Mamma Mia…

On May 31, 2026May 31, 2026 By ChristofferIn Electrical vehicles, ev's, News, OpinionLeave a comment

The Italian language, by many considered the most beautiful in the world, uses an interesting grammatical construct called absolute superlative. You’ll recognize it as the “-issimo” ending in for example “bellissimo”(beautiful), emphasizing the meaning of a word. The absolute superlative can be used to a variety of expressions, including “brutto”, the Italian word for ugly. And for Italian-speaking petrolheads, “bruttissimo” is certainly a word that has been top of mind this week.

You guessed it – like everyone else, I’m talking about Ferrari’s new creation, the electric Luce. I truly wish I had a differing opinion to all the other pundits out there, but I’m afraid that would be lying. No one expected this. No one in their wildest dreams could imagine this is what Ferrari’s first EV would look like. Are we witnessing the world’s most legendary car brand making its biggest mistake ever?

*Let me introduce – the Ferrari Bruttissim…. sorry, Luce.*

Let’s start with the basics. The Luce (meaning “light”) is Ferrari’s first EV, presented at the beginning of this week. And as even a blind can see, it has neither been designed by Pininfarina, nor by Ferrari’s own Centro Stile. Rather, the chief designer is John Ivy from Lovefrom, ex-design head at Apple. The same Apple that a few years ago talked about launching an Apple car. Something to bear in mind.

It’s difficult to describe the looks of the Luce, because it’s not a design that would ever be approved by an established car design company. The front looks like an ugly fish and the back like an F360 that someone tried to drive through an alley that was too narrow. However, I would claim that it’s the view from the side that is particularly disturbing, as it highlights how utterly wrong the proportions are. The car is quite big with giant wheels (23″ at the front, 24″ at the back), but the whole packagte completely lacks harmony. Bruttissimo is the word!

*Nothing, and I mean nothing, works seen from the side. Even the wheels are ugly.*

The interior is arguably better in a mix of retro and modern, but above all, with exquisite materials, mostly metal and leather. The two screens are of excellent visual quality and the center one can be tilted left to right. The gauge cluster consists of both physical parts and screens, with for example the physical speed dial backlit by a second screen behind the first. It looks like a rather cool mix of new and old, underlined by the three-spoke, retro-looking steering wheel. The only problem is that it doesn’t fit the outside – at all.

Apart from the sheer ugliness, there’s also a long list of odd things. The biggest is no doubt the wipers which when they’re not in use, stand on the side of the front screen. This is because the Luce doesn’t have a hood and a windscreen that goes far below where a hood would be fixed. This leaves no other place for the wipers, which by the way can’t clean the full screen, so the lower part will always be dirty. This also means that you will see the wipers, and probably hear the wind noise coming from them, every time you drive.

*Why didn’t anyone think of that wiper positioning before?*

The cooling system with various air streams running through the air channels you find all over the car is extremely complicated and not something a traditional car design would even think of. The door openers are flaps at the top of the doors with a hole behind them, where for example snow will accumulate in winter. But I guess there’s no snow in Silicon Valley.

At 2.300 kgs, the 5-meter long Luce isn’t light (no pun intended) by any means, not even in EV terms, partly due to its very large, 122 KwH battery pack. It has a power output of a bit more than 1000 hp and runs on an 800V platform with up to 350 KW DC charging, thus promising fast charging times – which you’ll make frequent use of if you’re anywhere close to using the full power. The range is stated at 530 kms (with roughly half the max power), so in reality, you’ll get 300-400 kms if you drive normally.

What’s most remarkable about those numbers is perhaps how unremarkable they are. Sure, not many EV’s have a top speed of 310 km/h, but for the rest, a Tesla Plaid delivered more power already a few years ago, as does a Lucid Air. Both are quicker to 100 km/h than the Luce. EV’s from Porsche and some other brands are also on 800V platforms, and the new BMW iX3 manages 400 kW DC charging. Also, it has a realistic range of about 200 kms more.

*A rather cool interior, however with no connection whatsoever to the outside.*

The numbers are especially unremarkable when you learn that the price of Luce will start at around CHF 500′ / EUR 550′ / USD 600′ before options. In words, six hundred thousand US dollars. That’s more or less the same money as a Purosangue, with a naturally aspirated V12 and a design that on its own doesn’t convince everyone, but compared to the Luce, looks like the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen.

I don’t think everyone in Maranello have lost their mind and I have no doubt they find the Luce as ugly as everyone else in the petrolhead community. How could it be any different with a team that has a tradition of designing the prettiest cars in the world? Something else is going on here, on several levels.

Firstly, the Luce isn’t meant for us petrolheads. It’s meant for the tech bro community who apparently have a different taste to the rest of the world population. It’s quite simply an Apple car with some Ferrari logos on it, and a corresponding price. Ferrari even says so officially, talking about 80% of buyers being new to the brand. Personally I’m not sure that percentage sign should be there though – 80 buyers sound more likely.

*Never was the Prancing Horse placed on an uglier rear*

John Elkann has been at the helm of Ferrari as executive chair and head of the Agnelli family for eight years now. The Agnellis are as close to royalty in Italy as you can get, and through their holding company Exor, control large parts of Italian industry. Or rather, have controlled. Because Elkann has been busy in the last years disposing of many of these companies, including the sale of Fiat to Stellantis. Even before the Luce, he was criticized for ruining the Ferrari brand.

Elkann is also a long-term friend of designer John Ivy, and as said, Ivy was involved in the planned Apple car a few years ago. Elkann has commented publicly that he wants to reposition Ferrari such as to “lead what comes next”. If the Luce symbolizes this, it’s a bleak future indeed. It would perhaps be wise of Elkann to check where Ferrari makes its money.

*Elkann is probably right to ask for divine help with the Luce.*

The immediate reaction to the presentation of the Luce was an 8% drop in Ferrari’s share price, although it’s recovered a bit since. As you read this, Italy is still in uproar however. Pietro Ferrari, Enzo’s only living son, told critics to “try it, drive it, and you might change your minds”. But that’s just it. Of course you had to drive a Ferrari to fully appreciate it. But you never had to drive one to start appreciating it. Ask the car crazy kids taking photos of supercars on street corners about that. No one will queue up to take pictures of the Luce.

Ex-Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo’s did a good job of summarizing the whole debacle. Next to looking completely disgusted, he asked how anyone could put the Ferrari logo on this thing. And then, as he walked away, turned around and added “at least this is a car the Chinese won’t copy”. For all our sake, let’s hope he’s right.

F1 pitstop: Tik Tok Racing!

On May 17, 2026May 17, 2026 By ChristofferIn F1, NewsLeave a comment

The Monaco historical Grand Prix takes place every year at the end of April, a few weeks before the F1 GP which depending on the calendar, falls sometime between late May and early June. The stands and the circuit have already been set up so everything looks the same for the historical GP, except for the paddocks which have been moved to the outer side of the harbor.

Access to the paddocks is included in the entry ticket on the historical GP weekend, meaning you can circulate freely among F1 cars from many decades back to the mid-80’s for a very modest sum indeed. On the Friday practice day, entry including the paddocks is free. On Saturday which is qualifying day, it costs you 50 EUR. And on the final race day Sunday, you’ll have to pay 100 EUR. Or in other words, roughly what two champagne glasses would cost you during the F1 weekend a few weeks later.

*Of course a whole bottle of the good stuff would cost you more…*

From this year onwards, this makes Monaco’s historical GP, and other similar events in other places, not only the cheapest, but by far the most enjoyable way to experience F1 racing as we’ve come to know it through our lives and have learned to love it. Because what goes on this year on the official F1 circuit has precious little to do traditional racing.

F1 in the Tik Tok era is very different indeed, and it seems to me that everyone is trying to put on a brave face about it. I would love to do so as well but I can’t, which of course makes me feel like the grumpy old man I am. But when races are decided not mainly by driver talent or skill, but rather how well the recuperation of your car’s battery power is set up, I’m happy to admit that they’ve lost me.

We all knew this season would be different, and I described the main differences in my post before the season started. No one was really sure how it would translate around a circuit, but big promises were made. Notably, we were told that the new rules and hybrid engine combination would lead to far more takeovers and excitement.

*Especially the start in the first races of the season has been intense – less so thereafter.*

The pundits were right on that one – at least initially. The first two races of the season in Australia and China saw a lot of takeovers especially in the first half of the races, making the Swiss F1 commentator (who’s usually even older and grumpier than me) ecstatic, telling the audience how great this new format is.

What he failed to appreciate was that the takeovers had precious little do to with driver skill, at least in the classical sense, and a lot with vast power differences, coming about since drivers were still unsure how to best go about the battery recuperation. A type of excitement the FIA had certainly not intended occurred during the qualifying of these initial races as well, as the speed difference between two cars, one of which has a full battery and the other a depleted one, is massive. Also, that power can be a bit hard to control, as shown by a number of sudden spins around the tracks by drivers who usually have no problem at all handling their cars.

This being F1 however, teams and drivers learnt fast, and the team that from the start had shown to have the best package was of course Mercedes. Somewhat surprisingly, Kimi Antonelli showed himself more apt at handling the new car than George Russell. Young Kimi went on to win his first race in China and has since gone on to win a further two, now clearly leading the Drivers’ ranking ahead of his teammate.

*19-year old Kimi, the fastest driver in F1, even has a road driving license now*!

If Mercedes thus dominated the first three races, Ferrari looked surprisingly good in second place and it was truly great seeing Lewis Hamilton find some good speed for the first time at Ferrari. Surprisingly, McLaren were pretty far off the pace, and Red Bull even more so. Not even Max Verstappen could make anything sensible out of the Red Bull car and as we went into the unplanned, month long break as the Iran war broke out, it looked pretty certain that Mercedes would continue to dominate the season.

The war meant that the races in Bahrain in Saudi Arabia were cancelled, but also led to the FIA reviewing the regulations following the initial races. They did so partly out of some valid security concerns, but no doubt also following more or less legitimate complaints form the teams. And then there was of course Max Verstappen who kept talking about leaving F1 if things didn’t improve.

*Max is not amused – and that’s a problem for F1*

The technical changes that came out of that give a good illustration of what this year is about. This is how Honda described them on their website; “The maximum permitted recharge per lap has been reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ. This is intended to increase full-throttle running during hot laps, with the maximum duration of energy harvesting under “super clip” conditions expected to be shortened by approximately 2–4 seconds per lap.”

Right. You’ll be forgiven for not grasping that intuitively, but at the same time, it tells you all you need to know. F1 has gone from being about driving to counting MJ’s – which by the way means mega-joules. There were some additional changes to the power package as well, but I’ll spare you the description of those.

Judging by Miami, the first race after the changes, the FIA seem to have succeeded in evening out the differences between the teams, which in their view is certainly a good thing. Kimi Antonelli still won in Miami, but he did so ahead of the two McLarens and Max Verstappen, so I guess everyone’s happy, or at least happier, now. Unfortunately however, it seems the excitement went out the window with said changes as well. Miami was one of the most boring races in the last years, with practically no racing at all after the initial laps. I guess we can only hope things improve over the coming weekends.

*Lewis on the other hand is far happier – turns out Tik Tok racing works for him!*

A qualified guess at this stage is probably still that Mercedes will take the championship, but it’s still unclear if in the end, it would then be Antonelli or Russell – remember how Oscar Piastri dipped pretty significantly last year. Together with McLaren, Ferrari will most proabably be among the top 3, unless Red Bull find a bit more speed, which they could well be on the way to. Should that happen, perhaps even Verstappen will enjoy the new rules?

I feel as old and grumpy as ever writing this, but I also realize my generation isn’t the prime target for F1 anymore. Since becoming owners of the F1 circus in 2017, Liberty Media have done a stellar job of making F1 a worldwide success, notably in the US and also attracting the younger generation.

And for them it’s a whole different thing, since they have no clue who Michele Alboreto, Niki Lauda or Gilles Villeneuve are, nor do they care. They know even how a screaming V12 sounds through the Loews’ tunnel in Monaco, and probably think it should be called the Fairmont tunnel these days. For those of us who do remember, the historical GP’s of this world are definitely a better option!

The true cost of connected cars

On May 3, 2026May 3, 2026 By ChristofferIn NewsLeave a comment

New cars are expensive. Always have been, most probably always will be. They also drop quickly in value, which is something you’ve no doubt read a lot about on this blog, especially lately when I’ve done my best to convince you of the merits of buying some truly great cars from 10-15 years ago rather than a new one. This comes from my conviction that they present an unbeatable monetary value, combined with a build quality and materials you simply don’t find anymore.

As I’ve come to realize though, in today’s world, those older cars offer something else. You could call it independence, or perhaps freedom. Because contrary to modern cars, those slightly older ones are not connected to the digital world. Why that is important is something we’ll look closer at today. But before going there, let’s look at the monetary side of buying a new car today.

Let’s assume you’ve decided to buy a new BMW 5-series, petrol, hybrid or electric. What you’ll quickly discover is that in spite of investing a large amount of cash (and let me just remind you that the same amount would buy you a Merc CLS, a Maserati Quattroporte AND a Jaguar XJ8 and still leave you with change), things that used to be standard for the price class aren’t anymore. Unless you pay extra you’ll be expected to adjust your seats manually, and those seats won’t be heated. The plastic surfaces are included though, and at least the windows are still electric. And of course you’ll get the big, wide infotainment screen stretching over a meaningful part of the dash.

*Which screen functions you can use will depend a lot on which options you tick*

Naturally you will want that screen to have its full functionality, but that’s not something BMW (or any other brand for that matter) have included in the base price, other than a basic set of function. For the rest there will be a separate price to pay, and a pretty hefty one, parts of which will also be in subscription format, such as your live navigation. There’s nothing wrong with that but of course, subscriptions are a brilliant way of making us humans forget the full price of things.

Now, let’s assume we’re a few years down the line, and that new or recent car has come out of warranty. One day as you push the starter button, the big screen doesn’t turn on. You’ll try to restart and in most cases, it will eventually light up, but in some cases it won’t. As anything electronic, a screen can break (unusual) or run into software issues (mostly the case) making it non-functional. A rather amusing example of a breaking screen is the 80-year old father of a friend of mine who bought a new car and got so frustrated with the infotainment screen after a few weeks that he smashed his fist through it.

What he and others have then discovered is that fixing the screen is mandatory in a new car, since it won’t be drivable without it. Doing so will be a challenge however, since most garages are precisely that and not computer shops. Fixing will thus in most cases mean replacing, which for one of those large, big modern screens usually comes in somewhere between CHF/EUR 4.000-8.000. Let’s just say that it’s something to be aware of.

*…and even if the full screen doesn’t break, dying pixels becomes pretty enfuriating as well*

Having said that, as noted initially, buying a new car has never been cheap and we’re still only talking about money. Also, most infotainment screens will hopefully not break anytime soon. It’s time therefore to move over to another, non-monetary cost a new car’s connectivity. And that’s precisely the fact that it is connected. The whole time.

Your modern, connected car accumulates data on everything youdo while you use it and relays that on to the manufacturer. The car will keep track of how fast you drive, how you accelerate, how you brake, and how often you drift sideways. Equally (and much like your phone), it will know what you’re talking to you passenger about, what music you like, and what podcasts you listen to.

That information will flow back to the BMW, VW or GM headquarters, who will then be happy to share it with some of their business partners. Don’t think they’re allowed to? Read the fine print. In some countries, your driving behavior as recorded by the car already influences your insurance premium. Drive smoothly and never above 70 km/h and you’ll pay less for the same car than if you emergency brake on every journey. You’ll never know for sure though, as no one will be capable, or at least willing, to explain the detail of your insurance bill.

*A bureaucrat’s dream – everything’s connected, everything can be controlled*

A further dimension of the connectivity comes if your car is a BYD, Geely or Xiaomi, i.e. Chinese. Of course that also goes for Chinese manufacturers’ European sub-brands like Volvo or Polestar. In that case, the recorded information flows back to the company headquarters in China, where all companies are required by law to share information with the authorities on demand. And whereas the Politburo may not be interested by your braking pattern, they may well be so by where you go regularly, if for example you’re a military officer, or what kind of podcasts you listen to.

