Motoring

'The most beautiful car in the world' made both better, and worse, all at once

A roofless conversion of an E-Type, Disney fever dream and more in this morning's Dawn Chorus round-up.

Mushroom gin, Lego houses, and dull men and women, with James May

That bloke off Top Gear joins the Country Life Podcast to talk about making his own gin, how to run a pub, why dull men and women are anything but and why he hates the North Pole and suitcases with wheels.

Dacia Jogger: Perfection is many things, but most of all it's simplicity

The Dacia Jogger is that rarest of things: a simple car that does the things you want very well. Also, if you want, you can sleep in it.

The original ULEZ-style enforcement? How the Victorians taxed all the coal coming in to London

Martin Fone takes a look at the history of London's coalgates, and finds that the idea of taxing things as they enter the City of London is centuries old.

Can I just shock you? I quite like the new Jaguar

Amid declining sales, the real betrayal would have been letting Jaguar die a slow and painful death by doing nothing at all.

The Aston Martin DB12 Volante: 671 horsepower wrapped in a smoking jacket

Aston Martin's convertible 'super tourer' is an elegant bruiser that tiptoes the line between relentless power and comfortable cruising with aplomb.

St Moritz and the slopes of hazard: How a Victorian bet sparked the Swiss resort's love affair with adrenaline-pumping winter sports

There's no sport that cannot be played out on frozen water, according to the fabled Swiss ski resort of St Moritz. In fact, skiing, ironically, might be the safest thing to do whilst you're there, says Rosie Paterson.

Bentley tells us the future and announces fully electric car for 2026

The Crewe-based luxury car maker also reveals plans to go fully electric by 2035.

Ferrari 12 Cilindri: 'If you have an empty and winding dual carriageway ahead, and a get-out-of-jail-free card in your wallet, you’ll be in nirvana'

Ferrari's latest grand tourer is everything you could want from a 'gentleman's express' and a fitting coda to the naturally aspirated V12. Adam Hay-Nicholls put it through it's paces.

No Mr Bond, I expect you to drive: The Rolls-Royce dripping in gold created to celebrate 60 years since Goldfinger

Horsepower and hot air balloons: All of the action from the Chantilly Arts et Elegance Richard Mille

Europe's most beautiful concours returned to Chantilly, France, last week and it didn't disappoint. Rosie Paterson was there to record all of the action.

Bentley launches new fragrance, causing me to briefly lose touch with reality

Bentley's has launched an Eau de Parfum named Become. James Fisher ponders the nature of the 21st-century economic system as a result.

The McLaren Artura Spider: A hybrid triumph that carries on a rich British tradition

McLaren's hybrid supercar has been re-engineered to perfection. The result is an eye-wateringly quick spaceship that is endlessly entertaining and easy to drive.

The great electric car conundrum: In 35 years, driving a petrol car will be like driving a steam engine. But is now the time to make the switch to an EV?

To EV or not to EV? That is the question for car buyers today, whether they're looking for a new car or going second hand. So is now the time to take the plunge? Toby Keel takes a look.

The story of how 007 creator Ian Fleming came to write Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, our fine four-fendered friend, turns 60 on October 22nd. Mary Miers relives the adventures of the magical flying car and reveals the little-known story of its creation by Ian Fleming, as the writer turned his attention from the world of 007 to a children's tale.

We used to fly cars across the English Channel in 20 minutes — why did we stop?

It seems hard to believe, but taking your car across the English Channel to France by air actually pre-dates the cross-channel car ferry. So how did it fall out of use almost 50 years ago? Martin Fone investigates.

'Where new money transforms into old, via a century’s worth of luxury automobiles': A report from Monterey Car Week

Vintage Mercedes, classic Porsches, and a best-in-show Bugatti, combined with cravats and Stetsons. The only thing more interesting than the cars is the people, writes Adam Hay Nicholls.

Curious Questions: Who invented the rear-view mirror?

Although obvious now, the rearview mirror wasn't really invented until the 1920s. Even then, it was mostly used for driving fast and avoiding the police.

Goodwood Revival 2024: What you missed at the world's most elegant motor race weekend

Rebirth of an icon: How Lotus is picking up the EV baton and running with it

After years of financial turmoil, Lotus is going all in on electric cars. We tested the new Eletre to find out whether the actions match the words.