Cars

CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST

Can Peugeot's new 208 recapture the magic of the 205?

Punching well above its weight among the million-pound-plus supercars unveiled in Geneva this month was this rather more affordable hatchback... which arguably stole the show. The Peugeot 208 is surely the spiritual successor to the legendary and much-loved Peugeot 205 that spawned the legendary 205 GTI and along with its VW Golf counterpart became an iconic car of the Eighties.

EXCLUSIVE: Winding back the clock: Unsuspecting buyers now have a one in 14 chance of buying a used car that's had its mileage tampered with

Used car buyers have a one in 14 chance of buying a clocked vehicle

According to the vehicle-checking service HPI, more people are accessing technology to adjust digital mileage displays in a bid to avoid financial penalties for going over mileage restrictions agreed as part of finance deals on models. It says the practice is costing motorists over £800 million a year because cars are worth less than their mileage suggests. And issues with the law make it increasingly difficult for used vehicle buyers to seek compensation.

Councils ordered to remove 'pointless' road signs that waste taxpayer money, clutter streets and confuse motorists

New guidelines given by the department's Road Signs Task Force called on local authorities to audit signs in their areas and take down those it considers 'obsolete or unnecessary'.

How councils are making a mint from parking charges with profits now topping £867million... so does YOUR area rank in the top 20 highest earners?

England's councils are estimated to rake in £1bn in surplus income from parking next year. Here are the highest earning authorities outside the capital currently.

Confused by finance on used cars? New tool can help buyers compare choices before diving in - without harming their credit score

A massive 60 per cent of Britons admitted they didn't know the difference between Hire Purchase (HP), Personal Contract Purchase (PSP) and a normal loan, data from Experian has found.

NEW CARS TO BE FITTED WITH SPEED LIMITERS FROM 2022

EU plan to fit cars with speed limiters could be UNSAFE: AA issues warning over plan to fit all new models with tech that will force you to stick to EVERY speed limit from 2022

Speed limiters for new cars under EU rules could be UNSAFE, warns AA

The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) black boxes will use GPS to work out what the speed limit is and will then ensure the car doesn't break (as shown on the graphic, top). The driver can override the system by pushing harder on the accelerator, but if speeding continues an alarm will then sound. Also pictured: A graphic showing how cars will sense the approach of a speed sign (bottom left) and the dashboard of a car fitted with the system (bottom right).

Motor insurer warns EU plan to fit cars with speed limiters could cause MORE accidents outside schools and in bad weather – and the ytechnology may fail to work in rural areas

Zurich Insurance said speed limiters could lead to motorists assuming it is safe just to drive at the maximum road limit irrespective of their surroundings, weather and road conditions.

The spy in your car! EU's speed-limiter system has a 'black box' recorder to track your every move

'Big Brother' fears emerged yesterday about plans for all new cars in the UK to be fitted with speed limiters from 2022. Campaigners say the devices will allow police to monitor your every move.

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BEST OF MOTORING

Stealth car tax hike to hit NEXT WEEK: Vehicle and Excise Duty will increase from April 1 - find out how much you'll be paying by using one of our VED tools

Car tax hike: How much you'll pay when VED increases from April 1

For buyers of new cars this could mean an increase in first year VED rates of up to £65. And many drivers with older cars could also be stung, with some having to fork out an extra £15 a year. To make life easier, we have created a selection of handy tools so you can you work out exactly how much your car tax costs will jump - if at all - from next week.

Taiwan considers imposing the death penalty for drink drivers who cause fatal accidents

Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drunk behind the wheel is 10 years

The proposed law would make death by drunk driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed 'intentional', officials in Taiwan said.

Some 2,500 vehicles were clamped EVERY WEEK last year in crackdown on car tax evasion - and among them was a £200k McLaren and a double-decker bus

DVLA stats show a 13% increase in the number of vehicles clamped in the UK for unpaid tax, which will fuel concerns that the abolition of the paper tax disc in 2014 has backfired.

