercoolers, and ball-bearing turbos.

Download a free TG pumpkin stencil!

It's Halloween, a tradition no one really understands the deeper meaning of, but doesn't question because it means you can dress up like a wally and demand sweets from your neighbours.

And, for reasons largely unclear, carve faces in pumpkins. Now, we know you've been agonising for the last few months over what imaginative design to hack into the front of your ribbed squash, so to save you some time we've cooked up three stencils for you to download.

All you have to do is to download the design you like by hitting the links below. Then, once you've decorated your pumpkin - or indeed freestyled your own TG-inspired design - why not tweet us the results to @bbc_topgear, or email us at editor@topgear.com?

Download pic 1

Download pic 2

Download pic 3

The impact of numerology over the names

Whenever an infant is born into a family, it’s a norm to first assess him/her with a name. The name of a person is just not a word to be referred to them but actually is the definition, a description of their personality and the briefing of their traits. It should be made very sure that while naming a person all the necessary measures are taken care of. They say that labeling of a product is done properly to define the quality of that product. The same theory can be applied upon assessing names to the young ones too. The better the name the more illustrative would be the definition.

 

While a lot of people who believe in ancestry, name their children on the basis of their legacy or the family trees, while others who believe in Numerology have different opinions. The people who believe in numerology work and practice a lot with numbers before naming their kids. In numerology each letter of your name is said to have an individual corresponding number. Cornerstone is said to be the first letter in your name while capstone is said to be the last one. Under Numerology the first vowel is also given sheer importance, as it is said to fulfill all your urges and dreams in life. Each and every letter in this section has a meaning of its own and preparing a name with all those combine meaningful letters will eventually make out the best desired result. The sum of the numbers in your birth date and the sum of numbers you make out while naming a person displays a great deal in the character, the future, the strengths and the weakness of an individual. Numerology helps in standing and fighting against all these weaknesses and odds. Believers say that numerology make you achieve whatever you want in life, and not just infants, a lot of people change their names in the later stages of their life too after realizing the problems they are suffering in their lives and in order to fight against them. This concept of Numerology was initially brought up by the Babylonians but gradually everyone started practicing it and eventually it became so popular and effective that now it is practiced across almost all over the world. There might be no scientific proofs about the authenticity of these numerology charts, but people still have faith in ample numbers about the relationship of words and numbers.

 

People also believe that in Numerology the on goings and the redemption is based upon three major factors; the date of birth, the name given to you on your birth and the name you use currently. The third factor can well be managed according to the needs and necessary requirements by the Numerology charts. There are ways to work over your names even if you’re a grown up in order to get over the grey shades you are going through in your personal lives. So everyone needs to go through that Numerology chart while assessing their young ones with new names.

 

Browse through name meaning, rankings, other people's comments, ratings, and other statistics in addition to the name meanings.

 

Listen to the new Civic Type R

Honda promises us the new Civic Type R will be the most "extreme and high-performing model to wear the famous ‘Red H' badge". Now we have video proof that it'll sound quite nasty indeed.

Honda has announced a new film - which is actually an incredibly cool short with some neat flourishes - showcasing both sides of the Civic's nature.

You hit play, and the film begins with a sedate Civic being driven around, um, sedately. Hold down your keyboard's ‘R' key, and you get the full-blooded Type R alternative, complete with that raspy soundtrack.

Watch it here.

We already know that Civic Type R will be the most powerful Type R ever, and will get that raspy soundtrack from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine; the first time a Type R model has used a turbo.

Honda's Hisayuki Yagi, chief engineer, told TG.com that "in order to achieve our set targets for performance, a turbo was the most suitable technology". Technology suitable for bashing out a power output somewhere north of 276bhp. A lot, therefore.

"It's just a tool," Yagi told TG about the turbo. "We've also put a lot of weight reducing technology in the Type R. It's very usual at Honda where we set performance targets that seem unreachable."

It'll come with a six-speed gearbox powering the front wheels, which we assume will end in a lot of chaos. Not so, says Yagi. "During the planning and concept phase, we considered a four-wheel-drive system and automatic gearbox, but we settled on FWD and that was that.

"With our skills, we can definitely cope with this high output," he added.

It'll be fast. It'll be pointy (just look at it), and it promises to blitz around the Nürburgring too. "We are targeting a value around the ‘Ring that exceeds customer expectation," Yagi told us.

Fighty no? Have a watch of the video here.

It’s the Dacia pick-up truck!

Despite the name, this isn't a bloodthirsty Orc Lord lifted from a Tolkien novel, but instead a design concept by our favourite people over at Dacia. It's called the Oroch, and as you can see, it's a truck.

If you like trucks, this is indeed Good News! This one is said to ‘pack an emotional punch', and was sketched out by the Renault design centre for Latin America.

Dacia wants to gauge public reception on such a vehicle, which features the company's new front ‘brand identity' (read: face), and some styling cues first seen on the D-Cross concept from a couple of years ago.

There is precious little information to run on, other than the fact it sits on a Duster's underpinnings, gets five seats, a high riding stance, 18in wheels, a spacious cabin, and side protective mouldings. Expect it to feature the Duster's 4x4 system and petrol and diesel engines too, if it ever makes production.

There's also a multimedia screen for the interior which displays images from two rear mounted cameras, and seats with an additional layer of foam. Yeah, we know, but we'll find out more soon.

The colours meanwhile, are meant to remind you of water sports; there's a white body, orange detailing and charcoal interior trim, as well as a dash, door inserts and seat panels made from a material ‘which looks like neoprene wetsuits'. If you spend a lot of the time on The Internet and are single, you might enjoy this.

"The show car explores the world of pick-ups, a segment we're absent from at the moment but which totals around 900,000 vehicles sold [in South America] each year," Dacia tells us.

Behold BMW's 567bhp M Division SUVs

It's five years since BMW first squeezed its X5 and X6 through the M Division sausage machine. The pair introduced turbocharging to performance BMWs, and while that's a development we've warmed to thanks to the stonking performance cars that followed, the sight of two bulbously muscular SUVs is no less shocking.

There's certainly no mistaking this pair for anything else. BMW describes their styling as ‘athletic' and ‘dynamic'; we'll let you make up your own mind on that. It's impossible to deny they ooze presence, with quad exhausts, sculptured arches and standard 20in wheels (21s optional) all cranking up the drama.

The numerous front air intakes all serve cooling purposes, while aerodynamic touches include side mirrors inspired by the BMW M4; note the gap where the top of the mirror doesn't quite meet the A-pillar. With front ends so bluff, every little apparently helps.

Beneath the brawn is a familiar setup of twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 driving all four wheels through an automatic gearbox. There's more power, though: 567bhp and 553lb ft outputs represent 40bhp and 52lb ft rises, enabling a notable increase in performance.

While both cars' top speeds remain limited at 155mph, 0-62mph is now ticked off half a second quicker, at 4.2sec. That combines with greener economy figures, with 25.5mpg and 258g/km CO2 emissions representing improvements of over 20 per cent.

The four-wheel-drive system has a rearward bias, while 100 per cent of power can be sent to either axle depending on scenario. And, with an inevitable sense of shoehorned-in M-ness, BMW brags of great driftabilty courtesy of a stability control system with various leniency levels.

Both cars have suspension that's stiffer and 10mm lower than standard, while the eight-speed paddleshift gearbox possesses a launch control function and there's a laptiming app available. It feels almost needless to add there's been development time at the Nürburgring.

Whatever you feel about BMW's ‘elite sports machines' (their words), the performance SUV sector is clearly a lucrative one, as the Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne GTS and Mercedes ML63 AMG are just three of the rivals spoiling for a scrap when they go on sale. If you're so inclined, prices should start just below £80,000.

Seat is joining the crossover party

Seat is grabbing some of the rapidly expanding Nissan Qashqai-flavoured pie, by launching a mid-sized SUV crossover next year. And after that it also wants to build a smaller one too. The company's boss Jürgen Stackmann has been telling us about it. "We are in the process of feasibility. Yes we are keen on getting it done."

We've known about the mid-sized one for some months - they even announced the production location, a Skoda plant in the Czech republic. But Stackmann says it would be logical to go smaller too. "It's a segment purpose-made for Seat: function with emotion. People like sitting high above the road, and the versatility. But they think [small] MPVs are boring. SUVs are a way of getting some emotion."

The mid-size crossover is due in mid-2016. The smaller one is already being designed, but it would be impossible for dealers to cope with two new cars within a year so we're talking about at least 2017.

It would make this report easier to write - and to read - if Stackmann would only tell us their names. But he won't, although he doesn't demur at the suggestion there are still plenty of Spanish town names remaining unused. For now he just uses internal VW size categories: A0 (Polo and Ibiza size) and A (Golf and Leon size). So he's calling them A0-SUV and A-SUV.

The mid-size one is roughly the same size as the Leon, and uses the same VW Group MQB platform. It will also use much of the Leon's design direction. Stackmann says the Leon does exactly the job Seat wanted it to do. "It took a long time for us to understand what the brand is. But the Leon is it: function with emotion, a crispness and sportiness. In design, continuity is the key to success. Customers need to understand you. The Leon is unique so why change the formula? You can add new elements but you have to keep the direction."

