The car industry: 2014 for dummies

WINNERS: INTERESTING HYBRIDS

After all the doom-laden predictions about excessive weight and complexity, the 918, P1 and LaFerrari arrived and blew everyone away. And the BMW i8 appeared on practically every best-of list (including, of course, Top Gear magazine’s car of the year).

WINNERS: MASERATI

The expansion plan is on track. And the Alfieri concept-to-be-made-real made our knees a bit weak. Mind you, it'll have stern rivals in the AMG GT and F-Type Coupe.

WINNERS: AMG

Built their own sports car to go against the 911, and it's a cracker. Meanwhile, sales of AMG's super-muscled saloons remain way ahead of expectations too.

WINNERS: TURBOCHARGERS

Another batch of enjoyable small petrol turbo engines this year, from the tiny 1.0 triple at Vauxhall to the 3.8 V8 in the Ferrari California.

WINNERS: PEUGEOT-CITROEN

Yup, the 308, with its excellent estate and fine new engines, was European Car of the Year. The 2008 is selling well. Citroen came out with the Cactus – brilliant if quirky, as a Citroen should be. The Citroen brand became more focussed on simply serving real people, while Peugeot showed some fine concepts that'll have production relevance. And DS will be given the chance to carve its own niche.

WINNERS: REAR ENGINES

Seen in the Renault Twingo, Smart Forfour and, when equipped with its REx, the BMW i8.

WINNERS: THE STUPENDOUS AMERICAN V8

Crikey, 700bhp Dodge saloons, the hyper Corvette Z06 and announcement of a Mustang GT350 that takes the good-ol' ’Murican V8 off in a new direction with an Italian-style flat-plane crankshaft for 8000rpm screaming.

LOSERS: INTERESTING HYBRIDS

Yes we've praised the hypercars to the skies. But away from the 200mph stratosphere, are 'mainstream' plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) actually selling? Mostly they're a very expensive tax-dodge that fail to get particularly special real-world consumption. Cautionary tale: look at the pioneer of the genre, the Chevy Volt/Vauxhall Ampera. It's about to go off sale and next year's new version won't be sold on our side of the Atlantic.

LOSERS: ALFA ROMEO

Another year of drooping sales while we wait for the much promised revival car in 2015. (The 4C was never intended to be anything more than a stopgap to keep the memory alive. It sells in such tiny numbers it certainly won't keep the brand alive.)

LOSERS: BERTONE

Historic Italian designer and coachbuilder went belly-up. Brilliant back-catalogue, no future.

LOSERS: HYUNDAI

Growth almost stalled in Europe. They're at risk of becoming what they set out to destroy: a rather average mid-market player like Peugeot or Vauxhall-Opel. Meanwhile Peugeot and Vauxhall-Opel have woken up and fought back. Hyundai need a more distinct new identity. They don't want to be 'sporty' – that's Kia's job – although their WRC programme is doing remarkably well, not least in the hands of a Top Gear magazine member of staff... 

TOO SOON TO TELL: INTERESTING HYBRIDS

As I say, most hybrids don't save much fuel when you drive them hard. Except for one sort: Formula One cars. The 2015 cars did the same race distance as in 2014, but on 33 percent less fuel. Question is, can that be transferred to road cars?

TOO SOON TO TELL: FRONT-DRIVE BMWS

The first FWD BMW, the 2-series Active Tourer, got a lot of abuse from petrolheads and self-appointed keepers of the 'ultimate driving machine' flame. But truth is its biggest offence isn't being FWD, it's being an MPV. In 2015 the X1 will go onto this chassis, and gain useful space because of it. And the year after that, the 1-series will do the same. And do we mind about a hot-hatch FWD BMW? Probably not. No-one minds about Mercedes' A and CLA and GLA having that layout. After all, the Mini shows the Munich engineers can do a good job of it.

TOO SOON TO TELL: FUEL CELLS

We've seen promising new FC cars came from Toyota and Hyundai with another to come in a few weeks from Honda. But until there's a strong supply of renewably-sourced hydrogen and the filling stations to get it to the cars, it could be another false dawn.

TOO SOON TO TELL: VOLVO

The new XC90 is full of clever ideas for a platform and associated powertrains on which to build a whole range. But despite the endless teasing, we haven't actually driven it yet.

TOO SOON TO TELL: HONDA

The new NSX and Civic Type-R should transform the sportiness, and the HR-V liven up the normal-peoples' range. But we haven't had a proper go yet.

MOVERS: COMPANY BOSSES

There was a right kerfuffle in October when Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo departed amid some upset. The Fiat Group's boss Sergio Marchionne took over on a part-time basis. It seems Marchionne wanted to be at the helm when a portion of Ferrari shares are sold in the new year. Nothing much to do with the cars, but will Marchionne raise output?

Another supercar maker got a new boss when Andy Palmer left a high-profile role at Nissan to run Aston Martin. He's an engineer, a racer and a local boy made very good. Plus he has good contacts at Mercedes, which will be supplying Aston with AMG engines and electronics.

Palmer wasn't the only high-profile departure from Carlos Ghosn's Nissan-Renault tent: Renault chief Carlos Tavares left after suggesting he wanted to take over eventually. He was snapped up by rival Peugeot-Citroen, and quickly set out to cut costs, tidy up the range, boost sales and give DS its freedom.

Ford got a new chief in Mark Fields and BMW in Harald Kruger. Don't expect big changes from either of them: they were very much the continuity candidates.

At Lotus, new boss Jean-Marc Gales is aiming to steady the ship then expand gradually. At Citroen, Linda Jackson wants to look after the customers. The VW brand hasn't been making enough money (it's Audi profits that bankroll the Group) so Herbert Diess has been brought in from BMW to shake things up. But it's too soon to say how.

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A Top Gear mag festive special!

If you're lucky enough to get a shiny new tablet or smartphone gizmo thingy for Christmas then good news! You can get the world's greatest car magazine magically delivered direct to your device for just 99p until 23:59 on January 1st 2015.

Those of you with an iPad or iPhone can download the fully enhanced edition with HD videos, loads of extra images and cool interactive functionality. On any other device, including Android and Kindle, you can still download the usual issue.

For iTunes
For Android

The latest issue is waiting for you: our ‘Awards 2014' special where we thrash a Ferrari 458 Aperta across Italy, tackle California in a Mercedes-AMG GT S, race a pair of Merc C-Class estates across Europe and even blow up a Citroen C4 Cactus (strictly in the name of research). And that's not to mention Richard Hammond and James May having a big fight over the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari, or special guest appearances from the BMW i8, Lambo Huracán, VW Golf R, Audi S1, Renault Twingo, Audi TT and a whole bunch more. We also announce our coveted ‘Car of the Year'.

Other notable issues include our ‘Ferrari Special', including a LaFerrari exclusive and our iconic track test with the 288 GTO, F40, F50 and Enzo. Or the time we drove non-stop for 220 hours across every (nearly) US state in the new Ford Mustang. Or other epic drives in the McLaren 650S, Lamborghini Huracán and Jaguar F-Type Coupe in 2014.

Then there are the group-tests, like our Supercar Killers special featuring the Audi A1, Subaru WRX STI and Volkswagen Golf R, or our annual Speed Week, when the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1 went to war. Or our Adventures Special, we had one last blast in the Bugatti Veyron down Route 66 (dream drive, anyone?)/ Or September, when we gave you our definitive list of the best cars in the world right now...

Much has happened on TG magazine in the last 12-months, and you can download any digital issue for just 99p all the way back to March 2012.

Head to the links below to get downloading...

For iTunes
For Android

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This is a Gulf-liveried McLaren P1

We're used to juicy looking stuff coming out of McLaren's MSO division now.

If you need a reminder, McLaren Special Operations is responsible for one-off customer cars, limited-run specials and the utterly barmy P1 GTR. As well as the [insert your own adjective here] X-1...

Today it has introduced us to this, the Gulf-liveried P1. It's not officially called that, but McLaren does go as far as saying it's inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR racer - which itself came daubed in Gulf logos.

Blue and orange is the order of the day, then. As well as a familiar - and superb - two-tone exterior treatment, which even extends to the underside of the rear wing, there are orange brake calipers, blue and orange piping on the Alcantara steering wheel rim, and similar colour treatments for the P1's glory buttons, including its DRS push-to-pass aceness.

Suitably proud of his creation, the wealthy owner in question is happy to be named, too. McLaren declares this P1 has been "commissioned by businessman and philanthropist Miles Nadal".

Miles, we like your work...

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Meet the most powerful Cadillac ever

Last month we saw the ATS-V, Cadillac's BMW M3-rival boasting an extra 30bhp over its German foe. Well, today we meet the CTS-V, Caddy's M5. And it beats down its BMW rival rather more triumphantly, with a fairly silly 640bhp.

Power comes from a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine. The one you'll find in the Corvette Z06, no less. Here it's a little down on power, but alongside its SLS Black-trumping power figure comes 630lb ft of torque. It's the most powerful Caddy ever made.

It's rear-wheel drive, so to make sure the back tyres last at least five minutes, there's a launch control system. Your only transmission option is an eight-speed auto, so that pesky M5 still has an advantage in America, where it's offered with an old-school manual.

Performance? A 3.7sec 0-60mph sprint and a top speed of 200mph. Deal with that, 155mph Germans.

To help utilise all that poke, the CTS-V is 25 per cent stiffer than standard, while the ‘Magnetic Ride Control' active damping system is apparently 40 per cent more responsive.

