New Mazda MX-30 R-EV is a corker that’s smooth to drive – but the doors are a pain if you have older kids

BECAUSE most of us don’t drive far, Mazda built a car that doesn’t go far.

It’s called the MX-30.

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It’ll do 100 miles.

Stop laughing.

It’s deliberate.

Most drivers only do 100 MILES A WEEK according to official data, so the MX-30 uses a smallish battery, saving cost and weight.

You don’t order 20 McNuggets when six will do.

But what if uncle Graeme decides he wants to go to Snowdonia for the weekend?

Then he’ll need an MX-30 R-EV instead.

Also electric.

Also £31k.

But it can do up to 400 miles at a time.

That’s because the ‘R’ in the name refers to a tiny 830cc rotary petrol engine, which acts as a generator to replenish the battery on the go.

So you get the smooth and responsive feel of an EV, minus range anxiety.

Strong and safe

Top up the 17.8kWh battery via the cable and brim the 50-litre petrol tank and you’ll need to stop to refuel long before the car does.

Observations. The engine is a little noisy when it wakes up.

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But that’s fine with me. I want my cars to make a noise.

They’re machines. And it’s not like a washing machine dancing around the kitchen.

Flappy paddles for the regenerative braking system make hurrying this car fun, like changing down gears for a bend.

Ride comfort is good. It steers sweetly. It feels strong and safe.

Pop it in EV mode when you hit town and there’s no noise, no fumes, just like the pure electric MX-30.

In fact, from here on out the two cars are identical.

So let’s start with those funky rear-hinged rear doors. If you have kiddlywinks they’re great.

The wide opening makes it easy to lift them into their baby seats.

It also means they can’t jump out, as the rear door is blocked until the front one is opened.

But if you’ve got older kids, they are a pain. You have to unbelt, then open your door, or they can’t get out.

The cabin is typical Mazda. And by that I mean practical, stylish and swimming in the tech and luxuries we love.

Head-up display, Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, all of that good stuff is standard across the range.

For extra eco points, some surfaces are actual cork. Which looks better than it sounds.

The reason? Mazda began life producing cork more than 100 years ago.

If you want a crossover that’s different and sensibly priced — it’s cheaper than an electric Vauxhall Corsa — the MX-30 is a serious contender for your cash.

But go for the R-EV. It’s a corker.

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JOB ALERT

THE mission to break the 763mph land speed record with Bloodhound just might be back on.

The ballsy British team achieved 628mph during desert tests in 2019 – then cash problems and Covid hit and the project was closed down.

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Now engineers want to bring the Bloodhound jet car out of hibernation and have a proper crack at clocking 800-850mph.

They just need a driver with £12MILLION to fund it.

• Jenson Button?
• Sebastian Vettel?
• Lance Stroll?
• Someone else?

Bosses will talk to any experienced driver or pilot with the cash and the cojones who might get Netflix excited.

Astronaut Tim Peake has tweeted: “Very very tempting.”

Of course this would mean Bloodhound test driver Andy Green, the man who clocked 763mph in Thrust SSC in 1997, stepping aside to keep the project alive. He would mentor the new recruit.

Bloodhound chief Stuart Edmondson said: “We have explored all the other avenues. Having someone new could give the excitement the project needs. Andy agrees.

“We need £12million and I’m pretty confident based on the fact we’ve already proven the car, the track and the team that we can break the land speed record for that amount of money.

“There are people out there I’m looking to target and hopefully catch their attention.

“Maybe an F1 driver who has retired and done everything in life may want to get another record? Someone from aviation?

“All these are potential options.”

If the stars do align and Bloodhound heads back out to South Africa for a land speed record attempt – summer 2025 is a possibility – the 44ft-long car would be powered by sustainable fuels.

Edmondson said: “We have to be relevant. Doing it sustainably shows we can still break records and push engineering without needing fossil fuel to do it.”

Bloodhound hit 628mph powered solely by the thrust from a EuroFighter Typhoon jet engine.

The team would need to fit a Nammo HTP (high-test peroxide) rocket to go for 800mph.

Like the ones that send satellites into space.

Edmondson said: “The rocket provides an impulse of about 20 seconds and the extra thrust needed to kick the car up to the speeds of 800-850mph.

“The deceleration is just as extreme.”

Wild.

Bloodhound was actually modelled and designed to hit 1,000mph.

Let’s hope they can find a rich driver with £12million and achieve 800mph first.

Then look at 1,000mph later.

Best of British.