That said, we understand the new mid-size crossover will look quite a bit more SUV-ish than the 2011 IBX concept (pictured) but that was more similar to the Leon than the actual production car will be. Even the jacked-up Leon 4WD, the X-Perience, has plastic arches and rufty tufty body kitting.

Interestingly, although the Seat is the same size as the current VW Tiguan, the next-generation Tiguan will go up a size, so there ought to be a clear space in the Group portfolio for this Seat.

Underneath it will use a similar engine range to the Leon, majoring on 2.0 diesels. Stackmann says plug-ins and electric cars are some way off for Seat. "Our customers usually have just one car in the household, and we are about value. Sure we could quickly implement that technology because we're in the Group, but for the moment I'd like use to stay focussed."

There will be a 4WD option on the A-SUV. "About 80 per cent of that market is front-drive, but 20 per cent is 4WD."

However, the projected smaller crossover will be FWD only. That's despite the fact there is the technical capability to do 4WD, as it sits on the small version of the MQB platform, and Audi will build Quattro versions of its next-generation A1 and the new Q2. But, says Stackmann, "In the A0-SUV we won't put the extra price of €2000 [£1600] into something people don't want. The success of the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 shows the way."

Listening to Stackmann, there's no doubt that both the mid-size crossover and the expected smaller one will be smack in the middle of their segments, rather than in-between sizes or have any left-field body forms - they won't be quasi-coupes or carry any MPV genes. "They need to be a very Seat execution, but I believe people think in segments and want to be able to decode a car. Otherwise they get confused crossing categories."

What does a Seat execution mean? Apart from the design which he discussed, it's also about putting in the relevant, visible tech from the Group's portfolio - but not the stuff people won't pay for in a value brand. Hence no 4WD on the littler of the two crossovers, and no plug-in version of either of them. But there will be Seat staples such as DSG, LED headlights, high-value nav systems and loud stereos.

Meet Audi's racecar inspired R8 special

The Audi R8 may not have long for this world, but it’s intent on going out with a bang rather than a whimper. Meet the R8 Competition, another special edition sports car following the stripped-out GT and laser-lit LMX.

In fact, think of it as an LMX for the US market. That sadly means no lasers. It does use the same 562bhp tune of 5.2-litre V10 engine, though, driving all four wheels through Audi’s slick S-tronic paddleshift gearbox.

Yep. Despite its motorsport vibes, and styling inspired by the rear-drive R8 LMS racing car, the Competition sticks with Quattro all-wheel drive. Still, that does help yield an exceedingly brisk 3.2sec 0-62mph time, while the top speed is a healthy 199mph.

As well as a 44bhp rise over standard, the Competition gets plenty of racecar-inspired styling flourishes. Note the fixed carbon rear wing, carbon dive planes and gloss black alloy wheels, behind which sit carbon ceramic brakes. And just in case you’ve forgotten what you’ve bought, there are door sill plates which illuminate ‘R8 Competition’ as you clamber aboard.

The Audi R8 Competition will debut at the LA motor show in a couple of weeks, when orders for the 60 US cars will be taken. We imagine it won't take long. Venerable the R8 may be, but it's still rarely been bettered. 

How to crash at the Ring vol. II

Learn from your mistakes. Wise advice that's chanted by parents, teachers and law enforcement officers around the land. But who's taking it onboard? Well, not the people in the crashy compilation above, that's for sure.

This time last year we showed you dozens and dozens of drivers getting it very wrong at the Green Hell. It was a warning to all of you have-a-go heroes that the very confusing, very long and very undulating Eifel circuit isn't quite as easy to master in the reality as it is in the safe digital sphere.

And now, once again, we have eight and a bit minutes of footage to prove, if ever you needed it, that this is still the case. Again and again overzealous drivers find that unexpected oversteer isn't so pretty when you're faced with a wall of cold, hard Armco. It's even uglier when your pride and joy is bundled in the stuff and there's no reset button to hit.

So, if you're still planning that summer trip to the dreaded Green Hell, please watch this first. Or, ignore our advice and be prepared to have a staring role in this exact same story in one year's time. You've been warned, humble helmsmiths.

Is this the perfect road trip?

We're back! Because, frankly, we think we can do better. Our first Perfect Road Trip ended badly. This time we're determined to get things right.

So, it's Italy... 500 miles from Venice to the Isle of Capri via Bologna, Siena, Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano on the stunning Amalfi coast.

This time we're pulling out all the stops for perfection with the McLaren 650S and its fellow 200mph-clubber, the Lamborghini Huracan. Throw in the mind-boggling 900 horsepower hybrid McLaren P1 and you see we mean business. For a blast along the timeless Amalfi coast, we choose two classic 1960s Alfa Romeos.

Being in the land of so much culture inspires The Stig to rearrange some furniture - in a bad way. The Midlands Gastronaut searches for his favourite local food - in the wrong way.

For our finale, we have the only cars feasible on the Isle of Capri - two Ford Capris!

Surely nothing can ruin our Perfect Road Trip 2.

Enjoy!

Watch ten minutes of off-road carnage

When the road fizzles from hard black tarmac to dusty bouldery wastelands, that's when most drivers call it quits and reprogramme the sat nav. But to off-road enthusiasts, that's where the fun begins.

Now, off-roading covers quite a broad spectrum. At one end you have the ageing octogenarian towing their caravan ‘off-road' and onto a well-maintained grassy campsite. At the other, you have the people in the video above.

They're the kind where absolutely no terrain is an issue. Diligent disciples of the Clarkson School of Motoring, they believe that the only way to cover any type of terrain is to have lots of power and bury your foot until you crash. As you'll see, that happens quite a lot.

But this gung-ho attitude also generates spectacular footage. Cars fly, bounce and crawl up angles and across what your eyes believe to be impassable objects until they either; A. Crash B. Explode or C. Set their own suspension on fire from the tortuous abuse.

Would you take a ride with this lot? Let us know below.

Australians, this is your new favourite race car

Forty years ago, Holden released a car called the Sandman. It was a panel van: a van version of a ute - which is a car version of a pick-up truck - but, more than that, it was a one stop shop for surfers.

There was enough room to strap two surfboards to the roof, a big V8 up front, and, most importantly, "105 feet of party room in the back" (their words): that's enough to comfortably fit a mattress.

With its Swiss Army knife-style usability, the Sandman was literally sex on wheels to some surfers. It quickly became and Aussie icon and would command a raft of shaka salutes it time one would rock up shore side.

But for last weekend's V8 Supercars' Gold Coast 600, Red Bull Racing Australia engineered a one-off, 21st century re-imagining of the seventies Holden Sandman with the help of Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Where the original was based on a Holden Kingswood, the latest version uses Jamie Whincup's V8 Supercar chassis from the 2013 season.

Complete with a 705bhp 5.0-litre V8 race engine, six-speed electro-hydraulic paddleshift gearbox, F1-inspired fly by wire throttle control and racing brakes, it's quite a departure from the original.

But some original hallmarks are maintained. There are two 6ft carbon fibre surfboards on the roof and you can apparently still fit a mattress in the back. However, Sandman enthusiasts may not appreciate the new crippling race suspension, if ya know what we mean...

Finished in a monochrome livery with red accents, plus having that unruly V8 soundtrack, we think a racing modern day panel van is absolutely bloody bonzer. Now all we need to do is apply some corks to our racing helmets.

It's the new Viper ACR. Scared?

It appears Dodge is in the Halloween mood already. Its new Viper ACR has kicked off our week off in somewhat scary style.

Just look at it: the Viper is hardly a shrinking violet to begin with, but Dodge has seen fit to crank its road presence up by several hundred per cent.

As well as its bold white, black and red colour scheme, there’s a carbon front splitter, some rather serious looking dive planes, a set of 19in lightweight alloys and one of the biggest, maddest wings we’ve seen in a long time.

The size of the rear spoiler gives a good hint as to where the Viper ACR will feel most at home: on the track. This is just a show car, so there aren’t any stats on how much downforce it produces just yet, but it’s safe to place your money on ‘LOTS’, we reckon.

Other changes are equally circuit-minded, with fripperies like carpets and sound insulation culled in the name of weight saving, some seriously powerful Brembo brakes and retuned suspension. There’s no word on whether the Viper’s engine gets a tickle, but with its 8.4-litre V10 pumping out 640bhp as standard, it’s not an area we would make priority.

While this is a show car for next week’s SEMA show, it’s fair to assume it will make production. The Viper ACR has previous, the previous iteration setting a 7m12s lap of the Nürburgring.

With the similarly demonic-looking Nismo GT-R a tantalising four seconds ahead, who’d bet against Dodge putting the ACR into production and sending it Nissan-hunting?

Nissan: next GT-R will be hybrid

It's looking certain the next-generation Nissan GT-R will go hybrid.

There's been mention of it before, but Nissan GB's sports car chief, James Oliver, effectively confirmed it to TG in a candid chat about the brand's halo model.

"I think it [a GT-R hybrid] is the obvious direction," Oliver told us. "There's been obsessive development of the GT-R over the years, and at some point we will move onto the next generation car. The overall market is looking at different methods of powering cars, and at Nissan we've got great expertise and investment of electric.

"We already have the capability in terms of battery production and electric vehicle technology, so I don't think it's a great stretch to think a future performance product would have some of that tech incorporated into it.

"When the R35 launched in 2009 it was a massive leap forward, and we need to make sure when the next generation comes, it's a similar leap forward. Not just the car itself, but the overall effect for Nissan."

