Supercars

A Wild Lust Tour Begins: Lexus NX 450+ Takumi

A Weekend with the Audi Q8 in the Cotswolds

The Audi Q8 SUV 50 TDI MHEV is a bold statement, far from shy and retiring. For our latest luxury motoring escapade, we toured the Cotswolds, gliding from the genteel splendour of the Greenway Hotel near Cheltenham to the utterly fabulous Chalk Restaurant at Wiston Estate winery.

Some names don’t merely return; they arrive with a drum roll. “Testarossa” is one of them. For many of us it still means side strakes, a wide tail and a flat-twelve that sounded like late-night television in stereo. Forty years on, Ferrari has brought the badge back for a very different age. 

Images by Hayden Povey.

Every so often, a car turns up on my driveway that sets the neighbours’ curtains into full cardio. And I reckon the Polestar 4 might just be the most talked-about of the lot. Within the hour, heads were tilting, questions were being lobbed over hedges and before long I was presiding over what felt suspiciously like a Parish Council meeting.

Founded by bikers, for bikers, Roadskin is a UK-based motorcycle clothing brand. The company was started by Ian and Nicky Wilson. Ian, a former London courier, gained firsthand knowledge of the shortcomings of traditional motorcycle gear. Early in his career, he and his friend, Mark Kingham, resorted to unconventional methods to stay warm and dry, which fueled their desire to create better gear.

I took the Corvette Z06 Convertible on a week-long tour through the rolling hills and winding lanes of southern England, the sort of countryside where Aston Martins usually rule the roost. From the chalky cliffs of Sussex to the winding backroads of Surrey, the Z06 devoured every mile with theatrical flair. The highlight? A sunset wine tasting at the Roebuck Estates Vineyard, where the golden light glinted off its sculpted lines as elegantly as the sparkling rosé in my glass.

There are a few occasional truths in the car world. Porsches will always be quicker than they look, Land Rovers will find a way to go wrong at the most inconvenient moment and if you want the world’s best luxury saloon, you buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It has been that way for half a century, almost without interruption. 

I have officially entered the realm of the middle-aged man. Because for a little while now, I have been yearning for a bit of rose-tinted, unfiltered wanderlust. The kind where you simply go wherever the wind (or Google Maps) decides to take you. And while the grim realities of motorway snarl-ups and the endless dual carriageway roadworks have been quietly airbrushed out of this scenario, I’m going to roam up and down England and Wales – just for the sheer love of it.

Audi S6 Avant E-Tron Launch Edition – Review in the Grand Touring Style

Audi claims the S6 Avant E-Tron will waft you up to 384 miles on a single charge. Naturally, we decided to test that with a civilised jaunt from Guildford to Norwich and back again — 325 miles in one sitting, no recharging, no fuss, just the quiet purr of electrons and the smug glow of not visiting a petrol station. Touring in style, as always.

In an era where technology often overshadows the art of the ride, the Honda CBR650R emerges as a compelling statement of purpose. 

Back in the day, a middleweight sportsbike was uncompromising. In recent years, there has been a rebirth of the middleweight market, but the bikes that inhabit this space have now evolved. They have the same or better performance that we were used to, but now have improved ergonomics that make them more practical to live with and more comfortable to ride.