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 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.
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.