Video: Classics and hypercars inside ‘Aston Martin heaven’

May 24, 2019

Nicholas Mee and Company has specialised in selling, maintaining and restoring Aston Martins for 25 years. We went along for a taste of Aston Martin heaven.

Video: The ultimate Aston Martin showroom

It might seem an exaggeration to call anywhere other than Gaydon ‘Aston Martin heaven’, but bear with us.

Inside the Nicholas Mee showroom in Hertfordshire are very finest, rarest and most curious machines from the marque’s history – from DB4 GT to One-77, and everything in-between.

It just so happened that the oldest and one of the newest cars both cost well into seven figures. At the more affordable end of the Aston Martin spectrum were machines such as the outgoing V8 Vantage, DB9, a rare manual DBS V12 and the original V12 Vanquish.

60 years of Astons under one roof

The company specialises in everything from classic Astons of the 1950s, all the way through to the V8- and V12-powered supercars of the last 20 years.

Officially, that’s from 1950 all the way up to the very last Rapide S – a car that’s still in production. New-generation Aston Martins like the DB11, new Vantage and DBS Superleggera have a few years under the official dealer umbrella yet.

A cathedral to Aston Martin

The cars are only half the story, though. Having moved from London around this time last year, everything here is absolutely pristine.

From the farmhouse aesthetic of the service shops, with old-school supercharged Vantages in for work, to the immaculate showroom – architecturally, this place is as beautiful as the cars.

Zagato Astons old and new

Yes, the cars – we already mentioned the DB4 and the One-77. Add to that a smattering of Zagato-bodied and styled cars, from an 80s Vantage to the very latest Vanquish Volante. They’ve just got a lovely DB7 GT Zagato in stock, too.

On the 80s Vantage Zagato, they actually had several. One was a race-prepared car with a road-friendly interior put back in. A Vantage Zagato ‘GT3 RS’, if you will.

An Aston Martin Vantage with a racing V12

Then there’s the really special stuff. Flying under the radar (until we were made aware), was the Vantage RS Concept of 2007 – a one-off designed to show the world how cool a V12-powered ‘new’ Vantage would be.

Needless to say, it went down a treat, given the V12 Vantage went into production two years later.

The RS is an altogether different beast to the production car, however. Hundreds of kilos lighter, thanks to a numerous carbon components, its V12 (based on the racing DBRS9 unit) packs 600hp. That’s 90hp more than the production version.

It wouldn’t be until 2015’s Vantage GT12 that power would near those numbers in a Vantage, or indeed any naturally-aspirated Aston.

One-77: the original Aston Martin hypercar

Well, that is if you don’t include the 750hp 7.3-litre V12 in the One-77. It’s one of the most fascinating, beautiful and stunningly engineered hypercars ever conceived, and it’s almost entirely forgotten about.

Want to know more about the One-77? Watch our video above as we take an in-depth look at some of the cars mentioned.

Anyway, that’s Nicholas Mee, proprietor of some of the finest Aston Martins ever made. Unlike many exotic car dealerships, they welcome people in to see and learn about their rarefied stock. As if you needed an excuse…

2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate Aston Martin’s racing history

Ethan Jupp

May 24, 2019

Aston Martin has been announced as the featured marque at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Cars from the British brand will be displayed on the event’s huge central feature for the first time.

A couple of notable Aston Martin anniversaries helped sway the decision. Firstly, it’s 60 years since Aston Martin’s celebrated win in the World Sports Car Championship (think WEC, but in 1959). It’s also 70 years since an Aston first raced at Goodwood circuit.

The WSCC feat is also being celebrated by Aston Martin itself, with the introduction of a special DBS ’59’ edition.

“2019 is a perfect time for us to celebrate Aston Martin’s past, present and future success,” said the Duke of Richmond.

“The central feature looks set to be one of the most dramatic yet, and a fitting landmark to the past century of Aston Martin success.”

