The Glovebox: Not even British Leyland can resist the luxury of Lunaz

‘If you think it’s cool, someone has probably put an electric motor in it,’ is how the old saying goes. That someone is likely to be Lunaz, the electrifiers par excellence, who have zapped everything from a Rolls-Royce Phantom V and Bentleys, to Aston Martins and Jaguars. All must be heritage classics, all must be luxurious, and all must be silent.

‘Silence’ and ‘a Range Rover Classic’ are not two words or names that usually go together; a Rover V8 engine from the 1970s could hardly be described as ‘stealthy’. But such hurdles as ‘British Leyland manufacturing standards’, large as they are, can be cleared with enough science and will. Step forward the Range Rover Classic by Lunaz.

One of the many stars from Goodwood Festival of Speed, the car is sumptuously appointed and handcrafted over 3,000 hours. It retains an achingly ‘of its time’ interior design, with two analogue dials supplemented by a variety of switches and tactile surfaces. There is a screen that can be discreetly stashed away if so desired to complete the look. Modern comforts include climate control, modern suspension, anti-roll, and heated seats.

There will be 12 Range Rover Classics designed by Lunaz, with the first already delivered to a client in the USA. As well as an electric powertrain, Lunaz will also be offering a V8 version alongside the electric, meaning the car moves beyond the ‘novelty’ tag attached to so many electro-mod creations. A variety of donor cars means that your RRC, which will cost from £450,000, can come in two-door, four-door, long wheelbase and convertible configurations.

Bring me my Spéirling

It’s always nice being able to write that the fastest production car in the world is a British one. This might be news to you. You might reasonably think that something like a Bugatti or a Koenigsegg or a Ferrari was the fastest, but you would be wrong. The fastest car in the world is a McMurtry Spéirling, which was made by some engineers in a shed in Gloucestershire. And now you can have one too.

The McMurtry Spéirling PURE, as the production model will be known, uses a fan system to quite literally suck itself to the road, producing 2,000kg of downforce even when the car is stationary. It can, quite literally, be parked on the ceiling.

What these fans do is create sensational downforce with a negligible impact on the car’s drag. When paired with 1000bhp worth of electric motors, the car is lightning quick and has smashed records at both the Top Gear (Dunsfold) test track and the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb. A top speed of 190mph might not seem outrageous, but paired to a 0-60mph time of 1.55 and the ability to corner at upwards of 3g, and you start to get the picture.

And now, with the final production model revealed after extensive testing, you can get your own. They will make 100 units, and each will cost £995,000 before taxes, shipping and options. Deliveries will commence at the end of the year.

Senna still setting records

If the answer is ‘£500,000’, then the question can only be: ‘How much for one of Ayrton Senna’s race-worn helmets?’. That figure was what was reeled in by auctioneers at Budds on July 7 for the iconic yellow lid worn by Senna during the German, British and Hungarian Grands Prix during the 1992 season, his last in the iconic Honda/McLaren partnership. The original estimate for the helmet was between £80,000–£120,000.

‘Few Formula One drivers are as instantly recognisable as Ayrton Senna. He's a legend of the sport and three-time Formula One World Champion whose influence still shapes the sport,’ said Andrew Moyers, head of motorsports at Budds, ahead of the auction. ‘There’s so much F1 fans love about this item. There’s Senna’s iconic status, and the importance of the races he wore it for, including the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix where Senna claimed victory.’

Despite his demise in 1994, Senna still lives on in the hearts and minds of Formula 1 fans as one of the best to ever do it, and while he might not be winning races any more, he is still setting pretty impressive records even in death.

Audi in the Wilderness

Audi once again stole the show at Wilderness this year, celebrating its third year of being the festival’s headline sponsor with a variety of performances, talks and drinks and fine dining at the Audi Haven.

Revellers were treated to sets by Professor Green, Jo Whiley, Grace Carter and Jamie Cullum, while Theo Randall created an exclusive three-course Italian menu for the Audi Kitchen. At the glampiest of glamping festivals, Audi somehow managed to out-glamp them all.