Centurion India Summer 2017

BLACKBOOK BEHIND THE

BLACKBOOK BEHIND THE WHEEL Resplendence on the Road Seductiveness, speed or raw power, 2017 is a cracker of a year for the automobile says BEN OLIVER, who shortlists the top new offerings T he next six months will bring an exciting and wildly varied selection of new cars to our roads. There are firsts, lasts and cars we never thought we’d see again. 2017 will see Porsche make its first estate car, Ferrari make its last old-fashioned pure V12 engine and Renault revive the storied but long-dormant Alpine sports car brand. And among these, grabbing fewer headlines but selling in big numbers for the premium end of the market, are the cars we really desire for daily use, like the new BMW 5 Series Touring and the all-new Range Rover Velar SUV. Here’s our edit of the best of the recent motor show debuts. Supercar McLaren 720S Having completely redesigned its core Super Series model for the first time, McLaren has renamed it to reflect the engine’s increase in output to a massive 720 horsepower. The car’s aerodynamic efficiency has also doubled, and it boasts cleaner, more seductive styling. cars.mclaren.com PHOTO © MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE 30 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM

Sports car 1. Alpine A110 Renault has revived its historic Alpine sports car brand with the new A110. It is aimed squarely at Porsche’s 718 Boxster and also uses a small, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 252bhp mounted in a lightweight body of just over 1,000kg. alpinecars.com Cabriolet 2. Mercedes-Benz E-Class This is based closely on the E-Class Coupé, and both share an underlying structure and technology with the big-selling saloon and estate. So you get a good-looking, relatively rare niche model that benefits from the huge investment in this family. mercedes-benz.co.uk SUV 3. Range Rover Velar With a nod toward the Porsche Macan and designed to plug the gap between the baby Evoque and the bigger Range Rover Sport, the new Velar has had a rapturous reception from critics and customers alike. The queues are already long for the hottest British car of 2017. landrover.com Gran Turismo 4. Ferrari 812 Superfast The most powerful production car Ferrari has ever made, its 6.5-litre V12 engine generates 789 horsepower and rockets this big, front-engined two-seat GT to 100kph in just 2.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 340kph. 812superfast.ferrari.com Estate 5. BMW 5 Series Touring Could this be the only car you’ll ever need? Few breeds offer the same combination of image, quality, dynamics, efficiency and versatility as a premium diesel estate car. Here’s BMW’s latest attempt at the best car in the world. bmw.com Shooting Brake 6. Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo The elongated roofline of Porsche’s first shooting brake (a swoopy estate car with style) makes it arguably better looking than the standard Panamera saloon. Inside, don’t expect Volvo levels of load space: this car majors on looks, not the ability to carry a wardrobe. porsche.com 1 2 3 4 PHOTOS COURTESY MANUFACTURERS 5 6 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 31