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The summer of ’25 will mark the debut of an official new Mk1 Ford Escort RS.

Even tapping out that sentence feels surreal, but allowing a little bit of wiggle room for semantics and technicalities, it’s the truth. Every car will even have a fresh VIN stamped into a bona fide, Ford-signed plate beneath its featherlight carbonfibre bonnet. 

Each of the 150 examples aims to be a spiritual and mechanical successor to the Escort RS2000 of 1968, to the extent that the chassis numbers will pick up where the old-timers’ once ended.

It’s all being masterminded by Coventry-based Boreham Motorworks, which is more than just an evocative name and striking typeface.

Boreham is a sub-division of newly formed mothership DRVN Automotive, which has lately brought together a gaggle of expert white-label engineering firms with the vision of creating the ultimate throwbacks (the ‘355 by Evoluto’ is also DRVN’s handiwork).

Boreham will be remastering a selection of household-name fast Fords from the past, having last year negotiated a decade-long brand-licence agreement with Ford. The Escort and RS200 will be the first two projects to break cover. And then? You can guess.

The main point – and the pivotal factor in Ford’s decision to get on board with the initiative – is that the cars are being manufactured to contemporary OEM levels of fit, finish and materials quality.

Think computer-aided design-engineering based on laser-scanned original blueprints; modern tolerances; wildly evocative, neo-analogue powertrains that capture the fierceness of yesteryear, only with today’s high precision, high output and, of course, reliability.

Images of the reborn ‘Escort Mk1 RS’ have already drenched the internet so you’ll have seen how Boreham Motorworks is balancing current aesthetic cues with a body that is period sympathetic in its dimensions.

The look of the car is the work of Wayne Burgess, of Jaguar F-Type and Aston Martin DB9 renown, though Ford’s former VP of design, J Mays, has stuck his head into the studio. All of which is very interesting and, assuming you have £295,000 going spare, nice to know.

But then why, you’re possibly wondering, do the photos on these pages show a Group 5 Escort racer by Alan Mann Racing (AMR) being hustled along, jaw-droppingly pretty as it is?

In short, this is where the fun starts. While Boreham is putting the finishing touches to the road-going ‘Mk1 Escort RS’ we’ll get to drive this summer – perfecting the retro-modern cabin, finalising the damper tune and administering a chef’s kiss to the intake roar of what promises to be a 10,000rpm mill, good heavens – that car’s DNA can already be found in this 1968 AMR Escort, winner of the British Saloon Car Championship in the hands of Aussie motorsport renaissance man Frank Gardner.

Except, of course, it isn’t the real McCoy. It’s a prototype for the 24 doppelgänger continuations Boreham will build alongside AMR, arguably the authority on historic racing Fords and headed up by Alan’s son, Henry.

This track-only Ford Escort Alan Mann 68 Edition uses the same body as the upcoming restomod road car so has benefited from the new jigs and tooling.

But unlike the road car, it comes ready to race with all its period accoutrements and old-world mechanicals (albeit remanufactured), plus an FIA technical passport.

Cartoonish gold-red livery gleaming, it’s charming to a fault, and Boreham will support owners with everything from gaining a race licence to providing a pit crew at established historic racing events.

Though Boreham’s road and racing cars bear little similarity beyond the dainty shell and mechanical layout, there’s an element of historical symmetry in launching the racer first.

Mann Sr first prepared the Mk1 Escort for racing duties in 1968 but it was another two years until the hot Escort RS1600 hit dealerships.

Now, as then, road car follows race car. What’s more, while the original Group 5 Escorts were concocted in AMR’s Byfleet workshop, final assembly now takes place just around the corner, at the firm’s modern base in Chobham.

Even without the bulging trademark Alan Mann arches and the promise of an 8200rpm redline (9200rpm is possible on the hottest cams), this ‘old’ Ford would elicit a tingle of anticipation rarely experienced with modern cars, at least until you get to the extraordinary stuff.

