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Blackball Media Haslar Marine Technology Park Haslar Road, Gosport PO12 2AG EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Mike Brewer mike@mikebrewermotoring.com @mikebrewer Editor-in-chief’s chief assistant James Baggott james@blackballmedia.co.uk @CarDealerEd Head of design Graeme Windell graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk @graemewindell CONTRIBUTORS Jack Evans, Felicity Bestwick, John Bowman, Dave Brown, Rebecca Chaplin, Craig Cheetham, Jess Ernerth, Jack Healy, Ryan Hirons, Jon Reay, Ted Welford, Adam Weller, Tom Wiltshire, Oliver Young ADVERTISING SALES Catherine Rowe – 01233 228750 tandemmedia.co.uk PRINT & PRODUCTION Kelsey Media kelsey.co.uk
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f it’s got an engine, four wheels and the merest hint of some character, I’m sold. While I love a good old hot hatch, a classic British sports car or some American muscle, there’s nothing quite like the allure of a supercar to really get my pulse racing. Just take a look at them – all big wings, loud paint jobs, shouty exhausts and enough power to rearrange your eyeballs in your head. What’s not to love? In this special bookazine I’ve taken a close look at the very special motors that are often reserved for the rich and famous. And fortunately, in the name of good investigative journalism, I’ve managed to hitch a ride in some of the most amazing models on sale today. I blagged my way into the driver’s seats of the Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster, the strangely named Ferrari 812 Superfast and McLaren’s new ultra super-lightweight track weapon, the 600LT Spider. But that’s not all. I’ve recalled a very special test drive I once had in Jaguar’s unsold C-X75 supercar. You may recognise that monster from the Bond film Spectre, and will probably know it was killed off before the clever chaps from Coventry ever got the chance to build a production model, but I was lucky enough to get a go on a closed test track. Elsewhere, I list my top 10 supercars of all time, reveal which ones you should avoid, and give you my top tips on buying, selling and looking after your supercar. My favourite section to put together, though, was the cars of the decades. I’ve picked my favourite supercars from the Sixties through to the Noughties. I’ve also taken my beady eye to some iconic supercars and pored over the details of the supercars that changed the world forever. Cars like the Ferrari F40 – yes please, I’ll take 10 – and the McLaren F1 (what a stunner), the game-changing Bugatti Veyron and the classic and utterly beautiful Lamborghini Countach. And if you think you know your supercars like I know my supercars then prove it in my special quiz. So, sit back and relax with a cup of builder’s tea, a slice of homemade cake as good as my lovely wife Michelle makes, and drink in my thoughts on some of the most amazing cars ever to hit the streets. Ta da!
Mike Brewer’s Ultimate Guide To Supercars is published by Blackball Media Ltd (Company No 6473855) and printed by Kelsey Media. All rights reserved. Conditions of sale and supply include the fact this title shall not, without our consent, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated way or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. While the information within this guide is accurate at the time of publishing, prices and figures may fluctuate with the market. Therefore always thoroughly research the current market before making any purchasing decisions. The publishers take no responsibility for any losses or injury that readers may incur by following the guidance. Mike Brewer’s Ultimate Guide To Supercars is fully protected by copyright. Nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without permission.
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INTERVIEW.
