No.1
06-05-2006, 08:01 AM
Just to whet your appetites.
http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/2914/dsc00001copy2lp.jpg
Cover Story
Ferrari 599 GTB v 550 Maranello
Lamborghini LP640
Porsche 911 Turbo
Driven
Ford Shelby GT500
Aston Martin DB9 Sports Pack
Brooke 260 Double R
Mazda RX-8 PZ
Mercedes Benz ML63 AMG
Lexus GS 450h
Mercedes Benz E500
Bentley Continental GT Diamond Series
Audi A6 Allroad
Mazda CX-7
Peugeot 207
Mercedes Benz SL350
Features
BMW Z4 M Coupe
Mazda 6 MPS v Subaru Impreza STi
VW Polo GTi (v VW Golf GTi)
Renaultsport Clio 197
Fastfleet
We're ringing the changes on the long-term fleet this month, as we wave goodbye to the hardcore Lotus Exige and Megane Renaultsport 225 Trophy and say hello to a glorious Jaguar XK and an impressive new Lexus IS 250 SE. Meanwhile, in circuit news, Bovingdon has been chasing Cayman S laptimes in the Porsche 993 Carrera, the Audi RS4 has been to the 'Ring, and the Hyundai Coupe and BMW 130i have had a day out at Snetterton.
Project Westfield XI (Part V)
Essentials - What to take to Le Mans...
Birth Of An Icon
1987 - Ferrari F40
[EDIT]a more detailed synopsis from the website
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_52/car_portal_pic_26253.jpg
In this month's issue, Ferrari's 611bhp 599 GTB compared against its forbear and our previous 'Car of the decade', the Ferrari 550 Maranello. Plus Jethro Bovingon puts Lamborghini's LP640 through its paces and John Barker tests the Porsche 911 Turbo. On sale now.
016 Planet evo
Everyone wants to know what's going on at TVR; Planet evo has the answers. There's also an electric Ariel Atom (presumably an electron), an FXX-rivalling Maserati and entry-level cars from Lotus and Porsche. There are competitions galore this month, too. I'd enter them myself if I was allowed
042 Driven
Ford Shelby GT500, Aston Martin DB9 Sports Pack, Brooke 260 Double R, Mazda RX-8 PZ, Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Lexus GS 450h, Mercedes-Benz E500, Bentley Continental GT, Audi A6 Allroad, Mazda CX-7, Peugeot 207, Mercedes-Benz SL350
066 Letters
There's a picture of a 2CV in evomail this month, which is reason enough to turn straight there. Evidently if you're still reading this, though, you want more of an incentive, so how about a slightly tart Peter Dron, a standing and corrected Jeff Dan, and the true meaning of 'spanked up' finally explained. Ooh, and indeed, err
074 BMW M Coupe
Would you rather have an M Coupe or a Porsche? The new Beemer's certainly got the looks, and it's got the power too, but has it got the chassis? It's the sort of question that you could spend hours debating in the snug of the Red Lion over a pint or two of Olde Speckled Ocelot. John Barker did just that, but not before he'd rolled up his sleeves and set about using the M diff to full effect
082 Ferrari 599 GTB v 550 Maranello
With a supercar engine and lashings of F1 technology, the new Ferrari 599 GTB promises to be good. Very, very good. So what better car to judge it against than its forebear and our 'Car of the Decade', the Ferrari 550 Maranello? Richard 'I don't get out of bed for fewer than 400 horses' Meaden drives the sublime Maranello down to the town from which it took its name, and then has his little cotton socks blown away by the new car
098 Lamborghini LP640
Lamborghini has gone all tame since it was taken over by Audi, hasn't it? I mean, the new cars are more sanitised than most of our hospitals. Four-wheel drive? You can't have fun with that, can you? Well, yes actually. The LP640 is the return of the big bad Lambo. Jethro Bovingdon says Murci beaucoup, puts on his best oversteering cap and gets stuck in. By way of relaxation he then travels to Scotland to drive the scary Lambo of a decade ago, the SV
108 Porsche 911 Turbo
The Turbo has returned and it's got a host of new features. Variable vane geometry, clever electronics for the four-wheel drive, an overboost facility, little LED fins for the indicators - the list is almost endless. None of it crosses your mind, though, when you've got a very long, very straight strip of warm tarmac stretching out ahead of you. John Barker drives the new Turbo down that road, goes all gaga at a certain ex-world rally champion's skills, and then remembers smoking a very satisfying roll-up next to a 993 Turbo ten years earlier...
