2023 Lexus RZ450e review
This is a car that leaves the distinct impression that both Lexus and its Toyota parent are the most lukewarm of EV-adopters among the mainstream manufacturers. While others have gone…
At last it’s happened! A genuinely fun, affordable electric car has been parked outside my house for the last week. I’ve enjoyed bombing about in it more than any EV I can recall, probably since I last drove a BMW i3. Trust Mini to not let the tedious imperative of changing powertrain get in the way of its owners having a good time. The Mini Electric feels light and exceptionally nimble by EV standards. Turn into a corner while snapping the throttle shut and it will instantly and sharply tighten its line. Briefly, it will even oversteer. It’s fast too.
Yet in all other regards, it’s still a Mini, still with that funky premium-feeling interior, those cheeky looks and ride quality which while scarcely great, is still more than good enough for the small, fun car it is trying to be.
All of which is why this paragraph is so hard to write. The car is almost completely useless. The very reason it’s so much fun is the same reason it’s so terminally flawed: it has a minute and therefore extremely light battery, delivering just 28.8kWh of capacity. That is almost exactly the same size as the battery used simply to boost the engine of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid. Which means whatever the figures say, its real world range is around 100 miles. An MG4 is cheaper, and will take you twice as far. At least. It’s a shame but I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a car so much without being able to recommend it to almost anyone. AF
This is a car that leaves the distinct impression that both Lexus and its Toyota parent are the most lukewarm of EV-adopters among the mainstream manufacturers. While others have gone…
How nice it is to have an interesting Peugeot parked outside again. It must be about three years since the last one – my beloved but little-used 205 GTI –…
Toddled along to the Salon Privé press day to see what was around and was immediately drawn to the centrepiece of the display of yellow cars on the main lawn.…
I wonder how many thousands of key strokes I have expended being critical of fast Audis in print over the years? Thousands? Millions more likely. I reckon it started a…
Rishi Sunak’s delay in the ban on new petrol and diesel cars was much anticipated — and necessary, says Andrew Frankel. Britain wasn’t ready to go fully electric in 2030, but the government only has itself to blame
I knew I’d be busy, but not this busy. I’m at Donington, one of my favourite circuits, the weather is perfect, the track inexplicably quiet for an unsilenced test day.…
It’s unfortunate that two great sporting names have somehow found their way into the title of a Renault SUV without one sporting bone in its body. But don’t be distracted…
The idea here is that those not yet ready to go full EV should still have the chance to buy a flagship BMW that will waft around on electrons most…
The original pony car has been with us through seven generations and 60 seasons, but while no one at Ford will admit it, I have no doubt that this will…
I drove the new Ford Mustang in North Carolina on roads close to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR is 75 years old this year and is headquartered in the city, so…
Lotus has taken the wraps off its ‘rediscovered’ Type 66 Can-Am car, which has been brought to life as a new limited edition track day car
The government’s stated “proportionate and pragmatic” approach to its 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars means it’s likely to delay till 2035 – but where does this leave the UK’s burgeoning group of EV users?