Oliver would reveal nothing firmer on what will power the next GT-R, or how much clout it will have. The current car produces 542bhp and completes 0-62mph in a fairly bonkers 2.8 seconds or so. To quite what level the R36 will raise its performance is faintly frightening to imagine.

Styling-wise, the outlandish Concept 2020 shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (and pictured above) gives us some idea of what to expect, Oliver describing it as a "design study" for the next GT-R.

In the meantime, we can expect plenty of continuous updates for the current R35 model.

"I think we need to keep developing it and squeezing every last ounce of performance out of it," said Oliver. "I think that our customers really value and respect the fact that it's being constantly honed and refined."

Do said customers not get a bit peeved that their £78,000 car might only be a few months old when Nissan announces its latest model-year update, though? "Updates are refinements, so they don't render the previous model obsolete. People don't stop buying the current car because there's a new model year coming," Oliver said.

Some particularly loyal customers even trade up to the latest GT-R each time an update launches. "We have a real broad cross section of customers, some are on their fifth GT-R. Other buyers come and buy one, then move onto the next big thing elsewhere, that's typical of the sports car market."

Whatever the future holds for the Nissan GT-R, Oliver is adamant it should retain true to its ethos of relative value. "The overall approach will be performance on a par with much more expensive cars at a relatively affordable price."

Over to you, though: is hybrid the right move for the GT-R? What form would you like the R36 to take?

Renault’s RS01 racer sounds amazing

When we showed you the Renault RS01 a couple of months back, one thing was immediately clear to those equipped with eyes: the LMP1-spec racer is one seriously good-looking car.

And today brings good news for ears as well as eyes, because we now learn that the RS01 sounds as good as it looks.

Footage has emerged of an unliveried RS01 testing at Italy's Monza circuit, and you'll want to turn up your speakers for this. And then imagine a couple of dozen RS01s on track at once, swapping paint and kicking lumps out of each other...

A quick reminder of the RS01's specs, then: the 1100kg carbon-fibre-monocoqued racer uses a dry-sumped version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Nissan GT-R, making ‘in excess' of 500bhp and 443lb ft, pumped to the rear wheels through a seven-speed sequential box.

And it makes a noise like a thousand enraged baritone wasps. Now, who said V6 turbos couldn't sound good, Bernie?

Pulsar Nismo could aim for 'Ring record

It's three weeks since Nissan first showed its Pulsar Nismo hot hatch. When the covers receded at the Paris motor show, information was thin on the ground, the car officially a design study with public desires yet to form its destiny.

But TG has just scooped an update on the fast Pulsar from Nissan GB’s sports car chief, James Oliver, while trying to egg him on to get it real.
 
“It’s officially a concept," Oliver reiterates. “There’s definitely a market to go at. It’s being reviewed at the moment as a proposal: how many can we sell, what will the R and D cost, is there a business case for it, and so on.”
 
With no firm talk of power or chassis upgrades over the vanilla Pulsar, we ask what direction a production Nismo iteration could take.
 
“It could be a warm hatch, a hot hatch or a fire-breathing monster. As far as it’s gone so far is this design study.”
 
We like the sound of a flame-spitting Pulsar, and another company chief later divulges 270bhp is a potential target for power output if Nissan pops some brave pills and heads for the throats of the Renaultsport Megane and Leon Cupra 280.
 
Both of those cars have recently traded blows on the Nordschleife. Could the Pulsar Nismo follow its GT-R bigger brother and aim for class honours – i.e. fastest front-driver – at the Nürburgring?
 
“It depends which direction the car takes. If it goes down the out-and-out performance car route, then that is the benchmark area," Oliver says. “So it [the Nürburgring] would be the logical place to develop the car if it went in that direction.” Start writing your begging letters and tweets to Nissan now.
 
One thing we’re unlikely to see is a diesel hot Pulsar to take on the Golf GTD, while liberal use of the Nismo brand on styling fripperies – like BMW's M Sport or Audi's S-line – isn’t in the short-term plan either, says Oliver.
 
“At the moment Nismo is our performance brand. We want to make sure it’s a credible performance car, so we’ve not got to the M Sport route of ‘I only want the wheels’. It’s the full package or nothing else.”
 
And what about a production spin-off of the cute IDx sports coupe to tackle the much-lauded Toyota GT86 head on?
 
“It’s always something that would be considered, and you have to look at the market. There are other manufacturers that do very well in that market – GT86 for example, and MX-5 – the question is whether we decide to tap into it.”
 
Could the next-generation 370Z downsize to fill the void, we ask? “If we were going to do it, it would need to be a whole new model. You can’t take something that’s a big, heavy, old-school car and downsize it. It would need to be a whole new platform if we were to go in that direction.”
 
What would you like to see Nismo do next? Let us know – alongside your ‘make a fire-breathing monster!’ pleas – below.

World’s fastest Supra does 240mph quarter mile

A modified Toyota Supra has just set the ‘world import speed record' across a quarter mile. Yeah, us neither.

The title doesn't matter, though, the run does. It's incredible. This not-so-little Supra that's probably barely a Supra anymore was built by EKanoo Racing, and managed to blast through the drag sprint in 6.05 seconds, at 240mph.

To repeat, just over six seconds, at 240mph. It was set at the 2014/2015 Bahrain National Drag Racing Championship, in a car still sporting the classic Supra ‘2JZ' straight-six engine. Presumably packing a turbocharger the size of Venus.

Have a watch of the video above. And then comment below only using quotes from The Fast and the Furious...

First drive: Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid

Ooh, another Porsche hybrid!

Oh yes. Porsche now has the largest range of plug-in hybrids of any car manufacturer. Imagine being told that at the turn of the century, when the only big decision in a Porsche showroom was whether your flat-six petrol engine sat in the middle or over the rear axle.

The Cayenne S E-Hybrid joins the identically suffixed Panamera and the 918 Spyder in Porsche's tax-free triumvirate of congestion charge-busters. There's been a hybrid Cayenne before it, but not one you could connect to the mains to extend its electric-only potential.

So what does that mean?

In Porsche's claimed figures, this is a car much greener than the one it supersedes. The old Cayenne Hybrid S gulped 34.4mpg of petrol while emitting a hot hatch-like 193g/km of CO2. This new S E-Hybrid, which is introduced as the Cayenne range gets a nip'n'tuck, comparatively sips fuel at 83mpg while its 79g/km emissions match a hybrid Yaris. Claimed figures, remember - in the real world you won't get close to that.

I'm guessing it's no lightweight?

Again correct. The E-Hybrid's battery, additional cooling and voltage lines add 270kg to a comparative Cayenne, snaring it a 2425kg kerb weight. It remains large and imposing in the metal, too.

Its combination of supercharged V6 petrol engine (the same 328bhp unit as the Audi S4) and electric motor results in a combined 410bhp and 435lb ft. While the old Cayenne Hybrid S used a similar box of bits, this new car ups power by 30bhp and consequently chops the 0-62mph time, which is just a tenth behind the Boxster, at 5.9 seconds.

It's the same drivetrain as the hybrid Panamera, albeit driving all four wheels rather than just the rears, while the battery has been pumped up a little too, helping counteract the Cayenne's bigger size and weight.

So what's new under the skin?

The lithium-ion battery is much more potent than the old hybrid Cayenne's, uprated from 1.7 to 10.8kWh. That enables electric-only driving for up to 22 miles. The electric motor has more than doubled in power, too, now producing 94bhp.

The battery sits under the boot floor, robbing you of the chance to spec a spare wheel, but helping distribute all that weight and keep it as low as feasibly possible. A full charge at a regular mains socket takes around four hours (it'll be much quicker at a fast-charging point), but if the petrol engine kicks into life, chances are you'll keep the battery topped up on the move anyway.

There are plenty of variations of drive mode, the key ones being E-Power (electric only), hybrid (where both powertrains work in harmony) and E-Charge, where surplus power is harvested to feed the battery. A Sport mode (and an accompanying stonk of your right foot) brings everything together for maximum power.

How does it drive?

The most interesting stuff takes place in town. Turn the key and it's easy to think you've not clicked the ignition all the way, as you're greeted by silence. Shift the eight-speed Tiptronic auto into Drive (still no super-snappy double-clutch PDK on the Cayenne) and the hush continues.

The lack of aural drama is somewhat incongruous to the bulky proportions, but the Cayenne easily maintains electric-only propulsion through town and is brisk enough as it does so. In cities, where it's easy to envisage a lot of these ending up, the appeal of swishing silently through traffic - and to the priority parking often afforded to plug-in vehicles - is obvious.

The electric-only top speed is 78mph, and there's a pressure point halfway through the throttle's travel that, when pushed, brings the petrol engine into life a little uncouthly. It's a great engine, and it doesn't sound too shabby, but the sudden arrival of high-revs drama can be unsubtle at times.

Enough of the town stuff. It's a Porsche. It must be sporty?

In the Macan and Cayenne, Porsche sells the best handling SUVs by a good stretch. This S E-Hybrid, though, doesn't quite earn the same badge of honour. While the Cayenne GTS shrugs off its bulk and handles uncannily like a fat hot hatch, its more parsimonious sibling can't replicate that.

