Spring is, we hope, in the process of springing, and that means that at last the Nurburgring’s able to get back in action and generate some much-needed cash. As a result, there’s been plenty to read about on PH, so throw open the windows, let some of that fresh, wholesome air in, and settle down to read our round-up of what’s been occurring on the site this week.
Cry hurrah, because at last the ‘ring has reopened! As a result, a whole host of manufacturers got out and about, prompting a plethora of disguised performance cars to be papped. Arguably the most exciting of these was the BMW M3, spotted out testing with a brace of other
future models
to boot. BMW didn’t have the place to themselves, though, with
all manner of other prototypes
out on the Nordschleife, not least of which our first glimpse of Subaru’s next
WRX STI
. They had to wait their turn, mind, because last weekend saw the first round of
the VLN
take place, at the same time as the first round of
the WEC
over in Silverstone – plenty of reason, then, for another quick study of our
GT racing guide
, which also went up this week.
With the world’s carmakers gearing up for next week’s Shanghai motor show, we’ve had news of two more new cars that’ll make their debut there. Perhaps the most eye-watering of these was the
Lamborghini Aventador LP720-4 50 Anniversario
, with a mad Vader-esque aero kit that does nothing for its looks but improves its aerodynamics. There’ll be plenty more sanity involved in the
Mercedes Concept GLA
, which will also make its debut and will preview next year’s production GLA. For a full run-down of what’s shaking in Shanghai, though, your best bet is to have a look at our
preview
Possibly the biggest new car news this week, and
long-awaited
, was our first road test of Jaguar’s
F-Type
. And afterwards, our correspondent Dan Prosser
contemplated
whether the top-spec V8 S was in fact the one to go for, concluding that in fact, it might not be. The F-Type test somewhat overshadowed our look at Audi’s
new S3
, though Chris Harris’s re-assessment of the glorious
Pagani Zonda S
15 years on didn’t suffer the same fate!
Who doesn’t love a classic? We’ve had our fair share of them on the site this week, mainly wearing the prancing horse. The news of
RM’s sale
of a selection of drool-worthy exotica prompted not
one
two
utterly splendid videos of some beautiful examples of the breed in action. Mind you, if you can’t quite stretch to one of those, how’s about a cut-price Italian stallion? The Fiat Strada is, of course, what we’re talking about, and our
Ad Break
prompted plenty of nostalgia in that regard. And if you fancy getting hold of a surefire future classic instead, the news that Honda’s opened its order books for the
new NSX
sent us delving into the classifieds to find a tidy example of the original. Or how about a
modern M3
to stash away? Again, we presented a slightly cheaper option... ahem... in the shape of the
BMW 318i
we picked as this week's Shed.
Sports car racing wasn’t the only motorsport going on last weekend –
Rally Portugal
was filling the Algarve with the sound of engines, and another convincing win for Sebastien Ogier put him in a prime spot in the championship. Closer to home, though, we were pleased to hear the news that Mission Motorsport’s about to dive into
the mucky stuff
too, with PHer Jim Cameron and co-driver Sgt Nathan Cumberland planning to take a Group N Sierra Cossie rallying. Meanwhile, if you’re wondering where Seb Loeb’s got to, the answer’s... well... all over the place, actually, after this week’s news that he’ll be adding to his GT racing exploits by driving Peugeot’s
208 T16
What have we had to say for ourselves this week? Well, first up, Dan’s blogged on the subject of
vehicular cleanliness
, or indeed, lack of it, and which is the best approach to take. Scrof, meanwhile, told us all about his recent purchase of a
Citroen BX GTI 16V
, which he’s hoping will be a whole heap of fun. When it eventually starts, that is. He’s also been busy taking the PH
Megane
out at Brands, about which he came back raving.
- We drive the BMW M6 Gran Turismo
- Our new long-termer arrives
- Monkey celebrates two years of Drive
- The Audi S3 and Golf R get the Blood Brothers treatment