Supercars

So, what do you do with the new Ferrari Purosangue, starting at £312,845? How about getting six of them and tearing around the southwest of France? A luxury tour from Biarritz to Bordeaux with friends, stopping at some of the finest hotels and vineyards along the way.

Gleefully, I hopped on a flight to Bilbao and was chauffeured over to Biarritz, arriving in the late afternoon.

Nick Rhodes is part of the Bespoke design team at the iconic car manufacturer Rolls-Royce and is the chief designer responsible for the creation of the Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car, inspired by amber and the historic trade routes connecting the Baltic and the Mediterranean Sea. Amber, essentially a fossil, has a tangible link with ancient life on Earth, capturing a sense of timelessness, simplicity, and enduring beauty – qualities that also embody a Bespoke Rolls-Royce. The textures, colours, and warmth of amber are reflected in this Bespoke creation.

Some bikes just fit, like your favourite pair of shoes or your favourite T-shirt.

Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GX is my new favourite band T-shirt. 

Based on the GSX-S1000GT, it shares a host of parts; frame, engine & gearbox, subframe, rear plastics, exhaust and so on. The GX sits taller than the GT with a more comfortable riding position and crucially, It has a full and comprehensive electronics package with more acronyms than you can shake a stick at. 

The Triumph Speed Twin 1200 is a contemporary interpretation of the iconic original Speed Twin, blending classic styling with modern performance and technology. It’s a beautiful bike aimed at riders who appreciate a blend of retro aesthetics and modern engineering.  

The 1200cc parallel-twin engine is a gem. It delivers strong, torquey performance and is equally at home in the city or carving along a fast A road. Only the lack of wind protection holds you back.

As McLaren introduced the W1 hypercar, Ferrari wasted no time in responding with the F80 - an uncompromising statement about the future of internal combustion and hybrid performance. 

With a colossal 1,200 horsepower, the F80’s V6-hybrid powertrain cements its place as Ferrari’s most powerful road car to date. It’s a precise combination of innovative technology and Ferrari’s legendary engineering, built for drivers who value performance without compromise.

Lexus recently launched the new Lexus UX 300e. However, the brand doesn’t do things by halves. They pulled out all the stops and hosted the event at the newly refurbished Cameron House Hotel, which is located on the bonny shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Cameron House offers a blend of historical charm and contemporary luxury that is hard to match. The grandeur of this five-star resort, combined with its breathtaking location, created a perfect haven for me as I was seeking relaxation, adventure, and a taste of the finer things in life. 

Cameron House is an 18th-century baronial haven perched right on the edge of Loch Lomond and it embodies all the historic charm and traditional elegance you would expect from a luxury Scottish retreat. But what truly sets it apart is that much like the vast selection of regional whiskies behind the bar, the whole experience has been blended to perfection by combining warm sophistication, dramatic wilderness and a refreshing blast of Caledonian air.

In the world of Hypercars, where mind-bending power figures and eye-watering price tags have become par for the course, it’s easy to become desensitised. But the McLaren W1 arrives with the singular mission of reminding us all what true supercar mastery looks like.

It’s not just about numbers, although make no mistake, the W1 numbers are huge, it’s about a deep, visceral connection between man and machine. With the W1, McLaren has achieved that elusive blend of ferocious performance and pure driving pleasure.

Engine:

At the heart of the Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro is a retuned version of the Speed Triple's 1160cc triple-cylinder engine. While it delivers a slightly more modest 148bhp @ 9,000rpm and 130 Nm torque, it remains the most powerful shaft-driven adventure bike on the market. 

So, we took the eco-friendly electric Audi Q8 e-tron SUV mountain biking in the Surrey Hills. The tracks there are amazing, maintained by hordes of unsung workers who landscape the hills for downhill descents—quite illegally but with great skill. Afterwards, we toured Norwich for a little history and culture. We're not just muscle-bound jocks, you know.