In the pits, Henry assures me the Group 5 car will bear scant relationship to the upcoming road car, not least as it is devoid of vibration damping and, to be period correct, has unservoed brakes. 

It’s simply you, the deeply dished steering wheel and just over 200bhp flowing to the 172mm-wide rear Dunlop crossply tyres through an English axle. Details on the road-going Escort RS remain vague, but we know it will attempt to meld engagement with modern drivability and grip.

Think Quaife diff, coilovers, trick ECU and 225-section rear tyres of a modern compound. No ABS, traction control or power steering, mind you.

For our racing car today, the coup de grâce lurks in the details. The Tillett buckets and pedal layout are set to Frank’s preferred positions (let me tell you, the great man worked hard for his rev-matched downshifts), while the little Bakelite gearknob, which you grasp to fling the H-pattern ’box through its four speeds with surprising ease and accuracy, is from his very car, XOO 349F.

Henry admits this continuation effort, while objectively more exciting to drive than the original, doesn’t have the same aura as 349F (how could it?), though it still feels very evocative to me.

It helps when the big oil light ahead of you on the dash is purloined from a GT40, as it would have in period.

For this prototype, it’s an item AMR had in its bin of rare parts, though for the perfectly finished 24 customer cars, it will be remanufactured – along with the door handles and other touchpoints – to look authentic but have 2025 build quality.

Given the only slender parallels between this racer and the upcoming road car, my time on M-Sport’s wonderful test track, where inky black graffiti from shaken-down World Rally cars is still abundant on the circuit surface, is less about journalistic endeavour and more about hedonism.

It starts with the newly minted motor, which is very similar to but usefully torquier than that used in period. It’s a dry-sumped, Lotus-designed twin-cam overbored to 1840cc and inhaling fuel through twin Weber 45 carburettors.

It’s a beguiling device, demanding to live its life beyond 4500rpm and roaring with a gruffness that solidifies into something approaching an outright howl as crank speeds rise, and rise, and rise.

In the road car, you can have the headline-making 10,000rpm, fuel-injected 2.1-litre motor and, with 296bhp on tap, boy is it going to make for an outrageously rapid Escort.

But Boreham will also offer a 1.8-litre twin-cam similar to this one, with the Webers and straight-cut gears. And, actually, I wonder whether that won’t be the format to go for. Choosing would be a lovely problem to have.

While spookily free of rattles and with no signs of period-racer tiredness, dynamically the 68 Edition doesn’t feel at all advanced these days. Hardly surprising. However, back in the late ’60s, the Group 5 warriors were spaceships, with inventive suspension and clever engines.

For an indication of the attention to detail, on the Mann Escorts the mounting points for the Watt’s linkage were repositioned further forward on the differential casing to improve the centre of gravity and roll centre.

Meanwhile, the front linkages borrowed heavily from the know-how of the superstar GT40, with Len Bailey taking the lead on design. He joined AMR direct from the Ford Special Vehicle Operations in Slough, where Ford’s Ferrari-slayer had been developed.

One touching strand of the story is that Jim Rose, who brought much of Bailey’s genius to bear with his world-class fabrication skills, has been involved in the supply for parts for the continuation cars.

As our laps unfold, so does a familiar story when it comes to racing cars (especially old ones). What starts off as a heavy, faintly recalcitrant driving experience morphs into something a bit spiritual as you begin to commit to corners and get the car into that all-important window of adjustability.

That’s no hardship in something this tiny and predictable, however animalistic and intimidating the initial sensory overload.

These front tyres don’t give endless grip to lean on but it doesn’t matter because the back, stiffened for today’s duties compared with a recent outing at fast and flowing Thruxton, loves to rotate.

At the risk of sounding crass, the car wants to be backed in on a trailing throttle, and then comes alive, smudging all four tyres laterally to beautiful effect.

Lurid body roll takes some adjusting to but it turbocharges the fun factor as the 68 Edition throws some outrageous shapes. Then, on the straights, a bit of kerb, greedily taken through a fourth-gear flick-flack, focuses your attention.