Driverless car is taught how to perform high-speed turns without crashing by studying more than 200,000 similar manoeuvres

A team of researchers from Stanford University in California have trained a driverless car to make sharp turns around bends safely by training it using videos of cars doing similar manouevres. It observed its motion from previous fractions of a second to adjust its steering to provide accurate motion predictions on different road surfaces.

UK car production levels slump for ninth consecutive month as industry boss warns no-deal Brexit would cause 'serious damage' to sector

Around 123,200 cars were built last month, marking a fall of over 15 per cent from the same point a year ago, latest figures from the SMMT show.

This full-size McLaren Senna hypercar is made from half a million LEGO bricks and took FOUR MONTHS to build

The full-scale replica consists of an incredible 467,853 Lego pieces and took a team of professional model makers 2,725 hours (the equivalent of four months) to create.

Pothole bill hits £10billion: Britain's roads need a decade of repairs to bring them 'up to scratch', new report claims

Report from Asphalt Industry Alliance claimed an increase in potholes repaired in England was because focus had been on 'patch and mend' work which did not improve resilience.

Insurers paying out record £1m per DAY after 'worrying' surge in vehicle crime: five simple steps to protect your car

The cost of stolen vehicles and thefts from inside soared 29% annually across 2018 to a new record high of £376m, which equates to more than £1m being paid out every day.

The UK car makers bucking the Brexit backlash: These small British companies are blossoming despite major manufacturers retreating from Britain

The small UK car companies bucking the Brexit backlash

Partly as a result of Brexit, Nissan, JLR, Ford and Mini have all outlined plans to reduce outputs in the UK and ultimately cut their workforce in the country. But some British brands are blooming despite the turbulent climate. This tight band of car makers is still proudly flying the flag for Britain, producing everything from exotic supercars to off-road weapons. Here are eight motor companies currently enjoying a spell of success...

BMW 'eyeing' Honda's Swindon car plant after Japanese firm announced plans to shut it in 2021

The car maker is understood to have expressed an interest in the site after Honda announced that it intends to close the factory when it finishes production of the Civic model.

Britain's busiest speed camera that snares 327 drivers a week and made up to £5MILLION over three years

A speed camera on a 30mph stretch of dual carriageway in Southampton has caught 51,049 motorists breaking the speed limit in three years, raising £5 million.

Crash Lamb wallop: Show-off supercar driver wrecks £250,000 Lamborghini by smashing it into a tree AND a wall when he loses control on a narrow London street

A Lamborghini Huracan Performante spun out of control in west London as the driver tried to show off to a crowd of onlookers. The driver was later seen in tears after crashing his £250,000 supercar. The driver was unharmed after the crash at the HR Owen Supercar Sunday event in Acton on Sunday. The 640 horsepower supercar sped along a road lined with cars before the driver lost control and veered to the side, crashing straight into a tree and a brick wall.

Our BMW caught fire with baby and toddler in the back: Family reveal how 'death trap' car burst into flames on a dual carriageway

Nine-month-old Eleanor and three-month-old Adam were in the BMW 3-series driven by their parents Sara and Stuart Longley when it burst into flames on the A1 as they drove to Grantham, Lincolnshire.

The car that could stop you catching a cold: Jaguar is trialling UVC lighting that kills microbes as they pass through a vehicle's air conditioning

High energy rays from UV light sterilise the contents of the air conditioning system before it is pumped around the car's cabin, reducing the risk of infection.

It’s got supercar performance, limousine luxury and could be yours for a little over £6,000: Cash Cars on the future classic Jaguar XJR

Jaguar’s supercharged luxe-express might not be the unreliable money-pit you think it is, reckons Tony Middlehurst, and a smasher could be yours from about £6,000.

How pollution could be killing your SPERM: Breathing in tiny toxic particles worsens the quality of semen and slashes the quantity of swimmers

Researchers at Sao Paulo University exposed groups of mice to pollution at varies ages before testing their sperm production in adulthood.