Winning the RAC TT at Goodwood with the DBR1 clinched the championship for Aston Martin in 1959. It wasn’t all plain sailing, mind. After the lead car, driven by Stirling Moss, caught fire in the pits, Mr Motor Racing jumped in the sister car of Carroll Shelby and Jack Fairman to finish the race. The result, a win with a lap to spare, which secured the championship.

More recently, Aston’s DBR9 GT1 car of the early 2000s was very successful, and inspired subsequent GT race programmes with the Vantage as a basis. Aston even used its V12 in a Lola LMP1 car back in 2009, though that didn’t go quite so swimmingly.

Aston is a marque hardened in the racing arena. We look forward to celebrating its track endeavours – successful and otherwise – when we head to the Festival of Speed later this summer.

New Vauxhall Corsa revealed – and it’s going ELECTRIC

Richard Aucock

May 24, 2019

Vauxhall has revealed the new Corsa, due on sale later in 2019, in all-electric Corsa-e guise – instantly transforming the fortunes of the popular but dated supermini.

The first all-electric Vauxhall to launch, the new Corsa-e will have a range of 205 miles, and will able to use rapid chargers for 30-minute battery charges.

It will also do 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and accelerate from zero to 30mph in just three seconds.

Vauxhall says the 50 kWh battery’s 205-mile official range can be extended by a further 40 percent by using a special eco mode. This will give owners more than 80 extra miles.

But if you’re not ready to go all-electric just yet, don’t worry. Regular petrol and diesel versions of the new Corsa will also be launched soon – and be on sale later in 2019.

Crucial Corsa

The Corsa is an extremely important car for Vauxhall: for years, it has been the firm’s best-seller. Last year, it was Britain’s third best-selling car, with almost 53,000 (including the extraordinarily good value Corsa Griffin) finding new homes.

In total, 2.1 million Corsas have been sold in Britain since it replaced the Nova in 1993.

However, it’s an ageing car these days. The current car is effectively a facelift of the version launched in 2006 – 13 years ago. This all-new one is desperately overdue – and is therefore going to be a bit of a revolution for owners of the current Corsa.

Corsa design

The new Corsa and Corsa-e (which will be visually almost identical) have a clean, solid design that’s sleeker and more modern than the current car.

The wheelbase is longer, overhangs are shorter and a stretched, wrapover bonnet removes the traces of ‘mini people carrier’ seen in the current one.

A strong, tapering shoulder-line and the familiar lower Vauxhall ‘swoosh’ define the sides, and subtly muscular rear haunches are a contemporary touch. The contrast roof colour will be an option from launch.

Inside, the interior is transformed, with an available 10-inch touchscreen sitting high and proud on the dashboard. It will have both Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectiveity, and will be a feature on most grades of new Corsa above the base level. Even base cars get a seven-inch touchscreen, though.

Adaptive radar cruise control, blind-spot alert, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, voice recognition, emergency braking and a drowsy driver warning buzzer are other high-tech features coming to the new Corsa.

The new model will even have an autonomous parking gadget and a panoramic rear-view camera that increases rear visibility by 180 percent (it’s able to show approaching traffic from the sides of the car).

Vauxhall will now roll out more information about the new Corsa and Corsa-e in coming weeks, ahead of its motor show debut in Frankfurt this autumn. Ordering will open this year too, with first deliveries towards the end of 2019.

Watch out, Ford Fiesta…

New ‘junior’ Brabham supercar will take on McLaren

Tim Pitt

May 23, 2019

Brabham will follow up its BT62 hypercar with a more affordable, higher-volume model. Development of the as-yet-unnamed supercar, which will be more refined and road-oriented than the BT62, is already underway.

Dan Marks, commercial director at Brabham, told us: “We’re not going down the McLaren route and building 6,000 cars each year – we don’t want to lose our focus. Between 100 and 200 cars per annum sounds right.”

Video: Brabham BT62 revealed in London

That’s a significant increase versus just 70 examples of the £1.2 million ($1.5 million) BT62 (pictured), but Marks is confident the Anglo-Australian company will rise to the challenge. “The investment group behind Brabham already owns a carbon-composite shop and a commercial vehicle firm, so we have plenty of resources in-house,” he explains.

