Tabla de contenidos para November 12, 2025 en Autocar

The next-generation Peugeot 208, set to be the brand’s first car to feature a steer-by-wire system, has been previewed by the new 205-inspired Polygon concept. Measuring just under four metres long, the Polygon is so named because it has a rectangular steering wheel, which is key to the next iteration of Peugeot’s signature i-Cockpit dashboard design. This steering ‘wheel’ is not physically linked to the front wheels mechanically but instead uses electronic connections to transmit the driver’s inputs to the steered wheels. This frees up space to completely reinvent the topology of the dashboard: the wheel is set high on the dashboard and there is no traditional instrument binnacle. Instead, information is projected from inside the dashboard onto the Polygon’s windscreen, giving a display space equivalent to a 31in touchscreen.…

Bentley has revealed the first details of its maiden EV, confirming the new model will be able to take on 100 miles of range in just six and a half minutes – a rate that will make it one of the fastest-charging electric cars on the market when it arrives in 2027. The claim suggests the new EV – what Bentley refers to as a “luxury urban SUV” – could offer charging speeds of up to 350kW. The fastest-charging EV currently on sale in the UK is the Lotus Emeya, which can accommodate speeds of up to 400kW. To achieve such a speed, however, the Bentley will need a compatible charger. Average charger capacity in the UK is around 120kW, with just a few able to provide faster rates. “The…

UK EV start-up Longbow has revealed what it calls a ‘full-speed driving prototype’ of its incoming ultralight electric sports car – and claims to have created it in about one-third of the time it would have taken for a conventional car manufacturer. The first car, an £84,995 Speedster due to reach its first customers at the end of next year, was taken from two-dimensional design sketches to running prototype in just six months – by a company that was only incorporated in 2023. A coupé version of the car, called Roadster, will be built in much higher volume than the Speedster’s initial 150 units and will reach the market about a year after at a lower price of £64,995. Orders for both are being taken now, and the first year’s…

Mercedes-Benz has begun testing the seventh-generation E-Class, a car that will arrive in the UK in 2027 as a replacement for today’s EQE – and it will have an electric range of around 500 miles. It will be sold alongside an updated version of the current sixth-gen E-Class as part of Mercedes’ split line-up approach that began with the September reveal of the GLC EQ. The new E-Class will, in technical terms, be completely unrelated from today’s car, but the pair will share the same name and key styling elements in an effort to bring more parity between the two powertrains and, therefore, increase electric sales. This strategy will allow Mercedes to drop the EQE saloon. Since the model was launched in 2022, it has been perceived as too distinct…

CARLOS TAVARES HAS a new book out. Almost a year on from his departure as Stellantis CEO, the industry’s most high-profile and often most outspoken executive of the past decade has used the autobiography to highlight the real possibility of the break-up of the 14-brand super-company, the creation of which he led just under five years ago. Tavares says in the French-published Un pilote dans la Tempête (A Pilot in the Storm) that daily focus must be given to keeping unity between the French, Italian and US power bases within Stellantis. Fail at that, and the Portuguese floats one of several possible future scenarios of “a Chinese manufacturer one day making a bid for the Europe business with the Americans taking back the North America operations” – following a blueprint…

Garages are arguing that the price of an MOT test should be heavily increased as the government begins a review into the £54.85 fee cap established 15 years ago. However, there are also concerns among some garages that increasing the fee too much will put off drivers and start a price war that will be fiercer than the one seen today. That’s because some centres are willing to take a heavy loss on each test as it is one of the few ways of attracting new customers. The review was sparked by a petition from the Independent Garages Association (IGA), which argued that an increase was needed to reflect rising business costs. “This review represents a crucial opportunity to secure a fairer, more sustainable framework for MOT testing that reflects…

CLIMBING THE LADDER I enjoyed James Disdale’s online article about ‘repmobile royalty’. My first rep job in 1989 came with my predecessor’s 1988 Ford Sierra 1.6 L hatch. Having grown up dirt poor on a council estate, this was quite the step up. Imagine how exciting it was to get a call from the office a few months later saying “you need to be at home next Wednesday: your new car is being delivered”. A white Sierra 1.6 LX hatch duly arrived and I felt like a pools winner. Driving 50,000-60,000 miles per year then, I spent the next seven years enjoying a new car every year or so: a Sierra 1.8 estate, a Vauxhall Astra Estate (eurgh) and a string of Ford Mondeos. Then I got a promotion and…

