This years Goodwood festival of speed was a buzz with some of the most interesting machines to grace tarmac. We had not one, but two, LaFerrari as well as a whole host of legendary racing cars. It really was a vintage year and one that shouldn’t have been missed! However, if like me you are a bit disheartened about missing the show (don’t feel too sorry for me as I was on holiday) we have a fantastic photo gallery coming up. One of the stars of 2014 was the all-new Ford Mustang as the Blue oval let it rip up the hill.
Driven by precision driver Paul Swift, a V8 Mustang gave those famous hay bails something to think about. Roaring past the crowd and wooing passersby whilst stationary, this taster of what will soon hit UK roads is more than enough to get us salivating. Available in the UK as a 2.3 litre 305BHP contender or an almighty 5.0 litre V8, the all-new Mustang promises to appeal to even the most sceptical European pallet. We look forward to snagging the keys and finding out for ourselves in the future.
It has been 30 years since the first Peugeot 205 GTi was unleashed on our roads. A truly definitive hot-hatch in its day, under either 1.6 or 1.9 litre power, each subsequent incumbent of the Peugeot GTi throne has been dedicated to the very same pure, unadulterated driving thrills on a hot-hatch budget that characterised the unforgettable original. Competition has of course been pretty stiff over the years, with so many rival hot-hatches, the Fiesta ST, Clio Renaultsport and Polo GTI to name but a few, leaving a lasting impression in our hearts and childish grin on our faces.
Maybe this latest very special Peugeot GTi will have the same effect. Unveiled to celebrate this big milestone, the 208 GTi 30th is a limited edition optimised version of the popular 208 GTi which took to the road at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The headline grabber of the anniversary addition is undoubtedly the new 1.6-litre THP petrol engine which channels 221lb/ft of torque to the wheels and steps up the overall power to a symbolic 208bhp. The GTi 30th’s six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen diff are both borrowed from the sport-tuned RCZ R in order to squeeze out every last drop of performance possible from this more radical 208.
Other technical variations to the existing 208 GTi setup make this special edition a true driver’s hot-hatch. For example, traction control has been recalibrated and anti-roll reduced, whilst the GTi 30th also features a wider track and wheels, lower suspension and a new set of Brembo brakes. The end result is that this car hands control back to you. Your every input, reaction, and mistake are designed to be rewarded and punished in equal measure as automatic driving aid systems are dumbed down and replaced by pure pilot instincts. When 0-62mph is vanquished in just 6.5 seconds though, you will have no trouble in appreciating the stripped back and simplified Peugeot Sport engineering.
The 208 GTi 30th will be instantly recognisable sporting its two-tone livery, matt black at the front end contrasting sharply with the rear, finished in a glossy red. A similar design was first glimpsed on the Onyx Supercar Concept, but the GTi 30th is the first Peugeot production car to don this outfit. The same scheme is also available in pearl white and ruby red.
The matt treatment is also applied to the grille surround, door mirror shells, side skirts, wheel arch extensions and 18″ rims. At the rear, the rounded twin chrome exhausts are a nice upgrade over the standard GTi.
The 208 GTi 30th will make its official debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, with sales of this limited edition beginning in November.
When was the last time that somebody told you to start living in the real world? If the answer to that question is “recently”, then we would advise you to disregard that advice in light of recent news from Aston Martin.
To accompany the release of the latest installment of the hugely popular video game series, Gran Turismo, the design department at Aston’s Gaydon headquarters have been busily working away on a special virtual supercar concept.
Revealed at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we can now present to you the fruits of their labour; the shapely DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo racer.
Six months in the making, the DP-100 – or design prototype – launches itself head-first in to virtual reality, raising two fingers to the inconvenient constraints of real world physics. Though the car may be a digital creation, its engineering grass-roots are not necessarily grounded in dreamland. Several of its in-game systems, such as the electronics, suspension and active aerodynamics, are fully functioning and have been developed to be feasible in real life.
Slightly more fantastical, but no less awe-inspiring, is the monstrous 800bhp V12 engine at the beating heart of the DP-100, making this the first ever mid-engined Aston Martin design.
As with other recent Aston Martin concepts such as the CC100 Speedster, many of the computer generated design cues visible in DP-100, including the blade-style tail lamps, could pave the way for future Aston sports car designs.
Leading on from its Goodwood debut, the first customers to get their ‘hands’ on the wheel of the DP-100 Vision concept will be Gran Turismo 6 gamers themselves, via download from July 2014. The DP-100 will join Aston’s One-77 hypercar in the GT6 stable.
See the video below for an-in depth interview with the brains behind the DP-100 concept.
