US tuning company Hennessey has completed the aerodynamic development of its Venom F5, the car it hopes will claim the top speed record for a production vehicling by breaking 311mph.

The programme – led by chief engineer John Heinricy – began in February, and saw the F5 exceed 200mph despite its 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 being limited to 888bhp; half of the 1792bhp it should deliver when let loose.

The next phase of development will focus on handling over the summer, with work on acceleration, high speed stability and braking to follow in the autumn. The car will make its public debut on 22 May at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

“For more than 40 years I’ve been developing high-performance vehicles, yet nothing compares to the Venom F5,” said Heinricy. “We’re making excellent headway in our mission to deliver a world-class hypercar to our customers that handles superbly, while managing its phenomenal power and speed with finesse.

“Every part of our development program is focused on making the Venom F5 the best it can be before customer deliveries start towards the end of this year.”

According to company founder and CEO John Hennessey, almost all of the 24 examples of the Venom F5 slated for production have been sold.

The Venom F5 is Hennessey’s first fully bespoke hypercar. First previewed with a styling model in 2018, the carbonfibre-bodied Venom F5 is differentiated from 2011’s ultra-low-volume Venom GT by utilising an in-house platform instead of a heavily modified Lotus chassis. Autocar has seen the first fully constructed car in the UK ahead of its dispatch to the US.

Hennessey claims the combination of its colossal engine power and a 1360kg dry weight help make the one of the fastest road-legal cars in the world – possibly even the fastest. The company predicts a 2.6sec 0-62mph time, a 4.7sec 0-124mph time and an 8.4sec 0-186mph time.

Named after the highest rating on the Fujita hurricane strength scale, the F5 Venom uses a carbonfibre monocoque, built by KS Composites in the UK, that weighs just 86kg naked. A rear tubular aluminium subframe contains a 6.6-litre overhead-valve Fury V8 built by Hennessey in Texas with a cast-iron block, aluminium heads, forged connecting rods and pistons and a crank and camshaft made from billet-steel.

This is boosted by a pair of ball-bearing turbochargers with 3D-printed compressor housings that can deliver up to 1.58bar of boost.

In addition to the headline power figure, which is delivered at 8000rpm, Hennessey claims a torque peak of 1193lb ft, with at least 1000lb ft available from 2000rpm through to 8000rpm.

This off-roading truck from Great Wall is allegedly inspired by Shelby. Called the Baja Snake, the heavily fortified truck is based on the Cannon pick-up, bringing a raised ride height, bigger bumpers, new suspension and even an air snorkel to the table. Great Wall says the Baja Snake is a production car that will be sold as a limited-edition model in China, although quite how limited remains to be seen.

Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio

The Hongguang Mini EV has taken China by storm following its launch last year, helped by its price tag of just £3200 and a 100-mile range that makes it ideal for life in the city. A convertible version is now in the pipeline, complete with a mechanically operated soft top that can retract and deploy in a matter of seconds. A production model is set to arrive next year and, given that the hardtop is less than 3000mm long, it will be one of the smallest cars on sale.

Haval X-Dog

A campaign has been launched to raise financial aid for legendary rallying and racing all-rounder Vic Elford, who is fighting cancer at the age of 85.

The Englishman, who scored a string of high-profile victories on stage and track during the 1960s and early 1970s, is battling the return of an aggressive form of prostate cancer from his home in Florida, US, and recently suffered a setback when he broke a leg in a fall.

Click here to access A GoFundMe account that has been established to benefit Elford

Elford and his wife are facing the reality of overwhelming medical bills, an urgent need to outfit their home with a stairlift and assistive mobility devices and securing his future care requirements. His former Porsche team-mate, rival and friend Brian Redman is working to gather support for Elford’s cause. “It’s sad to see his position today,” he said.

Elford is revered in motorsport as one of the great all-rounders who was equally at home on rally stage, at Le Mans and on fearsome road circuits such as the Nürburgring and the Targa Florio during a deadly era.

His standout achievement came early in 1968, when he scored a breakthrough win for Porsche driving a 911 on the Monte Carlo Rally, then travelled directly to Florida, where he claimed another famous victory for the manufacturer in the Daytona 24 Hours, driving a 907. That season, he also added a win on the Targa Florio and made his Formula 1 debut, finishing fourth in the French Grand Prix driving a Cooper-BRM.