You feels its extra weight as you brake into and negotiate tight turns and it's best to abandon ideas of really hustling the thing and settle on a smooth flow through corners. The steering isn't as nice as that on other Cayennes, being an electric setup (the only way for the steering system to still function in E-mode), while the Tiptronic gearbox can't help but feel a little tardy in its manual paddle-shifts compared to the fancy twin-clutch PDK that populates most other Porsches now. The energy recuperation under braking is very handy for keeping the battery topped up on the move, but it also robs the driver of natural brake feel.

Its composed and comfortable, though, and good enough to justify itself if you really want a hybrid. But it's not good enough to outdo any of its relations. It's a Porsche for those who don't prioritise driving satisfaction.

So who is it for, then?

With an 11 per cent BIK rate, there ought to be big appeal for company car drivers. And anyone who can regularly plug their Cayenne into the wall - while rarely heading on journeys well beyond its electric range - will utilise its technology best.

At £61,474, this Cayenne is nearly £30,000 cheaper than the Panamera S E-Hybrid, which makes it look stonking value. But it also costs exactly the same as the Cayenne S Diesel. In real-world driving, the diesel's mpg won't be much behind the E-Hybrid (in which we averaged 34mpg), and with 627lb ft of torque on tap, it's a Cayenne that's still ballistic to drive, and therefore our pick of the two.

First drive: new Mercedes B-Class

The new Mercedes B-Class? It looks just like the old one.

It does indeed. Probably because it mostly is the old one. What we have here is a mid-life facelift seemingly so minor that we at TopGear, purveyors of automotive pedantry of the highest order, are deeply struggling to differentiate between the ‘new' B-Class, and the one that has been with us since 2011.

So what has Merc actually changed?

On the outside? As you can probably tell, not much. The pre-facelift B was a decent-looking thing in a forgettable sort of way, and the new car does little to change that, with a pair of new bumpers and some twinkly LED lights.

Inside there's a C-Class-like steering wheel, smarter instrumentation and the most recent iteration of Merc's Tablet Suckered To The Dash infotainment system. All in all, it's a nice place to sit. Light, airy, plenty spacious and appropriately upmarket. Families of four, this thing will suit you just fine.

How about under the skin?

We drove the B220 CDI 4MATIC, which shares its 2.1-litre turbodiesel mill with pretty much every other Mercedes, AMG GT and S-Class Coupe notwithstanding. In the B it makes 175bhp, enough for a 0-62mph time of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 137mph. The B200 CDI gets the same engine, but makes do without four-wheel drive, or 40 of those horsepowers.

But it's available with a manual gearbox, which the 220 most definitely is not. Laggy off the line and hesitant when you call for a sudden burst of acceleration, Mercedes's familiar seven-speeder is at least smooth and quick-shifting once you're on the move. Sticking the B in Sport sharpens up the throttle and gives the gearbox good talking to, thus ameliorating some of those irritating peculiarities.

4MATIC, itself a first for UK Bs, is only available on the 220 CDI. Does it work? Probably. Under normal driving conditions, you wouldn't even know it was there.

Also available in the UK is the B180 CDI, which Mercedes claims in ECO trim manages 78.6mpg and just 94g/km of CO2. There are two petrols on offer, a 1.6- and a 2.0-litre. But you won't buy one of those. Mercedes estimates something like 80 per cent of B-Classes sold in the UK will be oil-burners.

Then there's the B-Class Electric Drive, soon to be available in the UK. Up to 150 miles from a charge, reckons Mercedes, and 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. It's the quickest B off the line, and the batteries are hidden under the rear bench, which has been raised a fraction to accommodate them, so the boot is no less commodious. It's been thought through, this thing.

What's it like to drive?

The Electric Drive is the fun one. Not because it handles any better than its fossil-fueled stablemates, because it doesn't. No, it's the torque, that instantaneous, addictive burst of low-end shove you'll find not just in the B, but in most other electric cars.

Of the Bs you might actually buy, the 200 and 220 CDIs are both entirely adequate. In 175bhp guise, the 2.1-litre turbo diesel feels a little smoother, a little more refined and a little quieter than it does in, say, the GLA. The B200 is a bit rougher around the edges, and noticeably slower. Like the 220, it quietens down at a steady cruise, however, and is just about quick enough. The 220 is the better engine, but the 200 is the best trade-off between pace and price.

From behind the wheel, the B-Class isn't much fun. AMG Line cars get a variable steering set-up and a slightly lowered version of the standard car's ‘Comfort' suspension. Said steering, which all told doesn't feel tremendously different from the standard car's, is numb and inconsistently weighted.

Driven sensibly, the B-Class is fine. Push on, and its lackadaisical nature shines through. It's not for driving quickly, despite what Mercedes may say, and not that anyone who buys one is likely to. It's for cruising, something it does fairly well.

Let's talk money.

Let's. Prices start at £21,500 for a boggo B180 SE petrol. The B180 CDI is around a grand more, while B220 CDI 4MATIC AMG Line will set you back a whopping £30,050. The Electric Drive is estimated to start at around £27,000 after the Government grant.

There are plenty of similarly spacious, similarly priced and similarly equipped cars out there. A Golf SV or a 2-Series Active Tourer if you want a bit of badge, even a Golf Estate will do the job. But if a B-Class is what you want, we'd go for a mid-ranger. A Sport, with a diesel. The 220, if you foresee carrying many heavy people and things, the 200 if you don't.

This is the 394bhp Brabus GLA 45

It's a scientific fact that slats, vents and air ducts add precisely 40bhp to a car's power output. This fact conveniently explains the output of the Brabus GLA 45 AMG, a 394bhp mini-SUV from Merc's semi-official tuning arm.

This is the centerpiece, if that's the word, of Brabus's tuning programme for the GLA. Sure, the German tuner will offer you a modest ‘plug and play' upgrade package for your GLA250 and 220 CDI, but it's the GLA 45 AMG you really want to know about.

It boasts what Brabus calls its PowerXtra B45 V-Max kit, and gets aesthetic additions in the form of a rear diffuser, front spoiler and splitter, and larger front air ducts, all rendered in traditionally uncompromising Brabus style. There are special wheels and performance tire packages, too, and a jazzed-up interior with optional Alacantra leather and LED lighting.

But the really interesting stuff is in the power department. Through unspecified means (though we'd suspect an ECU tweak), the GLA 45's 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder - an engine also found in the A45 AMG - has been boosted by 40bhp and 37Ib ft to an overall 394bhp and 369lb ft. It also gains a stainless-steel four-exit exhaust with a butterfly valve, allowing you to choose precisely how much to annoy your neighbours.

Brabus reckons its GLA 45 will manage 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds and 168mph flat out: the, um, ‘standard' GLA 45 is electronically limited to 155mph.

No word on the price of these upgrades, but don't forget the GLA 45 starts at £44,595 before you start bolting on the Brabus extras. At least it comes with a three-year/62,000-mile warranty.

So, the Brabus GLA 45: good tune, or bad tune?

Official: the McLaren P1 GTR's interior

The new McLaren P1 GTR will feature a steering wheel inspired by the one on Lewis Hamilton's championship-winning 2008 MP4-23 Formula One car.

Proof enough then, that McLaren is quite serious about the business of making the P1 GTR the best driver's car in the world on track. We can reveal the first official pictures of its interior today, and it's unsurprisingly quite spartan. And features a steering wheel that's now six years old.

First off, you should know that the P1 GTR is an even harder, more powerful version of the already quite powerful ‘standard' P1. It's combination of 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 and electric motor now produces a whopping 986bhp, 83bhp more than the ordinary P1.

It's currently undergoing dynamic testing at "a range of international race circuits", and these first un-camo'd images show off the cars aero and cooling updates, and the fact it looks like something from a Batman movie.

We also get a good look at the insides, and that wheel. As mentioned, it takes cues from the MP4-23, with the mode switches in the centre, DRS and IPAS buttons on the top corners, the engine start in the bottom right hand corner and a KITT-style ‘boost' button included too. All in, it looks bloody excellent.

There are lightweight DTM-style seats with motorsport six-point harnesses - specially setup for each individual driver - with a HANS-approved carbon fibre seat shell. And though it's pretty sparse inside, there's still air-con, a sure necessity when piloting a near-1,000bhp track racer weighing little more than a sports shoe.

Each P1 GTR owner will get a bespoke one-to-one driver programme to ‘optimise' his or her driving skill, at "the most iconic F1 circuits across the world".

Probably a wise move, considering just 30 are expected to be built, each costing somewhere in the region of £2 million. Be afraid.

More on the McLaren P1 GTR

Ten reasons why McLaren's F1 GTR was great

First drive: Seat Leon X-Perience

The SEAT Leon what?

The X-Perience, with a capital ‘X' to help emphasise its all-wheel drive ruggedness.

What's the thinking behind it?

Since SEAT had already created a pretty capable estate version of the Leon, adding some chunky plastic mouldings to the bodywork and an all-wheel drive system Volkswagen had lying around meant that the Spanish firm could produce a ‘new' model with little in the way of R&D costs.

What makes it different to a standard Leon estate?

Apart from all that extra plastic cladding stuck onto the outside to make it look beefier, there's not a great deal of difference. The X-Perience does sit 28mm higher than a conventional Leon ST and with all that extra bodywork protection is actually 8mm longer.

