Matt Prior

St Albans

Automotive Journalist and Presenter at Autocar

Not here. @ automattictransmission on instagram.

Articles

Software is 'defining' your next vehicle - but do you really care? | Autocar

6 days ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

When is a car company not a car company? There are a couple of paths into this way of thinking. One – and this is among my least favourite topics, but I suppose we must delve into it – is the idea that car makers are gradually becoming software companies that just happen to also make cars. Eek. Volvo’s Jim Rowan, several weeks ago uninvited from being Volvo’s Jim Rowan, spoke positively about this trend in March.
8000-mile mega-test proves the Ineos Grenadier is more than a modernised Defender | Autocar

1 week ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Following a solid showing in our hardcore off-road test back in January, the very same Ineos Grenadier has now joined our long-term fleet. Ineos makes a thing of how rugged and dependable it would like the Grenadier to be, so it arrived with 10,000 miles on it. We’ll add as many as we can for the full ownership experience. I’m to be its custodian, for a couple of reasons.
An imperfect car is often easier to love

1 week ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

I don’t just mean it’s possible to like bad cars. It is, of course, but that’s a different conversation that usually involves nostalgia. What I mean is that there’s an attraction to the underappreciated, to a character that’s trying to do a good thing against difficult odds. The film reviewer (and classic Ford owner) Mark Kermode says he would rather a film set out to achieve something noble and miss its mark than achieve its goal of being blandly efficient.
Opinion: Nissan shouldn’t rush to replace the legendary GT-R | Autocar

2 weeks ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013. Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.
Seven to heaven: Chasing F-16s in £80k Caterham CSR Twenty

3 weeks ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Close I don’t have accurate statistics because none will exist, but bear with. I think anecdotally it’s acknowledged that more than a few pilots subsequently become Caterham drivers, and/or that flying is something many Caterham owners turn to. There’s something that unites the activities: mechanical interaction, guiding something analogue, feeling the elements, managing mild perils. The Seven club magazine is even called Lowflying.
£300,000 for a Nissan? It's good value considering what it can do | Autocar

3 weeks ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013. Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.
Ineos Fusilier range-extender due by 2029

3 weeks ago | msn.com | Matt Prior

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Ineos to launch Land Rover Defender Sport and Mercedes 'Little G' rival by 2029 | Autocar

4 weeks ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Calder said any heavy trade tariffs between the EU and US was a concern for Ineos – given the US is the firm’s biggest market “by a long way” – and since our interview, US president Donald Trump announced a 25% levy on cars and car parts imported into the country. Ineos said it was “outraged” by the development and, in response, Calder demanded “urgent and direct political intervention”.
Is this the Morgan that could replace your Porsche 911? | Autocar

1 month ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

The Supersport’s chassis is still bonded aluminium, weighing just 83kg, with reshaped sills and a strengthened transmission tunnel, increasing torsional rigidity by 10% over the Plus Six. If you fit the composite (20kg) hard top, it increases by 10% again. Stronger braces attach the front and rear subframes, to which double wishbones and anti-roll bars are mounted both ends. Optionally (and as fitted to our test car), Nitron adjustable dampers are available.
Dynamic, refined and roomy – here's how to snap-up a cracking Ford SUV for £3000 | Autocar

1 month ago | autocar.co.uk | Matt Prior

Is the Ford Kuga reliable? The Kuga's reliablity record is a bit of a mixed bag so we'd urge you to find an example with a good service history and a low number of previous owners. We'd aviod the Powershift gearbox as its not the most reliable (see below) and stick with the manual which is nicer to use and more refined. In the What Car? reliabilty survery the petrol Kuga achieved a score of 93% while the diesel only scored 85%.