Looks-wise, Caddy promises the CTS-V's various aesthetic additions are all functional. So the front splitter and rear spoiler aid aerodynamics, while the carbon fibre bonnet - which can be ordered with its weave exposed - saves weight at the end of the car where that stonkingly huge engine sits.

Inside, there's carbon fibre trim and some Recaro sports seats, while a data recording system and a posh Bose audio setup are available too.

The CTS-V makes its big entrance at the Detroit motor show in early January, when more details should materialise. Excited?

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It’s a new Lambo Aventador!*

Though Lamborghini is very excited by its new Huracan and polishing out the details on the Asterion, the Italian carmaker would like to remind you it still builds the Aventador.

It would also like to remind you it works with Pirelli. When these two reminders come crashing together in a thought bubble, you get the car above: the Aventador LP 700-4 Pirelli Edition.

It's been built to celebrate a partnership with the tyre manufacturer that stretches back to 1963. As such, the Aventador comes with P-Zero tyres. Obviously.

Then there's the two-tone colour scheme with two options - a matt finish for the roof/intakes/engine cover and glossy body paint, or vice versa - a thin red stripe running along the car, a Pirelli logo, 20/21in wheels, black Alcantara with contrast red stitching, leather inserts and a ‘Pirelli special series' plaque inside.

No extra power from its 6.5-litre V12, but with 700 horses, four-wheel drive and a 0-62mph time of just 2.9 second, performance is not a concern.

No word on price, but if you are in the market for a special edition Lambo, you'll likely have enough. Deliveries will begin next summer. All nice and lovely.

Whaddya mean, is that it?

Storm chasing in a Lamborghini Huracan

Under the skin of the Lamborghini Asterion

Bull run: 350 Lambos roar through Italy

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Confirmed: McLaren’s new sports car will drift

Brace yourself for another teaser of the new McLaren Sport Series. But hey, at least this time we can see the whole car, and it's doing something interesting. Going heroically sideways, in fact - proof even McLaren has a sense of humour.

The Sports Series is, of course, the car McLaren hopes will give the Porsche 911 Turbo and Mercedes-AMG GT S sleepless nights. The entry-level two-seater is the same size as the more potent 650S (it uses the same carbon tub and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8, after all) but there's some P1-style bodywork shrink-wrapped over the techy bits. Just check out that upward-facing scoop in front of the rear wheel, and that menacingly low snout. Someone's been pulling double shifts in the wind tunnel.

Looks pretty ready for action, doesn't it? The Sport Series striptease will continue into 2015, with the car likely to be properly unveiled in the spring.

With an expected power output around the 500bhp mark, and a rumoured £120,000 price - the cheapest McLaren ever - it's fair to say we're a little excited for the Sports Series to be unveiled. If nothing else, it'll signal the end of this hashtagBlackSwanMoments nonsense, won't it?

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Abandoned Mercedes 300SL found in Cuba

A photographer in Cuba has found an abandoned, partially destroyed and wrecked Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. If this news doesn't bring you to tears, you're dead to us.

Snapper Piotr Degler was entranced by the Caribbean republic's automotive landscape - frozen, at least in part, since the 1950s - and soon got wind of a ‘legendary' 300SL rumoured by locals to lay somewhere on the island.

So with his Inspector Gadget hat firmly on, Degler went hunting high and low for a month, travelling two thousand miles in the process. He asked everyone. He looked everywhere. And, only a few days before he was due to depart, he spotted the 300SL's still-priceless silver remains hiding under a banana tree.

Piotr told Classic Driver: "When I found it, I spend the whole day taking pictures. Finding the car was an indescribable experience." Also, we suspect, a heartbreaking one: the 300SL surely ranks as the prettiest Mercedes-Benz in history.

So, with the US and Cuba now on friendlier relations, we'd suggest taking a trip down Havana way to take in the motoring landscape in all its Fifties charm. Who knows what you might find?

See a video preview of Degler's 2015 calendar - including the Benz - here

Top Gear meets the cars of Cuba

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Top Gear’s top five junior sports cars

Subaru BRZ

Price: £22,495
Specs: 197bhp, 151lb ft, 0-62mph 7.6secs, 130mph top speed, 36.2mpg, CO2 181g/km

Modest but revvy power, rear-wheel drive and a decent manual gearbox make for one of the most complete fun-per-£ cars of the modern age.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Subaru BRZ

Toyota GT86

Price: £22,995
Specs: 197bhp, 151lb ft, 0-62mph 7.6secs, 130mph top speed, 36.2mpg, CO2 181g/km

The Toyota twin of the BRZ, except it's imported in higher numbers (and it's a smidge more expensive). Think a modern version of a Ford Escort Mexico, except Japanese and reliable.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Toyota GT86

BMW M235i

Price: £32,995
Specs: 322bhp, 332lb ft, 0-62mph 5.0secs, 155mph top speed, 34.9mpg, CO2 189g/km

Good value, incredible performance, slightly plain looks, but overall a truly great road car. And now with optional 4wd and a proper diff. Also available as the M135i hot hatch, for a couple of grand less.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the BMW M235i

Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Sport

Price: £29,860
Specs: 227bhp, 273lb ft, 0-62mph 6.0secs, 155mph top speed, 47.9mpg, CO2 137g/km

The new TT not only looks sharper, it drives sharper, too. You can have it with Quattro all-wheel-drive, but the front-drive version has a manual gearbox and is basically a Golf GTI. Nowt wrong with that.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the new Audi TT

Mazda MX-5

Price: £18,495
Specs: 126bhp, 123lb ft, 0-62mph 9.9secs, 121mph top speed, 39.8mpg, CO2 167g/km

It's getting slightly geriatric these days, but that's okay, because there's a new one on its way. This one's still a great way to learn how to handle rear-wheel drive.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Mazda MX-5

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Meet the 600bhp Ford F-150

This is a Ford F-150 - the new, aluminium-bodied 2015 F-150 - modified by John Hennessey. As such, it now produces a cool, clean, and quite devastating 600bhp. Welcome to the, um, yellow side of the force.

Yes, it's a bright yellow, 600bhp supercharged pick-up truck, and if those words don't excite your inner 12-year old, you are of no use to us.

It's the first time Hennessey has pointed his considerable tuning talent to the brand-new F-150 released earlier this year. In fact, Hennessey reckons on having built over 400 VelociRaptor models based on the last-gen F-150. So the new one should be better. And quicker.

That's partly down to the new F-150's aluminium structure - which drops around 317kg (700lbs) over the old one - and partly thanks to Hennessey's Roots-type supercharger strapped onto Ford's 5.0-litre V8, with 8psi of boost to produce that headline 600bhp power figure.

There are also upgraded fuel injectors and Hennessey's own engine management system calibration. And of course, a three year/36,000 mile warranty.

Just 500 VelociRaptors will be built, with prices starting from $73,500 - including the base F-150 FX4 Super Crew - and includes 17in alloys and 33in tyres. If you tick a few boxes, you can option coilover suspension, upgraded bumpers, a front winch, LED light bars, Brembo brakes "and more".

"Many of our VelociRaptor owners use their trucks to drive to work or to take the kids to school," says John. "However, when the going gets tough, the VelociRaptor is highly capable in inclement weather and off-road conditions."

We suspect the ‘going gets tough' bit refers to the impending apocalypse and THE END OF ALL THINGS. After all, just look at it...

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Aston bags Lotus' handling engineer

After more than 25 years, Lotus' chief engineer of vehicle test and development Matt Becker has left his role, to join Aston Martin.

The engineer will, come January 5 2015, start his new job as chief engineer of vehicle attribute engineering (VAE) at Aston, and will report directly to Ian Minards, the product development director.

Aston confirmed to TopGear.com that Becker's new responsibilities will include vehicle dynamics, noise/vibration/harshness (NVH), aerodynamics, and vehicle durability and proving.

"He will play a key role in ensuring that the next generation of sports car continues Aston Martin's attribute excellence," Aston told TG.

What does this all mean? It's part of new boss Andy Palmer's golden dawn for the legendary carmaker, and installs a man who has helped produce some of the world's finest handling sportscars in history - we're looking at you, Evora, Elise and Exige - into a very important post in the company.

It also means that everything at Aston Martin is shaping up tremendously well. Palmer's old life at Nissan saw him spearhead sales monsters like Juke and Qashqai, as well as Nismo's ascendancy and the return of the Japanese carmaker to Le Mans next year.

Then there's the tie-up with AMG; Mercedes will supply electronic architecture and the lovely new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 for future Aston Martins. Now we have Lotus' dynamic know-how poured into the mix too.

Fingers crossed and all that...

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Nissan sets new drifting world record

A pair of Nissan 370Zs have set a new Guinness World Record for the longest ever twin-vehicle drift.

The stunt, held in Dubai at the launch of Nissan's ‘370Z Drift Experience', saw the two V6-engined Z cars drift around a track side by side for a total of 28.52km - 17.7 miles. Not bad, you will agree.

"The Nissan Z is a very popular car in the drifting scene," said Samir Cherfan, MD of Nissan's Middle East division, "and this new record is yet another proof on the ability of this car to make drifting look so easy."

It's a cool record for Nissan to notch up. Want a few more records? The longest vehicle drift was set earlier this year in Turkey, set by Harald Müller who slid for 89.55 miles. The fastest drift? In 2013, Jakub Przygonski went sideways at 135.44mph in Poland.

And the record for the most amount of cars performing donuts simultaneously, set in 2012, stands at 107.

Reckon you're any better than these chaps?

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This is a 230bhp Tata Nano

The Tata Nano was meant to be an affordable way to get India off mopeds and mobile. The twenty-first century answer to the VW Beetle, if you will. Fair to say it failed in that grand ambition, the Nano managing a deplorable 10,200 sales during the first half of this year.

