Kilgour/Aston Martin collaboration

To coincide with Kilgour's debut show yesterday in Paris, the covers were off the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400, created in collaboration with the fashion brand.

Unveiled as a special edition of the manufacturer's award-winning V8 Vantage, the N400 was built to commemorate the car's race-going sibling's prowess around the fearsome Nurburgring in Germany, the gold-standard of race circuits (and the source of that 'N', with 400 indicating the available horsepower).

The N400 is a fitting blend of racing engineering and bespoke luxury design. Alongside the pared-down, minimalist bodywork, in a nod to fashion, the exterior features a specially developed sartorial satin finish in a colour Kilgour call 'Morning Frost'.

Inside the car, the seats, dash board, instrument panel and centre console are all finished in dark navy blue Alcantara, partly perforated to reveal Kilgour's signature polka dots, in the same shade as the exterior.

Range Rover Sport

Owning a luxury car has always been about more than just getting from A to B; what we choose to drive says as much about our sense of style as the clothes we wear or the art we collect. But when it comes to the world of high-end motoring, another equally important factor enters the equation: performance.












Not surprisingly, our standards here at Wallpaper* are rather high when it comes to cars, a retail market littered with myriad tempting possibilities. One car that catches our eye in a big way is the Range Rover Sport, a delicious blend of luxury and raw power, with a distinctive road presence that's strong, solid, and thoroughly elegant.

Under the bonnet things are, in a word, impressive. A powerful 4.2 litre supercharged V8 287kW petrol engine delivers massive torque and effortless acceleration, the patented Terrain Response system ensures brilliant handling whatever the driving surface, and a state of the art braking system, incorporating Emergency Brake Assist and Dynamic Stability Control, affords maximum stopping capacity when it's needed most.

You'll feel the power every time you turn the key, that hushed roar that seems almost palpable. But with the sporty, cocoon-like cockpit, the deep wood finish, the surround sound audio and the sculpted leather seats, don't be surprised if you have pleasures of a more delicate variety on your mind.

BMW M1 Homage Concept

BMW pulled a surprise concept out of the hat at this year's Concorso dâ'Eleganza Villa dâ'Este event. The M1 Homage continues the company's recent habit of eulogising classic models with sculptural new concepts (witness 2006's Mille Miglia concept).

This time the design team decided to reinvent the M1, the iconic 1970s-era supercar that marked a crisply drawn diversion from the company's core business of cars and bikes. Styled by Giorgio Giugiaro, the M1 is still an icon, a wedge-shaped mid-engined sports car quite unlike anything the Bavarians had ever done before. The original car was inspired by Paul Bracq's wild BMW Turbo concept, designed to celebrate the 1972 Olympics in BMW's home town of Munich.

The production M1 followed seven years later, kick-starting today's 'M-power' motorsport division and creating a cult classic in the process. The low-slung spirit is something BMW hopes to evoke with the M1 Homage, a fluid fusion of Bracq and Giugiaro's original folds with the complex surfacing and intersecting forms of the company's ever evolving contemporary design language.

The details are lavish, with flutes, frills and slashes set into the curvaceous bodywork (although the proportions are appropriated almost line for line from Bracq's first generation car). Overall, the spirit of 1970s excess hangs over the project, but in a good way. While production hasn't even been hinted at, we suspect the company are testing the water for a possible return to a market segment now dominated by Audi's all-conquering R8.


INFORMATION

BMW M1 Homage, concept only

Website
http://www.bmw.com

Jaguar XF

Pity the modern saloon car. Once the acme of automotive achievement, the flagship model in a company's range, saloons are now simperingly average, more run-of-the-mill than state-of-the-art.

Instead, customers clamour for urban cars, sports cars, SUVs, MPVs concepts, coupes, crossovers and more. As a result, the long-standing formula of four doors, a bonnet and a boot seemed practically played out. Then the Jaguar XF arrived











Jaguar have threatened to break the mould on more than one occasion in the past, but after leaving countless elegant designs on the drawing board the company has finally come good with the XF. 2008 is a critical year for the British icon in more ways than one. With ownership passing into the hands of Indian industralist giants Tata - along with sibling brand Land-Rover - the time has come for Jaguar to truly capitalise on one of the best-known names in automotive history. The XF is a genuinely excellent start, building on the goodwill created by the svelte, swift and undeniably beautiful XK coupe.

