Motoring

BMW 4-series review: An executive lounge on wheels that hits 60mph in seven seconds with room for the golf clubs

James Fisher beats the lockdown blues as he reviews the new BMW 4-series in Suffolk.

16 top notch places to stop, just off the motorway

The summer holidays approach and, with them, the prospect of motorway hell. It doesn’t have to be that way, says Jason Goodwin, who presents his favourite civilised pitstops.

Continuation cars: The classics built by hand, from scratch and brand-new in 2021

Time travel is afoot in England’s storied car factories, which are revisiting their greatest hits. But are these remakes the real deal, asks Adam Hay-Nicholls.

A Great British holiday on wheels? What it's like spending four days in a Ford Nugget campervan

The boom in British holidays has brought a boom in the number of people getting campervans such as the Ford Nugget — but what are they like for those who've never holidayed in one? Toby Keel found out.

Toyota Hilux: The vehicle built for farmers' fields, school runs and surviving the end of the world

Between lockdowns last year, James Fisher took a Toyota Hilux fishing. He was impressed.

One man, two Hondas, and a major life decision to be made

Should cars be about fun or function? James Fisher faced this common motoring dilemma when choosing between the Honda Jazz and the Honda Civic Type-R, one that he somehow turned into a literal journey of self-discovery.

Curious Questions: How did a car-mad racing driver come to invent the speed camera?

Speed cameras have been a fixture of British roads for three decades, but they've been around far longer than that. Martin Fone finds out more about how they came about — and, ironically, how it was a speed-loving racing driver who is responsible for their creation.

Curious Questions: Who made the first proper car journey?

The man who invented the very first motor car didn't think it would be able to survive a long-distance car journey. Luckily, his wife had more faith, as Martin Fone discovered when he investigated the tale of Bertha Benz.

Where I work: Michael Bryden, Rolls-Royce bespoke designer

11 hauntingly beautiful pictures of dogs in cars from one of the most unusual and touching books of the year

A fascination with dogs and cars has prompted photographer Martin Usborne to produce a beautiful, unusual and gently haunting book.

Is it time for Londoners to stop owning cars?

Country Life's Rosie Paterson loved the freedom her first car offered her, and clung on to it even when moving to London. But when she waved goodbye, she ended up wondering if she'd really needed it after all.

Grabbing a slice of mid-winter sunshine, with golf, biking and a Ford Puma

Yes, a short break to the sun at this time of year is an indulgence — but it's one which will do wonders for your state of mind, says Toby Keel.

Toyota Supra: An invitation to a very special club, where fast and furious is the order of business

Banning sale of fossil fuel cars from 2035 is the right thing to do — but countryside pressures could keep the diesel pumping for decades after that

The future of cars is electric — can ONLY be electric, eventually — but the timetable for us to switch over could take a lot longer than you might think. We take a look at the ramifications of the government's 2035 deadline for banning the sale of diesel and petrol-powered automobiles.

Why automobile-inspired interiors are creeping into the family home

Furniture designers still have much to learn from the automotive industry.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan: Audacious, outrageous, stupendous and luxurious

Charles Rangeley Wilson tries out Rolls-Royce's new SUV and declares it to be the best of all the cars he's reviewed for Country Life, winning out over the other Rolls models for 'sheer chutzpah'.

Caterham 360R: The whiff of nostalgia in a modern car which reminds us what driving is meant to be

Who needs sat nav and fancy stereos when you've piloting a lightweight rocket? Not me, says James Fisher, after a long weekend behind the wheel of a Caterham Seven.

The absurd driving aids of the modern car that are, at best, annoying — and at worst, downright dangerous

Our motoring guru Charles Rangeley-Wilson laments the growing number of cars’ automated features–from lane assist to emergency braking and too-sensitive boot-closing devices–that drive him mad.

How a mix of new-look cars and old favourites saw Rolls-Royce buck the trend of the British car industry

Rolls-Royce smashed its car sales record in 2019, and with Bentley also doing well it seems that better times are ahead for the British motoring industry.