When BMW first ventured into the 4X4 market back in 1999 many were skeptical. Here was a brand that had made its name in rear wheel drive saloons going into a completely new segment, little did everyone else know that the SUV market was about to boom. The X5 has been a huge success and so when the Germans prepare to announce a new one they are very carful about what they change.
This new BMW X5 maintains the fundamentals of its predecessor but has also broadened its appeal. Visually it still has a bold stance but the reworked front end adds more details as well as improving airflow over and around the car. The new X5 is lighter and as a result, in its most fuel sipping form, can achieve 50MPG. At launch a 444BHP 4.4 litre turbocharged V8 petrol engine will be on offer with four wheel drive as well as a turbo 3.0 litre in-line six cylinder. BMW will also offer their triple turbocharged diesel engine with 376BHP. A 2.0 litre four cylinder diesel engine will find its way into the range at a later date. This new X5 brings with it a first in its class, the option of rear wheel drive on an SUV. The idea behind this configuration is one of fuel saving. The interior has been given a thorough going over with the cabin promoting a more luxurious feel as well as the option of a third row of seats.
Aston Martin are spoiling us lately. Celebrating 100 years, the British brand have been churning out some special machines over the past few months. Special edition cars, one off concept racers and now something that is a real stroke of genius. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage is an astonishing car! It is powerful, beautiful and a true embodiment of what a British sports car of the modern day should be. Now it gets even better.
First shown in a teaser video, we played Sherlock Holmes and deduced that this was coming… The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, a more performance focused variation of the coupe. Now producing 565BHP and capable of a top speed pegged at 205MPH, this muscular machine is the fastest full production car Aston has ever made. 0-60MPH is dispatched in under 4 seconds. The car has three distinct modes: normal, sport and track that alters the cars demeanour accordingly. New design features such as a grill inspired by the CC100 Concept finds a home on the V12 Vantage S and is set to become a permanent design feature on future models.
Welcome to a somewhat belated Episode 62 of “the podcast.” Due to bank holidays and some features that are soon to make their way to you, this episode comes to you a little late, so apologies for that. This week/last week we covered the Spanish F1 GP, BMW’s new concept car, the 2014 Mercedes S-Class and Honda’s return to Formula One. All of that as well as the latest news from the world of WRC awaits you.
Renault have a history of making cracking little hatchbacks. Often they are genuinely usable yet utterly enjoyable to chuck around when the going gets twisty. Every now and then the French company take things a step further and produce something a bit bonkers. The Clio V6 is a clear case and example of this. One of the most legendary of these mad hatchbacks was the Renault 5 Turbo, something that has inspired their latest concept car.
Foreshadowing design elements of the all new Renault Twingo, this is the TWIN’RUN concept car. Packed full of funky design features including those futuristic rally lamps, this little car packs quite a punch. Within its tubular chassis structure sits a mid-mounted 3.5 litre V6 with 320BHP. The engine itself is lifted directly from a Megane trophy racer. 0-62MPH comes and goes in just 4.5 seconds and the TWIN’RUN will go onto a top speed of 155MPH.
Obviously we wouldn’t expect to see this car make production, but its design shall influence Renault’s smallest hatchback.
Aston Martin are celebrating 100 years of building some of the finest cars to ever grace tarmac. It is a big Birthday and so Aston has been treating itself with special cars such as the incredible CC100 Concept. Today the British brand has released a teaser video to preview what appears to be a new model. The heavily shadowed car give slight clues in its silhouette but nothing definitive. From what we can see it appears to be representative of a Vantage and also has similar bonnet grills to the V12 Vantage. Updated lights like those found on the Vanquish and an interior that would appear production ready suggests that whatever this car is, it isn’t far away… Our best guess? Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, perhaps a final swan song before the model reaches the end of its life.
Yesterday Microsoft announced their much anticipated ‘next-gen” console the Xbox One. The box has many impressive features but what we really wanted to know was when will we be getting our next installment of Forza Motorsport? The answer is from day one of the new Xbox.
Previewed in a gorgeous video featuring an epic battle between the McLaren F1 and its successor, the P1, we were salivating just 10 seconds in. More shall be known about Forza Motorsport 5 at E3 in a couple of weeks time but for now you can bask in the next-generation light that is emitted from this clip.
