Hi everyone, it’s Alistair

We’ve got plenty of new content to share with you from The Next Drive this week. First there’s a review of the 2026 Jeep Compass by Mark. In a world of luxury SUVs, it’s actually quite refreshing to see a chunky off-roader with a sensible price tag and, as Mark says, it’s full of character too. I’m not quite sold on that bright green paint option, but what do you think?

This week we also have a first-drive of the new BYD Atto 2 DM-i. Mark undertook this smash-and-grab operation, bagging some time in the car during the UK launch event.

BYD calls it the “first credible PHEV compact SUV” and no, we don’t know what that means either. Creditability rating aside, it’s actually a rather good car with a competitive price, an interior that feels better than some other BYD offerings, and the ability to drive a car that spends most of its time being an EV, but with the reassurance of a fuel tank too.

Pixar’s new Toy Story 5 film is out later this month, and to celebrate Porsche has created a set of three unique 911 sports cars. With liveries inspired by Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, the trio have been extensively personalised through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch (special wishes) department.

Buzz Lightyear gets a full-fat 911 GT3 RS with Weissach Package and forged magnesium wheels, while Jessie gets a 911 Targa 4 GTS with a red roof to match her hat. Woody’s ride is a 911 Carrera T – I always knew he loved a manual gearbox – with a custom blue paint with artificial patina designed to mimic a pair of well-worn jeans, plus black and white cowhide floor mats.

All three cars are utterly unique and will be sold for charity.

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.

I should confess straight away that the answer is no. But BYD has just overtaken Ford, became the world’s biggest electric car company (by sales) last year when it overtook Tesla, and sales outside of China are up 80% this year already.

BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said this week how the company “will truly become the number one automaker globally in terms of scale in five years.”

To do that, it’ll have to overtake current leader Toyota, which sold 11.3 million vehicles worldwide in 2025, far ahead of the 4.8 million sold by BYD, which is in sixth place. It’s a remarkable achievement, especially given BYD’s annual sales were under a million just five years ago.

Meanwhile, expansion outside of China is set to accelerate too – especially in Europe and here in the UK. BYD’s international boss Stella Li said this week how the company plans to start building cars in Europe, at a factory in Hungary later this year.

Say what you like about budget EVs from China, but BYD has momentum on its side and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. The company is about to bring its premium Denza brand to the UK, where it’ll challenge Audi and BMW, plus its ultra-fast Flash Charging EV charge network is coming here soon too, with the promise of filling batteries from 10 to 70% in just five minutes – and for less money than other networks, too.

Normally I spend much of the first half of every year thinking Le Mand feels ages away. But for 2026 the world’s biggest 24-hour endurance race seems to have arrived out of nowhere. I’ll blame the puppy taking up all of my free time…

I absolutely love Le Mans. It’s a must-watch for me every year, whether it’s with friends, on my own, or at the circuit itself. I was lucky enough to attend with Aston Martin last year, driving down to France in AM’s UK press fleet, helicoptering into the circuit on race day, cheering on their pair of Valkyrie racers and drinking enough free Bollinger to sink an oil tanker.

This year, I’ve accidentally invited friends over for the weekend. Friends who don’t care much for racing at all, let alone 24 hours of it. Nevertheless, I’ve stumped up 18 quid for the FIA WEC+ live stream and will be watching as much as I can while trying my best with the barbecue. I’ll be supporting Ferrari in the Hypercar class, but with a watchful eye on Aston Martin, plus the newcomers Genesis, and Formula Academy star Doriane Pin in the LMP2 run by Duqueine Team.

I can’t wait to settle down on Saturday night. Lights low, a box of those little, weak French beers in the fridge, the constant sound of distant cars caught by the surround sound speakers and, hopefully, a Le Mans to remember. And with the puppy’s current 4am wake uptime, I might catch a good few hours of the morning too.

The entire race, plus practice and qualifying sessions, and onboard live feeds too, is available from https://plus.fiawec.com and a weekend pass costs £17.99.

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

Until then,

Alistair