Inside Lane
Issue 39
2013 Aston Martin Vanquish
Welcome to issue 39 of the magazine. In this edition we shall be coving some of the biggest automotive launches of this year including; McLaren’s 12C Spider, Renault’s 4th generation Clio, and something very exciting in the for of Aston Martin’s new flagship. It is all waiting for you over the page...
The latest Porsche 911 is an engineering marvel. It is crisp, precise, and balanced with the delivery of performance on offer from that 3.8 litre flat-six. The car is already selling in huge numbers and so if you were thinking of making a purchase you wouldn’t be blamed for wanting your machine to stand out from the crowd. After a performance edge as well as some unique exterior features? The ladies and gents from Stuttgart might just have something for you. Kicking off with the Power Enhancement kit; this package offers a retuned ECU, a new camshaft, new cylinder heads and better cooling. The end result in a boost of 30BHP, bring the total to 430BHP, and a 0-62MPH time of 4 seconds flat. Also up for grabs is the Aerokit Cup pack. This option will fit a 911 with a new front splitter and fixed rear wing to increase downforce, as well as larger air intakes on the front bumper.
Ticking the Boxes
London Calling... Formula One is the worlds premier motorsport. The fastest machines, the most daring drivers, and of course the most spectacular locations. Silverstone, Monaco, Spa. All names that have the fury of racing pulsing through them. With the F1 calendar expanding the question must be asked, where next? Where would you find challenging conditions, a unique backdrop and an intensely motivated crowd? London‌ The British capital has been proposed as a Grand Prix venue in the past but due to logistics and costs the idea was scrapped. Major sponsor of Silverstone and McLaren, Santander, have produced a media storm with CGI trailers and backing from F1 world champions to run the London Grand Prix. The track is a real blend of high speed straights and technical turns. A lap consist of 3.2 miles and top speeds of 190MPH. Famous landmarks such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace have been integrated into the route. We would love to see such a race take place, but it all comes down to the men in suits making the numbers work first.
O B R U T a e k i l u o y d l u o ” W ? “ i h s u s r u o y with The Toyota GT 86 reignites the once explosive “affordable sports car” market for 2012. The well price low slung coupe from Japan is giving rival brands the encouragement they need to produce their own competitors. Toyota said that this car wouldn’t be getting a turbo any time soon, but try telling that to this concept. Tuned by GRNM along with Toyota, this GT 86 called the Sport FR Concept, is equipped with said turbo and a supercharger. The result is that the 86’s 2.0 litre motor now pumps out 315BHP and 311lb-ft of torque. Other changes include a new exhaust system, stickier tyres, and a rear wing. This may just be a concept car but if it provokes enough salivation from fans we could well see something work its way onto our roads over the next few years.
We love the Mazda MX-5! The well priced, joyous little sports car possesses a formula for success that has seen it live on through the decades. The Japanese firm have even experienced success in motorsport with a GT4 variation and as a result are toying with the idea of a hotter road legal model. Making its debut at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, this is the MX-5 GT Concept. Blazing up the hill in ASBO orange, this hardcore concept is a genuine “test the water” moment for Mazda as they consider a new top of the range MX-5. This car packs 205BHP, upgraded suspension, aerodynamic aids such as a carbon fibre splitter and diffuser. Inside there is a smattering of body coloured details. What do you think? A car weighing this little with that much power sure sounds like an interesting proposition to us.
The MX-5 Gets An ASBO
Fastest
Bentley have sold many Continental models over the years. The
Bentley
just people with a little too much money. Despite the company
EVER!!!
luxury coupe is often snapped up by footballers, celebrities or the car keeps it is a brilliant and a very capable machine. The Continentals latest incarnation offers more power but less weight, not to mention a V8 option. But let’s be honest here… It is the GT Speed variant we have all been waiting for. Turning the Bentley Continental from a luxury cruiser to a ballistic missile is the 2012 GT Speed. This is the fastest Bentley ever produced as its 616BHP W12 engine will propel the car to 205MPH. This British brute also churns out a biblical 590lb-ft of torque aiding it in a 0-62MPH sprint of just 4 seconds. Stiffer suspension, sharper steering and a retuned gearbox complete the package. The GT Speed will cost you £160,000 making it £20,000 cheaper than the recently unveiled Vanquish from Aston Martin. Though this is more of a sledge hammer to the Aston’s elegant cheese knife, there is no doubt that Bentley are looking to be very competitive.
If it were possible to manufacture insanity and put it in car form it would quite likely
SO
LD
T U O
be the doing of the mad men who make up Mercedes’ Black Series devision. For those very rare occasions when you think that an AMG doesn’t offer quite enough near death experiences, these guys crank it up to 11. Their latest creation, the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, has been so popular with customers needing the rawest of adrenaline rushes that they have sold out. The £100,000 beast packs a potent combination of muscular design and 509BHP. All that power comes direct from its 6.2 litre V8 that sits under the bonnet. Sounding like thunder, this Black Series can crack 0-62MPH in 4 seconds flat! Production was limited to just 650 units but the demand was so high that Merc bumped that up to 800. Even with the cap raises demand was still far too high. We can’t blame those lucky enough to snap up the keys to one of these beasts, we only ask that they don’t become garage ornaments sitting in the back of a collection gathering dust.
