The Redline

Ferrari Portofino 2018 Review

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 Peter Andersonferrari, portofino0 comment

The Ferrari Portofino is Maranello’s follow-up to the California T. Like rival Lamborghini’s Huracan, the Cali had some inane detractors who said it wasn’t a real Ferrari. The V8-powered California and then the California T were meant to open up new markets for the Prancing Horse. And the company was expecting a lot of women as well as new customers to buy into the Ferrari brand. Boom. Off went the nutcases. And they were all mostly wrong. California Dreams Rumour has it that the first modern California (it’s a name…

Cars

2019 X2 M35i – Fast BMW compact SUV on the way

September 7, 2018September 7, 2018 Peter Andersonbmw, BMW x2, x20 comment

BMW’s X2 has the looks but not the go. Or does it? Those crazy Bavarians have finally dropped the go-faster version of the lifestyle compact SUV, the X2 M35i, and it should be rather fleet of foot… At first glance, the X2 looked like a dumb idea, but it has grown on me. I didn’t see the point of having the X1 and the X2. I drove the latter and the penny dropped. The X2 is the lifestyle choice, the pretty one. Given its sporty looks, you’d reasonably expect a bit…

Cars

Lister Claims World’s Fastest SUV

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018 Peter Andersonlfp, lister0 comment

Hoo boy. British Jaguar tuner Lister reckons it has the world’s fastest SUV, based on the sleek Jaguar F-Type SVR. The LFP is the second new Lister this year after the LFT 666 (formerly Thunder) heralded Lister’s return. Lister says the LFT-666 is the fastest-selling car in Lister’s history, which is heartening. There’s nothing worse than cool car companies dying because they can’t flog their stuff. The LFP, as you can well see, is based on the Jaguar F-Pace. The press release only has the headline figures, but they’re worth…

Cars

2019 Ford Focus ST-Line Review

September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 Peter Andersonfocus, Ford, st-line0 comment

The fourth-generation Focus made its debut earlier in 2018 and Peter Anderson got to drive the new Focus ST-Line version on the Côte d’Azur. A new Focus is always a little bit exciting. From the day the first car hit the road, it was an entirely new approach for the Blue Oval. The Focus arrived around the time of the first Mondeo and the Ka, three massively important cars. Those cars still echo through to this very day, even if the Ka is now a pale imitation of its former…

Cars

McLaren 540C Review – Why wouldn’t you?

September 1, 2018September 5, 2018 Peter Andersonmclaren, mclaren 540c0 comment

I have a vague memory of the launch of the 540C. For some reason, I remember other motoring media being a bit condescending about it. The C stood for China, they claimed (the subtext being “nobody there can drive”), which seemed dumb to me because wealthy Chinese are quite happy to spend big bucks. Generally speaking, the Chinese market isn’t interested in “entry level” or cut-price supercars. Anyway, because I’m an idiot, I’d sort of resisted the idea of driving one. I don’t know why. I briefly drove it after…

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McLaren Announces F1 Certified, GTR 25R Resto

September 1, 2018September 1, 2018 Peter Andersonmclaren, mclaren f10 comment

F1 Certified. I mean, dammit, how long has this taken? We’ve all been there, sleeping peacefully. It was a fun day out on the superyacht, dinner on the beach of a gorgeous, uninhabited Mediterranean Island. It’s 2, maybe 3 am. You sit bolt upright in bed. Suddenly, you’re in a cold sweat. You flip open your laptop and access pictures of one of your prized automotive possessions. It’s your McLaren F1 road car. You stare at the images then throw your head back, looking to the starry heavens. You let…

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Hot Take: Halo Hides F1’s Bigger Problem

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018 Matthew Hattonf1, hot take, motorsport0 comment

While the people who wish F1 killed as many people as it did in the 60s rage over the introduction of the halo, F1 actually has a real problem it needs to address. The turn one, lap one crash unleashed the idiots on the line At last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc got very, very lucky. Assisted by Renault’s Nico RosbergHulkenberg, Fernando Alonso’s McLaren found itself airborne and careening over the top of Le Clerc’s Sauber at the La Source hairpin moments after the start of the race. LeClerc’s…

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Aventador SVJ – V12 Lamborghini Insanity

August 25, 2018August 25, 2018 Peter Anderson0 comment

The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ has had its official world debut during Monterey Car Week. It’s wild, it’s limited and it’s expensive. It’s also incredibly quick, bowel-emptyingly expensive but bound to be the greatest V12 supercar from Sant’ Agata. We drove the Lamborghini Aventador for the very first Redline video. Its colossal V12 and old-school Lambo feel mixed with impressive tech made it an imposing proposition. And like the Huracan Performante we drove, the Aventador SVJ takes the already-excellent package and ramps it up. Right up. The SVJ takes two classic…

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Audi PB18 – Light Electric Supercar

August 25, 2018August 26, 2018 Peter Andersonaudi, electric, pebble beach 20180 comment

The Audi PB18 was unveiled yesterday at the annual poshfest at Pebble Beach. Ingolstadts’s commitment to electric cars continues with a very pretty – and working – electric supercar concept. Despite almost nobody buying the R8 e-tron, Audi persists. And thank goodness for that. Much like the Infiniti Prototype 10, the PB18 is a monoposto single-seater, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. For a start the PB18 has a roof. Looking at it, you can clearly see the design elements pinched from the limited edition Aicon as well as the…

Cars

Infiniti Prototype 10 Unveiled

August 24, 2018 Peter Andersonelectric, infiniti, pebble beach 20180 comment

The Infiniti Prototype 10 is the Japanese luxury maker’s Monterey show car. And, let’s be honest, it’s a cry for attention. Infiniti has struggled for the sort of success of compatriot Lexus, so the company has gone big. The Prototype 10 is quite interesting. The Prototype 10 will grab some headlines because it’s quite striking. And kind of irrelevant – there is absolutely no way this car is going anywhere near a production line. What is the Infiniti Prototype 10? Following on from the Prototype 9, Protoype 10 is an…