From a Lamborghini off-road supercar to a Ferrari for the whole family, and from a McLaren-wrestled sports car to a high-tech car with classic looks, MASTERS takes a look at tomorrow's four-wheeled transportation.
For the first time, the Lexus Electrified Sport concept was seen outside Japan. The Goodwood Festival of Speed had the honor for this first. The future battery-electric sports car drew crowds of onlookers and received much media attention. For example, Britain's Auto Express described it as an "all-electric successor to the LFA sports car" with styling that "really has the wow factor. Acceleration time to 100 km/h is expected to be only just over two seconds, the range will be around 700 kilometers, courtesy of the possible use of solid-state batteries. The new battery-electric sports car will be part of a full range of BEVs that Lexus will launch leading up to 2030 under the Lexus Electrified brand vision.
Germany's Wiesmann made its name with the Roadster introduced in 1993. Because the car has classic looks, in the style of an AC Cobra or Austin Healey 3000, the model did not need a facelift over the years. In 2003 came a GT version with a closed roof, and in between there were bankruptcies and restarts, but only thirty years later comes a new type. And it is tackled right away, because this Wiesmann Thunderball seems to get everything right. The look of the carbon fiber body is still delightfully neoclassical, but under the skin lurks the ultimate electric driving experience. Despite 680 hp on the rear wheels, 1,700 kg and 0-100 in 2.9 seconds, the range is a whopping 500 km. The handmade Thunderball can now be ordered, starting at 300,000 euros.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is probably the most uncompromising hypercar ever built. Partly because of its price tag of around 3 million ex-tax, Aston Martin decided to build a slightly more modest supercar as well. That became the Aston Martin Valhalla, and very modest it did not become. The price is a lot lower, though. But yes, even if you pay almost 80 percent less, there is still a receipt of 675,000 euros, before taxes. For that, you do get a lot of beauty. Because unlike the uncompromising aerodynamics of the Valkyrie, the Valhalla has very clean lines. The "simple" design makes the Valhalla one of the most beautiful Astons ever. And the numbers? Not exactly modest: 963 hybrid horsepower, 350 km/h and 0-100 in 2.5 seconds. You can order already, delivery starts in 2024.
Finally, even Ferrari has to make a move: their first SUV is out. The Ferrari Purosangue is not the kind of SUV where four children can frolic in the back seat, because in the second row, luxurious bucket seats offer space for two adults. Admittedly, you can mount a child seat in one of those bucket seats, and a 473-liter trunk can accommodate the dog, too. Ferrari itself does not use the S-word, for they do not consider this an SUV. This is a thoroughbred, or in Italian: puro sangue. To underscore that pure image, the Purosangue has been given all-wheel drive and a 725-hp V12. That it is therefore likely to become Ferrari's least fuel-efficient car is then unfortunate. Their really-not-SUV apparently has to be accepted by Ferrariists first, before V6, V8 and hybrid can be considered. Of course, while this is indeed an SUV, it is also a Ferrari. And for that delicious combination you will pay at least 390,000 euros, ex taxes.
Steven Nichols is a McLaren man. He was chief designer of the McLaren MP4/4, with which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won fifteen of sixteen Grands Prix in 1988 - a 93.8 percent winning percentage unmatched in F1. Even Max gets quiet about that ... And now Nichols has started his own sports car brand. In this, too, he is showing his McLaren heart, as his first car is the Nichols N1A. Connoisseurs know that the first race car of the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing founded in 1963 was also named "N1A. The Nichols N1A is a tribute to this beautiful classic model. It is both a modern version, including a wind tunnel-optimized carbon fiber body, and an old school racer. Steven Nichols stays far away from the digital saturation he sees in modern sports cars. So a fat 6.2 liter V8, with well over 600 hp if desired, powers the 900 kg sports car. The price is not yet known.
Today we associate Lamborghini mostly with racetracks and boulevards, yet the Italians began as a tractor builder in 1951. Thanks to this successful business, by 1963 founder Ferruccio Lamborghini had built up a nice collection of sports cars. One was a brand new Ferrari, whose clutch broke down four times in one year. When Ferruccio spoke to Enzo Ferrari about this, Ferrari replied that it must be his own fault, because the car couldn't be to blame. Three months later, at the Geneva Motor Show, the tormented Lamborghini launched its first sports car. A rivalry was born. Since then, Lamborghini has been owned by Audi and some of the Italian temperament has worn off. Still, the designs remain extravagant. For example, the latest version of the Huracán is a sports car for boulevards, racetracks and the dirt road. Among other things, this Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato has more ground clearance, more track width, fender extensions, special tires and a 5.2-liter V10 with 618 horsepower. Pure extravagance, in other words, but with a nod to its tractor past.
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