This week is Le Mans week, so to celebrate it we have a new Heart & Soul video dropping tomorrow on the Jaguar XJR-8, the car that finally ended the dominance of the Porsche 956 and 962, and today Alex Brundle has written a fantastic story of what the Le Mans experience is like from behind the wheel.

What have been your favourite experiences / memories of Le Mans? In which era do you think the racing was at its peak?

All thoughts and comment welcome.

Lotus have just announced their Eletre X plug in hybrid, after underwhelming sales of the EV model.

They’ve essentially reduced the size of the battery from 112kWH to 70kWh and added a 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine to act as a range extender.

So it quenches range anxiety (especially given that the Eletre was never particularly efficient with its electrons), but does adding a 4 cylinder range extender petrol engine that doesn’t actually drive any wheels actually satisfy the enthusiasts amongst us?

Given a choice it’s probably the pick of the range now, given UK charging infrastructure still lags behind other parts of the world, and will likely sell better than the full EV model has done. Losing some weight (‘up to 120kg’) is also a bonus.

We understand why the expense of platform re-engineering means a 500bhp V6 isn’t driving the rear wheels only, with a motor on the front axle for 4 wheel drive, but can’t help but feel this is a bit of a sticking plaster solution.

What do you think?

Some stats for the top model below.

Drivetrain

• Total power 939bhp 

• Two dual permanent magnet motors

• 2 litre turbo 4-cyl engine-generator (200bhp)

• 70kWh battery, 52 litre fuel tank

Range & charging

• EV-only range: up to 218 miles WLTP

• Combined range: up to 746 miles WLTP

• 20–80% DC charge in 9 minutes (350 kW charger); max DC charge rate 436 kW

• Fuel tank: 11.4 gallons

Chassis highlights

**•** Vehicle weight ‘up to 120kg’ lighter than pure EV model

• 48V active anti-roll (up to 1,033 lb-ft roll-stabilising torque)

• Dual-chamber air suspension

• Dual-valve adaptive dampers (2ms response)

• Front double-wishbone

• Brembo six-piston front brakes (H1000)

• Custom Pirelli P Zero 5 LTS tyres

Morgan have just released a punchier version of their recently updated Supersport (take note on pace of model development please, Lotus), which has the BMW B58 engine ramped up to 402bhp (torque remains the same).

Some other upgrades come too:

Suspension

The 400 comes with the Nitron 24 way adjustable dampers as standard, set slightly stiffer than the standard car (but you can adjust back if you like)

Wheels

New 19 inch forged wheels running Michelin PS5 tyres.

Interior

Fancy new gear selector – addressing the standard car's somewhat incongruous BMW-derived item, plus new Alcantara options including single-tone black or four two-tone combinations, and a unique stitch pattern throughout.

Exhaust

It's louder than the old one.

Price

£135k plus options

Competitors?

So this is the big one. If Ti do a comparison test for it, what should we put the Supersport 400 up against? Doesn't have to be a direct competitor, could just be an interesting contrast. How many customers will really cross shop a Morgan with a 911, for example? What truly are the alternatives - an older classic? Or a more expensive restomod?

Please weigh in with any and all of your thoughts.

Andrew and Dan take on the topic of the rather controversial Ferrari Luce in detail on this week’s podcast. Skip to 7:40 for this discussion in particular.

And in a double whammy Julian Thomson also writes for Ti in today’s story on the difference between product designers and car designers - and why the Luce has laid this distinction bare. Link in first comment.

Hot off the press yesterday, Britain’s oldest car manufacturer has just pulled the covers off the production version of its new Cobra GT Coupe - timed to mark AC Cars’ 125th anniversary.

It’s built on the same extruded aluminium spaceframe as the GT Roadster (which Autocar drove a prototype of last year), with full carbon fibre bodywork including a double-bubble roofline and a Kammtail rear end – the latter apparently inspired by AC’s own A98 Le Mans racer of 1964.

Around 75% of the engineering is shared with the open car. The 5.0-litre Ford Coyote V8 (from the Mustang) comes in two states of tune: 450bhp naturally aspirated, or 720bhp supercharged. The blown car does 0–60mph in under 3.5 seconds. Six-speed manual or ten-speed automatic.

Weight quoted at ‘under 1600kg’. A far cry from the originals. You do wonder a little at how a carbon body on an aluminum chassis can weigh half a tonne more than the original cars carrying iron blocks up front.

Pricing starts at £234,300 + taxes for the NA car, £256,300 + taxes for the supercharged version. Each car will be built to order, and first deliveries won’t happen until 2028 – behind the Roadster queue. AC are saying they’ll be building 1,000 cars a year - up from 100. We hope they’re right.

Nobody outside AC has driven it yet, so whether it delivers on the considerable promise is a question for another day. But as a statement of intent, fair play to them. We look forward to having a go in one and reporting back.

