Académique Documents
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SAINTS vs
SINNERS
Petrol or electric?
Time to pick a side...
ISSUE 307
TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 SENNA SPECIAL EDITION
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Issue 307 April 2018
Welcome
066
Ferrari 488 Pista
I’m writing this from the centre of the 88th greatest expression of everything Maranello has learned
Geneva motor show, as the double-storey about going fast, poured into a sports-car format. But while
LED walls and pumping soundtracks compete that was the headline act on the stand, the press conference
to grab the attention of the world’s media was dominated by questions about the upcoming SUV and the
bustling around me. Geneva has always been fact it will be powered by a V8 hybrid. Even the Prancing Horse
the show for the global automotive industry, is having to look in new directions.
but as I sit here bombarded by corporate messages and Meanwhile, Porsche opened its press conference with the
enduring the occasional clout on the head from a selfie-stick- launch of the 911 GT3 RS, sticking to its core performance DNA,
wielding ‘influencer’, one thing is clear: the automotive industry and then followed with a pure-electric estate-cum-crossover
is at a crossroads. Never in the 88-year history of the Geneva concept. At the other end of the hall, Jaguar went one better and
show has there been such a clear divergence in the automotive took the covers off its I-Pace production car, a vehicle that has
landscape, as manufacturers all push to claim the EV future, impressively stolen a march on all its mainstream competitors.
while simultaneously trying to cater for their current client base. While initial reaction to the electrified future concerned many,
The good news for those of us who love cars, is that this the overriding impression that I and the rest of the TopGear
uncertain, challenging and competitive market is bringing team have from Geneva is that the pace of change, creativity
out the best in manufacturers’ creativity… so this issue is a and diversity of the products being developed and delivered
celebration of both sides of our automotive future. has never been more exciting. Saint or Sinner, we’ve never
Despite the march of electrification, we live in extraordinary had it so good...
times for performance cars. The Ferrari 488 Pista is the latest and Enjoy the issue,
Charlie Turner E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
@TopGearEditor / editor@bbctopgearmagazine.com
Intake
Pista, BMW M8, Merc-AMG GT 4dr
036 Life in cars
076 Holier than thou 038 TG gadgets
The Porsche Mission E Cross 039 Insider report
Turismo, Jaguar I-Pace and 040 Eye witness
Rimac C_Two have electric halos
041 TG watches
090 Pambassador
We recreate the advert by upgrading Drives
the Hindustan Ambassador into a
Peugeot. With hammers 042 Ferrari Portofino
048 Ford F-150 Raptor
100 Ford Fiesta ST 049 Hennessey
Six excellent reasons why the VelociRaptor 6x6
new three-cylinder ST is shaping 050 Citroen C4 Cactus
090
up to be a TopGear hero 053 Audi A8 vs Merc S-Class
054 VW Polo vs Ford Fiesta
104 Rolls Phantom 057 McLaren 570 GT
Ollie Marriage chauffeurs oligarch- Sport pack
for-a-day Rowan Horncastle to
058 Mercedes-Benz CLS
060 Bentley Bentayga V8
Courchevel in the lap of luxury
hen is an Aston Martin not an Aston many months before its Geneva show big splash. unimagined by rivals. Well, the white space here
W
Martin? When it’s a Lagonda. And Forget 2009’s lumpen SUV concept and wrap is garlanded by dollar signs. Lots of them.
especially when it’s… this. The your eyes – and brain – around the Lagonda “As Aston Martin Lagonda, we have a
Vision Concept. Vision Concept, a fully electric super-limo that bandwidth that’s unique,” AML’s director of
The nameplate actually pre-dates Aston aims to make the Rolls Phantom look as lavishly exterior design Miles Nurnberger says. “Rolls-
Martin: an Anglo-American former opera singer appointed as a knackered airport rental. Lagonda Royce can’t make a Ferrari; Ferrari can’t make a
called Wilbur Gunn founded the company in 1909, has aspirations to be the world’s first zero- Rolls-Royce. With these brands, we can do both.”
named it after the river near his Ohio home town, emissions luxury brand, to confound, and to align True that. It also brings one of our favourite
and created a number of stoic-looking saloons and some ye olde luxury thinking with the sort of cars in from the cold. Back in the Seventies, a
convertibles before the company was acquired glistening future world Jared Leto’s sociopath generation of mostly Italian design prodigies
post-war by David Brown. He’d also just bought stalked in the magnificent Blade Runner 2049. stopped creating cars that referenced the curvy
Aston Martin, and they merged. At 5.3m long, and clothed in a body that is bits of Sophia Loren and started drawing wedges.
Progress was patchy thereafter. Aston’s unapologetically confrontational and utterly Tellingly, this vision of the future has never been
current vice president Simon Sproule, a former magnificent, Aston Martin is reactivating surpassed by the actual future. Lamborghini’s
Nissan VP who had a spell as a lieutenant to Lagonda in response to trends among the new Countach remains the gold standard, but it was
rocketeer and sometime electric car sage Elon global super-elite. Not least in positing an ethical an Englishman called William Towns who truly
Musk, thus refers to Lagonda as “a 110-year old super saloon in which it’s better to travel and threw caution to the wind when 1975’s Aston
start-up”. Cute. TG has been granted exclusive arrive. Car people talk about white space, into Martin Lagonda landed, apparently from a
access to the AML design studio for a preview, which they insert profitable new products parallel dimension, but made in the Midlands.
New Porsche s you can see, it’s very much a soft car – means it should be mighty through the
911 GT3 RS has got A facelift to see the RS out until the
brand-brand new 911 comes along
corners. You also get GT2 RS solid ball joints on
each suspension arm, plus new lightweight
later this year. Considering the old wheels: 20s at the front, 21s at the back.
its stickers back car was staring down the barrel of perfection, There’s plenty of pricey lightweight goodies
it’s not like much needed to be done anyway. such as carbon body panels, plastic windows and
No manual gearbox. Boo.
Still, Porsche’s motorsport arm has squeezed a magnesium roof. Inside, you still have the full
But don’t worry – it’ll still
the engine just that little bit more. Power from carbon bucket seats from the 918, fabric handles
make you a driving hero the sensational 4.0-litre, nat-asp flat-six engine and a liberal attitude to sound insulation.
is now up from 492bhp to 520bhp, and is only For the committed apex enthusiast, we’d
available with a seven-speed PDK. A tenth has recommend selecting the Clubsport package box
been shaved off the 0–62mph time – now 3.2secs for no extra cost. This equips your RS with some
– though the top speed stays at 193mph. scaffolding in the back just in case you put it on
There’s a new bumper and a few aero tweaks its roof, a fire extinguisher, and prep for a battery
to aid grip, which – considering the old one had disconnect switch and a six-point harness.
80 per cent of the downforce of a GT3 Cup racing Serious stuff. Serious price too: £141k. RH
Hyundai has form in zero- that’ll surely only boosted by miles between charges and
emission SUVs, and its Kona instant torque. 0–62mph as swiftly as 7.6secs.
ought to be a good base A whole 291lb ft of it, in fact, A blanked-off grille and new
for a fully electric crossover. more than a Ferrari F355. There alloys are how to tell them
It’s good fun to drive as are standard and long-range apart from old-hat, internal
standard, something versions, offering up to 292 combustion Konas. SD
The RR SV
to a factory Range Rover
Coupe will
cost an arm.
And a leg
Exciting news: Range Rover has
revealed its latest money-making
venture – a £240,000 three-door
coupe. Time to plan that bank job...
he original Range Rover is Genesis Operations division, Mark Stanton. “We’ve not had
T
when it comes to posh-roaders, and in No one’s complaining anybody complain about price.” It’s almost like he
the beginning it was only a two-door, about the £240k price... knew it was the first thing we’d ask about. He even
a car that’s since become a bit of a because they’ve fainted says some people have bought two, unable to
classic. It’s moved on a lot in the five decades since, choose between the fruits of their configurator
shifting upmarket in recent years to outfox the games. Bear in mind that the SV Coupe’s earliest
amount of rivals its success encouraged. customers are hand-picked Range Rover loyalists,
Yet Bentley, Lamborghini and now Rolls-Royce too, so they’ll already have some five-door versions
are only too happy to give it a hard time further at home. Probably several homes…
up the food chain. Be under no illusion they’re all The reasons for its price tag – around £80,000
rivals, something Land Rover acknowledges with more than the SVAutobiography Dynamic it’s
this recreation of the two-door Range Rover, the based upon, and three times the full-size Range
SV Coupe, which launches with a £240,000 price Rover’s entry point – are numerous. Each one will
tag. Before options. Nigh on every one of its 999 be hand built at SVO’s headquarters, rather than
buyers will make theirs bespoke to their own the normal factory, plus it’s taken a reasonable
tastes, adding as much as £100,000 again. This amount of engineering to turn a five-door SUV
could be a £340k Range Rover. into a three-door. It was the first Land Rover
“As long as you give customers substance project pencilled in at SVO, conceived around the
behind the price, they are happy to pay it,” says the same time as the Jaguar F-Type-based Project 7,
director of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle which was revealed in 2014.
0 20 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Hit the anodised start button.
Select Handling mode to release
the full Nardò-bashing monster
Carbon-fibre he Bugatti Chiron Sport features no A grand total of 18kg has been removed from
Borrowing heavily from Pug’s instrument panel, lots of leather of a 3-Series estate. Peugeot
rather lovely Instinct concept and an ambience selector. boss Jean-Philippe Imparato
from last year’s Geneva show, Whatever that is. wants “to shake up the market
this is the rakish new 508. Oh, and it’s got a 487-litre with an outstanding new car
Inside you’re looking at a boot. More than a BMW 3-Series that can compete with the best.”
large 10in touchscreen, a 12.3in saloon, and just seven litres shy Game on. VP
LEWIS HAMILTON GBR (1) VALTTERI BOTTAS FIN (3) SEBASTIAN VETTEL GER (2) KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN FIN (4)
2017 drivers’ championship finish
RED BULL 3rd 2nd FORCE INDIA 4th 5th WILLIAMS 5th 7th
CAR: RB14 / ENGINE: RENAULT CAR: VJM11 / ENGINE: MERCEDES CAR: FW41 / ENGINE: MERCEDES
DANIEL RICCIARDO AUS (5) MAX VERSTAPPEN NED (6) SERGIO PEREZ MEX (7) ESTEBAN OCON FRA (8) LANCE STROLL CAN (12) SERGEY SIROTKIN RUS ( N/A)
RENAULT 6th 6th TORO ROSSO 7th 8th HAAS 8th 9th
CAR: RS18 / ENGINE: RENAULT CAR: STR13 / ENGINE: HONDA CAR: VF-18 / ENGINE: FERRARI
CARLOS SAINZ JNR SPA (9) NICO HULKENBURG GER (10) PIERRE GASLY FRA (21) BRENDON HARTLEY NZ (23) ROMAIN GROSJEAN FRA (13) KEVIN MAGNUSSEN DEN (14)
EJ ON THE HALO
Looks terrible but the management
had to do something to lessen
FERNANDO ALONSO SPA (15) STOFFEL VANDOORNE BEL (16) MARCUS ERICSSON SWE (20) CHARLES LECLERC MON ( N/A) the risks for drivers. If it’s safer
you use it, simple as that. And,
to be fair, it’s not quite as ugly
as I thought it would be.
he new Toyota Supra is coming – it’ll And Tada would know. He led the GT86 straight-six engines,” he replies. “Toyota did,
2018
SEASON
STARTS
23 MARCH
The only place to watch the FORMULA 1® 2018 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Watch on the go Experience life backstage with The F1® Show Expert analysis
modelled snow penis kindly left by a if the change it will bring might actually be the mass
local artist on the roof of my 911. But abandoning of cars altogether. I mean if it’s just a
when there’s electricity involved, the pain to live with, why would you bother?
