Bentley has unveiled its first fully electric car. The Torcal is a five-seat SUV with up to 876 bhp, a claimed range of 375 miles and a rather elaborate answer to the question of what a Bentley should sound like without an engine. It involves a viola. We shall come to that.
Anyone who has made the pilgrimage to Campbeltown knows the journey demands commitment. Stepping off the Twin Otter, a rugged propeller plane with a single seat on either side of the aisle and not an overhead locker in sight, onto that exposed coastal tarmac feels like crossing into a different era.
High on the South Downs, Weyborne Estate looks across the Sussex countryside from slopes that rise towards a thousand feet above sea level. Its history reaches back to around 1600, when an early ironmaster used local ore to forge axes and spikes. By the mid seventeenth century, the estate was held by William Yaldwin, a Parliamentarian who hosted Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War.
We loaded up the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited, and I swung my leg over the sumptuous leather seat and thumbed the starter. The fabulous Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine fired into life, settling down to a melodic, rhythmic throb. Kate jumped on behind me, and off we went, leaving the historic grandeur of Boringdon Hall behind. The second leg of our journey took us southwest, out of Devon and into Cornwall, toward the quiet waters of the Helford River near Falmouth.
Set just outside the ski resort of Obertauern in the tiny village of Untertauern, less than an hour’s drive from Salzburg airport, Lürzerhof makes an immediate impression. The lobby alone is vast, all polished wood, stone and light, with the sort of scale that tells you this is not a small, sleepy alpine guesthouse but a serious operation. It’s family-run, but with the confidence and infrastructure of somewhere that has grown steadily over time and knows exactly how to look after its guests.
Loch Lomond possesses a distinct aura that few bodies of water can match. As the largest expanse of fresh water in Great Britain, it straddles the Highland Boundary Fault, splitting the calm pastoral Lowlands from the rugged wilderness of the north. Its eastern shore belongs to the raw solitude of the West Highland Way, while the western banks harbour quiet enclaves of extraordinary wealth and discretion, most notably the ultra exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club, where billionaires and world leaders arrive by boat or helicopter, shielded behind gated lochside paths.
Seaplane to Shaviyani Atoll: Barefoot Pilots and the Finest Commute on Earth
Chris Walsh is an automotive journalist specialising in luxury, performance and prestige cars. From grand tourers and supercars to the latest high-performance electric models, he brings a straightforward and informed perspective to every review. His writing combines technical detail with real-world experience, focusing on how a car looks, feels and performs beyond the confines of a specification sheet. A lifelong motoring enthusiast, Chris believes exceptional cars should be driven, enjoyed and occasionally taken the long way home.
There is a distinct, quiet magic in returning to the roads of your youth. Growing up in Plymouth, the landscapes of South Devon, where the rugged granite tors of Dartmoor give way to sweeping coastal horizons, were the backdrop to my early life. Returning decades later aboard a motorcycle adds an entirely new dimension to that nostalgia. The long, open miles through the West Country flow past with effortless rhythm, culminating in a stay at one of Devon’s most captivating historic estates: Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa.
International Excellence was invited to Claridges Spa to sample a Sturm Glow Facial created by Dr Barbara Sturm. This is her entry level facial, but an experience to enjoy for that regular maintenance and rejuvenation.