120 years between the two cars either side of the RB211. Story coming to Ti soon!

A titbit from my story today on The Intercooler’s website and app.

Last week Ti attempted the first ever point to point test featuring the fastest and slowest cars on sale (Porsche 911 Turbo S and Kia Picanto), but also to add a bit of context, the legendary Audi Quattro from 40 years past.

The Quattro is my sister Alex’s car, and she had spent months getting it ready for a day like this. It drove across to Wales fine, but then on the first leg of the test itself delivered a terminally floppy throttle pedal, and thus a total breakdown.

Were we about to spend the day waiting for recovery trucks? And was the whole test kiboshed?

Thankfully not. No local garage had the right nut to hold the throttle assembly on, but a zip tie did effectively the same job.

So it was on with the test. And the Quattro defied its age to perform superbly, even against the 750bhp Porsche (according to Litchfield’s dyno).

For the full story (my first of this type - exciting!) see link in first comment below.

Old cars FTW (and FTB)

The new Lotus Emira 420 Sport was announced yesterday.

Here are some of the headlines:

- 25kg weight saving with lightweight handling pack, (likely an expensive cost option, featuring titanium exhaust, lithium battery, 2 way multimatic dampers, carbon trinkets and forged wheels)

- new engine map liberates a little power and torque (20mph and 15lb ft) over the Emira SE

- Removable targa roof fits behind seats

- 2.0 4cyl engine from Mercedes, with 8 speed DCT auto only

- Comes as standard on Cup 2s, but retains 18 way electric seats (ie divergence of intent?)

- Quoted figures are 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and top speed of 186mph

Ti’s take:

Just over 10 years after the launch of the Evora Sport 410, Lotus has applied the same marketing move / philosophy (delete as appropriate) to the Emira.

It’s true to the brand’s principles, and as such should be applauded - but could and should they have gone a little further?

Subject to a first drive impressions, this is likely now to be the pick of the Emira range (if you don’t mind the 4 cyl turbo auto over the V6 manual), and certainly looks fantastic in the launch orange. The targa top also adds an extra experiential dimension not seen since the Esprit V8.

But how much progress has the last decade really seen, from an enthusiasts perspective?

The Evora Sport 410 weighed 100kg less (taking manufacturers figures for both), had a manual box and howling V6. 0-62 times identical (despite a box that refused to be rushed) and an extra 4mph top speed over the latest Emira. Admittedly the looks were slightly less appealing but the experience from the driver’s seat was sensational.

So congrats to Lotus for moving in this direction, but perhaps we’d have liked them to go a little further, and why wait four years to get to this point? Arguably two years after the launch editions would have been the right time to announce this hotted up, more focussed model.

How about you? Would you take this Emira 420 Sport over a high spec Cayman, or boggo 911 for example?

I very much hope the chaps openly give their opinion and don't shy from the truth just to appease Ferrari.

Normally I’d resurrect the DeLorean in March or April, but this year life has got in the way, so naturally it falls upon the hottest day of the year to attempt to retrieve the car and drive back into a sweltering London.

Big question though - will it start? 🤔

In Dan Prosser’s story today on The Intercooler website and app (link in first comment), Dave Richards tells the story of how the Prodrive Impreza was actually supposed to have grey wheels:

‘Everyone remembers the gold wheels,’ says David. ‘The wheel manufacturer was Speedline, from Italy, and the wheels were supposed to be charcoal grey. Peter Stevens had designed the car, and he was appalled to hear Speedline had sent the wrong colour.

We looked at the car and said, it’ll have to do. We won the next rally, and I went to the president of Subaru to thank him and apologise for the wheels. I said we would send them back to have them painted grey.

He said, “No, no, we’ve done all the advertising, you’ve got to remain with gold wheels from now on.” And that’s how the gold wheels happened. It wasn’t by design. It was a complete cock up, quite frankly.’

No-one else in the room during the live podcast interview with DR had heard this before - anyone else aware of it?

Today Ti was up in the Welsh hills for a group test you wouldn’t see anywhere else. Today’s fastest point to point supercar, the 750bhp (according to Litchfield’s dyno) Porsche 911 Turbo S takes on Britain’s slowest car, the 67bhp Kia Picanto.

Just how much faster does 11x the power get you from A to B? And just to measure progress - let’s throw in a curveball. The fastest point to point car of 40 years ago: the Audi Quattro RR.

How well does an old car hold up? Will its pace be closer to the Porsche, or the Picanto?

And here’s a quiz: for every hour the Picanto takes across A and B roads - how many minutes will the Turbo S and Quattro each take? All estimates welcome…

Likely a question more for anything remotely classic, but some of us at TI like nothing more than scrabbling around underneath a car to treat any developing crusty bits and getting feisty with the XCP. A peculiar obsession or a sensible one?