I listened to Xiaomi’s Chief Financial Officer on a podcast not too long ago. Xiaomi is of course the company that didn’t exist at the turn of the century and then built mobile phones until five years ago, when they decided to become a car company. Today they’ve become one of China’s largest EV manufacturers, and their 1500 hp top model, the SU07, set an EV record at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife of 7 minutes 4 seconds last year, three seconds quicker than a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.

When asked what he thought about European EV’s, the CFO said he thinks Europeans focus to much on the electric drivetrain and too little on the connectivity. “That’s really our focus in China”. I’m sure it is. It’s just that in other parts of the world, we’re a little less used to being surveyed by Big Brother as we go about our daily lives and our driving than the Chinese are.

*20 years go, this is what an interior, albeit a luxury one, looked like*

That said, don’t think for one second there aren’t politicians in Brussels and other places who would just love to use the possibilities your car’s connectivity offers them to meddle in your life in a very Chinese way. Because if your car is connected, information can flow both ways. So if one day some bureaucrat decides that people really shouldn’t drive faster than 80 km/h, well, it’s not a big step to just limit your connected car’s top speed at a distance. Don’t feel like taking a break every two hours? What if your car forces you to?

A Swedish researcher at the country’s Defence Research Agency recently said he wouldn’t buy a Chinese car for precisly the reasons mentioned above, and that he thinks it’s important that Europe stops being naive about these kinds of matters. I can only agree, but we should also not be naive and think we’re protected from all of this as long as we drive older cars. Jacking up both insurance premia and fuel prices is perhaps the most obvious way for authorities to influence the future, but I’m sure they’ll find others. For that, politicians seem to be very reliable.

For now though, they haven’t, and we’re still able to enjoy our unconnected cars as freely and unrecorded as we want to. That’s good and if you ask me, something to cherish and realize that it may not last forever. I don’t see myself buying a new car ever again (over the 23 cars I’ve owned, I’ve actually only done it twice, long before the digital era), but if you’re about to, you should be aware of what you get yourself into.

The gentlemen’s club on wheels!

On April 19, 2026April 19, 2026 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

I saw it on every morning walk with the dogs, down in the harbor close to our place in southern France. It was by no means in pristine condition, rather well used and a bit beyond what you could refer to as patina with a straight face. Quite a bit actually. However, the genuine elegance of the sweeping bodywork still came through and somehow, seeing it parked in the harbor close to the sailing boats felt right – the shape is one that I’ve always associated with an old, beautiful, wooden sailing boat.

The Jaguar XJ is one of the real long-termers in the car world. For most of us it’s been around for all our grown up life, and it definitely still counts as more of a mark of class and traditional luxury than most other cars. Seeing an XJ in good condition, as many of them still are, is typically not something you would associate with a car which today costs less than a Dacia (for US readers, the cheapest brand in Europe) even in the most basic version! Because if there’s something the XJ isn’t, it’s definitely basic!

*Dented and tired, but still with an unmistakable elegance!*

Let’s start from the beginning though and take a closer look at one of the legends of the modern car industry. The original Jaguar XJ in the form of the XJ6 was revealed to the world almost 60 years ago, in 1968. It would retain at least parts of its original DNA all the way through to 1994, when a new version, clearly reminiscent of its first iteration, was presented. The original car had a 2.8 litre, six-cylinder engine coupled to a 3-speed auto box. Jaguar had initially had far greater ambitions with plans both for a V12 and a V8 to go under the new car’s bonnet, but none of these engines were ready for the launch.

Even with a six-cylinder though, the XJ was a bit of a revelation. The elegance of the body combined with the sublime interior of wood and leather was something else, and very different to what other brands from Stuttgart and Munich offered. The XJ was also seen as the better drive, with notably lower road noise and more comfortable suspension than its competitors. The motoring press gave a nod of approval, which helped Jaguar to a good start for the new model.

Three years later, in 1971, the V12 was then ready to go into the Series 2 of the XJ, and completely transformed the car. With more than 100hp of extra power and much higher torque, it was the perfect engine for long trips across the growing road network in the UK and Europe. If the six cylinder had been more focused on economy, the V12 was certainly not, but it was an overall better fit for the car.

*You can’t see the V12, but you can almost feel it…*

The XJ continued to develop and improve through the 70’s and 80’s, with notably carburettors replaced by fuel injection, improving fuel economy (whilst still not making it anything to write home about…) and more power, climbing all the way to 300 hp. The next major update would follow in 1986, when the very 80’s looking, new XJ called XJ40 was launched.

The new car was easily identified on the outside, the new body being more square-formed, i.e. less boat-like than earlier cars. A clear sacrilege but also signs of the times were the shaded rear lights and the partly digital dash. However, the XJ40 was of far better build quality than its predecessors. Panels were lighter, the chassis was improved, all of it contributing to a more comfortable and even more silent car. The new, six-cylinder engine was also more economical.

Jaguar had been an independent company since 1984, having previously been owned by British Leyland. The Ford Motor Company in the late 80’s was looking to get into the luxury segment, which lead them to buy Jaguar for USD 2.5bn in 1989. It would come to form the basis of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group, which from 2000 also included Land Rover that Ford bought from BMW for another 2.7bn.

*Whichever XJ you choose, the club-like interior is always there. A good place to be!*

With Ford as new owner, pretty much everyone was convinced that would be the end of it. Jaguar would just become a sub-brand of Ford, indistinguishable from other Ford products, and with all the Britishness lost. Well, as it turned out, everyone was wrong, which is very refreshing to see given many other failed takeovers by US car groups (Saab anyone?).

Ford instead invested heavily in Jaguar and the next iteration of the XJ, the X300 from 1994, was thus a Ford product. It was also a car that went back to the origins in terms of the design. Over the coming 12 years, further updates internally named X308, X350 and X358 would follow, as would new engines, notably a new, 4-litre V8 in the X308 in 1997, and subsequently the 4.2 litre V8, both naturally-aspirated and supercharged, and well known from the Jaguar-Land Rover product range.

*The X308 is one of the most elegant daily drivers you can imagine!*

The last two iterations of the XJ with a connection to the original shape were the all aluminium X350 and X358 in the 00’s. In many aspects though, the looks was the only thing they had in common with their predecessors. Ian Callum had become Jaguar’s chief designer a few years earlier and would very much put his mark on the succeeding, new XJ from 2010 and onwards. He wasn’t able to do so with the already far progressed X350 though, so although he wasn’t happy with the XJ’s retro look, it wasn’t until the X358 that he could add some design elements that spoke more to him than to me. I find the X358 a bit too boxy and clumsy compared to its more elegant predecessors. It should also be noted that the two last iteration introduced a LWB version, giving rear passengers more legroom.

The first XJR, i.e. supercharged version, appeared already in the X300 in 1994 and after that became the sporty version of the range. In its first iteration, the compressor-loaded six-cylinder engine had around 325 hp, helping the car to 100 km/h in around 6 seconds, and on to a (restricted) top speed of 250 km/h. Later the XJR would be based on the 4.2 litre, 8-cylinder engine, with a power output close to 400 hp. There would also be further engine options, including a diesel from 2005 onwards, with which Jeremy Clarkson in a competition based on driving as uneconomically as possible, still managed to get a real world range of 1450 kms on one tank!

The whole new, Callum-designed car which replaced the XJ in 2009 means that our overview of the original XJ history stops here. Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata in 2008 for USD 2.3bn, less than half they paid for both brands around a decade earlier. That’s a heavy loss, which is also what anyone buying an XJ new has encountered. And that’s precisely what makes these cars so interesting today!

*The Callum-inspired X358 has in my eyes lost some of that elegance.*

I usually don’t dwell too much on car design since taste is an individual matter. When it comes to the XJ though, you can’t help by admiring the inherent beauty in everything from the original design, at least until the X308. The all-aluminium X350 and X358 are probably the best cars in the range, but as said, I feel they’ve lost a bit of that original elegance, especially the X358. And no, the 80’s XJ40 wasn’t great either. The others are though, in a way that’s very far from an S-class from Stuttgart or even what Rolls Royce and Bentley built at the time. The XJ has a natural, understated British elegance meaning that you’re never underdressed in one, irrespective of the occasion.

That elegance today costs you less than a Nissan Micra. Not only that, XJ’s have often had one owner only, who typically has been closer to retirement than to getting his driving license and has cared for the car properly. Many of them even come with far less than 100′ kms, even cars which are more than 20 years old. Today around 20.000 in CHF/EUR/USD is at the top of what you pay for really good cars, irrespective of version, including XJR’s. Earlier cars, today considered veterans, can be had for far less.

And it gets even better, because if an older XJ will require a bit of mechanical knowledge (or a corresponding budget set aside), most of the more modern ones are very reliable cars. Except for the regular checks you should do on all cars, be mindful of rust as well, including on the aluminium X350 and 358’s, as of the air suspension on those, and ensure that it works properly. Also, the roof lining has a tendency to start falling in and if so will need replacement. Engine-wise, all petrols are pretty bullet proof but the diesel mentioned above that Clarkson drove is a bit less so, especially if you do a lot of short distances. Be careful with the history of XJR’s though, as they may have been driven differently, and by younger owners.

*The X308 interior is arguably also as modern as you would like it to be.*

Given the solidity of both car and engine, higher mileages need not the first concern when looking for an XJ. As said, many haven’t been driven that much, and for those it might actually be more important to check that they haven’t been tucked away in a garage for a few years with resulting damage. Try them, and feel for yourself how the XJ tucks you in. It may be over 5 metres long but it never feels like it when driving it. Overall it’s a good, well-balanced and comfortable cruiser, for which even one of the more basic V6 engines will do the job perfectly.

An early XJ is a given in any oldtimer garage – why not the three-door coupe XJ, referred to as XJ-C, from the mid-70’s? As a daily driver, I’d opt for an X308. Modern enough and yet with all the elegance preserved. Why not in the shape of a four-litre, supercharged V8 with a very healthy 363 hp? If you’re concerned about quality, the later X350 is a more solid car which retains more of its elegance than the later X358.

Oh do we live in interesting times! You can buy a top XJ for 20′ and park it in front of the casino in Monaco without blushing. My CLS which becomes better by the day didn’t cost much more, and a few weeks ago we looked at the fabulous Maserati Quattroporte, which is in similar territory. You could actually by all three and still have money left over compared to buying a 2.5 ton EV which looks like it’s been designed by a four-year old with a ruler!

To quote Hagerty: “never stop driving”, but also, never stop doing so in style!

The five-door GT car!

On March 29, 2026April 18, 2026 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

A few weeks ago as I was having lunch with some long-term friends, someone came up with the idea of counting the number of cars we’ve owned in our lives. Before I was through with the first 10 years the others were done, all ending up with a total of 4 to 10. When I was finished, considerably later, having texted my wife in between to check if there wasn’t one car I forgot between the Audi and the Alfa, my total was 22. Then again, I’m the only one in the group writing a car blog.,.

Since then 22 have become 23, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating if I tell you that number 23 has been more of a revelation than most of the previous 22. Except for a couple of emergency cars bought for short term needs through the years, it’s also the first time I buy a significantly older car than the previous one – and definitely the first time I buy a GT coupe with four, or rather five doors!

*One of those emergency cars, a white Volvo 960 and rear-wheel drive, was far more entertaining than you’d think!*

As those who’ve followed the blog for a while know, I had my eyes set on a great GT to take me and Ms. D down to our place in southern France in style, now that a family station wagon is no longer needed. Many of the candidates have been featured on this blog, and the fact that they’re from the 2010’s rather than the 2020’s if of course no coincidence. To me, that corresponds pretty much to the peak car period for daily drivers. Modern enough to have everything you need, but not computers on wheels.

Anyway, Ms. D in her infinite wisdom reminded me that we have two dogs (cairn terriers for those with an interest) who travel in two dog carriers which are fixated in the back seat. In her view, getting them in and out is far easier with four doors than two. And as for luggage, was I really sure that whatever GT I had in mind had enough luggage space?

I knew where this would end. Of course she’d let me buy whatever car I wanted, it’s just that she wouldn’t drive it afterwards. Which makes it a bit of an awkward situation, especially if you’re away from home. So yes, female – and canine – extortion at its best. The problem of course is that she wasn’t wrong. My son came by and asked why I had sold the BMW, which he thought was an excellent car. Aren’t GT’s really for old people? he said.

*Guilty of hindering the purchase of a GT – Murphy & Douglas*

This was getting ridiculous. Am I the only man in the world who needs to drive around in a station wagon for everyone to be happy? Was there anything out there that would satisfy both me and my fellow passengers?

Getting a sedan wouldn’t really be any sportier than a station wagon. Replacing the BMW with an SUV didn’t make much sense either. And then, it hit me. There was, a few years ago, a car that was everything at the same time. Coupe, sedan and station wagon. And as I remembered it, because it was a while since I had seen one, it really looked the piece. Enter the fabulous Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake!

It was in 2004 that Mercedes showed the first CLS to the world, a car that looked like one of those style studies that usually don’t make it to production. It was positioned between the E- and S-class as the car for people who could afford not to buy the most practical four doors out there. In 2011 it was replaced by a heavily updated and better Mk 2, and the sedan was now complemented by the so called Shooting Brake, a stylish wagon built between 2012-2018 but only making up 20% of the total CLS production, and never sold in the US. To me, it’s always been one of the best looking cars out there.

*The original CLS was very futuristic when it was introduced in 2004.*

If Ms. D was going to get her two extra doors I was getting a V8, which anyway is the engine of choice for a grand tourer. That left two versions of the CLS to consider, the CLS 500 and the CLS 63 AMG. But having owned an E63 AMG, I remember it well as a car which, as great as it is, is a bit too sporty for the intended use. The 500 with its wonderful, bi-turbo, 4.7 litre V8 putting out around 410 hp and well known from other Mercs, seemed like the clear sweet spot in the range.

As said, not many Shooting Brakes were built. In the 5-litre version, production dind’t exceed 3-4.000 cars globally over the whole production cycle, meaning that finding one wouldn’t be easy. These things are rare, which is of course also part of the attraction. And then I saw it. A 2014 500 CLS Shooting Brake with 100′ km on the clock, almost fully optioned, and said to be in pristine condition, at a good garage close to Zurich.

That same car is now parked in my garage, or rather on my parking spot in southern France as I write this. As it turned out, it was in fantastic condition, from one previous owner who had serviced and taken care of it as if his life depended on it. The exterior Mercedes silver was combined with the exclusive, extended leather package in black with white stitching and the Dinamica suede-like roof lining, all in a condition close to new. I couldn’t help tinking back on the L322 Range Rover I drove a few weeks ago. Quality-wise, there was light years between the cars.

*My new GT – with a few more doors. Quite simply a wonderful machine!*

With a car which by now is 12 years old, how much have I had to sacrifice, compared to my BMW or another later car? Not much. I’ve never been one for big touch screens and 67 interior light colors, and evidently, that’s where most of the development budget has gone in the last years. Still, a head-up display would have been great, and I’ve always liked the ability to open the rear window of the trunk lid separately that BMW offers – or used to offer I should say, as they’ve scrapped it on the new 5-series.

The list of positives is far longer. Firstly that wonderful V8 engine, which is surprisingly vocal when you turn the key, but then falls back to a very pleasant, background grumble. If you want more, putting the car in sport will give you that, along with a more direct steering. Whichever way, it has all the power and torque you’ll ever need, and the sports suspension which can be regulated separately complements it perfectly on twisty roads. On highways, the softer, standard setting of the air suspension is great. That softer setting is precisely what you wouldn’t get in the CLS 63 AMG.

What’s most surprising is perhaps how tight the CLS drives. Although they’re similar in size, wife, son and I all agree it feels smaller and nimbler to drive than the BMW. The turn-in is very balanced with very little body roll. As I remember my W212 E63, it felt considerably heavier than the CLS does. Of course, it still eats motorways effortlessly, with very little outside noise, and with an overall consumption of 10.5 litres per 100 km so far, exactly the average I had on my Beamer. In other words, a 12-year old, 4.7 litre V8 doesn’t drink more than the more modern, 3-litre straight six of the BMW.

