The 2013 Jaguar F-Type

“Ferrari.” It’s not just a word to be spoken, it’s a legacy to be sung, with an upswing at the end, preferably with at least a hint of an Italian accent. It’s a whole lot more than a car, it’s a way of life, connoting all things cool. So what’s with the FF? I’m sure that there are many who have made up two F-word combinations but, officially, it means “Ferrari Four”, as in a four-seater with four-wheel-drive.

The 2013 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

Emails. Some can make, others can break your day. They can arrive to announce your long-lost relative in a distant land and, occasionally, there’s even some truth to it. Others offer you the best copier toner/printer ink/everlasting love that you’ve ever had. Most are mundane but, occasionally, they excite the senses.

There must be over 20 current models of BM Ws, what with the 1s, 3s, 5s, 6s and 7s, all the X-variants, the SUV types and the M-model hot rods, not to mention the Alpina B7, the mother of all Big Bimmers. Into this assemblage gracefully slides BM W’s newest body style, the Gran Coupe (note the lack of the “D” and the absence of an accent mark). While others (like Mercedes-Benz and Audi) have had a sleek touring version of their four-door sedans for a while, BM W just joined the svelte party but, to the eye of many, it was worth the wait.

Bentley and Rolls-Royce were intimately intertwined for over 70 years — since 1931 co-ownership forced by the Great Depression — until they parted company in a complicated Volkswagen-BMW deal early in this millennium (VW now owns Bentley and BMW runs Rolls). So what tack did VW take? The first Bentley GTs, which returned Bentley to its roots as the “silent sports car” and built on Bentley’s amazing racing legacy, started out quick and have gotten quicker, with available fittings like carbon-ceramic brakes and 12-cylinder engines.

R8? Undoubtedly a ground-breaking and game-changing car when it was introduced in 2006. Mid-engine V-8, great looking, plenty of power (in the low 400s), terrific handling – what more could you want? “More horses”, said some, to which Audi replied with a powerplant provided by its Italian cousin, Lamborghini, a V-10 with 525 prancers. “Almost […]

The recipe is simple in the telling— start with a 7 series BMW and then change most of it (well over 80%, by some calculations). Alpina may seem to some to be a “tuner” but actually they’re a car manufacturer. In the case of the B7, they receive from BMW a basic but uncompleted 7 series and then change the engine, transmission, brakes, interior and so much more to produce a firebreathing sedan.

Somehow, it seems fitting that this post is about the recreation of historic Bugatti’s, given that my first share was about the incredible Bugatti Veyron. The Veyron, arguably the most sophisticated and rapid supercar on the planet, has deep roots.