‘A road car that’s well-suited to the track’

While he refused to divulge many details, Marks confirmed the new Brabham will be “a road car that’s well-suited to the track”. The BT62, by contrast is a barely-disguised World Endurance Championship (WEC) racer with 1,200kg (2,650 pounds) of downforce and slick tyres (the company offers a ‘road-compliant’ version with treaded rubber, door locks and a lift-kit for an additional £150,000 or $190,000).

Brabham Automotive was founded by multiple Le Mans winner David Brabham and is based in Adelaide, Australia, where the new car will be built. It may – taking a leaf out of McLaren’s book – use a version of the existing 5.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8, which makes 710 horsepower and 492 lb ft of torque in the BT62. However, ever-tightening emissions legislation means a hybrid petrol/electric powertrain is also possible.

Flat-out in the Brabham BT62: first passenger ride

In modern supercar style, a huge range of personalisation options will be offered. “We can do bespoke carbon fibre with a customer’s initials shaped into the weave,” says Marks. “The sky is the limit”. Brabham may offer a range of racing-inspired liveries, too – including the green/gold of Dan Gurney’s 1964 BT7 and the red/black/blue of Niki Lauda’s 1978 BT46B.

‘On a journey to 2022’

As for rivals, Marks refuses to be drawn, but it’s likely the Brabham will be benchmarked against other track-ready supercars such as the Ferrari 488 Pista, McLaren Senna and forthcoming Aston Martin AM-RB 003. It certainly won’t be a “blank canvas, no compromise” machine like the BT62.

We’ll have more details of the new Brabham soon, but the finished article isn’t likely to be ready for another three years. “We’re on journey to 2022,” says Marks, “when the BT62 will compete in WEC events – and at Le Mans. Much our our effort is concentrated on that right now.”

Just been a passenger with David Brabham in the BT62. Internal organs squelched… ears ringing.

This particular car set a new Bathurst lap record earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/MC7prYfiTA

— Tim Pitt (@timpitt100) May 23, 2019

Building supercars is a cutthroat business: many have tried and failed. But Brabham already has money and engineering expertise, along with the kudos of one of the greatest names in motorsport. Don’t bet against it.

NCP makes £700,000 a year from drivers without change

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

May 23, 2019

Car parking firm NCP has raked in nearly £700,000 a year from drivers who don’t have the correct change, a court has heard.

The parking giant kept more than £2 million in overpayments from drivers between 2009 and 2012, which it received in car parks where its ticket machines did not give change.

The figure was revealed in a High Court case where the company was fighting to prevent HMRC taking 20 percent of the cash in VAT.

Lawyers argued that NCP should not have to pay VAT on overpayments because it was not providing a service in return for the cash.

Lord Justice Newey, ruling on the case with Lord Justice Patten and Lord Justice Males dismissed the claim, stating that any overpayment should be deemed the fee the driver paid to park.

Using an example of a motorist paying for an hour’s parking at £1.40 with a pound coin and 50p piece, Lord Justice Newey said: “I consider that if a customer pays £1.50, that amount is the value given by the customer and received by the supplier in return for the right to park.”

The taxman took £488,669 in VAT from the country’s biggest car park operator for overpayments made by customers between June 2009 and December 2012.

This was 20 percent of a total £2.44 million of overpayments made to NCP in that period, which equates to more than £681,000 a year.

‘Utter contempt’

Pete Williams, a spokesperson for the RAC, said: “Everyone who has been unlucky enough to be fleeced in such a way by the car park operator will view this appeal with utter contempt.”

Edmund King, AA president, added: “The best way out of this would be to give motorists change in the first place.

“Drivers who have wanted to give left-over parking time to another motorist but been prevented by measures to stop tickets being transferred will have a wry smile on their face when they hear this court ruling.”

NCP hasn’t commented on the High Court ruling.

Porsche launches new 3D augmented reality smartphone app

John Redfern

May 22, 2019

Creating your ideal sports car using an online configurator has become even more realistic with a new smartphone app from Porsche.

