2013 BMW M5

Britain is in its complaining infancy, but the Americans have it down to a fine art. And their latest batch of moaning has borne fruit from BMW

2013 BMW M5

Other than the poor-sounding V8 engine and many kilogrammes of excess weight, there's not a great deal wrong with the new M5 so there really wasn't much of a case to mess with it. But that didn't stop the US market moaning about the lack of a manual gearbox. So, to quell the rising volume of requests, BMW has started to offer a no-cost manual option in the US only. And, on first impressions, that was a mistake. The rubbery-actioned manual is worse than the twin-clutched car in a number of ways: it's slower, it's less precise, and in a car as flooded in hi-tech gadgetry as this, it initially feels odd to have to stir your own gears. Like using a pitchfork at a gunfight. But, of course, BWM hasn't just plunked a standard self-stirrer in place of the robocog swapper. Oh no. This, like the rest of the car, has a few tricks up its sleeve, too: re-matching up and down the 'box, plus hill-start hold. So, Even though the brake and throttle pedal are almost millimetrically perfect for heel and toeing, the manual M5 does all that matching of engine revs to the next cog up or down automatically

2013 BMW M5

 It's only supposed to do this in comfort and Sport modes, leaving you to demonstrate your heroic helmsmanship in the third, full brain-out Sport Plus mode. But our test car did it even in Sport Plus occasionally. So maybe it steps in when it thinks you are about to make a hash of the change. Which would be often for most people. Which would be often for most people, because it's not the easiest car to drive smoothly until you've sassed all the car's habits. It absolutely rewards good driving technique and make you look like a just-passed learner if you get sloppy. It's the first car in a long time where you actually have to select your shoes carefully, so you can better feel the pedals. But one you do that, the car is transformed. Instead of being an awkward lummox with a bipolar drivetrain, it becomes the fantastically rapid, quick-witted and willing spots saloon an BMW M5 should be. And the best bit about it is that you, the driver, feel absolutely at the very centre of the action. Crucially, even more so than in the twin-clutch model. So start making some noise, Britain- you want this car, too

2013 BMW M5

The BMW M5 Manual Specs

The numbers: 4395cc, V8, RWD, 552bhp, 501lb ft, 19.0mpg, n/a g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 4.2secs, n/a mph, 1988kg

BMW M5 Manual price: $107,695

The Verdict: An unexpected pleasure that should be offered to UK drivers, too. One step closer to a real M-car experience

Subaru Impreza WRX 340R

This is the end of an ear. The 340R is the last fast Impreza we shall ever see in the UK: dwindling demand means Subaru UK won't import any more WRXs when its current stock runs out sometime this spring. Talk about going out with a bang. The 340R is an STI but more so, magnifying everything that we love and loathe about the hot scabby saloon experience

Subaru Impreza WRX 340R

A mere 28,594 Euro buys you a splendid 335bhp-up 39bhp on the standard WRX STI, courtesy of a new exhaust system and ECU tweaks-and a 0-62mph time of under five seconds. That's nearly 70 per cent more power than a Toyota GT86 (not to mention two more driven wheels) for just a couple of grand more. As is customary, all the glorious power arrives in a great spit of turbo silliness, firing you headily down muddy country lanes in a ball of grip-infused, boxer-engined, woolly-steering mania. Flowed? Yes. Fun? Unquestionably. Wondering how Subaru can offer so much power for so little cash? Check the interior.

Subaru Impreza WRX 340R

The doors close with the tinny clang of a can of Aldi beans, the switchgear-though apparently indestructible-has been imported straight from the Nineties. It's easy to find fault with the STI, but the truth is, we'll never see anything like it in the UK again. Sayonara, you turbocharged loon, we’re all going to miss you

Subaru WRX STI 340R Specs

The numbers: 2457cc, 4cyl, 4WD, 335bhp, 361bl ft, 26,9mpg, 243/km Co2, 0-62mph in 4.7secs, 158mpg, 1505kg

The Subaru WRX STI 340R price is from: 28,594 Euro

The verdict: you won't go faster for under 30 grand. And as of this summer, you definitely won't

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

A Porsche that gets 81 miles to the gallon. Good-looking too. And fast. It all sounds like a fairy tale. Shame it's a concept... for now