The McLaren 12C GT3 has been blazing a successful trail in GT racing for the best part of three years. Often to be found at the front of the grid in various global competitions such as the Blancpain Endurance Series and the GT Asia championship, the track-bred 12C has scooped no less than three championship titles and 51 race victories in that time.
However, the 12C GT3 is about to be superseded and at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Woking based supercar makers finally revealed to the world the machine that will be taking on the GT baton from the 2015 season.
As anticipated, the 12C GT3 replacement will be based on McLaren’s newest road-going model, the 650S which has already built up quite a reputation for itself among supercar fanatics. The latest generation track-focused racer, like its predecessor, will be eligible to contest GT3 championships across the globe and features various changes and upgrades to the 12C GT3 formula. The same lightweight carbon fibre MonoCell chassis from the 650S coupe constitutes the skeleton of the race car. Naturally, the overall look now more closely resembles that of its commercially produced counterpart; particularly noticeable at the front are the familiar boomerang headlights. In order to go racing, the 650S GT3 is kitted out with a full cooling and aerodynamics package incorporating front and rear splitters, larger front air intakes and a fixed carbon fibre rear wing. In addition, the track has been slightly widened and the race-tuned suspension altered compared to that of the 12C GT3. Latest generation larger diameter racing tyres will ensure the car remains firmly sucked to the road at high speeds.
Inside, the cockpit is equipped with FIA-standard racing essentials such as a rollcage, race seats, motorsport dash and an F1 inspired steering wheel.
FIA GT racing regulations also limit all engines to a maximum of 493bhp, meaning the familiar 3.8-litre McLaren twin turbo V8 has its 641bhp wings clipped down to racing size. It does, however, retain its turbo boost and transmission shift control function which optimises shift times for the new six-speed motorsport gearbox.
Testing of the 650S GT3 is already underway and will continue throughout the summer as the customer car becomes available from this autumn. Around 15 examples of the GT3 version will be produced and customer teams wishing to take it racing will be able to do so for £330,000, although teams already running the existing 12C model will be offered a 650S-spec upgrade for the start of the 2015 season.
In summer 2013, Jaguar’s secretive Special Operations arm revealed the Project 7 concept, an extreme roadster based on the company’s then-new F-Type model. As with any Ian Callum creation, we gawped at its enchanting blend of beauty and race-honed menace. Now, at the forthcoming 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we will finally be able to feast our eyes on the fully evolved version of this concept, as Jaguar unveil their new F-Type Project 7 roadster.
Set to make its debut at the famous motoring extravaganza on 26 June, the fully fledged Project 7 is not only the first performance vehicle from Jaguar’s Special Operations team but also nothing less than the fastest and most powerful production car ever produced by the British firm. This is all down to a quite remarkable set of performance figures pumped out by Jag’s beastly 567bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine. The Project 7 accelerates from 0-60mph in an SLS rivalling 3.8-seconds up to an electronically-limited top speed of 186mph. That razor sharp acceleration is channelled via an eight-speed gearbox and is kept in check by a set of Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes fitted as standard. The F-Type Project 7’s race-tuned suspension and active torque vectoring facilitates extremely precise handling. The best part? All this power comes wrapped up in a fully road-legal package.
The Project 7’s design has been kept true to the lines of the original Project 7 concept. Although the production model gets an extra seat and with rollover hoops for both driver and passenger compared to its single-seater prototype, in essence the exterior retains many familiar cues. The distinctive all-aluminium roadster body pays homage to one of the most famous and iconic racing Jaguars: the three-time Le Mans winning D-type, which in 2014 is celebrating its 60th anniversary year. In fact, the name itself is steeped in racing history, evoking Jaguar’s seven outright Le Mans wins. Notable additions include the D-type-inspired fairing behind the driver’s head, a shorter windshield, and a new front bumper, whilst aerodynamic modifications to the carbon-fibre front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and adjustable rear spoiler optimise downforce.
The F-Type Project 7 is without doubt the closest we’ve seen to a genuine Jaguar supercar for many years and certainly has the stats to match the cream of the crop in some departments. Producing will be strictly limited to 250 highly sort-after units, all of which will no doubt be snapped up by the time deliveries begin in mid-2015.
Mercedes-Benz current range deserves all of the compliments it is being paid. From the little A-Class right up to the SLS AMG, these luxury German automobiles are proving very hard to fault and are doing a good job of making BMW sweat a bit. It is that time of year again when various models get a nip and tuck and today it is the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS and CLS Shooting Brake that are in the spotlight.