“How did you get a job on TopGear?” section focusing on emerging car tech, and
is probably the most common question I’ve been didn’t get an immediate “Yes”, but again, after
asked over the past two-and-a-bit years. Many a lot of badgering and harassment, now quickly
have offered their own theories, of course – I becoming my specialist skill, he relented.
charmed my way to the top, I found a golden Sadly, no amount of persistence could
ticket in a chocolate bar, it was a total fluke. convince carmakers to lend me their cars. My
Only some of these are true... only option was to hire a Toyota Prius with my
Unfortunately, the reality isn’t nearly as own cash. The next step was to lie to as many
sensational. My eureka moment came when I car press offices as I could, selling them a story
was a teenager. Sat on my bedroom floor, reading dog-eared that Toyota had given me access to their press fleet and that
piles of Max Power and Nintendo magazines, I wondered aloud they should all do the same. For some reason, it worked.
how awesome it would be to have access to an infinite number A few years later, and my CV now included working for a
of games, cars and gadgets. couple of websites, YouTube channels and I’d even done a bit
It then dawned on me that the people writing the words on of TV. When TopGear was looking for new presenters, I knew
those pages did have access. They turned up to work every day it was now or never. I fired off emails, made phone calls and
and could literally drive whatever cars they wanted, play with sent in an audition tape, all of which got me a screen test. They
whatever games they wanted. And so long as they could write turned me down, but I went back to them with a spoken-word
coherently and with enthusiasm for the subject, someone was poetry review of a Rolls-Royce, showcasing my remarkable
mad enough to pay them for the pleasure. ability to not go away when asked.
Fast forward a few years and, while studying at university, That was my path. Yours might be completely different,
I asked the bosses of a local games retailer if I could write but I’d offer everybody the same advice: identify what you
reviews for their website. They weren’t actually looking for want, then commit to achieving it, even if that means not
writers at the time, but I offered to produce free content playing by the traditional rules.
in exchange for free games, and eventually, after a lot of If you’re starting from scratch, then look at the jobs
badgering and harassment, they relented. I got my foot pages of well-known publishers. If that doesn’t work, make a
through the journalism door, gained experience and made YouTube channel, a blog, an Instagram page or Facebook page.
my way on to better jobs at more established publications. Use whatever skills you have to make your dream job
In 2007, while I was the computing possible. If there isn’t a job, then invent
editor for CNET, I realised I was craving one. Pick up a pen, a camera, a keyboard.
a new challenge and wanted to focus on Do something. If you know what you want
cars, my other childhood passion. I asked and you want it badly enough, you’d better
my editor for permission to develop a new believe there’s a way to get there.
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 31
DRIVER TO PILOT
LAUNCHING
MARCH 2018
CHECK OUR AGENDA ON
WWW.D2P.LU
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON:
“Formula E is a
lesson in being
in the right place
at the right time”
Things that are Marmite joining Renault, which has been a part of the scene since day
always attract attention: one, winners of all three championship titles to date and one
Piers Morgan, the Kardashians, drivers’ title with former Toro Rosso driver Sébastien Buemi.
Facebook. So you could say that Formula E is a lesson in being in the right place at the
things for Formula E are going right time. E-mobility is happening now so Formula E is
well because, at the moment, it an attractive proposition for big-brand manufacturers, as
truly divides opinion. a technological proving ground and a worldwide marketing
While Formula One kingpin platform. These racecars are developing key technologies
Sebastian Vettel has said: “I don’t like it at all, I think it’s not that will be embedded into our road cars of the future.
the future,” 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg happily nosed In January, Formula E unveiled its new-spec chassis for the
about the paddock at this season’s opening race in Hong Kong, 2018/19 championship – a car that will be seen on track from
declaring: “I know quite a lot about Formula E – it has an this autumn onwards. It has a theoretical top speed of 186mph,
amazing future, a great future.” meaning 160mph+ is achievable even on tight street circuits.
Fresh international motor racing series launches are What’s truly impressive, though, is this car will feature a
nothing new. In the past decade or so, we’ve seen A1GP, battery that will last the whole distance of a Formula E race –
Superleague Formula and GP Masters, to name just a few. The a doubling of energy density – because, up until now, each
trend has been for these championships to arrive with a big driver had two cars they had to switch between in a pit stop.
fanfare, and die a death within a few short years because they One thing I’m sure about is that it will stay as competitive
haven’t been economically sustainable. So why is the Formula as ever. Don’t get me wrong – I fell in love with motorsport
E freight train chugging along at unprecedented speeds? because of Formula One, but the close-combat racing in
When Audi announced in the autumn of 2016 that it Formula E is supreme and raises your heart rate every time.
was ending its two-decade-long commitment to the World The championship has gone down to the wire every season and
Endurance Championship to turn its focus to Formula E, currently drivers from eight different teams make up the top 10.
it sent shockwaves through the motorsport world. It came off I’m often asked at what point Formula E will catch up or
the back of Jaguar joining the series at the start of the third overtake Formula One in popularity. Honestly, I believe
season, after a 12-year absence from single-seater competition. there’s room for both. F1 is F1 and will always have the
But Audi’s announcement was just the history. Having said that, it took Formula One several decades
beginning. BMW, Porsche to become the commercial pinnacle of the sporting world
and Mercedes quickly people recognise it as today. Something tells me it won’t take
followed suit, Formula E quite that long…
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 33
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Intake
EDITED BY JACK RIX
ALFA’S BACK
Our younger readers are probably more likely to associate Alfa Romeo with a dinged
MiTo being jump-started in an Asda car park than the pinnacle of motorsport, but
there was a time, 70 years ago, when Alfa dominated Grand Prix racing. And now,
with the company on its feet and once again building world-class road cars, it’s back...
as a commercial and technical partner for Sauber. Still, barring perhaps the ’72
John Player Lotus or the ’84 Marlboro McLaren, F1 has never looked so good.
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 35
MY LIFE
IN CARS Rob
Dickinson
UK-born 911 fanatic gave up careers in car design
and music to found Singer Vehicles in LA
I
was born in Norwich, and grew up by the with cream vinyl interior. Great car, rear-wheel- We call that first car the Brown Bomber, and it’s
cliffs. I knew there was a big world out there, drive, brilliant on wet roundabouts, and I could get currently sitting in the Petersen Museum in LA.
and I saw rock ’n’ roll as my way out. My cousin my drum kit in the back of it. The first car I bought Back then, I was living in Hollywood, I had the
[Iron Maiden singer Bruce] had made the was a beige Ford Fiesta. My favourite car during coolest car in the entire city, and fancied myself
career choice semi-acceptable to the family. My the band years was a Peugeot 106 XSi. as Steve McQueen, and would drive it up onto
other passion from the age of five was cars, and After that, I went into 911s. I bought a 1987 911 Mulholland Drive every Sunday. I was constantly
the two things ran in parallel. I vividly remember in 1996, and it’s been Porsches ever since. Had that stopped by people wanting to buy it. That’s when
chugging along in our VW Beetle the moment my for a year, then foolishly part-exchanged it for a I thought, why can’t we take an old 911 and
father first pointed out a Porsche 911 to me as it one-third complete restoration of a 1973 911 2.4 S. present it as the definitive air-cooled 911? The
overtook us. It was a pivotal moment, and the I took it on with zero idea of how much that was best-looking, the best driving, the best spec,
fascination for that car just never went away. going to cost me, borrowed the money off my built like a Rolex… that was in 2006.
I studied car design in Coventry, and worked parents to do it. There are only 12 right-hand-drive I did two things in my life that were highly
for Peter Stevens at Lotus, with Julian Thomson 2.4 Ses still around in the UK so it’s rarer than a risky and perhaps out of character, but I did them
and Simon Cox – rock stars of contemporary car 2.7 Carrera RS, and it meant I felt a deep obligation anyway. The first was when I gave up everything
design. I had a good time, but I was hooked on to bring it back to its original specification. because I believed in the band. I knew it would lead
the music, and the next 15 years was all about that. When I arrived in LA in 2003 to make a solo to good things. I felt the same way when I started
But I always had a total fascination with cars, and record, I thought I’m going to sell all I have in spending money trying to get Singer off the ground
I think I might have lost that if I’d gone into car England, including a Porsche 356 I’d picked up, in 2008. We do have a road map of sorts for the
design. They always provided an escape valve. and sink everything into creating my dream 911, next phase, but I’m trying not to over-think it.
I passed my test in the early Eighties in my the ultimate hybrid of all the lightweight, racing I’ve never been more fulfilled in my life, and I get
dad’s 1971 Opel Ascona estate – bronze metallic 911s I loved, mashed up as a cafe racer hot rod. out of bed in the morning thrilled to be alive.
03 6 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
TOPGEAR TOP 9
CANCELLED
PROTOTYPES
VW Beetle
I M AG E : R E X , M EC U M AU C T I O N S , B M W G R O U P C L A SS I C , T E D7
‘Brown Bomber’
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 37
GADGETS
RACING J SCULPTURE It’s a £30,000 carbon-fibre fish. Apparently this is what modern art is. But let’s not be koi – don’t want
to speak out of plaice, even if it serves no porpoise. This particular Racing J Manta piece is part of a range of sea-based
sculptures by artist Alastair Gibson, which include engineering and materials from F1 Grand Prix cars. The Racing J comes in
three themes to represent Petronas, Maranello and Force India teams with added aluminium construction and detailing.
Limited to just three pieces, they’re the catch of the day. (Sorry.) £31,400; carbon45.com/artwork
W
JACK&COKE (GETTING ith the important stuff sorted – company “For your car to do 300mph and 500 miles on a
WEIRD), RUM&COKE polo shirts embroidered, business cards charge,” she announces eventually, “it will need a
(REALLY?), JÄGERBOMBS printed, showroom coffee machine battery the size of bath.”
(COME ON!!!) that does the foamy milk stuff installed “In Britain,” I correct her, “we would say, the size
– it’s time to decide how Wales’s first 300mph of a bath.”
supercar shall be powered. And frankly there’s “No,” she says. “The size of Bath, the spa town.”
only one option. “Ah,” I say. Moon scribbles a few more numbers.
See, the parallels between Elon Musk and me She says there is a battery that will power the
Had a dream last are almost spooky. We both established disruptive Caliburnus to 300mph and fit in the car. Only thing
night that Benedict technology companies: for him, PayPal; for me, is, we’ll need to compromise a little on range. “How
Cumberbatch stuck MyStool, the app that allows users to share far would it go on a charge?” I ask.
a carrot up my dog’s and rate their emissions. Elon and I both have “120 yards,” she says.
bum. I asked – What a reputation for innovation. We both have “You mean miles,” I say. “A yard is three feet.
the hell are you magnificent hair. A bit longer than a metre.”
doing? And he got And with Elon clearly running out of steam on “I know how long a yard is,” she says. We sit,
annoyed with me... the whole electric car thing, I figured it’s time for silent, for a long time.
ANNOYED me, Simon Coggle, to pick up the e-mantle and Having reviewed our technical options, I’m
WITH ME?!?? e-cclerate e-cars to 300mph. Though we’ve never delighted to announce the Caliburnus supercar will
met, and he still hasn’t got around to accepting my be powered by a classic, sonorous V8 petrol engine,
Facebook requests, I feel it’s what Elon would want equipped with one, two or possibly no turbos,
me to do. Also electricity seems less complicated depending how difficult they are to attach. And to
and explodey than petrol. any Caliburnus customers who placed a deposit on
Congratulations To assist with engineering our electric the promise of an electric, emissions-free supercar,
@LewisHamilton... drivetrain, I call in Ha-yoon Moon, South Korea’s I say only this: sometimes when the river flows
avoid the urge to
I M AG E S :G E T T Y
third cheapest automotive battery expert. I explain fastest, the bravest man is he who stands still.
retire a week to her the design parameters of the Caliburnus Also none of that paperwork was legally binding.
from now? vision. She scribbles a lot of numbers on a piece of
paper, some of which appear to actually be letters. NEXT MONTH – NAMING
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 39
the outside. However, I’d already I was just hoping that I hadn’t
EYE WITNESS worked out that there was good miscalculated and that I would have
grip out wide at the first corner, grip the whole way around the corner.
and also that at that corner, which But even when I’d thought about it
THE WORLD’S
is a long right-hander tightening into before, I only thought it was possible
a hairpin, I could send it sideways to gain a couple of places. If it worked
really early and carry so much speed perfectly, I thought I might maybe
BEST OVERTAKE
in without braking. come out in second, but never first.
So that’s what I did. I had an OK I was just happy to be in the final,
start, but I think I was still fourth or that’s why I was prepared to take a risk
fifth as we approached that corner, like this. If I ended up in a barrier or a
and then, when everyone else dived sandtrap in the final, I wouldn’t have
Kevin towards the apex, I don’t think I minded too much. It was worth having
T
his race at Hockenheim was changed down a gear… but then the Anyway, I think I might have used
so important for me because revs were too high – I was on the the handbrake to make one small angle
it was my first – and so far my limiter – so I changed up again almost adjustment, but then I was at the end
INTERVIEW: OLLIE MARRIAGE IMAGES: GETTY
only – FIA World Rallycross immediately. In fact, come to think of the corner, accelerating up the next
Championship round win. But of of it, I think I geared up while I was straight and I was in front. And that
course no one remembers that! going backwards! was it – I went on to win the race and
What they remember instead is the I had so much angle and I got the we had a great celebration afterwards.
overtake I made at the first corner. line just right. I mean, I wanted to do But then the video was posted online
I’d spoken about the start with it, and there was some skill, but there [search for Kevin Eriksson overtake]
my father after the semi-final and so was also some luck involved, I admit and the next three days… they were
it was in the plan. Of course Plan A that. I knew I had the speed and it just crazy. I had messages and phone
was to go up the inside, but I knew was certainly my type of track, but calls from all over, from the United
this wasn’t possible because even so, as I saw that I was going past States, Malaysia, Colombia even.