However, that hasn't stopped some brave men at JA Motorsport from turning the wick up on the world's cheapest car, to create a harder, faster and proper scary version.

In an extraordinary Liberty Walk-esque widebody, negative camber conversion, this innocent Nano has been stretched and slammed within an inch of its life.

Maybe unsurprisingly, the standard car's 625cc, 35bhp twin-cylinder engine has been binned. Replacing it (and the rear seats) is a 1.3-litre unit producing 230 bhp. The result? This rear-engine, rear-drive setup is apparently capable of 120mph, something you'd have to pay us A LOT of money to verify.

To cope with the increased power, the all-round drum brakes that normally bring the Nano to a halt have been replaced with AP Racing discs. Meanwhile, diddy wheels wrapped in sticky slick tyres with plenty of negative camber give the monster monobox some stance.

A standard Nano only weighs 600kg, but that hasn't stopped the Indian tuners ripping out the cheap plastic interior and throwing in a lightweight carbon fibre cabin complete with Recaro bucket seats and a full roll cage. Amazingly, they've even given it two - yes two - wing mirrors, something even the £2.8 million, 22 carat gold and jewel-encrusted Nano couldn't manage.

How hard will all these changes hit your wallet? A hefty £25,000 hard. That's a £23,300 mark-up on the standard car and puts the little Nano in the same price range as an Audi S1, which just so happens to have the exact same amount of power.

On the one hand, wouldn't this make the basis of an excellent one-make race series? On the other, don't forget the Nano received a zero-star adult protection rating and failed to meet even the most basic UN safety requirements when crash tested. Would you dare drive it?

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It's Aston's special edition Vanquish!

Next year will see Aston Martin Works - the historic Newport Pagnell home of 007's favourite sports car maker - celebrate its sixtieth birthday.

The result, somewhat predictably, will be special edition cars. We're used to seeing occasionally gaudily coloured Astons wheeled out, normally as a rolling advertisement for its ‘Q' personalisation division. Pink DB9s and eye-searingly blue leather seats are some of the more, ahem, memorable modifications...

But these Works cars are about more than their bold paint and leather combos, even if this Vanquish Volante - the first of six specials, all Vanquishes - is sporting some very conspicuous Clio Williams-esque gold wheels.

Each will feature parts of cars built in the decade they represent, with nods to everything from the classic DB5 to the MkI Vanquish.

That doesn't mean the transplant of a gloriously uneconomical old engine or a notchy gearbox demanding of double de-clutching, though.

Rather, the Vanquish's dash features rotary switches made from the pistons of the original engines, meaning every change of aircon temperature or satnav destination is now given extra gravitas.

It's an interesting move, and one far more subtle and considered than the yellow-and-white logo boldly stitched behind the driver's head...

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First drive: Alfa Romeo 4C ‘Comfort’

The Alfa 4C? That's been out ages...

It has been on sale for a year in the UK now, and if you remember, we didn't much like it when it first came out. That made some of you really quite angry (the comments under the story - yes, we do read them - contained evidence of some, er, strong opinions).

It's fair to say that Alfa Romeo wasn't particularly delighted either, and offered to loan us a car that was in a more road-biased trim. So here we are.

So what are the changes?

This 4C is equipped with the Comfort chassis (no rear anti-roll bar, softer springs and dampers), plus smaller diameter wheels (17s and 18s at the front and back respectively, rather than 18s and 19s). The hope is that this will make the 4C less distracted and prone to tramlining. Also less likely to weave under braking would be good.

Hopefully, after almost a year in production, the numb brakes with the inconsistent pedal will have been sorted, not to mention the strange gearbox calibration and the overly-excitable turbo. I could go on. But I won't. Suffice it to say there's a reason we never took the 4C on our summer Performance Car Of The Year shootout.

Does this one rectify all the bad stuff?

No. Almost none of it. Sigh. I take no pleasure in writing this, because I wanted the Alfa 4C to be so good, to really stick it to the Germans, but aside from more forgiveness in the ride, slightly improved traction and a hint less sensitivity to road camber, the basics of the chassis behavior haven't changed.

It's still an alarming thing to drive down a bumpy rutted road, as it's the road that governs your direction of travel as much as the steering.

But doesn't that mean it's engaging and fun?

Not when the car is fighting against you rather than with you, no. No matter how spiky the car, you need to have confidence in it in order to push it, to feel like you're getting anything out of it, but all too often the Alfa seems to be working against you, trying to trip you up.

Take the McLaren P1. It's a proper handful, a genuinely hairy hypercar, but because it communicates itself clearly through your hands and buttocks you know how much of its ability you can use, when to press on or back off. In the 4C, you don't. What heightens the issues is that this is a short, wide, mid-engined car - if it does start to slip, it moves very quickly.

Have you got anything nice to say about it?

It is achingly pretty. Properly heart-stoppingly lovely.

Is that really it?

Hmm. The 4C is actually pretty efficient (you'll get about 35mpg), it's very fast, and you can boast about the carbon tub. On smooth, dry roads it's much better behaved, and driving it is never less than an event.

Plus, if you compare it to a Lotus Exige, it looks reasonably good value. And you get to tell people you drive an Alfa Romeo, which, despite the company's efforts lately, still has cachet.

But...?

There are too many issues where there shouldn't be issues. The steering wheel is horrible to hold, the curious, short-leg driving position means there's no under-thigh support, the seat backrest barely reclines at all, the windscreen is very close to the wheel, and even after four days the stereo was still largely unfathomable. And that's just the cabin.

The brakes are unresponsive for the first inch of travel, then grabby after that, the throttle is inconsistent at the top end and the double-clutch gearbox calibration is so strange (holding on to gears some times, grabbing the next one at others), that the only option is to use the manual paddles. That's no hardship in a raw driver's car, but the slurry changes are still less than satisfying.

Did everyone else agree with you?

I asked everyone in the TG office who drove the 4C to give it a score out of ten, the answers were 3, 5, 3, 4. If the 4C was on Strictly Come Dancing, in other words, it wouldn't have made it past week one.

Quotes included ‘that car made me angry' and I can see exactly where they were coming from, although I'd probably settle for ‘frustrated'. There is greatness locked away somewhere inside the 4C, and I think its unlockable. The question is whether Alfa Romeo realises it's not good enough and is prepared to invest in changing it.

Hang on, aren't we missing the key factor here? Character?

Flaws can give cars more character, but those flaws can't be a fundamental component of the car, or at least if they are, other components need to be brilliant to make up for it.

Like the engine, ideally. The 1.7 turbo is certainly effective, but, with only 895kg to shift, the surging mid-range comes on so strong that it seems to outpace the chassis. It also means there's no reason to hold on for high revs - there's no top end crescendo of power or noise to get excited about. It's less exciting to listen to than an Audi TT.

Really?

Genuinely. Look, last time people accused me of not getting the 4C, of trying to compare it with Caymans and TTs when it's not that sort of car, it's not an everyday motor. To me that's a missed opportunity, because I think there's a note there it could have struck as a purer, but still acceptably refined, sports car, but the compromises it demands make it a pure weekend warrior.

This should be a car I love: I used to run a long term Radical SR3 SL, I have a Mk1 Lotus Elise of my own, but I still find the Alfa Romeo 4C disappointing. Sorry.

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First drive: Audi A1 1.0 3-cylinder

Three cylinders? Bit low-rent for an Audi, no?

You're forgetting the rather wonderful A2. It had a little three-cylinder diesel. Though to be honest that car was better with its four-cylinder petrol.

So I'm right then.

I beg to differ. This new three-cyl might just be the most competitive and nicely-sorted of all the A1s except the S1. It's funny how, sometimes, the very extremes of the range are the best.

Right-oh. What's the engine?

It's a new one-litre turbo direct injection: TFSi in Audi language. Of course such little triples are very much the coming thing: after the Ford 1.0 Ecoboost there was the enjoyable if puny 0.9 from Renault, PSA's rather good 1.2, and the extremely fine 1.0 in the Corsa.

This new VW Group engine isn't the very sweetest of that list. It's quiet enough and avoids the chuntering typical of the breed at low revs, so it's certainly more civilised than a diesel for urban and suburban pottering, and at a motorway cruise there isn't much racket either. But the noise gets a fraction tinny when you're really stressing it near the redline. Which I found myself doing quite a lot, because there's only 95bhp to play with.

Still, there's very little lag and it pulls evenly through the revs. And crucially, it slides under the tax threshold of 100g/km CO2. Audi's preliminary data pegs it at 99g/km.

‘Stressing it near the redline'? It's a 1.0 litre supermini, not a supercar...

Sometimes it's more fun driving a slow car as fast as it'll go than a fast car slowly. But you need it to be a good slow car.

And this is one?

Yes. Audi has given the A1 a facelift and a more efficient set of engines (the 1.0 replaces a 1.2 four) and minor chassis fettle. If I'm honest I didn't notice the facelift, so let's move on. With the featherweight engine in the nose and some minor chassis recalibration, the littlest A1 has a lot more life to its steering and handling than the doughy-cornering original.

With the facelift all the A1s have ditched hydraulic steering assistance and got the electric system from the S1. And this is the irony: where Audi wasn't much cop at making hydraulic steering feel good, this electric job is pretty much as good as they come. On half-wet winding roads I always knew how much grip the front tyres were managing. Plus the ride is less wooden than the original A1. At least it is if you steer clear of the Sport chassis.

And the facelift?

As I say, trivial changes. Different lights, a slightly wider, flatter, more angular grille, new wheels. Mildly revised cabin trim. Fancier connectivity and mapping, if you're prepared to stump for it.

