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...

Ticking the Boxes

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.

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.

“Would you like a TURBO

with your sushi?”

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.

The MX-5 Gets An ASBO

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.

FastestBentleyEVER!!!

Bentley have sold many Continental models over the years. The

luxury coupe is often snapped up by footballers, celebrities or

just people with a little too much money. Despite the company

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.

SOLD OUT

If it were possible to manufacture insanity

and put it in car form it would quite likely

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

“Still elegant”“Future Classic”

“The gearbox never bloody worked but we still loved it!” “Power,

Beauty, and Soul...”

“Always a sense of occasion”

Beating The Germans At Their Own Game!

When buying a performance orientated executive

saloon the Germans pretty much have it covered.

Mercedes offers up the C63 AMG, Audi the RS4,

and BMW has their mighty M3. To be honest

between those machines there is everything you

could ever ask for in such a car, and so for another

player to pull up a chair at this table would be a

tough fight indeed. But here we are, and the

challenger comes from Volvo.

That is not a typo! You read it correctly… Volvo.

Their new S60 has found its way to Polestar who

have paired with Volvo to produce the S60 Polestar

Concept. Not only does it look subtly menacing, but

under the bonnet is a huge turbocharger that gives

this machine an incredible 508BHP. 424lb-ft of

torque helps this S60 get from standing to 62MPH

in as little as 3.9 seconds. Top speed? That would

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

would be coming… These days it is inevitable

that some form of roofless wonder in created

for each model with a fixed roof, but even more

so in this case when the competition has

already done so. The rivalry between Ferrari

and McLaren has burnt ferociously on the race

track for decades, with the introduction of the

MP4-12C a few years back, that battle came to

the road. Ferrari’s latest 458 Spider now has

some company.

This is the McLaren 12C Spider and the British

company are adamant that cutting off its head

has not had any detrimental effects. Powered

by the same 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 as the

coupe, power output is identical standing at

616BHP. 0-62MPH for the Spider is also exactly

the same as the coupe’s 3.1 seconds sprint.

The only change in performance figures comes

when comparing the two from 0-124MPH. The

Spider is 0.2 seconds slower to the mark, but

let’s not pretend that such a fractional amount

matters. The new car can complete its

transformation in 17 seconds via a metal

folding roof that is stowed behind the rear

seats.

Orders are being taken now for the 12C Spider

at a cost of £195,000. Deliveries are expected

to begin this November.

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

sells vast quantities of. These models are very

important for the health of the business and so

when it comes to redesigning them, a great deal

of care is taken. Renault’s little Clio is a brilliant

hatchback offering well priced practicality and a

reasonable level of driver involvement. Today

Renault has spilt the beans on their next

generation car.

This is the 4th car to take the Clio name and the

French claim that this incarnation offers even

higher levels of quality and refinement. That may

be so, but look at it! It really is an ugly machine.

Did nobody attempt to curb the designers

enthusiasm for obscure and repulsive design

features? That aside, if you can remove the

hideous imagery from your mind, the new car is

more spacious than the one it replaces and

inside appears to have a more premium

architecture. The new Clio must compete with

Peugeot’s 208 and so pricing will be a crucial

element of this cars success or failure. Entry

level for this Clio will be a 0.9 litre turbocharged

motor.

Expect to shield your eyes from the all-new Clio

when it hits the road in early 2013.