More pertinently, there's the latest Haldex four-wheel drive system (same as in the Golf Alltrack and Skoda Octavia Scout) as standard. SEAT will offer two different versions of its 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, making 148bhp or 181bhp. The more powerful unit comes with the DSG automatic transmission, whereas if you plump for the 148bhp model you get a manual gearbox as standard.

There's plenty of standard spec too, including 17-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels, black roof rails, tinted rear windows, parking sensors and twin exhausts.

Ok, so how does it drive?

Plenty tidy, especially if you go for the more powerful version. The X-Perience feels a tad taller on its springs than a normal Leon, if not quite SUV-like, but if you throw it into a series of bends the kids aren't going to start feeling sick. The ride is on the firm side, though that combines with crisp steering to make it pleasant enough to drive. Much like the regular Leon estate really. There's sufficient power from both engines, though if you sample the punchier 181bhp model you'll not want to go back to the other.

The four-wheel drive system comes into its own when it's greasy underfoot, but it also keeps understeer and wheelspin in check in tighter corners, allowing you put your foot down earlier. That makes for surprisingly satisfying cross-country pace. Clever use of the XDS 'electronic differential' means the X-Perience can actually send 50 per cent of the engine's power to the rear wheels when needed, and in extreme cases 100 per cent of drive to just one wheel.

So does being four-wheel drive make it thirsty?

Not really, even in the case of that 181bhp version, which manages an official average of 43.4mpg despite being able to hit 62mph from rest in 7.2 seconds.

Is it practical though?

If you need to lug around bulky stuff on a regular basis, then yes. The boot offers 587 litres of space and when you drop the rear seats that increases to 1,470 litres, plenty of room for a couple of mountain bikes.

All sounds expensive.

SEAT is claiming the X-Perience as a halo model like the Cupra hot hatch, so prices start at £24,385 for the entry-level SE, which is a considerable £3,105 more than the Leon SE estate with the same engine. For an extra £1,985 you can upgrade to the SE Technology, which comes with an upgraded touchscreen infotainment system, DAB radio and satellite navigation as well as auto headlights, wipers and dimming rear view mirror. The range-topping, DSG-equipped X-Perience with the more powerful engine costs £28,870.

EV does 2,500 miles between charges

How far can an electric car go between recharges? Fifty miles? A hundred? Two hundred?

How about nearly 2,500 miles? At least, that's the aim of a team from the universities of California and Carnegie, who next year plan to drive an electric VW Golf (like the one pictured) the entire width of the United States in under 60 hours - 2,470 miles from San Diego to South Carolina - without once plugging into the mains. What now?

Here's how it works. The modified 2002 Golf's e-motor runs on a set of 18 briefcase-sized battery modules. These can be individually popped from the VW's boot, and replaced with ‘fresh' modules, meaning it never has to be directly wired to the mains.

The project aims to demonstrate the team's recently developed Modular Battery Exchange and Active Management System (M-BEAM).

Though it might seem something of a cheaty solution to the electric range project (after all, the batteries will still have to be plugged in somewhere, just not while attached to the car), the M-BEAM system is actually a nifty piece of work. Most electric cars that run from more than a single battery will slowly deplete all at once, thus requiring a full recharge of all batteries when they're out of juice.

But the M-BEAM system depletes its batteries in sequence, allowing the driver to swap out ‘dead' batteries and continue driving, without stopping and waiting for the car to fully charge again.

There are a few downsides, though. Mass, for one. Each of the 18 batteries weighs between nine and 14kg, adding a couple of hundred kilos to the Golf's kerb weight. The sheer volume of the batteries in the boot doesn't leave a whole lot of space for other stuff, either.

And then, of course, there's the minor issue of requiring a support truck to follow you with a suite of recharged batteries. It's fair to say that this isn't, for the most of us, a practical solution to the range anxiety surrounding electric cars.

However, the team reckons the information gleaned on its Trans-Am voyage should help, in the long term, reduce the cost of batteries and charging tech. The study estimates an average drop of $10,000 (around £6,000) in price for electric vehicles in the near future, thanks to reduced battery costs.

And, as we discovered when attempting to drive a (normal, petrol-powered) Focus ST across the States without using interstates, any flat-out Trans-Am trip presents a challenge. From coast to coast in just 60 hours in an EV will be grueling. Brave battery voyagers, TG wishes you luck.

BMW rally car flies through the air

If you need yet more proof of the sheer righteousness* of the E36 BMW and its inherent driftability, you must drop everything and watch this video.

It's footage taken from Pritt Koik and Alari-Uku Heldna's astonishing run in their rally-spec E36 BMW at the Viru Rally in Estonia.

For their hardy and utterly bombproof E36 not only flies through the air like a soaring bird of prey, but manages to land and execute one of the longest, fastest rally drifts we've seen. Talk about car control.

Watch the video. And then pity your own pathetic car control skills.

*This may be down to an E36 BMW residing in the custody of a TopGear.com staffer

First drive: new Vauxhall Corsa

Ahhh, this takes me back to my L-plate days

Yup, the driving-school favourite, the Vauxhall Corsa, has come among us, renewed.

Should anyone else be interested?

They already are. Last year one in every six superminis sold in Britain was a Corsa. The engineers wanted to take what was good about the old one and sort out the defects.

Remind me what was wrong with the old one?

Quite a few offences to be taken into consideration. Poor engines, a lumpy ride, dull handling, and a dated dash with few tech options. Amazingly, in the face of those glaring flaws, Vauxhall says the owners' most common grumble was the poor demisting.

Good grief, so what on earth can have been worth salvaging?

Decent space, compact size, cute silhouettes - different for the three-door and five-door. And it was tough and easy to drive, hence its driving-school mission.

So how have they fixed it?

Most of the significant engines are renewed. As is the downsizing fashion, a brand-new clean-sheet 1.0-litre triple with turbo and direct injection leads the charge, making 90bhp or 115bhp. The 1.4 in NA and turbo is modified and cleansed, but even the turbo version makes only 100bhp. Also a 1.2 NA (probably to be avoided) and a 1.3 diesel, which will probably cost you more than it saves. The six-speed manual box is all-new too.

Meanwhile, they tried to change a couple of things to sharpen the handling, and ended up renewing pretty well everything in the suspension. And the front subframe. And most of the steering.

The glass and basic bones of the body are kept, but all the panels are new, with more sculptural surfaces. The front and rear lights point outwards. The Corsa always looked a bit pinched and upright, but the new one looks wider, squatting to the road better.

Indoors, the dash has a wide central decor panel, and there's a nice new leather wheel instead of the old base-model clammy plastic. Nearly all versions have Vauxhall's colour IntelliLink screen. That brings Bluetooth and music player connections, and, for a mere £50 for an app including maps on your iOS or Android phone, it allows the BringGo navigation app to work through the car's big screen, without sucking a data connection. It's not as fluid as satnav that's resident in the car, but heck, for that price you can't complain.

That's not the only new tech. Most versions have LED running lights and many xenons. Self-parking is on the menu, and a forward camera for speed limit recognition, lane departure warning and frontal collision warning.

But come on. What about the demisting?

Its feebleness was a peculiarity of the right-hand-drive heater plumbing. So the new car has an electrically heated screen as standard.

Phew. Is this trendy triple any good?

Very. It's the only one in the class to get a balance shaft, and sure enough it hardly vibrates and is uncannily quiet. It pulls from way below 2000rpm, yet revs, in the 115bhp version, right to the red-line. And the real-world economy was better than expected even when I was lead-footing it.

In comparison the 1.4 turbo isn't as quiet or revvy, and drinks more, for less performance.

So the new engine better than new chassis then?

Well, yes. But not by too much. Its a small car and sometimes feels it, rocking and pitching about on lumpen roads. Not enough to slow you down, though. There are two suspensions. The standard setup occasionally lacks damping control, and its steering is definitely on the light and wispy side. Still, it carves a nice line through corners. And in return the ride is agreeably pliant and urban ride. So it's the one to pick for typical supermini suburban scooting about. But the VX Line chassis option is usefully tauter and inspires more confidence, so is the one to have if you venture down B-roads much. Question is, would you buy a Corsa at all if B-roads were your absolute priority? The Fiesta still engages you more.

Does the cabin work?

Mostly. The quality is well up there among mainstream superminis, if not a Polo. It is roomier in the back and boot than most rivals. But the driving position defeated both me and my fellow traveller. The seat digs into the small of your back, and the pedal are a bit close, so you end up with the seat surprisingly far back on its runners and the cushion cranked up off the floor. Oh and the IntelliLink takes several jabs at the screen just to switch between the map screen and the view of music tracks, and the whole thing goes blank for a few seconds every time you touch the volume adjustment. Duh.

Does any of this matter? Don't people buy Corsas just because they can get a discount?

This time the discounts will be smaller. But then, the sticker prices have been hacked right down - by about £1500-£3000. Smaller discounts mean lower depreciation too, so the monthly payments should be far easier. Vauxhall is good at sorting out the lifetime costs.

Any more need-to-knows?

Yup, a full-house VXR is on the way in spring, with 200bhp. Yum.

First drive: Bentley Continental GT3-R

What's this, then?

The Continental GT3-R arrives as a road-going counterpart to Bentley's perhaps unexpectedly competitive endurance racer. Just denied a podium finish on its debut in the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina last December, the Conti GT3 netted Bentley's first British race win for 84 years at Silverstone in the Blancpain last summer.