The word “inspirational” is over used these days but it is the exact term that I think every man, woman and child would give to Zach Sobiech. Zach was diagnosed with a very rare form of bone cancer four years ago and instead of letting things get the better of him, he stood up and decided that if he wanted things to happen before he died then he had to make them happen. He loved music, so he wrote songs and became something of a sensation. He literally did everything in his power to achieve his dreams and aspirations showing the rest of us that there really is nothing you can’t do if your heart is in it enough. Nissan heard about Zach’s journey and also found out that he is a fan of their GT-R and so they loaned him one for a week. Now that is a fantastic thing to do, kudos Nissan.
On 20th May 2013 Zach sadly lost his fight with cancer aged just 18. Below is a video of his story that is sure to not leave a dry eye in the house.
For one of the most famous and evocative brands on the planet today, in the motoring world and beyond, 2013 is a big year. On the eve of World War One, two typically British car fanatics by the name of Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin conceived and set in motion the story of a legend; the story of Aston Martin.
Now in 2013, exactly 100 years since those two pioneers took their first tentative steps in to the world of motoring, the modern-day evolution of Aston is celebrating that milestone in style with the unveiling of a very special anniversary concept; the CC100 Speedster Concept
Born out of the desire to look both back to the past and ahead to the future, the CC100 speedster instantly transports the spellbound onlooker back to the heyday of Aston Martin GT racers. In arguably the finest 24 hours of those 100 years, the fabled Aston Martin DBR 1 claimed victory at the 1959 Le Mans endurance classic. It seems only right that the CC100 should take inspiration from that famous machine, with the low, sleek carbon fibre body perfectly capturing the flowing curves of the 1959 original and the twin dorsal fins rising up behind the cockpit are a stylish touch. But the CC100 is not just about dwelling on past glories, as Aston say the concept hints at a potential future design direction for the brand. In truth there isn’t an angle that doesn’t flatter this majestic beast.
The concept features the latest generation AM11 6.0 litre V12 engine, previously used to power Aston’s DBR 9 Le Mans challengers. Mated to a six-speed paddle shift gearbox, it shatters 0-62 mph in little over four seconds, while the top speed is limited to 180 mph.
Designed and pieced together in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ, the two-seater CC100 made its world debut at the Nürburgring in prestigious company, completing a lap alongside the original race-winning 1959 DBR1 piloted by British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss.
As birthday presents go, the CC100 Speedster comes perfectly gift-wrapped in nostalgia and class. If nothing else, it proves that in the search for ever more beautiful designs, sometimes the best place to look is in the pages of history.
Throughout motorsport history there are legendary pairings, but all are arguably overshadowed by that of McLaren and Honda. Together they won the Formula One drivers and constructors championships four times as well as underpinning the Senna Legend. The McLaren MP4/4 is the worlds most successful Formula One car, guess who built its engine? With regulations changing within the sport for 2014 now is the perfect time to change McLaren’s longstanding relationship with Mercedes.
Mercedes now have their own F1 team and so McLaren are no longer their top priority, the British team know this as they now have to pay for their Mercedes-Benz engines. The Honda 1.6 litre turbo that will sit inside the 2015 McLaren has been under development for quite some time in the upmost secrecy, apparently the result thus far are impressive. The link not only provokes vast quantities of nostalgia, but it is also a real shot in the arm for Toyota who have been absent from Formula One since 2008.
The Mercedes S-Class promotes the three pointed star in its most luxurious form. Every toy under the sun, plentiful power and pure German efficiency throughout. This next generation S-Class is very important for the company as it will also replace the now extinguished Maybach brand. So enough speculation, it is time to lay some cards on the table. What have you got Mercedes?
The all Mercedes-Benz S-Class has alway been a force to be reckoned with in terms of technology, this 2014 model is no different. Equipped with massaging seats, surround sound, night vision, adaptive cruise control and even something called an atomiser that gets rid of unwanted smells. Stylistically it is more of an evolution than revolution, but details lifted from the new E-Class prove to suit its bigger brother. Engines include a 254BHP V6 and 2.1 litre 228BHP four cylinder hybrid, both diesel. On the petrol front there is a 4.7 litre V8 with 450BHP.
S63 and S65 AMG models are to be revealed later this year.