What the cost?

Ah, here's the annoyance. The basic A1 is £14,315 for a three-door, which is pretty reasonable given the quality. Unfortunately this has only 15-inch alloys, and no Bluetooth. These days, that's like having no windscreen. So Audi pushes you into the Sport version, an extra £1,975. That buys 16-inch wheels and Bluetooth, which you want. And sports seats (the standard ones are fine), Drive Select (does nothing of substance as you don't have the optional adaptive dampers), Sports suspension (which you don't want, and can delete, but at zero saving), fog lights, buttons on the steering wheel and a trip computer. Plonkers are being pulled here. A basic Mini One costs less spec for spec and is more powerful...

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First drive: VW Touareg R-line

Another blink-and-you'll-miss-it VW facelift?

Yes, but actually quite a successful one for the VW Touareg, we think. Wolfsburg's big ol' luxury tank has emerged from its mid-life refresh with sharper-edged lights (bi-xenons with smart LED running elements are standard up front) and redrawn bumpers with slimmer, wider grilles.

The idea is to make the Touareg look bigger, more imposing, and more expensive. It works - a bit too well, actually. Judging by the reaction to our chrome-festooned test car around London, some other road-users judge believe VW has overdone it on the ostentation front. Terribly nice of them to ‘wave', though.

The Touareg's not that offensive though, is it?

Not so much. Underneath, it shares its skeleton with the much more divisive Porsche Cayenne, but aims to offer similar five-seater accommodation and a 580-litre boot, allied with more comfort-focused set-up. It's also massively cheaper than the Porsche, and the equivalent BMW X5 or Mercedes ML (soon to be GLE).

The Touareg starts at £43,000 for the 201bhp V6 turbodiesel, but for this higher-powered 258bhp R-line version, you'll need £47,500. At the time of writing, VW has lopped £5000 off the price of all Touaregs. If one's on your shopping list, chop-chop.

More power, you say?

VW's powertrain magicians have unlocked a 17bhp power bump over the pre-facelift Touareg, meaning it'll hit 62mph in 7.3 seconds and 140mph. However, thanks to a friction-reducing ‘decoupling' system that disconnects the engine from the transmission when you're coasting, to erase engine braking, fuel efficiency is up from 39.2mpg to 42.8mpg.

Unlike its Mercedes or BMW rivals, VW doesn't offer a basic four-cylinder Touareg, so at 174g/km it's far from being the cleanest member of the class CO2-wise. Though if you're buying a two-tonne 4x4, we suspect carbon emissions are unlikely to be disturbing your sleep.

How does it drive?

Much as before. The Touareg errs towards the relaxing, idiot-proof side of SUV motoring against the more focused Range Rover Sport and X5. A Cayenne would leave it for dead on the North Circular, yet alone a North Yorkshire Moors B-road, but somehow that's not a disappointment.

Instead you leave the eight-speed automatic gearbox to politely shuffle between cogs, embrace the prodigious 479lb ft of torque, and marvel at how a 2200kg behemoth is as easy to pilot as a Polo. Except it's quieter, comfier and faster - and better off-road. And so it should be, for nigh-on fifty grand.

So it'll manage off-road?

Like its Porsche cousin, the Touareg can be a flipping accomplished off-roader - but if you're so inclined, you have to be spec-sensitive. Our test car got a simple on road/off-road switch that toggles ESP settings and whathaveyou. It's surely destined to be the least-used piece of car switchgear this side of an Audi Q7's indicator stalk.

To really unlock the mud-plugging potential, there's the ‘Escape' model, which gets the full compliment of underbody shields, adjustable suspension and locking differential cleverness.

Seems like quite a handy all-rounder?

There's more. Although it's not in the first flush of youth, the Touareg's cabin is a paragon of ergonomics. The standard-fit eight-inch touchscreen is better many younger rivals' efforts - take note, Land Rover - it's a cinch to use on the move, and snappy in operation.

Besides the media screen, the cabin's general control layout is so logical, you wonder why any carmaker that borrowed a Touareg for benchmarking opted to try something different. Sure, that means there's nothing in the way of surprise and delight - even the new knurled knobs and buttons aren't as funky as the old car's shiny bits - but in terms of maturity, the Touareg is way up there.

What don't you like?

The standard-fit electric tailgate beeps like a microwave when it's on the move, and there's no seven-seat option, which means you've got to be an awfully dedicated fan of extra ride height not to just go and buy an equally capable, cheaper and better-driving Passat wagon.

And while the ride is well-controlled above, say, 25mph, slow-speed maneuvering - or even crawling in traffic - causes this weighty car to lurch a little on its springs.

Doesn't sound like a dealbreaker...

It isn't. The Touareg really is still the Golf of SUVs. Not outlandish, nor the most entertaining to drive. But as an inoffensive, high-quality all-rounder, you just know it'd do its duty every day you asked it to.

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The new Audi Q7 is here

325kg is a significant amount of blubber. It's roughly the weight of three baby elephants, and is precisely the amount of blubber cleaved from Audi's brand new Q7 SUV.

So here it is, at last, revealed ahead of its Detroit Motor Show debut next January and pencilled for a summer 2015 UK launch. And first off... it's not utterly obnoxious, is it?

Sure, you're not going to make many friends at Greenpeace weaving a two-tonne full-size Audi SUV three inches from the rear bumper of the car in front, but the Q7 looks functional at least in comparison to the monstrous current version. We're told this new generation is 37mm shorter and 15mm narrower than before, with an additional 21mm between the first and second row of seats. Smaller footprint, more space inside.

For more space, you can option a third row of seats, or leave the space in the back for your Waitrose shopping instead. With three rows, you've got 295 litres of boot, with two, you're looking at 890 litres (and a whopping 2,075 litres with everything folded down).

When it lands in the UK, all Q7s will be powered by Audi's 3.0-litre, 270bhp V6 diesel, though with a raft of improvements to make it Euro 6 compliant. It's also torquey; there's 443lb ft on offer, meaning it'll sprint from 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds, before topping out at 146mph.

Audi reckons on this engine returning 47.8mpg, and emitting just 153g/km of CO2, both reasonable stats for a car like this. A lower-powered 215bhp version of this V6 will arrive later in the year, along with a plug-in hybrid Q7 e-tron Quattro late in 2015.

This hybrid will feature the same 3.0-litre V6, making 256bhp and boosted by an electric motor for a total system output of 370bhp and a huge 516lb ft of torque. 0-62mph? 6.1s, with a top speed of 139mph. Oh, and it'll also do around 166mpg, and emit just 50g/km of CO2. Yeah, us too.

Elsewhere there's a newly developed eight-speed auto ‘box on offer, with the latest iteration of Audi's signature four-wheel-drive that's lighter than before. The whole car also rides 50mm lower than its predecessor (a consequence of installing the engine lower), with five-link suspension replacing the double wishbones underneath, too. Audi has also been busy adding lightness to the chassis - the base is 100kg lighter than previously.

Then there's air suspension that varies the Q7's height - you can lower it by 30mm on the motorway, or raise it by 60mm for when you need to, y'know, mount the kerb or something.

The Q7 gets new electromechanical steering and the option of ‘all-wheel-steering', where the rear wheels will turn inward by as much as five degrees to ‘enhance vehicle stability'.

There are also no fewer than seven dynamic settings (efficiency, comfort, auto, dynamic, individual, allroad, and lift/offroad), 19-inch wheels (with the option of 21s, yo), vented discs with six-piston calipers, a predictive efficiency assistance, night vision assistance, adaptive cruise control, a traffic jam assistant and lane assist. Phew.

There is internet on board. There is rear seat entertainment. There is 3D sound. There is computing power rivaling Interstellar's ‘Endurance' space ship. There's the rather natty ‘virtual cockpit' first seen in the new Audi TT. There's even speech control that understands pretty much whatever you tell it (not just predefined commands).

If you're down in Detroit, we'd recommend having a good old poke around the big thing. If not, click through the pics and tell us your thoughts.

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Chris Hoy: “I took out the hay bales at 70mph”

Sir Chris Hoy doesn't hang about. The flying Scotsman was, of course, quick enough on a bicycle to win six Olympic gold medals and 11 world championships. And now, after one season driving a Nissan GT-R GT3 in the British GT series, Sir Chris is climbing the ladder into a proper racing prototype.

From 2015 Hoy will partner up-and-coming racer, and fellow Scot, Charlie Robertson in a Nissan-powered Ginetta LMP3 car, set to race at Le Mans. Not quite the full 24-hour blue riband event - that step will come in 2016 - but a demanding four-hour endurance race sharing the La Sarthe tarmac with a grid full of fully paid-up pro racers.

TG caught up with Sir Chris to find out more about his burgeoning racing career, and get the story behind hat infamous Nismo GT-R crash at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed...

Top Gear: Congratulations on the new drive. Are you daunted by how fast this process is moving?

Chris Hoy: I'm really excited. These opportunities don't come along too often. I think you've really got to grab it with both hands. It could take a guy ten years to get into this position. This has always been the plan with Nissan and the GT Academy [Nissan's programme for turning gamers into racing drivers, like Brit Jann Mardenborough] so the guys are really patient.

TG: So how does the racing so far in the British GT series compare to other motorsports you've tried?

CH: I did some racing with Radical, in the SR1 Cup, where the car is just run by one mechanic - you just turn up to the garage and it's budget, entry-level motorsport. Then this year I turn up to Oulton Park and there's a big mass of trailers. All of the big manufacturers are there, huge support crew from Nissan, and you suddenly realise - woah, I'm really straight in at the deep end here.