The AR Visualizer App allows a three-dimensional photorealistic image of your perfect Porsche to be generated right before your eyes.

It means you could envisage how it looks parked outside your home, or even inside your living room. All the app needs is a flat surface to create the 3D image.

Dream machines

The new app includes all the features found in the regular Porsche configurator, which is offered through the company’s website.

This means endless debates about which paint choice is the best, or trying to work out exactly which set of alloy wheels your Stuttgart dream machine must have.

Customers can still make use of the usual website-based configurator, but then send their completed car to the app for the full augmented reality effect.

X-Ray specs

As an added bonus, the AR app also includes a new ‘highlight’ feature. This creates an X-ray-style cutout view of the selected car, showing users exactly where key technical details are hidden. It means future 911 owners can prove the latest sports car from Zuffenhausen is still very much rear-engined.

At present, the AR app can be used with the latest 911 Carrera S and 4S, along with the Mission-E concept car. The latter will be replaced with the finished production version of all-electric Taycan once it is revealed.

There’s an app for that

Porsche also promises to have the entire model range available for use with the app by the end of 2019, meaning Macan and Cayenne customers will have to wait a little longer.

Available to download for both Apple iOS and Android devices now, the augmented reality app is the latest in a series of smartphone offerings from Porsche. Last year, the company launched the Porsche Charging Services app, aimed at helping drivers of plug-in hybrid or fully-electric cars find charging points.

Earlier this year, Porsche also revealed a vehicle rental smartphone app, offering access to a subscription service in partnership with tech company, Cluno.

Video: World’s oldest Porsche could sell for £15 million

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

May 22, 2019

The Type 64 is the oldest surviving and, according to RM Sotheby’s, the ‘most historically significant’ Porsche in the world. Which means you’ll have to dig deep when it goes under the hammer in Monterey.

Ferdinand Porsche designed the Type 64 for the 1,500km Berlin to Rome race in September 1939. It was based on the KdF-Wagen – later known as the Beetle – and would be used to promote Germany’s new Autobahn system.

Three cars were commissioned, but just one Type 64 was completed before war was declared and the race was cancelled. The government turned its attention to the production of military vehicles, with the car becoming the property of the German labour front.

Genesis, chapter one

Undeterred, Ferdinand’s son Ferry built two more examples, one of which didn’t survive the war. Type 64 number three – the car headed to the Monterey sale in August – was completed in June 1940 using the chassis of the first car, which had been damaged following an accident with the MD of Volkswagen.

For a while, the Type 64 was used as a personal car by Ferdinand and Ferry, and was kept alongside the second Type 64 at the family estate in Zell-am-See. Ferry applied the company name to the bonnet and had the car registered in Austria.

In 1947, a young Pinin Farina was commissioned to restore the Type 64 ahead of its appearance alongside the Type 356 roadster on the roads around Innsbruck.

The link to the 356 – and therefore the entire history of Porsche – is that the same group of engineers worked on both cars. This is the genesis of Porsche: the birth of an automotive icon.

Austrian privateer Otto Mathé purchased the car in 1949 and subsequently enjoyed a successful racing career throughout the 1950s. He must have loved it, because he kept hold of the Type 64 until his death in 1995.

Its next owner was Porsche historian and specialist Dr Thomas Gruber, who took the car to various racing events, including Goodwood.

Video: Porsche Type 64

‘Sit in the seat of Porsche’

Marcus Görig, car specialist at RM Sotheby’s, said: “Without the Type 64, there would be no Porsche 356, no 550, no 911.

“This is Porsche’s origin story, the car that birthed the company’s legend, and it offers collectors what is likely an unrepeatable opportunity to sit in the seat of Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche.

“With this car, the new owner will not only be invited to the first row of every Porsche event worldwide—they will be the first row!”

The 1939 Porsche Type 64 is the headline act at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in August. It comes with spare parts, period images, historic documentation and the bragging rights associated with owning the most important Porsche in the world.

