It could have ended up in the crusher when its work as a development hack was over, but this early XE SV Project 8 prototype was saved by Jaguar Heritage and we’ve taken it for a scary spin.
Its 1.3-litre engine produces a mere 100bhp and its top speed is just 118mph. But the Series 1 Rallye has motorsport in its DNA, an insatiable appetite for revs and real genius in its handling. Proof that evo icons can come in the humblest of packages.
BMW South Africa has a rich history of building cars unique to its market, we track down and drive a factory-commissioned E34 5 Series racer that has a history like no other.
The invigorating aroma of the morning’s fresh dew permeates the clouds hanging over Wisbech, England, the steam rising from the parking lot’s asphalt while last night’s rain begins to evaporate after a rare appearance of the sun. Once a thriving port and agricultural center of 18th-century Britain, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire was a prosperous community known for its magnificent Georgian architecture and small-town atmosphere, devoid of the usual noise pollution caused by cars and planes — though now, not entirely quiet.
Should one of a hundred Nürburgring-themed 2014 Vantage N430 Coupe models be mothballed as a potential investment or simply be driven and enjoyed for the purpose it was designed for? We hit the roads of County Durham to find out.
Outside: raw carbon panels, track-oriented gooseneck’ wing, front splitter, massive gold- painted wheels. Inside: roll-cage, five-point harness, Race-Tex dash covering — plus a rev-counter redlined at 9000rpm. And our playground involves not a track but the sinuous B-roads that snake across the North Pennines in County Durham. Gulp.
If the car on this page looks familiar, you might recognise it as the Francis Lombardi Grand Prix – a car we featured back in March 2018. But this isn’t quite a Lombardi – it is in fact an OTAS 820 Tigre. If you’ve never heard of OTAS, we’re not surprised.