It's a bit terrifying at first, but once you get in the car, you remind yourself it's the same principle. Find your braking points, where's the apex, when can I get back on the gas, defending, passing...it's all the simple stuff you've learned in previous years, except it's bigger, faster cars. And a lot more people watching...

I've still got a long way to go, and I'm under no illusions there's a lot to learn before I make it to the level required for Le Mans, but the guys at the GT Academy really simplify it, and I love the process of learning a new skill. I'm 38 now. When you get to my age and you retire from your main sport, I never thought I'd get any opportunity like this.

TG: LMP cars have much more aggressive aerodynamics than the cars you've been used to racing this year. Have you had to re-learn how to race?

CH: So far, I've just had a couple of runs on the simulator. In real cars, the closest I've come is a Radical SR8. I didn't realise how much the GT cars still move around despite the downforce, so the LMP car will be a real learning curve. I have to get my head around the commitment you need in high-speed corners, and belief to turn in and hope it sticks.

But I love that - it's exciting. I experienced it in the Radical at Silverstone - the first time you come into Abbey and keep it flat, your brain's telling you you're going to understeer straight off, but you've seen the data and know the car should stick...

TG: What about the extra demands on your body from the higher speeds and g-force. Had to up your training regime?

CH: I'll have to find out! I don't think the physical side will be the limiting factor. Specific physical demands from driving are very different from the demands from cycling, but after you've been in the seat your neck feels stiff and your forearms ache. I still do a lot of training, but a lot of the strength will just come from doing the driving. This time, there's less power-assisted steering and no ABS, so it's going to be a much more physical drive.

TG: You mentioned the GT Academy. Are you a bit of a closet gamer away from the track?

CH: I use the GT Academy's simulator when I'm at Silverstone, but I still use my PlayStation and play Gran Turismo - especially for tracks I haven't been to. This year I was supposed to race at Brands Hatch, but I'd never been there. So as well as going on the simulator, I'd be at home on the PlayStation. And it did help, no doubt.

TG: Away from the track, what's your road car at the moment?

CH: I drive a GT-R. Not bad for a daily driver, I can't complain!

TG: Standard GT-R, or have you bagged a Nismo?

CH: [laughs] No, just a standard one. I don't think they'd let me in a Nismo after Goodwood...

TG: Talk us through that, um, very short run up the hill at the Festival of Speed...

CH: It was just me pushing too hard. Normally if you push too hard on the track you miss your line, or go over the run-off. Worst-case scenario, you go into the gravel. At Goodwood, if you put one wheel on the grass, you're going into the hay bales.

And the thing is, through the whole race season, I finished every event, and had barely a scratch on the car. Then one place where the eyes of the motoring world are on me, it was a pretty miserable place to do it! Nissan were brilliant about it - all they wanted to know was, "Are you okay?"

I was fine - not a scratch on me. Not bad considering I'd taken out hay bales at seventy miles per hour.

TG: We know the late, great Colin McRae was a hero of yours - was it a case of ‘if in doubt, flat out' biting back there?

CH: [laughs] Hmm. When I'm driving, I'm always pushing. I was slightly on the side of ‘being too committed' that time, if you like. It was a touch of the McRae attitude going into Molecomb corner.

TG: Will we see you take to the Goodwood hill again?

CH: Yeah I'd love to. I went straight back up the hill after the crash to get back ‘on the horse' as it were, and I don't have any bad memories from that weekend. It's a great event for the fans and the motorsport industry.

TG: Finally, Chris, what's the 2015 itinerary for you?

CH: Well I'll be teaming up with the very talented Charlie Robertson, who's only 17 but already won the Ginetta Supercup, so I'm hoping to learn a lot from him. I also want to try and squeeze in competing in a few GT-R GT3 races, like the Blancpain series, and drive at the Le Mans test day in June 2015.

That'd mean when I arrive there in 2016, it won't be my first time on the circuit, which is a massive thing. It'll be quite intimidating, so I'm glad the 24-hour race in 2016 won't be my first time...

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This is the 367bhp Audi RS3

It's got more power than a BMW M135i and even the mighty Mercedes A45 AMG, and will happily keep up with an M3 to 62mph; welcome everyone, to the brand new, 2015 Audi RS3. And it's powerful.

How powerful? Only the most powerful car in this class. Though that Merc boasts the most power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot currently in production (360bhp), Audi has stuck with its acclaimed - and tasty - 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine, here producing a considerable 367bhp and 343lb ft of torque.

It sounds good, too (we've already had a hot ride in a development prototype), thanks to that 1-2-4-5-3 firing sequence and optional sports exhaust, but the key pub ammo you need to unleash is thus: it'll go from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds (versus 5.1s for the BMW M135i and 4.6s for the A45 AMG), and top out at a limited 155mph.

And if you ask Audi nicely (and pay them, we suspect), you can raise that limiter to 174mph. 174mph, in an A3!

It's hooked up to a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox with two automatic modes (and a manual shift function), together with launch control and, of course, Quattro four-wheel-drive. This uses a multi-plate clutch with custom software developed specifically for this new RS3, and is able to send anything between 50 and 100 per cent of the available torque to the rear axle. Slidey.

In fact, Audi's quite proud of this fact. "The driver is able to perform controlled drifts on low-friction road surfaces," we're told. There's torque vectoring, too, a wider front track, a 25mm drop in ride height thanks to RS sport suspension, optional magnetic adaptive damping, 19-inch wheels, huge 370mm brakes up front (310mm at the rear), and many, many RS badges.

Wrapped up in its new RS suit - featuring that high-gloss black grille, air inlets, flared arches, ‘chiseled' side sills, roof spoiler, sports seats, RS steering wheel and impeccable interior quality - it weighs in at exactly 1520kg. Which is 55kg lighter than its predecessor. Thanks, MQB platform!

Deliveries will begin next year with no word on price just yet; we'd anticipate a hefty hike over the S3 Sportback's £32k starting price...

We've had a hot ride in this new RS3 - click here to read the full report. This, an M135i, or that Merc A45 AMG?

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The new Ford Focus RS is coming!

Good news! Ford has confirmed that it is working on an all-new Focus RS hot hatch.

It will form one of 12 new performance vehicles built for ‘global enthusiasts' by the year 2020, under the Blue Oval's new ‘Ford Performance' team.

Raj Nair, Ford group vice president of global product development, confirmed that the range-topping hot hatch will return "to customers in major markets around the world for the first time" - meaning everyone on planet earth will be able to access the RS.

Naturally, powertrain details at this stage haven't been revealed, but considering the current ST runs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder packing 250bhp, we'd expect Ford to use the 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine as featured in the new Mustang (the last RS remember, used a 2.5-litre five-pot).

And because the new RS is entering a very different hot hatch landscape, a power output of at least 330bhp to 340bhp would be a safe bet. The Merc A45 AMG packs 360bhp from it's turbo'd four-pot, while the new Audi RS3 is expected to pack at least this much from it's 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine.

Ford has also promised that the new Focus RS will be a fighty bugger. "To earn the RS badge," explains Nair, "the vehicle has to be a no-compromise driver's car that can deliver exceptional performance on the track when required while providing excellent every day driving."

It'll most likely be front-wheel-drive, Ford no doubt utilising its experience from the last Focus RS's RevoKnuckle technology to somehow make the power a more manageable lump.

We will of course, bring you more as we get it, but the bigger picture stands like this: Ford's SVT, Team RS and Racing teams will unify under the Ford Performance team banner, to serve "as an innovation laboratory and test bed to create unique performance vehicles, parts, accessories and experiences for customers." Does this open up the potential of more Ford-approved performance upgrades? We'd think so

"Ford still races for the same reasons Henry Ford did in 1901," said Nair. "The Ford Performance team will continue to pursue performance innovation, ensuring we can deliver even more coveted performance cars, utilities and trucks to customers around the world."

Let battle commence...

Pictured: last-generation Ford Focus RS500

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It’s the new BMW M6*

It's normally after Christmas that everyone talks about a New Year makeover. But being German, BMW has been hyper efficient and already given its M6 variants and 6-Series lineup a 2015 spruce up.

Set to be unveiled at next year's Detroit motor show, the revisions are so minor there's a game to be had in trying to find them. Seriously, click through the gallery above and tell us how the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 M6 - and lower-level 6-Series chums - have changed. If you don't have a microscope to hand, keep reading.

Keen observers may've noticed the front bumper has been slightly revised and full-LED headlights sit above it. While at the rear a chrome bumper insert has been slapped on and the exhausts are slightly bigger. Keen Internet-smiths may also have noticed that the iconic BMW kidney grille now features nine slats where previously it had ten. Revolutionary changes, you'll agree.

There are some internal revisions, too. A leather dashboard with contrast stitching that was only offered on M Sport versions is now available to all, there are posher materials all round and the cabin is now shrouded with LED lights to illuminate the footwells, door openings and glovebox like a posh nightclub.

One thing that hasn't changed is the engine line-up for the whole range. Thanks to a few tweaks, they're more efficient, and so the menu for the Sixer range runs like this.

In the petrol camp you start with the 640i which has a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six with 316bhp. Want more power? Then the 444bhp 650i with a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 is for you. Want yet more power? You need the M6 with 560bhp and a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds. If you like your fuel to come out of the black pump, there's only one diesel - a 309 bhp, 464lb turbocharged six-cylinder in the 640d.

All cars without the halo M badge can be specced with four-wheel drive and have their power fed through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The M cars remain rear-wheel drive only, and have a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and trick M-differential.