Victory against Chinese copycat car brands: Jaguar Land Rover wins landmark case against Jiangling Motor Corp for selling a model that's almost identical to its Range Rover Evoque

The British firm said Beijing Chaoyang District Court had decreed that the Range Rover Evoque (blue) had five unique features copied in a model called the Landwind X7 (red), built by the Jiangling Motor Corp. As a result, all sales, manufacturing and marketing of the Landwind vehicle are to cease immediately and JLR must also be financially compensated. JLR said it was the first Chinese legal case of its kind to support a foreign company in the car industry.

The best and worst motorway service stations in the UK revealed (and the top-ranked one even has a Nando’s and a launderette!)

Cobham services between junctions nine and 10 on the M25 has been ranked as the No1 service station in Britain, thanks to its impressive array of facilities.

Motorists will be paid up to £3,000 to leave their car at home and take a bus or ride a bike in government plan to cut congestion and air pollution

A pilot scheme, which will be launched in Coventry, West Midlands, later this year, will see motorists given cash credits for public transport, electric car and bike hire.

Cars that are vulnerable to keyless theft: New rating reveals the models with no security measures to prevent criminals stealing them remotely

New rating reveals the models with no anti-relay-theft security measures

Six of the 11 cars reviewed by security experts Thatcham Research were labelled 'poor' due to the lack of built-in measures to prevent gangs from hacking the keyless systems and stealing them remotely. These included the Ford Mondeo (bottom left) and the British-built Toyota Corolla Hybrid (bottom right). Suzuki's £15,500 Jimny SUV (top right) was given the lowest rating available - 'unacceptable' - for its lack of security options. The Porsche Macan (top left) was originally rated 'poor' but later upgraded to 'superior',

Volvo will monitor drivers with cameras inside vehicles from early 2020s to check if they're drunk or distracted

The Swedish firm will fit all next-gen models with cameras to monitor driver reaction to determine if they're drunk or distracted - and bring the vehicle safely to a stop if it thinks the driver is intoxicated.

Are your neighbours BAD DRIVERS? Postcodes with highest number of motorists with points on their licences revealed - see how your area fares...

New research reveals the number of motorists with penalty points in every UK postcode and also highlighted the areas with the most drivers half way towards losing their licence altogether.

Crashed cars written off by insurance firms are being repaired and sold to unsuspecting second-hand buyers, investigation uncovers

An investigation by Auto Express found 10 cars that had previously suffered substantial damage - enough to be written off by insurers - being sold almost a year later with a clean bill of health.

The number of abandoned vehicles in England and Wales has doubled in 5 years - and removing them cost taxpayers thousands last year

In 2017/18, councils located almost 12,500 dumped cars - more than twice as many as 2013/14 financial year. It cost councils £525k to remove these stricken motors from their dumping grounds.

The car key with a price tag of a typical HOME! This supercar-unlocking wrist gadget made from a 4.9bn-year-old shooting star is £211,550

It's called the Senturion Key S177 Full Meteorite and is the most expensive car key of all time. Just 177 will be made with a retail price that matches the average fee paid for a UK home so far in 2019. Each one is is made by the Mayfair-based brand using ancient meteorites which fell to earth and landed in Africa. They're crafted from more than 1,000 unique components - and those made of meteorite are spark-eroded with computer numerical control precision.

Ford confirms it will cull jobs in Britain on top of more than 5,000 in Germany as part of £14 billion cost-cutting effort

Ford said in a statement on Friday that more that it will go ahead with plans to reduce its German workforce, though the total number of positions affected in Britain is 'still to be determined'.

A road toll should come in to plug the £14bn revenue lost in annual fuel duty when motorists switch to electric cars, report says - and it would cost drivers £710 A YEAR

At present, fuel duty - the tax on petrol and diesel - is charged at a rate of 57.95p for every litre UK motorists pump into their cars. It alone is expected to raise £28.2bn for the Treasury in 2018-19.

Revealed: The councils and police forces raking in most cash from the 'Big Brother' traffic cameras generating £100MILLION a year

Councils and police forces using ANPR cameras most extensively

ANPR cameras operated by police forces scanned 10.1bn vehicles last year and the technology has been used by councils to generate fines worth almost £500m in half a decade, an investigation shows.

