actionauto365

    Sutton Bespoke, the aftermarket division of premium car dealer Clive Sutton, is hoping to attract high-end private hire operators with a luxury take on the LEVC TX. Called the Sutton VIP Class LEVC, the model is based on the Coventry-built range-extender electric taxi that has been plying city streets since 2017. However, its functional cabin has been completely overhauled. The hard-wearing plastic trim has been replaced with an extensive use of Sandalwood leather and Alcantara throughout. Rubber floormats have been junked in favour of thick-pile carpet, while hand-crafted wood veneers adorn the doors. A number of other tech upgrades are included. The stereo has been upgraded, a TV tuner with Apple TV has been installed and there's even the option of a fitted Sony PlayStation 4 games console. Rearmost passengers also receive a new centre armrest hiding a fridge mounted behind the seats. A retractable screen separates the driver and passenger compartment for ...

  Compared to the monumental gamble Lexus took back in 2004 when it launched its revolutionary Lexus RX 400h – the first car in both the luxury and SUV sectors to feature a hybrid powertrain – you could almost accuse the brand of playing it safe with the all-new UX 300e. That’s because it’s simply the latest of a handful of similar-sized models designed to capitalise on the rising popularity of both SUVs and electrification. In the past couple of years alone, we’ve seen the launch of various electric crossovers such as the brilliant Kia e-Niro, Hyundai Kona Electric, Peugeot e-2008 and DS 3 Crossback E-Tense. However, with a list price starting at £43,900 and rising to £53,500 if you specify the range-topping (£9600) Takumi pack, you could argue that Lexus’s first all-electric vehicle is a more natural rival to the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. It’s certainly how Lexus would like us to view “the only all-electric cros...

  Both versions are powered by a variation of the electrified 3.0-litre V6 that powers the Q7 60 TFSI e, with the 335bhp petrol motor assisted by an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox.  In the 55 TFSIe, available from £73,860, the system produces a combined 376bhp and 443lb ft, while the Competition 60 TFSIe bumps the price up to £85,750 for boosts of 80bhp and 73lb ft. The 55 TFSIe is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 5.8sec and the more potent model in 5.4sec. Both top out at an electronically limited 149mph. In both forms, the Q8 plug-in hybrid can travel a WLTP-certified 28 miles on electric power alone and achieve between 97 and 100mpg on the WLTP combined cycle while emitting between 65 and 66g/km of CO2.  Two driving modes are available: EV, which leaves the petrol V6 engine dormant, and Hybrid, which automatically switches between the electric and combustion motors as appropriate. The Q8's MMI infotainme...

   In the '70s, street rods experienced a revival in popularity after being knocked out of the spotlight during the muscle car era. That revival came with a change. The prominent rod builders of the late 20th century were not building early roadsters and coupes in the traditional styles of earlier years but rather in a modern style characterized by high-tech chassis with independent front and rear suspensions, extensive use of hand built components (with an abundance of billet aluminum), reshaped bodies, and the elimination of emblems and trim. The result was a super-clean, streamlined style that almost instantly became known as "smooth." Of all the designers and builders associated with the "smooth" style, some of the most famous are  Boyd Coddington ,  Lil' John Buttera ,  Chip Foose , and Larry Erickson. Of all the owners, probably the most successful was Fred Warren, owner of the AeroCoupe, Smoothster, and Shockwave, among others. No other car owner in t...

   What are the uninitiated to make of the   updated 2022 Hyundai Kona   in   new N Line trim ? The subcompact SUV's distinctive exterior is kind of cute,   kind of funky   and chunky, but not necessarily everyone's cup of tea. As an N Line offering, it's supposed to be sportier, and its size and fifth door have led some to consider the Kona to be something of a compact/subcompact hatchback instead of a small crossover SUV. The 2022 Kona N Line features the range's more powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and our test vehicle has all-wheel drive. As for the N Line designation, that's a reference to the brand's "N" vehicles, like  the Veloster N ,  the Elantra N , and, yes,  the  Kona N , with N Line being a sort of stepping stone between the regular versions and the frenetic, high-performance full-N models. Those include the Elantra N Line, Sonata N Line, a...

   There's a well-worn chestnut in the automotive world that it's better for a given car to be a chef's knife than a multitool, to transcend in one specific discipline rather than be OK in several areas. An expert beats out a dilettante. Whether or not this particular sentiment holds water is rarely if ever up for debate; that's why it's a chestnut. Most car people just seem to accept it a priori. It's dogma. As for me, sure, I love a distinct, clear-cut tool like a Caterham 7. It has one purpose: to go fast. Everything else like comfort, practicality, safety, and your skin be damned. That said, I also love the Rivian R1T, a truck with more superpowers—835 hp, 3.1-second 0-60 time, luxury cabin, off-road chops to conquer Moab, built-in stove!—than a giant squid. Now that's all been said, meet  the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series , a car built for one reason and one reason only: to set the production car lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Guess what: Th...