So if you live in Detroit - or really don't believe the Six has lost a slat from its grille - you can see the car with your own eyes in Detroit on January 9th. If you want one, the whole range will go on sale in the UK at the beginning of March next year.

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228bhp Mini John Cooper Works revealed

Judging by the sheer quantity of grilles, intakes and vents (some proper, some fake) covering the new Mini John Cooper Works, you'd hope it has some serious firepower to back up its mouthy bodykit. Well fear not, hot hatch-lover - this is the most powerful Mini of all time. Ever.

The JCW laughs in the face of the 189bhp Cooper S, boasting a full 228bhp from its tweaked 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. To save you the Top Trumps bother, that's a fraction more than the VW Golf GTI Performance Pack from a whole class above. The mighty Mini also matches the Audi S1 for poke - but does without all-wheel drive to smear its grunt onto the road.

Crikey. JCWs have always been unruly little tykes, and on paper we're in for more of the same here.

Equipped with the six-speed automatic gearbox, Mini claims the new JCW will hit 62mph from standstill in 6.1 seconds (the manual is two-tenths slower) and manage a respectable 49.5mpg and 133g/km of CO2. The manual lags behind eco-wise, with an official 42.2mpg and 155g/km, but both versions will hit 152mph flat out. In a Mini!

The new JCW serves up a wholesome 236lb ft from a lazy 1250rpm (the old Works offered just 208lb ft at a loftier 1850rpm). Small wonder the new car has slashed its 50-75mph haul by ten per cent, to 5.1 seconds. Still wondering why naturally aspirated hot hatches are a thing of the past? The JCW is treading the edge of the supermini oomph envelope.

New suspension settings, retuned power steering and Brembo brakes have been drafted to rein in the JCW's power, while the wheels are a new, lighter design inspired by the old Mini GP's rims. Mini has snubbed a proper mechanical front differential, instead putting its faith in an electronic slip-limiting tribute act.

Inside, Mini's followed The Big Book of Hot Hatch Upgrades to the letter. You get a perforated leather steering wheel, bucket seats, stainless-steel pedals and more red upholstery than you can shake a tail-happy hatchback at. It's nowhere near as restrained as a VW Polo GTI or RenaultSport Clio 200, but fits the Mini's hyperactive character to a tee.

What we're yet to discover is just how much the JCW will set you back. Its Cooper S sister asks £18,650, so we're expecting a figure north of £21k for its protein shake-swilling stablemate. More info will appear during the car's limelight moment at the 2015 Detroit motor show.

Reckon it'll be worth the extra wedge over the stellar Ford Fiesta ST? We await your comments below.

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Hyundai i20 Coupe is a 3-door i20

Hyundai has been busy beavering away at its range of small to medium cars, and here is the fruit: ladies and gentlemen, meet the new i20 Coupe, i30 Turbo and i40.

First up comes the i20 Coupe, which isn't really a coupe at all, but instead a three-door i20 designed to attract the yoof and so forth. The really-quite-decent Fiesta/Polo/Corsa rival gets a more steeply raked roofline for dynamism, wheel arches ambitiously described as 'bold', a new front grille/bumper arrangement, and precisely 336 litres of of boot capacity.

If you really want more, there's the option of an orange exterior and interior, as well as 17-inch alloys. Power comes from petrol and diesel engines producing between 83bhp to 98bhp. A new 1.4-litre petrol unit will join the range, and next year there'll be the obligatory 1.0-litre three-pot turbo.

The i30 - Hyundai's answer to the Focus, Golf and Astra - has also been refreshed, with a new seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, better engines, and new design elements. But it's the new turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine that is worthy of note here. It produces a healthy 185bhp, getting the i30 to 62mph in eight seconds, and on to a top speed 136mph.

This 'turbo' also gets some sports suspension, new 18-inch alloys, and a ‘more direct steering' setup. Don't tell James, but apparently the i30's been tuned at the Nürburgring.

The i40's been given a going over too; new front and rear lamps, a fresh face, new wheels, re-engineered engines, seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, advanced traction control, a rear damping control system, lane assist, speed limit identification system and a touchscreen inside. All jolly worthy, no?

Have a click through the pics and tell us your thoughts. And just imagine that i30 turbo with a slightly lower ride, bigger rear wing, more powerful engine and some stickers...

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Mansory has built a 1,000bhp S-Class

One thousand horsepower. More than a LaFerrari. More than a Porsche 918. More than a McLaren P1. This ‘heavily modified' Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG produces a cool, clean 1,000bhp. Thanks, Mansory.

The infamous German tuning firm, notable for its USPs of subtlety, grace and dignity (wait, we might have got that wrong), has deemed it prudent to turn a new S63 AMG Mercedes - not a car, with 585bhp as standard, we'd ever considered slow, exactly - into luxury transport befitting the most intimidating, time-pressed of dictators.

So there's the option of an 'M800' pack with a paltry 800bhp and 885lb ft of torque available between the bomb-like window of 1,700rpm and 3,500rpm. Buy this, and together with a ‘throaty and imposing' sports exhaust, you'll be able to sprint from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds.

But that's for wimps. What you really want is the 'M1000' performance kit. This gives you new connecting rods, big end bearings, a new crankshaft, bearing bushings, a new turbo, suction and compressor system, as well as many other bits.

Mansory has also fabricated a new pipe fan manifold, so instead of the ‘standard' S63's puny 585bhp, you now get that aforementioned 1,000bhp and a whopping 1,032lb ft of torque. 0-62mph? 3.2 seconds. Top speed? A ‘limited' 186mph.

There are some exterior and interior appointments, too, but we suspect you won't notice these, y'know, because of the ONE THOUSAND HORSEPOWER.

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Meet Merc’s X6: it’s the GLE Coupe

Well, it took six years, but BMW's coupe-SUV X6 finally has a direct rival. It comes, unsurprisingly, from Mercedes, and it's called the GLE Coupe. Why does the world need another brand of not-as-practical-as-you'd-expect 4x4? BMW shifting 250,000 first-gen X6s is a money-spinning clue.

Looking unfortunately similar to a gym-lapsed CLA on 22-inch (yes, twenty-two) alloys, the GLE Coupe is in fact a spin-off of the ML-Class SUV, which has been renamed ‘GLE' as of 2015, in line with a raft of Mercedes SUV name changes.

The GLE Coupe's interior, which combines familiar touch-sensitive infotainment controls and fussy telephone buttons with a new eight-inch screen, gives an idea of what to expect inside the facelifted GLE when it arrives in 2015.

Speaking of inside, the GLE Coupe offers seating for five. Once, that'd have been a crucial deal-breaker for buyers dithering over that X6 deposit, but no longer - the BM's ditched its four-seater set-up. That said, the GLE Coupe's ruthlessly sloped roofline means rear space won't be a patch on the ML - sorry, GLE's - and boot space is sacrificed too - 1600 litres in the GLE Coupe plays 2010 litres in the GLE.

Amusingly, Mercedes argues its svelte new battletank holds the world record for boot space in a coupe. Step away from the logical black hole, guys. Step away.

Is anyone salivating over the prospect of the GLE Coupe worried about practicality? More likely you'll be interested in its range of get-out-of-my-way engines.

There's a few more months to wait until Mercedes unleashes its AMG GLE 63 complete with the full compliment of bi-turbo V8 political incorrectness, so, in the meantime, the GLE Coupe is the first new Mercedes to spawn an AMG Sport model - a halfway house of lukewarm Mercs inbetween cooking models and the lairy AMG flagships. Think BMW's M Performance range, or Audi's ‘S' cars.

So the GLE 450 AMG brandishes a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, churning out 362bhp and 383lb ft to the car's standard-fit nine-speed automatic gearbox. The AMG Sport model gets a bespoke torque split: 60 per cent hits the rear rubber in normal driving, compared to an even 50:50 in the other versions.

You can have a lesser GLE 400 with 328bhp, using the same 3.0-litre V6. And yes, Europeans, there's a diesel version: the GLE 350d's V6 manages 255bhp and 457lb ft. Fuel consumption figures haven't yet been disclosed, probably because Mercedes knows full well prospective buyers couldn't give a flying monkeys.

Typically for a modern German machine, everything is adjustable. You can tinker with the standard-fit air suspension, gearbox behaviour, engine sound, traction and stability control and the steering response, thanks to Merc's ‘Dynamic Select' gadget. You want options? Have five of 'em: Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual modes for the road, and a ‘Slippery' setting for snow, ice and off-roading.

The other official figures Mercedes is keeping close to its chest are prices. Expect a diesel GLE Coupe to set you back around £55,000, and the paid-up nutter of an AMG model the thick end of £90k.

We may regret asking this, but go on, hit us: what do you think?

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First drive: Land Rover Discovery Sport

What is it?

Land Rover's replacement for the Freelander - and rival to the BMW X3, Audi Q5 et al - replete with shiny new nameplate and two more seats than before. Yes, within the Discovery Sport's 459cm length are squeezed no fewer than seven seats: the conventional five, plus a pair of evening-and-weekend efforts neatly stowed in the very back.

The hardware is a mixture of familiar and fresh. The Discovery Sport borrows its front-end structure from the Evoque (which itself draws upon the old Freelander), but the rear end is all new, incorporating a multi-link suspension set-up that, as well as promising better on- and off-road manners than the Freelander, also frees up the necessary space to incorporate those two extra seats.

How is it?

Impressively civilised on road, with barely a lick of wind or road noise even at motorway speed. In terms of refinement, this is a quantum leap forward from the Freelander, and a whole lot better to drive, too.

