Richard Meaden

Richard Meaden

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Richard Meaden Richard Meaden 1990 Jaguar Sport XJR-15 1 year ago

Thank you for a fabulous feature about theXJR-15.

I was lucky enough to see these cars race at Silverstone in 1991 and I’ll never forget the noise as 16 V12 racing cars came pouring round Copse Corner where I stood with my late father.

I also remember being confused as to what these cars were; were they Jaguars or TWRs? Racing cars or meant for the road? And so ove 30 years later, you’ve finally given me the answers.

I can’t help but think that as manufacturers (including Jaguar) start to concentrate on electric cars, the idea of a V12-engined, high-performance supercar like the XJR-15 is now as outdated as the dinosaurs or as politically correct as smoking in a school.

Although I understand the importance of lowering CO2 emissions, I’ll still miss the noise only genuine racing cars produce. The scream of the Ferrari V12 in Alain Prost’s 643 F1 car during the same weekend could be heard all over Silverstone.

By comparison, my son-in-law treated me to tickets to the British E-Prix a few years ago and although interesting, I found the lack of sound as the cars silently whooshed past more than a little depressing. I can only imagine what Sir William Lyons or Enzo Ferrari would think. Just as they need speed and effective aerodynamics, racing cars also need a good noise!

Keep up the great work. Jaguar World coming through my letterbox is always the highlight of the month.

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Richard Meaden Richard Meaden Aston Martin DB5 Vantage came in three forms: we try Saloon, Convertible and ’Brake 2 years ago

All good things… If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that this is my opportunity to bid you a warm welcome to the latest issue of Vantage. When we launched this magazine back in 2013 we secretly wondered if there would come a time when we simply ran out of things to write about. Once you’ve had a chance to sit down and read it, I hope you’ll agree that this issue proves we needn’t have worried, for the unfolding story of Aston Martin remains as riveting and unpredictable as ever. Sadly it’s a story we won’t be able to share with you, for it is my sad duty to announce that this issue of Vantage will be the last. At least in its present quarterly format. None of you will need reminding how tough the last 18 months or so have been for families and businesses up and down the UK and across the world. Mercifully it would seem the darkest days are behind us, but while Vantage was able to weather the successive waves of Covid-19, the lasting effects of suppressed sales due to the ongoing pandemic have led to some very tough decisions being taken. Vantage has always enjoyed the support of a loyal band of subscribers, but the magazine’s commercial viability also relies upon newsstand sales, the majority of which come from major travel points. With air travel effectively grounded since last March and the shift to working from home reducing footfall in railway stations, trading conditions have been brutal. Needless to say, we are profoundly saddened by the decision, but much like Aston Martin’s ability to bounce back from countless near-disasters, we very much hope Vantage will channel that survival instinct and reappear in some form. Whether you’ve been a reader since the beginning or have just picked up a copy for the first time, we thank you for your support and enthusiasm for a magazine that has been our immense pleasure to produce. Likewise, I’d like to extend our gratitude to our hard-working contributors, the ever-helpful souls at Aston Martin, and the brilliant specialists and generous owners who have been so supportive in providing us with wonderful cars to drive and given us such great tales to tell. We literally couldn’t have done it without you.

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Richard Meaden Richard Meaden 2022 Lotus Emira 2 years ago

That's because your ahem, older like me. I've had a little manual hot hatchback and Loved smashing it's gearbox left right and centre. I've also had mid size German saloons with automatic gearboxes. Some with manual overide. So I'd definitely go the latter route now! :)

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Richard Meaden Richard Meaden 2022 BMW 430i Cabrio M Sport G23 2 years ago

Just 2.0-litre engine?

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