GB
  
You are currently viewing the United Kingdom version of the site.
Would you like to switch to your local site?
1 MIN READ TIME

The most surprising car of the ’90s

ON THIS DAY IN 1999

M10 was handbuilt by Lee Noble himself in Leicester

THE ELISE BLEW everyone away in 1996, becoming the most fun sports car on the market, thanks to the genius of Lotus. Yet it was a virgin firm, Noble, that in 1999 presented something even better, the M10 dubbed by us “the most surprising car of the decade”.

Unlock this article and much more with
You can enjoy:
Enjoy this edition in full
Instant access to 600+ titles
Thousands of back issues
No contract or commitment
Try for 99p
SUBSCRIBE NOW
30 day trial, then just £9.99 / month. Cancel anytime. New subscribers only.


Learn more
Pocketmags Plus
Pocketmags Plus

This article is from...


View Issues
Autocar
1-Mar-2023
VIEW IN STORE

Other Articles in this Issue


THIS WEEK
MERC LINE-UP: SIMPLIFY, THEN ADD RIGHTNESS
NO CAR MAKER has been more adept at
NEWS
New CLA saloon kicks off Merc line-up rethink
Compact car range will be slimmed to just four models in EV and mild-hybrid forms, starting with a four-door CLA that’s due to be unveiled this year
Baby Merc G-Class awaiting green light as junior flagship
Compact SUV would use the same MMA platform
Big tech boost for Merc
MERCEDES HAS UNVEILED the new MBUX Superscreen –
Volkswagen ‘fixes’ the ID 3
Facelift said to resolve high-profile problems with EV’s software and design
Roomier new Skoda Kodiaq here in 2024
SUV was spotted winter testing in northern Sweden
VW PRIMES LOW-COST URBAN EV
Next-generation ‘Golf’ was cloaked in cut-and-shut ID 3
WOLFSBURG SETS UP ID PRODUCTION
The facelifted ID 3 will be produced at
BMW backs hydrogen for cars
New iX5 Hydrogen is part of a wider commitment to the long-term future of FCEVs
BAC mothballs hydrogen E-Mono
BRITISH SPORTS CAR maker BAC has “backed off”
SEVEN-SEAT ID BUZZ STRETCHES LEGS
Testing of the longer-wheelbase variant of the Volkswagen
ONE IN TWO NEW CARS IS NOW AN SUV
SUVs accounted for over half (464,900) of all
Sandero Stepway to become more overt, higher-priced SUV
Current differentiation between the Sandero hatchback (left) and
JLR EXPANDS SELF-DRIVING R&D BASES
Jaguar Land Rover has opened three new autonomous
PEUGEOT 508 UPDATED FOR JUNE DEBUT
The Peugeot 508 has been given a light
Two Fiat EVs arriving this year
Panda will be renewed at last, becoming an SUV, while supermini revival is expected
Ford to build Turkish gigafactory
FORD HAS CONFIRMED plans to build one of
Kei cars poised for Europe chance
Could Japan’s specialist city cars be the low-cost, low-emission answer Europe needs?
Insurers baulk at Range Rover
Premiums for London-based Range Rovers can hit up to £38k – if you can insure it
EVERY WEEK
Citroën boss Cobée in shock departure
Cobée had been Citroën’s CEO for just over
28 DAYS LATER
I last spoke to Vincent Cobée in a
IF YOUR FACE DOESN’T F IT, YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYWHERE
UNDER THE SKIN JESSE CROSSE The new antitheft
WAVE HELLO TO LITHIUM
Saudi Arabian mining company Ma’aden and the King
INSIDE INFORMATION
Farley (right) must make the deal with Red
CAR FACTORIES FACE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
AUTOCAR BUSINESS This week’s biggest stories on autocar.co.uk/
BATTERY PRODUCTION VITAL TO UK’S FUTURE
The UK needs EV battery factories to insure
RENAULT FIRMLY ON PATH TO PROSPERITY
There will be “no turning back” for the
Matt Prior
TESTER’S NOTES M arch arrives with the easiest
Steve Cropley
MY WEEK IN CARS SUNDAY It was a
Damien Smith
RACING LINES Will all three big guns be
YOUR VIEWS
WRITE TO autocar@haymarket.com
NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE
ON SALE 8 MARCH
AUTOCAR
The original car magazine, published since 1895 ‘in
Which affordable family hatchback is Britain’s best?
We enjoyed a golden glut of affordable family
Nissan raises the Skyline
The 1990s was the peak era of JDM
Another big leap for Ferrari
The F355 of 1994 signalled a new and
SLIDESHOW
The world’s least likely rally cars
TESTED
BMW iX5 HYDROGEN
TESTED 17.2.23, ANTWERP, BELGIUM ON SALE NA PRICE NA
LEXUS RX
Fifth generation of Japanese large SUV focuses on traditional luxury
DACI A JOGGER HYBRID
Impressive large family car gets Renault’s latest hybrid tech. Bargain of the year?
V O LV O V60 CROSS COUNTRY
Time to revisit one of the last cars standing in the jacked-up estate class
Toyota Hilux
Well- established work horse receives an on-trend pseudo-sporting makeover
FEATURES
THE LION’S SHARE
The British market’s appetite for crossover-infused executive models appea rsunsated, and Peugeot wants in on the action. Vicky Parrott compa res the new 408 with two rivaloddballs
THE FUTURE IS IN PRINT
A Br itish fi r m’s cutting-edge 3D -pri nti ng tech nolog y prom ises to make car parts cheaper, l ig hter, st ronger, less wastef ul and more custom isable. Piers Ward learns how
TO FABULOUS FORMULA 1 2023
The new F1 season starts this weekend, prom isi ng extra glitz and g la mou r. A head of a record 23 g rands prix, i nclud i ng a new one in Vegas, Dam ien Sm ith and Edd St raw size up all the teams and d rivers
TEAMS AND DRIVERS
RED BULL Max Verstappen Aim for 2023 Complete
TEAMS AND DRIVERS
ASTON MARTIN-MERCEDES Fernando Alonso Aim for 2023 Prove
I spy a small SUV beginning with…
Some say regulations arekilling creativity and making car designs blurinto one Can you prove the critics wrong by identifying these crossovers? Answers on p78
OUR CARS
KIA SPORTAGE
Was this family-focused hybrid SUV able to take some of the stress out of being a busy journalist with a young child?
FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
What’s more draining: driving fast or sitting still? The answer might surprise you
VAUXHALL ASTRA
We’ve made a right mess of our PHEV that not even a deep clean can put right
VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE
There’s a reason for the mismatch of name and photo here. Let us explain…
CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS
We finally get a chance to try our PHEV in electric-only mode
DEALS
BMW X3
You might be drawn to this car by its promise of delivering the best of all possible worlds. Oliver Young says it won’t disappoint
James Ruppert
KICKING TYRES
LARGE COG IN A SMALL MACHINE
MERCEDES-BENZ SLK 55 AMG
NEW CARS A TO Z
For full reviews of every car listed here, visit our website, autocar.co.uk
ROAD TEST INDEX
The latest and greatest rated as only Autocar knows how
Chat
X
Pocketmags Support