Jaguar Land Rover recalls 44,000 cars including Land Rover Discoveries, Range Rovers and F-Types over 'excessive' carbon dioxide emissions

Ten models have been found to be emitting more CO2 than certified initially, according to the Vehicle Certification Agency. The recall impacts both petrol and diesel models built between 2016 and 2019.

Crash-happy cars: These are the most accident-prone models you need to avoid on the road, according to official data

The cars most likely to be in an accident on UK roads have been revealed - and it doesn't make good reading for taxi firms and Uber drivers.

The Ineos Projekt Grenadier - a back-to-basics successor to the Land Rover Defender funded by Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe - will use BMW engines

The announcement is a major step forward in the realisation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans to build a 4X4 to replace the long-lived Defender, which went out of production in January 2016.

Parcels delivered straight to your CAR: Skoda to launch a system that allows couriers one-time access to your vehicle boot to drop off packages

The days of having to request for parcels to be delivered to your office or left with the neighbour because you're not home could soon come to an end thanks to a new Skoda smartphone app.

Driven: Range Rover's new Evoque is a £32,000 SUV that will turn you into a superhero with X-ray vision and eyes in the back of your head

Not only does this smart and sassy compact luxury SUV feature clever X-Ray vision that enables the driver to see what dangers and potholes lurk out of sight under the vehicle on or off the road, it also has eyes in the back of its head that give you a much clearer view of what’s looming behind. We've been to Greece to get a first taste of the second-generation Evoque.

VICTORY! Has the tide turned for motorists? New bill designed to better protect drivers from private parking sharks and unfair charges becomes law

In a victory for This is Money’s campaign against the private parking sharks, a bill that could potentially stop motorists’ details from being flogged to private firms has today become law.

That's one way to stop car thieves! Toyota has patented a device that dispenses TEAR GAS into the vehicle when it detects it's being broken into

The system is a new mode of anti-theft device designed to tackle vehicle crime, which has increased in recent years due to a rise in criminal gangs using keyless technology.

Volvo to become first car maker to limit the top speed of ALL its vehicles - models produced from NEXT YEAR will be restricted to a maximum of 112mph

Volvo to be first car maker to speed limit ALL its vehicles to 112mph from 2020

All new models built from 2020 will have a speed limiter restricting all models to 112mph at all times. Only Volvo cars used by the police will have the electronic speed limiter deactivated. It's part of Volvo's optimistic target for zero individuals to be killed or seriously injured in one of its cars from 2020.

X-tra enforcement needed: Quarter of drivers break the law by ignoring smart motorway red X signs telling them to move out of closed lanes

Some 23% of motorists surveyed held their hands up to driving in a lane with a red X on the gantry above, despite 99% knowing it is informing them the lane is closed due to a hazard ahead.

Nissan pulls its Infiniti premium brand from Europe and will end production of vehicles at the Sunderland factory in July putting 250 jobs at risk

Bosses said the decision was made after years of poor sales volumes since the brand was launched in 2008. Just 750 Infiniti models were bought by Britons last year and 10,000 sold in a decade.

That old Ford Focus sat on your drive is now a 'new classic' 20 years after the model was born, poll finds

Don’t overlook that battered old Ford Focus in your driveway – as the vehicle has found its way on to a list of the most popular ‘new classic’ cars.

Crackdown on unfit elderly motorists: Number of over-70s with driving licences revoked on medical grounds up 142% in a decade

Drivers are responsible for declaring they are medically fit to be safe at the wheel. However, there are no compulsory assessments required for these motorists to retain their licences.

We drive the new electric Mini... the car German bosses say WON'T be built in Oxford if there's a no-deal Brexit

We drive the electric Mini - the car that may not be built in the UK

BMW warns it could shift production of the Mini from Oxford to HOLLAND if there is a no-deal Brexit as car industry warns of devastating impact on jobs and investment

If you like the excitement of driving go-karts hell for leather you’ll love the forthcoming new electric Mini which hits UK showrooms next year. I should know. I’ve just had an exclusive drive in one.

Can this tiny gadget backed by sports stars really cut the cost of your car insurance?