The idea for a Hyundai Ioniq 6 N has been floating around for some time – since before the regular Ioniq 6 saloon had been revealed, in fact. In 2022, Hyundai presented the RN22e concept – clearly an (at that point still unrevealed) Ioniq 6 in signature Hyundai N blue, with huge power and simulated gears. I remember asking whether it was going to see production. “Maybe,” they said. The tech ended up in the Ioniq 5 N, which garnered praise from almost everyone (including a five-star road test from Autocar) and showed that the formula has legs. Now it’s time for it to spread to the rest of the Ioniq range. Hyundai’s sporty car department is clearly very eager to N-ify everything, because the Ioniq 6 N is based…

“Full paddle-shift manual control of battery regeneration makes for perfect drivability” This is Kia’s new European markettargeted, mid-sized hatchback. The EV4, now touched down in the UK, has come to play the low-rise, eyecatching counterpoint role in its maker’s otherwise SUV-dominated line-up of all-electric options. It is built in Europe (alongside the EV3 at Zilina, Slovakia), and it’s a classically European type of car, insists Kia, so as Europeans we should love it. Except that it’s not at all classic-looking. It’s conventional and unconventional at the same time and a thoroughly progressive prospect in one of the best-established, most mainstream classes of the continental new car market. It is, in short, as challenging a sort of car to think about as it is to look at. As ever when it…

The roll call of cars that were on the scene 50 years ago and which are still being built today is short. It gets shorter still if you stipulate a perfect, unbroken run of production. If you then dismiss those cars whose name has lingered but whose physical form has flitted from one class to another, a mere handful are left to consider. All of them are, at least in automotive terms, household names: Mustang, Golf, S-Class, Land Cruiser, Civic, 911. BMW is possibly unique in that it contributes to the list twice. The 5 Series arrived in 1972 and the 3 Series came along in 1975 (the 7 Series followed in 1977). The impact of both has been colossal, but it is the junior partner, which turns 50 this…

What do the class of 2026 have in common in the new car world? If not too downbeat a hook to draw of originality. But stick with me. There were 29 cars from 23 brands at the annual Tannistest in northern Denmark, a test event to help the 59 Car of the Year (COTY) jurors from 23 countries whittle down a longlist of 35 eligible vehicles (some of them weren’t represented at the event) to a final shortlist of seven, from which the 2026 COTY will be announced in January. And what the Tannistest field showcased is an industry wrestling with parallel investments in EVs and combustion-engined vehicles and no wiggle room to take a risk on something truly new. That’s not to say the cars weren’t any good –…

MILEAGE 3256 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To check in on a car that we really liked and a brand that has gone rather quiet The HR-V has been racking up the miles lately and, by and large, I’m impressed with it as a motorway mile-muncher. But then I’d have been surprised if it wasn’t up to the job. I’ve always been happy enough in small cars on the motorway, so what’s the point in something this (relatively) big if it isn’t a nice place to watch the world slide by at 70mph? The cabin is as quiet as you would hope at motorway speeds, with minimal audible intrusion from either the wind or the road. In fact, it feels almost as peaceful to be in as our departing BMW X3…

PORSCHE 911 3.6 CARRERA 4S 2003, 52,000 miles, £28,995 One of the most desirable derivatives of the 996-gen 911. This Seal Grey example has a full service history and a long MOT. The fragile IMS and RMS have both been upgraded, as has the exhaust for an even sweeter engine note. AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 1964, 47,000 miles, £59,950 This BJ8 (Mk3) version of the sleek British classic was treated to a full bare-metal, nut and bolt restoration a few years ago. The 2.9-litre inline six was also rebuilt and the entire car is said to be original. The seller says it has been little used in recent years but is in perfect order. VOLVO V60 T6 POLESTAR 2014, 64,000 miles, £19,750 Here we have 345bhp, 369lb ft and a 0-60mph time…

One hundred and thirty years: by any measure it’s a fair stretch. Beyond any single human’s existence, it’s a passage of time that’s hard to get your head around. It’s almost ancient history. So any company, organisation or institution that makes it this far deserves a pat on the back. For two to get to the same milestone at more or less the same time demands nothing less than a celebration, which is why we’re here today. You see, back in 1895, in a small town called Mladá Boleslav, located in what is now the Czech Republic, an enterprising bookshop owner called Václav Klement teamed up with meticulous engineer Václav Laurin to set up a factory making bicycles. If their surnames seem familiar, it’s because they’re now used to identify…