*As it feels, the quoted 408 hp could well be a bit more!*

Overall, the driving experience is a very pleasant return to how it used to be before the synthetic era. The engine sound is real, not artificial. The reverse camera, complemented by Mercedes’ excllent light diode system is all the help you need when parking, and doesn’t produce a concert of warning sounds. If I cross a line without blinking, the car doesn’t punish me. This is a car where you’re still in charge. I almost forgot Mercedes’s active seats as they used to be, bolstering the support as a function of G forces. Mercedes haven’t offered those in years now.

Coming back to the quality aspect, it’s crazy to think this is what Mercedes used to be like until about 10 years ago. What the hell happened? There’s more metal in the sill of one door than in the whole interior of a new car. The quality of the leather that covers most surfaces, the metal switches and knobs, even the Harman Kardon sound system – it’s all on a wholly different quality level to cars these days, and it’s not a level we’ll ever see again.

*Proper dials, metal pedals, superb quality – as Mercs (and others!) used to be!*

The CLS cost about CHF 143.000 as new in 2014, and I bought it for less than 20% of that. I would have opted for the matt rather than the shining wood inserts, but I haven no problem living with it, and it doesn’t change anything in this feeling like the deal of the century. My car came fresh from service, with new winter and good summer tires and one year full warranty. At that price residual values don’t really matter, but still, I think CLS’s could well gain in value going forward, given how rare they are, especially the Shooting Brake.

It’s certainly a stretch to call my five-door beauty a GT car, although I would claim it ticks a lot of those GT boxes but also adds a lot of practicality without sacrificing the form. Above all, it’s a rare thing which combines character with quality from the a bygone era, all to the growl of a great V8. As good as it was, that character and feeling of exclusivity was what the BMW lacked. I plan to update the infotainment to include Apple Car Play but that’s pretty much it. I love it and plan to keep it for a long time. Then again, I realize that my 23 car track record doesn’t lend me much credibility saying that. For now though, it’s great to be back in the Mercedes world – as it used to be!

Driving the L322 – is the hype deserved?

On March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 By ChristofferIn News, Test drives, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

It’s hailed as the best ever by people who are the heroes and grand old men of the car world, and quite a few others who are not. Jeremy Clarkson and Harry Metcalfe qualify in the former category, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z and of course, the late Queen Elizabeth in the latter. They all own or have owned at least one, and they generally refer to them as the best car ever.

I’m talking about the L322 Range Rover, a car that is currently riding higher in terms of buyer interest than most other automobiles of any kind. Prices for the few that are left in reasonable condition and mileage range from high to ridiculously high. Is it all warranted? Is the L322 actually better than its successor, the L405, as its supporters claim, and given how close top examples of the L322 are to the L405 price-wise? Alternatively, could it be that this is just an unwarranted hype?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to drive an L322 for the first time. I did so on the back of an increasing number of voices and Youtube clips hailing the Range as a gem not to be missed. What many of these mentioned as an advantage over its successor, the L405, is the slightly smaller size, which especially in width makes a big difference in European parking garages. With this in mind and for all the hours I’ve spent watching Clarkson and Harry Metcalfe, it was high time to try out the machine they consider as the best ever for myself.

*The greatness of the L322 is one thing which Clarkson and the Queen agree on!*

Before going into that actual experience, let’s start by looking a bit closer at the L322 and its 10-year history, ranging from 2002 to 2012. It succeeded the P38 as the third generation of the Range Rover and was developed under BMW’s ownership of Land Rover, with a budget said to have been three times that of the P38. It clearly signalled BMW’s intention to make the new Range Rover a 7-series with terrain capabilities, but before the project reached production, Land Rover was sold on to Ford, and it was thus under Ford ownership that the L322 was launched in 2002.

Given the car was fully developed by BMW, Ford launched the new Range Rover with two BMW engines. A 3-litre, 6-cylinder diesel with a somewhat paltry 177 hp, given the car’s considerable weight of 2.7 tons. The 4.4 litre, V8 petrol was clearly the better, albeit thirstier choice. Both these were replaced during the new Range’s first facelift in 2005 in favour of two engine options derived from Jaguar. The 3.6 litre, V8 diesel was now 100 hp more powerful, and the eight-cylinder, 4.2 litre petrol is generally considered one of the best and most reliable engines out there.

Further facelifts followed through the years, updating the L322 in small steps both technically and interior-wise. The last happened in 2010 and was the most significant, as the two engines were again replaced by a larger, 313 hp 4.4 litre diesel V8, and a 5-litre supercharged petrol V8 with 510 hp. An 8-speed ZF auto box replaced the earlier 6-speed box, and both the engines and gearbox were later carried over to the L322’s successor, the L405, in 2012.

*An inteior (here post 2010 facelift) which is fine, but looks better at distance.*

The car I looked at was a 2010 (post facelift) 4.4 litre V8 diesel with as little as 99.000 km on the clock. To put the mileage into context, at the time of my test drive, this was one of only five (!) cars for sale from the whole range across the main markets in Europe with less than 100.000 km’s on the clock. It’s far easier to find cars that have done 150’, 200’, even up to 300’ km’s. L322’s are thus used rather heavily by their owners, which as long as they’re well maintained, is a good sign. However, even if you push the limit to 150′ km’s, we’re still talking no more than 20-30 cars all over Europe.

Furthermore, to describe what the current market is like, the seller of this car had already been contacted by 5-6 people from all over Europe when I called him only a few hours after he had listed the car. One buyer from Holland was particularly insistent and was ready to buy the car unseen. Of course I had told the seller I was interested and would decide quickly if I liked it, and luckily for me, he preferred a buyer from across the Zurich lake rather than from 800 km away. We thus decided to meet up the next day.

The grey L322 certainly looked far less fancy live than it had in the pictures of the ad, squeezed as it was against a garage wall. First impressions are important as we all know, and the seller could certainly have done a better job here. That said, there was nothing wrong with the car on the outside, and although the inside in beige-brown was perhaps not the most obvious color combination, it was fine. The cabin felt even more airy than in my L405, a function of you sitting even higher with even bigger windows, and everything seemed to be working as it should, which is never a given with a Land Rover.

*Unfortunately, “my” L322 looked less good in reality than on the pic’s.*

The diesel V8 spun to life and did a very fine job during the test drive we went out on together. It’s clearly a perfect power unit for the car, having no trouble at all with the 2.7 ton weight, notably thanks to all the torque you could wish for. It’s also considered reliable as long as you don’t do all your miles in the city or on short distances, and service it regularly. The whole driving experience was actually surprisingly similar to an L405 in a good sense, with the only exception being an even more indirect steering, meaning a hole lot of wheel turning at roundabouts. Otherwise the drive was completely unproblematic and, with the power at hand, actually quite entertaining. Clearly, this was a car you could do long miles in.

With the driving box thus ticked, I started checking things out in the car, in other words, in the interior L322 enthusiasts will tell you is so great because it’s full of large switches and controls that you can operate with your gloves on. I’m not sure why you would need to do that given to my knowledge, all L322’s have a good heating system, but indeed, switches are big and easy to find. When you do so, you discover they’re made of surprisingly cheap plastic, and when you start looking around, you notice that other parts of the cabin aren’t as nice as they look on distance either, but rather on the cheap side.

The seats were great though, and I agree with many people who say they’re better than on the L405. The sound from the Harman Kardon loudspeakers was fine, but the infotainment system is of course completely outdated, and according to the seller, lacked a reliable bluetooth connection to your phone. That’s of course easy to fix but slowly but surely, small details added up to a car which in spite of all its character, didn’t speak to me. It just felt old.

*Most L322’s, even late ones, will not be flawless in terms of rust. Many other cars of similar age are…*

We made it back and before handing back the keys, I checked how rusty the exhaust and rear suspension were, because they’re typically not flawless. It wasn’t dramatic, but superficial corrosion could be seen in various places. It didn’t help the general impression, and unfortunately the service history didn’t do so either, not at all being as complete as the seller had told me. The rear brake discs didn’t have far left, and the seller didn’t know when they’d been changed last. As I’ve said so often, you should always scrutinize a car’s service history carefully, and if there’s one brand that’s especially important for, it’s any kind of Land Rover

I never really had a serious interest in the car but if there had perhaps been a small thought in that direction lingering in the back of my mind, it was gone. This car wasn’t for me, and I don’t think another representative of the L322 would have been so either. I say this having driven many cars from the 2010-2015 period, including an L405, which as you know I consider as one of the peak car periods, but none of them has really felt old as the L322 did. Looking at it somewhat objectively, there’s really no doubt that the succeeding L405 is a better car in practically all areas, except perhaps for the working horse usage the Clarksons of this world use the L322 for, most probably with their gloves on.

If the L322 speaks more to you than it did to me, be aware that you’re part of a growing crowd of prospective buyers looking for very few good cars still out there. More than ever, general condition, mileage and service history should be in focus. In terms of engines, you can find endless discussions on forums as to which one is best, but for most types of usage, the 4.4 litre TDV8 will be pretty much perfect and do the job at 10-11 litres per 100 km, For petrols, the 4.2 litre is generally considered more reliable than the 5-litre V8, but be aware that engine didn’t make it over the last facelift, meaning you’ll have to do with a 6-gear box and a less modern car.

*The only 5-litre in good condition for sale in Switzerland. At 150′ km, CHF 38′ is a steep ask…*

The market reflects this pretty well, with cars from after the last facelift being the most difficult to find and the most sought after. Be prepared to pay EUR 30-40.000 for really good cars, whereas EUR 20.000 will get you a well looked after 4.2 litre from before the last facelift. The 5-litre petrol is very rare, at least in Europe, and prices asked can go even higher. If you find one of those, you’ll want to check potential timing chain issues, something the engine is known for in the L322.

In conclusion, I politely disagree with Clarkson, Metcalfe and the queen, as I don’t think the L322 is the best car in the world. It certainly is far more suitable on Clarkson’s farm and other terrain-related usage, which is, after all, what it was intended for. As said, you can certainly do big miles in it, but if that’s the intended usage, I can make a long list of cars in that price segment I would consider better at it.

With that said, the L322 market is ultra hot and the car I looked at sold the following day for the ask of CHF 30.000. If you take your time and find the right car, you should be able to limit your downside and even enjoy a bit of upside, as prices will most probably continue to rise in the coming years.

The 2026 F1 (r)evolution!

On March 1, 2026March 2, 2026 By ChristofferIn F1, News1 Comment

When I publish this, we’re one week out from the first Grand Prix of the F1 season 2026 down in Melbourne. And on 27 February, Netflix very timely released the latest season of “Drive to Survive”, giving everyone (or at least most of us) enough time to go through the intricacies from last season before the 2026 engines start revving down under. Melbourne usually attracts around half a million spectators during the F1 weekend, making it one of, if not the best attended F1 event during the year.

I will unfortunately not be one of that half million people, but the question is really what the lucky ones will get to see this year. Because the 2026 season promises to be very different indeed. To most, the question seems to be not whether it will be better or worse, but rather how much worse it will be. The changes to the cars are so big that experience could count for less than in many years, potentially leading to completely new podiums. Time will tell but for now, let’s dive in for a closer look at what it’s all about.

Before looking closer at the new cars, 2026 will see a new team with two old drivers (in all senses of the word), a rebranded team (Kick Sauber becoming Audi) but just one rookie, in stark contrast to the six we had last season. His name is Arvid Lindblad which sounds very Swedish to the Swedes among us. Sadly for us, Arvid is a British driver with a Swedish father and an Indian mother, who’s come up through the Red Bull Academy to take the second seat at Red Bull’s junior team Racing Bulls, next to Liam Lawson.

*Arvid may discover that being a rookie in 2026 is better than in many years!*

This comes about as Isack Hadjar in his second F1 season moves to Red Bull, replacing Yuki Tsunoda and becoming Max Verstappen’s seventh team mate during his tenure at the team. The move is logical in the sense that Hadjar drove really well in his first season and managed to be in the points in 10 races, making one podium in the Dutch GP as third. As for Tsunoda, he stays with the team but in the role of test driver. No, that’s not a promotion, it’s the price to pay for being the 6th driver who didn’t succeed as nr. 2 at Red Bull. Let’s hope nr. 7 does better.

The only other driver move in 2026 is Sergio “Checo” Perez and Valtteri Bottas returning to F1 to drive for the new team on the grid this year – Cadillac. The team is the first to join the F1 circus since Haas did so 10 years ago, and they will also be the last unless another team pulls out. Team principal Graeme Lowdon has built the Cadillac team from the ground up, choosing no less than 500 people out of 143.000 applicants! That says something about how big F1 has become on the other side of the Atlantic.

The Cadillac cars will for now be powered by Ferrari engines. GM is however working on their proper engine, currently expected to be introduced in 2029. That means that next to the two drivers, Cadillac at least has a reputable engine up its sleeve. That’s it however for the good news, since most pundits agree that it will take at least a few years for the team to establish itself in F1. Any points scored in the coming season would thus be a rather big surprise.

*At least no team beats Cadillac in driver experience!*

Moving on to the cars, there is a long list of differences compared to the last years that risk turning the season pretty much on its head. The first thing, visible to the eye, is that the cars are smaller. Their minimum weight has been reduced by 30 kgs, as has their maximum width and length. It’s also easy to spot that tires are thinner both in the front and back. What you won’t see as easily is an important reduction in down force of around 30% compared to the 2025 car. If you’re driving at 300 km/h, that makes a pretty big difference!

All of the above is supposed to make the cars nimbler, reversing the trend towards more bulky cars seen in the last years. Because along with the reduced down force comes an even more important reduction in drag, all contributing. to the cars “dancing through corners” in official F1 language. I guess we’ll see about that, but a condition for any kind of dance will be the power unit, and it’s here that changes are the biggest.

The new cars aim for a 50/50 split between combustion and electric engines, meaning the former sees a reduction of power to 400 kW (about 536 hp), the latter a boost of nearly 300% to 350 kW (about 470 hp). Another big change is the elimination of DRS, with cars instead having a Z-mode for cornering with increased downforce, and a low-drag X-mode configuration for increased straight line speed. This is referred to as active aerodynamics, and the X-mode also has a manual override function, allowing the driver to use more power for overtaking when a car is at or closer than one second ahead.

*The new power train, here in an Alpine, is nothing for the handyman in the back yard…*

If you think that sounds complicated and perhaps slightly over the top, you’re not alone. Of course teams would most probably have complained whatever changes had been introduced, but given the changes more or less alter what F1 has been about so far, the critique from both teams and drivers is understandable. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that the changes improve what we all tune in to see every two weeks: great racing.

Some of the biggest concerns raised include the complexity of the power train and hereby reliability issues. Another point is the start procedure, where drivers will have a very small window to correctly rev the engine, creating enough turbo pressure whilst also taking into account the somewhat delayed electric power. The two active aerodynamic modes will mean more sliding on straights whilst fast corners can be taken more easily, fundamentally changing the required driving style. Finally, it’s unclear whether overtaking will be possible at all.

To understand this last point, drivers will need to manage their electrical power carefully as batteries will otherwise deplete half way down the straight, meaning no extra power available for overtaking. They can do this in different ways: by lifting, coasting, or taking corners in lower gears, meaning lower speeds. Quite obviously, none of this comes naturally to an F1 driver, and the skills that traditionally separated the good from the great, such as not lifting when going through Raidillon in Spa, will be far less in demand.

*Raidillon used to separate the wheat from the chaff. Not anymore…*

Quite obviously, drivers aren’t thrilled about all this. Max Verstappen has made some comments in the direction of the fun of driving being gone, and him not seeing the point of going on if that’s the case. Charles Leclerc sees potential big issues with overtaking, and many others seem more confused than anything else. Unfortunately, the level of confusion wasn’t really reduced during pre-season testing, rather the opposite.