Typically of this generation of hardened racers, Redman remains unsentimental about his fellow Florida resident as he attempts to raise much-needed financial aid. “Of course I knew about Vic’s rally success and his wins in 1968 at Daytona, the Targa Florio and the Monte Carlo Rally,” said the Lancastrian when asked for his memories of Elford.

“I heard that he asked if I could drive with him in the new 1969 Porsche team with initially 10 drivers and five cars. So I arrived at Daytona to meet Vic and the team in January. My right forearm, broken in the Spa F1 accident [in 1968], hadn’t healed and had to be redone in Johannesburg just five weeks before the race.

“I took the sling off and didn’t tell anyone, driving pretty well with one hand – so I wasn’t unhappy – or, to be more accurate, was extremely happy – when one by one our 908s broke down. On Monday morning, [team manger] Rico [Steinemann] asked if I’d like to be number one and choose my co-driver or would I go as number two to Jo Siffert.

“We had a great season, winning five of the 10 races. So of course now I’m racing against Vic!

“Unknown to the official JWAE Porsche 917 and 908 team was the fact that Porsche Salzburg were also going to run cars for Vic and Kurt Ahrens. So again, we were competitors in 1970. You’re not exactly friends when competing against each other, but Vic and I have always had a good relationship.

“At dinner parties, Vic will boast – sorry, talk – about his five Nürburgring wins. I then gently tease him by reminding him that two of those wins came when we broke down: 1970 when the 908/03 ran out of oil and also 1970 when my Chevron B16/S, leading by two and a half minutes minutes, caught fire. Vic won in a factory B16.”

Click here to access a GoFundMe account that has been established to benefit Elford.

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Toyota’s new bZ electric vehicle line-up will be heavily differentiated from the brand’s existing models with bespoke styling and a unique interior design ethos. 

The Japanese brand plans to launch 15 new battery-electric vehicles by 2025, seven of which will wear the bZ (Beyond Zero) nameplate – which is comparable in its conception to Mercedes’ EQ brand, Hyundai’s Ioniq models and Volkswagen’s ID family. 

“We have decided to create what we can call a ‘sub-brand’: a new breed of vehicles […] with quite consistent design language and, ultimately, a consistent consumer experience,” explained marketing and product development boss for Toyota Europe, Andrea Carlucci. “And fundamentally, this breed of vehicles will belong to a family which cannot be associated to other vehicles.”

That means that, while the new bZ4X concept is of a similar size – and bears a considerable resemblance – to the conventionally fuelled RAV4 SUV, bZ cars are not intended to replace legacy models, nor are they set to be sold as electric versions of existing models. Each will be based on the new e-TNGA electric vehicle architecture, which Toyota has developed in partnership with Subaru. 

There are four ‘pillars’ underpinning the bZ brand and which will be common to all models: renewable energy usage, advanced connectivity, spaciousness and positive societal impact. They will also have a “quite consistent design language” and “consumer experience”, according to Carlucci. 

“The vehicles will give a strong priority to the interaction between man and machine: the meter [digital display] is positioned above the wheel, the concept has the butterfly-shaped steer-by-wire device, there’s the driving position.

“But also, because of the dedicated platform, the interior space can be managed in a different way versus ICE or even hybrid vehicles. All the occupants in the vehicle can share the same experience, and have the same point of view, as the driver in certain elements.”

Under the surface, Toyota’s electric cars will be marked out from rivals, Carlucci says, by giving “what is promised” in terms of range. The brand has considered a range of possible usage patterns and operating environments for its EVs, and claims to offer “reliable, lasting performance” even in cold climates. The bZ4X 

“This is where, fundamentally, we want to say: ‘if you promise X kilometres, it’s not about promising something which – on paper – is hard to get in reality. That, for us, is quite critical, and this will be the signature of this new breed of vehicles in the bZ sub-brand,” he said. 

A range for the bZ4X has not been given, but a solar panel has been integrated into the roof for off-charge energy top-ups, and will likely be carried to production.

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My mind was on Jaguar saloons a few weeks ago, which went down quite well with you. So now it’s time for me to consider the grace and pace of the marque’s rather focused two-door offerings. These are spectacular value for money as used cars and, in an increasingly mediocre world, represent a truly stylish way to travel for less. Well, for far less than a Porsche, anyway.

The XK8 is the XJS of the 2020s: there are enough well-looked-after examples around that would feel relatively safe when buying, as well as some potentially ruinous sub-£5000 ones that you probably should avoid unless you have spanners and a ramp.