Meet Skoda’s CEO Klaus Zellmer, who rose through the ranks at Porsche before becoming Skoda’s boss, talks to Matt Prior about his vision for the brand. Hyundai Ioniq 6 N driven Illya Verpraet puts you in the passenger seat of the N model for the gentleman driver – with 641bhp, 568lb ft and four-wheel drive. Cars that defined office life Join us to celebrate a special era of repdom – the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s – when the difference between L and GL was critical. autocar.co.uk…

THE TOYOTA HILUX, the world’s best-selling pick-up, will be offered with electric power next year for the first time. The EV will arrive as part of the Hilux’s ninth generation and Toyota claims it is the first time an electric powertrain has been fitted within a body-on-frame chassis. Five 16-cell modules are packed into the frame to combine for a capacity of 59.2kWh, enabling a pre-homologated range of 150 miles. While the capacity is smaller than that of rivals, such as the Isuzu D-Max EV’s 66.9kWh pack, Toyota says a bigger battery would have compromised the 2.5-tonne Hilux’s ability. The D-Max, too, offers only 13 miles more range. Drive for the Hilux is provided by a 193bhp dual-motor set-up. Created for Europe, it will be sold alongside today’s hybrid model.…

Critics have lambasted the government’s proposed pay-per-mile tax on EVs, warning that it may put off buyers at a time when car makers are desperately attempting to ramp up sales to hit mandated targets. Reports suggest chancellor Rachel Reeves will, in her budget later this month, introduce a levy of 3p per mile driven in an EV as part of an effort to plug the gap in fuel duty revenues caused by the transition away from petrol and diesel cars. The charge will be in addition to the £195 vehicle excise duty that EV owners are required to pay annually. The measure is set to be introduced in 2028, pending a public consultation. It could raise £1.8 billion a year by the early 2030s. A government spokesperson told the BBC…

THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP will continue to restructure its business in a bid to stay competitive after recording what its financial boss called an “unsustainable” drop in profits for the first nine months of 2025. The German giant, whose brands include Audi, Porsche and VW, posted a 58% drop in profits to £4.8 billion, down £6.5bn year on year, leaving it with a pretax profit margin of 2.3%. “This is not sustainable for our business model,” said CFO Arno Antlitz. He attributed the profits drop to a downturn in sales in China, the recent £6.6bn restructuring at Porsche and US import tariffs. The tariffs are expected to cost the group £5.3bn by 2027. To improve its future profitability, the group will continue with its heavy cost-saving measures, which began last year.…

SPECIAL ISSUE BRITAIN’S BEST DRIVER’S CAR 2025 It’s the showdown of the year, involving Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Lamborghini and more. Ten great enthusiast cars, one winner VERDICT ASTON MARTIN DBX S Luxury SUV with a wild 717bhp is tested on UK roads for the first time EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE VAUXHALL MOKKA GSE Sporty crossover is the brand’s fastest EV yet. Is it also its best? USED GUIDE MAZDA 2 A supermini that keen drivers will enjoy. Here’s how to get it for £3k…

Honda’s UK boss Rebecca Adamson says the new Super-N is not intended to be a successor to the handsome yet short-lived E – despite the obvious visual and conceptual links. She acknowledges that it’s still a “very funky, cute Honda” but insists it’s not based on the E “in any way”. Instead, Honda’s second take on a quirky electric city car for the UK is a hot version of the N-One E it sells in Japan – a model that’s based on the petrol-powered N-One kei car. The long and (very) short of it is that the Super-N measures just 3.4m long, weighs a little over 1300kg, seats four and looks oh-so-adorable, even in the feistier performance garb it will wear in the UK as part of a raft of…

There remain some at BMW who still rue the company’s decision not to follow up the M1 supercar of 1978 with a second generation model. And perhaps then a third, fourth and fifth. They believe such a lineage would have stood the company in excellent stead, because – hey, look what Porsche achieved from a brand perspective with the timeless 911. You can imagine how delighted these people were when mutterings on another M-bespoke creation – the very first since the M1 – began to circulate in the 2010s. It’s also not hard to imagine how disheartened they were when it became obvious that this car would in fact take the form of a large, hybridised SUV. We would be lying if we said we didn’t share some of that…