The design team, headed up by Ian Callum, has done a sterling job of translating the three-box saloon shape into a concoction of curves and grace without sacrificing space or practicality.










Granted, Jaguars have always been about elegance, but while latter models have walked a fine line between old school grace and flat-out revivalism, the XF is forward-looking and fresh, with barely a hint of retro design. The interior is a particular revelation - gone are the thick slabs of burled walnut and old world ambiance and in comes a welcome dose of technology, theatrical presentation and the kind of quality and attention to detail that the Germans once had all to themselves.

We're especially taken by the pop-up gear selector, the on-board storage and connectivity, as well as sat-nav and bespoke Bowers & Wilkins-developed in-car entertainment that can hold its own with the world's best. On the road, the XF is lithe, rewarding and brisk, although serious performance enthusiasts will be holding out for the 2009 XF-R model, a supercharged V8 that - rumour has it - will also be able to run on bioethanol. A true return to form.


INFORMATION

Jaguar XF, from approx £37,500

Website
http://www.jaguar.com

Alfa Romeo 8C Spider

Here are the first pictures that Alfa Romeo have released of its sexy 8C Spider, to be introduced to the world at next months Geneva Motor Show.

Based on the hard-topped 8C Competizione, the two-seat Spider featuring a twin-layer fabric roof which can be raised at the press of a button, is expected to hit 60mph in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of around 180mph. The mechanics will be similar to that of the Competizione as it uses the same 4.7-litre V8 engine and six-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

As the limited run is just 500 vehicles, we expect to see all of these selling like hotcakes and commanding more than their £130,000 price tag. So roll up your sleeves and have your cheque books ready; the fight to get one of these beauties is not going to be pretty.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé

When we sampled Rolls-Royce's delectable Phantom Drophead Coupé (the perfect complement to warm Tuscan sun), the Goodwood-based manufacturer was already putting the finishing touches to the final piece in the Phantom fleet. Joining the Drophead, and sitting alongside the hugely accomplished saloon and extended wheelbase versions, is this new Drophead Coupé, a peerless four-seater based on the 2006 101EX concept

While the Drophead had more than a hint of nautical elegance, with its teak rear deck and sisal floor mats, the Coupé is a more elegant, sporting affair, if something with the inherent grace and presence of a Rolls-Royce could be defined as sporting. Ample power is provided by the company's vast 6.75-litre V12 (kiss goodbye to your congestion charge discount), giving the car performance that belies its hefty proportions.
The company's designers have done well to soften the bulk, creating flowing lines that accommodate rear-hinged doors (with push-button closing, naturally), and a drop down picnic boot for two. Forward vision at tricky junctions is provided by a bumper-mounted camera, while there's the option of having a 'starlight headlining', a fibre-optic light show embedded in the roof lining.
Craftsmanship, engineering, materials and finish are all first rate. Although Rolls-Royce are readying a more mass-market saloon to tap into the sub £200,000 market, the Phantom Coupé demonstrates more than ever that their core customer base has no need to fret.

MINI Clubman

It seems a bit churlish to complain that a car called ‘MINI’ lacks interior space, but despite the plentiful plaudits garnered by the BMW-sired machine, legroom is the one persistent bugbear.
Happily, there was historical precedent for something slightly larger. While the wooden frame of the original Morris Mini Traveller of 1960 wasn’t up to modern safety standards (although we admired Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Castagna’s efforts to recreate it), the new Clubman adds a split tailgate, plus a single rear-hinged door to help your (longer-limbed) passengers clamber into the rear.
The extra inches make the car a more practical proposition without hampering the MINI's spirited handling - and you’ll be pleased to hear the Clubman comes in top spec Cooper S trim as well as the standard Cooper and diesel variants.