Click here to buy your next used car from Autocar

I know the people at my local garage think of the XK8 as little more than a made-over XJS, but what a wonderful coupé or convertible it is.

I was tempted by a 1998 coupé with 155,000 miles listed as a part-exchange to clear for £1990, but realistically it ought to be the dealers-old 2005 4.2-litre facelifted model with 132,000 miles and loads of history at a shade under £7000.

There are a lot of decent privately advertised convertibles, but a 2004 4.2-litre with just over 80,000 miles was arguably worth a strong £12,995 from a dealer. Personal protection is essential at this low price point.

Talking of low price points, you can also get yourself a supercharged XKR: £5995 is sufficient for a tidy 2001 4.0-litre model with fewer than 100,000 miles. This is one of the truly affordable nailed-on future classics.

For £2000 more, a 2001 limited-edition (one of 100) car with 85,000 miles might be an even better bet.

However, I wouldn’t consider it unreasonable to pay £18,450 for a convertible XKR in immaculate condition and dating from 2008.

Let’s skip over the second XK and celebrate the F-Type. If all you want is a one-owner example, prices are far below £24,000. Well, I came across one: an 80,000-miler from 2014 with the 3.0-litre V6. Surprisingly, it wasn’t advertised privately but by a dealer, who has a legal responsibility to ensure it’s A-OK.

Then there was a roofless one with a full dealer service history, but this time with three owners, at another dealer: a 3.0-litre V6 automatic with just 40,000 miles that would set you back a bit less than £25,000. What great cars for hardly anything at all.

Is this the time to consider the rather overrated E-Type celebrating its 60th this year? Maybe, but you need at least £50,000. Perhaps a bulbous 2+2 from 1969 with the 4.2-litre straight six, but it will need a ton of history. Some coupés cost a lot more than £60,000, while any proper drop-tops are £100,000-plus. I would go with the fresher stuff, just in case.

in this week’s round-up of automotive gossip, we hear what the future could hold for the Vauxhall Insignia, Kia promises not to abandon its root and more.

Insignia is not irreplaceable 

Vauxhall designer Mark Adams has hinted that the Insignia could be reinvented or replaced entirely at the end of its lifecycle. “We’re thinking about all the vehicles in our portfolio, and the Insignia is no exception,” he said. “I’m excited by what we’re doing for that vehicle.” The current Insignia came out in 2017 and will be the only GM-designed mainstream car left in Europe once the Astra is replaced later this year.

Kia won’t abandon roots

Despite the new Kia EV6 promising an acceleration figure to beat the entry-level Porsche Taycan, the Korean firm says it won’t abandon its roots. Global brand head Artur Martins said: “This car stands for what we want to be as a brand. We’re a mainstream brand and we want to keep being a mainstream brand. It’s about making cars that carry the character of the brand we want to build, the values we want to bring to our customers.”

Volvo snubs miniature EVs 

Don’t expect Volvo to follow Citroën and Renault in developing miniature urban mobility EVs such as the Ami and Mobilize EZ-1. Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson said: “There will be a market for access to high-quality premium mobility for a couple of days, and then more basic urban mobility. That’s a difficult market for a premium car maker to compete in.”

Efficiency is key for Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz cars boss Markus Schäfer says maximising efficiency is now the firm’s main development focus. “My key target is efficiency, to drive down the kilowatt hours per 100km,” he said. “Every design element and module is designed for this goal.”

That version will pave the way for a plug-in hybrid variant – Aston’s first – in 2023, as revealed by Moers in a call with investors following the release of the company’s 2020 results. “We plan on that in the DBX platform before 2024, but we have to adopt all the Mercedes technology transfers,” he said. “That needs time. We are implementing technology faster than anything I have done before in my life, but it still takes time. So by 2023, we’re going to have PHEV with us.”

The DBX will also provide the basis for Aston’s first batteryelectric car, which Moers expects to have on sale by 2025. Most probably based on the second iteration of the DBX, the four-wheel-drive electric SUV will be built at the firm’s factory in St Athan, Wales, and is likely to use Mercedes’ new Modular Electric Architecture (MEA) platform, as pioneered by the new EQS luxury saloon.

Expect it to have a 100kWh battery, be capable of charging at speeds of up to 350kW and offer similar performance to the V8 car.