Teams have had two three-day testing sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain pre-season. All teams except for Williams, who weren’t ready for Barcelona, participated in both. Aston Martin had massive issues during both sessions and only managed to complete 1/3 of the laps of test-leading Mercedes. Their main issue was, unsurprisingly, reliability. Among the top teams, all of them completed more than 1000 laps. However, time differences between them and the mid field are far larger than they used to be, up to several seconds per lap. It will be very interesting to see how that turns out racing-wise.

At this stage, I’d like to keep an open mind and hope all of this turns out better than it sounds on paper and we all expect. In a way, it will be interesting to see if the experienced drivers or the younger guys manage to adapt quickest to the new driving style. Hopefully we’ll get some real racing with races being decided by great driving and not power depletion. And hopefully, drivers will all find it fun enough to be worth their while. If not, the “new” F1 risks becoming one of the more painful sacrifices on the altar of world’s electrification!

The best four doors ever!

On February 15, 2026February 15, 2026 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

Enzo Ferrari is a name that probably rings a bell even if you don’t have the slightest interest in cars. The father of the most legendary sports car brand of all needs no further introduction, as my portrait of him on this blog back in 2023 hopefully showed. Less well-known, and arguably less legendary, is Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s president until 2014 who was a central figure in the development of many modern Ferraris. Again, I did a portrait of Luca almost exactly a year ago, which will notably tell you that he started with the company back in 1973, moving up the ranks to become its president in 1991.

di Montezemolo is instrumental to this post, because it was him and no one else that in the late 90’s was appalled to see that Italian politicians and other VIP’s had to resort to being driven around in German limousines, as Italy at the time did not produce anything that fitted the bill. The Lancia Thema 8.32 may have had a Ferrari engine, but it was old by then and never on par with an S-class. Ferrari was only building two-seaters, and Maserati, which at the time belonged to Ferrari, had a Quattroporte, meaning a four-door, four-seater sedan, but the 90’s version, which was the fourth iteration of the Quattroporte, was far too small for a limousine.

*The fourth series had its charm, but not the same looks – and it was far smaller.*

This had to change, and so di Montezemolo’s Ferrari group started developing the stately limousine that became the Quattroporte series V, one of the most elegant cars that’s ever been built and the first Ferrari four-door. Yes, you read that right. The fifth series Quattroporte may have carried Maserati’s neptune trident logo, which you can also admire on a fountain in the middle of the brand’s home town Bologna, but for all intents and purposes, it was a Ferrari, including the wonderful engine and the far less wonderful single-clutch automated manual transmission, here called DuoSelect.

Pininfarina was in charge of the design of the new Quattroporte, giving it a look that is the very definition of timeless elegance. It does without any wings or spoilers, something Pininfarina has never been a fan of, preferring sweeping lines that require no special effects or drama to come into their own right. A quick comparison with the Chris Bangle-designed 7-series from the same period illustrates the point quite well. The Quattroporte brilliantly conveys its class through small details like the trident logo on the c-pillar and of course, the three side skirts behind the front wheels, Another way to look at it is that the fifth series Quattroporte looks as good whatever the color, perhaps the best testament to a truly great design.

*…including in white, usually not a very attractive colour!*

What the outside promises, the inside doubles up on. Leather of the finest Italian quality is complemented by wood inserts along with alcantara notably for the roof lining. The look is distinctive and elegant, with a comfort to go with it. In spite of the car being over five meters long (5.09 metres to be exact), room in the back isn’t opulent, but sufficient for four to travel in great style.

And yet, all of this is secondary to what you find under the hood, home of essentially the same Ferrari V8 as in the F430 or 458. Initially at 4.2 litres, the V8 in the Quattroporte delivers a healthy 400 hp with a sound you won’t hear in a new car ever again, modern regulations have made sure of that. At idle the Quattroporte growls impressively, and as the revs rise, so does its tone. It’s quite simply a wonderful engine that I promise will give you goose bumps every time, even if you were to drive the car as a daily. Maserati have also placed the engine as low and as far into the car as possible, meaning it sits behind the front axle.

The DuoSelect gearbox risks giving you goose bumps as well, however for a completely different reason. The single-clutch, automated manual is fine on long distances or for real sporty driving, as it kicks in the gears like a true racing car, and being a transaxle construction, it also gave the big limousine an almost perfect weight distribution of 47-53. Unfortunately though, the gearbox is far less great in slow-moving traffic or any kind of hill start or parking. On one hand for the jerkiness of the gear change, but also since its construction means that any such driving formally eats the clutch, and letting the car hang in first gear during a hill start will make you aware of this through a distinct smell of burned clutch.

*A lovely interior, with the DuoSelect box distinguishable by the small reverse handle*

The fifth series of the Quattroporte premiered in 2003 with the above mentioned engine and the DuoSelect gearbox as only option. It generally received a good reception from the motoring press with praise going mostly to the engine and the ride, with the standard-fitted Skyhook adaptive damping, Unsurprisingly, the gearbox was far less appreciated. In 2005 two specific versions called Executive GT and Sport GT were added to the line-up, the former with more luxury, the latter, you guessed it, with more sportiness, notably an X-shaped sports exhaust that gave the Sport GT the best tone of them all, a metallic growl worthy of a true race car.

In 2007 Maserati then bowed to the pressure from its customers and replaced the DuoSelect box with a six-speed automatic from German ZF. Or rather Fiat did, because by then, Maserati had passed from the house of Ferrari to the house of Fiat. The change of gearbox however meant major changes to the whole car, as the box was now moved forward to sit right behind the engine. Roughly 25% of all parts in the car had to be changed as a consequence, and the weight distribution became slightly less favorable at now 49-51. Given how much better the new gearbox was, most buyers found this very easy to stomach.

What is generally considered the best pick of the Quattroporte range is the Sport GTS from 2008 onwards, the sportiest version of them all. Chrome parts were here blackened and the suspension was changed to conventional Bilstein dampers rather than the Skyhawk setup, generally considered better. Wheels were bigger at 20 inch, the grille was turned inward, all giving it a more aggressive look. In the same year, the engine volume was increased to 4.7 litre and 430 hp in the Quattroporte S and Sport GTS versions. The Series V was discontinued in 2012, and unfortunately replaced by two far less charismatic cars – the Ghibli at around five metres and the new Quattroporte at almost 5.3 metres, comparable to an extended S-class.

*The Sport GTS looks more purposeful – especially fron the front.*

Of course, a five-meter, two ton limousine isn’t in its element in the city. It’s built for the large Autostrade or sweeping country roads of Italy and elsewhere, and it’s here the car really comes into its element. The steering which can feel a bit dead at lower speeds is now communicative, the ride is subtle, and the car is a better drive than any automobile of this size should be allowed to be. It’s difficult to fault it, and in this environment, it’s really irrespective of version. Perhaps even more surprisingly, Quattroporte’s have a generally very good reputation quality-wise, often scoring better than S-classes of a similar age. If, and this is one of the biggest if’s you’ll ever read, if and only if they’ve been properly maintained.

No luxury limousine is cheap to run. Big engines and considerable weight means maintenance costs for, next to the engine, things like dampers or air suspension, brakes and tires will be high. In a certain way, the often low price of the car is only the entry ticket to a hopefully happy ownership. If you can’t budget the necessary maintenance costs, then it’s generally better to stay away. Which of course also means a need to ensure that the previous owner or owners (the fewer the better!) have done so as well.

The above has never been more true than for the Quattroporte. Some of these are very cheap, meaning around EUR 10.000. The general rule is to steer away from those, or any car which doesn’t have a complete owner and servicing history. Let me illustrate why. Remember the DuoSelect gearbox? If badly driven, the clutch could need replacement already after 20.000-30.000 kms, and will most certainly have to be changed at twice that, even if you treat it with silk gloves. That replacement is about EUR 5.000. A pair of break pads is around EUR 600, which is interesting since the pads are identical to those on a Mercedes ML, where they cost EUR 50. A pair of disc brakes will be EUR 1.000-1.500. And so on.

The implication of this is of course that if a perfect car with perfect history costs 5.000 more than a less perfect one, that will be the best 5.000 you’ve ever invested. The good news is however that if annual servicing intervals have been maintained at a serious garage, then the engine is pretty bullet proof, and slightly higher mileage needn’t therefore be a deal killer. That goes for the gearbox as well – the six-speed automatic that is, which is the only one you should get. As for the rest, at least statistically, a Quattroporte won’t be worse than any other luxury limousine, but it will always be more beautiful and incite more emotions!

The day I have more time and space, meaning that five-place garage I’ll never find as long as we live in Switzerland, then a Quattroporte is probably the first car I’ll park there. To my mind, it’s quite simply the best modern Maserati. I’ll follow my own advice above, going for an automatic but not caring too much about the version, or even whether it’s a 4.2 or 4.7 litre, both are great. I’ll park it so that I can admire it every day, in whichever color it is, and I will most probably used it as a daily, to enjoy the best engine sound in the world over, and over, and over again!

The value of a handbag

On February 1, 2026February 5, 2026 By ChristofferIn News, OpinionLeave a comment

Handbags is an area I’m not very knowledgeable about. In our by now 28-year marriage, it’s been covered by my better half, in the last years with some support from our daughter, now in her mid-twenties. It’s by listening to the two of them that I’ve picked up that there’s handbags, and then there is Hermès. A Hermès bag is not something you walk into a shop and buy, even if you have the (considerable) cash necessary. Rather, it’s a bit like Ferrari in the car world. You can’t just buy some of them as you need to be part of the chosen ones to do so.

In a post back in October, I asked the question if Porsche was going bust, following Q3 results that showed a quarter on quarter loss compared to 2024 of 96%, I concluded that for a variety of reasons you can read more on in that post, that’s not the case, but also, that Porsche in spite of many qualities, does not have the brand value of a Ferrari – or a Hermès handbag.

If Porsche doesn’t, then the same can no doubt be said about the brand which invented the automobile, Mercedes-Benz. And unfortunately, a vulnerable brand is not the only thing the two have in common. Today therefore, we’ll turn our eyes to Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, Mercedes-Benz’s home since more than 100 years, because the odds are that it won’t be for the coming 100.

*Perhaps the most classic S-class generation of them all – the W116.*

Bar Ferrari’s home town of Maranello, more legendary cars have come out of the Sindelfingen plant than any other car plant. If however you were to choose one model to embody the brand, it would most probably be the S-class, the car which not too long ago made up over 40% of sales in the luxury limo segment.

In 2022, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius laid out the brand’s new strategy, calling it “economics of desire”. What he meant was basically that Mercedes should become a Hermès on wheels. He did so on the back of massive price hikes since 2019, made possible through demand outpacing supply after the Covid years, and Mercedes recording a EUR 20bn profit in 2022 with close to a 15% profit margin. As the strategy was laid out, it seemed the Sindelfingen brand and its CEO could do nothing wrong.

Actually the trend reversal had already started, although no one had really paid attention. In late 2021, Mercedes had sold its truck business. Boring certainly and not sexy at all, but a very reliable profit generator. Trucks were no more, only the smaller delivery vans were kept. And around the same time, the new electric S-class, the EQS, was launched.

Since it was shown to the public the first time in 2021, the EQS had received at best a lukewarm reception. Sure, it was an engineering masterstroke to design a car with a 0.20 wind resistance coefficient, and Mercedes were convinced it would sell on efficiency, in spite of its hefty price tag.

But efficiency is never what drove sales of the S-class, or any other luxury limo for that matter. Prestige is, something the EQS lacked. The soap-like, rather ugly outside was complemented by a high-tech interior rich in cheap plastic, all in all a package which was far from what S-class buyers were used to. The EQS lost on average 48% of its value in the important US market in the first year and not much less in Europe. Today, it’s not even hard to pick one up for less than a third of its original price.

Then, again under the banner of efficiency, Mercedes introduced the new, four-cylinder hybrid C63 AMG. The fall from grace that the AMG brand has seen is a story of its own, from being a builder of exclusive, mostly V8-powered cars, as described in my post from 2021, to being reduced to a sticker put on the sportiest version of every product line. The 2-litre, four-cylinder hybrid C63 received dismal reviews and will go down in history as a schoolbook example of not knowing your client and their preferences.

*While the outside looked good, it wasn’t pretty under the hood*

As if that wasn’t enough, the Chinese market that has been Mercedes’s cash cow in the last years, started to change. Domestic brands brought new cars to market much quicker than their European counterparts, and especially younger, local buyers started seeing the Stuttgart brand like something their parents drove. Since 2023, Mercedes has lost 1/3 of its new car sales in its most important market. from around 750.000 to about 500.000 cars annually.

As the new year starts, Mercedes is no doubt happy to leave 2025 behind. Its profit dropped over 30% in 2025 compared to the year before, and corrective measures were urgently needed. With Källenius and the management team under severe pressure, they seem to at least have recognized the issues and have started to correct the gravest errors. No less than 40.000 workers have been offered to leave, and costs should be reduced by at least EUR 5bn until 2030. However, in the important US market, Mercedes is like every other European car maker subject to 15% tariffs on all cars built outside of the US, which for Merc includes notably the S-class.

As for the cars, restoring quality and reducing cheap plastics is high on the agenda. Combustion engines are making a comeback, and there’s even talk of future AMG’s running V8’s again. Is it too little too late? The future will tell and odds are certainly not rosy, not least as unlike Porsche, which is backed by the mighty Piëch family, or BMW, supported by the no less powerful Quandts, Mercedes doesn’t have that kind of backer or anchor investor. Over 70% of its shareholding is widely spread, and two of its larger, institutional shareholders are, of course, Chinese.

Mercedes will not go bust in 2026, there is still money in the bank. Hopefully, things can improve quickly, and confidence in the brand can be restored. It feels a bit strange as a simple blogger to state what should be obvious to the management team, but since it doesn’t seem to be, here we go: listen to your clients, that will not only save you a lot of time and effort, but perhaps even your brand.

Before we end, this was also the week when Elon Musk announced the first part of transforming Tesla from an automaker to a robotics company. The Model S and X will be discontinued in the coming weeks, on the back of the company’s first quarterly and annual revenue decline ever. That turn of events is something I predicted in my post on Tesla from the spring of last year, saying at the time we didn’t know what the future direction of the company would be, after cars. Well, now we know.

When the company that changed the auto world by introducing electric cars for the masses essentially leaves the industry, it’s a testament to things having changed for good. When it comes to EV’s, the future will be Chinese. When it comes to combustion cars, we can only hope that there is a future, in Sindelfingen or elsewhere, and that we get to keep them as long as you can use a Hermès Kelly bag!

Introducing the ToD podcast!

On January 25, 2026January 25, 2026 By ChristofferIn NewsLeave a comment

Dear readers,

It’s been my distinct pleasure to write this blog for more than 10 years, and rest assured that I will continue to do so going forward. In an age of various types of media, I also remain a fan of the written word. However, being myself an active podcast listener, I’ve come to appreciate the format which presents many advantages, notably that it can be enjoyed in various places – for example, while driving!

It’s therefore my pleasure to introduce the Thrill of Driving Podcast, that you will find on Spotify (explicit link below). The podcast consists of a spoken version of the blog posts, and new posts will be featured on the podcast around a week after being published here. As time allows, I will also record old posts and add these to the podcast, so content-wise, it will hopefully grow quickly!

Going forward, I therefore leave it up to you whether to continue reading the posts, or rather listening to them. And if you really can’t get enough of them, you’re obviously most welcome to do both! The first post on the podcast is the one from last week, on the wonderful Alfa GTV. Enjoy!

Spotify podcast link: https://open.spotify.com/show/46ekmy018NiBwMKQkbPyhg?si=a7176a0395444a05

Ciao bella!

On January 18, 2026January 18, 2026 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

As noted in my recap of 2025, one of the most read posts on the blog is the one I made on what my generation, i.e. the X-ers born in the 70’s, understand as “the” Alfa GTV. However, as those slightly older or just more read up on the topic know, that GTV wasn’t the first model to carry the name, but the second. Its predecessor, the Alfa 105 series, was however originally called the Giulia 1600 Sprint before being renamed GTV, and as a two-door coupé, it’s no doubt one of the most classic examples of Italian car design in modern times!

