Modern cars are more reliable, safer, faster, and more fuel efficient than ever before. Part of this improvement is because of improved materials technology, some of it is down innovative thinking, but a substantial part is due to comprehensive testing of components on pre-production prototypes. These ‘mules’ are fitted with the new car’s engine, drivetrain, chassis components, and electrical systems and their role is to test them under a series…

The invitation to drive the Audi RS4 in Germany was welcome, not least because no-one does a car launch like Audi. From the dried flower display discreetly stenciled with the Audi logo to the peerless organisation, nothing is left to chance. Few manufacturers, if any, pamper, flatter, and bolster an ageing hack’s ego like Audi, and the chance to spend a couple of days with them is not to be…

Nudge, by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein has been a phenomenon: the British government considered implementing their ideas to encourage healthier living and a more responsible attitude towards saving for our retirement; schools are using their suggestions to encourage healthier eating amongst students; universities use it in much the same way to discourage excessive drinking; and Schiphol airport authorities (well, specifically those responsible for urine spillage in the…

Following on from the How To Choose A Future Classic Car feature, here are eight cars that are absolutely, totally, one-hundred-percent guaranteed to make you money in the long-term*. Some of them are unbelievably beautiful, some are ground-breakingly innovative, and some are supremely satisfying to drive; and a few, such as the Citroen DS, are all three. What they all have in common is the fact that I think they’re…

‘Imperious’ was the face that Rowan Atkinson pulled on Top Gear when asked to express the feeling that you get from driving a Range Rover. And you know what? He got it absolutely right; nailed it completely. That is exactly how I feel driving a £90,000 Range Rover Autobiography. It’s partly the height; partly the V8 engine; but mainly it’s because of the insulation that it gives you. You are…

The Nissan Vanette is a real-life unsung hero, used throughout the Third World as an all-purpose, go-anywhere, tough little son-of-a-bitch that is always overloaded, often driven flat-out, and generally thrashed to within an inch of its life on a daily basis. I spent a few days in one recently; my western-centric assumption was that our safari vehicle would be a Land Rover, a Toyota SUV, or even a four-wheel-drive minibus….

I have been an admirer of Land Rover for as long as I can remember; I learned to drive in a Range Rover Classic and one of my earliest memories is of riding in a Forward Control. I’ve owned plenty too, off-roading in them, towing trailers, carrying logs, and even camping on them. I’ve done over 100,000 miles in various models over the years, so I approached the Range Rover…

If you’re Nouveau Riche then buying a car is easy. Just think about the cars that Old Money bought 20 years ago and buy the new version. Bentley, Aston Martin, and Range Rover depending on whether you want a car that demonstrates your vulgarity, your fondness of nightclubs, or suggests that you own a house in the country. Just whip out the cheque book and you can be assured that…

The ditch was easily two feet wide and just as deep. I was approaching it in the Discovery 4 and my Land Rover Experience instructor was sounding remarkably nonchalant. He told me to turn the Terrain Response dial to the ‘Rock Crawling’ position and, in his words, “just let the car do the rest.” The Discovery crawled forward with just a hint of throttle and I waiting for the inevitable…