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

As pretty as the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is to loot at, its styling is not the only story here. It's the new plug-in hybrid electric drivetrain which the sleek new silhouette is hiding that's the main feature. It's entirely possible, if you believe the swirling rumors, that a production version of the car will be built in a few years, but for now you really shouldn't let that knowledge affect your buying decisions. The e-hybrid drivetrain, as Porsche calls it, will debut much sooner. Effectively a thorough upgrade of the existing Porsche parallel hybrid drivetrain found in the current Panamera and Cayenne, e-hybrid swaps the existing nickel-hybrid battery for a much more perky lithium-ion unit. This is almost exactly the same size as the more ploddy ni-hy cell but offers much greater storage capacity. The Li-ion battery offers more of everything you want for a hybrid-faster acceleration, greater range and higher top speed without having to resort to waking up the 333bhp, 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine, a carry-over from the current system

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

The other new element-besides the ability to plug the car into the mains-is the electric motor, which now produces around double the amount of power (95bhp) compared with today's electric engine. This brings the total drivetrain output to a maximum of 416bhp, allows a top all-electric speed (if you feather the right pedal) of over 81mph and increases the maximum all-electric range (not at 81mph, I might add) to about 18 miles. Petrol consumption is a claimed 81mpg. If you just get in the car and start driving, it defaults to all-electric driving as much as possible. This can be overridden by slamming down the throttle, or, more elegantly, by pressing a wheel-mounted button, this allows you to charge up the battery as you zip down to charge up the battery as you zip down the motorway and then cruise into town on a wave of electric silence. Charging using an AC plug takes two and a half hours. In the Sport Turismo, the system worked perfectly, cutting the engine on cue and bringing it back into the game as soon as asked it also demonstrated in bursts of vivid acceleration down a sleepy section of sunset Boulevard with a police escort that it is still very much a Porsche. Its 0-62 mph time is quoted at about six seconds, but it feels faster than that. When fitted to a production Panamera, The sensation will undoubtedly be more muted, but still a significant advance over the current car. It's a pity that Porsche won't do the same for the styling, but with the Panamera Sport Turismo breaking cover, there's hope even that will change for the better soon

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Specs

The numbers: 3000cc, V6 lithium-ion battery, RWD, 416bhp, 428lb ft, 81mpg, 82g/km CO2, 0-62 mph in 6.0secs (est), n/a mph, n/a kg

The price of Panamera Sport Turismo: N/A

The Verdict: impressive Eco figures, and doesn’t lose any Porsche DNA by being green

2013 Honda Civic review

Honda has stopped the rot of terminal boredom and fun is on the horizon

2013 Honda Civic

Here's a précis of the last few Hondas. We've has a hybrid Jazz, the new Civic, The CR-V soft-roader... and now this: a Civic with a new 1.6-litre diesel. Not exactly thrilling, is it? Where's the Type R, the NSX, the joie de vivre? Thing don't look hopeful, because this 1.5 appears to focus on the eco rather than the exciting. At least the figures are mighty impressive: the Civic emits just 95g/km of CO2 (rising to 98g/km if you upgrade to 17in wheels),does 78.5mpg, and offers a glimmer of hope in the stats. It's not just the engine's green credentials’ that are preky- it's also got 118bhp and 221lb ft, which seems like a decent compromise between green and go

2013 Honda Civic

This stuff is important: 1.6-litre diesels are the bread and butter of the European motoring market, and yet Honda- the world's largest engine builder-didn't offer one. That changes now, hopefully creating a car attractive enough for Honda to start siphoning off some profit to throw into developing the more exciting cars. In practice, there's no reason why this new little diesel shouldn't be a shot in the arm for the Civic range. The engine is properly refined, and, because the turbo kicks in from a usefully low 1,400rpm, it's easily punchy enough. About the only time you'll struggle a tiny bit is an long, uphill drags-the extra torque of the 2.2-litre diesel would make all the difference-but overall it's marginal stuff

2013 Honda Civic

And, thanks to the new, long-legged six-speed gearbox, it quietly ticks over at a smidge above 2,00rpm at motorway speeds. The 'box ‘action is as snicky and satisfying as ever. So far, so worthy. But a surprise is coming. Unlike a lot of diesels, it doesn't hate revs, and Honda has lightened the 1.6 to the point where it's 47kg slimmer than the 2.2. Because the engine is so svelte (it's only 20kg heavier than a similarly sized petrol engine), the nose is light and so there's not much under steer. Combine this with the decent torque, a smartly reactive turbo and some sharp steering, and suddenly the 1.6 diesel Civic is alive. It’s no Type R, but at least it feels like there's some sort of engagement. Net result? This Civic is surprisingly fun to drive, But Surely it says something about Honda that a diesel Civic is capable of injecting some mojo back into the brand

Honda Civic Specs

The numbers: 1597cc, 4cyl, FWD, 118bhp, 221lb ft, 78.5 mpg, 94g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 10.5secs, 129mph, 1428kg

Honda civic price: 23,175 Euro