118 Subaru Impreza Spec D v Mazda 6 MPS
The Mazda 6 MPS impressed us when we first drove it a couple of months ago, so we decided to pit it against the new Impreza Spec D. Both have four-wheel drive, fruity exhaust notes and discreet appearances, but while neither will draw attention to themselves in the office car park, do they both make you want to take the long way there?
124 VW Polo GTI
It looks suspiciously like a Golf GTI, but does it go like a Golf GTI? I mean, Battenberg cake looks delicious but isn'treally very nice. On the other hand, Pavlova looks mouth-wateringly good and is, so you just never know. We go to the Peak District to discover whether the Polo is Battenberg or Pavlova
130 Renault Clio 197
As we go to press, the launch of the most eagerly awaited hot hatch is just days away. Luckily we've had a sneak preview of Renaultsport's latest prodigy. We talk to the men behind it, pore all over it and then ride in it. Finally we ponder what it is about little French cars that makes their television adverts so memorable
136 Long-term tests
All change, please! The Exige is off, as is the Mégane Trophy, but Peter Tomalin's got a new pussy cat and there's a Lexus with ribbons on the front and cans tied to the exhaust pipes. There's also a fantastic picture of the 993 sideways (easy car to slide, of course)
152 Westfield XI
It's been finished to the exacting standards of the evo team, but now it must pass the slightly more stringent examinations of the SVA board. Did the seats go in the right way round? Should the bonnet really have had that great big fin on one side of it? Was that left-over bag of nuts crucial after all? The team wait by the phone like nervous GCSE students to find out
156 Le Mans Essentials
If the Westfield passes its SVA test (see above) then it'll be off to Le Mans. If you're going too, you could do worse than have a look at this list of essential items to make your endurance weekend a success. Packing for all weathers and forgetting diet and hygiene are the general themes
159 Subscriptions
'This month's collectors' cover is the best one yet. Discuss.' If this question would flummox you in an exam then you need to turn to the subs page
162 The Knowledge
Did you know that one car appears twice in The Knowledge? See if you can ferret out which one it is while you wait for the 9.30 flight to Thailand
194 Birth of an Icon
The newly born 599 GTB Fiorano may be utterly brilliant, but it's got a way to go before it reaches the iconic status of the F40. Through the multilingual skills of Enzo Ferrari's personal secretary, we discover how the ultimate Ferrari came into being nearly 20 years ago
http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/2914/dsc00001copy2lp.jpg
Cover Story
Ferrari 599 GTB v 550 Maranello
Lamborghini LP640
Porsche 911 Turbo
Driven
Ford Shelby GT500
Aston Martin DB9 Sports Pack
Brooke 260 Double R
Mazda RX-8 PZ
Mercedes Benz ML63 AMG
Lexus GS 450h
Mercedes Benz E500
Bentley Continental GT Diamond Series
Audi A6 Allroad
Mazda CX-7
Peugeot 207
Mercedes Benz SL350
Features
BMW Z4 M Coupe
Mazda 6 MPS v Subaru Impreza STi
VW Polo GTi (v VW Golf GTi)
Renaultsport Clio 197
Fastfleet
We're ringing the changes on the long-term fleet this month, as we wave goodbye to the hardcore Lotus Exige and Megane Renaultsport 225 Trophy and say hello to a glorious Jaguar XK and an impressive new Lexus IS 250 SE. Meanwhile, in circuit news, Bovingdon has been chasing Cayman S laptimes in the Porsche 993 Carrera, the Audi RS4 has been to the 'Ring, and the Hyundai Coupe and BMW 130i have had a day out at Snetterton.
Project Westfield XI (Part V)
Essentials - What to take to Le Mans...
Birth Of An Icon
1987 - Ferrari F40
[EDIT]a more detailed synopsis from the website
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_52/car_portal_pic_26253.jpg
In this month's issue, Ferrari's 611bhp 599 GTB compared against its forbear and our previous 'Car of the decade', the Ferrari 550 Maranello. Plus Jethro Bovingon puts Lamborghini's LP640 through its paces and John Barker tests the Porsche 911 Turbo. On sale now.