For this year the CLS gets small refresh that includes some external tweaks. New LED headlights and more butch front bumper, featuring larger intakes, join with the latest incarnation of the Mercedes-Benz grill. This “family face” has been making its way across to all models for nearly a year. Inside the cabin remains relatively untouched but now possesses an 8 inch monitor for infotainment. Changes to the steering wheel roundoff the cabin. A new engine joins the range in the form of the 2.1 litre turbocharged CLS220 BlueTec which produces 168BHP and 295lb ft of torque. The CLS63 AMG gets a power bump to 549BHP.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS and CLS Shooting Brake will make their debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and go on sale this September.
The Bentley Continental revealed an ace from up its sleeve in its latest generation forming a V8 model. Adding a different dynamic to the otherwise W12 powered luxury coupe, this new recipe has gone down a storm. Bentley has reworked this V8 car to produce a new special model inspired by its racing efforts in GT3. Bringing more than just a stripe and a few plaques to the party, this is the Bentley Continental GT3-R.
To officially make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of speed, this special edition car will be limited to just 300 units. Sporting more aggressive bodywork, the GT3-R gains a new front splitter, large fixed rear wing and two huge bonnet grills. Beneath said grills sits a 572BHP 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine that can churn out 516lb ft of torque from as low as 1,700rpm. Sending power to all four wheels via an 8 speed ZF automatic gearbox, the Bentley Continental GT3-R will do 0-60MPH in 3.6 seconds. Weight saving is key to this car as it tips the scales at 100KG lighter than a Continental GT V8 S. An all-new titanium exhaust system also features alongside torque vectoring.
Inside the rear seats have been banished and the fronts much more bolstered. The centre console is trimmed in carbon along with the obligatory smattering of GT3-R branding.
If ever two companies had to go sit on the naughty step and have a time out, it would be Audi and BMW. These two Germans have been at each others throats for decades and lately this game of oneupmanship has been getting a bit out of hand. A few years ago the comical slanging match on adjacent billboards in America showed just how competitive their marketing teams had become. Audi wanted to be the first manufacture to bring laser light technology to production cars, only to be pipped to the post by BMW. However, the new Audi R8 LMX aims to level the playing field once again.
Whilst the BMW i8 is indeed the first production car to offer laser lights, they are optional and on the Audi R8 LMX they come as standard. More than innovative lighting technology, the new Audi flagship takes its place at the top of the R8 range with a 5.2 litre V10 engine producing 562BHP. 0-62MPH takes just 3.4 seconds and it will go onto a top speed of 198MPH. The Audi R8 LMX also features revised bodywork including a fixed carbon rear wing.
It will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of speed in June. Want one? Well you will need £160,025 for the pleasure as well as your best running shoes to get you down to the nearest Audi dealership. Just 99 examples will be produced.
You know, for a small island nation we do tend to punch well above our weight. Be it in historic naval battles, defending our borders against dictatorships, or standing up for what is right, Great Britain has earned the adjective in its name. One battleground that we have always been a world leader in is engineering. Our stereotypical “man inventing things in his garden shed” tag isn’t all that far from the truth with some of the globes most important inventions calling the UK home. Back in the 60’s British cars flourished and aimed to take on the very best that the world had to offer. Two homegrown heroes, Aston Martin and Jaguar, produced some of the most legendary cars to take on the growing might that was Ferrari. The Jaguar E-Type and Aston Martin DB4 are global icons even today, but what if this intercontinental battle turned native? What if the E-Type and DB4 started a civil war?
This is a feature we have been trying to put together for quite some time, but as you would expect, it isn’t exactly easy to get the key of the legendary E-Type from a protective owner or persuade a chap with a DB4 to let us take his £240,000 car onto a race track. Thanks to Mithril Racing, one of the UK’s longest running car experience day providers, we not only have both of these leviathans at our disposal but also the historic Goodwood racing circuit. Yeah, this job has its perks…
Though only separated by five years, our 1961 Aston Martin DB4 and 1966 Jaguar E-Type are two very different animals. The Aston Martin very much represents a GT car, something with plenty power under the bonnet but with all of the British charm and sophistication of a nobleman. This Jaguar on the other hand, is much more of a true British sports car. It might lack the refinement of the Aston, but it is much lighter and just as handsome.
