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Tiff Needell's column
Tiff takes a festive look back over the year's highlights
It started with a kiss and ended with a crash... but not mine! The kiss was the 'X' from the new Jaguar XK and the crash came courtesy of an over-reactive Aston Martin DBS, which pitched poor James Bond 007 into a massive barrel roll. What am I talking about? My year of course. 'Tis the festive season with plenty of time to reminisce - and then look forward to what might be. But nothing could have been better than heading down to South Africa in January to try out Jag's smooth new cat - which would, of course, go on to become Auto Express's Car of the Year.
Perfect weather, perfect roads and a near-perfect car - no motor will ever be absolutely spot-on - what more could you want? How about a replica GT40 for starters? Then maybe a Maserati Quattroporte, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and a few races in an Aston Martin DBRS9 thrown in for good measure. Not to mention a brief cruise across Bolivia in a Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano! OK, I've got a great job, but sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me how good it is. And I haven't even mentioned my car of the year, which came courtesy of the unexpected brilliance of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
At last, the Americans have produced a machine that isn't just good at straight lines, but has brakes, is well balanced and light. And I love the fact that the paint on the front wings weighs more than the carbon fibre wings themselves, while the engine is the most powerful GM has ever produced for the road! I know I had the wide-open spaces of the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France to play in, which helped the day go with a smile as wide as the powerslides, but here is a car that does the basics so well. It's a machine that's built to be driven, and not by the on-board computers, either.
So can 2007 match that? Well the dream start is with Bond's Aston Martin DBS, but the problem is we're not sure how much of the road car will be like the sensuous machine in the film Casino Royale. But one thing is for certain - it won't pitch you into a series of rolls if you swerve to avoid a hedgehog in the road.
It was actually a bit surreal watching that sequence in the film, because as soon as I saw the moonlit road twisting through the hills I was transported from a Caribbean dream to the reality of a cold day at the Millbrook Proving Ground near Bedford! Yes, I've been round that hairpin where they filmed the famous roll a hundred times.
But what else is there to tease the tastebuds? Well 2007 is the 60th anniversary of Ferrari road cars, so it must be hatching something a bit special.
I'm also getting very excited about another Jaguar, the new S-Type (to be called XF), because finally the styling is moving my way, with the promise of a much more aggressive shape to attract younger buyers and take on the BMW 5 Series head-to-head. There's the new version of my favourite hot hatch, the Honda Civic Type R due for the summer, and how about a new Lamborghini Miura - hopefully without the concept's unnecessary four-wheel drive.
Right now, it's all tease, tease, tease. The car makers show us a little, but keep you guessing. So what will surprise, and what will disappoint? That's part of the fun! Happy Christmas!
Tiff Needell is a presenter on Channel Five's motoring programme Fifth Gear and is also a motorsport writer and commentator
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| Right now, it's all tease, tease, tease. The car makers show us a little, but keep you guessing | |
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Perfect weather, perfect roads and a near-perfect car - no motor will ever be absolutely spot-on - what more could you want? How about a replica GT40 for starters? Then maybe a Maserati Quattroporte, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and a few races in an Aston Martin DBRS9 thrown in for good measure. Not to mention a brief cruise across Bolivia in a Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano! OK, I've got a great job, but sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me how good it is. And I haven't even mentioned my car of the year, which came courtesy of the unexpected brilliance of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
At last, the Americans have produced a machine that isn't just good at straight lines, but has brakes, is well balanced and light. And I love the fact that the paint on the front wings weighs more than the carbon fibre wings themselves, while the engine is the most powerful GM has ever produced for the road! I know I had the wide-open spaces of the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France to play in, which helped the day go with a smile as wide as the powerslides, but here is a car that does the basics so well. It's a machine that's built to be driven, and not by the on-board computers, either.
So can 2007 match that? Well the dream start is with Bond's Aston Martin DBS, but the problem is we're not sure how much of the road car will be like the sensuous machine in the film Casino Royale. But one thing is for certain - it won't pitch you into a series of rolls if you swerve to avoid a hedgehog in the road.
It was actually a bit surreal watching that sequence in the film, because as soon as I saw the moonlit road twisting through the hills I was transported from a Caribbean dream to the reality of a cold day at the Millbrook Proving Ground near Bedford! Yes, I've been round that hairpin where they filmed the famous roll a hundred times.
But what else is there to tease the tastebuds? Well 2007 is the 60th anniversary of Ferrari road cars, so it must be hatching something a bit special.
I'm also getting very excited about another Jaguar, the new S-Type (to be called XF), because finally the styling is moving my way, with the promise of a much more aggressive shape to attract younger buyers and take on the BMW 5 Series head-to-head. There's the new version of my favourite hot hatch, the Honda Civic Type R due for the summer, and how about a new Lamborghini Miura - hopefully without the concept's unnecessary four-wheel drive.
Right now, it's all tease, tease, tease. The car makers show us a little, but keep you guessing. So what will surprise, and what will disappoint? That's part of the fun! Happy Christmas!
Tiff Needell is a presenter on Channel Five's motoring programme Fifth Gear and is also a motorsport writer and commentator
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