The story of the Giulia Sprint, later GTV (which of course is a short for Grand Touring Veloce, meaning fast), starts in the early 60’s when Giorgietto Giugiaro, later to become one of Italy’s most well-known and acclaimed car designers, was still a young man. He hadn’t set out on his own yet and was working for the even more well-known Bertone house, for whom the Giulia Sprint, both Sedan and Coupé, would become one of its first major projects. For the Coupé that we’re concerned about today, Giugiaro gave the world a design that is certainly not timeless and doesn’t deny its 1960’s roots, but which still looks as dynamic, compact and sporty as ever!

*An early 105 in the wonderful Alfa yellow, deeper in colour than the Ferrari yellow.*

All Giulia Sprints / GTV’s had the same basic engine, being an all-aluminium, two valve per cylinder, twin-cam four cylinder with volumes from 1300 to 2000 cm3 and 105 to 130 hp, a very modern engine for the time. All models also came with a five-speed gearbox and disc brakes all around, meaning that technically, the Giulia was way ahead of notably the British competition. For better or worse, it was ahead in price as well. It cost about as much as the king of the hill, the Jag E-Type, which of course had a far more exciting engine and was arguably more exciting to look at as well. Sales would therefore need a while to take off for real.

The very first Giulia Sprint was presented to the world in 1963 with a 1600 cm3 engine which, thanks to two wonderful Weber carburetors, took the power to 105 hp and enabled a top speed of over 180 km/h. The 4hp more powerful Veloce version came in 1966 and was replaced by the 1750 Veloce the year after. The most powerful version 2000 Veloce premiered in 1971. From 1965 onwards there was also a 1300 cm3 GT Junior version, which through its lesser volume was advantageous tax-wise in Italy. Equipment was somewhat simpler and at 89 hp the smaller engine was also less powerful.

It’s mostly the 1750, 2000 and Junior that have survived until today, and they were also the models with the largest production numbers. The first two had not only more power, but also more equipment and from around 1970 also a better suspension, with McPherson struts which helped improve the handling even further. So in symmary, the Junior no doubt sold on its looks, but also on a lower price and a lower tax if you were in Italy, whereas the larger engine versions found buyers on their elegance, sportiness, and southern prestige, none of which really diminished until the end of production in 1977.

*Later cars had a more purposeful look through the four eyes.*

As noted above, the Giulia/GTV was a modern car for its time and in comparison with other sport coupés or roadsters from the same period, notably from the UK. However modernity also meant more maintenance and a higher degree of craftmanship. When it was still possible to fix an English roadster with some rather basic tools (VERY long-term readers of this blog may remember I literally fixed my Triumph TR4 with a hammer back in the day…), the Giulia required more finezza, meaning it was more expensive to maintain. And as so often, that lead to many owners not doing so.

For those who did and cared for their GTV, it was and still is a wonderful drive. As noted so many times before, a size of just over four metres for 950 kg weight means you don’t need much more than 120 hp to make you feel like you’re going fast enough, and the Alfa delivered those in high comfort and low road noise (for the time). The engine received much praise, as did the precise five-speed box with a gear knob positioned perfectly to rest your right hand on, and the disc brakes. Bar the fact that you’ll be looking into other people’s 23-inch wheels given how low the car is, I would claim that a GTV presents no issue at all in modern traffic.

*The interior was purposeful as well, with notably innovative headrests on later cars.*

While doing my research for this post, I came upon a test drive of a 1750 GTV from 1968 from a British car magazine where a journalist had set out on a 1000-mile drive from London up to Ireland and back. It was a highly entertaining description from another time of everything from cows and logs on the road (hence the requirement for good brakes) to the Alfa’s well-polstered rear seats, that made them “more comfortable than in a 911”. People were indeed much smaller back then… The journalist was right though; Alfa initially wanted to call the Coupé a four-seater but in the end, opted for 2+2. Which is also true, but indeed, a 2+2 offering far more room than a 911 in the back.

The article however also mentioned a few problems that developed during the long drive. Most serious among them was certainly a beating transmission tunnel on what was then a new car, which takes us to the quality aspects of the GTV. In short, quality was so-so, as was generally the case back then, but even more worrisome than mechanical issues was the rust protection, or rather the more or less complete lack thereof. That led to an early demise of many thousand GTV’s spending their lives outside of sunny Italy, and also to those still being around practically all having been renovated. Then again, that’s not really extraordinary for a car that by now is over 50 years old!

The GTV is thus not only pretty but also a true driver’s car, and one that is as fun today than back in the 70’s, perhaps even more so given how automobiles have evolved. The later versions are the most mature and objectively the best, and whether it’s a 1750 or a 2000 is rather irrelevant. Everything will anyway depend on the condition and most probably, the quality of the restoration that has most probably been done. Prices have shot up in the last years with decent cars starting around EUR 40-50.000. Then again, that’s what you pay for a new Mini these days.

Another way to enjoy the Alfa 105-series’ looks as a modern drive is as a restomod, and the GTV is popular with many small outfits focused on preserving the classic design but modernizing the mechanics and the chassis. I wrote about restomods in a post back in 2021, notably highlighting Alfaholics in the UK, who do a brilliant job with the 105-series in this regard. So as full classic or modern classic, the choice is yours. Whichever way you choose, the original 105-series GTV will always be a true classic and a wonderful example of Italian car design!

Practicality or Prestige – the 10% car

On January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 By ChristofferIn News, Test drives, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

Back in the late summer of what is now last year, I made a highly unscientific study on secondary values, or the lack thereof, comparing electrical vehicles (EV’s) to internal combustion engines (ICE’s). The conclusion was that all types of cars lose massive amounts of money in the first 2-3 years, with EV’s still losing more than ICE’s on average. There is however one segment of ICE’s that lose value quicker than anything else – the full-size, four-door, luxury sedan.

Big sedans have been unloved for quite a few years, in an inverse relationship to the increasing popularity of SUV’s. You could certainly study the causes at length and draw various conclusions, starting somewhere a few thousand years ago when we still lived in caves. What I mean is that a very small share of the driving population in the Western world has any kind of need for the terrain capabilities of an SUV. They do however prefer the high position, the feeling (and actual) security it gives its passengers, and in many cases, no doubt also the looks and the impression a big SUV conveys to the plebians.

The thing is though, that before we “invented” the modern SUV, those feelings, especially the one of having made it, were conveyed by luxury sedans, and as long as you don’t spend your times on terrain routes in a wood somewhere, that’s clearly the better car type, feelings and instincts put aside. Likewise, from a practicality and traveling perspective, a modern station wagon is also a better choice than an SUV, but again, doesn’t convey the same superiority feelings as an SUV. Who ever claimed humans were rational? Certainly not me – including in this regard, given my old Range that I sold a couple of years ago and still regret to this day.

*“My” 740d with the M Sport package and thereby a black grille, optically making it smaller.*

Speaking of station wagons, shortly after I had bought my 540i Touring, I remember a BMW aficionado telling me that I had made a good choice, since in his words, the 5-series these days is 90% of what a 7-series is. So putting all of this together and perhaps even assuming that given their dismal secondary values, big sedans maybe set for a comeback, I figured it was time to have a closer look at least at one of them, namely said BMW 7-series, and to test the 90% theory for real.

My choice fell on a 2021, G11 7-series, built from 2015 to 2022 with a significant facelift in 2018 that gave it cooler rear lights and a bigger grille. There was a lot of talk about that grille at the time, since it is indeed on the bigger side, but all that was quickly forgotten when BMW presented the current 7-series in 2023 with a grille the size of a barn. It’s of course a matter of taste but I find the post-2018 model the nicest of the bunch, also corresponding to the same technology level as my 5-series.

It’s also of similar size to my 5-series station wagon, at least in the standard version. Many 7-series are sold as “L” for Large or Long, extending them by roughly 30cm to about 5.4 metres, quite a lot for European roads and also quite unnecessary unless you transport dignitaries in the back seat more or less regularly, which I don’t. The standard version therefore makes most sense, and given I was more interested in the car type than the engine, I opted for one for sale close by. As it turned out, it was a 740d, meaning a three-liter, straight six-cylinder diesel engine with 340 hp and 700 Nm of torque.

*Nothing for the timid, but one hell of a presence in chrome, especially in the “L” format!*

It seems the engine type was secondary not only to me but also to secondary values, since petrol and diesel trade at similar money, even between smaller and larger engines. Naturally the top of the line, V12 M760i still commands a higher price, however not in percentage compared to its price as new. For the whole range therefore, it means that cars like the one I looked at, being 3-4 years old and with 40-70.000 kms on the clock (55.000 kms in my case), can be had for less than a third of their value as new. It’s difficult not to consider that a bargain! At least in Switzerland, that means that you also have another 30-60.000 kms of free service to look forward to, as new cars sold here from BMW (but also from Audi, Merc and others) come with free service up until 100.000 kms.

If the engine type doesn’t show price-wise in the pre-owned market, it definitely does so when you push the startebutton. I hadn’t driven a diesel for quite a while but on idle, there is still no question the engine burns oil. That said, once you’re at speed, you don’t hear anything from the engine (as you shouldn’t), the 8-speed ZF box harmonizing perfectly and imperceptibly with it. The engine is smooth as silk and the torque is immense, with an acceleration from 70 km/h to illegal speeds leaving very little to wish for. And with that, the 740d will consume about 6.5-7l / 100km on long trips (around 34-36 MPG), which is truly impressive given the power at hand and the 2.2 tons the thing weighs in at.

For obvious reasons, coming from a 540i of the same generation, the car felt very familiar, with some subtle and a few more obvious differences. On the subtle side, there’s a bit more leather here and there, and some switches feel of higher quality. On the whole though, it doesn’t convey the same luxury feel as an S-class does. The car is also slightly quieter than a 5-series, and surprisingly enough, pretty much as good, essentially meaning light-footed, to drive. The big beamer shrinks around you and doesn’t feel big at all, and the steering, which I find a highlight in my 5-series, works just as well here. Comfort mode is softer though, with a corresponding light steer feel, meaning Sport mode would be my standard setting.

*An interior I’m familiar with, with fantastic seats. High quality, but not on S-class level.*

The clearer differences are essentially three: firstly the seats, which are oh so plush and comfortable. The leather is of very high quality and the whole seat makes you relax before you reach the first traffic light. The same goes for the backseat I might add, given the car type. Secondly, the 7-series has air suspension, and although the standard springs aren’t bad, there is a clear difference to floating on air cushions. Lastly, the Harman Kardon system in the 7-series adds a few loudspeakers compared to the 5-series system and sounds better. The big brother can also be had with a Bowers & Wilkins high-end system which I would definitely go for, having never experienced a bad-sounding system from B&W.

if you do a lot of long-distance motorway driving, it’s difficult to imagine a better companion for doing so than a 7-series (or I’m sure, a Merc S-class or an Audi A8 for that matter, although the 7-series is more of a driver’s car compared to the other two, especially the S-class, and I personally find it best-looking of the bunch). And although I’m not a diesel fan, the perspective of doing so at 6.5l / 100 km with a 78 liter tank means you wouldn’t see much of the pump either, which is certainly a plus.

With all that said however, the BMW guy was right in terms of the 540i being 90% of a 7-series. The interior is about 90% as good, as are the seats. The sound level is around there as well, as is the suspension and the sound system. What remains, given their similar size, is then the body itself. And even if the 7-series has a huge boot and a ski trap, a station wagon will always win in practicality. Where it looses however is in the prestige department, where a luxury sedan will always beat a station wagon.

*It’s a great car, but it will never win any prestige prices…*

To me, that makes the 7-series a 10% car, which doesn’t sound very flattering. The question is really whether to value practicality or prestige higher. Seen on its own, the big Beamer is a fantastic travel companion that you’ll actually enjoy driving on roads which are not highways as well, whilst enjoying the sublime comfort only a true luxury, air-sprung limo gives you. And at current prices, it’s definitely a bargain.

Whether you prefer it to an SUV is a personal choice, but there’s no doubt it’s the better car type of the two for the type of driving and travelling most people do. And should you be in the market for a 5-series sedan (other than the M5…), you should definitely give the 7-series a try before deciding. I would claim it gives far more bang for your buck than the little extra it will cost you. The envious looks that come along with it are then for free!

Happy New Year!

On December 21, 2025December 21, 2025 By ChristofferIn Opinion1 Comment

2025 is coming to an end and here in Europe, the real Christmas spirit is currently losing the fight against an area of high pressure giving lots of sunshine, but not much snow. That’s a shame, since a bit of the white stuff helps lighten up what is otherwise the darkest season of the year.

What lightened up December this year was thus not the snow, but rather what came out of Brussels earlier this week. Drumroll: the EU has eased the ban on combustion engines (ICE’s) from 2035. The talk is now not of a complete ban, but rather a 90% CO2 emission reduction target by then, a formulation that also leaves the door open for fuels considered emission-free, such as e-fuels. Whatever the percentage, the real news here is of course that at long last, manufacturers have managed to convince the geniuses in Brussels of the disastrous implications of their policies.

*German chancellor Merz was especially happy, given the size of the German car industry…*

Some things are more important being right about than others, and I would count this as being at the very top of my list. I’ve written for years that the cap won’t last, and even though it’s not entirely lifted, the EU has now left the door open to further amendments, and as sure as Santa has a big white beard, you can be of this only being the beginning.

Manufacturers were obviously thrilled at the news. I’ll let them be represented by Håkan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo Cars, one of the brands that set out on a fully electrified fleet years ago and were adamant of this being the only future. Now Mr. Samuelsson sings a different tune. Apparently he’s discovered that “you cannot force people to buy something they don’t want”. A shame you don’t read this blog, dear Håkan, it would have saved Volvo a lot of money and you a lot of trouble!

Looking back at the most popular posts during the year, it seems the love of the wonderful Alfa Romeo GTV6 is still as strong. I wrote this post back in 2021, more than four years ago, and I’m obviously thrilled that so many of you still find it worthwhile. In the post, I said that you could find a good GTV6, i.e. the six-cylinder version, for around EUR 20.000. In hindsight it would have been a good time to do so, since the GTV’s are getting rarer by the day, and a good one is now close to double the price from four years ago.

*As cool as ever, but increasingly expensive!*

One of my most exciting drives this year was clearly the Porsche 991 Turbo S back in April, and the post on that was also highly popular. It turned out not to be the car I was looking for (and still am, by the way), but it’s no doubt a fabulous car and above all, a fantastic engine. Having said that, I personally still prefer the 997 over the 991, and I would certainly not mind having either in my garage. I guy next to me at a Christmas lunch this week has a garage consisting of a 911 (964) and a Landrover Discovery. A pretty ideal setup, were it not for the fact that the Disco spends a bit too much time in the repair shop. The 964? Not so much.

Beyond these two posts, it’s a pretty even mix of various topics that gets read more than average, which hopefully indicates that you like and appreciate the rather unplanned mix of stuff you find on this blog. With that said, suggestions are always welcome, so if you feel there’s too little or too much of anything, please don’t hesitate to say so in the comments.

So what does 2026 have in store for us? As mentioned in the last post, F1 is in for a major overhaul with more significant changes than at any time in the last 10 years. I’ll come back on this in a separate post before the start of the next season, but it actually bodes for even more excitement, which is great.

*Don’t know about the looks, but a new M3 is always exciting!*

In terms of “normal” cars, a new BMW M3 has been announced, or rather a new 3-series, of which the M3 will obviosusly be the main feature. There will certainly be both electric and hybrid, or perhaps even pure combustion engine versions, and let’s hope that the M3 turns out a bit smaller and above all, lighter than the current M5. There’s also rumours of Chevy Corvette SUV – yep, you read that right, but it’s not more than rumours at this point.