I was starting towards people, I was surprised. It felt so good. It was a good weekend... the best.
WATCHES OF THE MONTH
CONTENTS
A8 vs S-Class
p53
Polo vs Fiesta
p54
McLaren 570 GT S
p57
Mercedes-Benz CLS
p58
04 2 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Cut
umility isn’t a trait which So credit to Maranello’s Centro Stile,
Ferrari is particularly which has created an edgier-looking car
H famous for, but company
insiders privately concede
and one that’s equally striking roof up or
down. Unlike Aston Martin’s sublime new
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 43
April I 2018
01
03 04
is 35 per cent stiffer than the old one. seventh gear. And who else but this
Weight savings have also been made in lot would illustrate the car’s pulsating
the powertrain and electronics, while the soundtrack by showing us a graph
seats, heating and ventilation system and delineating the bass, tenor and soprano
dashboard structure are all lighter. At frequency range (from subterranean
1,664kg with fluids, the Portofino weighs Barry White to full-throttle Bruce
80kg less than the California T. Dickinson)? It makes a rare old racket.
The engine is a reworked wet-sump Like all recent Ferraris it also has a
iteration of Ferrari’s award-winning superbly resolved ride quality; Ferrari has
3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, good for 591bhp tweaked the algorithms in the magnetic
in the Portofino and more significantly dampers, although the Portofino runs
561lb ft from 3,000 to 5,250rpm. Changes stiffer springs front and rear. The rear
to the hardware include revised con rods transaxle dual-shift ’box is unexpectedly
and pistons, a single-cast exhaust manifold gnarly in manual mode, but mostly
and a 10 per cent increase in the maximum the Portofino nails its duality mission,
pressure of the combustion chamber. That mooching about town rather than
helps liberate an extra 39bhp over the Cali straining at its diamond-studded leash.
T, more of which is available at the top of But it’s not perfect, and if it’s undone
the rev range. Ferrari, understandably, Manettino settings anywhere, it’s when you raise the tempo.
is hell-bent on giving its new-age turbo now also work on It begins to feel oddly hyperactive, and
exhaust bypass
engines the throttle response and sonic while there’s no lack of dialogue from
character of the atmospheric V8s many of the front and rear, it can feel like being
us still lust after. As powertrain director stuck between two impassioned but
Vittorio Dini told TG: “Extracting more argumentative lovers. Like the 812
power from a turbocharged engine isn’t Superfast, the Portofino has electric
just a matter of playing with the boost; power steering and, as with all Ferraris
you have to make it harmonious, robust, in recent memory, it’s perilously easy to
and drivable.” We shall see. over-drive the car. You need to ease into
The Portofino is technically the gateway it. The latest version of Ferrari’s e-diff
drug to the Prancing Horse, the car that has its hands full keeping everything
eases Ferrari newbies into the Promised pointing in the right direction, and if you
Land. But the first time you drop the twiddle the manettino into full ‘off’ mode,
hammer in this thing, you might need to you’d better bring your A-game – 591bhp
have a quiet word with yourself. Whatever is a heap of power, after all, and the side
else it is or isn’t, the Portofino certainly slip software fitted elsewhere in the
ain’t slow. Zero to 62mph in 3.5 seconds Ferrari range is NFI here.
and on to 124mph in 10.8, with a terminal
velocity of 198mph, dismisses doubts about
any absence of proper Ferrari fizz. The
3.9-litre V8 sounds and feels every cubic
centimetre a genuine masterpiece. Intake
and exhaust have been tweaked, and there’s
an electric bypass valve, but the key here
is a turbo-denying absence of lag and
razor-sharp throttle response.
These old-school Ferrari traits are
matched by a vat of torque sufficient to haul
the Portofino along from low speeds in
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 45
April I 2018
Its body control is leagues better than although that F1-aping multi-function
the California T’s, but the Portofino still wheel is still too busy. Maybe owners get
retains a certain softness, even in Sport used to it; it’s difficult to think of a more
mode, that can feel unsettling at high First World problem. Infotainment is
speed. That hyper-alert steering doesn’t handled by a 10.2in HD touchscreen,
help. Paradoxically, although it feels with Apple CarPlay available as an
much more like a proper Ferrari overall, option (a patently ludicrous £2,400),
it’s also more enjoyable at six rather than and the aircon is 25 per cent faster than
ten-tenths – the territory we suspect most before, and 50 per cent quieter. This is
owners are likely to take it. So maybe they a Ferrari that’ll also see much more
have judged it right. The Brembo brakes daily use than its stablemates, and a
could use more feel, too, although 460-mile fuel range and realistic low
ultimate stopping power is superb. twenties fuel consumption underscores
In creating the Portofino, Ferrari its GT ethos. There’s a decent-sized boot,
consulted a lot of clients. In fact, this is RHT can open or too. Floridian golfists can rest easy.
close in 14 seconds,
probably the most assiduously market- That Ferrari ditched California
at up to 30mph
researched Ferrari ever made. Whether in favour of an all-new name speaks
that runs counter to the pure inspiration
that fuels truly great cars is moot, but at
volumes. The Portofino is lighter,
faster, better-looking and better made.
SPECIFICATION
3855cc V8 twin-turbo, RWD,
least the Portofino has several excellent There’s a lot of solid gold action at this 591bhp, 561lb ft
places to stick your smartphone and stratospheric end of the market – AMG 26.0mpg, 245g/km CO2
Smints. It’s also a high-quality item S63 cabrio, Aston Martin DB11 Volante, 0–62mph in 3.5secs, 198mph
inside. Ferrari prefers to call it a +2, Bentley Continental GT, Porsche 911
1664kg
and although there’s an extra five Turbo cab, maybe even the Rolls-Royce
centimetres in the rear seats, they’re Dawn – and not one of them goes about VERDICT: Banishing
8
better suited to Prada shopping bags separating you from vast tracts of cash in the memory of the Cali,
than human beings. Even small ones. quite the same way. But only one of them it’s sharper, lighter and
easier on the eye. A real
The perplexing/idiotic ergonomics of is a Ferrari, and the Portofino is more
the 488 are replaced by simpler dials, Ferrari-ish than ever... JASON BARLOW
Ferrari, but not perfect.
10
“There’s a decent-sized
boot. Floridian golfists
can rest easy”
AVAILABLE IN PRESCRIPTION
April I 2018
Raptor’s
hile a European-sized select dial that hints at how unstoppable
Ranger Raptor may come the Raptor is off-road.
W to the UK, Ford has no Yet it’ll do grown-up stuff, too; it’s
7
Find some appropriately rough ground too powerful and much
and it’s like nothing else, astonishing too silly. But show it the
rough stuff and watch
traction motivated by childish gobs of
torque. There’s a Baja mode in the drive
it go bonkers.
10
04 8 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Long tall Texan
Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6
£260,000
f you thought a normal rear four wheels via the standard 10spd suspension for each wheel assembly, portal
Raptor was a bit OTT, you ’box and a transfer case packed with magic. axles and more diff locks than you can
7
wheels on one pivoting hub performance. In no way is it sophisticated or as well-
without them clapping as sophisticated or well- engineered as Merc’s 6x6
but it’ll make you the
together like a Newton’s engineered as Merc’s six-
cradle. Drive is fed to the wheeled G63 (twin
king of a Texan tailgate.
10
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross argues that it’s the drivers’ friend, and,
sure enough, it corners impressively
£21,275
level, but the steering is over-sharp
Engine 1499cc 4cyl turbo, AWD, 160bhp, and we’d prefer to hustle a Seat Ateca.
184lb ft Performance 0–62mph in 9.8secs, 127mph, The new 1.5-litre petrol is smooth,
40.4mpg, 159g/km CO2 Weight 1550kg
and this is one of the cleverest CVT
Strikingly handsome up front, Walter White’s automatic transmissions on the market.
hideous Pontiac Aztek from the rear, the Prices start from £21k, but there’s masses
Eclipse Cross looks like a full-size SUV of kit at the £25k sweet spot. It’s the
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 49
April I 2018
Bumped
he Citroen C4 Cactus road, particularly with the punchy 1.2-litre
launched, four years ago, three-cylinder turbo engine up front.
T as an immediate class hero. It’s flawed, though. Stuff that saved
6
Golf in a fancy trim line. Yet it’s also pretty posher and comfier, but
perky to drive – any Cactus weighs less than diluting its character
has taken away the best
1,100kg. While not the last word in handling
precision, it’s a good chuckle on a decent
reason for owning one.
10
05 0 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
New collector’s editions
From the team who make the world’s greatest car magazine
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NOW
Q U I CK T WI N TEST
A very evenly matched pair. Both 3.0-litre diesels with identical power You might struggle to notice, but the A8 is new. Shame it still doesn’t
What do we and torque, in long-wheelbase trim (a £2,800 option on the Merc, £3,995 have enough road presence – the Merc is the more stately machine.
have here?
for Audi). Both are almost identically quick, heavy and lengthy, too. But Audi claims more cabin space and autonomous driving functions.
The Merc is the more steady, authoritative car to drive. It’s more stable at Despite the autonomy claims, the Audi’s lane-keep and radar functions
What do they speed, the gearbox and engine work more harmoniously, and although aren’t as smooth as the Merc’s. Same elsewhere, too: the gearbox hiccups
offer the
both should be praised for their astonishing noise and vibration shifts occasionally, the steering is too light and inaccurate just off centre
driver?
suppression, it’s the Merc that you wouldn’t guess is a diesel at all. and the damping isn’t as polished. But otherwise it moves well for a big car.
Less head- and legroom here, but also a neat trick. The front passenger The Audi is palatial in the back. It offers more legroom than the Merc, but
How’s life in seat can contort itself most of the way into the front footwell, freeing up less privacy. This is important. Yes, there are side blinds to help hide you,
the back? space for the person in the back to really stretch out. The Merc is probably but as the C-pillars are narrower you feel more exposed. Not that you’ll
top choice as far as seat comfort, restfulness and isolation goes. mind – you’ll be having too much fun with the removable rear touchpad.
Both represent good value. They feature far greater depth of engineering Depreciation will be the killer. A few years racking up miles and they’ll
How do costs
than Teslas and Range Rovers, pound for pound. Don’t forget options, be worth a pittance. A bargain, then – just pray the electrics don’t start
stack up?
though. You’ll be adding lots of those to these cars. acting up. There’s a lot to go wrong in here.
Mercedes-Benz S350d
£75,505 (£93,710 as tested)
9 10
Audi A8 50TDI quattro
£73,395 (£108,630 as tested)
8 10
WO R DS: O L L I E M A R R I AG E /P H OTOS: R OWA N H O R N C A S T L E
VERDICT: Still the number one luxury VERDICT: Audi’s best A8 ever. Runs
2925cc, 6cyl turbodiesel, 2967cc, V6 turbodiesel,
car. Just so polished across the board. the S-Class very close indeed.
RWD, 282bhp, 442lb ft 4WD, 282bhp, 442lb ft
1990kg 2000kg
5271mm 4302mm
All grown up
VW Polo vs Ford Fiesta
£18,180 (£22,450 as tested) vs
£17,714 (£19,315 as tested)
05 4 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
make you wish a plague upon the But the Polo’s calculating po-
houses of Blue Oval software boffins. faced seriousness also shows up
Giant, vaulting leaps have caught the its shortcomings more brutally. POLO SE L 1.0 TSI SPECIFICATION
999cc 3cyl turbo, FWD,
Fiesta up to the Polo’s cabin in one When the finish is so tight, the 113bhp, 147lb ft
measly generation. noise levels so serene, the clunking, 58.9mpg, 109g/km CO2
Unless you’re shopping for an recalcitrant gearshift of manual
0–62mph in 9.5secs, 124mph
easy-to-park minicab. The Polo’s models sticks out. This £1,350 DSG
cabin feels a bigger, boxier object, is genius for urban work, hurrying 1155kg
and your passengers will thank you into seventh gear by 28mph without
VERDICT: This is a really
for it. There’s more light, more space, labouring the 1.0-litre, 113bhp 3cyl
8
finely executed car. But
and a slightly bigger boot. But it’s no motor. The changes are vanishingly there’s no joy in driving it –
TARDIS – it’s just a big little car. smooth. But that same über-eco trait it’s just spacious, sensible,
However, it could use less vague, is a pain out of town, where you’ll
quality-finished transport.