As for the price: you can bank on parting with at least $20 million (£15 million) for the honour of owning what Andy Prill, a marque specialist, has labelled “the most historically significant of all Porsche cars”.

New electric car study reveals buyer ‘tipping points’

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

May 22, 2019

Just one in four people would consider buying an EV in the next five years, according to a Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI) study into the adoption of electric cars and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

The research, conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), reveals the ‘tipping points’ for when mainstream consumers are likely to adopt fully electric vehicles and PHEVs, with information gathered from vehicles and charge points for 584,000 miles of journeys and 15,700 charge events.

As part of the study, British motorists were given three different Volkswagen Golfs to drive for four days each: an electric e-Golf, a Golf GTE plug-in hybrid and a GT Edition.

The drivers were interviewed after the study, with 75 percent of them claiming they would not consider buying a fully electric vehicle within the next five years.

Rapid chargers will up the pace

But some of the other key findings painted a brighter picture for the adoption of electric vehicles. These include:

Fifty percent of consumers said they would choose a PHEV as a main or second car, or an electric vehicle as a second car, within the next five years.
Fifty percent of consumers would consider an electric vehicle as a main car if its range increased to 200 miles; increasing to 90 percent if the range was 300 miles.
Consumer adoption can be encouraged by the provision of rapid chargers every 20 miles on motorways and A-roads, along with the roll-out of 150kW chargers.
Direct financial incentives are critical to electric car adoption, with grants rated as the most important.

Adoption dictated by consumer demand

Dr Neale Kinnear, head of behavioural science at TRL, said: “The need for cleaner, more efficient modes of travel is increasingly required to meet objectives such as the Road to Zero. However, the pace of this change will ultimately be dictated by consumer demand.

“With this ground-breaking CVEI project, TRL and its partners are providing vital evidence proving the mass market is willing to make the switch to electric vehicles, within particular parameters. The detailed findings will help inform UK and European policy and industry, including what is required by the energy sector to enable it to successfully contend with the resultant significant increase in electricity demand.”

Hannah Al-Katib, CVEI project manager, added: “This innovative project has required the expertise of a wide range of partners in order to deliver findings that will have real-world impact. As well as the data generated from this project, the unique challenges of delivering these ambitious and complex trials has provided insights into the types of challenges we face in transitioning to a future of zero emission vehicles.”

Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid offers 26-mile electric range

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

May 22, 2019

If you’re not ready to take the plunge on a EV, but fancy completing your commute on electric power, the new Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid will be of interest.

The Audi Q5 55 TFSI e – to give the SUV it’s long and convoluted name – pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver 26 miles of range.

Useful for zero-emissions zones, then, but the Q5 plug-in hybrid can also hit 84mph in electric mode, plus a top speed of 148mph with help from the 252hp and 273lb ft petrol engine.

113mpg and 49g/km CO2

Crucially, the WLTP-certified economy is 113mpg, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 49g/km: the figures of most interest to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) buyers.

It’s the first time that Audi’s efficiency-optimised Quattro all-wheel-drive tech has been used in combination with an electric motor, with the system functioning in front-wheel drive when possible to save fuel.

A predictive efficiency assistant (PEA) uses data from the navigation database and the distance to the vehicle ahead to select between freewheeling with the engine switched off and coasting recuperation.

There are three driving modes – Hybrid, EV and Battery Hold – with EV mode the default setting each time the vehicle is started.

Deliveries by the end of 2019

The Q5 plug-in hybrid is supplied with a compact charging system comprising cables for household and industrial outlets, plus a control unit. There’s also a Mode 3 cable with a Type 2 plug for use at public charging stations.

Standard kit includes LED headlights with high-beam assist, 20-inch alloy wheels, electric adjustable sports seats with massage function, three-zone climate control and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit dashboard display.

Customers can order an Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid in June, with deliveries expected by the end of the year. Prices will start from around £55,000.

Hump day: the story of the Porsche Speedster

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

May 22, 2019

Most iconic cars have a father (or mother) figure. An individual with the spark of an idea and the determination to see it through. In the case of the Porsche Speedster, that man was Max Hoffman.

