CAR UK

Often wrong, never in doubt. I can’t remember which esteemed reader – maybe Johann van Rensburg, maybe ‘Bishopwasahero’ – skewered me so exquisitely with that phrase when I was editor between 2006 and 2017, but I’m tempted to have it on my gravestone. Now, after 21 years, it’s time to move on from CAR. Many great memories swarm through my mind. Like rocking up to a Vegas car-hire outfit to bag a Lamborghini Gallardo for my second cover as editor. Turned out I had to hire a chaperone too, but we got the first comparison test of Audi’s brand new R8. That same summer, for fear of being wrong, I sat on leaked prototype images of the forthcoming McLaren 12C – it just looked too bland to be the F1’s…

There surely must be a board somewhere within Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ that’s jam packed with darts pinning images of Maranello, Fiorano and the 12Cilindri to it. The all-new Vanquish – a return to a proud name from Aston Martin’s modern history – is about as close as you can get to a direct rival to Ferrari’s all-new V12 grand tourer. It’s also quite possibly the most serious Aston Martin has been about creating something that can really compete dynamically. Previous V12 grand tourers from Gaydon – namely the 2001 Vanquish and 2018 DBS Superleggera – were all about power, theatrics and, of course, soaking up mile after mile at speed and in comfort. But Ferrari has always been able to do that, and yet combine it with the ability…

JG: ‘You say there’s quite a big nod to the DBX here, with some DNA links between the two. Was going all-wheel drive off the table? It could give you more trusty traction with this amount of power…’ AL: ‘What people expect from us are super-clean and crisp dynamics, and there was definitely a sense in the team that there was a massive leap to be made in dynamic talent in the chassis without all-wheel drive. Leaving the purity of the front end to the steering and nothing else gives us a clear position in the market against cars this price.’ JG: ‘Saves weight, too…’ AL: ‘It does, and weight is a huge discussion right now. The new BMW M5 is a pin-up for that weight topic right now, but…

Vanquish (2001-2018) One of the coolest ‘V’ names Aston Martin has ever used, and one that quickly became an icon in the early 2000s thanks mainly to a charismatic V12 under the bonnet and grade-A design penmanship from Ian Callum. Valour Along with the Victor and Fernando Alonso-approved Valiant, the limited-edition Valour previewed various visual elements the new Vanquish has embraced. Expect the blunt rear to appear on more future Astons. DBS Superleggera Technically the car the Vanquish replaces. Aston has come to the conclusion that there’s no power without control, so has made a serious effort to make the Vanquish much less twitchy and nervous than the Superleggera.…

IT’S OFFICIAL An electric Cayenne closely follows the Macan Electric (pictured). ‘Our product strategy could enable us to deliver more than 80 per cent of our new cars fully electrified in 2030,’ says Porsche boss Oliver Blume. ‘In the middle of the decade, the fourth-gen [Cayenne] will set standards in the SUV segment.’ SPLIT PERSONALITY As well as offering the new, fourth-gen Cayenne as an EV, the existing third-generation model will undergo another major overhaul to keep it fresh, providing V8 and e-Hybrid PHEVs ‘up to and beyond 2030’. Porsche says it’s working on making its V8 ‘ready to comply with future legislative requirements.’ A NEW STRATEGY The EV won’t be the only Cayenne, as Porsche slightly repositions its targets amid slumping EV demand; petrol and PHEV versions will remain.…

‘Being a product planner today is probably the most difficult job in the company,’ Ivan Espinosa, chief planning officer for Nissan tells on the final day of the Formula E championship. He’s half joking, but there’s some truth in what he says; drivers Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz will navigate around the tight and twisty London circuit for the next hour or so, but Espinosa must chart Nissan’s course through the most volatile, disruptive period the automotive industry has ever seen. ‘It used to be very easy, because we only had to take care of our customer base, trends and the technology roadmap,’ he tells us in Nissan’s VIP area high above the track. ‘Today you have all that plus your politics, very stringent regulatory conditions, duties, taxation and a…