10
glassy steering. The MkVI Polo is a Polo’s 7spd DSG is find holes in the response.
fantastic for the city,
supermini genetically engineered The Ford’s steering has more
but less good out of it
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN HORNCASTLE
like a turbocharged Ivan Drago to feedback, its three-pot engine is FIESTA 1.0 TITANIUM SPECIFICATION
be as clinically perfect as humanly smoother under load, and it rides 999cc 3cyl, FWD,
(or robotically) possible. It cruises – genuinely – like a Jaguar. Like a 123bhp, 125lb ft
quietly and the maturity of its ride good Jag, it informs you about what 65.7mpg, 98g/km CO2
over big compressions is just sublime. the wheels are up to, but expertly filters 0–62mph in 9.9secs, 121mph
Proper ‘big car’ refinement and out the noise and chatter. Ultimately, 1144kg
dexterity. Wind noise has been that handling verve in a package almost
cancelled out. Its body movements as premium as the VW’s is enough to VERDICT: Ford’s got this
9
are tightly controlled and ultra-slick. edge the Fiesta to victory. OLLIE KEW spot-on. Retains the sense
of chuckable fun all great
Fiestas have, but now it’s
joined by refinement.
10
TG’ S O N E
M I N UTE E XPE RT
Nissan e-NV200
This van converted Midlife refresh
Tweak at
into an electric van,
is an electric van
converted into an
brings the MkII
Leaf’s 40kWh
battery. Realistic
the knees
MPV. The only range is 125 miles
McLaren 570 GT Sport pack
e-seven-seater on WLTP. But the
this side of a performance £161,900
Tesla Model X. is sluggish.
8
drive and generally just
be in and around. But
Engine 2198cc, 4cyl, 158bhp, 284lb ft we question whether the
Performance 0–62mph in 11.8secs, 109mph,
40.4mpg, 184g/km CO2 Weight 2115kg Price £31,965
£5k upgrade is necessary.
10
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 0 57
April I 2018
The banana
is back
Mercedes-Benz CLS 350d
£57,510
on’t let these pictures fool the body for something that more closely we’d start with that, but its powertrains and
you. As I type, the rain resembled one of their two-door coupes, driveline are equally important parts of the
D (and snow) in Spain is
falling mainly and
add many per cent to the RRP and,
crucially, their customers would lap it up.
package. From launch, you’ve a choice of
two engines and three outputs. The 3.0-litre
irritatingly relentlessly on The new CLS may not have the inline six-cylinder diesel is new, borrowed
the new Mercedes CLS’s “arching beltline”, delicacy of the original, but we reckon from the facelifted S-Class, and comes in
sheeting off its “shark’s nose” front end and it’s a good-looking car all the same. 283bhp 350d or 362bhp 400d flavours.
collecting on its “muscular rear shoulder[s]”. Pictures really don’t do it justice. Inside, The sole petrol option – also a 3.0-litre
This is useful and irritating in equal it’s as though you’re sitting in an E-Class, inline-six – gets 48-volt electrics and an
measure. Useful, because it gives us a and that’s just fine. Of course, they’re EQ Boost integrated starter/generator that
chance to assess the rear-biased 4Matic effectively the same car underneath, as delivers an extra 22bhp/184lb ft of shove
AWD system fitted to all CLSes at launch, indeed they always have been. The two for a limited time. This means, when you
but irritating because we’d hoped to spend 12.3in screens are standard, unlike on let off the gas, the CLS can coast or glide
more time stood a few feet back, admiring the E, and operated either by touchpads without its engine running. In effect,
the “sensual purity” of what Merc design on the steering wheel (borrowed from it’s the same powertrain you get in the
boss Gorden Wagener claims is the the S-Class, very button-heavy) or a facelifted S500. Two-litre petrol and
“archetype of the four-door coupe”. familiar, conventional controller on diesel options will be added later, and
And he’s not wrong – Mercedes the centre console. Space in the rear is no doubt make up the majority of sales.
invented the whole modern four-door- naturally compromised by the roofline,
coupe thing when it revealed the CLS Adults will be able to sit but adults will nonetheless be pretty
in the back, but they’d
concept way back in 2003. It hadn’t yet happy back there.
rather be at the wheel
occurred to Audi and BMW that they could Not that you’ll ever carry anyone in
take the relatively humble underpinnings the back. The CLS is a car you drive. It’s so
of a conventional three-box saloon, change style-led and such a lovely object, we figured
05 8 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
7
8
existing, conventional saloon. But that’s desirable all-rounder that, extroversion, either of these is a good
OK – it’s a very capable all-rounder that has providing you can afford choice. Buy the 2.0 petrol for fun; the
it, is worth the extra over
something to offer just about anyone who diesel for a smart-looking caravan
might conceivably be interested in it. At
an E-Class.
10 tug. PAUL HORRELL
SO, WHAT
E L S E I S N E W?
7
Volvo XC40 T5
What should I know?
Until the 3cyl arrives, this is the only petrol
Volvo XC40 you can buy. Four-cylinder
2.0-litre making 244bhp means 0–62mph
in 6.5secs and a 140mph top speed. The
’box is the same 8spd auto as the diesel.
Should I care?
Not really. It’s smoother and quieter
than the diesel, but not radical. Doesn’t
handle any differently from the oil burner,
and you’re looking at mpg in the 20s
not the 40s. TH
Bent Eight
Bentley Bentayga V8
£136,200
5
WE SAY: THE W12 IS THE DADDY, THE DIESEL IS
Mercedes X220d SENSIBLE, BUT THE V8 IS THE ONE YOU WANT
What should I know?
This is Merc’s attempt at a posh pickup.
resh off the back of of physics here in that this is still a 2.4-
Based on a Navara, this 4cyl, 2.3-litre
launching its first new tonne SUV, but the way it sits so flat
F
diesel packs 161bhp and – in Progressive
trim level – comes with a 6spd manual
veneer in five years (wood through corners is remarkable. And,
and selectable 4WD. Eco-wise, the hunting is obviously a entirely in the interests of science, we
claimed 35.8mpg is not top of the pile. time-consuming business), now know it’s also possible to get it doing
Should I care? Bentley has also dropped an all-new petrol a Scandinavian Flick. Yup, a Bentayga
If you want something different from a bi-turbo V8 into the Bentayga. can be made to hustle like a rally car (if
family SUV, maybe, but you’ll have to Facts for you: it’s an all-new 4.0-litre V8 you’re in an icy field – it’s probably best
put up with the underlying commercial- that also appears in the Porsche Cayenne you don’t try this outside Harrods).
vehicle nature of the beast. However, and Lamborghini Urus. In Bentley spec, What you should try is the Custom
if you want a top end pickup, this is the
it produces 542bhp and 568lb ft; it does setting on the Bentley Drive Dynamics
business. As it should be for £32,000. EW
24.8mpg (thanks to cylinder deactivation Control. Go with the steering and
Just about to do a
tech) and 0–62mph in 4.4secs, and it has Scandinavian Flick. For
exhaust in Sport, and the suspension
twin-scroll turbochargers and will rev to research purposes... and transmission in Comfort. That way,
7,200rpm (Bentley’s highest ever red line). you get the best of all worlds.
With those sorts of power figures, it’s Which is largely what you’d say of the
plenty fast enough. There’s hardly any V8 full stop. It’s designed to sit between the
8
year, and the engine feels sharper. If
endearing. You want to engage with it. and most of the pace
And it encourages you to enjoy making of the W12, but with
you want easy speed with practicality, a fruitier engine note.
the most of the clever 48-Volt active roll
quality and safety, look no further. But
an RS should be exciting to drive too. OM control. OK, so there are fundamental laws
The Bentayga we’d have.
10
06 0 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
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slated
CONTENTS
Stranger
things
Nissan Leaf
p48
Welcome to
/ / R A N G E R O V E R S P O R T S V R / / the Upside
/ / S U Z U K I I G N I S / / Down, where
a plucky
VW Up GTI minnow can
p49
take on a
beast twice / /
/ / A R I E L N O M A D
its size / /
X C R
Gallic 8 0 0
or a car with such a defined stops on all four corners. The Cup car also
mission statement, the new gains a Torsen mechanical slippy diff. / / P O L A R I S
F Megane RS is multi-faceted.
You can choose between
That’s some trick stuff, right there.
Look past the lysergic orange paintjob, / / F O R D F I E S T A R X 2 / /
Aston DB11 Volante
p50 bred a Sport or Cup chassis,
and a 6spd manual or dual-shift EDC ’box,
although the motive power is supplied by
a reworked version of the group’s turbo’d
and the visual differences are about as
subtle as these things get. The front wings
are 60mm wider than the Megane GT’s,
45mm chunkier at the rear. There’s a new air
Megane RenaultSport
1.8-litre engine, good for 277bhp and 288lb intake in the front bumper, a 3D honeycomb
£30,000 (est.) ft, whichever one you go for. Motorsport mesh in the grille, air extractors in the front
trickle-down is present in the Diamond-Like wheelarches, and the rear end gets a diffuser
Carbon in the valve-gear and mirror bore and central exhaust outlet. It’s a great-
WE SAY: THE BATTLE FOR coating inside the cylinders, Renault looking car, possibly even the prettiest hot
THE HOT-HATCH CROWN reckons. Emissions have been cut by hatch of all, and much closer to the VW Golf
Volvo XC40 11 per cent to 155g/km CO (on the smallest GTI end of the sliding scale of hot-hatch
p57 IS ABOUT TO GET WAY
wheels), fuel consumption is up eight per extroversion than the Honda Civic Type R.
MORE DRAMATIQUE...
cent for a best combined figure of 40.9mpg. Inside, the RS gets new sports seats with
a rally
There’s more. The Megane RS also uses integral headrests, an overly chunky wheel,
, a skidoo and
Renault’s 4Control four-wheel steering to and a choice of carbon grey woven fabric or
What do a Nomad for ice...
enhance cornering agility, what it calls Alcantara on the seats. Which are excellent.
n? An appetite
PerfoHub (similar to the Focus RS’s
RevoKnuckle and the Astra VXR’s HiPer
Renault’s fiddlesome R-link touchscreen is
as confounding to use as ever, possibly more
car have in commo
strut) to separate the forces acting on so now that it also boasts an RS monitor
drive and steering, optimise the front-end on top of its previous audio and climate
Audi A7
suspension geometry and hydraulic bump responsibilities. We’re talking telemetry
p58
09 0 MARCH 201 8 › › MARCH 201 8 09 1 1 06 MARCH 201 8 › › MARCH 201 8 107
› MARCH 201 8 045
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A lightweight, V8, mid-engine
special with turbos, you say?
This is the kind of heresy we like......
WO R D S : S T E P H E N D O B I E /
P H OTO G R A P H Y: S T E F F E N JA H N
06 6 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
4 8 8 P I S TA
06 8 A
DPER
C IELM 2B0E1 R8 ›2T0O 1P G7 E A› TR O. CPOGME A R . C O M
SINNERS
488 GTE Le Mans car as the influence for its aero angles,
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. CPOGM
EAR.COM 7
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there’s more than a hint of F1 car nose as the S-duct’s shape
curvaceously dives down from the front bonnet.
Ferrari is claiming 20 per cent more downforce than the
488 GTB, and the Pista’s styling punchily displays its attitude
towards the air unfortunate enough to get in its way. And not just
at the front; the theme continues at the back, with space for the
air to flow beneath its larger rear wing and quite possibly the
rudest rear diffuser we’ve yet seen sitting below a Prancing Horse.
We think it looks spectacular. Inside it’s an evolution of the
Speciale, with four-point seatbelts, bare metal floors and a
general air of focus. You can make it all posh again if you wish, but
it’d be rather missing the point to beg Ferrari for some leather
and a satnav. This is a car in which you strap yourself in a smidge
too tight and willingly get lost. Preferably up an Italian hill.
It’s the latest in a very talented line of cars – the 360 Challenge
Stradale, 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale before it aren’t merely
three of the best Ferraris, but three of the best supercars ever.
Many of their thrills came from their hedonistically high-revving
engines, something the Pista won’t quite match, no matter how
hard it tries. As for the rest of it, though, Ferrari is very unlikely
to have mucked it up – we’d anticipate it being extraordinary to
drive. It’s a sinner, but one born of divine inspiration.
