It’s a few months since we brought information about the run-out model of the McLaren SLR to these pages, at which time we speculated that it would be known as the Speedster. Well, we got that bit wrong (along with just about everyone else), but the rest was pretty accurate.

Mercedes McLaren has now said that we can look for the Mercedes McLaren SLR Stirling Moss for sale in 2009. Specifically, the first cars will be ready for delivery in June, with just 75 cars being built for the world (none of which are going to the USA).

It seems pretty clear that the McLaren Stirling Moss will be a pretty exceptional, and unique, car. Using the underpinnings from the outgoing SLR, the car is hugely reminiscent of the SLR racers of the 1950s, which were driven by Sir Stirling Moss to victory in Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio. A completely bespoke body and interior, with no roof and no windscreen to speak of, make the ‘Stirling Moss’ just about the most wind-in-your-hair car you can find.

The McLaren SLR Stirling Moss will only be going to existing SLR customers, and all 75 have already been sold (but we can help!) at €750,000.

The Press Release on the car said:

Remaining totally true to the specifications of the 300 SLR, the new
Silver Arrow’s equipment is extremely sophisticated and yet at the same
time decidedly spartan, doing without both a roof and side windows.
There are just two wind deflectors a couple of centimetres in height to
protect the driver and passenger from the airflow. Two air scoops
integrated into the bodywork serve as roll-over bars. With this extreme
concept the new SLR Stirling Moss is visually very different from all
the other vehicles which belong to the elite sports car class.

Just like the legendary racing vehicles of yesteryear, the SLR
Stirling Moss dazzles with its superlative performance. Accelerating
from zero to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and with a top speed of
350 km/h this puristic high-performance sports car denotes completely
new dimensions in open-top driving. And not just because of the
impressive performance figures; every time drivers take to the wheel of
the SLR Stirling Moss their senses are addressed with a previously
unheard of intensity, conveying a driving experience in its purest and
most sensual form. This automotive thoroughbred thus facilitates the
kind of open-air feeling that is utterly unique for a road-going
vehicle.

And they are right. There is nothing else like it. A real ‘Boy’s Toy’.

Yes, Bentley has a shed-load of problems at the moment. Which car manufacturer, particularly at the top end, doesn’t? So is this a good time to announce the Bentley Azure T for sale? Probably not.

Bentley has laid off workers recently due to the worldwide drop in demand for all cars. But any business that doesn’t try to move forward is going to whither and die. So, despite the gloom, Bentley are moving forward with their ‘Power Pack’ plans. The Azure T is one, and you can expect the Continental GTC Speed to be close on its tails.

The Bentley Azure is that old-fashioned drop-top that is more associated with the ‘Old Rolls’ school. But it is has come a long way over the years, and is now a very competent, 21st century Boulevard Car. It’s not exciting to drive, but nor is it a dog. What it does, it does very well, and it looks the part. But, despite the economic problems we are all facing, there is a real demand for ultimate performance, which is why Bentley is intent on producing power versions across its range.

The Bentley Azure T offers a very useful increase in power of around 10%, in both the BHP and Torque. That translates to a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 180mph. Now that is seriously quick by any standards, but in a drop-top monster weighing the wrong side of 2 tonnes it is remarkable. It gets 20″ Alloys, big tweaks to the suspension and what would be called a Mulliner pack on other Bentleys. It is a great combination.

Will it sell? Well, not in droves at the moment. But the world will recover from its madness eventually, and even now there are enough people out there, with enough money, to see sales of this very limited Bentley being made.

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I’ve written in the past about the luxury sector’s headlong surge in to the four-door coupe market. Started by Mercedes with the CLS (arguably the best looking Mercedes in the range), it now encompasses (at the top end) Porsche and Aston Martin, with the Panamera and Rapide, due to launch next year.

BMW was due to join the club with the CS, a four door coupe based on the next generation 7-Series platform. But they have announced this week that they have dumped the project because they can’t see it making money. The credit crunch bites!

BMW’s design has been somewhat predictable in recent years. Predictably ugly, some would say. And very thematic. But the CS was a real departure. A good looking BMW. So is that the end for the CS? Well, probably not. BMW are joining the headlong rush by car makers around the world to cut anything that’s not a sure-fire winner. Car sales are in free-fall and drastic action needs to be taken. But this current climate won’t last, and where will the car makers be if they have nothing new to offer once things improve? So the CS will stay on the back-burner for now, but it will be back.

