While Christmas tends to be the time to make merry over mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts for breakfast and listen to Bing Crosby wail about the weather, it’s also the perfect opportunity to reminisce over the best bits of the year. With the motoring calendar for the remainder of 2014 looking as bare as the leafless trees, here’s a look back at the best motoring moments of 2014.
PORSCHE GOES TOPLESS WITH THE TARGA
Kicking off the New Year with something racy and topless is always going to go down a treat, and that’s exactly the reaction Porsche was after when it released the new 911 Targa. Taking style advice from its original ancestor, coupled with a nifty folding roof, meant the Targa was the star of the show at the 2014 North American International auto show in January.
FERRARI TURNS TO TURBOCHARGING
Just in time for Valentines Day, Ferrari revealed its latest incarnation of the California cruiser, the California T. With a more slender design, the Cali T also marked its place in the media as the first turbo-charged Fezza since the ferocious F40.
JAMES BOND WITH BOTOX
Spring brought with it a fresh-faced revival of a film icon in the form of the David Brown Automotive Speedback GT. Taking inspiration from the GT cars of the 1960s, most notably the Aston Martin DB5 as piloted by Bond in Goldfinger, the DBA Speedback GT stunned the motoring media with its eye watering price tag of over half a million pounds.
MUSTANG’S MIDLIFE CRISIS
With the Ford Mustang reaching the respectable age of 50, it was time to take a look back at the life of the American motoring icon.
TESLA MODEL S REACHES THE UK
At the start of the summer, the long awaited Californian eco warrior, the Tesla Model S, washed up on UK shores. With just short of 500bhp and a 0-62mph of 4.4seconds, the Model S proved its earth-loving worth against the other petrol powered super saloons.
A NEW FORMULA FOR RACING
With Formula E making its debut in September, we explained the basics of the cars, technology, drivers, locations and rules in our one-stop guide to the new racing series.
BUGATTI BEATER: HENNESSEY VENOM F5
With the nine year old Bugatti Veyron having ruled the roost since its creation in 2005, it was only a matter of time before something else attempted to grab the top speed title. That ‘something else’ came in the form of the Texas-built Venom F5 when Hennessey let slip its plans for a 290mph hypercar.
WE DRIVE THE BMW I8
Ever since BMW revealed its i8 concept car at the Frankfurt motor show in 2011, the motoring world was aware the German automaker had something quite significant up its lederhosen. Luckily, we were first on the scene when the petrol-electric supercar arrived in the UK and here’s what we thought of it.
MERCEDES GOES AFTER THE PORSCHE 911
Mercedes is better known for its premium saloons rather than its racing pedigree but that didn’t stop it from hunting down the automotive performance yardstick, the Porsche 911, with the release of its AMG GT in Autumn.
THE GOODWOOD REVIVAL
The final event of the summer on any petrolhead’s oil stained calendar is the Goodwood Revival. As much about dressing the part as it is about the cars, the Revival is an event not to be missed. After countless laps around the racing paddock and much deliberation, we put together a list of the most beautiful cars from the weekend.
ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA STRIKES BACK
With the original 1970’s Lagonda sending shivers down design conscious gentleman’s spines, the Gaydon-based supercar firm thought it only fair to give the ugly ducking a new lease of life in 2014.
THE FATHER OF FERRARI STEPS DOWN
After nearly a quarter of a century at the top of Ferrari, the charismatic reign of Luca Di Montezemolo came to an end in October. With some of the finest Ferraris coming to fruition under his name, we thought it only right to take a look back at his greatest automotive achievements.
A CENTURY OF MASERATI
With only a handful of automakers having reached the age to qualify for a card from the Queen, we charted the history of Maserati in 10 very special cars.
THE NAME’S 10, DB10
December brought with it the news of not just another Bond film, but of another company car for the British Secret Service’s finest man of mystery. The Aston Martin DB10 was announced as the first car specifically created for 007.
LAFERRARI FXXK
Despite the cars dubious looking name, the strictly non-road-legal LaFerrari FXXK stunned the crowds at the Ferrari World Finals in Abu Dhabi. With just 40 examples finding their way to pre-selected buyers in time for Christmas, here’s everything you need to know about it.
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