Alastair Clements

Sutton

Editor-in-Chief at Classic & Sports Car

Proud dad, wine enthusiast, Editor in Chief of @CandSCmagazine and @CAT_Mag. Any inanity all my own

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Articles

Rapid, comfortable and not as economical as advertised. What we learned after 3000 miles in a £70,000 Lexus RX PHEV | Autocar

1 month ago | autocar.co.uk | Alastair Clements

Close This car has a bit of an identity crisis. Ever since Toyota's luxury brand launched its Radiant Crossover (yes, really) in 1998, the Lexus RX range has stood for one thing above all else: luxury. Yes, they went uncommonly well, and yes, they could probably get you home if the Glyndebourne car park got particularly muddy, but the main draw of these limousines on stilts was always comfort and opulence, rather than driver appeal or off-road ability.
Future classic: Lotus Emira V6

Oct 7, 2024 | classicandsportscar.com | Alastair Clements

By Apologies to snapper John, but I’ve yet to see a photo of the Emira that captures how dramatic it looks in the metal (sorry, thermoplastic). Russell Carr’s final combustion-engined Lotus design has something of a baby McLaren to it, yet less aggressive, more delicate – and, as far as I could tell, universally adored.
Peugeot e-308 SW 2024 long-term test

Sep 4, 2024 | autocar.co.uk | Alastair Clements

Why we’re running it: To find out whether an EV still appeals without the bells and whistlesWelcoming the e-308 to the fleetWe are already several years into the electric car revolution, yet it appears that many members of the buying public still demand look-at-me styling, endless electronic gimmickry and outrageous power outputs to even consider having their heads turned from their familiar internal-combustion-engined cars. This Peugeot e-308 is intriguing because it’s doing none of that.
Future classic: Bentley Bentayga S

Aug 9, 2024 | classicandsportscar.com | Alastair Clements

By Let’s just set aside whether or not it was Ettore Bugatti: whoever suggested WO Bentley’s Le Mans heroes were ‘the world’s fastest lorries’ turned out to be surprisingly prophetic. Because of all the super-luxury manufacturers today cranking out sports utility vehicles, who better than Bentley to produce a super-truck?
Future classic: Ford Ranger Raptor

Jun 10, 2024 | classicandsportscar.com | Alastair Clements

By The cars we embrace most readily as classics are the ones we loved when we were kids, right? In which case, if the reaction to this bonkers machine is anything to go by, then this is as surefire a Future classic as we’ve ever featured in Classic & Sports Car. Everybody under the age of 30 seems to adore it – and know what it is, because this is no ordinary Ford Ranger, even if it might appear superficially similar to the blingy Wildtrack models favoured by successful tradespeople.
Subaru Crosstrek 2024 long-term test

May 28, 2024 | newsletter.autocar.co.uk | Alastair Clements

Close Why we’re running it: To see if this capable new crossover can be more than just a niche productWe say farewell to our flawed but nonetheless likeable baby off-roader - final reportSubaru has a new UK managing director with a CV that includes stints at Jaguar Land Rover and McLaren and a new ambition to grow the Japanese brand’s market share, with sales expected to top one million this year.
Future classic: Audi TT RS

Apr 12, 2024 | classicandsportscar.com | Alastair Clements

By Few cars manage to be both a bona fide classic and a future classic simultaneously, but as the venerable Audi TT finally bows out after its 25-year production run, it neatly straddles the two camps. The nouveau-retro look of the early Mk1s has mellowed to bring its own nostalgia, while later versions have evolved to give us ever more exciting variants, culminating in this, the last-hurrah RS.
AI-powered robotics will fuel jobs disruptions in ways we don’t realize

Mar 15, 2024 | semafor.com | Alastair Clements |Reed Albergotti

Wellness startup Aescape’s pending launch of AI-powered robotic masseuses is one of the unexpected ways the technology could disrupt the labor market. Founder Eric Litman has raised $80 million to develop “the first commercially available fully automated, customizable massage experience to give people more control of their self-care.” New York-based Aescape is partnering with 10 Equinox gyms for the rollout, with a half-hour session costing $60.
BMW X5 2024 long-term test

Feb 12, 2024 | autocar.co.uk | Alastair Clements

Close Why we ran it: To find out if this revised plug-in hybrid luxury SUV could offer the best of bothEvery time I see a jumbo jet take off I get a disconcerting sense that there is some kind of fault in the fabric of the universe. Something that big, that heavy, that lumbering on the ground should never be able to get airborne, let alone look so elegant once it gets there. You get a similar sensation on a country lane in this X5.
BYD Atto 3 2024 long-term test

Feb 11, 2024 | sports.yahoo.com | Alastair Clements

Why we ran it: To find out if this quirky newcomer is a serious prospect or a flash in the panFirst impressions aren’t always reliable but you can be sure of these final ones - 10 January 2024There's a very good reason why we conduct more than one type of testing here at Autocar. Spend just a few days with a new car and it can be all too easy to focus on the negatives, whereas with a sustained period together it can work its way under your skin - and that's just what has happened with the BYD.