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Images: Timothy Denton

Location: Harvest House, Felixstowe.

There’s an undeniable meaning to the word “MINI”. Capitalised or not, it suggests something compact yet considered. A car that knows exactly what it is and wears that confidence without any “MAXI” sized promises. For years, MINI has traded on this very identity, a blend of classic British funkiness and BMW engineering that is wrapped up in a familiar, upstanding shape.

Held from the 10th to the 13th of July, this year’s fantastic event was built around a single, stirring theme: The Winning Formula – Champions & Challengers. A salute not only to the past 75 years of Formula 1 but to the daring spirit that unites motorsport legends with up-and-coming, next-gen challengers.

Predictive damping, torque vectoring, regenerative braking and active aero might all sound well and good but what if you just want less of all that? What if you just want to reconnect with the outright physics of driving again? Enter the A110: a lightweight, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car that does away with all of the above.

Aston Martin is a brand that has weathered war, bankruptcy, Bond and a barrage of reinventions more times than is strictly sensible and yet it continues to craft machines that blend utter menace with majesty. The new DBX S, the flagship of Aston’s ever-growing SUV range, is the latest expression of that enduring brilliance. A luxury bruiser that can tow a horsebox, out-drag most sports cars and serenade your ears with a burbling V8 soundtrack.

McLaren Artura Spider V6 Hybrid Review

Over the years, I've put plenty of McLarens through their paces on racetracks across the UK and Europe. But this time, we wanted a test that better reflected the typical lifestyle of an average buyer. Enter the McLaren Artura Spider: sleek, innovative, and distinctly hybrid.

My son Ben and I are self-proclaimed water adventurers, happiest when zipping across the waves on powerful motorised watercraft – better known as WaveRunners. Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of carving through water at high speed, and we’re always looking for new thrills.

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.

We took the Ferrari Purosangue on a thrilling tour through Somerset and Bath for our review, staying at the delightful Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath for an unforgettable sejour.

The Ferrari Purosangue is an 80s rally car with four doors and four seats, featuring the latest racing suspension plus a V12 monster of an engine and high ground clearance. 

Are you having trouble sleeping? According to the University of Bristol, 20% of Brits sleep poorly. Even more concerning, a recent 2022 survey by HNI revealed that 74% of adults reported a decline in sleep quality over the past year.

The Maslina Resort on the lavender-strewn island of Hvar in Croatia might be able to help.