Taking both out on track is like stepping out of a time machine with car each presenting you with large wooden steering wheels. The interior of the Jag is cramped and much akin to a cockpit than the relatively spacious DB4 cabin. Both cars conduct a fantastic symphony under acceleration, but it is the Aston’s 240BHP 3.7 litre inline-six that wins this battle. The heartbeat of its pistons can be felt throughout the car and its noise at about 3,000rpm is petrol head heaven. In the E-Type, its 4.2 litre 270BHP engine might not win the fight in the acoustics department, but its responsiveness in tandem with a four speed synchromesh gearbox is nothing short of delicious. There is no doubting that the E-Type has superior handling with its long bonnet tucking into the apex of a bend beautifully and its skinny tyres producing some easily manageable understeer upon exit. The Aston Martin DB4 with its heavier steering is harder work but no less satisfying. Keep it tidy through the bends and reap the rewards that its aluminium engine has to offer as you open the taps. The surge of naturally aspirated acceleration is intoxicating.
The winner? I’m afraid in a pathetically politically correct “everyones a winner, it’s the taking part that counts” sort of way they both are. You see whilst there is no getting away from the Jaguar E-Type being faster and more engaging to drive, it lacks the sense of occasion that the Aston Martin exudes from every nut and bolt. The DB4 is much better suited to cursing the streets of Monaco on a Friday afternoon, whilst the Jag just wants to go racing on the Sunday. Both of these cars were real game changers back in their day, and both of them fully deserve their place in the pages of history.
Since I was a boy I have been captivated by the motorcar. For something so mechanical they are capable of stirring an emotional response. They are almost alive with their intakes to breath in, exhausts to breath out, all feeding a heart of combustion. Their designs give them a character and when I was little the Jaguar E-Type spoke to me the most. That long bonnet and short rear overhang is still my favoured body shape today. Clearly even at the age of 5 I had good taste as when the car was new Enzo Ferrari himself proclaimed the E-Type to be “the most beautiful car in the world.” Back in the real world, once I had stopped reminiscing of the days me and my model Jag were inseparable, I have to pinch myself as sat before me is a beautiful 1966 Jaguar E-Type. Even more amazing was that I had its keys in my hand!
Glistening under the sun in British racing green, this living legend is even more handsome in person than pictures could ever do it justice. Its handcrafted bodywork creates a sleek curvaceous profile that is so utterly charming that it could only have been created in 60’s Britain. Using cutting edge technology and a wind tunnel, Jaguar’s Malcom Sayer crafted an icon. Powered by a 4.2 litre six-cylinder engine, this 270BHP Series 1 E-Type Coupe can do 0-62MPH in 7.0 seconds and go onto a top speed of 150MPH. Not bad for a machine that is 47 years old, back in its day it was the fastest production car in the world. Today we have the use of the historic Goodwood circuit, a track that this cars forefather, the D-Type, competed and won at.
Opening the tiny doors of the Jag gives you access to a rather cramped cockpit. After clambering over the high sill and into your seat, you are cocooned in a snug leather trimmed blast from the past. The wood rimmed steering wheel sits proud like a trophy at the drivers chest. Instrumentation reminiscent of an era where British engineering was some of the most capable on the motorsport world stage presents itself. You can tell from the moment you tuck your legs into the narrow footwell and look out from the low driving position, that this is a true drivers car. The gearstick falls to hand with ease, the pedals sit close together and a vast rev counter stares right back at the driver.
Starting the E-Type begins a chorus as smooth as honey from underneath that elongated bonnet. Though the steering is unassisted, in comparison to other classic cars, this Jag’s light weight design made steering manageable at low speeds. In this 4.2 model gone is the notoriously difficult to master Moss gearbox of the 3.8 and in its place is a synchromesh 4-speed that satisfyingly clicks into place. Open the taps and it is clear that this cat still has claws. Whilst purring along the car is relatively refined, but setting it free brings out the sporting nature of this race-bred classic in a brilliant gauze of transmission whine and exhaust noise. The E-Type is very responsive to driver inputs with sharp acceleration and direct steering. You can place it exactly where you want it and the well engineered chassis simply complies. Due to its skinny tyres grip is limited, but allowing the car to slip wide upon the exit of a corner makes you feel like Sir Sterling Moss. The disc brakes are a revaluation in a car of this age giving you the confidence to push on where most classics would call it a day. Jaguar hit the nail on the proverbial head with the E-Type, for keen drivers the communication through its flexing wooden wheel is excellent. Blasting down the Lavant Straight, darting through Woodcote and shifting down to thread this magnificent car through the chicane was not only the realisation of a childhood dream, but a life altering event on wheels.
The Jaguar E-Type is astonishing in every sense of the word. It is capable of getting the heart racing simply by looking at it and if that fails, you are probably blind, but then taking it for a spirited drive where amazingly you will find that it still thrills today. If there is one car from this nations past that you have to drive, it is this. It is not simply a great car, but one of the greatest of all-time.