“Is the M50 good enough to act as the performance X3? Yes” WHY WE RAN IT To find out if this version is good enough to be the performance X3 I thought I’d like this. But I really, really liked it. And I’m not the only one. The BMW X3 M50 was by far and away the most requested car on the long-term fleet over the past few months and has been all across London, a bit of Derbyshire and the entirety of Wales as well as France, Belgium and the Netherlands. You’ll see just to the right of these words that Sam Phillips became a big fan when he nabbed the keys off me for a week. James Attwood took it on a European road trip with three passengers and…

What’s the best Porsche ever made? Some will say it’s a million-pound hypercar; others will argue for a leggy, 20-year-old 911 with a manual gearbox; and some will even point to one of the SUVs that have kept the company afloat through thick and thin. They’re all strong arguments, but to enjoy that coveted blend of performance, refinement, usability and dependability that Porsche serves up so well, you’d struggle to do better than a 718 – probably the best way you could spend £25,000. That’s the catch-all model name for the fourth-generation Boxster and its coupé sibling, the Cayman (actually on its third generation), which, after 10 years of production, are bowing out to make way for an electric successor (ICE power will live on in some “top versions”). So…

“When you’re a car enthusiast, you’re always looking around for your next purchase.” So says Shan Habib, but perhaps not even he could have believed what a corker of a car he eventually stumbled on. “I have a Maserati Gransport and had always wanted a Merak,” he says. “Then this came along, advertised in the owners’ club…” ‘This’ is a Maserati Merak SS, sister car of the Bora but with a 3.0-litre V6 engine instead of the Bora’s 4.7 V8. Being the sportier SS version, it’s 50kg lighter than the standard Merak and has three larger carburettors plus a higher compression ratio, which together boost power from 185bhp to 215bhp. The shorter V6 engine allowed Maserati to increase the car’s cabin space and make it a 2+2. It looks similar…

LAURIN & KLEMENT ARRIVES In the early days of motoring, it was even more important than it is today for a new brand to demonstrate its cars’ capabilities in order to gain the trust of potential buyers, such was the vast spread of manufacturers and the great variances in their mechanical ideas. Laurin & Klement’s British agents relied on the standard method of long-distance runs. In April 1907, Autocar reported that one WE Burkin was “touring the provinces in an 8hp L&K, giving demonstration and trial runs to prospective purchasers” and the Bohemian car “has been running remarkably well and has shown itself capable of making a high average speed”. Within weeks, we verified such reports ourselves, joining a two-car run from L&K’s London depot to Holyhead on Anglesey. We…

1902 It took three years from the day that Václav Laurin and Václav Klement began making motorised bicycles in the faraway Kingdom of Bohemia for mention of their names to be made in The Autocar. A London dealer of Benz cars had imported their 2bhp creation and sought to show off its capabilities in a reliability trial to Oxford. “The Hewetson Motor Bicycle is beating all competitors,” claimed the advert. “Stopped and withdrew at 11.5 miles owing to short circuit” was the reality. 1908 Through 1908 we were intrigued by reports of a little fourcylinder Laurin & Klement car triumphing in hillclimbs on the continent. In December, the factory test driver, German Otto Hieronimus, rocked up at Brooklands and established a class record for a flying half-mile at 73.77mph. “Its…

The Range Rover Evoque will be reinvented for its third generation with electric power when it arrives later this decade as the final piece in an overhauled Range Rover line-up. The new Evoque will be underpinned by JLR’s Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA), which will make its debut under the new Range Rover Velar next year. Like its larger stablemate, the next-gen Evoque is expected to go on sale initially as an EV – a move seen as vital to keeping the nameplate alive well into the next decade and beyond. However, whereas the Velar is set to undergo a radical repositioning, the Evoque will remain as the entry point in the Range Rover line-up, given its popularity with buyers. This is especially true in the UK, where it has been…