BMW CONCEPT
M8 GR A N COUPE
Munich bludgeons design into a bloody pulp
WO R D S : TO M FO R D / P H OTO G R A P H Y: M A R K R I CC I O N I
MERCEDES-A MG
GT 4DR COUPE
This is not a tarted-up CLS – it’s a much more exotic beast than that...
WO R D S : TO M H A R R I S O N
o dismiss AMG’s new GT four-door coupe as bespokery. Its track is wider than the CLS’s, its wheelbase is
a CLS 63 in all but name – which, let’s face it, shorter and there’s much in the way of, erm, suspension. Air or
T you’re doing right now – is to do it a massive
disservice. Given that AMG isn’t going to ‘63’
conventional springs, depending on which engine you go for...
Ah yes, engines. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, 4Matic
the new CLS, this thing will effectively occupy AWD and 9spd automatic gearbox are borrowed from the E63.
that space in Merc’s line-up when it goes on sale in September. Like the E63 there will be S and non-S versions of the ‘GT 63’
A four-door coupe with many horsepowers, designed to give the – the former gets more power (630bhp/664lb ft plays
best efforts of Audi, Porsche and BMW debilitating migraines. 577bhp/590lb ft) and Drift Mode as standard. There’s also an
In the vein of the SLS and AMG GT, what we’re looking at inline 6cyl ‘GT 53’, which uses 48V electrics and an electric
here is a car “independently developed by Mercedes-AMG”, not compressor to support a conventional turbo for 429bhp. Brits
a hotted-up version of an existing Mercedes. So while it may are only getting the V8s for now, and that’s just fine with us…
look like the CLS, study the two side-by-side and you’ll easily The most potent GT four-door – the AMG GT 63S – claims
spot the differences. You’ll see the GT has different headlights, 0–62mph in 3.2 seconds and a faintly ridiculous 196mph,
that there’s a kink in the GT’s beltline where the CLS’s is flat, despite its more-than-two-tonne heft. Hopefully the four-
and that the GT’s roofline tapers more smoothly because it – wheel steering will keep it pointy. Prices are TBC, but expect
unlike the CLS – is a hatchback. Underneath, this, the CLS six fairly large figures. Panamera Turbo S E nutter Hybrid
and E-Class share a platform, but under the GT lies much thingy – your nemesis has arrived.
PORSCHE
MISSION E CROSS TURISMO
Ignore the drone in the boot – Porsche’s EV is practically production-ready
WO R D S : PAU L H O R R E L L / P H OTO G R A P H Y: M A R K R I CC I O N I
indscreen wipers. Actual wing mirrors. Somewhere Here the messaging really does start to get a bit convoluted. Does the
you could conceivably mount a number plate. Leaving beautiful and pure idea of the Mission E really need to be turned into,
W off these tedious details is an easy shortcut to building
glamour into a concept car. But their presence
what, a Mission E Allroad? A Mission E Streetwise?
Whether a production electric Porsche would actually get the
signifies something that’s actually more exciting. They Cross treatment, or whether this bit really is just a bit of motorshow
mean this Mission E Cross Turismo isn’t just eye candy for a podium fun, isn’t yet clear. But Mauer stresses what we already know: that
but close to something you’ll see on actual roads. Not that this is Porsche sees big business in crossing over. “That’s where Porsche is
exactly a production machine. A little decoding is necessary. now, and we’ll get stronger in that direction.” Peter Varga, Porsche’s
Michael Mauer, Porsche design guru, tells TG: “The proportions exterior design director, has more to say about the body protection
and dimensions give you a hint: this is more realistic than the first parts. “It was important to me to have a light look, a Porsche look.
Mission E concept.” That means the bodywork and interior are pretty Off-road cars usually look heavy. So we didn’t close the wheelarch
much as per the production Mission-E saloon, launching next year. trim onto the sill. It’s more like the floating aero of a GT3 car.”
Then he adds, “This concept also shows possibilities of the future The Cross Turismo Concept is a runner, using the same electrical
line-up.” So they’re already planning a range of Mission-E bodies, and and mechanical set-up as the first Mission E, due out next year. That
this shooting-brake-esque roof and tailgate are for the second model. means front and rear electric motors, good for 0–62mph in 3.5secs and
Just like the Panamera spawned the Sport Turismo. 0–125 in 12. It’ll do those blazing numbers, even when the battery is
Finally there’s this Cross business. That’s the slightly raised ride fairly depleted – a condition not met by a Tesla. Its range is just over
height, the chunky tyres and the body armour around the arches. 300 miles, when driven with the sloth of a EU-cycle tester, but that’ll
be significantly eroded if you drive like a Porsche owner. But Europe’s Interior design chief Ivo van Hulten calls these parts – wheel spokes,
upcoming network of superfast chargers should diminish that issue. armrests, console – ‘satellites’. The air vents have no blades. Instead,
The Mission E doesn’t only have the performance of a Porsche, it has electrostatic wings control the air direction upstream of the outlets.
the looks of one. OK, compared with the 2015 show car, the Rubenesque “There is an HUD,” says van Hulten, “but you don’t have that visible
hips have been lost and the suicide doors too, but it still has Mauer’s hole in the dash where the projector usually is. We’ve covered it in fine
touchstones of Porsche DNA: “the low bonnet and raised wings, the mesh, and the image projects through.”
tapering roof, the rear shoulder and the tail lamp band”. But just as other “The dash layout and cockpit is relatively feasible,” he says. “That’s
Porsches have their own particular characteristics – only the 911 has the message we want to send.” In the coy language of concept-car
round headlights – Mauer’s team is drawing up some specific cues for the designers, you seldom get a clearer signal than that.
electric cars. “Airflow is important for this type of car so we make a The seats aren’t so production-ready. They’ll need to bulk up because
feature of it.” As the motor and battery need a lot of cooling, one solution of mundane production stuff like crash strengthening and side airbags.
would have been to cover the wheelarches, but Mauer didn’t like that idea Neither can you expect any time soon for your Porsche car to arrive with
– “You have to see the wheels on a sports car, so we have air curtains a Porsche drone in the boot. But Van Hulten explains that the designers
around the front wheels – the headlamp is more like an air intake with at Porsche’s Weissach studio don’t just do cars any more. They try to
the headlamp within it.” understand the whole of life-with-Porsche. In the jargon, the ownership
Proportions, of course, are critical. They’re hard to read here because experience. So they reckon Porsche’s servers could find you a scenic
of the ‘Cross’ paraphernalia of body cladding and lumpy tyres, but route, send it to the car’s nav, and suggest stopovers where you’d launch
actually the body is shallow from floor to roof, and wide. Mauer says the drone which would follow the car as you drive, sharing the footage
that’s critical. “Porsches need dramatic proportions. In an EV, you have to your friends who also inhabit this curated Porsche world.
the battery in the floor for driving dynamics, but you need to package It’s indicative of a major shift to new business worlds for the company.
the people on top. That drives the height of the car. This is a big, big Porsche now means electricity, crossovers, digitisation, connectedness,
challenge. It would’ve been easier to have done a conventional tall SUV.” sharing. It’s a long way from the solitude of tearing up an empty
“Inside, it’s a combination of the new and old worlds,” says Mauer. mountain road in a 911. And you can be sure they mean it. This concept
So you get the wide, oval Porsche instrument pod, but it’s a thin curved has fantastical details but overall it’s much more than just a fantasy. Says
screen. Apart from the steering wheel and stalks, all switches, even the Mauer, “Our unique position is that if we do a concept and it comes to
windows, are on glass touch panels. There’s no carpet to be seen. The production, it doesn’t look so different. As a designer, of course, I’d love
cabin is full of ‘floating’ elements, in search of an impression of lightness. to do an even more radical concept. But this is better for our credibility.”
Fifteen minutes. That’s apart. They also include jointly with Merc, BMW,
THE how long the Mission E, a contactless payment Ford and Audi. But only
on the right charger, will system, so as soon as Porsches will get the
TECHY take to get from flat to you drive up they’re full 800V (for 300kW)
80 per cent charged. By ready to go. Stop, wee, that allows such fast
BIT about 2020, there will espresso, a few texts, go. charging, because only
be a network of these These are the chargers they have the onboard
chargers across Europe, of the Ionity network electronics and cooling
no more than 75 miles Porsche is investing in that can cope.
JAGUAR
I-PACE
Right here, right now
WO R D S : JAC K R I X / P H OTO G R A P H Y: J O E W I N DS O R-W I L L I A M S
Proliferation of screens
hasn’t banished
buttons. Phew
0 – 6 0 M P H 4 E L E C T R I C
M O T O R S
1.85SECS 1887BHP
RIMAC C–TWO
Come in Chiron, your time is up. The 1,887bhp EV hypercar is upon us
WO R D S : O L L I E K E W / P H OTO G R A P H Y: J O H N W YC H E R L E Y
ay attention, Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Tesla. is a 1,950kg machine. Rimac disguises this with intelligent
This is the second hypercar from Rimac, and torque-vectoring, which is fully adaptive between all four wheels.
P the numbers are startling.
Rimac claims the C_Two’s four electric
The lithium-manganese-nickel battery scores a 403-mile
range and takes 30 minutes to store 80 per cent charge on a
motors develop a combined 1,887bhp and rapid charger. Rimac says the car can manage two full laps of
1,696lb ft. The front wheels use a single-speed gearbox each, the Nürburgring “with a negligible drop in performance”. Nio’s
while the use of twin two-speed gearboxes at the rear allows EP9 currently has the e-lap record of 6:45:9...
a claimed vmax of 258mph. And the tech gets scarier still. Facial recognition cameras
On the way, we’re told the C_Two will have cracked have not only dispensed with the need for a key – the car
0–60mph in 1.85 seconds (albeit with an American drag simply looks at your face before deciding to open the butterfly
strip-friendly one-foot rollout). If the driver remains door – but Rimac says it’ll also read your mood. Apparently,
conscious, the Rimac will cover off 0–100mph in 4.3 seconds. if you’re getting ratty, the car will soften its ride and play
Quarter-mile? 9.1 seconds. Zero to 186mph happens in 11.8 soothing tunes. Which is terrifying yet sensible, when
seconds. That’s two seconds quicker than a Chiron. there’s 1,887bhp under your right foot. But the biggest
Despite a completely carbon-fibre chassis (with integrated shock? It’s all real: Rimac will make 150 of these at €1.7m
batteries), plus carbon crash structures and panels, the C_Two each, with first deliveries next year.
08 2 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
U P T O
403 T O P S P E E D
MILES 258MPH
B E T W E E N
C H A R G E S
LEVEL 4
A U T O N O M Y
V I A 8
C A M E R A S &
6 R A D A R S
Coming to
a Nürburgring
near you soon...
RISKY BUSINESS
Audi has unleashed a sharper,
RWD-only R8. Is it the car to
dethrone the 911 GT3? We find out
on a trip to a wintry Snowdonia
WO R D S : TO M FO R D /
P H OTO G R A P H Y: M A R K R I CC I O N I
08 6 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
ater is wet, the sun is hot, Porsche 911 GT3, with both cars appealing to
Snowdonia in winter is freezing. enthusiasts, costing in the region of £110k and
W But for some reason, it’s still a bit
surprising exactly how aggressively
with roughly the same power and potential.
Game, as they say, on.
frigid this bit of Wales can be at The first impression is that the R8 isn’t actually
5am when the cold leaps out and ambushes your that different. Still a DSG, still with a full-fat R8
breath, slipping down your throat with a burn like interior and comfy electric seats. There are no wings
cheap whisky. It is exactly, precisely and entirely or even badges externally (just a “one of 999” plaque
the wrong place to test a supercar in winter. So we on the dash), and it keeps all the interior bells ’n’
brought two. Not only that, we brought a pair of whistles. The V10 fires with the familiar operatic
very specific, rear-wheel-drive variants, when both crackle, and there’s still a gentle, unseen diligence to
manufacturers make exceptional four-wheel-drive the way it goes about things. Heading out into the
versions of the same car. Go us. hinterlands, it’s easy and compliant and bloody fast.
