Very little beats that news car smell or the benefits that come with buying a car brand new. We ask Dave Raybould whether the novelty, or that smell, ever wears off.
When water-cooling heralded the 996, Porsche offered the super-focused GT3 and the multi-talented Turbo. Nearly 25 years on, Octane rediscovers an icon and a bargain.
Pundits will argue that the 1986 Ford Taurus was the car that really redefined American car design during the Eighties; but I would argue that its Thunderbird stablemate
Going fast comes down to a simple mathematical equation. When translated into automotive lingo, one part of that formula usually means that a reduction in weight will have a comparable reduction in the force required to accelerate or decelerate. For acceleration you add in additional horsepower, however, the way to get that balance usually means that at some point you need to introduce some weight reduction and start hacking away on a car.
Brian Williams came late to the joys of Rolls-Royce ownership. Magnificently capturing the elegance of pre-war luxury motoring, this 25/30hp Sports Saloon has produced a convert with a mission.
The 8-Litre ‘Dead Silent 100 mph car’ was W.O. Bentley’s masterpiece, in the view of many observers. Because they were made in tiny numbers, any encounter with an 8-litre is to be savoured, as our man in California, Steve Natale, discovered.
Being obsessed with DTM and IMSA racing, it’s no surprise Nick Flom would wind up in something a bit fruity on the road, although his carbon-clad RS3 daily driver is actually more at home on the track…
No matter which generation it was produced in, everybody loves a bright red Golf GTI and Taison Shelter’s R32-swapped Mk2 example is a true knockout machine!
A 22-year old mechanic and aircraft technician, in 1951 Rolf Wütherich possessed the kinds of skills Ferry Porsche was seeking for his nascent business. Within weeks he was part of a small group developing a new transaxle for Porsche’s own gearbox, a component urgently needed because the stock VW item was failing under the increasing torque of Porsche’s flat fours.
