From the archive: on this day in 2006

The unveiling of the Porsche Cayenne as the German marque’s first SUV 21 a long time ago was famously controversial. At the time, we asked different authorities for their views. So, who was prophetic and who’s been built to seem a fool? 

Peugeot designer Keith Ryder reported: “I was expecting anything with a good deal extra character and energy. It’s a disappointment.” 

Model consultant Steve Saxty adopted: “The environment does not require a 450bhp SUV and Porsche doesn’t will need this auto. But it will however offer.” 

Martin Ward, a researcher at Cap, stated: “Why have they carried out it? I just can’t fully grasp. Porsche is fantastic at sports activities cars and trucks, not 4x4s. It is just climbing on a bandwagon.” 

Porsche GB advertising and marketing main Geoff Turral claimed: “Will it dilute the model? It won’t be on a big more than enough scale for that, and the Boxster and 911 are robust sufficient in any case. In any circumstance, like all Porsches, it’ll stay or die by the driving practical experience.” 

Seller Tom Hartley Jr was also favourable, as it would charge significantly less than £50k yet should to be far better to generate than the BMW X5 or Range Rover. 

Maranello Concessionaires exec Philip Mills reported: “The four-wheel-generate sector, and surely the off-highway current market, is just not pertinent for Ferrari or Maserati. There is a risk if a firm moves away from its core market”. Awks… 

And Aston Martin engineer Jeremy Most important stated: “We’d never go into the SUV current market. It’s evidently recognized what an Aston Martin is, and it is not an SUV. The two simply really don’t go collectively.” Awks…

Sixteen-year-previous stuns stars going sideways at Silverstone

In the 2000s, Autocar annually ran the Sideways Obstacle, a working day exactly where our testers and driving stars would convene to see who could hold the finest drift. And in 2002, it was increased as, for the initially time, we invited our viewers along as well. 

The greatest of the 20 was Matt Walton, amazingly aged just 16, so he received to join our testers racers Derek Bell, Anthony Davidson, Tiff Needell, Jason Plato and Frank Stippler rally drivers Jean Ragnotti and Richard Tuthill engineering gurus Chris Porritt and Gavan Kershaw (the reigning champion) and several more. 

Their cars and trucks spanned wildly from the default-choice BMW M3 to Ascar racers to a Bentley Arnage T to a Nissan Navara decide on-up and, erm, a Ford Granada hearse.