So it's Bentley's take on the Porsche 911 GT3 or Ferrari 458 Speciale, then?

Not quite. This isn't exactly a road-going race car reboot. See, the GT3 race car runs Bentley's 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8, good for 600bhp unrestricted, fired to the rear wheels only via a carbon fibre propshaft and harnessed by Xtrac's fabulous six-speed sequential 'box, fitted as a transaxle to optimise weight distribution. It also loses the front driveshaft, and its doors weigh a skinny 7kg compared to the road car's thumping 57kg. All in, it weighs 1295kg.

And the road car?

This new GT3-R is 100kg lighter than the regular road car, but still heaves itself onto the scales at 2195kg, which is roughly a Caterham Seven more, for example, than the 458 Speciale. The engine is Bentley's familiar 4.0-litre V8, whose brace of turbos have been tweaked to run extra boost, pumping the power output up to 572bhp, and shovelling out 516 torques from a sleepy 1700rpm.

More significantly, the Continental's ZF eight-speed transmission now runs shorter gearing, cranking the acceleration to warp factor nine as the GT3-R streaks to 60mph in 3.6 seconds and beyond to its reduced 170mph top speed. Bad for its Top Trumps status, good in every other meaningful respect. Unless you own your own circuit, which is a distinct possibility at this stratospheric level.

What else is new?

The GT3-R also gains torque vectoring on the rear wheels for the first time, as well as recalibrated software for the car's drivetrain modes and a slightly more playful stability system.

There's also a new titanium exhaust system, which accounts for seven of the 100kg the R has lost, as well as giving it the full Brian Blessed ‘Gordon's alive!' roar. That, plus the glacier white paint-job, green go-faster stripes, wing decals and carbon fibre diffuser and huge rear wing suggest that this particular Bentley isn't backwards about coming forwards. Or possibly sideways.

But will it still waft like a Bentley should?

Obviously there's an overwhelming urge to bury your right foot at the first possible opportunity, but initial impressions are dominated by an amazingly composed ride quality. Despite wearing 275/35 ZR rubber all-round wrapped in 21in forged alloy wheels, it does a fine job of shirking off gnarled tarmac.

The Conti's air springs and dampers have been track-optimised, but the revisions don't hurt its everyday useability.

And inside?

The reworked cabin is a... challenge. The bespoke carbon fibre seats themselves are superb, there's diamond-quilted Alcantara facings on the doors, and handcrafted carbon fibre on the dash. Even the paddle-shifters have been redesigned.

But the greenery on the exterior graphics is nothing compared to the accents that have been added inside. It's Bentley's motorsport colour, and the same shade of green is all over the reception area of its Pym's Lane HQ in Crewe. But yeasty toast enlivener Marmite is nothing compared to this when it comes to polarising opinion.

And what about when you finally bury that right foot?

Acceleration and deceleration - thanks to 420mm carbon ceramic front discs and 356mm rear ones, and eight-piston calipers - is now sufficiently mighty to give you an instant facelift. There's maybe a nano-second of hesitation as the R prepares to throw 2.2 tonnes down the road, but the surge is so brutal it really is scarcely noticeable.

That mass limits just how much fun you can truly have in a corner, but it's still way more than you'd expect. What it lacks in light and shade - the steering could use more feel, for example, the chassis a little more interactivity - it makes up in sheer, unstoppable momentum.

On which basis, Bentley will have no trouble whatsoever selling the 300 GT3-Rs it's planning to build, even at an eye-watering £237,500 each. And you could always wrap it.

Specification: 3993cc twin turbo V8, 572bhp at 6000rpm, 516lb ft, 22.3mpg, 295g/km CO2, 0-60mph 3.6 seconds, 170mph, 2195kg, £237,500

First drive: new Audi S6

What's that?

A car for the discerning hitmen lurking amongst you. Audi has very recently freshened up the entire A6 family, from the humble, frugal and mightily efficient 2.0-litre TDI ‘Ultra' right up to this bombastic, assassin-spec S6.

And if ever there was a car to escape from Interpol or discreetly power through picturesque European cities from one hit to the next, this surely has to be it.

Why?

Though it looks like a smart-suited motorway trundler, underneath lies an absolute corker of an engine capable of embarrassing much more exotic machinery. It's the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the last S6 - an engine related to the one found in the Bentley Continental GT, don't forget - here treated to an increase of just under 30bhp over the old S6, to take overall power to 444bhp, and a whopping 405lb ft of torque.

Audi's engineers have, using branches of witchery familiar to Salem, tweaked the engine calibration and ECU to squeeze out this extra power, while shaving 7g/km from the S6's CO2 output (now at 219g/km). It also features ‘cylinder on demand' technology, which shuts down half the engine when cruising or coasting, and active engine mounts.

And when I want to evade capture from the authorities?

The engine switches to full-fat V8. It feeds Audi's permanent four-wheel-drive through a seven-speed s-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, torque vectoring and a sport differential. There's air suspension and, on our test car, an optional sports exhaust.

What this all equates to is a 0-62mph time of just 4.4 seconds - down from 4.6s in the last S6 - and a limited top speed of 155mph. It's quicker than a BMW 550i M Sport to 62mph, by two tenths of a second. It's fast.

What's it like to drive?

No other changes to the chassis or drivetrain, so the S6 feels exactly as before. Inert, accurate steering that's quick and precise but... well, you know. The chassis too is hugely grippy, it handles its mass well during spirited helmsmanship, and the air suspension is generally comfortable.

Dynamic mode makes it fussy - a bit too fidgety and firm - but you can set the suspension to Comfort and everything else to Dynamic. Feels like the best compromise. Of note were the optional ceramic brakes, which were fantastic - progressive and powerful.

It's indecently fast, while that sports exhaust makes the twin-turbo V8 sounds lovely; a meaty, metallic-edged noise that only intrudes when you're really on it. Otherwise the S6 remains sedate, smooth and entirely unruffled.

Anything else of note?

Yep. Some LED headlights with a slimmer design, acoustic glazing for the windscreen and front windows, four-zone electronic climate control with a digital dash, resculpted bumpers with new air inlets, and the new single-frame grille. There's also a few excellent infotainment upgrades inside - like having proper mapping positioned in between the instrument dials.

If the S6 isn't your cup of tea, Audi offers the facelifted A6 with a range of more sensible engines, from a base 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel (punchy, efficient, a tad grumbly on acceleration but emits just 109g/km of CO2), right up to a more powerful 3.0-litre BiTDI engine. It used to produce 309bhp. It now produces 317bhp.

The 268bhp single-turbo version of this 3.0-litre is a whopping engine too, but you'll want the BiTDI. It's superb.

Oh, and the S tronic twin-clutch 'box replaces all multitronic CVT transmissions in all FWD variants of the new A6.

I want the S6. How much is it?

It's yours for £56,000. Considering you get a Bentley engine, discreet looks, crushing pace, decent - if uninvolving - ability, and a first-class cabin, it's a lot of car.

Fancy a BMW M4 art car?

If you've always been a bit smitten by BMW's multi-hued art cars, then there's a good chance you'll be equally taken by its latest M4.

The BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition - so named because BMW took the DTM championship honours at the weekend - is a rather unsubtle and very limited edition of the M4 coupe.

Just 23 will be made and the number 23 is daubed on its doors. Why the significance? It’s the racing number of Marco Wittman, who took championship honours.
 
All DTM editions will be painted Alpine White, with matt black bonnets and boot lids wearing rainbow stripes. There’s Stabilo Highlighter Orange for the kidney grille surrounds and black racing stripes along the M4’s sides, as well as carbonfibre detailing for the mirrors, spoiler and diffuser.
 
It all echoes the livery of Wittman’s car quite nicely, though with no mechanical enhancements touted, it seems the M4’s 425bhp twin-turbo straight-six engine and rear-drive chassis haven’t been touched. That’s no bad thing, however.
 
And what of BMW’s victory? Well, the drivers’ trophy returns to the company after Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller nabbed it last year. And Wittman’s reward for reclaiming it is pretty special: he’s been hooked up with a test of Toro Rosso’s F1 car. Lucky feller…

Get your free digital edition of TG mag

To celebrate the launch of the new interactive edition of Top Gear magazine on iPhone, we're giving away the October issue completely free today.

If you're in possession of an iPhone or iPad, you have until 11:59pm tonight to download it completely free. The iPhone edition now features video and loads of extra image galleries.

And the October issue serves up a treat: videos of the new Lexus RC F and Renault Twingo, plus a time-lapse video of TG's rally car being transformed and a lap of the TG test track in Nissan's hybrid 750bhp dart-shaped Zeod Le Mans racer.

We also take an in-depth look at the stunning Mercedes AMG GT and find out if the new Audi TT can shake off its stereotypical hairdresser image. Plus, we investigate Formula E, meet ex-Red Bull, ex-Ferrari and ex-Lotus man Dany Bahar and take first looks at the new Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar XE and Volvo XC90.

Click here to download your FREE interactive October issue on iPhone or iPad. Hurry, this is only available until 23:59 GMT tonight.

It's the Dartz 'Black Shark' Prombron

Dartz, TG's preferred purveyor of military grade assault vehicles favourable to Playboy bunnies and fictional dictators, has announced its newest creation.