The brand-new Audi R8 RWS is the real newbie. Natural aspiration rocks, and this V10 at high revs is
A rear-drive-only version of the previously AWD- still utterly glorious, building power in a cultured,
only R8, RWS standing for Rear Wheel Series rather hungry, metered wave. Go faster, and the front end
than ‘rear-wheel steer’. Only 999 will be made, all feels more precise than the AWD car’s; lighter, more
with no front diff, dynamic steering nonsense or connected, uncorrupted by the slight tugging you
adaptive damping, a mechanical locking rear get from the standard vehicle when it’s slippy out.
differential, the usual naturally aspirated 5.2-litre It’s also more confident than you might imagine,
V10 – this time with 533bhp/398lb ft – and a 50kg even when surprised by mid-corner drifts. And by
weight drop over a standard car. A car for drivers, that, I mean snowdrifts rather than deliberate
then. Not so much stripped out, as pared back a bit, sideways action. Yeah, Snowdonia.
but definitely one aimed at the kind of people who The Porsche 911 is similarly familiar, a known
like things a bit more lively. It goes up against the entity. This GT3 is a manual, possibly the apogee
of the road-drivable track-day car. Half caged, gearlever dropping into your palm like a best friend’s
lightened and tightened, immediately precise. The handshake. The pedals are straight and standard, and
seats are tight, straight-backed, pious and pew-like, the weights and positions as good as it gets.
the slim-rimmed Alcantara wheel neat beneath your There’s a lack of sound deadening up in those rear
fingers. It crashes to life with an unglamorous bark, arches – gravel sparkles noisily up inside them every
settles to a dirty chunter, sounding industrial rather time it gets a chance – the roll cage creaks a bit, the
than particularly fancy or immediately exotic like suspension is short-stroked and initially feels very firm.
the R8. But here’s the thing with most Porsches, and It’s also on flat-faced and decidedly track-day-ish Cup 2
911s in particular: they are, for most sizes of human, tyres, which have as much grip in slush as an excited
ergonomically fabulous. The wheel sits perfectly, with greyhound on a polished wood floor. Possibly less. It
that weird little elbow-to-arm ratio easy to find, the feels a bit nervy next to the Audi, more wound, more
intense. It feels like it’s going to kick, even at relatively
slow speeds where the R8 is confident, and it has that
slightly feral edge lurking around the corner of the next
two centimetres of throttle. And then, when you expect
it to shimmy, it doesn’t. It just digs a bit. Then a bit more.
The engine is punchy and strong, but nothing ridiculous
below 5,000rpm and it’s all just a bit… well... a bit 911.
Lovely steering, no sense of rear-engine bias, a slick-
transition car that you can carry speed, and trust as long
as you’re smooth. But it’s got some more revs to expose.
Which is when it makes the Audi feel like a trim line.
This is a car that does not exist in its entirety until
it is going fast and, frankly, getting the s**t kicked out
08 8 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
RWD SUPERCARS
of it. Oh, it’s nice enough, fun and exciting. But the After a day or so, and mourning the death of any
whole car locks into its mission statement at about remaining body heat, the result is clear. On paper, these
6,500rpm and doesn’t let go until 9. The experience two are squaring off. Both around £110k, both purist
is born in third gear with the rev-counter at four catnip, rear-wheel drive and naturally aspirated. They
o’clock on the dial. Addictive? It’s like crack cocaine. both have in the region of 500bhp – a bit of a sweet-spot
Or possibly Krispy Kreme donuts. Restraint sold for current road cars, in my opinion – both clocking
separately. Where the Audi builds a wall of power and high threes zero to 62mph and with the same surely-
changes its engine note on a smooth scale, the GT3 they-could-have-got-2mph-more 198mph top speed.
switches character with each 500rpm. You can make And yet they don’t even really compete. The Audi R8
a fiction of any stretch that’s even vaguely straight. RWS is an excellent addition to the R8 line-up, and a
Ball up the physical distance and simply step across pleasingly “cheap” one. It’s possibly the best R8, full
the fold, gravity pulled 90° rearwards, your skull stop, because it’s more fun to drive and has barely less
cradled by a little pad instead of a headrest. The grip in most situations. But it’s not really a full-on
engine making a fist of its fury and howling, special. If it had a manual, even if it were slower, it
reverberating through the cabin like feedback from would be a totally different proposition. But it hasn’t.
God’s own stadium stack. It’s not easy – it hops and As such, it’s a tidy, entertaining footnote. At the
moves and darts and is generally less compliant than opposite end of the family tree, the Porsche 911 GT3
the R8, but it’s intense and involving in a way the isn’t just a version of the 911. It feels like a thing all
Audi isn’t. You’d buy it for the steering alone. The on its own, a honed, specific commitment. It’s less
information and feedback is so dense that it takes a comfortable than the R8, less cosseting, but that’s
little while to start to unpack it. We’re so used to fake the point. It’s a weekend blast, a “drive to a track day
feelings that when we get the real thing, we suddenly and kick some arse” kind of car. As a manual, in this
get what must be the equivalent of haptic pins and specification, it becomes superlative. It’ll take more
needles as real feelings return. than just an R8 with rear-wheel drive to change that.
shish Nar, a teacher of car design by Mercedes’ Magic Ride Control chickens
by trade, has slipped into the role and that time Honda fiddled around with
09 2 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Ah, Mr Ambassador, with For some reason, Parth’s
this vinyl seating you’re new coffee machine just
really spoiling us wasn’t getting the milk frothy
DO TRY THIS
as it is, entirely untouched from the Ambassador,
apart from a piece of carpet to plug the chasm that’s
opened up between the dash and the new, more
steeply raked windscreen. But squint a bit, and that,
my friends, is a Peugeot 208 GTI – two-tone Coupe AT HOME...
Franche paintjob, the lot. Considering where it 1: The Ambassador’s reception
started life, I’m flabbergasted… and keen to find From a shortlist of six, this 1998 diesel,
out how on earth they did it. with 87,000 miles, was the chosen one.
Full service history? MOT? Probably not,
You’ll find your handy step-by-step guide to but a lovely runner and all for around
converting an Ambassador into a small French £1,000. You just can’t go wrong. Can you?
hatchback opposite, but here’s a flavour: they did it
with bloody-minded determination, a boatload of 2: The strip down
Body panels removed, interior out, back
fibre-glass, by enlisting an expert panel beater, endless
end chopped, angle grinder unleashed.
late finishes and early starts, more welds than the hull Unfortunately, the roof and windscreen
of the Titanic, scant regard for any health and safety of a Hindustan Ambassador look nothing
protocols and constant ingenuity, creativity and like a Peugeot 208 GTI, which is why they
imagination, the likes of which we so often forget about had to go. Held up by some makeshift
scaffolding are replacements from an
these days when there’s technology to fall back on. unidentified scrap car – the closest in
And the most brilliant part of all? Beneath the new shape that fitted the Ambassador’s width.
frock and lipstick, this is still a functioning car – albeit
one powered by a 75bhp, 1.8-litre Isuzu diesel engine 3: The magic mould
Six separate pieces milled in foam (using
that makes an erupting volcano seem refined. Even
Peugeot CAD data) then glued together.
the lights and indicators are wired up. Although not From that, a plaster of Paris mould, and
strictly road-legal, a quick rattle to the nearest town from that, a new one-piece fibreglass
shouldn’t get us in any trouble, so long as we don’t rear end. Repeat process at the front.
draw any unnecessary attention. Fast forward 10
4: The panel beater
minutes and I’m wrestling with the unassisted steering Here comes the skill. Getting a donor
in searing 35ºC heat, swerving to avoid dustbin-sized roof, fibre-glass front and rear ends and
potholes that might snap the rear leaf springs, and new doors wrapped in hand-beaten
trying to execute a five-point turn without running sheet steel to match up seamlessly is
quite a job. The man in this picture made
over a cow or over-revving the engine. Meanwhile,
it work. We’re in awe.
Rowan runs in and out of traffic waving his lens
around and generally causing a bit of a scene. 5: The blow dry
A crowd forms, the engine overheats, we pull over Sourcing a rear windscreen and rear
and pop the bonnet and accept that, despite being windows cut with the precise three-
dimensional curvature required was
rear-wheel drive, the Pambassador’s hot-hatchy-ness impossible, so plastic heated and bent
is definitely just skin deep. TopGear, doing the vital by hand would have to do. Well, if it’s
research so you don’t have to. But enough road testing good enough for the 911 GT3 RS...
– there’s an advert to shoot. And if you thought Ashish
6: The paintjob
and his team hit their creative peak during the build,
OK, so the paint shop wasn’t entirely
you’ll love what comes next. dust- and contaminate-free. And, no,
First, let’s address the elephant in the room. We these aren’t official Peugeot colours, just
don’t have an elephant. We tried, seriously, but finding a the closest thing that was lying around,
showbiz-savvy six-tonne mammal in India that but who cares? The colour join is crisp as
anything, there’s an authentic matt sheen
meets European animal welfare standards is… tricky. and note the use of actual newspaper
Who knew? Instead, we agree on using a JCB for the and oily rags – an advanced technique
bonnet-crushing scene. This is not my first choice. The rarely seen these days.
09 4 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
2
6
AMBASSADOR
MADE EARLIER
First, the obvious: it’s a deception. This From behind the wheel, it drives
is not a modified Ambassador, as we were exactly as you’d expect a low-mileage
led to believe by movie magic, but a 206 diesel 206 to drive... uneventfully. The
This is the actual car from the advert, that was pulled from the line, stripped out lack of sound deadening and windows
currently residing in Peugeot’s like a stock car and beaten to within an slash the weight, but cause a few NVH
retirement home, otherwise known inch of its life, before being painted silver issues. And for some reason, I couldn’t
as La Réserve. Less tea and biscuits, to make it look, erm, unpainted. stop poking my head out the window
more wheels: a warehouse stacked five- It might appear ready for the and bobbing it like a fool.
high with all the greatest road, race scrapheap, but in fact it has a mere 110km A fascinating prop, then, but a bit
and marketing cars from Peugeot’s on the clock – as you can see on the right. half-arsed, if you ask me. Far better to
colourful past. We got wind that In some sort of eerie record of the day throw your nuts on the fire and convert
shelf four, aisle three was home to and time it was prematurely plucked from an Ambassador for real, don’t you think?
the battered 206 made famous in the factory, the clock and calendar are Just me, then...
After hours of coaching,
Jack prepares himself
for some head bobbing
Has this blue-collar hero lost its soul or is this new breed
a welcome piece of fresh thinking? TG was invited to
Ford’s top-secret Lommel facility to find out
1 00 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 101
1
There’s magic going The ST’s engine doesn’t look
on under the bonnet much, but it has performance
Using witchcraft and fairy dust, the ST’s and character in spades
1.5-litre 3cyl turbocharged engine delivers
197bhp and 214lb ft of torque, firing the ST to
62mph in 6.7secs and on to a top speed of 144mph.
Lighter and more efficient than its predecessor, the
new engine should pay dividends when it comes
to the handling. It’s mated to a 6spd manual with
meaty weighting and a short throw, plus there’s
an optional Quaife limited-slip diff. The motor
features cylinder deactivation, which, under light
loads, shuts off one cylinder, which adds frugality
to the list of ST attributes. The shift from three
cylinders to two is imperceptible.
2
The cleverness
doesn’t end there
The ST also gets bespoke bi-compound
Michelin Pilot Super Sports, with stickier
rubber on the outside edge to optimise cornering
and a more durable one across the main section of
the tread. To further help the ST’s turn-in, the car
brakes the inside front wheel. At the rear, the ST
has twist-beam rear suspension.
Inside, the ST features optional Recaro
buckets which, in contrast to its big brother
Focus RS, allow a much lower, more sporting
driving position. There’s a chunky steering wheel
and nicely finished aluminium and rubber pedals.
For those of you wanting to really shake your
neighbour’s windows, there’s an optional B&O
stereo upgrade. In a Fiesta.
3
We’ve been for a ride
in it... and it’s hilarious
To give us the full display of the ST’s
dynamic capabilities, I was inserted into
the passenger seat of a fully specced racing blue
1 02 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
FIESTA ST
is. Ford has kept the settings simple, with just three lifting off the throttle, another ST trick that allows
Anyone for a bit of
cheeky rear-wheel
modes: Normal, Sport and Track. Normal is, um, you to keep it pinned and flat shift.
wagging? Wait your turn normal. Sport increases throttle response and
5
steering weight, allows more slip angle and adds It’s good away from
more pops and bangs from the exhaust. Track the circuit and on the
pulls back the traction control further and allows daily commute as well
ST. Options included the LSD and a handy test even wider slip angles. You can disable the traction When not having its neck wrung by a test
pilot called Koen Bex, who set off around Ford’s entirely by pressing and holding the button in any of pilot, the ST has greater strength and depth than
top secret development facilities Track 7 with a the settings. We’re in Track as we crest another rise its predecessor, too. Ford has worked hard on
point to prove. Talk about commitment. Track 7 and Koen lifts off, allowing the tail to step out, before NVH and ride comfort, and it shows. The all-new
is a ribbon of tarmac designed to replicate the burying the throttle and allowing the LSD and its frequency selective dampers isolate the worst a
kind of surface and undulations you’d find on torque-vectoring assistants to work their magic, broken surface can throw at you, making it a far
your perfect B-road. Home turf for the ST, then. tucking the nose in and firing us on to the next long more relaxing car to cover distance in. But push the
As Koen got airborne over a particularly tricky corner. The ST’s pace is impressive. I suspect it could car harder, and the dampers tense up to keep the
series of yumps, the first thing that struck me, keep a supercar honest on a tight B-road, while the body roll in check and hard-wire the connection
beyond a sense of my own mortality, was that the adjustability on the throttle is extraordinary for a from the road to the driver.
