There are some vehicles that suit Salisbury Plain. A Porsche 911 does not. A Bentley Flying Spur might, provided you had someone following in a support vehicle with a calming herbal tea. A Fiat 500 would just look as though it had taken a wrong turn on the way to a garden centre.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, however, looks entirely at home.
A large SUV appears entirely at home pulling up to a grand historic building, as though it has merely returned from a light bout of pheasant disturbance. A discreet German saloon also looks suitable, particularly if it is muted in colour, electric-silent and wafting across the pea shingle.
But a bright purple Lotus? This is not discreet. It does not sidle quietly into an open forecourt and hope not to be noticed. It arrives with the visual and audible subtlety of a quality-street wrapper at a funeral.
A pine-scented Italian mountain refuge beneath Monte Bianco where folklore, food, skiing, and serious pleasure converge, and where leaving feels faintly disloyal
Courmayeur sits at the foot of Mont Blanc with the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly who it is. It has no need to shout. Unlike many Alpine resorts engineered for throughput and spectacle, this is a real town with a proper centre, cobbled streets, stone houses, and a rhythm dictated as much by weather and tradition as by ski lifts and restaurant bookings.
Where Alpine Peaks Meet the Art of Wellness
Some hotels offer you a bed. Others offer you a view. The 5-star Cyprianerhof Dolomites Hotel offers a philosophy. Its daily rhythm is seductively simple: climb mountains like an Olympian in the morning, surrender to spa decadence in the afternoon, then dine like a Renaissance prince by evening. In short: sweat, steam, feast, repeat.
The Alpine A110 R 70 arrives like a perfectly timed coup de théâtre—the final act of a 70-year love affair between Dieppe's engineers and the art of making automobiles dance. This 70th anniversary edition is, quite literally, the last of its breed before Alpine succumbs to the electric revolution. Consider it the automotive equivalent of Catherine Deneuve’s final film: impossibly beautiful, utterly French, and destined to leave you pining for what once was.
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.
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.
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.
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.
