Hi everyone, it’s Alistair

Our latest video – a drive of the new BMW iX3 – has got me thinking; how much range does an electric car really need? It’s probably the hottest topic when it comes to EV ownership (along with price and charge speed), but with the iX3 I think we have the answer.

500 miles.

It’s probably overkill, given travelling that far here in the UK would probably take half a day or more. But I think it’s a number big enough to offer total reassurance to the driver. No more wondering if you’ll make it, and probably very little debate as it whether you’ll make it home again too without a top-up.

It’s remarkable to think how quickly we’ve got here. Just a few years ago a fully-charge EV would often indicate sub-200 miles, yet now there are dozens (over 40, in fact) electric cars available in the UK with over 400 miles of claimed range. To eclipse that by a further 25% underlines how impressive BMW’s new tech really is.

Having driven the iX3 for a few hours on the UK launch drive earlier this year, I was shocked to find the car suggest that, if filled back up to 100% again, it would manage more like 520 miles of range. My petrol car – a small but light and efficient Mazda MX-5 – can’t get close to that.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Evoluto had exhumed Enzo himself and paraded him around Maranello, given the response its restored and modified F355 received when revealed in 2025.

But now I’ve spent some time with the car – static, I hasten to add, for now – I think the reaction was overblown.

We’re all very familiar with restomod Porsches – so much so that Singer was the star of the show at Goodwood Festival of Speed last week. But applying the same formula to a Ferrari initially felt like a step too far.

Yet having been shown around the 355 by Evoluto, sat in it, waggled the H-gate gear shifter and admired the craftsmanship on show, it’s hard to fault. Stripped back to the bare shell, then reinforced with carbon fibre and widened to house a broader track at the front and rear, this is an extensive modification project. The bodywork is mostly new (save for the front grille, which being original gets to keep its Prancing Horse badge, the layers say), and the interior is a total blank-slate reworking.

The result is a stunning supercar that retains much of the F355’s silhouette, but broadens its shoulders, updates key elements like external lighting and interior switchgear, and extracts more performance from the V8 engine too.

Add in the (increasingly expensive) donor car, tax and options, and you’re looking at the thick end of a million quid for a modernised version of a car that cost a tenth of that when new. Worth it? Drvn Automotive Group, who are behind Evoluto among other brands, says the 55 available build slots are selling out nicely, thankyouverymuch. One customer bought two.

Are you looking for a new car too? Perhaps you just want to show off your daily drive? Or maybe you’ve simply spotted something cool in the classifieds - get in touch and let me know what you’ve found.

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I’ll feature the best spots and stories in future newsletters.

Don’t judge me. Sometimes Ferraris float my boat, other times it’s a press release about a big new electric car charging station. A balanced diet, you could say.

The release came from GridServe and brought to my attention its massive new Markham Vale Electric Forecourt. This is the fifth such Forecourt charge station, and the largest yet, with 45 ultra-rapid chargers each delivering up to 400 kW of power – good enough for more than 200 miles of range in 10 minutes, GridServe says. Three of those are drive-through for larger vehicles, and three have disabled access, which is something too many EV charge stations forget about.

As well as all those chargers, the pet-friendly station has a retail space with a Costa cafe open 6am to 9pm, free WiFi and a “lounge area” for ploughing through emails or chatting about kilowatts with other EV owners. The whole thing is powered by 100% net zero energy, and the retail space makes use of 138 rooftop solar panels.

I know none of this is sexy, but it’s important and I’m here for it/ Mostly because it’s at Junction 29A of the M1, just south of Sheffield, so I’ll be making use of it every time I drive to my Mum’s house. More of this please!

The kind folk at Porsche GB’s press office kindly gave out a goodie bag to their Goodwood guests last week. It included a cap, some stickers, a copy of a special Porsche edition of The Road Rat - and a little model car.

I don’t know if every guest got the same, but I’m very happy with mine. Rendered in 1/43rd scale, it’s essentially the first Porsche. Receiving its operating permit on 8 June 1948 – generally considered the birth date of Porsche as we know it – the 356 Roadster Nr 1 was a one-off, powered by a modified Volkswagen engine and featuring a unique aluminium body.

It’s a lovely little model that looks perfect on the matching metal foot of my iMac.

You can read more about Porsche Nr 1 here, and buy a model of your own from the Porsche website here.

Thanks for reading The Next Drive. Catch you here next week!

Until then,

Alistair