Editors' Picks -- 5 days ago
Words: Holly Macnaghten
China’s car manufacturing pedigree may be as rich and varied as boiled lettuce, but it seems the European auto giants can no longer shy away from the East’s appetite for premium personal transport. With the Beijing Motor Show coming to a close, we’ve done the hard work and served up the best bits for you.
AUDI – TT OFF-ROAD CONCEPT
Strange, you may think, that Audi would combine the sporting prowess of the TT with a high-riding off-road profile, but there is method in the madness assures Audi CEO Rupert Stadler. Keen to point out that the TT family is expanding, Stadler says Audi is keen to offer the TT in four different bodystyles: coupé, convertible, shooting brake and, as we have before us, an SUV. It’s touch and go if the TT Off-road Concept will make it to the production line, however, as public reaction is key to its fate says Stadler.
BENTLEY – MULSANNE HYBRID CONCEPT, , Previously reserved for those who smoked saplings and thought polar bears looked best on the drawing room floor, the Bentley brand is doffing its cap to the environment with the announcement of the Mulsanne Hybrid Concept. With a 6.75-litre petrol V8 mated to an electric motor, the Mulsanne Hybrid is likely to produce around 630bhp and 118g/km CO2 – that’s the same as the Diesel VW Golf BlueMotion – impressive, no?
VW – GOLF R400
Fancy a VW Golf with 395bhp and a 0-60mph time of 3.9 sec? Yep, so do we. Harboring a 2.0-litre turbo four-pot engine and sitting 20mm lower and 40mm wider than a standard Golf, the 400 would be the world’s fastest production hatch back if it ever made it to the show room – fingers crossed. Should our wildest dreams come true, the 400 is likely to command a price north of £40,000 which would put it up against some pretty stiff competition; running the track alongside the Porsche Cayman S and Audi TT RS.
By Rory FH Smith
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