It's the Prombron Black Shark ‘Spy Grey' edition, a car that Dartz boss Leo Yankelovich reckons to be "the real spy car of the 21st century". Many James Bond references are cited.

The basics are thus. It's based on a Mercedes-Benz GL, and will be offered with the option of a modified version of the twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 from the GL63 AMG, or a modified version of the twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 from the GL65 AMG. Should you feel particularly despotic, you can spec it with 1,500bhp.

But it's in the detail where the car really gets all 007. The Black Shark - a SWB version of the PRVY - is inspired by the Black Shark helicopter. Which means you get electrochromatic privacy windows, disappearing doorhandles with an anti-paparazzi shock-device, a body made from Kevlar and titanium to protect against magnetic mines, and a rotating bulletproof grille.

The armour-plating is rated at grade B7. The roof is sniper resistant. It has a distance explosive detector and signal hammer. There's a ‘Golden Eye' (geddit?) system with a fingerprint and retina scanner. There's the ability to remotely scare off crowds using sirens and lights, and can watch over nearby vandals with the in-built cameras.

Because it's based on the Merc architecture, it also comes with the Benz driver assistance package, as well as a champagne holder and sterling silver hand-polished flutes, a golden shisha, Xbox One, PS4, LTE hotspot, and leather engraved motives from aviation history.

"Our car will be dream of hundreds of tycoons," explains Leo, "but only five will be lucky owners." That's right, just five will be built, plus a special edition for a London client delivered in March next year. There's also another one-off special edition painted in Tiffany Blue with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted bonnet (built for the daughter of the London client).

"Let's face it," Leo says, "you are bored of serial made cars. We all are. Downsizing, eco-friendly recycled plastic materials and law regulations are making ways to stand out among the best in the car industry very inconvenient.

"With Black Shark fully customizable features and appearances you get a car that is one-off masterpiece and forever will stay that way."

Driving the dictator: TG in the Dartz Prombron

Thrashing a Jag C-Type around Monaco

Crazy men, Juan Manuel Fangio once said, finish 'in the cemetery'. Had the Argentinian master been around to see Alex Buncombe thrashing Fangio's own old Jaguar C-Type around Monaco's GP circuit, we suspect he might have started chiselling the Brit racer's headstone.

But Buncombe didn't end up in the cemetery, or even the harbour. In fact, he ended up on the top step of the podium at this year's Monaco Historique, courtesy of this insanely committed drive in the priceless 1952 Jaaag.

Like the Goodwood Revival or Le Mans Classic, the Monaco Historique brings together Gentleman Racers and maniacal pro drivers for a series of races around an iconic circuit - in this case, well, you can probably guess.

Buncombe took victory in the C-Type in the Series C race for sports cars built between 1952 and 1955. And what you see here is the first couple of laps of his leave-nothing-behind run, as the Jag's 3.4-litre straight six batters the redline, and whoever's responsible for insuring the C-Type presumably cowers behind their clipboard.

Just sit back and enjoy four minutes of proper racing, as Buncombe slithers the C-Type around, inches from the Armco, grabbing armfuls of opposite lock just to keep the thing in a straight line, with no apparent concern for the sheer... pricelessness of his borrowed drive.

Which raises the eternal debate. Racing drivers: brave or just, um, wrong in the head? Either way, what a drive...

Manhart wants to modify the BMW i8

A German tuner named Manhart Performance has revealed plans to modify the BMW i8.

Though we have no idea what these plans will entail, because all we have to go on are these two speculative renders and the tagline ‘coming soon'. We expect it shall come soon.

We shall also expect it to have yellow accents, hugely kerbable alloy wheels, and bigger, beefier brakes (by way of those monster yellow calipers). Though it appears to look wider in the pics, the i8's fine bodywork doesn't look like it's been adjusted too much, save for a drop in ride height.

Otherwise, it's left to some rampant speculation. Manhart will likely tune the combustion side of things, meaning the excellent 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine's power will likely jump from its current 231bhp to something more shouty.

Don't forget, the i8 also packs another 131bhp motor on the front axle to supplement the engine, making it 4WD. Some fancy new engine software will therefore be required if Manhart ups the combustion side of things to make sure the two powertrains don't have a full blown marital halfway through a bend.

We imagine there might be some suspension adjustment. There might also be a few new interior appointments. Lazers might even happen. Who knows.

The fundamental question remains, though. The i8 is such a finely balanced and expertly tuned sportscar, will cocking about with it just ruin everything?

Top Gear drives the BMW i8 in California

Americans! Meet your Ariel Atom 3S

TMI AutoTech is an American company that has been exclusively manufacturing the Ariel Atom for the US market since 2008. You'll remember the Atom. It's great.

Today, we see TMI's newest model, the Atom 3S, which Ariel UK confirmed is only destined for the States. In short, it is a 365bhp turbocharged go-kart packing enough performance to melt your face. You know what we're talking about.

The 3S uses a 2.4-litre Honda VTEC four-pot engine with a Borg-Warner turbocharger, an electric fuel pump, twin fuel filters, aluminium radiators, a sealed intake snorkel and a K&N air filter, and of course, a custom stainless steel exhaust system.

There are adjustable dampers and pushrods, other such lightweight elements to the chassis, a bespoke traction control system, a six-speed gearbox with a limited slip diff, a better clutch and the option of a sequential paddle shift ‘box.

The brakes are 290mm vented versions, it weighs just 612kg, comes with an LCD digital dash display, and, erm, is really, really fast.

How fast? 0-60mph takes less than 2.8 seconds. It'll go from 0-100mph in 6.7 seconds, run a quarter mile in 10.7 seconds, and complete a lap of the Virginia International Raceway in 1m 58s.

"It is more than just a horsepower figure, or drag strip time that makes me love this car," explains TMI VP Mark Swain. "It is the smooth power delivery, the sound of the turbocharger, and the relentless push back into the seat."

It sounds like a riot. Though over here in the UK we'll still get the bombastic 3.5 R, which is more than enough to warp vital parts of your anatomy, thanks in part to 350bhp from a supercharged 2.0-litre engine. 0-60mph in this car takes just 2.5s and will rock on to 100mph in under six. Read our first drive here.

Classic Clip: James May drives the Ariel Atom V8

First drive: the new Skoda Fabia

The brand new Skoda Fabia, you say?

Brand new.

Exactly how brand new are we talking?

Just nine per cent of the old Fabia has been carried over. It uses the Volkswagen Group's flexible MQB architecture, but only for the engines, infotainment system, sensors and electrics. We're told it's 41 per cent MQB. So semi-skimmed VW, as opposed to full fat.

The Fabia's body structure is entirely new, it's 65kg lighter than its predecessor - with the base 1.0-litre model weighing in at just 980kg - is both longer and wider too (5mm and 30mm respectively), gets a new generation of engines that are 17 per cent more efficient, and features an enormous boot (for this class) of 330 litres, and is bigger inside, too.

Sounds... practical.

True, but you'll notice the new Fab looks rather dandy too in its new suit, with head design man Jozef Kaban using elements of the excellent VisionC concept as inspiration. It's certainly funkier than before, though be careful with the spec - there are 15 different body colours and three colour options from launch for the wheels, roof and exterior. One of our test cars was light blue with a white roof and white wheels. Be careful when speccing.

So what's it like to drive?

Good, if a little safe. There's little steering feel, but it's quick and accurate enough and - most importantly - light enough to twirl easily and comfortably around the city and through modest curvature. Skoda's engineers reworked the power-steering system for exactly this benefit: lightness.

It's comfortable, too. The ride is supple, and it's easy to get a nice, relaxing cadence very quickly. It can fidget sometimes, but on the whole it's easy pace.

Not that you should be opposite-locking a small-engined Fabia anyway, but its tendency leans towards understeer. You'll likely never go anywhere near the limits, but at reasonable pace the body control isn't too shabby, and it feels stable and - there's that word again - comfortable.

We tried the 1.0-litre 75bhp engine already found in the Citigo, which felt like it had too big a job on its hands. Around town speeds you'll manage ok, and once up to motorway speeds it's refined and quiet. But boy, does it take a while to get there.

Better to plump for the larger 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine, likely to be one of the UK's best sellers. This feels much more eager and willing a participant, enjoys a light thrashing and feels pokey enough, with 0-62mph arriving in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 113mph.

There's also a higher-powered 1.2-litre with 109bhp and a double-clutch automatic gearbox (0-62mph in 9.4s), as well as a three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel capable of 83.1mpg (that's the 88bhp version).

And what if I want to go faster?

Might we suggest some nitrous? Skoda told TopGear.com last year that the Fabia VRS won't make a return for this new generation, as hardly anyone bought the old model. You will get the option of ‘Greenline' variants next year, however, which promise 82g/km of CO2 and up to 91.1mpg.

The current diesels range between 88g/km to 94g/km of CO2, while the petrols range from 106 to 110g/km. So clean enough, then.

And what about the toys?

The base ‘S' level Fabia gets a DAB radio, Bluetooth, and stop/start, while the ‘SE' is where things get interesting. It gets the cool ‘Mirror Link' system, which hooks up to your Android phone and replicates the phone onto the car's touchscreen. It's a fine system that works very well indeed. Apple users will be getting iOS functionality at some point next year.

The top spec ‘SE L' gets 16in wheels, cruise control, climate control, front fog lights and LED daytime running lights on top of all the other equipment. Decently kitted.

