Top Gear Magazine, March 1999 Issue

The Italian job - It sounded like the most perfect assignment in the history of perfect assignments: take a Ferrari 550 Maranelio and a Lamborghini Diablo SV to Venice for candlelit dinner. Surely it can't get any better than this? Or can it?

Day of judgment - You know our verdict on the new Rover 75 by now. What you don't know is how we reached it. Read our test of the 75 versus the Saab 9-5, Alfa Romeo 166, BMW 520i and Volvo S70 and find out

First steers - Testing times for the Ford Focus, estate, saloon and TDdi, Holden VT GTS, Quantum H4, Land Rover Defender, Audi A4, Mitsubishi Challenger and Space Wagon, Renault Clio 1.6 16v and Alfa 156

Commuter age - You need a vehicle to get you to work and then home again. It sounds simple. It never is. So in this age of gridlock and road ragers, what are your alternatives? We tested the Smart car against a motorbike, a scooter, a folding moped and a bicycle

Ride on - Our regular motorbike slot tests a Suzuki SV650 and introduces a new newsy bits bit

Wave goodbye-it was a sad day for all when our Editor had to say farewell to his long-term Jaguar XK8...

...Say hello - However, our sadness was offset by two rather grand new arrivals: namely a Saab 9-5 Griffin and a Honda Accord Type R

Information overload - How to get hold of every TG road test, ever

Clash of the compacts - Which is better, the Peugeot 106 GTi or the Ford Puma 1.4? We set the compact hatchbacks up against each other to find out - once and for all - which one is tops

Risky business - Evel Knievel was never a man to play it safe. And although his death-defying leaps nowadays are likely to be from sick-bed to sofa, he's not mellowed one little bit, oh no

Did the earth move? - Zac chances his arm (and his budding builder's bottom) at Formula JCB races as part of our Alternative Adrenaline series

BAR - humbug? - Chucking unlimited resources at a new team has rarely been the key to success in the Formula One kingdom. So what chance do BAR have of bucking that trend?

Formula One preview - Old money, new money - once again they'll all line up on the grid together when the F1 season kicks off in Australia on March 7

Fantasy Formula One - Pick your dream team and experience all the highs and lows of what will almost certainly be another close-run season

First gear - The Detroit Motor Show, those crash test results in full plus all the news our printers can fit

Headroom - What does JC remember best about being a TG presenter? Where did Volvo and Ford occupy a parallel universe? Who the hell is Craig Pollock? How do you collect toy cars? Why are we asking so many questions?

Columns - Francie Clarkson, wife of Jeremy and woman in her own right, joins the regulars

Drivers Club - Win a luxury weekend break, a Compaq laptop computer and loads of other goodies

Write Turns - You write. We print. It's a timeless formula

Leftovers - Enough on your plate? Not till you've read this

Used car buyers' guide - A wealth of sound secondhand info

Used car of the month - Renault Clio (ie guide your papa would reach for)

Used car price guide - Compiled by Glass's

Quentin Willson's pick - Secondhand sorts

New car buyers' guide

New cars by price - Plus Dear Data Dad

New car list - Full stats and specs

Mini tests - This month: the Audi A4, Chrysler Grand Voyager, Citroen Xantia estate, Honda Accord and Suzuki GSX-F

Directory of manufacturer's

Cars in this issue:

Alfa Romeo 156
Alfa Romeo 166 2.0 TS
Audi A4
Audi S4 quattro
BMW 520I SE
Chrysler Grand Voyager LX
Citroen Xantia 2.0i 16v Estate
Ferrari 550 Maranelio
Ford Focus estate
Ford Focus saloon
Ford Focus TDdi
Ford Puma 1.4
Holden Special Vehicles VTGTS
Honda Accord 2.0i ES
Honda Accord Type-R
Jaguar XK8
Lamborghini Diablo SV
Land Rover Defender 90
Mitsubishi Challenger
Mitsubishi Space Wagon GDI
Peugeot 106 GTi
Quantum H4
Renault Clio 1.6 16v
Rover 75 2.0 V6
Saab 9-5 2.0T SE
Saab 9-5 Griffin
Suzuki GSX750F
Suzuki SV650