Other new cars include a replacement of the Audi TT, a new version of the discontinued BMW i8 (and here, a post on the previous version is coming soon), a smaller Mercedes G-Wagon, whatever that means, and of course, Ferrari’s first electric car, the Elettrica. It won’t look like the Purosangue but is said to be a four-seater, with a lot of the components developed internally at Ferrari. Apparently it won’t be silent either, but rather make electric noises. Grazie Ferrari, but I think I prefer the singing of a V12.

All in all, 2026 should be a decent car year, especially now that there’s also some hope for the future of the cars we love. I wish you all a happy holiday season, wherever you may be, and look forward to bringing you new stuff in 2026!

F1 pit stop: …and the winner is…

On December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 By ChristofferIn F1, News1 Comment

…Lando Norris! In the end by a margin of two points on Max Verstappen, and 13 on his team mate Oscar Piastri. In my before-last F1 update back in June that you’ll find here, yours truly wrote: “I would claim we’re well beyond it (referring to halfway into the season, my remark) in terms of seeing where the season is heading – and the color of that is a solid orange. That’s however not the orange of Max Verstappen and the Netherlands we’ve gotten used to, but rather the papaya orange of McLaren!

Given the double Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles McLaren took this year, I guess I could say I was right, but of course, what I meant at the time was that McLaren would dominate the rest of the season as they had the first part. In my defence, I think few would have contested my statement back then. Only a few weeks later however, Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner was sacked, and the summer thereafter became somewhat of a turning point, making the fight for the F1 Drivers’ title 2025 the most exciting it’s been since 2010, when Sebastian Vettel clinched it as one of four contenders in the last race of the season, also in Abu Dhabi.

Until the end of August this year, McLaren had won 12 of the 15 races, split 7-5 in Oscar Piastri’s favour over Lando Norris. Of the remaining three, Max Verstappen had won two, and George Russell one. Piastri was at the time in a relatively comfortable Championship lead, with Lando Norris a solid second. Verstappen at most was all of 104 points behind Piastri. It all looked like a McLaren internal fight for both world titles, with not even Max Verstappen being close.

*Up until and including the Dutch GP in August, it was all very papaya orange!*

From September onwards we had another nine races, including the last race of the season today in Abu Dhabi. George Russell won his second race of the season in this period, but that’s the only similarity with the first 2/3 of the season. Because of the remaining eight, Oscar Piastri has won none, Lando Norris has won two, and Max Verstappen no less than six. Going into today’s race, the three of them thus all had the chance to win the Drivers’ title, something that hasn’t happened in years.

Digging into this a bit closer and starting with Max and Red Bull, it’s no doubt true that he’s done far better in the last part of the season, meaning more or less since the departure of Christian Horner. The conclusion has to be that letting go of Horner was the right move, as it’s pretty clear the team does quite well without him. However, all of it is neither on the back of Horner, nor of Max’s doing either. McLaren has combined mistakes with a bit of bad luck since the summer, helping Max unexpectedly get a renewed chance at the title. And with Max, that’s really all he needs.

It started in Austin, where none of the McLarens finished the sprint race, which Verstappen won. In Las Vegas, both papaya cars were disqualified for skid wear (referring to too much wear on the plank running below the car, meaning it could run lower than allowed by regulation). Again, Verstappen won the race. And as late as last week in Qatar, when Norris was supposed to tie it all up, for some inexplicable reason, McLaren was the only team not to pit in a safety car phase early in the race, leaving both Piastri and Norris in complete limbo with some hilarious radio conversations between the drivers and the team we all could listen to taking place. Who won the race? You guessed it.

*Max didn’t need much to be back in the game when McLaren ran into problems.*

This isn’t meant to take anything away from Max Verstappen though. Until the end of the season, everyone would agree that McLaren had the better car, but in spite of that, as soon as there was a glimmer of hope, Max stepped it up and grasped it, pulling what feels like 130% out of the McLaren car in a way only he knows the secret of. It didn’t take him all the way but boy was it close, and as many that agree that McLaren had the better car would probably also agree that Max Verstappen is still the best driver.

It’s worth looking at bit closer at Oscar Piastri as well, who after winning seven races in the first part of the season, and having been on the podium in 13 of the first 15 races, has only been so three times since the summer. F1 veteran Martin Brundle named five reasons for this turnaround for the worst, being head, luck, setup, tracks, and Norris. I won’t go through all of them and it’s no doubt a mix of everything, also including team orders and tactics, which Brundle didn’t name. Piastri is a very good soldier, never contesting team orders and playing it all by the book. It pains me to say so, but that’s not exactly the traits of a world champion (did anyone mention Max?).

Behind McLaren and Red Bull, Mercedes-AMG has emerged as a solid third, even beating Red Bull in the teams’ classification. Much of this is thanks to Kimi Antonelli’s fantastic driving in his first season, scoring no less than three podiums and 150 points (that’s three podiums and 117 points more than Red Bull’s second driver Yuki Tsunoda…). That’s not bad for a 19-year old, and although it’s only less than half the points his teammate George Russell scored, the pair is more complementary than many would have thought.

*19 years old and doing a splendid job in his first season. A coming world champion?*

In comparison, what happens down in Maranello has us all scratching our heads, especially when it comes to Lewis Hamilton. How can it be that a seven-time world champion doesn’t manage it beyond Q1 in the last two qualifiers when his teammate Charles Leclerc does so with a margin? Plenty of theories are going around, essentially boiling down to Lewis at one end complaining and calling his first season at Ferrari a nightmare, and others pointing out that as a 40-year old driver with seven world titles, you should perhaps be able to make it beyond Q1, and if you don’t, that it’s perhaps time to say arrividerci.

I would tend to agree and also point out that it would be good for Lewis to change his tune before the team loses confidence in him as well. Ferrari is a Latin outfit which Seb Vettel and especially Schumi learnt to handle and exploit fully, but which Lewis seems to struggle with. That’s a bad direction to go in, especially when you’re 40 years old and cash a very big cheque. Before the season, I would definitely have put the Ferrari duo ahead of Russell and Antonelli at Mercedes, again showing that my predictive powers are about as reliable as worn-down Range Rover.

The other teams are all miles from the leading four, but it’s worth mentioning Williams who for many years were at the very back of the field but who now regularly score points with the well-functioning duo Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. They both scored a similar amount of points (Albon at 73, Sainz at 64), with Carlos notably finishing third in the before-last race this season in Qatar. That’s nice to see, although it’s difficult to see the team moving further up the ranks.

*Things are going well at Williams, and Albon and Sainz have emerged as a great duo.*

As we close the books on 2025, we do so with Lando Norris as brand new world champion and McLaren thus taking the double. Seen over the full season, I would say it’s well deserved, as he’s been more constant than Oscar Piastri over the full season, and McLaren has clearly been the best team. Max Verstappen finishing second, only two points behind, is no doubt a disappointment for him, but far more than he could have hoped for a few weeks ago. Oscar Piastri’s disappointment is no doubt bigger, having basically had it all in his own hands back in September.

Of course, Piastri will have a new chance next year, as there is little doubt McLaren will be among the top teams then as well. It’s difficult to say more though, since the 2026 season will see a total revamp of the cars, with major changes notably to the power unit, chassis and aerodynamic rules. More on that next year before we start off the season 2026, but even as we conclude 2025, we know that it will be a tall order for the new cars in the new year to beat the excitement of the 2025 season!

Look for your very own Peak Car!

On November 23, 2025December 28, 2025 By ChristofferIn News, OpinionLeave a comment

Hardly a day goes by without negative news from the car industry, especially the premium German brands. Talk is of falling sales, rising inventory and risk of bankruptcy. And a look at the car market tends to validate the concerns – gone are the days when a new Porsche 911 GT3 was worth more three months after delivery. The same goes for the Ferrari 296 and other models from previously infallible brands. This isn’t a completely new phenomenon, but rather one that started with the hybrid supercars a few years ago. the Ferrari SF90 provides a good example of a car that has only fallen in price since new, in spite of having more horsepower than any Ferrari before it.

Car pundits scratch their head, advancing various theories. Electrification is certainly one explanation, and one I’ve touched on here as well. The billions that went into producing EV’s that no one bought could certainly have been put to better use. Car Youtubers also advance the view that manufacturers have forgotten the enthusiasts, and again, Ferrari is mentioned as the prime example. Let me however present you with a far simpler theory, that I’ll develop further below: whether in supercars, sports cars or family hatchbacks, the world has moved beyond Peak Car, and except for what goes on in the market for the ultra wealthy, buyers don’t find the large piles of money new cars command worth it anymore, as they don’t see new models being fundamentally better than previous generations.

*The new 5-series. Had someone told me it was Chinese, I would have believed them.*

As an example from last week, I watched a German car Youtuber comparing BMW’s new 5-series station wagon in the top diesel version, the 540d, to the previous 540d from the G31 generation, the same generation as my 540i. The G31 was from 2021 and had more than 130.000 km on the clock but was fully loaded equipment-wise, and in immaculate condition. It was for sale at EUR 39.000, whereas the new car with less equipment cost far more than EUR 100.000. The question was whether the new car was worth the difference. The answer wasn’t clearcut.

On the positive side, the new car consumes about 10% less fuel than the previous version, thanks to a mild-hybrid system. It is said to drive slightly sharper and has a bigger infotainment screen (I’ll let you be the judge over whether that’s a positive or not). The list of negatives is unfortunately far longer. It starts with the bland body style, where the side is now completely flat, given it’s cheaper to press that way than with the more dynamic lines and shapes that characterized the G31. When you open the door, there’s no metal door sill with the M logo greeting you anymore. In fact, there’s no door sill at all. The plastics are of the cheapest type throughout, and both the seats themselves and the leather on them seem of lesser quality than on the previous model. Finally, the new car is down 17 hp on power, but weighs 200 kg more. You can thank the same mild-hybrid system for that.

It used to be that when a car brand such as BMW introduced a new generation of one of its large volume models, no one would even question whether it was better the previous generation, that was a given. And yet, at the end of my 20-minute Youtube clip, the conclusion was not at all obvious, even when the older car had more than 130.000 km on the clock. Up to you whether you would invest around EUR 70.000 more for the new 5-series – I know I wouldn’t.

*The G31 M5, here in CS shape. Oh how far we’ve fallen…*

To me, the G31 is the better car, but it’s not perfect. The fact that in 2020, BMW wasn’t capable of building parking sensors that work with less than a 2-3 second delay is a mystery. This means the car will sound warnings the whole time given the number of sensors, but they’re so delayed so that in the end, you have no idea where the obstacle is. The cameras aren’t of much help, as the angles and lines are so confusing I still haven’t figured them out after more than 35.000 kms. The gesture control is certainly more a gimmick than an essential feature and not one I would have optioned had I bought the car as new, but it’s quite enfuriating not being able to move your right hand without changing radio stations. The lane keep assist is completely useless, as the car floats between the two lines to an extent that makes it look like whoever’s driving is drunk.

Of course, other features are more useful. The adaptive cruise control is one, and it works great, even in stop and go. The side warning against crossing traffic when you’re in reverse has saved me a couple of times. Having recently driven down to southern France at not very legal speeds, I would claim 8.5l / 100km is an excellent value, as is the sublime comfort of the car. It’s just that pretty much all those things were there already around 10 years ago. What wasn’t, and what’s been introduced in the last years, except for larger screens, are things like gesture control or 67 different interior colours. And complicated hybrid systems that make cars hundred of kgs heavier.

In terms of family cars, my peak car is probably around the mid-2010’s. My E63 AMG was a great example. It had enough modern features, some of which worked even better than on the 540i. It had one interior light color which was all I needed. And above all, it had a wonderful V8 engine, without any complicated hybrid system, and with around 560 hp that had no trouble whatsoever with the 1850 kg weight. Everything felt solid as a rock.

If you look at sports cars and supercars, I would claim the logic is the same. Sports car buyers aren’t especially interested in hybrid systems in general, and especially not when they make the car 200 kg heavier. They don’t need all the infotainment features, and would prefer switches to tactile surfaces. And very few people would feel they need over 800 hp – in fact a regular criticism of the Ferrari 296 is that at 830 hp, it has too much power. Remove the hybrid system and you’re left with 660 hp at less weight. If you had the option, would you even think twice about it?

That said, Ferrari has a brand value like no one else, and you only need to look at the stock price over the last years to see that they’re clearly doing quite a few things right. They may well have forgotten about the enthusiasts, at least those with limited resources, but they certainly haven’t forgotten about their best clients, since over 80% of new cars go to existing Ferrari owners. This means that the brand from Maranello can allow itself things that othe manufacturers can only dream of. Ferrari is the Hermès of the car world.

That enviable position is something none of the big German brands have, and as argued previously, the active dilution of BMW’s M-division and Mercedes’ AMG by sticking corresponding logos on a few models of every line-up has made the whole thing worse than it needed to be. These guys are all volume producers, as is Porsche, and if people stop buying the new cars in volumes, especially the top models, there’s a big problem.

*Not even the pretty stunning 992.2 GT3 preserves value llike its predecessors*

To come to some kind of conclusion, I don’t know anyone interested in cars who thinks what’s on sale today is exciting, or anywhere near something that could be referred to as Peak Car. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who talk about the cars built 10-15 years ago with some nostalgia. In a couple of weeks, I’m sharing a Glühwein with a reader of this blog who’s thinking of the BMW 635 CSI as a possible daily. I haven’t planned drinks with anyone who has questions on the new, 2.6 ton M5 Touring.

Things are not about to look up for our beloved German brands anytime soon. They can’t revert to things as they were before, even if they wanted to, and I’m not even sure they understand the issue, even though it’s pretty much painted on the wall. That also means that many of them are probably doomed in the longer term. We don’t need to be, however. We don’t even need to move to other brands, but rather think about what we really value in our cars, which of the ones we’ve owned we look back most fondly at, and which of those would cover our daily needs. Many of those will come from the same brands as before.

*I seem to recall having one of these in the garage. Still looks far better than any new BMW!*

For me, that means the 2010-2015 era for everyday cars, and perhaps the 00’s for sports cars (I’d pick a Porsche 997.2 any day over a 991.1, or why not make a deal on a 997.1 that has had the IMS issue fixed? The price difference in the market is hardly motivated). Your era may be another one – for another one of my readers, it’s for some reason the 90’s Land Rover Discovery. The point is that there’s no absolute Peak Car – it’s up to you and your preferences. The only thing absolute is that it’s not what comes out of the factories today. A well-kept, low mileage example from whatever era is your Peak Car will most probably make both you and your wallet happier, and holds it value better, than what they’re trying to sell us today.

Driving the Speed Demon!

On November 9, 2025December 28, 2025 By ChristofferIn News, Test drives, The Dream GarageLeave a comment

My music-producing son and I don’t agree on everything in music, but on many things we luckily do. I struggle with some of his modern stuff, and he definitely does so with some of what I like from past decades. We do however find common ground quite frequently, which from my generation includes for example Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and Genesis. And also on Michael Jackson (MJ) being the best pop singer of all times (and Quincy Jones definitely the most legendary producer!).

In 1989, said MJ wrote a song called Speed Demon, which relates perfectly to this week’s post. Googling will tell you the song is about driving fast, but if you dig a bit deeper, you’ll learn that more specifically, it’s about MJ himself driving so fast on his way to the studio that he got a ticket. Those two things, driving fast and getting not one, but most probably lots of tickets, is something you definitely should plan for if you go anywhere near the Bentley Continental GT Speed in the top of the line, 6-litre, W12 version.

*“My” Continental against a suitable background…*

“Here we go again” some of you may think, he’s on about a Bentley again. You would have a point since I wrote about the Conti in 2023 and it’s also been mentioned in various other posts. However that’s never been in the top Speed version and until recently, I didn’t realize what a difference that would make. The opportunity to find out practically jumped at me when scrolling through interesting car ads, something I suspect I’m not the only one on this blog having as a favorite pass time…

The car in question was a 2014 Speed in the W12 version in dark blue with a blue-brown leather interior, fully serviced and with one owner since new. With 110.000 km on the clock, the ask was CHF 57.000 (about USD 65′ / EUR 60′), from a new price of around CHF 250.000. 2014 means second generation which is good, and the seller’s garage was of a type you could imagine doing business with, which isn’t always the case when it comes to old Bentleys (then again, those cars tend to have had far more than one owner…).