For Your Eyes Only...
2013 Vanquish
There are very few things on this planet than can leave you both shaken and stirred. Aston Martins are unique in their delivery of both beauty and soul. Seductively powerful and oh so charming in a manner only the British brand could pull off, each new car that dons the winged emblem has a tough act to follow. The Aston Martin DBS has done its duty and earned a place in Astons history, but it is time for a successor. A car just as bold, just as dramatic as that brilliant GT. Its name is the Vanquish. Reviving the Vanquish nameplate, this V12 is both beauty and the beast. Aston Martin’s flagship One-77 supercar has clearly influenced the new designs heavily sculpted body and intricate interior, but what is hidden beneath its artwork is just as breathtaking. A 6.0 litre V12 pounds to the beat of 565BHP, with each of those horses surging the Vanquish to a top speed of 183MPH. On the way to that figure it will hit 62MPH in just 4.1 seconds. Available as a 2+2 or 2+0, this astonishing new machine is lighter, lower and faster than its predecessor. The 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish can be yours for £190,000 early next year.
You Only Live Twice... 2001-2007 Vanquish “Future Classic”
“Still elegant”
“The gearbox never bloody worked but we still loved it!”
“Always a sense of occasion”
“Power, Beauty, and Soul...”
Beating The Germans At Their Own Game! When buying a performance orientated executive
That is not a typo! You read it correctly‌ Volvo.
saloon the Germans pretty much have it covered.
Their new S60 has found its way to Polestar who
Mercedes offers up the C63 AMG, Audi the RS4,
have paired with Volvo to produce the S60 Polestar
and BMW has their mighty M3. To be honest
Concept. Not only does it look subtly menacing, but
between those machines there is everything you
under the bonnet is a huge turbocharger that gives
could ever ask for in such a car, and so for another
this machine an incredible 508BHP. 424lb-ft of
player to pull up a chair at this table would be a
torque helps this S60 get from standing to 62MPH
tough fight indeed. But here we are, and the
in as little as 3.9 seconds. Top speed? That would
challenger comes from Volvo.
be 186MPH. All of a sudden the Germans seem a little inadequate.
Incy Wincy Spider
We have known for a long time that this car
coupe, power output is identical standing at
would be coming… These days it is inevitable
616BHP. 0-62MPH for the Spider is also exactly
that some form of roofless wonder in created
the same as the coupe’s 3.1 seconds sprint.
for each model with a fixed roof, but even more
The only change in performance figures comes
so in this case when the competition has
when comparing the two from 0-124MPH. The
already done so. The rivalry between Ferrari
Spider is 0.2 seconds slower to the mark, but
and McLaren has burnt ferociously on the race
let’s not pretend that such a fractional amount
track for decades, with the introduction of the
matters. The new car can complete its
MP4-12C a few years back, that battle came to
transformation in 17 seconds via a metal
the road. Ferrari’s latest 458 Spider now has
folding roof that is stowed behind the rear
some company.
seats.
This is the McLaren 12C Spider and the British
Orders are being taken now for the 12C Spider
company are adamant that cutting off its head
at a cost of £195,000. Deliveries are expected
has not had any detrimental effects. Powered
to begin this November.
by the same 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 as the
Shooting Brake
So you are looking to buy a luxury German estate? Well, there are some very good choices to be made when it comes to this sector as Mercedes, Audi and BMW all offer cars that contend for the bragging rights of class leader. These high levels of competition have accelerated the quality of these machines to the point of near perfection. But what if you want something a little more special than an E-Class, 5 Series or A6? This might just be your answer! Arriving in dealerships this November, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake is the complete road-going incarnation of the 2008 ConceptFascination. This sloping estate will offer a range of engines from the CLS saloon and pair them with those elegant concept car looks.These include a 2.1 litre and 3.0 litre turbo diesel as well as two petrols in the form of a 3.5 litre V6 and a 4.6 litre V8. An AMG variation powered by Merc’s world renowned 6.2 litre V8 out of the SLS is also well on its way.
What is French for Va-Va-Voom? Because Renault Don’t know... Every car manufacturer has a core product that it
enthusiasm for obscure and repulsive design
sells vast quantities of. These models are very
features? That aside, if you can remove the
important for the health of the business and so
hideous imagery from your mind, the new car is
when it comes to redesigning them, a great deal
more spacious than the one it replaces and
of care is taken. Renault’s little Clio is a brilliant
inside appears to have a more premium
hatchback offering well priced practicality and a
architecture. The new Clio must compete with
reasonable level of driver involvement. Today
Peugeot’s 208 and so pricing will be a crucial
Renault has spilt the beans on their next
element of this cars success or failure. Entry
generation car.
level for this Clio will be a 0.9 litre turbocharged motor.
This is the 4th car to take the Clio name and the French claim that this incarnation offers even
Expect to shield your eyes from the all-new Clio
higher levels of quality and refinement. That may
when it hits the road in early 2013.
be so, but look at it! It really is an ugly machine. Did nobody attempt to curb the designers