Renault is looking to create a range of variants for its new Twingo and they could include an open-top model. Brand boss Fabrice Cambolive mooted plans to sell it with the same canvas roof that will soon be offered on the 4. Unlike a conventional sunroof, the canvas rolls all the way to the C-pillar to create an open-top effect. “For this [car], it would be very good,” said Cambolive but he added that such a model was not in the brand’s immediate plans. Asked about further variants, such as a possible successor to the 2008 Twingo Renaultsport 133, Cambolive said: “It’s too soon to say.” While he didn’t rule it out, he added: “We don’t have any project [planned right now] but what for sure is important is this…

NISSAN SAYS CAR makers should not be mandated to use exclusively battery-electric powertrains. Speaking to Autocar, the company’s chief performance officer, Guillaume Cartier, said advanced hybrid systems should instead be the route forward, and he highlighted Nissan’s e-Power hybrid drivetrains as a system that could play an important role in reducing European car emissions. The e-Power concept works like a range-extender powertrain, with an engine used as a generator for a small battery, which in turn powers an electric motor – so the car drives on electric power but is fuelled by petrol. Cartier said e-Power will play a key role in increasing Nissan’s electrified sales mix while uptake of pure-EVs lags behind previous forecasts. “You have the ‘EV-ness’ but you don’t have the range anxiety,” he said. Cartier said…

NEW PILOT STEPS UP NISSAN’S FOCUS ON AUTONOMY WITH THE PROSPECT of autonomous cars for all looming eventually (please form an orderly queue), it’s easy to forget that robot taxis are already on the streets in various locations – and have been for a while. Nissan recently announced the launch of an ‘autonomous mobility service pilot programme’, starting in Yokohama, Japan, on 27 November and running until 30 January. The trial will use five autonomous Serena Minivans, which will be monitored at a control centre in the Minato Mirai district close to where the minivans will be running. Operational services will be launched in early 2027, with 300 members of the public recruited as ‘general monitors’. Nissan first showcased its latest autonomous drive (AD) technology in March. The pilot scheme…

THE UK CAR industry has warned that ending employee car ownership schemes (ECOS) could cost more than £1 billion in lost revenue, throttle used car sales and put 5000 manufacturing jobs at risk. ECOS is operated mainly by car makers and dealers and allows employees to buy brand-new cars at greatly reduced prices. The scheme accounts for around 100,000 registrations every year. But because they do not pay benefit-in-kind tax or national insurance contributions, the UK government says ECOS is unfair and has pledged to scrap it from 6 April 2026. The Treasury estimates that taxing ECOS cars as employee benefits would raise £275 million. However, the SMMT said shutting down ECOS will “put these vehicles out of reach for most workers and reduce a crucial supply of new and…

Having reached the grand old age of 77, I have just achieved a lifetime’s ambition of buying my first Ferrari: a beautiful Portofino in Rosso Corsa with tan leather interior and all the bits. Despite owning well over 60 cars in my busy lifetime and even writing a book on the subject, this latest purchase seems to have created controversy and distress among the majority of my family and friends who are not themselves of the petrolhead variety. I’ve owned many Porsches, Bentleys and Aston Martins, none of which seemed to cause any concern, but the sight of yours truly driving the new sonorous, bright red beast has provoked both disgust and disdain in equal measure among these individuals. They state unequivocally that I am much too old to be…

Save up to 20% extra! Take advantage of our Christmas Early Bird offer and buy a gift subscription from just £30.99 for 13 issues, saving £33 on the shop price. Crafted exclusively for those who live and breathe cars, Autocar is the present that will rev up their festive season. TIME-LIMITED EARLY BIRD OFFER ENDS 1 DECEMBER Order today Call 0344 848 8807 quoting X25EBPA Visit www.themagazineshop.com/X25EBPA/aca See great offers on our other titles at themagazineshop.com SAVE 52% IF YOU ORDER BY 1 DECEMBER TERMS AND CONDITIONS This is a UK-only offer; for overseas offers, please visit themagazineshop.com/X25EBPA/aca or call +44 (0) 1604 251 461. All savings are based on the UK cover price of £4.99 and is correct as of November 2025. Please allow up to 35 days for delivery…

Renault’s Sportage rival, the Austral, has had a mid-cycle update. You’ll recognise it by the new headlights, which trade the distinctive ‘C’ shape of the original for slimmer main units and Scenic-style light-up sideburns. More interesting, though, are the technical changes. For a model’s mid-cycle update, manufacturers will usually try to draw our attention with some sort of new feature. Hark! Our suspension is now 20% smoother and the infotainment is 15% faster. Not so with the facelifted Austral. It was launched with four-wheel steering on the posher versions – quite an advanced feature for a car in this class. That has now gone, along with the rear multi-link suspension. Good riddance, I say, because in an unusual twist, de-contenting has made the Austral a better car. The original was…

