TOO MUCH POWER + GOODBYE MITSUBISHI + JAG’S GLORIOUS XJ

Worthy winner

I had to read the letter from Paul Knight in your September issue twice. He says he’s read this magazine for 35-odd years and is surprised that a BMW M5 won a Giant Test. It’s called CAR magazine, not Trainers/Bicycle Monthly. I’ve also been reading CAR for over 30 years and won’t be changing it any time soon.

I think most of the regular readers understand that things need to change climate wise, but it’s refreshing that you still look at the enjoyment of cars over political opinions.

Peter Stockley

Ready when you are

When I was growing up (some while ago, to be honest), one of the recurring story ideas in the comics I used to devour involved a spectator at a big football match getting summoned on to the pitch to help his team out when through some utterly implausible sequence of events they found themselves down to 10 men with no substitutes. And of course he just happened to have taken his boots with him to the game.

It’s in much the same spirit that I make sure I’m always packing a notebook, Bic, shades and determined jaw, just in case you ever need a hand with one of your group tests.

A perfect example was the M2 CS (pictured below) vs Cayman GTS vs Alpine A110S vs Evora comparison in your September 2020 issue. What a lineup! And what fine action photography.

It struck me as spot-on the way your writer James Taylor spoke of the di£culty involved in making one of them come last, when clearly they’re all wonderful. ‘Jealous’ doesn’t begin to cover it.

Tony Gri ths

Former glories

When reading about the withdrawal of Mitsubishi from European markets, I started wondering who will ever realise it’s gone? The legacy it leaves behind as a brand is restricted to one out-moded word – Evo – and little else! It makes reasonable vehicles but that evidently is no longer enough, and volume (and the profitability which comes with it) is the new name of the game.

What other brands are out there whose disappearance wouldn’t be noticed by non-geek petrolheads? How about Seat for starters? Financially secure as part of VW, but what’s the question that Seat is the answer to? Why should VW maintain a brand which is not particularly stylish and just takes sales away from more profitable VW Group offerings?

Roger Blackburn

Grilled banana

I have a 2018 Mercedes E220D, due for replacement in seven months. Looking at the latest photos in CAR,