Supercars

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.

There is a distinct, nostalgic thrill to slinging a leg over a proper supermoto. It looks like it means business just standing on its side stand, tall, lean, angular, and mean. Built for hooliganism. 

The 2026 Suzuki DR-Z4SM is the long-awaited, ground-up overhaul of Suzuki's iconic supermoto platform. Replacing the long-running DR-Z400SM, the new model updates the classic "thumper" design with modern fuel injection, updated chassis geometry, and lightweight electronic rider aids while keeping its nimble, street-focused character.

I should probably start this review with a confession: I’ve never really wanted an electric car.

Ascot, more than anywhere, understands horsepower. It has spent centuries breeding it, grooming it, weighing it and inviting people in elaborate hats to bet on it. The BMW iX3 50 xDrive brings 463 horses of its own to the party, although none of them eats oats.

Aston Martin is not short of powerful front-engined cars, but the new Valen takes things considerably further. Revealed during Monterey Car Week, it is the most powerful front-engined Aston Martin in the company’s 113-year history and according to Aston Martin, the world’s most powerful front-engined production car.

There is sensible and then there is Gordon Murray sensible. The new S1 has no enormous fixed rear wing, its suspension has been softened and it even comes with additional sound insulation. Yet it also has a naturally aspirated V12 capable of reaching 12,100rpm, a proper manual gearbox and a central driving position. In almost any other context it would be considered completely unhinged. Alongside the S1 LM however, it is practically a grand tourer.

Ducati V4 X Diavel

V4 X Diavel 

‘Tis a thing of Beauty’

There is a very particular kind of family occasion that sees my wife Emily heading to Cornwall in shorts and a bikini, entirely sensibly, while I sit beside her in a white suit, sweating gently in what turned out to be a genuinely sweltering 35 degrees. The occasion demanded it.

There is a particular kind of English shame that comes from arriving at a country pub in something the size of a small yacht, only to spend ten minutes reversing it into a space clearly designed for a Fiat Panda and a bicycle. I know this shame intimately. I have worn it like a poorly fitted dinner jacket. So when the keys to the Lexus LBX landed on my desk, my first reaction was not excitement about badge prestige or hybrid credentials. It was relief. Here, finally, was a Lexus that might fit into my life rather than requiring me to reorganise the entire village.

There is a particular difficulty in ending a successful story. Do too little and the finale feels like a cynical exercise in badges and scarcity. Do too much and the qualities that made the original so compelling can disappear beneath the additions.