A British Isles crew kept up the best traditions of entente cordiale on the recent FIA e-Rallye Monte-Carlo as they twirled a pretty, French blue Alpine A290 GTS around some of the world’s most famous rally stages. Richard Crozier and co-driver Craig Parry joined forces for the first time to dive into the oldest, most prestigious and best-established eco rally, and they emerged with tired smiles, a clutch full of memories and a taste for more. Remarkably, this was the 30th edition of Monte Carlo’s e-Rally, the jewel of the FIA’s Bridgestone Eco Rally Cup. A bumper 62 entries lined up, representing 18 nations and 17 car marques, competing over 231km of regularity stages and a total distance of 1078km. Crozier is an 18-year rally veteran and clerk of the…

MILEAGE 2350 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Because it might just be the most fun car you can drive at any speed How wet do you get when a Morgan Super 3 gets wet? It’s a situation with which I’m becoming increasingly familiar. That the nights have drawn in, my gutters are overflowing and the garden is soggy can mean only two things: it’s officially late autumn and I’ve still got a hosepipe ban. This is the time of year when people tuck away classic cars for the winter and, if I ever untucked mine in summer, I suppose I would too. My motorbike will be mostly looking at the inside of a tarpaulin until spring. But the Morgan is still sitting outside – until they come and take it back…

AN OWNER’S VIEW MATTHEW TOWNSEND “I bought a new 2.0-litre Boxster and I’m glad I did: they don’t cost much more than they do used and most others are automatic. The car feels very lightweight pushing on, the engine sounds good for a four-cylinder, the gearchange is amazing and it has buttons for everything so I can press them with gloves on when the roof is down in the cold.” BUYER BEWARE… ■ WARRANTY So far, the 718’s reliability record has been nearly impeccable, but nevertheless it’s worth taking out a warranty, because parts and labour are very expensive. Porsche Approved Used cars will be sold with one, and are thoroughly checked over prior to sale. ■ BODY Visibility is poor, the body is low and parking sensors weren’t standard.…

The boss’s people are worrying that the library in Loucen Castle looks too stuffy for a company whose design language is as modern as Skoda’s. But it’s a wonderfully atmospheric old room and the acoustic is lovely. And given I’m recording my talk with Skoda’s CEO Klaus Zellmer (find it at your favourite podcast provider), into the library’s comfortable armchairs we settle. It’s almost a given that big company CEOs are straight-talkers, but Zellmer brings a warm approachability, too. Maybe it’s the brown corduroy suit and wing-backed chair combo, or the incongruity of a castle tour going on just outside the door – a party of pensioners ascend the stairs with hushed voices and wearing soft over-slippers. We’re a mere half hour from Skoda’s vast industrial complex in Mladá Boleslav,…

As the boss says (p12), there’s “nothing that Skoda has not done yet”. This 130-year-old company founded by Václav Laurin and Václav Klement in Mladá Boleslav, then in the Kingdom of Bohemia, started out making and repairing bicycles but soon after added huge diesel static engines to its remit, their castings poured near the entrance of what is still today the wonderfully atmospheric Skoda museum. The city is still Skoda’s headquarters. The base then remains the base now. In 1905 came the first car; it’s believed two working examples are still in existence and one is today phutting around the castle yard where I’m standing next to some other classic Skodas. Soon L&K was the biggest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary. But when we talk broad remits, it’s worth remembering that…

I don’t quite catch the number on which one of the 13 gates that lead into Skoda’s Mladá Boleslav factory we enter by. But as we do, we drive into a car plant that’s bigger than Monaco. Not just this Czech city but this very site has been home to Skoda – or Laurin & Klement as it was in 1895 – for 130 years. Today, the original factory buildings house a museum and cafe. There are exposed beams and wooden floors and it’s atmospheric in a way that is of course impossible to replicate in the vastness of a facility that can turn out up to 4000 cars a day. In 1895, around 15,000 people lived in the town. Today, nearly 30,000 of the 40,000-plus work at Skoda alone. On…