Sports cars not to be sidelined

Although the DBX is crucial to Aston’s short-term stability, traditional front-engined sports cars and GTs are forecast to comprise 40% of the brand’s ultimate target of 10,000 sales per year.

To that end, the firm will seek to bolster the appeal of the ageing Vantage, DB11 and DBS Superleggera models with particularly comprehensive mid-life updates in 2023.

The silhouette will remain familiar for each, but heavily reworked styling, alongside infotainment, chassis and powertrain upgrades, will aim to ensure strong sales until Aston begins to phase out combustion. Moers has suggested plug-in hybrid technology could be ushered in at this point if Aston can find a way to integrate an electrified transaxle. AMG’s new P3 PHEV system could provide a solution, especially for the Vantage and entry-level DB11, which already share a V8 with AMG’s top-flight PHEV models.

Limited-run specials in the vein of the new Vantage F1 Edition and DBS Superleggera Concorde Edition will continue to play a key role in maintaining the sports cars’ market share and enthusiast appeal. The firm’s 110th anniversary in 2023 is likely to provide an opportunity for special editions of all models in the line-up.

An updated Volkswagen Polo will be revealed on 22 April, with the firm set to introduce new styling and tech to the supermini.

A single sketch revealed by Volkswagen previews the new design of the headlights, joined together by an LED lighting strip. The signature shares traits with the Mk8 Golf, from which the facelifted Polo is expected to draw inspiration.

The new look of the Polo should hold few surprises when the covers come off on Thursday, given that a barely disguised prototype was spotted testing in January.

However, Volkswagen says that the interior will feature new digital instruments as well as technology in keeping with the latest trends.

It’s not yet clear which engines will be made available on the facelifted Polo, but a 48V mild-hybrid eTSI option is expected to join the popular 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol.

The line-up itself is also set for a shake-up, with Volkswagen suggesting that the Polo’s trim level structure has been revised. United, Match, Active, Beats, SEL and R-Line are the current offerings, with entry-level cars starting from £17,355 and top-spec models priced from £19,830.

Production of the Polo began in 1975, and Volkswagen says more than 18 million units have since been sold. The car’s long-term future is uncertain given the company’s shift towards electric vehicles, which are being sold under the new ID nomenclature.

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Back in 2013, Allan McNish finally won the FIA World Championship that he had always craved, in what turned out to be his final season as an active racing driver. Clinching the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with long-time partner and friend Tom Kristensen and Frenchman Loïc Duval was the perfect sign-off from a long, varied and monumentally successful career as one of the world’s best sports car racers.

Now, eight years later, the three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner has the chance to chase another world crown, this time as team principal of Audi’s Formula E team, which will quit at season’s end – just as the electric single-seater series has gained bona fide FIA World Championship status.

“Clearly you go into every year wanting to be successful, but there’s an extra focus when you already know that it’s your farewell season,” says the 51-year-old Scot, who has already tasted (non-World Championship) Formula E success with the Abt-run Audi team when it won the title in 2017/2018. “You want to deliver in your last race, as I know. There’s no doubt that we have extra energy because of that. You’ve only got one final run at it.”

Audi’s decision to withdraw from Formula E was announced in December, awkwardly just as the team was preparing for a pre-season test in Valencia, Spain. Two days later, BMW went public on its own pull-out, also at the end of this season, to complete a double body blow for a series that’s used to luring manufacturers rather than losing them.

“Obviously I knew the Audi one was coming, but I didn’t know about BMW,” says McNish. “We had a timeline for board meetings and decisions, as everybody does. When it came out was unfortunate, but the timing wasn’t possible to change. It’s a realignment of the motorsport strategy that came from a high level of where we are and where we’re going.”

While Audi will continue to support customer team Envision Virgin until at least the end of next season, its decision represents a snub to Formula E’s more powerful Gen3 regulations, which are set to be introduced for 2022/2023. Instead, its focus switches to an intriguing 2022 Dakar Rally assault with an all-new off-roader based on its E-tron electric SUV. Then in 2023, Audi will return to its old stomping ground, the sports car endurance racing scene, with a car built to the new Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMDh) rules.

As for BMW, its future motorsport plans – if there are any – currently remain a mystery.

“Audi always wants to be ahead of the game in the championship they’re in and with the technology they’re bringing,” says McNish. “Remember, they came to Formula E and raced a complete season before they had the first E-tron road car even to be shown to the markets, never mind being sold. So it’s about where they’re going forward into the future.”