The steering is, for an SUV, surprisingly sharp around the straight-ahead, imbuing the Discovery Sport with an unexpectedly, well, sporty demeanour without the iron ride of some of its German rivals. Like the Evoque, the damping is taut without veering into crashy, the Sport staying composed in fast corners, feeling more car than seven-seat SUV. It's a satisfying thing to drive fast, if that's your soft-roader bent.

Probably more relevantly, the Discovery Sport is a comfortable cruiser, a car capable of polishing off big miles without taxing its driver. The interior is smartly appointed, with more than a hint of big-brother Range Rover Sport, the seats comfy and the driving position spot-on.

Can it do the off-road stuff?

It truly can. Yes, yes, we know most soft-roaders will never be pressed into off-road service more pressing than the odd gravel car-park or grassy verge, but the Discovery Sport, should you demand it, can manage a whole lot more than that.

We tested it on some truly hideous Scottish terrain - boulder tracks, one-in-one mud slopes, knee-deep bog - and the Disco Sport clambered through the lot without complaint. The four-wheel-drive system slickly apportions torque to find any grip available, while both front and rear overhangs are surprisingly stubby, allowing the Sport to safely bob in and out of ditches you're convinced will ground nose or tail. Land Rover's always done this stuff better than the competition, and the Discovery Sport remains true to form.

What about those rear seats?

We're not going to pretend you'd want to put a couple of prop forwards back there for a Lands End to John O'Groats epic, but honestly, they're better than you'd think. Fine for even full-size grown-ups for a quick run across town, not really appropriate if you regularly transport more than five. But they fold neatly into the boot floor with no apparent loss of space, though at the expense of a full-size spare tyre.

Fold those rearmost seats down, and the middle row slides backwards, offering vast legroom for second-seat passengers. That row can fold flat, too, offering cavernous bootspace. The Discovery Sport is one of those cars that - like the new Renault Twingo at rather the other end of the automotive spectrum - seems to carve more space inside than its road footprint would suggest.

Any downsides?

A few. First, that engine. The Disco Sport launches with just one engine option: Land Rover's venerable 2.2 diesel, churning out 187bhp through either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed ZF auto box. We tested the latter transmission, which was impeccable. (Though nine ratios is, in truth, several more than you'll ever need, especially with the box's dedication to slip into the highest gear possible left to its own devices. Decide to take manual control on, say, the way into a roundabout, and you find yourself having to hit the left-hand paddle five or six times to drop into a low enough gear.)

The ol' turbodiesel isn't quite so irreproachable. It's far from offensive, and despite emitting a fair chunter at start-up in the cold, offers a broad spread of torque and acceptably lively performance. But there's no question it feels last-gen against the latest German offerings, and vital stats of 44.8mpg and 166g/km of CO2 are hardly class leading.

Salvation is at hand. Some time in 2015, the Discovery Sport will receive JLR's latest swathe of modular ‘Ingenium' engines, which will bring with it a 2.0-litre turbodiesel hopefully capable of sticking it to - or at least matching - the German competition.

A question mark hangs over the tech, too. We tested a late prototype fitted with Land Rover's clunking old nav and infotainment system, so we can't pass judgment on the new software that'll grace the Discovery Sport. Here's hoping it's a whole lot better, as the old set-up is veritably pensionable. We'll find out when we test a final production version next week.

Maybe the biggest potential sticking point is price. Though the Discovery Sport starts at a smidge over £32,000 - with a slightly cheaper front-driven version to follow - our loaded-to-the-brim test car tipped the scales at (ready for this?) just over £48,000. Forty-eight. That's a lot of money for a small soft-roader. Of course Audi, BMW and Mercedes will give you equal opportunity to spec your SUV to a dizzying price point, but the point still stands: a budget offering the Discovery Sport is not.

So should I buy one?

To describe a car as ‘pleasant' often sounds like damning with faint praise. But pleasant is exactly what the Discovery Sport is, in the nicest possible way, feeling more... organic, less austere than the business-suit offerings of BMW and Audi. It's pleasant to drive slow, it's pleasant to drive fast, and - to these eyes at least - looks smart inside and out. The two extra seats are a handy bonus, as are the Discovery Sport's off-road smarts.

In truth, we'd be tempted to hang on until the new engine range arrives next year. If you can't wait that long, we wouldn't dissuade you from embracing the Discovery Sport, but we would say this: option wisely, dear buyer.

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Whuh? Meet Akrapovič’s ‘Full Moon’ bike

TG.com doesn't normally do motorbikes, but even we have to sit up and take notice when Slovenian exhaust wizards Akrapovič come up with a bike called the ‘Full Moon' that's been designed from the tailpipe forwards.

Looking like a something a Tron-universe Cruella de Vil might ride to the pet shop, the Full Moon is a one-off concept bike developed in partnership with fellow Slovenian outfit Dreamachine Motorcyles.

That, um, bottom-drawer name is nothing to do with the bike's enormous rear end: rather, it's a homage to that 30-inch aluminum-and-carbon-fibre front wheel, which is supposed to resemble - you've guessed it - a full moon.

Twin Akrapovič exhausts are integrated directly into the sheetmetal bodywork - as the company itself puts it: ‘the bike is essentially an exhaust'. A fabulous-looking one, we think you'll agree.

There's pedigree here too. BMW called on Akrapovič's services when it needed an exhaust system for the limited edition M3 GTS, while the company also offers kits for Ferrari, Porsche and even the little Fiat 500 Abarth.

The Full Moon isn't just a mere show-pony chopper either. Fully exposed fore of the exhaust shroud is a 1542cc engine from S&S, the same manufacturer that builds the barmy-but-lovable Morgan 3 Wheeler's front-mounted V-twin.

Akrapovič has also specified ceramic brakes, ‘automatic steering' (yikes?) and a hydraulic suspension system that lowers the bike into a ‘seated' position when stationary, so there's no need to spoil that stunning bodywork with an ugly kickstand.

A perfect party piece for a life of motor shows and trade fairs, which is exactly what the stunning Full Moon prototype is destined for. What price a production run, and some numberplates, Akrapovič? Come on, it's almost Christmas...

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Kimi Raikkonen: ‘I was struggling’

"It's been a difficult year for the team," explains Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. "As Ferrari, we expect to be at the front, winning races and fighting for championships."

A pause. "We were pretty far away from that this year, so there's an awful lot of work to be done."

Putting it lightly, perhaps, when you consider the Scuderia's 2014 Formula One season didn't exactly set the world on fire. Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors' championship this year, 104 points adrift of third-placed Williams, 189 behind second-placed Red Bull, and a whopping 485 points behind champions Mercedes.

But it was Kimi's performance that garnered some unwanted headlines. With a 12th placed finish in the drivers' championship, it was Kimi's worst ever performance in his 13-year F1 career. With just 55 points to his name, he was 106 points behind his 2014 team mate Fernando Alonso, who ended up finishing sixth overall.

"There are many reasons [for finishing so far behind Alonso]," he says with a shrug, "but the end result is always the same. It was a difficult year in many areas, and like I said if you're fighting for anything less than the championship it's not a very good year. As a team we had a very bad year.

"Myself... I was struggling more, but there's no point to go into the details too much," he added. "Obviously we have to work hard in the coming years to improve and put Ferrari at the front where it should be."

The laconic Finn reckons that now, Ferrari have "the right people to build a good car and a good package," and that the team needs to stick together more to create the unity he believes was evident "some years ago".

"Will [next year's car] be good enough to fight for the championship?" he said, "only time will tell. Like we've seen, Mercedes had a pretty good advantage this year, so it's not easy to catch up. The future will be bright, but it will take some time."

What about the impending arrival of quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, to replace Alonso as his team mate? Kimi isn't worried. Plus, they're mates anyway.

"It will be interesting," he says. "What we had before as a friendship... I don't see why that should change.

"We will try to push Ferrari together to where it should be, and try to beat other on the way. I think we can have some fun too," he added.

Roll on 2015...

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Koenigsegg One:1 aims for ‘Ring record

Koenigsegg has confirmed that the company's One:1 hypercar is aiming to set a new lap record at the Nürburgring in the spring of 2015.

Thought that might have piqued your interest. Speaking to TopGear.com, company founder Christian von Koenigsegg admitted that judging by data already collected, a lap around a track as long and fast as the ‘Ring could result in a new record for road cars.

"Given the straight-line performance of our cars," he told TG.com, "many people believe they are straight-line rockets.

"Actually, this is the least of our priorities and focuses. The massive engine power [of the One:1] is nice to have, but far less important than mechanical grip around most tracks," he added.

Christian is proud of the ‘well sorted chassis' of the One:1, noting that because of the car's long wishbones, "allows for a very small track width deviation during wheel movements, in combination with one of the highest downforce numbers ever achieved on a road-going vehicle."

So this - and not the car's enormous 1340bhp power output - is the reason behind his confidence. "During our testing [at the Nürburgring], which so far has been for data collection and setup, we can already see the potential when comparing official data and videos from other manufacturers," Christian said.

You can see Christian's point; sure, the One:1 boasts huge power from its twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8, will go from 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and top out at a theoretical 273mph, it boasts 600kg of downforce from that Le Mans-inspired rear wing, and a cornering force of 2G. That's... face meltingly grippy.

"As most people familiar with Top Gear know," Christian said, "the CCX held the Top Gear Power lap record for a long time. After eight years it is still in the top ten on the leaderboard, truly showing how much before its time it was.

"Since then our newest model has managed to shave off weight, drastically increase bottom end torque, top end power and braking performance. Then add new tyre technology and more than 500kg extra downforce to the equation, it is clear to see there is a great difference."