With modern suspension you’d breeze through but here there’s a touch of jeopardy underpinning those sugar-sweet looks. I rather like that. And ultimately you can really lay into this continuation in a way you would never in Gardner’s original.

Never mind the lack of roll-cage or fire extinguisher, or the bodily consequences of getting it badly wrong: the thing’s so special it needs to be insured on a fine arts policy. Meanwhile, its progeny has all the safety kit and needs much less maintenance.

Back to the pits. And breathe. What a cracking car. How many of these see gruelling historic racing, and how many will simply function as the ultimate track-day toy, remains to be seen.

Either way, the 68 Edition is a hell of a curtain-raiser for Boreham’s street-legal restomod. That car could – and given the resources behind it, probably should – be extraordinarily special.

Chinese electric car maker Leapmotor will expand its global line-up in the next two years with a pair of hatchbacks and a small SUV.

The firm, which is partnered with Stellantis, currently sells the T03 supermini and C10 SUV in Europe and will add the B10 crossover by the end of the year.

Not long after it launches the B10, Leapmotor will reveal a new Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback called the B05, which will ride on the same platform (dubbed Leap 3.5) and is expected to match its crossover sibling's claimed 650km (404-mile) range. 

There's no word on pricing yet, but the brand's focus on offering high levels of technology and equipment at an accessible price – summarised by its slogan "Excellence within reach" – means it's likely to come in at sub-£30,000.

Leapmotor recently revealed that it plans to have a six-car line-up in the UK by 2027, making it likely that all three of these new EVs will come here, the freshly revealed B01 saloon looking unlikely to be imported.

It remains unclear if Leapmotor will offer any of them with the range-extender powertrain that it has just introduced to the C10, with bosses suggesting it's gauging market reaction to the technology.

The rival to the highly popular MG 4 EV and Volkswagen ID 3 is likely to share its siblings' main design cues, including wraparound light bars, sporting-inspired wheel designs and aero-optimised silhouette, while inside it's set to receive the same 14.6in infotainment touchscreen and focus on high-quality materials.  

Those attributes will also be carried over to a forthcoming entry-level crossover to sit underneath the B10 as a rival to the Renault 4 and Jeep Avenger, dubbed A10.

That car will then spawn its own low-riding hatchback sibling, called the A05. This entry-level model, which could be priced below £20,000, will go up against the Fiat Grande Panda, Citroën ë-C3 and Skoda Epiq. 

Leapmotor's model range expansion comes off the back of rapid growth for the 10-year-old brand, both in its home market and internationally.

Leapmotor says that within 13 days of launching the B10, it had shipped more than 8000 examples - of which more than 95% were specified in the mid-range trim or higher. 

It now has nearly 1500 retail sites worldwide and was the 11th most popular EV brand globally last year. In 2025, it aims to move up to ninth position, then to seventh in 2026, ultimately aiming to become one of the world's five top EV brands. 

Jaecoo and Omoda parent Chery is gearing up to launch its third brand in the UK, called Lepas – with a Dacia Duster rival tipped to arrive later this year.

The Chinese manufacturer, which is the world’s largest exporter of cars, has already had success with its first two ventures in the UK, recording more than 10,000 sales since their arrival last year.

While Jaecoo and Omoda both focus on large, moderately premium SUVs, Lepas is expected to be positioned more towards the value end of the spectrum, with a focus on younger buyers. 

To that end, its UK cars are likely to be rebadged SUVs from sibling Chery brand Tiggo, reports Car Dealer. Tiggo’s range spans from the Ford Puma-rivalling 2 Pro to the Nissan X-Trail-sized 8 Pro. The latter has already spawned Lepas's first car: the L8.

A spokesperson for Lepas told Car Dealer at the Shanghai motor show that while it was “not yet in a position to comment publicly on the specifics” of an expansion to the UK market, “we can confirm that strategic plans are progressing” with “a full update in due course”.

