
The View from the VIP Tower: MotoGP in The Algarve
MotoGP is a big deal in Portugal, and motorsports fans from the Iberian peninsula and further afield rejoiced in 2024 when a brand new two-year contract was signed for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
MotoGP is a big deal in Portugal, and motorsports fans from the Iberian peninsula and further afield rejoiced in 2024 when a brand new two-year contract was signed for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
LeShuttle has been a fixture in the UK to France movement of people and goods for almost 25 years, first seeing passengers in May 1994. Some 90 million vehicles have been estimated to have used the service. Movement with pets is integral to their service, having transported over two million cats and dogs since the year 2000.
Historically, Bentley has produced cars with a key focus that combines luxury with engaging driving dynamics, a nod to their racing heritage. The idea that an iconic British brand – celebrated for its sumptuous limousines and lavish grand tourers – was creating a luxury SUV seemed ghastly to some. The introduction of the Bentayga in 2015, much like the first Continental GT in 2003, caused much controversy.
The hotel forecourt gave me my first impression of the car, and in a sea of Mustang Mach-e and Tesla Model 3’s the length and breadth of the country, the Jaecoo 7 SHS cuts a stylish dash – even more so with several lined up alongside one another.
The Land Rover Defender is a British icon. Its significance goes far beyond its purpose of getting from A to B—its quintessential Britishness is on a par with Queen Elizabeth II, afternoon tea and aggressive politeness. It was used by armed forces on the frontline, driven by royalty, and is now owned by families across the UK.
When the fifth-generation Range Rover was unveiled in San Francisco in 2022, it marked more than the continuation of a legacy. It was a decisive statement of intent: a refinement of design, a redefinition of presence, and an evolution of what it means for a vehicle to embody luxury on the move.
Power comes from the only naturally aspirated V12 available, derived from the block seen in the 812. However, in the 12 Cilindri this represents a 600rpm higher redline and a gain of 30bhp. The 6.5 litre V12 puts out 818bhp at 9500rpm. I mean, come on now.
The name Lexus is supposedly derived from a combination of the Latin word “Luxus” meaning excess or luxury, and the French word for luxury “luxe”. While this holds true – Lexus is synonymous with many of the brand’s defining factors, luxury, reliability and sensibility – some claim that Lexus is an acronym that Toyota created for “Luxury exports to the US” after Toyota decided to brand their luxury vehicles as Lexus in 1989. The 90s saw hip hop giants Snoop Dogg and the Notorious B.I.G. spitting bars about their Lexuses, which gave the luxury Japanese brand unprecedented street cred. By 1999 Lexus had sold 1,000,000 units in the US, solidifying…
If you’re like me – scrolling through various car-filled feeds every day – you will know that the Bentley Continental GT is not only an outstanding grand tourer but an award-winning one. The Continental GT is akin to Beyoncé at the Grammys or Meryl Streep at the Oscars, cosseting trophies in its simultaneously heated and cooled leather seats on return to Crewe. Bentley has recently revealed their new Continental GT which features a new face, and more notably, an all-new High-Performance Hybrid V8 powertrain. Since I won’t be behind the wheel of the new hybrid Continental GT for some time, Bentley asked if I wanted to say a final…
A few key events are akin to film festivals and fashion weeks in the automotive world. The British have the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival. The French have Retromobile and the Chantilly Concours of Elegance. The Swedes have the newly launched Auroura Concours, Italy brings us the legendary Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este and Fuori Concorso, and then there’s North America…
The French are known for many things: fine dining, haute couture and an unmistakable flair when it comes to automotive design.
DS, a nameplate synonymous with some of the prettiest cars in history, promises to bring a French luxury savoir-faire to a German-dominated automotive sector.
As someone born and raised in Essex, I’m no stranger to the Range Rover moniker. In my childhood years, before Instagram and reality TV, I was glued to car magazines in which you could browse the latest modified Range Rovers from the likes of Kahn and Overfinch in the classifieds.
Driving a car you love is so much more than the ‘a’ to ‘b’. It’s the feel of the steering wheel moving from under your palm, the resistance of the accelerator beneath your sole or the slick movement of the gearbox. Sometimes it’s the thrill you get when the mechanic tells you that against all odds, your pernickety classic car flew through its MOT. It’s the bond you feel and the memories you create together over the miles.
BRABUS is evolving, and their approach to unveiling cars is far from conventional with the introduction of the ‘BRABUS Signature Night’ – an annual showcase which started in 2022 and sees both motor and model take the catwalk in a night of performance and fashion.
This seems as good a place as anywhere to interject with some information pertaining to the car in question. The 296 heralded part of a new era for Ferrari in the move towards hybridisation and the creation of this 120 degree turbocharged V6, dubbed internally as the mini V12. The hybrid, turbocharged V6 has also been the standard in Formula 1 since 2014, so Maranello is not short of experience.
What makes the perfect Grand Tourer? Over the years, many manufacturers have been answering this age-old question. For me, the perfect GT car should incorporate three essentials: a fatigue-eliminating interior, usable luggage space and dynamic performance which can adapt to whatever roads lay ahead.
A Sage Green exterior with Blackline specification shouldn’t work as well as this, but by god it does. Bentley’s dedication to preserving its brand heritage is evident in the Mulliner and extended paint palette
A carbon-bodied 765LT perhaps? Or XP1, the first Le Mans F1 car, factory converted for road use and sat next to XP5, takes pride of place.
Down a Paris side street sits an ex-industrial unit housing an open vaulted studio space. First walk-in unveils the concept car in all her glory, and most notably, her size. This is no shrinking violet, but rather an instantaneously captivating creation.
I slip my slightly clammy hand gingerly into the slot, ease some pressure and pull gently skyward. That scissor-door entry is nothing less than muted pornography. So effortless in its execution, it’s part of the recipe that makes the Aventador just that little bit more special.