The Austrian-born and New York-based car importer was responsible for the US introduction of countless European cars, not to mention the production of vehicles tailored to American audiences. One such car was the Porsche Speedster.

The Speedster story begins in 1950 when a Swiss journalist named Max Troesch showed Hoffman images of the first Porsche 356. He immediately ordered a pair, before travelling to the Paris Motor Show to meet Ferdinand Porsche.

Coming to America

The pair shook hands on a deal to export 15 more cars to the US, with Hoffman becoming the factory’s unofficial man in America. In 1952, while dining at a New York restaurant, Hoffman convinced Ferry Porsche that his company needed a crest. Ferry grabbed a napkin and proceeded to draw a logo complete with stag horns and prancing horse from Stuttgart’s coat of arms. A brand identity was born.

Hoffman was a huge fan of the Porsche 356 and he used the car to compete in numerous events around the US, which did a great deal for the company’s image. “On the 1951 Mount Equinox Hillclimb, I drove a Porsche cabriolet over a course with two miles of snow at the end. I was so fast, Briggs Cunningham claimed my time was impossible and forced the organisers to make me drive it again,” Hoffman told Panorama magazine shortly before his death in 1981.

But Hoffman saw a need for a lightweight and inexpensive variant of the 356. Taking his cue from the 356 America Roadster, an exclusive sports car developed for the US market, Hoffman requested an inexpensive, stripped-back Porsche with a price tag of less than $3,000.

The result was the Porsche 356 Speedster, and the beginning of a bloodline stretching to the current day. The Speedster combined the sheet steel body of the cabriolet with a raked windscreen, reduced equipment and a rain top. It sold for just $2,995 and was popular in the sunny states, particularly Southern California.

It won many admirers, including Hollywood icon James Dean, and further generations of the 356 Speedster were developed. The model reached its pinnacle with the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT Speedster: the first production Porsche to hit a top speed of 200km/h (124mph).

Lean or mean?

Production finished in 1958, and we’d have to wait three decades before the launch of a successor. It arrived in 1988 and was based on the 231hp 911 Carrera, featuring a wide ‘Turbo’ look. The removable windscreen was shortened and a manually operated rain top disappeared below a large plastic ‘bubble’ painted in the vehicle colour.

A leaner non-Turbo body was also available, but just 161 of these were built out of a total of 2,103 G-series Speedsters.

Both options were available on the 964 Carrera Speedster produced in 1992 and 1993, but while 930 units were ‘lean-bodied’, a mere 15 were built with the wider Turbo body. Highlights include a revamped roof mechanism for easier opening and closing, plus bucket seats from the Carrera RS painted in the vehicle colour.

Next up was one of the rarest Porsche cars ever built: the 993 Speedster. Just two were built: one for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and the other for the US actor Jerry Seinfeld.

Porsche fans would have to wait a while before the arrival of the next Speedster, but it came in 2010 with the launch of the 997 variant. The traditional lower, more raked windscreen was present and correct, along with the evocative ‘double-bubble’ rear deck. Fittingly, just 356 units were produced.

One vision

All of which brings us back to the present day and the launch of the latest Porsche Speedster. Built to celebrate 70 years of Porsche – and to line the coffers in Stuttgart – it’s the last hurrah for the 991.2 generation 911 and a fitting tribute to the 50s original.

In many ways, it stays true to Hoffman’s vision, but there are a couple of key differences. While the Speedster for California dreamers was available to all, just 1,948 of these tribute acts are available (and they’ve all been snapped up).

Secondly, you can forget the ‘sub-3k’ price tag, because the 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster costs upwards of £211,599.

The alternative is to pick up an older model, although Speedsters don’t come cheap. At last year’s RM Sotheby’s Porsche 70th Anniversary Auction, a 1994 911 Speedster sold for $190,400 (£150,131), while a restoration-ready 356 A 1600 Super Speedster sold for $307,500 (£242,465).

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