Sources have told the outlet that dealers are already being contacted about selling cars in the UK, with the first UK models set to be in the B-segment.

Their arrival is likely to begin with the Duster-sized 4 Pro, given this car is already sold in right-hand-drive South Africa and Australia. It is unlikely to be joined by the smaller 2 Pro because its platform does not allow for right-hand-drive configuration.

The 4 Pro is sold with either a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in base spec or a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit for top-rung models. The turbo model is more likely to make it to the UK, given emission regulations.

In that spec, the 4 Pro is sold for the equivalent of £13,000 in Australia, although its rebadging, local taxes and import costs are expected to inflate that price. However, like its Jaecoo and Omoda siblings, it will still be positioned to undercut rivals such as Dacia.

Thinking of switching to an electric car? Finding out how much it will cost you to charge is the first answer you need to find out.

Sadly that answer isn’t simple, because it depends on where and how you charge.

Charging at home is usually much cheaper than using public chargers. But even at home, costs vary depending on your energy tariff and the type of charger you install.

Public chargers add another layer of complexity. Prices change based on the charging speed and provider. Fast and ultra-fast chargers are convenient but come at a premium.

Then there's VAT to consider. Home charging is taxed at 5% but public charging is hit with a 20% rate.

Charging comparison

How much will it cost to charge my car at home?

The vast majority of electric car drivers charge at home, where it's not only cheaper to do so but also far more convenient. Even with the recent hikes in electricity prices, you will still be saving cash on every refill compared with a traditional petrol or diesel car.

For example, charging a Kia Niro EV with a 64.8kWh (usable) battery and a claimed 285-mile range at home will cost around £17.50 for a full charge, based on the current capped tariff of 27p (£0.27 x 64.8kWh). This figure assumes you're charging an empty battery to a little short of 100%, but in reality you're likely to be charging from around 20% to 80% – the minimum and maximum amounts for best preserving battery cell life. 

Some energy providers offer special tariffs for electric car owners, providing even cheaper rates for overnight charging. You might see this advertised as off-peak. For instance, E.on gives seven hours of electricity per night at 6.7p/kWh. If you’re able to complete a full 64.8kWh charge solely on that off-peak rate, it would cost less than £5.

Moreover, if your home has solar panels, some chargers can use this ‘free’ energy to charge your EV, further reducing bills. There are even trials running for bi-directional charging that allows you to ‘sell’ any surplus power from your EV back to the grid.

Home charging for company car drivers is more complex, owing to the need to prove how the energy has been used. However, drivers can claim 7p per mile for business trips in electric vehicles, which is the easiest way to avoid administrative headaches.

Home wallbox costs

It's possible to use the factory-supplied three-pin plug charger when refilling your EV's battery cells, but charging times are lengthy and most manufacturers advise this method is for emergency use only. 

Prices vary, but you can expect to pay £500-£1500 for a smart home wallbox that will communicate with your phone, allowing you to control it remotely.

If you're a home owner in a single-unit property and haven’t yet bought an EV, a number of manufacturers are offering a free wallbox and installation when you buy one of their electric models.

Either way, if you’re committed to EV ownership and you have access to a driveway or garage, it’s always best to use a dedicated wall-mounted unit that can charge at up to 7kW, which is more than twice as fast as the three-pin alternative.

There are a number of different manufacturers to choose from, plus a choice of tethered (with a charging cable permanently attached) or untethered (allowing you to choose different sockets and cables for different cars) layouts.

Regardless of which one makes most sense for your EV, you will need a qualified electrician to check your household wiring is up to the task and then to install the box.

In England, renters and flat owners qualify for the government's charge point grant, worth either £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower.   

Public charging costs

Public charging costs depend on where you charge and what car you have, because there are numerous options.

For kerbside charging, there are four types of public chargers: slow, fast, rapid and ultra-rapid. 

As of April 2025, to charge a Vauxhall Corsa Electric with a 50kWh battery from 0-10% will on average cost £12.43 using a slow charger, £25 using a fast charger and £38 using a rapid charger.