016 Planet evo
Everyone wants to know what's going on at TVR; Planet evo has the answers. There's also an electric Ariel Atom (presumably an electron), an FXX-rivalling Maserati and entry-level cars from Lotus and Porsche. There are competitions galore this month, too. I'd enter them myself if I was allowed
042 Driven
Ford Shelby GT500, Aston Martin DB9 Sports Pack, Brooke 260 Double R, Mazda RX-8 PZ, Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Lexus GS 450h, Mercedes-Benz E500, Bentley Continental GT, Audi A6 Allroad, Mazda CX-7, Peugeot 207, Mercedes-Benz SL350
066 Letters
There's a picture of a 2CV in evomail this month, which is reason enough to turn straight there. Evidently if you're still reading this, though, you want more of an incentive, so how about a slightly tart Peter Dron, a standing and corrected Jeff Dan, and the true meaning of 'spanked up' finally explained. Ooh, and indeed, err
074 BMW M Coupe
Would you rather have an M Coupe or a Porsche? The new Beemer's certainly got the looks, and it's got the power too, but has it got the chassis? It's the sort of question that you could spend hours debating in the snug of the Red Lion over a pint or two of Olde Speckled Ocelot. John Barker did just that, but not before he'd rolled up his sleeves and set about using the M diff to full effect
082 Ferrari 599 GTB v 550 Maranello
With a supercar engine and lashings of F1 technology, the new Ferrari 599 GTB promises to be good. Very, very good. So what better car to judge it against than its forebear and our 'Car of the Decade', the Ferrari 550 Maranello? Richard 'I don't get out of bed for fewer than 400 horses' Meaden drives the sublime Maranello down to the town from which it took its name, and then has his little cotton socks blown away by the new car
098 Lamborghini LP640
Lamborghini has gone all tame since it was taken over by Audi, hasn't it? I mean, the new cars are more sanitised than most of our hospitals. Four-wheel drive? You can't have fun with that, can you? Well, yes actually. The LP640 is the return of the big bad Lambo. Jethro Bovingdon says Murci beaucoup, puts on his best oversteering cap and gets stuck in. By way of relaxation he then travels to Scotland to drive the scary Lambo of a decade ago, the SV
108 Porsche 911 Turbo
The Turbo has returned and it's got a host of new features. Variable vane geometry, clever electronics for the four-wheel drive, an overboost facility, little LED fins for the indicators - the list is almost endless. None of it crosses your mind, though, when you've got a very long, very straight strip of warm tarmac stretching out ahead of you. John Barker drives the new Turbo down that road, goes all gaga at a certain ex-world rally champion's skills, and then remembers smoking a very satisfying roll-up next to a 993 Turbo ten years earlier...
118 Subaru Impreza Spec D v Mazda 6 MPS
The Mazda 6 MPS impressed us when we first drove it a couple of months ago, so we decided to pit it against the new Impreza Spec D. Both have four-wheel drive, fruity exhaust notes and discreet appearances, but while neither will draw attention to themselves in the office car park, do they both make you want to take the long way there?
124 VW Polo GTI
It looks suspiciously like a Golf GTI, but does it go like a Golf GTI? I mean, Battenberg cake looks delicious but isn'treally very nice. On the other hand, Pavlova looks mouth-wateringly good and is, so you just never know. We go to the Peak District to discover whether the Polo is Battenberg or Pavlova
130 Renault Clio 197
As we go to press, the launch of the most eagerly awaited hot hatch is just days away. Luckily we've had a sneak preview of Renaultsport's latest prodigy. We talk to the men behind it, pore all over it and then ride in it. Finally we ponder what it is about little French cars that makes their television adverts so memorable
136 Long-term tests
All change, please! The Exige is off, as is the Mégane Trophy, but Peter Tomalin's got a new pussy cat and there's a Lexus with ribbons on the front and cans tied to the exhaust pipes. There's also a fantastic picture of the 993 sideways (easy car to slide, of course)
152 Westfield XI
It's been finished to the exacting standards of the evo team, but now it must pass the slightly more stringent examinations of the SVA board. Did the seats go in the right way round? Should the bonnet really have had that great big fin on one side of it? Was that left-over bag of nuts crucial after all? The team wait by the phone like nervous GCSE students to find out
156 Le Mans Essentials
If the Westfield passes its SVA test (see above) then it'll be off to Le Mans. If you're going too, you could do worse than have a look at this list of essential items to make your endurance weekend a success. Packing for all weathers and forgetting diet and hygiene are the general themes
159 Subscriptions
'This month's collectors' cover is the best one yet. Discuss.' If this question would flummox you in an exam then you need to turn to the subs page
162 The Knowledge
Did you know that one car appears twice in The Knowledge? See if you can ferret out which one it is while you wait for the 9.30 flight to Thailand
194 Birth of an Icon
The newly born 599 GTB Fiorano may be utterly brilliant, but it's got a way to go before it reaches the iconic status of the F40. Through the multilingual skills of Enzo Ferrari's personal secretary, we discover how the ultimate Ferrari came into being nearly 20 years ago