Interestingly, through all the doom and gloom, there appears to be one bright spot – VW. Encompassing everything from Bentley & Porsche, to Lamborghini and Seat, the group has not down-graded its sales predictions for the coming year. They do have problems however (Bentley is really suffering), but Audi is still flying. And, despite the fact that we are seeing some really cheap Porsche and Bentley deals around, things will stabilise. Interest rates are plummeting, and the huge injections of cash from Central Banks around the world will ease the inter-bank lending, which will lead to more credit being available. And, despite all the doom and gloom in the press, the vast majority of people aren’t really suffering. They’re just being cautious. Human nature. But it will change. At the very top end it is still very lively, mainly because that market tends not to be reliant on credit for purchases. But as soon as credit starts to move more freely which, as the world economy is built on credit it will have to, we will see a rapid return to a more normal market place.

But, if you do have liquidity, now is the right time to buy. There are some astonishing bargains around!

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Britain has a long history of niche car makers. Many have come and gone over the years, swallowed up by bigger companies or fallen by the wayside, the victims of hope over reality. But many survive and bring much needed individualism to an increasingly corporate motoring world. Manufacturers such as Noble, Westfield, Marcos, Ascari and Ariel manage to bring us exciting and interesting cars. And you can now add to the list Arash Cars.

Arash Cars is the brainchild of Arash Farboud, a wealthy petrol-head and CEO of Unisurge, a Pharmacuticals company, based in Sawston, Cambridge. He started out his car building journey with Farboud Cars, which planned on making a road-going race car on the lines of the 911 GT1. But a watering-down of that original concept led to the creation of Arash Cars, and the AF-10 is the first fruits of that endeavour.

Stunning looks, combined with reliable power from the Corvette 7.0 Litre engine from the ZR0 (suitably tweaked) is a great starting point for a reliable ‘exotic’, with around 550bhp and a 0-60 a shade over 3 seconds. A Carbon Fibre chassis, a Graziano gearbox (manual, unlike the similar ‘box in the Enzo) and a weight of around 1200kg all add to the package. Add to that some very clever trick wings for enhanced handling, and with prices from around £170k you’re looking at a car to rival the Koenigseggs and Zondas of this world at less than half the price. Production numbers are likely to be a maximum of 25 cars a year, so this is going to be a very rare beast.

So, is the Arash AF-10 for sale yet? Well, no it’s not, but it will be by the summer of ‘09. And there are more cars in the pipeline. An ‘S’ version sporting the engine from the ZR1 is planned as soon as that engine becomes available (probably a year later), and a smaller AF-8 is also planned.

Will the AF-10 be a success? It’s a very fair question. The economy is on its knees and there’s lots of competition out there. Price-wise its very competetive, and it looks great and should perform remarkably well. And it is fair to say that Arash Farboud is not a man used to failure. So it has a real fighting chance. And that is great. We need more individual cars like this. There’s lots to be said for the corporate monsters, but it’s wonderful that even in this day and age supercar makers like Koenigsegg and Pagani have been successfull. Here’s hoping that Arash joins the club.

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McLaren really are something of a phenomenon. The F1 is generally regarded as the greatest supercar of all time. Even now, more than 15 years since the first prototypes, it is up there with the big guns. It even gives the Veyron a run for its money. McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren, has held a dominant position in Formula 1 for much of the last 20 years. It has partnered with Ford, Porsche and Honda (amongst others), but it’s been the partnership with Mercedes that has arguably brought the greatest success, including, in road car terms, the magnificent Mercedes McLaren SLR (although the F1 used a BMW engine).

McLaren toyed with a number of road cars, and abandoned previous projects (P8, P9 and P10), but the P11 now seems to be on target for a launch in 2010/2011, with the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo firmly in its firing line.

The P11 is designed to be a much more affordable supercar. The F1 cost £640,000, and you now won’t see change from £1.5 million of you want one, but the P11 is expected to be firmly sub £200k when it launches. And, even more surprisingly, there is talk of production runs of up to 5,000 cars a year, which is an incredible undertaking for a company the size of McLaren. Especially when you think that the F1 only produced 65 road going cars in its model run (plus the 5 LMs and a handful of GTRs converted to road use).