OK, so how much does it cost?

Prices start from just £10,600. The Fabia is a decent, honest little thing, with a good quality interior, funky looks, a predictable - if a little uninterested - handling balance and lots of kit. It won't sparkle like a Fiesta, but it feels solid and comfortable.

Huge Audi concept to preview A9

This is the new Audi A9. Or rather, we think it is. As drip-fed concept car teaser images go, this one surely wins the award for ‘most parsimonious use of lighting'. It could be anything, were it not for those glistening four rings at each end.

Expect much, much brighter lighting to illuminate this car when it debuts at the Los Angeles motor show next month. Audi's not actually told us it's an A9 concept, but it's clearly quite a long car with a commodious wheelbase, and its slick window line doesn't suggest the height of an SUV.

So what will an A9 actually be? The latest entrant into the four-door coupe market, that's what. A slinkier A8 if you will, Audi's soberly styled but smartly appointed limo gaining a more swish sibling for those who want to shout a little more about their arrival at a red carpet or Premier League stadium.

It should also do very well in the US and China, markets which lap up humongous cars.

The Ingolstadt crew tells us this concept ‘heralds a new era for Audi design', displaying the new design language brought in by new doodler (well, Head of Design, no less) Marc Lichte.

‘Sportiness, lightweight design and quattro drive' will all play a big part in Lichte's design, we're told. If the latter means big box arches on everything, we're on board.

Lichte has a pretty stocky CV, with plenty of big hitters at VW - he can take credit for the last three Golfs, the Touareg and the Phaeton.

We'll find out more about the probably-A9 at the LA show next month.

First drive: the new BMW X6

Ooh, has the BMW X6 been facelifted?

No. Though it does look mighty similar to the original X6, launched back in 2008, this is in fact an all-new version of BMW's socially questionable SUV-coupe, sharing its underpinnings with the recently launched third-gen X5.

Will it finally get me on my eco-conscious neighbours' Christmas card list?

Afraid not. The X6 remains every bit as large and, um, self-confident as before. In fact, larger and more self-confident, if anything. The new X6 is a couple of centimetres longer and wider than the car it replaces, and boasts an even snoutier interpretation of BMW's ‘kidney grille' front end.

Your eco-conscious neighbours might not think much of the X6's engine range, either, despite BMW's claims of greatly improved efficiency and reduced consumption. The X6 launches with a choice of two entirely unapologetic powerplants, badged 50i and 50d. The former sees BMW's 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 generating 443bhp and 480lb ft, with a 0-62mph time of just 4.8 secs and a top speed limited to 155mph. The latter gets a tri-turbo iteration of that lovely 3.0-litre straight six diesel, making 376bhp and a tectonic 545lb ft of torque.

Both engines pipe their power to all four wheels through BMW's cracking eight-speed ‘Steptronic' auto box.

So how does the big lad drive?

The big lad drives quite unlike a two-tonne SUV and quite like a seriously grippy sports saloon. No matter how rowdily you chuck the X6 about, there's virtually no body roll, and quite extraordinary reserves of grip and composure.

On greasy roads, driving like utter buffons, we discovered you can force the X6 into a mite of initial understeer followed by, if you disable the (excellent) traction control and mash the throttle on the exit of a sharp corner, a decent lump of oversteer. Mostly, though, the X6 just clings on with ferocious tenacity. On a bumpy, cambered mountain pass, all that grip, power and handy suspension travel could leave some pretty serious sports cars red-cheeked.

The X6 perhaps feels a little less mechanical, less hands-on, than Porsche's Macan or Cayenne (the GTS at least), but it's every bit as devastatingly effective.

Diesel or petrol, then?

Interestingly the diesel feels marginally the more focused drive than the petrol. The M50d has had a gentle working over by BMW's M division, its air suspension beefed up at the rear to keep things locked down when you decide to discover what happens when you apply full brake force midway round a fast hairpin. Not that the petrol feels wayward in any regard, but if you're planning on taking your X6 for a lap of the Nurburgring, the diesel's the one to have.

Assessing engines alone, both are crackers, but the 50d's claimed 43mpg against the 50i's 29mpg is enough to swing the deal. It's a stellar diesel, quick to rev and capable of serving up a genuine gut-punch of power. Even so, we might advise holding out for the arrival of the 254bhp/413lb ft X6 30d next year, expected to comprise the vast majority of UK sales and likely offering the smartest blend of economy - BMW quotes a potential 47mpg - and shove.

So that's the ‘sport' sorted. What about the ‘utility'?

The X6 has never been a car bought with your rational, practical head on, but BMW has attempted to add a little more practicality to the behemoth's unquestionable road smarts. The rear seats now fold in three separate sections to reveal a boot some 100 litres larger than that of its predecessor. But, as you doubtless guessed from looking at the photos with your eyes, the rear loadspace is a low, wide ferry-berth of a space. You won't be taking any wardrobes to the dump in this thing.

There's masses of legroom in the back, though under that squished roofline, rear headroom remains tight for six-footers.

Business as usual for the X6, then?

Quite. This is a reboot that does nothing to mess with the formula established by the 2008 original. But, of course, when the X6 launched six years ago, the BMW line-up didn't contain the dizzying array of crossover contraptions it does today. In addition to the X5 (same size as the X6, bigger boot), there's the 5-Series GT (same sort of size, bit more headroom, bit lower) and the 6-Series Gran Coupe (same sort of size, similar profile, quite a bit lower), not to mention the X4, 3-Series GT, 4-Series Gran Coupe and probably a few others we've forgotten.

Impressive though the X6 is on the road, TopGear cannot quite comprehend the precise set of customer demands that would lead you to choose it over the more practical X5 or more overtly sporty 6-Series GC. Then again the X6 has never catered to box-ticking demand, but rather to those who want, well, an X6. The new X6 should fit that demand rather well.

First drive: the new Skoda Fabia

The brand new Skoda Fabia, you say?

Brand new.

Exactly how brand new are we talking?

Just nine per cent of the old Fabia has been carried over. It uses the Volkswagen Group's flexible MQB architecture, but only for the engines, infotainment system, sensors and electrics. We're told it's 41 per cent MQB. So semi-skimmed VW, as opposed to full fat.

The Fabia's body structure is entirely new, it's 65kg lighter than its predecessor - with the base 1.0-litre model weighing in at just 980kg - is both longer and wider too (5mm and 30mm respectively), gets a new generation of engines that are 17 per cent more efficient, and features an enormous boot (for this class) of 330 litres, and is bigger inside, too.

Sounds... practical.

True, but you'll notice the new Fab looks rather dandy too in its new suit, with head design man Jozef Kaban using elements of the excellent VisionC concept as inspiration. It's certainly funkier than before, though be careful with the spec - there are 15 different body colours and three colour options from launch for the wheels, roof and exterior. One of our test cars was light blue with a white roof and white wheels. Be careful when speccing.

So what's it like to drive?

Good, if a little safe. There's little steering feel, but it's quick and accurate enough and - most importantly - light enough to twirl easily and comfortably around the city and through modest curvature. Skoda's engineers reworked the power-steering system for exactly this benefit: lightness.

It's comfortable, too. The ride is supple, and it's easy to get a nice, relaxing cadence very quickly. It can fidget sometimes, but on the whole it's easy pace.

Not that you should be opposite-locking a small-engined Fabia anyway, but its tendency leans towards understeer. You'll likely never go anywhere near the limits, but at reasonable pace the body control isn't too shabby, and it feels stable and - there's that word again - comfortable.

We tried the 1.0-litre 75bhp engine already found in the Citigo, which felt like it had too big a job on its hands. Around town speeds you'll manage ok, and once up to motorway speeds it's refined and quiet. But boy, does it take a while to get there.

Better to plump for the larger 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine, likely to be one of the UK's best sellers. This feels much more eager and willing a participant, enjoys a light thrashing and feels pokey enough, with 0-62mph arriving in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 113mph.

There's also a higher-powered 1.2-litre with 109bhp and a double-clutch automatic gearbox (0-62mph in 9.4s), as well as a three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel capable of 83.1mpg (that's the 88bhp version).

And what if I want to go faster?

Might we suggest some nitrous? Skoda told TopGear.com last year that the Fabia VRS won't make a return for this new generation, as hardly anyone bought the old model. You will get the option of ‘Greenline' variants next year, however, which promise 82g/km of CO2 and up to 91.1mpg.

The current diesels range between 88g/km to 94g/km of CO2, while the petrols range from 106 to 110g/km. So clean enough, then.

And what about the toys?

The base ‘S' level Fabia gets a DAB radio, Bluetooth, and stop/start, while the ‘SE' is where things get interesting. It gets the cool ‘Mirror Link' system, which hooks up to your Android phone and replicates the phone onto the car's touchscreen. It's a fine system that works very well indeed. Apple users will be getting iOS functionality at some point next year.

The top spec ‘SE L' gets 16in wheels, cruise control, climate control, front fog lights and LED daytime running lights on top of all the other equipment. Decently kitted.

OK, so how much does it cost?

Prices start from just £10,600. The Fabia is a decent, honest little thing, with a good quality interior, funky looks, a predictable - if a little uninterested - handling balance and lots of kit. It won't sparkle like a Fiesta, but it feels solid and comfortable.