11 HRS AGO - All kinds of metal are on offer, spanning Seats to Suzukis Very few have the means to buy a classic Ferrari but most would find interest in an auction like this Desperate for that post-lockdown car fix but bored of frothy festivals and concours catwalks? You need to take yourself to an auction. But not a corporate event drowning in branding and stuffed with ranks of ex-lease hacks; rather an old-school set-up with real motors, real bidders and coffee you can stand your spoon in. Just like Cannock Motor Auctions. It’s located almost bang in the middle of England, so most will be able to make its popular 11am Saturday sale in no time via the web of nearby motorways. If it isn’t too much hassle, pop over on Thursday or Friday to see if there’s anything that takes your fancy. Autocar dropped in on the first Saturday in September to experience Cannock’s third post-lockdown auction. Naturally, everybody had to don masks and stand outside the sales hall as, also outside, the cars went Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Is now the time to buy or should you hold out a bit for some fresh new metal? We round up every important new car landing in showrooms this year Last year was a whirlwind, with important releases in every model category from the Toyota GR Supra to the Vauxhall Corsa and the Mercedes-AMG A45 - to name but a few. But if 2019 was good, 2020 promises to be even better. Most of 2020's biggest debuts have already had the covers pulled off them, but there are still plenty of big releases to be drooled over this year.  Here's your one-stop shop for keeping up to date with what's coming when in the car industry in 2020 and 2021. Please note: Due to the global shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, all dates are approximate and subject to change. October   Audi Q5 facelift Ingolstadt’s mid-sized SUV has been updated with a subtle restyle, new infotainment and efficiency-improving mild hybrid technology for its diesel engine. A coupé-styled Q5 Sportback variant has also been unveiled, Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Two decades later, the Puma has returned to our fleet. But this one is a bit different Why we’re running it: To find out if the class-leading crossover is as good to live with as it is to drive Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs Life with a Ford Puma: Month 3 Sluggish screen becoming a chore - 14 October 2020 Two niggles have blotted the Puma’s near-flawless usability record. First, the slight lethargy of the touchscreen is beginning to grate, because this can distract while I’m changing audio sources and sat-nav destinations. Second, the flimsy load cover is in the way more often than not and has to be stowed on the back seat when not in use. I’d prefer a retractable, solid parcel shelf. Mileage: 2307 Back to the top Life with a Ford Puma: Month 2 The only real sign of an eco boost is on our car’s bootlid - 23 September 2020 In its first two months on the fleet, our Puma has been subjected to two flat moves, a succession of arduous motorway jaunts, beach trips, dog walks and Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - The Tesla Roadster was one of only a handful of electric cars with real panache when it burst onto the scene in 2008 Ten years ago, your electric car choice was limited to a compromised gaggle that did a pretty poor job of persuading drivers that there was potential for an engine-free future. But there was a highlight: the Tesla Roadster, which could crack more than 200 miles per charge (the first production car to do so), hit 62mph from rest in less than 4.0sec and, crucially, handle like a sports car. That’s no surprise, really, because the Roadster’s resemblance to the Lotus Elise is no coincidence: they share around 6% of their components and were both built in Hethel. The Tesla does have to lug around about 400kg more than its petrol-powered relation, but our road test of the time found that it could “canter around any bend at considerable pace” and offered “outright grip levels not far short of that produced by an Elise”. It was certainly an attractive proposition for keen Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Merc is scaling back after expanding hugely through small cars Mercedes is making the right moves in trimming its whopping 36 model lines. It's just a shame that the cost is the manual gearbox Mercedes-Benz is to phase out manual gearboxes, while “dramatically” reducing the number of engines it uses. “Complexity adds costs,” said its research and development boss, Markus Schäfer. It has far too much going on, in other words. Which won’t come as a surprise to many of you, particularly if you’ve considered buying a smaller Benz recently. Mercedes now offers eight saloons, nine SUVs and six coupés – although two of those, the CLA and CLS, have four doors so actually might compete with the A-Class saloon and E-Class saloon respectively. Yes, there’s a CLA four-door coupé and an A-Class saloon. I have no idea what the difference is, but then I’ve just been looking at a picture of an Aston Martin V12 Speedster thinking it was a McLaren Elva, so what do I know? And why do these cars with Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - First ‘beta’ version of advanced autonomy mode “may do the wrong thing at the worst time” Tesla has begun to roll out the ‘beta’ version of a ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD) mode for its cars - but it comes with some significant caveats. The software, which is now being trialled by a select number of ‘expert and careful’ drivers in the US, is said to enable Tesla drivers to “make lane changes off highway, select forks to follow your navigation route, navigate around other vehicles and objects, and make left and right turns”. However, a notice that accompanied the update, shared by a Twitter user, warns that the software may have some teething problems. It says users must “not become complacent” as the beta “may do the wrong thing at the worst time”. Drivers are therefore advised to “always keep [their] hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road.”   FSD beta program here we go. Hell yeah pic.twitter.com/dNVGlwyYv6 — Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 22, Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - Mirror Motoring's Colin Goodwin says the Id.3 may not quite be the most important car VW has launched since the Golf in 1974 - but it is certainly an important model for the electric revolution Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - Haas F1 American squad will have a fresh line-up in 2012, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen both leaving The Haas Formula 1 team will have an entirely new driver line-up next season, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen both leaving the squad – and Formula 2 championship leader Mick Schumacher linked to the team. Current drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have both confirmed they will leave the American squad at the end of this season and it is understood that Haas is preparing to announce its 2021 line-up ahead of this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix. Haas has been contemplating several options for next year, including experienced Mexican racer Sergio Perez, who has lost his seat with Racing Point for 2021 (when it will be rebranded as Aston Martin). Perez has also been linked with a switch to Williams, at the expense of talented British racer George Russell. Russian Formula 2 race winner Nikita Mazepin is strongly in contention as well. Schumacher, the son of Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - Largest variant of fifth-generation Range Rover shows off rear-wheel steering system Jaguar Land Rover's new generation flagship SUV is well into its development programme ahead of a 2021 launch, and our spy photographers have caught the long-wheelbase version testing on public roads.  Heavy camouflage continues to hide key elements of the model's design, but it's possible to make out a new design for the headlights, indicators and daytime running lights, while the quad-exit exhaust suggests that this mule packs the range-topping V8 engine option, which for the fifth-generation car will be a 4.4-litre unit borrowed from BMW. One image (below) shows off the rear-wheel steering system that will make its debut on the new Range Rover. It's not yet known which variants will receive the system, but it gives clues as to the flexibility of the car's new MLA architecture.  Previously, the shorter, standard Range Rover was caught on video at the Nürburgring, being pushed to its limits during Collapse