In the quest for the perfect transport for my better half of me to southern France, I thought I may just have found it, and after a quick call, I met up with what turned out to be Zurich’s nicest car salesman. He had previously spent a few years as a salesman at Schmoll, the leading garage for Rolls Royce and Bentley in Zurich, before setting up his own business. Next to “my” Continental, his showroom had a nice collection of further Bentleys and a few Rolls Royces, along with a few supercars and some more ordinary stuff.

*I’ve always liked the Continental’s shape, especially in the 3/4 angle*

The Conti was stunning. A deep metallic blue which, bar a few small stone chip marks on the front, was in beautiful condition. The dark blue-brown interior may have sounded strange on paper but turned out to be the perfect combination. Classy is very much the word. The salesman told me the car came from one owner with a full service history from two Bentley garages in Switzerland. No less than 11 stamps in total, one per year. “It’s a Bentley” he said with a smile when I questioned whether this wasn’t overdoing it a bit?

That perfectly colored interior turned out to be perfect in all other aspects as well, and looked like it had left the factory yesterday. It was a reminder of what I’ve been on about before, namely that leather doesn’t equal leather, and no car this side of a Rolls makes that clearer than a Bentley. Combined with the metal knobs, chrome and wood details, the thick carpet and the leather lining, this was an exquisite place to be. It also included the obligatory Naim premium sound system, as the regular one is really nowhere near worthy a car that was CHF 250.000 as new.

We took the Conti for a spin and I asked the salesman to come with me. I had no intention of doing anything foolish with this impressive piece of kit, and he was a nice guy with far more knowledge about the car than me, so I was keen to talk a bit longer to him. Leaving the garage we made it to the highway in a few minutes, the right environment for this big GT. Driving down the half circle access ramp, it struck me that there was practically no rolling at all and throughout the half hour drive, I was stunned at how well-balanced, direct and light the Conti felt to drive. Clearly the Speed’s stiffer suspension setup and the 22-inch wheels helps a lot.

*You see the real quality of an interior after 110.000 km…*

Nice as they look, those wheels do however contribute to more road noise than you would expect. A few minutes on a Swiss highway, typically better surfaced than highways in surrounding countries, made clear that the Bentley was not quieter than my modest Beamer, and louder than my previous Range Rover. You certainly don’t need to shout to your passenger, but it’s also not as silent as you may, and probably should expect.

And then the engine was at temperature, and everything I’ve written so far went out the window.

I didn’t floor it but rather pushed the pedal about half way. The thrust that followed is something only a 12-cylinder can produce. There’s a guttural roar building in strength as you’re pushed towards the seat, much like in a big airplane accelerating down the runway. Where a V12 from Maranello or Sant’Agata will give you a Pavarotti pitch, the Bentley rumbles in an impressive bass. Power feels limitless and endless, and while this moment felt like it had just begun, we were already north of any type of legal speed, which can quickly become quite costly in Switzerland.

What an engine! In numbers, the twin-turbo, 6-litre W12 puts out 625 hp and 800 Nm of torque, taking the 2.4 ton Conti to 100 km/h in four seconds and further on to a top speed of 330 km/h. All that is however completely irrelevant. I couldn’t care less if the sprint to 100 km/h took three or five seconds – it’s that feeling of propulsion in combination with a sublime interior that makes it a close to unique experience. You expect a Ferrari to kick your butt, but not this opulent, 2.5 ton creation.

*If you could ever only have one engine, this would be my choice!*

After making sure a couple of times that what I had just experienced was indeed real, we settled to a legal pace and started talking about the car. The first thing the salesman said was that he found it incomprehensible that Bentley didn’t manage to build dead-angle side mirrors until much later. I hadn’t noticed, but he was indeed right – this CHF 250.000 Speed didn’t have it. Nor did it have a head-up display which I find a pretty useful invention, and although the interior was magnificent, it was also quite dark and could have done with a glass sunroof. The roof could have been optioned by the owner, but not the head-up display. Here again, Bentley was far behind many others, including its mother company Audi, which is a bit strange.

Coming back to those 11 service stamps, the salesman was clear on one service per year really being what you should plan for, if you want to keep your Bentley happy. The service is not more than around CHF 1.000 he said, but they will always find something that should be done whilst you’re at it. So it’s better to budget about 2.500 per service. Right. And then there’s the 22 inch tires, which given that power of that engine will need replacing at least every other year. And neither the insurance, nor the road tax look very kindly on an old, heavy and complicated Bentley with a giant engine.

To lighten up the discussion a bit, I mentioned that I assumed 15 litres per 100 km was what you need to budget. No way, said the salesman, if you use this car properly, you’ll be north of 20 litres. Even with a 90 litre tank, that means no more than 400 km’s of range, basically like a modern EV – although quicker to fill up. I did the numbers in my head and realized that it would easily cost me CHF 8.000-10.000 per year to run this wonderful machine, and that’s before any major issues.

*Head- and backlights are the best way to differentiate the first and second series*

In terms of those potential issues, the W12 is known to be pretty bullet-proof and the 110.000 km are certainly no problem if the car has been properly serviced and cared for, which was clearly the case here. The second generation Continental is generally quite good quality-wise, with most issues coming from the air suspension and the many meters of rubber hoses that run throughout the car. If one of those lets loose, good luck in finding it. In some cases, it will mean removing the engine, which will then double the budget mentioned above.

There is a cheaper way to enjoy a Continental and that’s to go for the smaller V8 engine, preferably in S form. That’s certainly a great engine that has a reputation for making the Conti more light-footed. V8 Contis are however far more expensive to purchase, and although the V8 is no doubt adequate, it doesn’t have the magic of the W12. As I started to realize, it’s actually the engine that is more or less the magic of the whole car. The rest of the package is very nice, but not as outstanding as it was in 2014, and not necessarily better than for example an S-class Coupé.

*Perhaps not an alternative to the Bentley folks, but certainly to most other people….*

I have no problem spending money on cars (ask my wife about that…) but in the case of the Conti, the breakdown doesn’t add up. To make the running costs somewhat defensible, the car would really need to be perfect in every aspect, and the Conti clearly isn’t. Unfotunately, neither will it ever become a classic, given how many were produced. In Bentley’s eyes there is of course no competition to the winged logo from Crewe, but in reality there is, even if they don’t have a wonderful W12 up front. For me, the Conti is a flawed proposition – too complicated and expensive as a daily, and not a classic contender given how many were built.

You may see this differently and then I can only congratulate you on being less of a plebian than me. My salesman, who was a bit too nice and honest for his own good, was certainly right when he said he had always felt that if you go for a car, you should go for the top version. So if you go for a Conti, only do so for the W12 Speed, and only if you have the budget to care for it properly. Make sure it’s been serviced properly and don’t try to save a buck if you’re offered an insurance – take as much and as long as you can get. Perhaps get a brighter interior and a sunroof to lighten things up a bit.

Only do this if you’re not the kind of person who will lay awake at night thinking of everything that could go wrong. Nor the type who doesn’t like the local petrol station, because you’ll be seeing a lot of it. And whether you’re on the way to a music studio or not, be careful with those speeding tickets – the Conti Speed won’t help you out there either. As for me, I may have to revisit that S-class Coupé…

Is Porsche going bust?

On October 26, 2025October 26, 2025 By ChristofferIn News2 Comments

Given I’m not into sensationalist journalism, I’ll take the risk of losing you right here by giving you the answer, which is no. And it’s also not my review of the Porsche Taycan that caused the rumours… However, what’s happening at the legendary car maker right now is quite dramatic and became even more so when Porsche presented its Q3 numbers this week. Therefore the question deserves to be asked, and a deeper look into the current issues at Zuffenhausen is warranted. As it turns out, there is not one, but rather three major issues that together have caused the current situation.

Before going into those issues ni turn, let’s look at what happened last week. Porsche’s Q3 numbers came in at a loss of a bit more than EUR 1bn for the quarter, which is a lot of money. it’s especially bad when it’s about EUR 400m more than the analysts had expected, and corresponds to a spectacular loss QoQ (compared to the same quarter in 2024) of 96%. That does for really nice headlines, as does the decision to sack CEO Oliver Blume and replace him with ex-McLaren CEO Michael Leiters early 2026, slash 2.000 temporary jobs, and announce that you will cut at least another 2.000 in the coming years.

*Blume, who’s also the CEO of VW is out, but will no doubt have enough to do at VW.*

Porsche’s first issue is – of course – the politically forced adaptation to building a car type the public doesn’t want, namely EV’s. According to Porsche’s plans made as late as last year, far more cars powered by electric power were supposed to be produced and sold now than is currently the case. This was part of an electric transition that Porsche has invested many billions in during the last years. However, with not enough people buying EV’s, Porsche is now trying to pedal back quicker than Tadej Pogacar pedals up the mountains in the Tour de France. Still, this will hit profits this year by more than EUR 3bn. Such a change of strategy also takes time, but Porsche hopes things will look up in 2026 with an increase in sales of combustion engines and hybrids.

Contrary to Jaguar, one of the (many) other brands in crisis that you can read more about here, Porsche still builds cars and manages to sell quite a lot of them. A bit more than 210.000 cars have hit the road so far this year per end September, which only corresponds to -8% compared to the same period last year. That however takes us to the next two issues, namely the US and China.

*If it ain’t built in the US of A, it’ll be expensive…*

To start with the former, it’s of course the newly imposed tariffs that are the problem. Porsche currently has no production onshore in the US, so all cars sold need to be shipped there from Europe and are therefore hit by the full tariffs, currently at 15%. Porsche has so far partly offset this themselves, resulting in another, estimated EUR 700m hit this year. Going forward, they will have no other choice than to raise prices in the US and pass the cost onto customers, which certainly won’t help sales, especially not of the top models with the highest margins. There is also talk of a possible future US plant.

In China, the issue is not a lack of demand for EV’s, quite the contrary. The one party in the one-party state has told people they should buy EV’s, and that local, Chinese brands should build them. Which they do, and the loyal population buys them. That’s not the issue though, as Chinese brands do not compete in the same segment as Porsche. Rather, the issue is that China has seen slowing growth as well, especially in the luxury segment, and that is very much where Porsche is playing. Or trying to. In Q1 of 2025, Porsche’s deliveries to China were down 42% compared to the same period in 2024. And again, it’s no longer the top of the range cars with the highest margins which are mostly sold.

*China was once the promised land, but those days are gone.*

Luckily, Porsche has a strong balance sheet and is also majority-owned by Volkswagen (around 75%), in turn partly owned by the state of Lower Saxony and by itself, through a cross-holding. That’s never really been an advantage as it’s made the owner structure rather complex, with resulting issues we’ve seen played out at different times in history. However at this stage with all the uncertainties around automotive policies, and knowing how sensible local politicians are to job losses in their region, the partial state ownership probably acts as an additional buffer for both VW and Porsche, should it be required.

Long-term readers of this blog know that I firmly believe that the self-imposed, completely unrealistic ICE ban in the EU from 2035 will not stand, and Porsche as well as other car manufacturers are now increasingly lobbying for the ban to be postponed or lifted. They do so from a different position than when this was originally imposed, as they can now say we did what you asked for and built EV’s, quite nice ones in some cases, but the public didn’t buy them.

*Not the kind of company local politicans are keen on losing.*

Even if the 2035 ICE ban is postponed or lifted, let’s please not forget that bad policies carry a heavy price. Porsche’s shareholders have lost money, the 2.000 employees who have been sacked no longer have a job, and billions of EUR that could have been put to better use have gone down the drain, all because unelected EU politicians took a populist decision not anchored in reality. And whilst I’m at it, the US tariffs certainly won’t help either. It didn’t help in the 80’s when the same trick was tried to counter superior Japanese car imports, it hasn’t helped in other sectors, and it won’t work this time. Ultimately, tariffs make everyone worse off.

It may be a bit early but if I can have one wish for the new year, it would be that we return to free trade in the West, knowing it’s benefited the world more than most things over the last decade, and also, to a world where companies are allowed to produce and build the products their customers ask for. If not, we’ll start looking an awfully lot like China.

The world’s best EV? Driving the Taycan 4S

On October 19, 2025December 28, 2025 By ChristofferIn Electrical vehicles, ev's, News1 Comment

In a post back in August that you can find here. I made a very unscientific comparison of the depreciation of EV’s vs traditional ICE cars. The conclusion was on one hand that EV depreciation is indeed as bad as it feels, but also that ICE’s depreciate quite heavily as well and seemingly, far more so than they used to. I’m pretty certain that most of you reading this blog agree that “peak car” is pretty far behind us, and the conclusion from the comparison therefore seemed to make the case for hanging on to your existing jewel for a while longer.

That said, the thought has been nagging me that I may be missing out on something. After all, billions after billions has gone into the development of this new car concept referred to as of EV’s, and these cars cost half a fortune as new. Surely it must have led to something that is the next step in automobile development? To me, the car my thoughts have focused on is the Porsche Taycan, hailed by many as the best EV out there, and no doubt the best-looking.

When talking about the Taycan, like most people I initially preferred the station wagon. With time though, the sedan has kind of grown on me and today, I find it at least as stylish as its equally good looking EV sibling, the Audi e-tron. As mentioned in the post back in August, although prices have started to stabilize, there’s definitely still deals to be made, so when I saw a well equipped Porsche Taycan 4S being advertised by a Porsche dealer close to me for CHF 64.000, from an original price of close to CHF 180.000 four years ago, I figured it was worth checking out.

Given this is not an EV blog, it’s perhaps useful to remind us of the history of the Taycan. It was launched as a 2020 model in late 2019, initially as Turbo and Turbo S (leading to a pretty meaningless discussion on how on earth they could be called Turbos when they didn’t have one…), later complemented by the 4S and the entry level only called Taycan. The station wagon was launched a year later on an extended platform, either as a sleek Sport Turismo wagon or as Cross Turismo with a slightly more rugged look. At least here in Zurich, it’s the Cross Turismo you see most of on the road.

The Turbo and Turbo S came with the so called Performance Plus battery as standard, a 93 KwH pack giving them a theoretical range of around 430 kms. The 4S however came with a smaller, 79 KwH pack as standard, with the larger pack being optional. Given the smaller battery pack only has a realistic range of around 350 kms, that option is pretty critical for having any kind of secondary value on your Taycan. The good news is however that all Taycans run on an 800V platform, meaning charging times are among the best in the business. The bad news, which depending on where you live is pretty bad indeed, is that they’re not compatible with the Tesla superchargers.

*The boot space behind the relatively small opening is not very big*

The Taycan 4S I tested at my local Porsche center came from one previous owner with around 60.000 km on the meter. Importantly, given the many electronic issues many Taycans suffered from initially, the car was Porsche Approved with a 12-month guarantee. As can be seen, it was dark grey on black and quite well equipped with the larger battery package. In this configuration, it weighed in just shy of 2.600 kgs, without driver… The exterior colour suited the car well, but the black interior made the whole thing a bit somber. That said, black is the best colour if you want to hide plastics of which the Taycan’s interior has a lot, although they seem to be of better quality than on some other brands.

Walking around the car (which was parked next to a 992.1 on one side and my BMW 540i Touring on the other), it was easy to see that the Taycan was far more comparable in size to my Beamer than the 911. Checking the numbers later, it’s actually 2 cm longer than the G31 BMW at just under 5 metres, and 10 cm wider, at just under 2 metres width. Sitting behind the wheel, you also have a feeling of a big car.

They’re plenty of space in the front, far less so in the back, and not very much at all in the boot, although the Taycan has a relatively useful frunk to complement it. The interior otherwise looks nice and feels well put together, and given how well its screens are laid out and how good the tactile response is, to my surprise I didn’t miss physical buttons. Screens will never be better, but in the Taycan it’s at least almost as good.