ST sounded great. The offbeat warble is similar front-drive car. Koen rifles through the gears without
6
to a V6 and far more characterful than a turbo’d Oh, and it has
four-cylinder could manage. While some of the launch control...
engine noise is enhanced through the speakers As part of the optional Performance Pack,
using Ford’s ESE (electronic sound enhancement) which features the LSD and a shift light,
technology, it’s still convincing and engaging, launch control is accessed through the steering-
and not overly synthetic. wheel controls, and manages the power and torque
delivery to ensure you leave the opposition standing
4
It will slide and you at the lights. It remains activated until you
don’t need to lift to shift deactivate it, or turn the car off and on again, so you
The second thing that became obvious from can repeatedly launch to your heart’s content, safe
the passenger seat is how adjustable the ST in the knowledge it’s covered by the warranty.
5
1 Even a Rolls-Royce has to
run the risk of petrol fumes
2 Spirit of Ecstasy aglow at
night 3 6.75-litre V12 is smooth
as silk. Power doesn’t matter
because you should never
need to use it all 4 Ollie
concentrates on remembering
to drive with his fingertips and
not rest his elbows 5 Rowan
contemplates the joy of a
built-in drinks cabinet
ROLLS-ROYCE
F people who don’t support football clubs, but own them; that
travel by Learjet, not Easy. But what’s it really like being a
know if you realise, but we’ve done 220
miles since Calais already. I’ve taken my
member of the automotive glitterati? Well, with the help of the shoes off, so I too can enjoy the carpet, and
all-new Phantom VIII, a £525,000 Extended Wheelbase, I’m going to find out. am guiding the car using nothing but the
The plan is to go on a luxo road trip. The destination? An exclusive soft pads of my fingertips and letting
nest of wealth, perched high in the French Alps: Courchevel 1850. Being 750 Eleanor lead the way.
miles away from my current location (R-R’s suitably immaculate Goodwood RH: Who’s Eleanor? I didn’t know you had
facility) it’s a bit of a slog. But that doesn’t matter; I’ve donned my best room to hide more staff up there...
kleptocratic nouveau-riche clothing, have a Phantom to indulge in, and, OM: It’s how the cognoscenti refer to the
best of all, R-R has supplied a chauffeur – because no self-respecting ’garch Spirit of Ecstasy. Anyway, it’s absolutely
would be seen behind the wheel. uncanny the way this thing goes along
And here he is. Hold on, I recognise that aerodynamic head. Is that?... no, a road. It’s so gentle and calming, so
it can’t be. Oh, for pity’s sake... it’s Ollie Marriage. unhurried, even when you’ve built up
a decent gait. How’s it for you?
OM: Yes, it is. And I can’t believe I’ve got myself into this, but, if we’re going RH: Well, I’ve decided you don’t sit in a
to do this properly, you’ve got to call me “Drive”. That’s how you refer to your Rolls-Royce Phantom. You nuzzle. Surrender
chauffeur, apparently. What should I call you? your body to the plushness, let it massage
RH: Lord backseat overlord. and warm you. Perhaps raise the ottoman
OM: I’ve got a better name: Roman Ahornavich. Doubly useful as it could to adjust the angle of your feet, take a little
be your porno name. Anyway, now I’ve got you safely into the back (oh, the bit of life’s weight off.
ignominy of having to open and close doors for you), it’s time for me to get on OM: I’m sorry, but you really don’t need
with the driving. And what’s up with those gold skis? And that rack?! Hang on, to raise your voice – there’s 6mm-thick,
has it been drilled through the boot? dual-layer double glazing all round and more
RH: Never you mind for now, Drive. than 130kg of sound-deadening material
OM: I don’t know if you’re aware of distance back there, but we’re now about pumped into the headliner, doors, boot
10 miles into our journey and I’ve nearly crashed about three times. Running cavity, bulkhead and even the tyres.
into the back of people. At first I thought it was because the Phantom weighs as RH: The serenity is weird, isn’t it? Makes an
much as a moon and the brakes weren’t man enough for the job, but actually I S-Class feel like you’ve put your head in a
think they’ve been purposefully engineered like that. It’s impossible to brake super club’s subwoofer.
harshly. No matter how suddenly you thwack the pedal, brake pressure ramps OM: I wouldn’t know. I’ve got a hint of wind
up slowly. It’s the same with the accelerator. It’s literally impossible to drive noise from A-pillars and mirrors, but that’s
the Phantom aggressively. I’m going to have a go, though. Every time you reach it. The spokes of the steering wheel are in a
for the champagne flute. weird place, though – I’m sure it’s been done
RH: I’m not sure if it’s a compliment to your driving, the car, or the Moët, but it so the driver can’t fully switch off. And Rolls
appears we’ve swallowed the south east of England whole. Never has the M20’s doesn’t yet have any autonomous features
ghastly corduroy surfacing been ironed out so silently. – no lane keep or any of that.
RH: Why would I want that? I’ve got a man
As we approach passport control at Eurotunnel, my isolation bubble is popped in a suit to do that.
as Ollie cracks the window for border control. The ludicrousness of the OM: Point taken. I’ve never driven a car that
situation I’ve manufactured really sinks in – Ollie is playing it straight. insulates you from noise or road surface like
“Passports, please,” the immigration officer says. this one. It seems to be travelling about six
“Here’s mine. And this is my client’s,” Ollie says. feet above the actual tarmac. It’s even doing
Crippling embarrassment sets in, but the guardian of our country is well on fuel – 23mpg means we’re looking at
prim and proper and asks to see ‘Sir’. Ollie then turns to me and asks if 450 miles before we need to stop. With all the
that’s OK, before dropping the back window. We’re waved through. Then drink you’ve been quaffing, your bladder’s
summoned straight into the drugs check zone. More squirming from me never going to last that long. And they don’t
in the back. And then again when Eurotunnel offers us an escort to the do posh bogs at French service stations.
train, only to close the barrier on the car behind. Ollie’s at it again. RH: No. But I do have a crystal decanter.
“Excuse me, that car is with us.” Remember the old spare water bottle trick?
“How do you mean sir?” The guard replies. “That’s our security detail.” OM: Roman. Put. It. Down. Oh, for heaven’s
It’s not. It’s our support car housing photographer Mark Riccioni and sake, not over the carpets. You animal. We’re
videographer James Gough. They need to work on their Spetsnaz stares. going to be late for your dinner date with the
Courchevel’s preferred
transport boasts approx
one horsepower
Ahornovich feasted on caviar RH: The car is still filthy. I thought I made myself
and dolphin fritters; Drive’s
quite clear that…
dinner was rather humbler
OM: You know there’s a point where the patron
of luxury act runs headlong into blunt reality,
right? Well, that was it. I did clean the skis,
because they look so ridiculous I want everyone
to notice them and realise the bloke in the back
must be an utter plant pot.
RH: How little you understand the patron of
luxury lifestyle, Drive. When you’re up here
rubbing shoulders with the world’s wealthiest,
you want to have something they don’t. Bespoke
is BIG business for R-R. Remember the Sweptail?
The most expensive new car in the world? Well,
that was just the start. The Phantom’s new
spaceframe structure (which’ll underpin
replacements for the Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, and
the new Cullinan SUV) could offer a cornucopia
of coach-built possibilities for four-wheeled haute
couture. My take was to get the TG engineering
department to drill holes for the racks, then
borrow a set of Foil Oro-Nero skis made from
8,000-year-old Chinese bog-oak complete with
14-karat gold-plated poles and bindings. Ballin’.
OM: Ballin’? Balls more like. They weigh a ton.
And how much do they cost?
RH: A mere 50,000 euro.
OM: Dare you to ski on them.
HOW TO BE A
CHAUFFEUR
1 DRESS WELL
As a private chauffeur, you
are an extension of both your
employer and the car you drive.
So if, for instance, you drive a Rolls-
Royce for a wealthy client, it’s likely
you’ll need to dress smartly, but
it’s equally important not to
upstage your employer. To help
us out, we went to the paragon
of understated men’s tailoring,
Gieves & Hawkes of Savile Row.
But the suit alone is not enough –
behaviour matters too. So no
chewing, no strong aftershave, no
slouching, no over-familiarity, etc.
2 HEELS TO WHEELS
Lovely phrase, this. When your
passenger is about to enter or exit
the car, you should stand ready,
facing away from the car, with your
hand on the handle. Mostly this is
for security reasons – it allows you
to check both ways along the
pavement. It also means you’re not
looking at your client should they
be struggling to exit with dignity
while wearing a short skirt...
3 DRIVE SLOWLY
In short, drive as if the person in
the back has a glass of champagne
balanced on a fold-out tray table.
So not only must you accelerate
and brake gently, you must predict
the behaviour of other traffic, give
yourself time and pick a route
around hazards such as speed
bumps, width restrictors and even
potholes. Forward planning is
essential for the professional
chauffeur: know the route you’re
going to take, have alternatives
worked out in case of an incident,
research pick-up and drop-off
points. In short, be discreet and
drive with care.
on how far out into the road the prow now is, and how close to the kerb the OM: You’re on. I’ve seen the weather
inside rear is. Blind corners require blind faith and the hope that whatever’s forecast. The cloud’s coming in fast and
coming the other way is willing to behave deferentially. that means you’re going to be stranded if
The engine simply never intrudes, it merely provides seamless progress you’re not in the air inside 10 minutes.
aided by an eight-speed automatic gearbox that uses GPS data to read the Think I’ll go and park the Phantom in
road ahead and select the correct gear. It’s only if you up the ante that it the middle of the runway.
occasionally gets caught out. As it does now as I home back in on Roman RH: Please don’t. Just give me this last
at Le Lana… small taste of opulent Rolls-Royce lifestyle
before I have to return to a life of beans
RH: I can smell the brakes. on toast and Asos.
OM: Never mind that, look at the state of those skis – you’ve gone and OM : It has been good, hasn’t it? What
got snow on them. How was skiing, by the way? I’ve particularly enjoyed is the effect the
RH: Yeah, alright. I behaved like any self-respecting billionaire and paid Phantom has on people. On the whole,
someone else to do a jump over the car while wearing my gear – for my they’ve been so well disposed to it. I think
Instagram you understand – then retired to wash down some caviar with it’s so stately, so grand, that people just
copious amounts of vodka at a mountain restaurant I had closed to everyone like getting up close to it. Best of all is the
else so I could eat and sunbathe in peace. Anyway, enough of that. To the aftershock: they see the car first and then
altiport, Drive! after it’s gone past they twig the skis and
OM: The altiport? Why? do a complete double take. That was a
RH: Well, surrounded by ski slopes and jagged mountains, it makes a strong nice touch, by the way.
claim to be the world’s most picturesque landing strip. RH: Thank you. The Phantom has been a
OM: Hang on, you haven’t just had me drive you up here to admire the view, magnificent carriage from start to finish.
have you? What’s that gold plane doing? You know that saying, “It’s better to travel
RH: That, my good man, is a Pilatus PC-12, designed by none other than than to arrive”? Well, there are other
Phillipe Starck to look like a posh cigar, natch. luxury cars that are spacious and quiet
OM: You’re not coming back in the car, are you? You’re going to travel in and comfortable and maybe approaching
something inferior. as good to travel in. But there’s nothing
RH: Not as quiet and sumptuous, I grant you, but faster, I hope. We’re going else in remotely the same league when
to have a race back to Goodwood, Drive. it comes to arriving. Stepping out of
it in Courchevel gave me both kudos
and confidence.
“I behaved like a billionaire, The Phantom is the death star of
opulence, the magnum opus of refinement.
and paid someone else to This new one is no different, it’s just
cemented the status even further. It
do a jump over the car” is the world’s most luxurious car.