A new company, backed by and ex-footballer Gary Lineker and former Formula 1 driver Mark Blundell, is aiming to extend the price benefits of ‘telematics’ insurance to a majority of motorists.

Baby on board: The eight best cars for new parents thanks to high safety ratings, secure child seat fittings and plenty of boot space for buggies

The arrival of a newborn means the purchases of a never-ending list of required gear that's demanded of parenthood. A suitably baby-friendly car is right at the top of that list. Here are the best.

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 2019

The world's most expensive new car: Bugatti's La Voiture Noire is a one-off super-stealth hypercar that costs £11.4 MILLION

Bugatti has taken the wraps off its latest stealth-like creation - a one-of-a-kind hypercar that will cost the owner a whopping €11 million before tax, so around £11.4 million when you factor in VAT. The all-black La Voiture Noire combines the thunderous performance of the existing Chiron hypercar with the styling of the brand's legendary 1936 Type 57 AC Atlantic. The result is one of the most jaw-dropping creations on four wheels ever seen. Pictured, a graphic explaining the features of Bugatti's new supercar.

Aston Martin previews its new 'British Ferrari-beater' Vanquish Vision as part of a hat-trick of model reveals it hopes will help it return to profitability post Brexit

The Vanquish Vision is the standout concept of the trio, able to accelerate from rest to 60mph in 3 seconds when it hits the road in 3 years' time. It will go head-to-head with Ferrari's F8 Tributo.

Italian private equity firm swoops on British car maker Morgan in deal expected to be completed next month

Morgan is selling a majority stake to Italian group Investindustrial. Morgan's founding family will keep a small stake, with no job losses expected at its factory in Worcestershire.

All Honda cars will be electric by 2025 as it emerges that Swindon was preparing for electrification before Japanese bosses pulled the plug on the UK factory

Japanese car giant Honda has accelerated plans to electrify its cars, pledging that every single vehicle sold in Britain and Europe will have some form of electrification by 2025.

Jaguar's I-Pace is named European Car of the Year - three days after its first ever electric car won the UK award too

Jaguar's all-electric car, which can accelerate to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and has a range of 290 miles, was hotly tipped to win the European award today after last week's award .

The world's first 300MPH road car: Koenigsegg reveals 1,578bhp Jesko just hours after fellow Swedish maker Volvo vows to limit its top speeds to 112mph

The Koenigsegg Jesko is the world's first 300MPH road car

Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren. These are just some of the manufacturers that have been beaten by the Swedish firm to produce the first road car capable of 300mph. The Jesko's arrival comes just 24 hours after fellow Swedish automaker Volvo announced all of its cars sold from 2020 will have a restricted top speed of 112mph - less than half what the new Koenigsegg will be capable of.

The guilt-free electric hypercar: Pininfarina unleashes the 200mph Battista that's faster than an F1 car, costs £2MILLION and has zero emissions

The Battista will be 'the most powerful road-legal car ever designed and built in Italy' when it goes into production next year, with a claimed range 280 miles.

Bentley unleashes the Number 9 Edition Continental GT: British legend to make 100 of the £250k cars inspired by its greatest racer... with a £90k mark-up

The 207mph Bentley Continental GT Number 9 Editions each cost around £250,000 - which means a mark-up of around £90,000 on the standard Continental GT coupe.

Rebirth of a motoring legend: Spain's 'Rolls Royce' favoured by monarchs and aristocracy in the Roaring Twenties unveils a £1.3m electric supercar - the first since the firm went bust in the late 60s

A luxury car brand once hailed as Spain's equivalent to Rolls Royce a favourite of the royal family is wowing critics with a new design that it hopes will restore the brand's global reputation.

Ferrari reveals the 211mph F8 Tributo - its latest car that pays homage to the iconic F40

While in essence it is just a facelift of the 488, Ferrari says every panel on the F8 Tributo is new, bar the doors and rear flanks. Can you spot the one styling element pinched from the monumental F40?

