Are you the biggest car nerd? Ultimate motoring trivia quiz

What’s left to do on Christmas day after the turkey is eaten and you’ve watched Die Hard for the 50th time? It’s time for the 2024 Autocar Christmas quiz, of course!

Our team has compiled 50 challenging quiz questions – some focused on events from 2024 and some on motoring history, too. 

Read on for the full list, but be warned: the difficulty will increase as you go on. As always, answers for scorers (and cheaters) are available at the bottom of the page.

Autocar’s 2024 Christmas quiz

1. Which classic Ford nameplate from the 1960s was controversially revived for a new electric crossover this year?

2. British EV start-up Nyobolt based its 1246kg sports car prototype on which 1990s legend?

3. What is the only Jaguar model currently on sale? Abroad, at least; there are none left here.

4. The Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car in 2023, but what was second?

5. In May, it was announced that the Geneva motor show wouldn’t return. In which year was the first event held?

6. Which mainstream car brand’s name is cleverly hidden within its logo?

7. Toyota and BMW formed a partnership in September to develop what?

8. What was the codename given to the development mule for the 2007 Aston Martin DBS?

9. How many examples of the original Renault 5 were built?

10. How many Mk1 Smart Fortwos could you park widthways across the length of the new Smart #5 SUV?

11. And what is the largest number of people ever to have squeezed into a Smart Fortwo?

12. Which car has the most powerful naturally aspirated engine?

13. What is both the bore and stroke of the Toyota GT86’s engine?

14. Which famous former Formula 1 team now makes one-cylinder diesel microcars?

15. Which two current superminis come with multi-link rear suspension?

16. What is the typical torsional rigidity of a Caterham Seven? 

17. The 20 December 1957 edition of Autocar was the first to contain which recurring feature?

18. Which Le Mans 24 Hours winner made his Nascar Cup Series debut this year?

19. Why did Red Bull name its hypercar the RB17?

20. What dessert is today made on the same grounds as Bentley’s first factory in Cricklewood, north London?

21. Izera is an EV start-up backed by Geely and Pininfarina to give which car-making country a brand of its own?

22. Milton Keynes Dons FC have since 2014 been sponsored by which car manufacturer?

23. Which British sports car maker also made military vehicles, some of which are still used by the British Army?

24. Why are London taxis required to have a turning circle of no more than 25 feet?

25. His dad was a toolmaker and his mum was a nurse, of course, but what was prime minister Keir Starmer’s first car?

26. The Avantime is one of few Renaults yet to be reborn. How did the brand categorise this V6-engined oddity at its unveiling in Geneva in 1999?

27. How much does the new Bugatti Tourbillon’s instrument binnacle weigh?

28. Porsche’s Active Ride suspension cancels out bumps and leans the car into corners. Why is it offered only on the Taycan and Panamera PHEV?

29. Before George Russell at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, who was the last driver to be disqualified from a Formula 1 race win?

30. Chinese car maker Hongqi had one of the biggest stands at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. What does its name mean?

31. Which company built its final diesel car on 26 March 2024?

32. Maximilian Missoni has been hired by BMW to design new luxury and Alpina models. Where was he most recently?

33. The three ‘V bomber’ aeroplanes from the Cold War have given their names to special-edition cars from which manufacturer?

34. The Mk2 Tesla Roadster and TVR Griffith are five years (and counting) late to market, but which was revealed first?

35. The ‘996’ Porsche 911 was infamously prone to IMS bearing failure, but what does IMS stand for?

36. If you passed your test before 1997, what’s the maximum combined weight of a vehicle and load you can drive in the UK?

37. A mini version of which car was used to carry the discus at this year’s Olympic Games?

38. Fiat is going to become the first brand to integrate what useful feature into its electric cars next year?

39. Who won the Formula E teams’ title this year?

40. The 2078bhp Rimac Nevera R is the world’s fastest-accelerating road car. How long does it take to get from 0-62mph?

41. How many cars are built each day at Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood factory?

42. Which low-volume American manufacturer has named its new factory ‘Area 21’ after the headline on Autocar’s feature about it?

43. Which manufacturer’s cars ride on Progressive Hydraulic Cushions?

44. What was the 1999 concept car that previewed the Bugatti Veyron called?

45. Which motorcycle world champion’s son has signed to race for the Alpine F1 team in 2025?

46. Which of these is not a real BYD model: Dolphin, Orca, Seagull, Sealion or Shark? 

47. Who sold more cars in the UK last year: Bentley, Alfa Romeo or Genesis?

48. In which year was what we now consider to be the first proper Autocar road test published?

49. Saab’s long-serving V4 engine was a design borrowed from which manufacturer? 

50. What does the second-generation Volvo S60 have in common with BMC’s ADO17 ‘Landcrab’?

Tie breaker

Which technical innovation did each of these road cars pioneer? 

Quiz answers