IT'S the electric mopeds that want you dead. They bolt from pedestrian walkways, arbitrarily pelt across traffic lights, over- and undertake in vicious little chattering packs. Some have metre wide boxes strapped to the back, delivering items too big for a top box and too heavy for their own good. One was carrying a small coppice of 2.5m lengths of bamboo strapped to the side, like some lumberjack knight ready to lance the unwary. Even for cars, rights of way are fickle, vague and open to interpretation. And beyond all reasonable expectation... it kind of works. But for a time dilated foreigner, downtown Shanghai in rush hour is still a throb of culture shock.
It doesn't help that I'm in an MG Cyberster, the kind of two-seat convertible sports car that isn't hugely common in Shanghai, or China in general, and you've never known fear until you've had a near-disastrous head-on collision with a man in an extended wheelbase Passat who then points at the car and gives you a calm wave. The six hours I spent getting a -very-temporary driving licence was pointless. I'd have been better going straight to therapy. Or possibly basic training.
But here we are in MG's little disruptor, and it feels good. An electric two-seat convertible sports car out and about way in advance of offerings like Porsche's EV Boxster or Polestar's 6, never mind the Tesla Roadster. A car that, at a starting price of around £50k in the UK, will be multiples cheaper than any of them. First impressions? It's comfy. It rides well. The interior quality is right up there and it has properly amazing graphics on the screens. The roof is super fast and laughably one-touch simple. This is no joke, no matter how many people want it to be.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mi5 SILENT, POSH AND LETHAL!
With its reimagined design language, BMW has done what it does best-divided opinion with the kind of fervour usually reserved for debates about pineapple on pizza.
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VOLKSWAGEN VIRTUS GT PLUS SPORT: SEXY+SPORT
Volkswagen has a knack for keeping their loyal and enthusiastic customers grinning from ear to ear. The German manufacturer has almost become synonymous with build quality, safety and performance.
BE GE AND XEV 9E Sexy and Ballsy!
Starting a review can be quite a challenge, especially when it's hard to pinpoint the flaws!
CAPTURING THE ESSENCE
Chilly, cold mornings and Mumbai is a rare combination that we seldom see in this part of our beautiful country.
BATTLE OF TWO GOLIATHS
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THE E-MPV THAT DARES TO DREAM BIG
The MPV market, dominated for aeons by Toyota's Innova, has always felt like a rather predictable place. It's the type of vehicle you buy not out of passion but practicality-like a pair of orthopaedic shoes.
IMPRACTICAL YET IRRESISTIBLE
Exactly ten years ago, I took my first international trip. It was to Bahrain, a country of endless desert and skyscrapers, where my aunt and uncle lived. Among their friends and neighbours, one particular gentleman, upon learning I was a budding petrolhead, took an entire day off work to take me around the city’s showrooms to see some “normal” Middle East traffic.