SAVE MONEY ON MOTORING

Bangers that might be worth banking: Classic car experts name post-2000 models you might still be driving on a daily basis that could soon become collectibles

Classic car experts reveal the bangers that might be worth banking

Are you running an early 2000s-registered motor into the ground without realising it soon could be worth far more than you think? It could be a mistake made by plenty of Britons, according to new research, which has claimed that once a car is more than 18-years-old there is a nostalgia effect caused by owners who search for models they had in their past to collect and cherish. Honest John Classics has named 10 unlikely goldmine motors of the 21st Century, including (clockwise from top left) the Mini hatchback, Ford Focus, BMW 5 Series and MG TF.

Police forces across Britain fine just 125 drivers A YEAR for leaving engines running to de-ice windscreens - despite claims that they'll be fined £40

Fewer than 500 of Britain’s 48m motorists have been fined in the last four years by police for leaving their engines running, undermining warnings about drivers facing fines for de-icing windscreens

BMW death traps: More than 250,000 cars in Britain are at risk of bursting into flames... but firm has only told HALF of owners about potentially fatal fault

The fault affects more than 250,000 cars in the UK - 1.6million worldwide - and can cause flammable coolant to leak on to the burning hot exhaust system near the engine, potentially triggering a fire.

Keep on running! The 10 most reliable used cars with more than 60,000 miles on the clock (and models to avoid)

Most reliable used cars you can buy with high mileage

For those on a tight budget, a new car will be out of the question. However, these models should offer good reliability even when they've been heavily used by a previous owner. The list includes used versions of (from top right) Kia's Cee'd, Ford's Fiesta, Skoda's Octavia, Toyota's RAV4, BMW's 3 Series and Honda's Civic.

Crunch hits British car firms: Key factories and thousands of jobs at risk of cuts as scale of crisis facing sector amid Brexit and diesel crackdown is laid bare

Analysts expect UK-based car manufacturers to make 150,000 fewer vehicles this year - sending production rates to an eight-year low - even if Britain leaves the EU on favourable terms.

'My £38,000 BMW is stuck at the dealership': Owners of recalled BMWs left without cars for up to TWO MONTHS as it struggles to cope with all those needing repair

Some 12 different - and hugely-popular - BMW models are caught up in the recall, all of which use four- and six-cylinder diesel engines and were produced between 2011 and 2017.

Do you know your speed cameras? Test your knowledge on the 15 different types currently used in Britain

Different speed cameras explained: The 15 types used in Britain

Do you know your Gatso from your HADECS? Can you tell which are fixed smart motorways cameras and average speed monitors? Take our quiz and find out which UK cameras you need to look out for on the road. Pictured right to left, TOP: Digital Gatso, HADECS3, Siemens SafeZone, SPECS. BOTTOM: SpeedSpike, Truvelo D-Cam, Truvelo Combi, VECTOR.

Motorway exits you don't want to miss! Drive past these slip roads by mistake and it could result in a 36 MILE detour - wasting half an hour and £3.50 in fuel

The worst case scenario is failing to turn off the westbound M26 at junction 2A for the A20 in Kent. Motorists have to drive a staggering 18 miles before they can turn around to go back.

Demonised diesel Land Rover Discovery 4x4 found to be 20 times CLEANER than a Renault Clio as new emissions test reveals which cars really are dirty

The study adds to the evidence piling up in favour of diesel after tests by ADAC last week found that the latest Euro6 models were producing little to no harmful NOx emissions on the road.

CASH CARS - THE MODELS THAT COULD MAKE YOU MONEY

Honda's fast, cheap and reliable sports car from a golden age of engineering: Cash Cars on why the S2000 has future classic potential

Honda's S2000 sports car from a golden age of engineering: Cash Cars

The Honda S2000 is a fast and capable roadster from a golden age of old-school engineering. It gives you 0-60mph in six seconds, a 150mph top speed, classic rear-wheel drive, great handling, 50/50 weight distribution and a cool driving environment. Buy a good one now for under £10,000 and it should hold its value and reward you with many miles of high-revving fun, says Tony Middlehurst in our Cash Cars column.

