Are you a motoring mastermind? Find out with our annual selection of brain teasers covering cars, people, industry, sport and entertainment.
It’s time for the annual big Christmas car quiz. Each year we compile 100 questions to test your motoring knowledge, but have you been paying attention to what’s been happening over the last 12 months? If so, then you should be able to breeze through many of the questions below.
Of course it’s not just recent news that features, as you will also need to know about car history, motorsport, car culture and the people that matter in the industry. Feeling confident? Scroll down below to take the quiz, then click on the next page to find out how many you got correct. Good luck, and Merry Christmas.
In February, which car set a new Guinness World Record for drifting on ice?
a) Skoda Enyaq Coupé
b) Ford Mustang
c) Mazda MX-5
Which fashion brand announced a partnership to build a special-edition Toyota Aygo X in March?
a) Undercover
b) George at Asda
c) Paul Smith
In April, which brand revealed a new range-topping sports SUV with the name XM 50e?
a) Citroen
b) Lexus
c) BMW
Lamborghini announced its first plug-in hybrid supercar in May. What is its name?
a) Revuelto
b) Eletrecordato
c) E-Ablo
In June, the SsangYong Motor Company revealed that it was changing its name to what?
a) SMG
b) KGM
c) Musso Motors
Smart revealed its second all-new electric model in September. What’s it called?
a) #1+
b) #3
c) #4_2
In October, Volkswagen confirmed that which model was being discontinued?
a) up!
b) Phaeton
c) Passat
Renault announced in November that a famous name from its past would return on an EV. Which one?
a) Safrane
b) Twingo
c) Fuego
Daniel Ricciardo returned to the Formula One grid with which team in 2023?
a) Red Bull
b) McLaren
c) Alpha Tauri
In what country is the Zandvoort racing circuit?
a) The Netherlands
b) Belgium
c) South Africa
How many World Rally Championship Drivers’ titles did Colin McRae win?
a) One
b) Three
c) Five
What nationality is former F1 champion Nico Rosberg?
a) Finnish
b) German
c) Canadian
In what year did Barry Sheene win his first 500cc World Championship?
a) 1976
b) 1978
c) 1973
On which British racing circuit would you find the Wellington Straight?
a) Knockhill
b) Castle Combe
c) Silverstone
Which make of car won the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours?
a) Ferrari
b) Toyota
c) Porsche
Montjuïc circuit was home to which race between 1969 and 1975?
a) Canadian Grand Prix
b) Czech Grand Prix
c) Spanish Grand Prix
At which venue did Lewis Hamilton win his first Formula One race?
a) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
b) Adelaide, Australia
c) Montreal, Canada
In which category of World Rallying did the MG Metro 6R4, Peugeot 205 T16 and Ford RS200 compete in the mid-eighties?
a) Group B
b) Formula R
c) Rally1
The Ford Mondeo was badged as what in the USA?
a) Explorer
b) Probe
c) Fusion
In 2011, Toyota partnered with Aston Martin to produce a luxury version of its iQ city car. What was it called?
a) Rapidette
b) DB1
c) Cygnet
The 1981 Honda Ballade was rebadged as a Triumph model in the UK. What was it known as?
a) Acclaim
b) Toledo
c) Dolomite
The Swallow Sidecar Company is now known as what brand?
a) Lotus
b) Bentley
c) Jaguar
The Gremlin and Pacer were cars built by which American brand?
a) American Motors
b) Studebaker
c) Buick
The Ferrari Purosangue is translated as what?
a) Pure tongue
b) Thoroughbred
c) Speed Sprite
The Mini was launched in 1959 in two versions. What were they?
a) Rover 1 and Morris Seven
b) Austin Oxford and Morris Longbridge 7
c) Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor
In 1993 Honda built a licensed version of the Land Rover Discovery for the Japanese market. What was it called?
a) Honda Roverlander
b) Honda Crossroad
c) Honda Terrainer
What was the code name of the original Ford Fiesta during development?
a) Bobcat
b) Felix
c) Keith
Karl Benz is credited with inventing the modern motor car in 1885. What was it known as?
a) Motorwagen
b) Kareine
c) A-Klasse
Hermann Reiseler invented which car component?
a) Cigarette lighter
b) Handbrake
c) Automatic gearbox
What was the original Volkswagen Beetle officially called?
a) Type 1
b) Insekt
c) Wolfsburger
John Najjar is credited with bestowing which name on Ford’s 1965 V8 coupé?
a) Torino
b) Cougar
c) Mustang
Who was the first official World Rally Champion in 1977?
a) Sandro Munari
b) Roger Clark
c) Ari Vatanen
In which year did Ferrari launch the Testarossa?
a) 1979
b) 1984
c) 1987
The 1951 Chrysler Imperial was the first production car to be commercially available with which feature?
a) Massage seats
b) Power steering
c) CD player
In which year did safety body Euro NCAP carry out its first crash tests?
a) 1933
b) 1973
c) 1996
In 1949 Chrysler introduced which innovation?
a) The turn-to-start ignition key
b) Radial tyres
c) Hazard warning lights
Which car is credited with being the first to be fitted with MacPherson strut suspension?
a) 1967 Porsche 911
b) 1950 Ford Consul
c) 1992 Honda Civic
Electric car brand VinFast hails from which country?
a) Malaysia
b) Thailand
c) Vietnam
In what country was Tesla boss Elon Musk born?
a) USA
b) South Africa
c) New Zealand
The Arjeplog cold weather test facility is located where?