11 2 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
ROLLS-ROYCE
Phantom’s cabin
contains more wood
than... this entire picture
he cars are filthy. This is because The Volvo is something fresh. It’s built on a brand-new
it’s still wintry and we’re out in the platform, intended from the start to be a crossover, not
countryside. Some cars look good grimy, shared with a Mini and an MPV (X1) or borrowed from the
“Turn of speed torque. But the DS feels way quicker than 9.9 to 62mph, and
even the porky E-Pace isn’t left behind.
is good. All four Jaguar ought to be both proud and ashamed of the E-Pace.
Proud that they’ve made it drive the way it does when it weighs
so much, ashamed of that weight in the first place. 1,843kg.
deliver decent Heavier than an equivalent big brother F-Pace, 150kg heavier
than either the safety-conscious XC40 or the practical X1. It
performance” smacks of a car that’s been rushed to market, a need to compete
now, not do it better later. But the only time you really notice is
when you look at the economy (35.7mpg where the X1 hit 42.3).
DS 7 CROSSBACK 180 PRESTIGE BMW X1 xDRIVE 20d M SPORT JAGUAR E-PACE D180 SE AUTO AWD VOLVO XC40 D4 AWD FIRST EDITION
Price: £38,445/£45,535 Price: £35,470/£42,110 Price: £39,400/£47,910 Price: £39,905/£39,905
Engine:1997cc, 4cyl TD, Engine: 1995cc, 4cyl TD, Engine: 1999cc, 4cyl TD, Engine: 1969cc, 4cyl TD,
178bhp, 295lb ft 187bhp, 295lb ft 178bhp, 317lb ft 187bhp, 295lb ft
Transmission: Transmission: Transmission: Transmission:
8spd auto, 4WD 8spd auto, 4WD 9spd auto, 4WD 8spd auto, 4WD
Performance: 0–62mph Performance: 0–62mph Performance: 0–62mph Performance: 0–62mph
in 9.9secs, 134mph in 7.8secs, 136mph in 8.7secs, 127mph in 7.9secs, 130mph
Economy: 60.1mpg, Economy: 60.1mpg, Economy: 50.4mpg, Economy: 55.4 mpg,
129g/km CO2 163g/km CO2 147g/km CO2 135g/km CO2
Weight: 1535kg Weight: 1690kg Weight: 1843kg Weight: 1698kg
There is an easy winner here, and that’s the Volvo XC40. It’s
fresh, modern, intelligent, cleverly targeted, attractively designed
and well-executed. It shows real ability across the board. It’s
good to spend time in, easy to interact with, is cosseting when
you want, yet quietly satisfying, too. It’s the all-round package.
The others string out behind it. The E-Pace and X1 battle
it out for second and third. Which you place on top depends
whether you prioritise practicality or style and driving. We’ve
given the nod to the Jaguar because it fits the crossover brief
better, with its upmarket interior and crisp dynamics. It might
be heavy, and based around old underpinnings, but Jaguar has
done well with the cards it dealt itself.
But it has no time to stand still. If we could have got hold
of an X2 in time for this test instead of an X1, we would have.
The X1 is perhaps too sensible, but what undermines it more
is the fact it doesn’t feel expensive. All its rivals here have
more upmarket cabins and better noise insulation, while the
DS 7 is a notably more luxurious, tactile product. How about
that? Unfortunately, in other areas the French car is just too
idiosyncratic, too much of a leftfield choice to succeed.
The crossover class is maturing. We might reject the
needless off-road image, but in other areas – comfort,
equipment, practicality – they’re carving a niche for
themselves above conventional hatchbacks. And the
Volvo XC40 is carving it deepest of all.
TO P G E A R . C O M
EXPERIENCE THE MOST THRILLING STUNTS
FROM THE MOVIES PERFORMED LIVE
IN AN EPIC ARENA SHOW
126 Mercedes E-AT 128 Audi SQ7 131 Mini Cooper S JCW 133 Ariel Nomad
All-Terrain E-Class goes shopping for a new hat SQ7 fights with a Merc wagon. There will be oil Exhaust button doesn’t improve performance :( Farewell mobile climbing frame. Ollie will miss you
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 123
April I 2018
Type cast?
Hello
Honda Civic Type R
£32,995 OTR/£32,995 as tested
OLLIE KEW
wo years ago, I ran the last- We know that the new Civic Type R Our Type R arrived just 320 miles old,
ROWAN HORNCASTLE
T
en years ago, when
the R35 GT-R was first
launched, it was tarred
Rival for
by some as “a digital
supercar”. With bleeding-edge tech
affection
like a newfangled dual-clutch Report 5
gearbox, mind-scrambling four- Seat Ibiza FR
wheel-drive system and a display £16,630 OTR/£18,995 as tested
from Polyphony Digital, this,
apparently, made the car anodyne,
soulless and easy. ESTHER NEVE
Rubbish. All you need to do is fire
the thing up and you’re engulfed in
a cacophony of guttural whoomps,
bangs and thuds. I’m of the belief ve been in and out of all Next, the Ford Fiesta. Which the
that it’s one of the most analogue
and mechanical supercars you can I’ sorts of cars these past few
weeks. Including the new
same colleague told me was much better
than the Polo. Well, I guess it’s just
buy. You hear the diffs locking under Volkswagen Polo and Ford personal preference, but I preferred the
you, gears swapping behind you and Fiesta – key Ibiza rivals. A perfect chance Polo. For me, the Fiesta was just not as
other oily bits clanging around, for a comparison, eh? supple or enjoyable to drive as the Polo.
which adds a connection and makes Let’s deal with the cars in the order It did look great, but I always find that
it feel brutish. It’s not sophisticated, I drove them. First: the Volkswagen Polo. Ford interiors feel a bit clunky – each to
but it feels incredibly raw and A colleague had told me I’d be astonished their own, of course.
evocative. Unlike, say, a Tesla. at how huge it is. However, as it was But how did they compare with the
But, boy, does the GT-R still parked between a Discovery and a Range Ibiza FR? Well, if you forced me to choose
get attention. Never have so many Rover, I have to admit my initial thought Ford Fiesta and
between the three, I’m sorry to say my
thumbs been raised my way in pure was not that it was big at all. My next VW Polo battle it first choice would be the Polo. But the
admiration. Honestly, driving thought was how comfortable it was – out on the road Ibiza would be a close second. And the
around, you feel you’re doing some those are seats you could do a long Fiesta? It’s just not for me; I think I’ll
sort of community service to future journey on and not be crippled. And on gift that particular supermini to the
petrolheads. And that feels great. those 16s, the ride was bliss. Another big colleague of mine who loved it so much.
point in its favour. Arriving home, I
parked up next to a neighbour’s MkV Golf.
SPECIFICATION And then I understood my colleague’s
astonishment. It was the same size.
SPECIFICATION
3799cc, V6 twin-turbo, AWD, 999cc, 3cyl turbo,
562bhp, 469lb ft FWD, 113bhp, 148lb ft
23.9mpg, 275g/km CO2 60.1mpg, 108g/km CO2
1752kg 1140kg
TESTER’S NOTES With all the oily TESTER’S NOTES The Ibiza gets
bits whirring away in earshot, there’s knocked off my most-wanted list by a
a huge sense of connection in the GT-R. Polo. Stays in second place, though.
MILEAGE: 8325 OUR MPG: 21.4 MILEAGE: 1820 OUR MPG: 35.1
Primal
screen
Report 3
Vauxhall Insignia
£26,900/£34,575
ADAM WADDELL
f you’ve read my
I previous reports on
the Insignia, you’ll
know that I’ve been
Rack ’em up
pleasantly surprised by the car and
actually think it’s rather good –
certainly it’s a big step forward
Report 3 compared with the previous model.
Mercedes E350d AT It’s quite a handsome thing too.
£58,880/£61,260 Even Jeremy Clarkson, formerly
of this parish, agrees. “You know
TOM FORD what? This isn’t a bad looking car,”
he wrote in The Sunday Times.
High praise indeed from the
man who the Vauxhall workforce
t has begun. I knew from the from which to hang stupid amounts of blamed for killing off the old
2010kg 1410kg
MILEAGE: 5540 OUR MPG: 31.5 MILEAGE: 2410 OUR MPG: 34.9
1 26 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Family
workhorse
Goodbye
Mazda CX-5
£30,195 OTR/£31,555 as tested
OWEN NORRIS
t’s time to bid farewell to the and the rear doors that open to almost be an issue for some people. I actually don’t
It also makes a cracking family car. worth it if you’re a music fan. There’s no
With its flexible 40:20:40 split rear seats Apple CarPlay option, though, which could MILEAGE: 8489 OUR MPG: 37.3
Space
race
Report 5
Audi SQ7
£72,895/£94,920 as tested
JACK RIX
cience or religion? Liam or fractionally better and the Lambo Urus Thing is, how often can you realistically
1 28 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Traffic
damned
Report 4
Porsche 718 Cayman
£42,897/£52,435
STEPHEN DOBIE
JASON BARLOW
itness for purpose. It’s the key So what makes this one so special? Well, blend: the first by being an SUV, the second
13 0 APRIL 201 8 › TO P G E A R . C O M
Studio
flat
Report 2 Crackle
Hyundai i30 Tourer
£24,155/£25,740 and pop
SAM PHILIP Report 7
Mini Cooper S Works 210
£22,155 OTR/£29,430 as tested
t’s studio season on TG
1262kg 1235kg
MILEAGE: 5720 OUR MPG: 35.5 MILEAGE: 7148 OUR MPG: 32.5
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 1 31
April I 2018
Ski lift
Report 6
Land Rover Discovery
£66,595 OTR/£77,970 as tested
OLLIE MARRIAGE
Space
oddity
Report 5
Telsa Model S
£111,900/£78,400 (s/h)
CHARLIE TURNER
T Yup, on 6 February
Elon Musk blasted his
2008 Tesla Roadster
into orbit, complete with Starman
the driver – it’s currently heading
redictable, I know. The Disco way down. On the way home we plugged out on a tour of our solar system
2230kg 2250kg
OLLIE MARRIAGE
TO P G E A R . C O M › APRIL 201 8 1 33
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LEGENDS
ever: cigar tube chassis, long nose, squat tail, Viewed from a 64-year distance, the 250F
almost always rosso corso and, of course, Italian. was not without its quirks. Although the cockpit
The 250F’s career spanned a golden, though was fairly roomy, the driver had to straddle the
often difficult and dangerous, era of GP racing, transmission tunnel, and the throttle pedal
debuting in 1954 and still battling hard in 1960. was in the middle, with the brake on the right
Maserati 250F It was a car that the greats could make dance, in
long, delirious full-throttle powerslides, but also
and the clutch on the left. The driver’s right
hand hovered just above the stubby little lever
one that the less gifted could still succeed with. operating a four-speed ’box, and the wheel was
WO R DS: JA SO N BA R LOW The 250F wasn’t just super-cool, it flattered the a huge wood-rimmed item. The tank, meanwhile,
driver too, rare for TG’s racing legends. sat behind, filled with a terrifying mix of fuels
Maserati returned to F1 after a few years out and additives – only 35 per cent was petrol, the
when new rules introduced naturally aspirated rest methanol, acetone, benzol and castor oil.
2.5-litre engines for the 1954 season. Former Let’s give the last word to the man who knew
Ferrari engineering legend Gioacchino Colombo the 250F best – Sir Stirling Moss. “The nicest
was lured from Maranello to Modena, while Formula One car to drive was probably the
Valerio Colotti was conscripted to develop the Maserati 250F. Obviously a rear-engined Cooper
chassis. This was a tubular spaceframe clothed is going to beat it and will be much easier to
in aluminium panels, with independent front throw around, but is it as gratifying? Probably
suspension and a de Dion rear set-up, with its not. If one is talking about getting in the car and
tube in front of the transaxle – rather than getting the most out of it with that sense of
behind it – to benefit the car’s centre of gravity, exhilaration, then, Formula One-wise, I would
which in turn reduced its propensity to spin. say the Maser was it.”
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85 ABD
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Creative team
Contributing editors
Who: Team Ambassador Who: Andy Brown
Where: Pune, India Where: Savile Row, UK Pat Devereux, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan
Meet the guys responsible for This is the Gieves & Hawkes man Sam Philip, Rory Reid
allowing Jack to look like he made tasked with smartening up Ollie
a 208 out of an Ambassador Marriage. Good luck, Andy
Contributing photographers
EDI T ORIA L A DV ISORY BOA RD MEMBERS Steve Goodman, Alex Renton, Katie Taylor, Tony Wheeler
UK.PUBLISHING@BBC.COM / WWW.BBCWORLDWIDE.COM/UK--ANZ/UKPUBLISHING.ASPX
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