Elsewhere, you can find DC rapid chargers at charging hubs and on A-roads and motorways. At these, leading provider Instavolt, for example, charges 85p per kWh on its rapid charger tariff, making it considerably more expensive on a pence-per-mile basis than a petrol car. 

If you frequently travel long distances, providers such as BP Pulse offer a subscription service with a monthly fee of £7.85, giving you discounted rates (the brand estimates a 20% saving compared with pay as you go) on many of its 9000 chargers plus free access to a handful of AC units. 

You will need a smartphone app to access the cheaper rates (or an RFID card for some of the older units), but once connected, you will be billed at 44p on the AC 7kW charger, 63p per kWh on the rapid AC 43kW/DC 50kW​ chargers and 69p on the ultra-fast DC 150kW-plus chargers.

It’s also possible to use many of the chargers on a pay-as-you-go basis with a contactless bank card at a rate of 59p per kWh for 7kW AC chargers, 79p per kWh for 50kW and 85p per kWh for the 150kW-plus chargers.

Some hotels and shopping centres offer free charging to customers. The widespread use of smartphone apps for all providers makes it easy to see where the charging points are, how much they cost to use and whether they’re free, so you can easily tap into a provider that suits your needs and budget.

Many car manufacturers offer simplified charging by enabling access to numerous providers under their own charging schemes. For instance, Audi's E-tron Charging Service account gives access to nearly 20 different energy firms and 75% of the UK's public charging points, while new E-tron models come with the choice of £500 worth of free charging or a free Ohme home charger or £500 off the vehicle's price. 

Tesla owners get their own dedicated rapid-charging Supercharger network of more than 1400 chargers plus a number of Destination fast chargers at locations such as hotels. Owners of a Tesla Model S or Tesla Model X registered before 2017 are eligible for free charging, while some owners received 6000 miles of free charging if they bought their cars between 15 December 2022 and 12 January 2023. 

Non-Tesla owners can now also use the Supercharger network, and in April 2024 the company reduced its prices for these people and allowed them to take out Tesla membership for £8.99 per month or £90 a year.

With membership, non-Tesla owners pay as much for Supercharger power as Tesla owners. Tariffs change according to location and time of day but they range from 54p to 67p per kWh. 

Tesla also charges ‘idle fees’ if you remain parked up once your car has a full battery, to reduce how long it takes for others to get connected. If the Supercharger station is more than 50% full, you will be charged 50p for every minute you’re parked in a fully charged car, rising to £1 if the station is completely full.

How much does motorway charging cost?

You will pay a little more to charge at a motorway service station, largely because most of the chargers there are fast or rapid units. Costs typically range from 60p-85p pkWh.  

And remember, there will often be an activation fee to pay ahead. This is refundable, and typically ranges from £1-£40.

Is charging an electric car cheaper than fuelling a petrol or diesel car?

Just as fuel prices vary between fuel stations and are much higher at motorway service stations, so EV charger prices vary widely between locations and providers.

Other variables include whether you're a member of a provider's charging scheme and how fast the charger is.

On that point, a fuel pump dispenses petrol or diesel at a fixed speed, whereas chargers range in 'speeds' from 3kW to more than 350kW. And then you've the fact that you can charge at home and take advantage of much lower tariffs. 

It's charging at home where the savings are greatest. For example, in the case of the Kia Niro EV, charging it at home on the current capped electricity tariff of 27p per kWh, the cost per mile would be around 7p.

To refuel its sibling model, the Kia Niro Hybrid, which has an official combined fuel economy figure of 64.2mpg, at the average pump price for unleaded petrol of £6.79 per gallon it would cost more like 12p - almost twice as much.

Charging becomes more expensive on a per-mile basis when you use public chargers located at hubs on A-roads and at motorway service stations, where you're paying for speed and convenience. The way to counter this, if it's offered, is to become a subscriber to take advantage of lower tariffs.