He's aiming for warmer weather next spring to have a go at the ‘Ring record. "The Nordschleife is a scary challenge. A lot can happen. Still when spring comes with warmer weather we will continue to test our cars at the Nordschleife to eventually be able to go for a hot lap and truly see what our cars are capable of," he told us.

Watch this space...

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First drive: Abarth 695 Biposto

Another fast Fiat 500?

Yes, we've seen the (deep breath) Abarth 500, esseesse, 595 and Tributo Ferrari, now meet the most extreme Fiat hot hatchback ever. This is the Abarth 695 Biposto.

Is it a full cage-and-carbon job, or just a few stickers?

Very much the former. Abarth's ambitious plan was to create that old chestnut: the road-going racecar. Specifically, this is pitched as a road-legal version of the 695 Assetto Corse track car, which has its own one-make series of stripped out Abarths in Europe, similar to Renault's Clio Cup.

That's a big claim.

The BiPosto drips with track-bred pedigree - but only if you're prepared to spend big. As standard, your £33k 695 Biposto gets the carbonfibre front apron, bigger rear diffuser and monstrous Akraprovic exhaust, plus the 18-inch Oz wheels, Brembo brakes, bespoke Goodyear tyres and slightly wider arches.

But if you want the carbon pack inside, you'll need to pay £3,700. The race pack, which gives a second telemetry readout in the middle of the dash where you never look, plus four-point harnesses, is £3,700. On the plus side, you get a helmet thrown in. For £2,990, you can have a '124 pack' which adds aluminium goodies like a featherweight bonnet. Polycarbonate windows? £1,775, ta.

And the headline act: the exposed linkage dog-ring equipped gearbox, which replaces the mushy five-speed manual? That's £8,500. Add that little lot onto the bonkers £32,955 starting price and you push your mega-Fiat out of Golf R territory and into the £50,000 realm of the Porsche Cayman GTS.

That's a very expensive car.

True, but Fiat isn't expecting to shift thousands. It's a halo model, more likely to appeal to the sort of enthusiast who also owns a GT3 RS and 458 Speciale than a regular hot hatch enthusiast looking to trade up from a Fiesta ST. The 695 looks very special outside, and offers a huge sense of occasion once you're strapped into the high-set bucket seat complete with four-point harness.

It'd better be fast.

And it is. By wringing the 1.4-litre turbo engine out to 187bhp, Abarth just about reached its target of a sub-6.0 second 0-62mph sprint. Adding ruthless lightness has helped: the bare cabin, exotic materials and absent back seats add up to a 997kg dry kerb weight.

A proper little racer then?

It flipping well is. We had the chance to drive the 695 on track immediately after a full-throttle passenger ride in an Abarth 500 rally car, and while the road car obviously requires more steering lock and hasn't quite got the damping sophistication of a competition car, it is much faster. Racing regulations mean the rally cars must top a minimum weight limit (no such hassle for the Biposto) and also suffer a restricted power output (two-nil to the street car).

If you're going to have a BiPosto (in matte grey only), you simply must spec the dogbox. It won't allow clutchless shifts, but the beautifully machined lever begs to be hammered through the gate with zero mechanical sympathy, sending a whacking great shunt through the car as the next cog pops home.

Quicker changes meant the dogbox-equipped Biposto was 7mph quicker down the back straight of our Italian test track than the regular manual car. Every new gear interrupts the turbo's hoarse roar with an authentic bang from the artillery barrels out back. It's a hoot.

The Brembo brakes will withstand several laps before starting to fade, and the car is brilliantly throttle-adjustable thanks to a super-lenient traction control system. But the steering feels typically Fiat-numb, and the mechanical front differential is more clumsy in its metering out of power than, say, a Golf GTI's. The greasy, cold conditions and TG's exuberant right foot might be partly to blame there.

Is it worth the money?

On any rational level, of course not. The 500 is an old car now, and paying over fifty grand for a quick one is lunacy, especially as it'll be intolerable on the road unless your dedication to motorsport credentials verges on the sadomasochistic. A regular Abarth 500 at £14,500 makes much more sense in the UK, and even that has a particularly unyielding ride on dodgy roads.

But then, since when has any lightweight car which forces you to pay more for less ever made empirical sense? On paper, the 695 looks like madness, but in on the metal, it looks downright evil, and on track, it is a mischievous, exhilarating but ultimately forgiving little scamp. For having the vision to conceive it, and the conviction to build and sell it, Abarth, we salute you.

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First drive: Land Rover Discovery Sport

What is it?

Land Rover's replacement for the Freelander - and rival to the BMW X3, Audi Q5 et al - replete with shiny new nameplate and two more seats than before. Yes, within the Discovery Sport's 459cm length are squeezed no fewer than seven seats: the conventional five, plus a pair of evening-and-weekend efforts neatly stowed in the very back.

The hardware is a mixture of familiar and fresh. The Discovery Sport borrows its front-end structure from the Evoque (which itself draws upon the old Freelander), but the rear end is all new, incorporating a multi-link suspension set-up that, as well as promising better on- and off-road manners than the Freelander, also frees up the necessary space to incorporate those two extra seats.

How is it?

Impressively civilised on road, with barely a lick of wind or road noise even at motorway speed. In terms of refinement, this is a quantum leap forward from the Freelander, and a whole lot better to drive, too.

The steering is, for an SUV, surprisingly sharp around the straight-ahead, imbuing the Discovery Sport with an unexpectedly, well, sporty demeanour without the iron ride of some of its German rivals. Like the Evoque, the damping is taut without veering into crashy, the Sport staying composed in fast corners, feeling more car than seven-seat SUV. It's a satisfying thing to drive fast, if that's your soft-roader bent.

Probably more relevantly, the Discovery Sport is a comfortable cruiser, a car capable of polishing off big miles without taxing its driver. The interior is smartly appointed, with more than a hint of big-brother Range Rover Sport, the seats comfy and the driving position spot-on.

Can it do the off-road stuff?

It truly can. Yes, yes, we know most soft-roaders will never be pressed into off-road service more pressing than the odd gravel car-park or grassy verge, but the Discovery Sport, should you demand it, can manage a whole lot more than that.

We tested it on some truly hideous Scottish terrain - boulder tracks, one-in-one mud slopes, knee-deep bog - and the Disco Sport clambered through the lot without complaint. The four-wheel-drive system slickly apportions torque to find any grip available, while both front and rear overhangs are surprisingly stubby, allowing the Sport to safely bob in and out of ditches you're convinced will ground nose or tail. Land Rover's always done this stuff better than the competition, and the Discovery Sport remains true to form.

What about those rear seats?

We're not going to pretend you'd want to put a couple of prop forwards back there for a Lands End to John O'Groats epic, but honestly, they're better than you'd think. Fine for even full-size grown-ups for a quick run across town, not really appropriate if you regularly transport more than five. But they fold neatly into the boot floor with no apparent loss of space, though at the expense of a full-size spare tyre.

Fold those rearmost seats down, and the middle row slides backwards, offering vast legroom for second-seat passengers. That row can fold flat, too, offering cavernous bootspace. The Discovery Sport is one of those cars that - like the new Renault Twingo at rather the other end of the automotive spectrum - seems to carve more space inside than its road footprint would suggest.

Any downsides?

A few. First, that engine. The Disco Sport launches with just one engine option: Land Rover's venerable 2.2 diesel, churning out 187bhp through either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed ZF auto box. We tested the latter transmission, which was impeccable. (Though nine ratios is, in truth, several more than you'll ever need, especially with the box's dedication to slip into the highest gear possible left to its own devices. Decide to take manual control on, say, the way into a roundabout, and you find yourself having to hit the left-hand paddle five or six times to drop into a low enough gear.)

The ol' turbodiesel isn't quite so irreproachable. It's far from offensive, and despite emitting a fair chunter at start-up in the cold, offers a broad spread of torque and acceptably lively performance. But there's no question it feels last-gen against the latest German offerings, and vital stats of 44.8mpg and 166g/km of CO2 are hardly class leading.

Salvation is at hand. Some time in 2015, the Discovery Sport will receive JLR's latest swathe of modular ‘Ingenium' engines, which will bring with it a 2.0-litre turbodiesel hopefully capable of sticking it to - or at least matching - the German competition.

A question mark hangs over the tech, too. We tested a late prototype fitted with Land Rover's clunking old nav and infotainment system, so we can't pass judgment on the new software that'll grace the Discovery Sport. Here's hoping it's a whole lot better, as the old set-up is veritably pensionable. We'll find out when we test a final production version next week.

Maybe the biggest potential sticking point is price. Though the Discovery Sport starts at a smidge over £32,000 - with a slightly cheaper front-driven version to follow - our loaded-to-the-brim test car tipped the scales at (ready for this?) just over £48,000. Forty-eight. That's a lot of money for a small soft-roader. Of course Audi, BMW and Mercedes will give you equal opportunity to spec your SUV to a dizzying price point, but the point still stands: a budget offering the Discovery Sport is not.

So should I buy one?

To describe a car as ‘pleasant' often sounds like damning with faint praise. But pleasant is exactly what the Discovery Sport is, in the nicest possible way, feeling more... organic, less austere than the business-suit offerings of BMW and Audi. It's pleasant to drive slow, it's pleasant to drive fast, and - to these eyes at least - looks smart inside and out. The two extra seats are a handy bonus, as are the Discovery Sport's off-road smarts.

In truth, we'd be tempted to hang on until the new engine range arrives next year. If you can't wait that long, we wouldn't dissuade you from embracing the Discovery Sport, but we would say this: option wisely, dear buyer.

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