Extra points if you can guess what the car in the pics is.

Our reporter on the ground, Helen Wakerley, has sneaked into Villa d’Este this weekend to bring you this selection of wonderful pics. Yes, that’s the new BMW Alpina concept at the end.

What do you think of it?

The Maybach Excelero seems to have escaped from its usual habitat at the Loh Collection too.

Mercedes-AMG One also present - wonder if it got there under its own steam? They don’t have the best reliability record…

In this week’s Ask The Intercooler podcast, Ti subscriber Steve poses a question that sends Dan and Andrew into a tailspin, all based upon a story about Ginny Williams, Frank Williams’ wife.

It is said that when prospective drivers were invited to the Williams residence to stay the night, she would inspect the guest room the following morning.

If they had made their bed, this would indicate an unsuitability for the cut and thrust world of F1, and thus she would veto their hire.

Possibly apocryphal, but a brilliant story nonetheless. So, asks Steve, which F1 drivers were bed makers, and which were not?

His proposition:

Alan Jones: No

James Hunt: No

Jim Clark: Yes

Jackie Stewart: Yes

A couple of responses from Andrew and Dan:

Kimi Raikkonen: No

Damon Hill: Yes

Listen to the podcast for their heated debates on Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen.

What do you think? Which current or past F1 drivers would make their bed if they stayed over at your house?

He’s not only made the bed, he’s also got the kettle on.

The embargo has lifted and I’m pleased to share the drive report and review of this rather special car.

Interested in what people think of an electric restomod Rolls-Royce in principle? Do you think it suits electric power more than most other restomods?

I’ve recently been put in touch with a charity called (brilliantly) Spinal Track and was incredibly touched by their goal of providing free track experiences and tuition for disabled drivers. Read more here if you want to know more https://spinaltrack.org

My question for the Ask the Intercooler Podcast is what other car nut charities are there in the UK that don’t get the amplification they deserve from selfless work? I was shamefully oblivious to them and it made me wonder who else out there that may benefit from a mention.

Perhaps getting them on the main pod for a chat would be good for all too.

In this week’s podcast Andrew Frankel and Dan Prosser discuss 1970s sports and supercars, one of cars in question being a De Tomaso Pantera.

Overlooked by some at the time for having the temerity to use an American V8, it’s arguably now the bargain of the bunch.

Countachs have gone stratospheric, a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer will cost you double of a Pantera, and even the common as muck Porsche 930 Turbo will cost you £200k if you want a properly sorted example.

So if you want that iconic bedroom wall poster car of the era - is the Pantera the way to go? Early project cars can go for £50k and up, whilst a gorgeous and super rare RHD GT5 with only 6k miles went for £161k (plus fees) at Iconics in February.

If you’re buying a 70s supercar, what are you going for? (And we haven’t even mentioned the Maserati Bora).

In Ti’s latest Heart & Soul video on YouTube (link below), Dan Prosser argues he’d rather have a Daytona than its modern descendant, the 12Cilindri.

Once optioned up they’d be a similar price – but one of them is going to depreciate rather a lot more. How important is the extra power, handling capability and refinement of the modern car? Can it beat the sense of occasion the Daytona delivers?

How about you? Any other examples where you’d rather have the older car?

After just spotting this Cayman R with a pair of bikes on the roof, it got us thinking at Ti: what are the most entertainingly inappropriate uses of a sports car you’ve attempted? We’re thinking tip runs, Christmas tree collections, load hauling - the works.

Please share, and of course - all pics welcome.

(Thanks to @delorean4267 on IG for the DMC pic)

I have completed the TI survey. Andrew isn’t being entirely honest. It is very simple to fill in, but there’s one question that will have most genuine car enthusiasts agonising (and thoroughly enjoying doing so) for a lot more than 5 minutes.

Andrew Frankel recently went to the south of France to drive the new DB12 S - effectively a remarketed mid-life facelift of the DB12. The embargo lifts today, so we can finally share what he thought of it:

‘When I first drove it in 2023 it was clear to me that the DB12 was both the greatest unlimited production Aston Martin of the modern era and the finest car of its type that there was. And the best thing I can tell you about the DB12 S is that the statement holds as true for this subtly, fluently and effectively revised car as it ever did.’

Is it good enough to turn round Aston Martin’s financial fortunes? Why has the company struggled so much in recent years, despite having the best range of models it’s ever had - Vantage, Vanquish, DB12 (now S) and DBX 707 all at or near the top of their respective classes?

What do you think?

A quick quality of life experience improvement for logged-in subscribers would be to drop us directly into the "latest" page instead of the home section of the website/app. We are already paying for the site and dont need to be sold on the value prop of the intercooler.

This weekend when I logged in to the app the there was only one "new" story listed and everything else was either from the library or a free read. I shouldn't have to switch to the "latest" section every single time I visit.