Showing blog posts for September 2010

Aston Martin DBS

The car of choice for James Bond, the DBS has it all. Speed, comfort and great looks, combine with the amazing scenery to make this our number 1 wallpaper.

Ferrari Enzo

A beast of a car and named after the founder of Ferrari, production of the Enzo was limited to 399 customer cars. If you’re fortunate enough to spot one, make sure you take a picture – although you may struggle to top the one below.

Lamborghini Murcielago

Released originally in 2001, the Murcielago is capable of 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds. The noise produced by this car is a joy to behold and the wallpaper below shows the angles of the body work beautifully.

Audi R8

Despite amazingly good looks and Audi’s classic great handling, the R8 is relatively cheap in comparison with other cars pitched at the same market. Its not slow either coming in at 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds.

Porsche 911

This list wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the Porsche 911. With lines that have barely changed since its inception in the 1960s, the 911 still has a massive following of devoted fans and you can see why with looks like this.

Alfa Romeo 8C

If it's rarity you're after then the Alfa Romeo 8C is the car for you. Great looks, huge performance and Alfa Romeo heritage...what more could you want in a supercar?

Shelby GT500

A variant of the Ford Mustang, the GT500 is pure muscle and power. With a sound that can be heard above most other cars and looks to die for it had to be on our list. We love it in blue.

Dodge Challenger SRT8

Similar to the GT500, the Challenger is known for its muscle and power, as well as a fantastic engine noise. Another fine example of a great US muscle car and used in countless American movies.

Range Rover

It does have its critics, but the Range Rover can’t be faulted for its looks judging by this wallpaper that we found. More popular nowadays as a cruiser rather than an off-road vehicle, it still a leader off-road.

Bugatti Veyron

Billed as one of the fastest road cars in the world, the Veyron can reach speeds of around 250mph – although you’ll struggle to find a road long enough to reach that speed and have time to brake again!

Let us know if you agree or if there are other classic Top Gear moments that just have to be in the top 5. Drop us a comment below and tell us what you think.

Robin Reliant Rocket

By far, one of the most ambitious stunts the Top Gear team took on was to make a rocket out of a Robin Reliant. So much so that Jeremy didn’t even take part, it was left to May and Hammond to work with a team of rocket scientists to put the plan into action.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go to plan for Hammond and May. The booster rockets failed to detach from the Robin Reliant which meant that it was near impossible to safely land it back on the ground. Instead of a calm, controlled landing, the Robin Reliant Rocket crashed into the earth with a rather large bang.

Hamster's Return after the Crash

In his return, Clarkson and May gave the usual stick about Hammond being a crap driver, however you sensed the genuine friendship and bond between them when the video of the accident was being shown. The boys and the crowd remained silent as the enormity of the crash sunk in.

American Road Trip – The Painted Cars

This moment was part of an episode which followed the Top Gear team across America where they’d been set the challenge to prove that you could get across America in a second hand car you’ve bought, as opposed to hiring a car. The guys were set challenges along the way, one of which was to paint each others cars in such a way as to draw the most attention possible in the state of Alabama.

They’d be awarded points for getting each other shot or killed. As always the boys were creative, but it was agreed that out of the three of them, Hammond got the worst deal.

The slogans on Clarkson’s car read “Country and Western sucks”, whilst May’s car had been decorated with “Hillary for President.” Suffice to say, they drew a lot of attention to themselves as they drove across the state of Alabama. However the big moment came when the team pulled into a gas station, the owner didn’t take kindly to the slogans. So much so that they team got chased off along with the camera crew who were pelted with stones!

Video - http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/road-trip-usa

Crossing the Channel in a Toyota

The Top Gear team have had a previous challenge involving turning a car into boat, on that occasion they had to sail their cars across a 2 mile lake. This time however, they were challenged to cross the channel!

May and Hammond’s attempts failed miserably and it was left to Clarkson and his Toyota pick up truck to sail the team across to France.

Trying to Destroy the Toyota Hilux

Up until this point, the Hilux had been battered by a demolishing ball, put into the sea and set fire to.

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfZDtC9kjVk

Amazingly, the Toyota survived!

So what do you guys think? Do you agree with our top 5 or are there other classic Top Gear moments that you think should be on this list? Let us know in the comments what you think.

Image credits
http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2009/05/12/top-10-top-gear-moments-of-all-time/
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/33595.html
http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/top_gear_toyota_hilux.jpg

As darkness rolled in, the contrast between the backdrop of skyscrapers and the 1980s icon became more and more apparent and it was obvious why Dean had chosen this as the perfect location for a night shoot. We watched on as the minutes and then hours ticked by. The process was a slow and careful one, to get the perfect shot takes way more time and effort than I had realised. After re-positioning the Testarossa numerous times, which, incidentally seemed way more manoeuvrable than modern day supercars, three hours after we started, we were done and the results, well they speak for themselves:

We are going to be following Dean over the coming months to give you an insight into automotive photography, so if you like these pictures and are keen to find out more about how to get the perfect shot then please keep checking in to the blog. For more of Dean’s work, please visit www.deanphoto.co.uk.

Well, if that wasn't enough and he left you salivating, wanting to know more, then you've come to the right place! We have a video of that very road filmed from onboard a BMW M3. We hope this completes the picture and shows exactly how good this twisty section of British tarmac really is and how breathtaking the landscape in this area of the country is.

If you have any videos of great driving roads in the UK please email us and we'll post them to the blog.

