Hi everyone, it’s Alistair

Our latest video has just gone live, and it’s the very definition of a smash-and-grab. I only had a few minutes to record a video of the new BMW iX5, which had just been revealed at BMW’s Spartanburg factory in South Carolina. I was there with just two other UK journalists, and we saw every version of the new X5, including the electric iX5, hybrid X5 and even one powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

I hope this hands-on video gives you a good first impression of the new car – and goes some way to explain how those crazy new door handles work. Do you think BMW’s new ‘door winglets’ are genius, or just another piece of tech to go wrong? Let me know in the poll below.

A McLaren F1 GTR formerly owned by Nick Mason – petrolhead, drummer from Pink Floyd, God-tier car collector – is going to auction. I actually thought it was Nick himself selling the car, but a bit of digging around on Instagram revealed he sold the car in 2024, and it’s now being moved on again.

Valued by RM Sotheby’s in excess of $35 million, this is a very famous car, even by McLaren F1 standards. Known as the Pop-Art F1, it’s one of only two GTR Short-Tail prototypes and was kept by McLaren from new, then sold to Nick Mason in 1999.

It was converted for road use by Lanzante Limited and enjoyed by Nick on several driving tours organised by the 106 Drivers Club – yup, that’s the rarified world of the McLaren F1 owners club. Nick pranged the car during a demo lap at Goodwood in 2017, after which it was given its second full restoration to as-new condition, and was sold to the current owner two years ago.

To be auctioned in Monterey on 15 August, it’ll no doubt be a star of this year’s Monterey Car Week.

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.

The automotive world was caught off-guard this week when JLR announced a new member of the Range Rover family. It’s called the GT, for grand tourer, and is a fully-electric SUV coupe that’ll likely slot in-between the Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Sport.

Crucially though, it’ll likely square up against the upcoming Jaguar Type 01. Both are oversized electric grand tourers that promise luxurious interiors and refined, comfortable long-distance travel. And they both come from JLR.

I’ve said for years that the biggest problem with Jaguar is that JLR can’t simply make a Range Rover saloon car, because if you take away the off-roading credentials you take away too much of its identity. And, plainly, you can’t call it a Rover. So this is the answer; a slightly less tall Range Rover with a sloping coupe roofline and electric drivetrain – but which, the company says, can accommodate a hybrid system for future flexibility.

It’ll be built in the UK and use the EMA platform that’ll also likely underpin the upcoming ‘Defender Sport’.

Where does this leave Jaguar? Honestly, I’m not sure. I suspect the Range Rover GT will be cheaper than the Type 01, so that’ll potentially stop any cannibalisation. But it’s an intriguing move all the same.

You should all be subscribed to the Hagerty YouTube channel, because despite being best know as an American car insurance firm, they produce some of the best automotive videos around.

I particularly enjoy the videos on car culture by photographer Larry Chen (whose own channel is worth a sub, too), and his latest is a lovely deep dive into Tuthill, the Porsche specialist. It runs to 80 minutes, so carve out some time this weekend, put it on the TV and treat it as a proper documentary. Because that’s really what it is.

Tuthill has been building race and rally Porsche 911 for decades, and recently wowed us all with the 911K, a classic 911 that weighs just 850 kg and revs to 11,000 rpm. Imagine!

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

Until then,

Alistair