a) Sweden
b) Estonia
c) Iceland
In what country is the Paul Ricard racing circuit?
a) France
b) Brazil
c) USA
Where was the last Ford Fiesta built earlier this year?
a) Dunton, UK
b) Valencia, Spain
c) Cologne, Germany
The new Lotus Eletre is built where?
a) Graz, Austria
b) Norfolk, UK
c) Wuhan, China
Electric sports car brand Rimac is headquartered in which country?
a) Switzerland
b) Croatia
c) Moldova
In which country would you find the famous Stelvio Pass?
a) Italy
b) France
c) Spain
The Tarpan Honker 4×4 hailed from which country?
a) Japan
b) India
c) Poland
Where is the Fisker Ocean built?
a) Austria
b) USA
c) China
How many seats did the McLaren F1 road car have?
a) Three
b) Two
c) Four
What is the maximum capacity of a current Formula One engine?
a) 3.0 litres
b) 2.4 litres
c) 1.6 litres
Mercedes paint code 623 is one of the brand’s most popular colours. Why?
a) It’s associated with good luck in China
b) It’s the colour of all Mercedes staff company cars
c) It’s the colour of all taxis in Germany
What happens in a Bugatti Chiron when the speed hits 150km/h?
a) The police are automatically alerted
b) The windows automatically close
c) All the dials go blank to aid concentration
The MGB sold in North America had what unusual feature?
a) Two steering wheels
b) Six headlights
c) Three windscreen wipers
The 1975 Camargue was the first Rolls-Royce model to be designed using what?
a) Metric measurements
b) A computer
c) A wind tunnel
A modern car (post-1981) has a VIN comprising how many characters?
a) 17
b) 26
c) 22
“Any product that needs a ______ to work is broken.” Elon Musk
a) Manual
b) Key
c) Code
“Do my _____ deceive me or is Senna’s car sounding a bit rough?” Murray Walker
a) Eyes
b) Ears
c) Senses
“History is more or less ________.” Henry Ford
a) Finished
b) Bunk
c) Essential
“Formula One would be a paradise without the ________.” Kimi Raikkonen
a) Media
b) Racing
c) Travel
“______ burns cash. It’s not a car company, it’s a cult of fanatics.” Bob Lutz
a) Porsche
b) Tesla
c) DeLorean
“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and _______. The rest I just squandered.” George Best
a) Gambling
b) Golf
c) Fast cars
“_______________ are for people who can’t build engines.” Enzo Ferrari
a) Gearboxes
b) Trains
c) Aerodynamics
“___________ is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” Sir Henry Royce
a) Quality
b) Comfort
c) Performance
“I couldn’t find the car of my _________, so I built it myself.” Ferdinand Porsche
a) Youth
b) Dreams
c) Future
“Bordering on a day late and a __________ short, that defense.” Martin Brundle
a) Euro
b) Pound
c) Dollar
Which car-mad celeb presented a documentary on the Brawn GP F1 team earlier this year?
a) Keanu Reeves
b) Paul Hollywood
c) Matt LeBlanc
In the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, what car does lead character Jackson Lamb drive?
a) Jaguar XJ
b) Skoda Felicia
c) Honda Civic
Blockbuster 2023 movie Barbie saw the titular character drive which car?
a) Ferrari Testarossa
b) Chevrolet Corvette
c) Jeep Wagoneer
“Wet Nellie’ was the nickname given by the production crew for which famous Bond car?
a) Aston Martin DB5
b) BMW Z8
c) Lotus Esprit S1
A movie based on which computer racing game series was released in 2023?
a) Super Mario Kart
b) Sega Rally
c) Gran Turismo
What do actor Michael Fassbender and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason have in common?
a) They have both raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours
b) They own 72 per cent of Ferrari
c) They both have limited-edition Dacias named after them
In 2004, TV chef Delia Smith took delivery of which car as part of a high-profile celebrity endorsement?
a) Lotus Elise
b) Proton Gen-2
c) VW Transporter
The Mirthmobile driven by the main characters in the 1992 movie Wayne’s World was which model?
a) AMC Pacer
b) Ford Crown Victoria
c) Buick LeSabre
In the Pixar Cars franchise, Owen Wilson provided the voice for which character?
a) Luigi
b) Lightning McQueen
c) Doc Hudson
Former F1 champion Keke Rosberg had a special edition of which model named after him?
a) Mercedes SC300
b) BMW Z1
c) Opel Calibra
Name the Fiat boss who announced this year that he was banning grey cars from the brand’s line-up?
a) Olivier François
b) Carlos Tavares
c) Herbert Diess
Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard incorporated which car company in 2003?
a) Rivian
b) Fisker
c) Tesla Motors
Which British designer is credited with designing the 993 version of the Porsche 911?
a) Peter Horbury
b) Peter Stevens
c) Tony Hatter
Linda Jackson is the CEO of which car brand?
a) Ford
b) Vauxhall
c) Peugeot
In which year was seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton born?
a) 1985
b) 1990
c) 1982
In 2014 Mary Barra became CEO of which car maker?
a) Audi
b) SEAT
c) General Motors
Name the Swedish engineer who patented the first three-point car seat belt.
a) Lars Petersson
b) Nils Bohlin
c) Saga Norén
The Cizeta-Moroder V16T was a joint-venture supercar developed with whom?
a) Architect Sergio Moroder
b) Adult entertainment billionaire Max Moroder
c) Synth-pop pioneer Giorgio Moroder
Robert Kearns is credited with designing what?
a) The intermittent windscreen wiper
b) The heated seat
c) The handbrake