Car Magazine published the rendering you see here, and it’s clear this is an F430 competitor. It’s small and light (unlike the SLR – P7) and appears to be much in the mould of the F1. But don’t expect gold lined engine bays and all the mad bespoke elements of the F1 – this is designed to be much more manstream. With a carbon composite body and probably a blown version of Mercedes 6.2 litre V8 (mid-engine layout), this should have a stonking power to weight ratio. Easily sub 4 seconds to 60 and 200+ mph are the benchmark here, and there is no doubt McLaren will achieve that.

The world is in financial turmoil at the moment, and car makers are rushing to deliver ever more economical cars. But there will always be a place for auto extravagence, and those who can afford it will always seek out the best. And, as McLaren proved with the F1, they are more than capable of producing the best.

Can’t wait!

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It’s always difficult when you write about cars to come. The world is full of speculation and conjecture (and in this case, Lamborghini releasing a series of teaser pictures), and the general consensus was that the new 4-door Lamborghini would be called Urus. It sort of made sense, even though Urus is a cow and not a bull (which is what the other Lamborghini names are), but we were wrong. So let’s get it right – Lamborghini Estoque for sale (or not, as the case may be!).

After what seems like endless teaser shots (they actually turn off the interest for me) Lamborghini has shown the new 4-door concept at Paris. Concept, you say? I thought it was a new model? Well, you’re probably right. Just like all the car makers these days, they’re scared to just announce a car. They have to float it as a concept first. I think they’ve learnt that from the major political parties on both sides of the pond, who seem equally afraid to announce policy without first ‘floating’ the idea to the media and public. But you can be pretty sure that the Estoque (which is pronounced es-toh-kay, with the emphasis on the ‘toh’) will be a production car. Why? Because, as I said last week, the 4-door coupe is the ‘in-vogue’ car, and everyone from Aston to Porsche and Mercedes to VW is in on the game. So it only makes sense that Lamborghini should join the party. And it puts one over Ferrari, which is always a plus for the boys from Sant’Agata.

So, apart from the pretty body, what has the Estoque got to offer? Well, it seems that Lamborghini aren’t too sure. The early money was on a turbo V8, but there is also talk of a V10 or even a hybrid. Again, a chunk of this has to do with how the options are received. But my money’s on a blown V8 plus some sort of hybrid. But, rather than me try and pull the salient bits from the hype bits of the press release, read it for yourself:

continue reading "Lamborghini – The Cow becomes a Sword!"

It got the motoring world in quite a lather when Audi showed the R8 V12 TDI concept at Geneva. A supercar with a diesel engine. But not just any old diesel engine. Oh, no. A state of the art V12 with 500bhp and 750 lb ft of torque no less. And pushing on 30mpg, when driven sensibly (which was never going to happen!). Motoring journalist even got the chance to drive the car, and everyone was excited at the prospect. But sources at Audi tell us that the R8 V12 TDI will not now be made.

A big, hungry-for-air diesel engine in a small supercar was always going to be a problem. There’s nothing wrong with the engine, it is superb, but the R8 and the V12 TDI did not make happy bed-fellows. And Audi has concluded that it is just too problematic to continue with the project. So, does that mean the end of the diesel R8? Not on your life.

Audi are leading the way on big, powerful diesels. The Q7 V12 TDI, which launches at the end of the year, is ample testament that Audi are committed to this route. And they are absolutely right to be. It addresses many of the issues that makers of powerful cars are facing in making products the customer wants, whilst still improving economy. And whilst no diesel engine will ever ’sing’ like a petrol engine, the wall of torque they offer is a huge compensation.

So Audi is now looking to fit a V8 diesel in the R8. Will it be the same 4.2 engine you find in the Q7 and A8? Well, it seems likely that will be the starting point. That engine, in current form, puts out around 325bhp. I feel sure Audi will be looking for something a little more potent. But maybe not. Maybe it will be an entry-level R8. That would make sense. You’d have the diesel R8 as the entry level, followed by the current V8 petrol version and the range-topping R8 V10, which is due to hit the roads in the New Year.

