Aston Martin has unveiled a convertible version of its brutal new V12 Vantage, retaining the same 690bhp powertrain but in a toned-down body. The roadster fills an important gap in Aston Martin’s range, with the last open-top V12 Vantage having gone off sale in 2018 – although the V8 Vantage is available as a convertible. Revealed at the Pebble Beach… Continue reading Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster is hardcore 690bhp drop-top
Category: Automotive
Investigating the long-gone city-centre dealerships
The first Edinburgh dealer to relocate out of the city was Tommy Gilroy, who used to sell for Citroën, Fiat, Simca, Standard and more while also running a hire car fleet. In 1963, he moved from East London Street to a substantial patch of waste ground by a chicken plant nine miles west. “People thought… Continue reading Investigating the long-gone city-centre dealerships
Testing the UK’s newest circuit in a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
So what does a motorsport engineering company mostly concerned with rallying want with a race circuit? “Seventy per cent of the rallying in which our cars now compete is on Tarmac,” explains Wilson. “We’ve developed racing cars as well over the years. So it’s a very useful thing.” But the new track isn’t intended solely… Continue reading Testing the UK’s newest circuit in a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
McLaren launches V10-powered single-seat Solus GT
“The McLaren Solus GT is the realisation of a radical McLaren concept vehicle originally created for the world of virtual racing,” said Michael Leiters, new CEO of McLaren Automotive. “Engineered free of any restrictions from road or race regulations, but with the full spectrum of McLaren’s expertise to bring it to reality, it epitomises our… Continue reading McLaren launches V10-powered single-seat Solus GT
Lamborghini Urus Performante: super-SUV goes more extreme
The new Lamborghini Urus Performante has been revealed as an uprated, lightened version of the Italian firm’s performance SUV and best-selling car. Set to be priced from £170,260, it gains more aggressive exterior styling along with updated driving dynamics and decreased levels of drag. Described by Lamborghini‘s technical boss as a “lightweight, honed athlete”, the Urus Performante benefits from… Continue reading Lamborghini Urus Performante: super-SUV goes more extreme
Opinion: Is this the end for Bugatti’s W engines?
A Bugatti isn’t defined by a W16 engine in the same way as a V12 Ferrari or a flat-six Porsche. It’s important that it isn’t either of those layouts but it’s the ferocity and almost turbine-like nature of its delivery that sets a Bugatti apart from every other hypercar. There are seven gears in a… Continue reading Opinion: Is this the end for Bugatti’s W engines?
Bugatti’s 1578bhp Mistral roadster bows out W16 engine
Bugatti will bow-out its iconic W16 engine with the Mistral, a roadster based on the Chiron hypercar, as the firm heads towards a hybridised and electric future. The Mistral is not simply a Chiron with the top cut off, Bugatti designers insist, but a new car, with a tweaked monocoque, and a fresh design that… Continue reading Bugatti’s 1578bhp Mistral roadster bows out W16 engine
Exclusive: Bugatti to launch hybrid Chiron successor in 2027
Bugatti’s next all-new hypercar, set for release in 2027, will use a hybrid powertrain with a petrol engine smaller than the current W16. It will look “different” to current Bugatti cars but will retain the essence of the brand, with an aerodynamic focus, the French marque’s chief designers have told Autocar. It will sit on a new chassis and is expected to… Continue reading Exclusive: Bugatti to launch hybrid Chiron successor in 2027
Czinger reveals $1m Hyper GT with 1233bhp V8 and gullwing doors
American hypercar start-up Czinger has revealed “the most powerful grand tourer ever produced” to join its uber-fast 21C hypercar, as it pushes to become an established car maker with “a portfolio like Lamborghini”. Named the Czinger Hyper GT, the two-door, four-seat saloon concept will get the same 1233bhp twin-turbocharged 2.88-litre hybridised V8 engine as the… Continue reading Czinger reveals $1m Hyper GT with 1233bhp V8 and gullwing doors
Tighter monetary conditions rein in Asian unicorns
Asia’s unicorns are feeling the pinch from the global pivot toward the tighter monetary policy as investors grow more risk-averse, with fewer and smaller unlisted companies reaching the $1 billion mark. The region had 321 unicorns as of late July, just under 30% of the global total of 1,178, according to CB Insights. That is… Continue reading Tighter monetary conditions rein in Asian unicorns