The McLaren Senna is a car I’m hugely excited to drive. McLaren Senna – a proper hypercar
to something fast. I think it’s telling that one of the best-selling Haynes manuals is for the Ferrari F40. Ferrari only sold around 200 of them – but Haynes sell thousands of manuals. That says something about what supercars mean to people. They may never own one but the aspiration and the dream is always there. If you’re lucky enough to own a supercar, you’re a member of a pretty special club – but there are a few drawbacks, even I admit. It goes without saying that they’re precious, expensive items – so aspects of driving them on a daily basis can be difficult. Who’d want to leave a 100 grand Porsche in a Sainsbury’s car park, for instance? Anyway, you’d struggle to get most supercars into a typical parking space. Most of them are longer and wider than your average family hatchback, let’s not forget! Added to that, you run the risk of your pride and joy getting dinged or dented. On a ‘normal’ car, you could be looking at a few hundred quid to sort it, but getting rid of a chip in the paintwork of a supercar? You’re talking thousands. Ouch. Parking isn’t the only headache. These days, we have all kinds of measures to slow us down and they’re a nightmare for supercars – speed bumps play havoc with such highly strung machines. Supercars also don’t score too highly when it comes to practicality, either. You can’t have a weekend away in them unless you’re only going to pack a tiny holdall containing a credit card, a pair of sunglasses and a change of pants! But let’s face it, absolutely nobody buys a supercar if they’re after something to take the kids and the dog to the coast for a few days. Just think about what supercar ownership CAN give you. A fantastic Ferrari or a magical McLaren will deliver that thrill, that special feeling and a 8
Mike Brewer’s Ultimate Guide to Supercars
moment of pure joy when you’re connected to the car and feel the sheer power of the engine and hear the roar of the exhaust. As I’ve said, I’m 100 per cent in the camp that supercars need to be driven. I hate it when you see supercars with only a few hundred miles on the clock. When Ferrari manufacture a Portofino and put all that time and effort into research and development, do they do that because they want the car to travel 250 miles in 25 years? Course not. They want it to be enjoyed and well used.
M
cLaren F1s can come on the market with less than 10,000 miles on the clock after years of ownership – it’s ridiculous, and it’s a crying shame. I’m happier when I see a supercar for sale which has done 100,000 miles. I know it’s been driven, and that everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong and been fixed. I know it’s had a happy life too. Supercars don’t like to sit around. If you took a thoroughbred racehorse and left it in a stable, it
A McLaren F1 needs to be driven
would soon be out of shape – supercars are the same. They need to get that fuel pumping through their veins and their engines need a decent workout. I’ve already mentioned my first supercar experience. And I’ve had some great times more recently, too. Already this year, I’ve driven the McLaren 600LT Spider, Lamborghini Aventador S and Ferrari 812 Superfast. These cars are just unbelievable. The McLaren was a stand-out for me – it’s a very connected car which gave me a 22nd-century experience. You feel completely safe in the car, and the race pedigree and heritage is evident when you drive it. Everything you see and touch is out of this world. The barking sound of the engine is frankly incredible, and you feel like you’re in some kind of closed Formula 1 car – it’s awesome. But you also feel completely at ease because you can turn up the stereo and switch on the air conditioning – it has all the creature comforts you could want! The 600LT Spider is a car that you can drive at 30mph when you’re going to the shops. Cars such as
I’d give my left nut for the keys to a Singer!
Singer Porsche
the Lamborghini Miura or McLaren F1, in contrast, are a struggle to drive slowly. They See page 64 want to go flat out – that’s how they’ve been designed. But manufacturers know that these See page 44 days they need to cater for the football players I mentioned who want to pootle around at 30mph. McLaren properly captures the theatre of the supercar experience with the 600LT Spider. Driving one feels like an event. I didn’t feel the same about the Aventador S. Although it’s an amazing car, when you get behind the wheel you find yourself looking at the screen from an Audi R8 and that sense of driving something special is taken away. The feeling that you’ve joined an elite club just isn’t there, and you just feel like you’re in a posh Audi. In the olden days, supercars were hand-made – they were constructed by a separate group within the factory and used very little of what the road cars used. These days, manufacturers are of the range – the more mundane, everyday cars. blending and borrowing things from their road A supercar should be beautifully hand-crafted and cars for their supercars in order to make them a bit something that only a select few people can get more accessible for the everyday person. McLaren their hands on. has built the 600LT Spider the old-fashioned The McLaren Senna is a car I’m hugely excited to way though – it doesn’t borrow anything from drive. I think it’s the next example of what a supercar anywhere. It’s what makes it feel very special. is and can be – a proper hypercar. I’ve been lucky to drive most supercars though: t’s the same with Ferrari – they might be the McLaren F1, every type of Ferrari you can shake owned by Fiat but they don’t nick anything a stick at – even special Project Jaguars too! I’ve still from the Fiat parts bin. They design their cars got a few left on my to-do list though. in-house, and every part of the car has been But what’s the definition of a supercar? In my created in a bespoke way. eyes, it’s something that’s completely unique. The I know that manufacturers have to make these whole car is an individual piece of work, rather than cars more affordable for people, and they have to a borrowed, cobbled-together project. create a larger audience by making their vehicles Cars from the likes of Ferrari and even Apollo are feel more approachable and comfortable, but they real supercars – they’re genuine thoroughbreds that do lose a sense of purpose when they go too far. are thought up and designed by people who are It’s when the supercar isn’t separate from the rest trying to make the ultimate car.