Whatever Audi actually give us, it seems certain that the R8 will be the first supercar to offer us a diesel option. It’s going to be interesting.

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I really do like the Porsche Cayenne. I know, it’s not reckoned to be the best looking SUV on the planet, and the Green Enviro-Mentalists think it should be driven off the roads (something it’s very capable of!), but in my opinion it is quite simply the most able all-rounder on the market.

In an ideal world, we’d all have a garage full of cars. We’d have the king of the SUVs, the full-size Range Rover with the Supercharged engine, something for the days when we feel like a bit of madness (perhaps a Zonda or a Koenigsegg would fit that bill) and maybe a Phantom or even a Flying Spur for the days when we want to appear at an event and alight in style. But not many of us are in such a fortunate position, so one car has to do.

In the Cayenne you have a hugely versatile car. It’s enormous fun to drive hard (which it has no right to do so well) and feels like an M5 or an RS6 – just higher up. It will cope with the dogs and luggage for a tramp across the country, or even a continent. Despite the antipathy many feel towards it, it is still perceived, rightly, as a ‘classy’ car. And it doesn’t matter whether you are going to the local Farmers Market or turning up to a society wedding, it never looks out of place.

And one thing everyone seems to forget about the Cayenne – it is incredibly good off-road. For a car that is better to drive than an X5 or X6, which are really poor off-road, the Cayenne gives the RR a real run for its money. To prove the point, a Cayenne S, with few modifications, has won the Transsyberia Rally, a 4,400 mile trek across Arctic wasteland in Russia, Siberia and Mongolia three years in a row. In fact, it took the top 6 places in this years Rally. Try doing that in your X5 or ML. Not a chance.

To celebrate its success, Porsche has announced a limited edition of the Cayenne, the Transsyberia, which will be available for sale at the end of 2009 throughout Europe. Based on the Cayenne S, but with special paint finishes and a bit of extra oomph, Porsche has every right to shout to the world about the Cayenne. Not only has it made Porsche the most profitable car company in the world, but it is the finest all-round car made today (just don’t have the V6!).

The piece I did on the Jensen Interceptor SX earlier this week certainly caused some interest. And quite right too. It’s a great concept and looks certain to happen.

I’ve had emails all week from people asking if we had any more renderings. Well, as I’m sure you appreciate, this project is still a little way off and, although pretty well structured already, putting out information bit by bit is the normal form. However, I did persuade Keith Anderson at Jencraft, who are responsible for the design, to release just a little more in the way of images.

I think it’s fair to say that I’m not the biggest fan of American Cars. Yes, they are on the whole pretty cheap. You do get a lot of real estate for your money, and the engines are big, lazy and everlasting. But they feel cheap, they don’t handle and, with very few exceptions, they’re not very pretty. But I’ve had to re-evaluate my stance with the upcoming Corvette ZR1.

There have always been a smattering of ‘vettes in the UK because they do offer a lot of bang for the buck. And that’s how we’ve always perceived them – cheap speed, preferably in a straight line, and a bit of flash for not much cash. But serious supercars? Not on your life. And to make things worse, the Chevrolet name is now attached to a heap of Korean Daewoos and best know as the pile of crap that the ‘Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car’ get to drive on Top Gear.

Bearing this in mind, it’s no surprise that the Chevrolet name has been dropped from the ZR1. It is just a Corvette. Not a Chevrolet. And it does seem a lot more appealing to have a Corvette ZR1 for sale than to offer the world the Daewoo ZR1, which could have been the alternative!

So impressed are we with the Corvette ZR1 that we actually have one arriving in December. Have we gone mad, I hear you cry. Well, you decide. 200mph+. 620bhp. 595lb ft. of torque and, in all likelihood, a 0-60 not much over 3 seconds. Ah, I hear you say, but it still won’t go round corners. Well, I think it might. Like the ZR0 it has a very rigid hydroformed aluminium chassis with the engine set low and well back, giving a great deal of stability and near-perfect weight distribution. It utilises carbon fibre all over the place and throws in ceramic brakes for good measure. It has a better power-weight ratio than almost anything comparable. And, to top it all, it now holds the Nurburgring production car record. It couldn’t do that if it didn’t go round corners!

For the first time ever I’m really looking forward to a Yank Tank. Roll on December!

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