How to drive a luxury car that'll make the neighbours think you're a high roller... but it really only cost you peanuts: CASH CARS on the Audi A8

Why the Audi A8 is a bargain used luxury car

Nearly a quarter of a century after the A8 launch, you can still walk into an Audi showroom and drive out in a new one. Trouble is, the cheapest new A8 will cost you £69,995. However, a good quality used example could be yours for a few thousand pounds and it will still be a mightily impressive and comfortable car that not likely to fall much further in value. Our Cash Cars series takes a look.

Tired of losing money on cars? Here's how to avoid depreciation and buy an interesting motor that could pay for itself

The Mercedes SL R129 and how to drive a car that pays for itself

Cars lose money. As a general rule that's true, with depreciation eating up thousands of pounds of the price you paid. However, it doesn't have to be the case. Savvy buyers can pick up cars that will not only retain their value, but could be sold for more down the line. In our new Cash Cars column Tony Middlehurst looks for models that fit the bill - our first CASH CARS feature focuses on the Mercedes SL R129.

MOTORING QUIZZES AND TOOLS

CAR TAX CALCULATOR: How much will your car tax cost next year? We've crunched the numbers for you ahead of the VED rise in April 2019

Car tax cost: How much road tax will you pay after VED rise in 2019?

To make life easier for you, we have created tools that tell you exactly how much your car tax will increase - if at all - from next April and what you'll end up paying.

QUIZ: Majority of motorists don't know what these nine common dashboard warning lights mean - do you? Take our quiz to find out...

Worryingly, almost one in five motorists believe a glowing icon on the dashboard is a good thing. Take the quiz to see if you know what these nine common icons are trying to tell a driver.

Do you know which carmaker owns which brand? Take our test to see if you can unravel motoring Monopoly

Brand image is a powerful force in the car world, but many of the most famous are owned by huge carmaking groups. Take our quiz and test yourself with 15 questions on who owns who.

Would you fail today's driving theory test? Pass rates are falling - so try your hand at 15 of the toughest questions...

This theory element is now made up of 50 multiple choice questions and 14 short video clips in which people have to click on the screen when they see a potential hazard.

British drivers admit they don't know what basic road signs mean - so how many can YOU identify correctly?

According to new research by Accident Advice Helpline, millions of licence holders have forgotten some of the basics and can't recall the meaning behind common road signs.

ON THE ROAD: NEW CARS AND TESTS

Hacking the roof off the McLaren 600LT should ruin one of the best driver's cars on the planet - but does it? We drove the new £201,500 Spider to find out

McLaren's 600LT coupe has been lauded as one of the standout sports cars that toes the line between hardcore road machine and ready-to-compete racer. But there's a price to pay when it comes to lopping the roof off any car - and that's the burden of extra weight. So does that stop the 600LT Spider from replicating the success of the much-lauded 600LT coupe? Our motoring man Rob Hull has been behind the wheel on both road and track to find out.

It's a sports car comfortable enough for everyday driving, but still thrills: We test Jaguar's F-Type convertible - and take the Grand Tour's old one round its track

Jaguar knows customers want a combination of sportiness and comfort that’s veers closer to a grand tourer rather than the small classic British sports car. Does the F-Type deliver that?

Out-of-Range Rover: British car maker unveils its new armoured offroader that can protect under-threat A-listers and dignitaries from bomb blasts

The Range Rover Sentinel is cloaked in over a tonne of armoured plating and bullet-resistant glass to safeguard the most important personnel, from company head honchos to diplomats.

From fuel sippers to gas guzzlers: The most and least efficient new cars REVEALED, based on real-world tests

Motoring title What Car? has listed the 10 most and least frugal mainstream models you can buy today using its own True MPG tests based on driving on town roads, rural routes and motorways.

Toyota's new £53k Supra sports car is finally unleashed - and it's a one-finger salute to the future of electric vehicles

Having been away for the best part of 17 years, Toyota has finally released a fifth-generation Supra. But how does it compare to its rival the £50,000 Porsche Cayman? .

CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST

Is Porsche's 911 still the ultimate sports car: The 992 reviewed

Evolutionary. It's the best word to describe not just this latest generation of the Porsche 911 but every inception that's come before it since the 1963 original. But don't let the oh so familiar formula deceive you. Because under that instantly-recognisable bodywork is a tour-de-force of new tech that, on paper, should make this the best 911 to drive yet. We've tried it before it arrives in the UK.

An icon returns: The new Land Rover Defender will be revealed next year and on sale from 2020 for about £40k - but WON'T be built in Britain

Land Rover has yet to make an official announcement on production, but industry experts believe it will be built at the firm's massive new state of the art factory in Nitra, Slovakia.

Is the Urus just an SUV in a supercar frock or a proper Lamborghini for the wealthy family? We put the new £160,000 4X4 to the test on UK roads

Lamborghini, which once brought us low slung models like the Countach and Diablo, has backhanded its supercar heritage with the release of a 5-door SUV. Here's our review of the Urus.

Crash test experts name the 10 safest new cars you can buy in Britain this year - does yours make the cut?

All cars selected by safety experts Thatcham Research not only offer a high level of protection in a crash but have the latest technology that could mean avoiding a collision altogether.

The best new motors of 2019: Seven models have been shortlisted for Car of the Year - which one gets your vote?

The Car of the Year award is the Oscars of motoring trophies for auto makers. Eligible cars must be brand new models and available in at least five European countries. Here are the contenders...

CLASSIC CARS AND AUCTIONS

The 40-year-old virgin: A 1978 Ford Fiesta that has NEVER been driven on the road is to be sold at auction and it's tipped to fetch £8,500

A 1978 Ford Fiesta NEVER driven on the road to be sold at H&H auction

The MkI Fiesta 950 has never been registered for the road after spending 37 years on display in the London Science Museum. It's believed to be the lowest-mileage and best preserved original Fiesta with just 141 delivery and transportation miles on the clock. With a 957cc 45bhp engine, it's not what you'd call quick - accelerating from 0 to 62mph takes almost 18 seconds and the top speed is 85mph.

We talk to Bicester Heritage about turning a derelict 1920s RAF base into a thriving home for historic motoring - and what the future holds for classic cars

Dan Geoghegan has spent the past five years making a success of the former 1920s Oxfordshire RAF base that he and his team have transformed into a classic car business hub and destination

Is the classic car market stalling? Prices up just 1% this year and a quarter of collectible cars fall in value, with Aston Martins and 80s Ferraris hit

A new report that tracks the prices 50 popular collectible cars found that just 26 had increased in valued between April and December while a quarter had depreciated.

This rare 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider that James Dean was famously photographed admiring is going to be sold at auction for an estimated $6M

There aren't many things in the world that would link a star of the big screen, a playboy diplomat and the only US-born F1 champion in history - but that's the case with this seriously rare Ferrari.

The ultimate Fast Ford: Rare works Lotus Cortina piloted by legendary racers including Jim Clark and Graham Hill tipped to sell for a record £200k

It's one of three 'Group 5' works cars built by Lotus in 1966 and has a steering wheel that's been graced with the hands of some of the world's most successful racing drivers of all time.

Student finds dilapidated Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari 308 worth a combined £430k left untouched for 20 years... in GRANDMA'S GARAGE

Coated in dust and covered in junk was a Lamborghini Countach worth around £350k and a Ferrari 308 that has a value of £80k if both were in glorious working order.

Did you ever think there'd be a time when someone paid £71k for an Escort and £53k for a Sierra Sapphire? The two Fast Fords that sold for record fees

Forget vintage watches, fine wine and rare jewellery - if you want a rapidly appreciating asset what you need right now is a Fast Ford from 20 to 40 years ago.

CUT THE COST OF MOTORING

How to get the cheapest car insurance: Ten tips for cheaper car cover

How to get cheap car insurance: Ten tips to find the best quotes

One in three motorists pay over the odds for their car insurance - and the worst thing you can do is simply renew. We reveal ten tips to get the cheapest car insurance deal and show you the places to go to compare car cover and potentially save hundreds of pounds.