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The Lamborghini Aventador S, McLaren 600LT Spider and Ferrari 812 Superfast. - Read my Dream Drives to see what I thought of them
If there was one I could pick, money-no-object, it’d be the McLaren Senna – absolutely. The other one – which I consider to be a supercar, because it’s hand-made – would be one of Singer’s Porsches. I’d give my left nut for the keys to a Singer!
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TOP TIPS.
Just ask
No, really – give it a go. Meet a supercar owner at a show or event and you’ll probably find they’re as chuffed to own their car as you are to see it. Don’t expect a go behind the wheel, but asking to sit in it is pretty reasonable, and you might be lucky enough to be offered a passenger ride. It’s even easier if you have a wealthy family member who owns some exotica, but you probably know that already.
How to get behind the wheel of a supercar on the cheap So, you’ve watched one too many music videos, binged on every series of Top Gear and follow hundreds of celebs on Instagram – and you’ve decided that the supercar life is for you. However, there’s no getting around it: these are pricey cars and owning one is beyond the reach of most people. But don’t worry – if you’re desperate for a dose of exotica, there are ways to experience a supercar on the cheap…
Supercar experience days
This is a popular route for lots of teenagers – and adults whose kids don’t know what to buy them. You can bag a pass for around fifty quid up to a few hundred, and you’ll be offered a spin in your choice of supercar. They usually take place on a track or airfield, meaning kids as young as 10 can get behind the wheel – but always with a professional on hand to ensure they don’t crash it!
Supercar finance
Got a good income but not the cash to splash out on a supercar? Well, think about financing one. Packages for supercars work pretty much the same as they do for a supermini, but the numbers are larger. I found a deal on a Lamborghini Huracan that needed an £18k deposit and 48 monthly payments of £2,300 – not bad for a £180k car. If you want to keep it at the end, ‘just’ hand over £90k. Ouch.
Rent one
Sure, hiring a Lamborghini is going to be a bit more expensive than grabbing an Astra from your local Enterprise, but you might find a bargain if you look around. Get lucky and you could find yourself with the keys to a Ferrari for just a few hundred quid. As with any car hire, it’s likely to work out cheaper per day the longer you keep it – just remember you’ll be stung for any damage, so watch it, clumsy!
Buy one
The priciest option here, but hear me out – owning a supercar doesn’t have to be the financial pit of despair you might be thinking… First tip is to opt for something a little left-field – sack off Ferrari and Lamborghini and look to the likes of Audi or Honda. Cheap Audi R8s are knocking on 30 grand now – which looks pretty tempting next to a diesel A4, right? The original Audi R8 with the cracking V8 can be had for sensible money and is an absolute corker. Or a Honda NSX is worth a look too. Keep up with maintenance and running costs don’t need to be massive either – but you’ll need to put more aside for consumables and servicing, as tyres are pricey! Watch your fuel bills too – and remember if you put a load of miles on it, you’ll be hammering the resale value like an auctioneer’s gavel. Mike Brewer’s Ultimate Guide to Supercars
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