*A fine interior. Lots of plastic, but overall a solid feel.*

Taking off means pressing the start button left of the steering wheel where traditionally the Porsche key should sit, and then a lever on the right hand side. The immediate feeling which, was then confirmed over the following drive, is again that of a big car that it takes some practice to place correctly. It feels very well balanced between front and rear, no doubt helped by the low center of gravity, but it’s nothing you throw into a corner like a 911. The steering is ok, although those complaining about the steering on the 991 generation that I mentioned in my post on the 911 Turbo S would be apalled by it, as it feels very synthetic and not that precise. I’d claim the steering in my 540i is better overall.

Even though the car is heavy, the 563 hp from the two electric engines (520 hp with the smaller battery pack) are plentiful, and no one needs more power than this. Unlike most EV’s, Porsche also uses a two-speed auto box sitting on the rear axle, with a short first gear to preserve the full acceleration and a longer second gear for higher top speed than a one-speed box would allow for. This also makes the electric engines run more efficiently as high speeds, saving energy – which again makes you wonder why the very sleek car doesn’t have a better range? The box is only noticeable when it shifts under hard acceleration, but that’s also what Porsche wants, trying to give the Taycan more of a mechanical feel.

*The technical setup of a Taycan. An advanced – and heavy – thing…*

The talented engineers in Zuffenhausen have also chosen a different braking and regeneration (regen) setup than most EV’s, again trying to make the Taycan feel more like a “normal” car. If you lift off the accelerator, the car will only coast (roll freely) with no regen, and thus no braking. When you brake however the regen kicks in fully, so that it’s only under heavy braking that you use the actual brakes. I would say that whether it was regen or actual braking, this is where you really feel how heavy the car is. The braking is solid enough, but it feels like the brakes have to work pretty hard to bring all of the 2.6 tons to a standstill. The km’s left in the range did however climb a little after some pretty heavy braking, so I guess it works.

This leads to the same conclusion as always with EV’s, that weight is the elephant in the room. My 540i station wagon weighs just under two tons or around 600 kgs less than the Taycan, a difference which roughly equals the weight of the battery pack. The Taycan is a fine car that drives really well for an EV, but it’s no sports car, and whoever calls this an electric 911 doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

Then again, that’s probably not a fair comparison given it has four seats and a decent luggage space. So what do you compare it to? To keep things simple and staying with BMW, if you want a sports car, an M3 or an M4 of a similar age are of similar size and price. They have about 100 hp less, but also weigh close to a ton (that’s 1000 kgs!) less. And if it’s more the GT aspect you’re after, a 4-series coupe in an equally stylish body will do the job with less power, but also far less weight. Of course there are other comparable models from Merc, Audi and others, and all are in the same price range.

*As an example, a 4-series grand coupe is yours for even less money. In every aspect a better car.*

Would I consider a Taycan? If for some reason I was forced to buy an EV, a used one like the one I drove would probably be a good choice. Whoever paid more than EUR 180.000 for it initially must be out of their mind or really convinced they were saving the planet (which, talking about EV’s, boils down to the same thing…). Therefore, unless someone forces me, I’ll just note that although impressive, the Taycan doesn’t move the needle neither in automobile terms, nor in Prosche terms. It’s not better, and much less spacious than my G31 540i Touring of the same age, or other comparable ICE cars.

The only needle the Taycan moves is that of the scale, and no weight-loss medicine beyond plastic is on the horizon for EV’s. That’s a nut even Porsche can’t crack. Driving the Taycan did one thing for me – it put the nagging feeling that I may have missed out on something to rest. When I take the trouble to test drive a car, I usually come away with a general feeling that it’s more exciting or better than my, by all means excellent 540i. The Taycan was the exception to the rule.

The timeless land shark from Zuffenhausen!

On October 5, 2025October 3, 2025 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

Very few people would object to the statement that the Porsche 911 is the most successful sports car of all time – and they would be wrong. That said, and in spite of that, it’s also a car that Porsche tried to kill off at least 911 times before it earned the unshakable position it has today. It started all the way back in the mid-70’s, when the newly developed 928 was supposed to replace the already then ageing 911.

As we all know, replacing the 911 didn’t work then, it hasn’t worked since, and it’s improbable to work in the foreseeable future. Today we’re glad that Porsche failed and be that as it may, the 928 became a great complement to the 911 when it was launched, as the GT car it really is. Fast forward to today, and it remains a great car and something you could still call a bargain, especially in comparison to classsic 911’s.

*The general 928 shape remained largely unchanged from 1977 (as here) until the end in 1995*

Design is a matter of personal taste, but unless you’re heavily into psychedelics, you’ll probably agree that the 70’s weren’t a happy period. The world was mostly brown and orange and cars generally looked like they’d been drawn with a ruler by someone loving 90-degree angles. When it was launched in 1977, the 928 was therefore a true revolution design-wise. The long hood and the “reversed” pop-up headlights earned it the nickname “land shark” in some countries, and the rounded rear with integrated shock absorbers doesn’t look dated to this day. To my mind, the 928 is probably the 70’s car desugb that has best stood the test of time. This was also proven by the production which ran for almost 20 years until 1995, with most of the design remaining pretty much unchanged until the end.

Coming back to where we started, it’s however difficult to see how Porsche actually thought that fans of the air-cooled, rear-engined 911 would ever consider the 928 as a replacement. Firstly it was obviously a larger car, even if it’s better described as a 2+2 seater than a real four-seater. Secondly it has quite a large boot, meaning the engine is up front. Thirdly, that engine was a newly developed, water-cooled V8 rather than a legendary, air-cooled six-cylinder. This led to the 928 being heavier, much more at home on the Autobahn than on curvy mountain roads. To this day, it remains a true motorway cruiser that sat nicely alongside a 911 at the time, although it never saw its success its smaller brother did.

*The “phone dial” wheels are sought after today – here on a 928S, distinguishable by the rear spoiler*

There was no getting around the 928 being a heavier car than the 911, but Porsche were very focused on doing what they could to keep its weight down. The doors, front aisles and hood are thus all made out of aluminium, and the front and rear bumpers were in composite material around a metal core. The original, 4.5 litre V8 with 240 hp was at the time the second most powerful engine from Zuffenhausen, losing out only to the 911 Turbo, and the 928 was thus well motorized from the beginning, helping offset the additional weight. It was available with either a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic from Mercedes (later a 4-speed) from the start, mounted on the rear axle and thus contributing to the excellent balance.

The 928 was generally an advanced construction with notably double wishbone suspension all around and Porsche’s so called “Weissach axle” in the back of which I’ll spare you the technicalities but which can be described as a system for greater stability and less oversteer. That system was certainly never fitted to the 911’s of the time, and even 911 fans would probably agree that the 928 was in many areas far ahead of not only the 911, but of most other cars from the same period as well.

*…as is the psychedelic, pepita square interior offered on the first series!*

The first series was built between 1977-1982, with the 300 hp 928S launched as a more powerful version in 1980, and a couple of years later becoming the only available version. The S managed the sprint to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, a very respectable time in the early 80’s. It was also the car Porsche ran for 24 hours non-stop on the Nardo track in Italy, achieving an average speed of 250 km/h! Think of that a minute – we’re talking 24 hours with the pedal to the metal at top speed, back in the fully mechanical age! Porsche kept improving the S interior and equipment with notably ABS breaking, before it was replaced by the face-lifted 928 S4 in 1987.

The 928 S4 had a face-lifted body, best visible in the rear through new lights and a standard-fitted wing. Engine-wise it went form two to four valves and an output of 320 hp. The 0-100 km/h time was now sub-six seconds with a top speed of 270 km/h. The even sportier GT was introduced in 1989, adding another 10hp and only being available as a five-speed manual. Both versions were replaced by the 350 hp GTS in 1992, produced until 1995 and actually Porsche’s last GT car until the Panamera 15 years later. Over its full lifetime, a bit more than 62.000 928’s were built. Not a huge but still quite a large number, and in that sense it’s surprising how few of them you see on the roads today.

*The rear part of the S4 shows where the Panamera inspiration came from!*

Unless you’re not a die-hard, nothing-but-911 kind of person, a 928 will deliver the true Porsche feeling from behind the wheel. The engine is like a solid companion at all speeds, especially in combination with the manual box. The suspension is superb given the car’s age, but It’s clear from the first meters you drive that although smaller than modern cars and in spite of all the Porsche attributes, this is a true GT that is most at home on long distances with two (or 2+2) passengers and surprisingly, quite a lot of their luggage. On such trips, it will also surprise on the upside not only by its comfort, but also its lack of wind noise, one of the advantages of the soap-like design.

When writing about classics, I usually add a sentence along the lines of “make sure you check the history and the condition”. Never ever has that sentence been more true than if you consider a 928. As mentioned, the car is a complex construction. Parts have always been expensive and haven’t become less so today, only in some cases harder to find. The engine and gearbox are of course the most critical parts and inspecting the car from underneath before the purhcase is mandatory. If you’re unsure about what to look for, get a specialist to help you or take it to a Porsche garage. Trust me on this but also know that even if you go through all the checks, you shouldn’t buy a 928 with your last money, but rather keep a reserve for things that may come up.

*As in late 944’s, the 928 interior has stood the test of time surprisingly well*

So which one? Well, no surprise that a manual is preferrable, but the automatic is actually not as bad as you may think, so potentially try it if the rest of the car is good. Do get a four-peed automatic though. Design-wise it’s a matter of taste between the first and second generation, but be aware that the two-valve engine is easier (and thereby cheaper) to service than the four-valve from the S4 onwards. If that doesn’t scare you, the 928 GT of which only around 2000 were built is especially interesting. Otherwise, the 300 hp second series is also a good choice. Please don’t go for the Strosek or Gemballa 80’s versions with massive plastic wings, but rather try to find a car that is as original as possible. For the first series, both the phone dial wheels and the pepita interior you can see higher up are sought after today.

A good first series 928 will set you back around EUR 25-35.000, probably around 50% more than 10 years ago (but you’ve hopefully gotten richer in those 10 years as well!), however not much more than a few years ago, as values seem to have stabilized. The second series will typically cost around EUR 10.000 more with the GT and GTS potentially even more for low-mileage cars. High kilometres need not be a problem though, if the car has a solid and well documented history – but only then.

In terms of value for money, this means that you still get one of the best GT’s ever built for less than half of a classic 911, and no more than a third of what a power-wise more comparable 911 Turbo from the same period would cost. That my friends not only makes this a bargain among Porsche classics, it does so among classic GT cars in general as well!

*Yes, design is personal, but no one can really fault the 928, can they?*

F1 (extra) pit stop – inter-season action!

On September 7, 2025September 7, 2025 By ChristofferIn F1, NewsLeave a comment

it was in late June that I published the latest F1 update, which was also the half of the season one. Rest assured that it’s not a lack of other stuff to write about which motivates another one so soon thereafter, but there’s been some inter-season action this summer that needs to be commented on. So in terms of race updates, I’ll come back to those yet another time before the season ends, in a few races from now. Today, we’ll look at the big news from behind the F1 scene.

“Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”. Those were some of the words Red Bull’s MD Oliver Mintzlaff expressed when he earlier this summer announced that after 20 years, the Red Bull team had rather abruptly decided to sack team principal Christian Horner. By the looks of it, no one was more surprised than Christian himself, which is perhaps an indication that everything was actually not hunky dory at Milton Keynes, Red Bull’s HQ. When the boss doesn’t realize what’s going on, it’s usually not a good sign.

*There have definitely been better days, if you’re Christian Horner…*

Horner’s story with Red Bull is of course both a unique and a uniquely successful one. After some limited success as a driver in F2 and F3 during the 90’s, Christian admitted to himself that he didn’t have the balls for F1, and instead set off on a quest to build his own team in F3000, at the time the junior class acting as a stepping stone to F1. Doing so he met Red Bull’s grand old man Dr. Helmut Marko the first time, and it was no doubt their prior relationship that made Red Bull and Marko confident enough to choose him as (a 31-year old) untested team principal, when in 2001, they decided to launch their own F1 team. That was a bold move, but boy was it rewarded!

With Red Bull, Christian Horner went on to become the longest serving and one of the most successful team principals in F1 history. Over 20 years and 373 races, the team under his command recorded 113 race victories and six constructors’ titles. In the team’s best season 2022, Red Bull had a race win percentage of over 95%. And as the team’s uncontested first driver, Max Verstappen has won four world titles, the latest in 2024. So why on earth was Horner let go of?

The first cracks started to appear in early 2024, when Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female Red Bull employee. He was later acquitted, but neither Red Bull, nor Helmut Marko, nor Max Verstappen’s influential father Jos appreciated the negative PR, and openly stated so. A bit later the same year, both team manager Jonathan Wheatley and the legendary designer Adrian Newey, who had been instrumental in Red Bull’s success over many years, announced they were leaving. At the same time, not even Verstappen could handle the Red Bull car anymore, and other teams, especially McLaren, were catching up. Race-wise the 2025 season hasn’t been any better, and 2/3 into the season, Red Bull has no practical chance of winning neither the Constructors’, nor the Drivers’ title this year.

*Without Newey, even Horner would admit that Red Bull would never have had the success they did.*

The other way of looking at it is also that with each passing year, the Red Bull car seems to be increasingly developed for Max Verstappen – and only Max Verstappen. It’s almost comical how many second drivers have passed through Red Bull and failed to get anywhere near Verstappen’s results. It started with Ricciardo (who arguably, made one of many bad choices in joining Renault, but he didn’t do so on the back of massive success at Red Bull). Then came Pierre Gasly, followed by Alex Albon, in turn followed by Sergio Perez, Liam Leeson, and now Yuki Tsunoda. That’s six guys in 10 years. Six guys that may not have Max’s talent, but all of which have recorded better results with other teams than with Red Bull’s world champion outfit. If you build a car that is really tailor-made to one driver and that driver doesn’t win anymore, as a team principal in F1 where memory only goes back to last Sunday’s race, you leave yourself exposed.

I think it would be suprising if Christian Horner doesn’t return to F1 in some capacity. During the summer, there’s been plenty of rumours on him joining Ferrari, setting up his own team again, or perhaps becomes the principal of the new team for the 2026 season, which is the other big piece of news from this summer: Cadillac’s F1 entry.

*Two happy 35-year olds, a bit unexpectedly back in action!*

Of course, the news that there will be another team in F1 next year is older than this summer, but it was in August that Cadillac announced its driver line-up for 2026. Contrary to the recent trend among the more established F1 teams, Cadillac goes for experience all the way, with Mexican Sergio “Checo” Perez on one hand, and Finnish Valtteri Bottas on the other. None of them have a seat this season, with Bottas being test driver at Mercedes, and Perez having taken the year out to spend time with his family. They do however have a total of 106 podiums in F1 between them, and the idea is that both now bring their extensive experience to Cadillac to help shorten the time it will take the time to establish itself.

Cadillac will be the 11th team on the grid and is a brand new outfit, in a collaboration between Cadillac, GM and TWG Global, a Chicago-based investment company active in sports, media and entertainment. Former Virgin and Marussia team boss Graeme Lowdon will run it (so no, it won’t be Christian Horner taking up the job). The engine will initially be supplied by Ferrari, but will be replaced by a GM powertrain by 2029, and it’s no secret that it’s the new engine regulations for next year, that we’ll come back to before the 2026 season, that make the entry possible.

*Images so far tell a very black story…*

There’s no doubt that F1 and its boss Stefano Domenicali has thought long and hard about Cadillac’s entry as there isn’t room for any more teams behond this in F1, and any new entrants after this will therefore have to buy an existing team (is that perhaps where we’ll see or friend Christian Horner reappear?). There’s thus little doubt that Cadillac is serious about a long-term commitment. No F1 newcomer can however expect to be close to the podium in its first season(s), so don’t expect too much.

Come to think of it though, that’s not quite true. A young David Coulthard finished fourth in his first race for a brand new team in the 2005 season. The new team he was racing for was called Red Bull, and its principal was a rather unknown 31-year old, called Christian Horner…

Pictures from f1.com and Motorsport