I’m in the former camp; I adore it. Ever since I first clapped eyes on one back in 2009, I wanted to drive it, so when Kia told me that I could, I was tremendously excited. But as the days wound on and it came closer to the car arriving, I became rather nervous. There’s a phrase; ‘never meet your heroes,’ and I was concerned it might apply in the case of the Soul. Thankfully, though, it didn’t.

As it rolled up outside, with a dragon tattoo, black wheels, and red details, I remembered why I liked it so much, and when I climbed inside to see a bright red dash, transparent gear knob and strobing neon speaker surrounds, I liked it even more.

The Soul’s tall, angular, aggressively styled body makes interior space frankly rather excellent. Head and legroom are great both front and rear, and the boot is capacious, especially with it’s clever under-floor storage. The audio system is absolutely brilliant. Seven speakers and a subwoofer make for crisp music with tremendous bass. I couldn’t tell if people were looking at me because of the noise or the crazy styling, but I didn’t mind. Sometimes it’s nice to be noticed.

On the road, the Soul is competent but unexciting. Steering and gear changes are extremely easy at the expense of being involving. The suspension was set up specifically for UK roads, and it shows. Lumps, bumps and potholes are absorbed with aplomb, but without creating a wallowing blancmange style mess through the bends. The Soul feels safe and pleasant on all sorts of roads.

The 1.6 diesel is fairly refined at lower revs, but slightly coarse higher up. Torque is ample low down though, so on the go, the Soul is generally refined and pleasant.

As I waved the car off at the end of the loan, I had to turn and have a second look as it left. I really, really liked it. So much so, that I’d consider buying one if I had the money.

The Soul is inexpensive, competent, distinctive, and with a 7-year warranty, probably very reliable. I can’t recommend it enough.

After a shaky marriage with America’s Ford Motor Corp, Aston Martin has successfully returned to form under the stewardship of Prodrive’s David Richards and more importantly, committed funds from Kuwaiti investment companies.

The Gaydon HQ is an impressive site; with its security guards, modern architecture, water features and contemporary art, you would be forgiven for thinking you were arriving at a Bond Villain’s lair. V12 Vantages and DBS are strewn throughout the car park and our group is greeted by Mark Gauntlett a senior executive of Aston Martin who harks back to the old school of the company’s glory days. We discover his father was once the chairman and as he begins his tour we realise he has lived and breathed the firm’s heritage all his life. There is so much to see and take in and Gauntlett has every detail memorised; as my mind wanders I stare longingly at a DBS rolling off the production line, I am half expecting to hear “pay attention 007!”

The factory is unusually quiet with no heavy-duty welding on site; the cars’ components are assembled and thoroughly stress-tested by countless engineers on the floor. I am amazed to see how manual the process is, but despite some critics’ reservations around Astons’ build quality of old, it is reassuring that the company is able to retain a traditional artisan element in the manufacture of these beautiful cars. A new Porsche, in contrast, is very much order-form driven whereas an Aston is a unique project from start to finish, with details such as body-work colours added from bespoke samples chosen by the buyer.

Test-driving follows the factory tour and I am given the chance to stretch the legs of a fully spec’ed DB9 Volante, followed by the gorgeously muscular DBS coupe. Having driven up from London to Gaydon in a F355 GTS I have low expectations as to how much driver-feedback I will receive through the cockpit of the modern DB versus the analogue ‘90s Ferrari. How wrong I am. The big Aston has plenty to give and with the roof down and with the sun pouring into the stunning hand-built fuselage, I begin to get the joke (I also remember how good the car looked when Vincent Chase and his pals were cruising through the Hollywood Hills in Entourage!). The DB9 doesn’t try and be something other than itself, it exudes pure class – it doesn’t drive you, it wafts you, and in some style. Having witnessed the individual seamstresses just moments ago threading each leather panel to each seat component, I begin to really appreciate what the Aston signature wings are all about: exclusivity and desirability.

These two qualities are delivered in spades in the DBS. Collecting a brand new DBS from Gaydon must be up there, I would imagine, with one of the most memorable supercar-owner experiences. It’s hard to take your eyes off this car because from every angle it makes you want to re-mortgage your house, hit the gym, buy the car (and a tuxedo), drive to Monaco and put whatever is left “on black”. For starters, you sit lower than in the DB9 and the ride is tighter, the exhaust note thunderous and the interior detailing is more “secret agent” than “desperate house-wife”. The car pulls from very low revs, thanks to its V12 power plant which produces a mighty 510 bhp and 570 Nm of torque – this makes overtaking on Warwickshire’s single-lane A-roads an absolute doddle, especially when matched to the smooth-as-silk automatic, paddle-operated transmission on my test-car. When cruising, the DBS is as refined as its older sibling – the DB9 – yet a quick dab on the left paddle, sink your right foot into the well and the signature Aston howl fills your eardrums and deafens whichever poor soul is trying to keep up.

We wrap up the day with a design brief from the visual architects behind the staggeringly impressive One-77, and more controversially, the new Aston Martin Cygnet. The Cygnet represents Aston’s first stab at a mainstream, city car. The car is the result of impending EU legislation around emission averages across a manufacturer’s total product range. By introducing a Smart-esque car, and selling it in large numbers, it is likely to make a decent dent in their emissions output. The prototype in front of us at Gaydon proves to be quite a divisive talking point. Two members of our group, who are proud owners of the V12 Vantage and the DBS, are a little suspicious of the brand dilution that could be the product of too many Cygnets flooding the market. However this Cygnet, which is by no means an ugly-duckling, has a fairly prohibitive price tag of £28k. I still feel that the car will sell, as it looks like a piece of jewellery on wheels and will be too much for the WAGs and teenage oil heiresses to resist.

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