Cars we love to drive
The practical supercar n The RS 7 is somewhere between the
The British are back n The challenge for the brand that created the achingly beautiful 1961 Jaguar
beauty and the beast, a limousine and a sportscar. Audi’s boundary pushing performance division, RS, has breathed on the already excellent A7 to create the outrageous 4.0L V8 twin-turbo quattro 8-speed, capable of acceleration to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds. Yet this is no stripped out racer, it’s a big, sophisticated continental cruiser with clever fuel-saving technology that shuts four of its eight cylinders off when not required. It’s a technical tourde-force with real class. www.audi.com
E-Type was one of follow-through. But the weight of that expectation has been lifted – 50 years later – with the striking F-Type. Although clearly drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of earlier Jaguars, this is a beautifully proportioned and modern sports car for today. Performance across the range is stellar and that bassy, euphonic, exhaust note is addictive. www.jaguar.com
The grand tour n The lines of this BMW Gran Turismo are very distinctive: the stylish
Luxury motoring redefined n Infiniti is to Nissan what Audi is to VW
– a premium car brand to challenge the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Striking novelties in design and technology aside, the Q50 meets the size, space, quality and performance benchmarks expected from other more established brands. A classy and spacious cabin features first-class materials and meticulous attention to detail. Infiniti’s clever Direct Adaptive Steering ‘steer-bywire’ system can turn a long cruise into a relaxing and elegant experience. This Infiniti will get you noticed! www.infiniti.com
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5 Series sedan combines with the elegance of a coupé, and although it divides opinion, it is not short of individual character in a market often populated by generic styling. BMW’s excellent petrol and diesel engines are quick and frugal – the 520d achieves a combined fuel consumption of just 5.5l/100km – making light work of transporting a modern family in safety, comfort and inimitable style. www.bmw.com
Opulent Living
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2013/11/10 9:58 PM