SPEED FIEND
Pretty things; where would we be without them? Drooling over three of the sexiest rides on the road.
Zoom into the future with the hottest wheels
There’s a niche for goodlooking vehicles. Back in the 1980s the underpowered Toyota Sera (remember the gullwing doors?) nailed the concept and outsold far more capable cars. While people still buy cars and motorcycles based on appearances, mere good looks no longer makes the grade. Here’s a three-litre SUV, a twoand-a-half-litre motorcycle, and a two-litre sedan that are way more multi-dimensional than the infatuation they provoke.
AUDI Q8
Once upon a time, there was a highachieving SUV. While the sturdy, reliable and responsible Audi Q7 steadily climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, its younger brother, the Q8, looked up at its elder sibling and thought, “Nah, too boring. I need to follow my own heart.” As it came into its own, the Q8 grew almost as big as the Q7, but pared down its roof to don aerodynamic attire like its sports-car cousins. Unabashedly prioritising style, luxury and panache over practicality, the Q8 dropped the third row of seats and re-tuned its turbocharged six-cylinder heart to favour high-speed performance. This meant oodles of extra space within its cabin for the weekend fourball, and all four golf bags plus luggage in the boot. Whoever said that practicality and style are mutually exclusive did not make much of an impression on the Q8. With 335 horses under the hood being prodded by its petrol-hybrid motor, the Q8’s dynamic handling at high speeds is something that you expect even when you see it standing still. On the other hand, its off-road abilities, significantly elevated by the adjustable air suspension are what truly underline its all-round character. The Q8 is a bespoke vehicle: possibly Audi’s most customisable ever. Buyers can pick from no less than 54 exterior colours, 11 interior trim options, wheel-sizes (22-inch options) and nine wooden inlays to name a few of the options available. Goes without saying that a bespoke SUV takes time to build:
expect no less than a four-month waiting period at the very least. With not a hint of sibling rivalry, the Q8 has carved out a niche for itself. There’s always a rebel in the family; and the Q8 is a bonafide rockstar.
JAGUAR XE
Straight up. This somewhat gushing, somewhat un-objective, point-of-view, wasn’t inspired by any Jaguar XE. In this writer’s defence, there’s only so much equanimity that can be expected of a gear-head when he’s confronted with a blood red Jag, with contrasting blacked-out bits and bobs, shod with gorgeous 20-inch mag wheels, a big grille and muscle-car-like bonnet—generally looking like a million bucks without moving an inch. Hook line and sinker. But, even by unprejudiced standards, the new Jaguar XE or rather what they unflatteringly call ‘face-lifted,’ in auto parlance, is a beaut all right. And that’s in the day. At night, when she’s (pardon the gender) all dressed up to go out; those sleek-looking LED lights casting a low halo around the car, this Jag looks like a sterling trophy. The sort of magnificence in front of which common sense just crumples up and dies. There you have it: the writer’s (hopefully) compelling exoneration when it comes to his shallow love for this new mid-size Jag. That nod to Jaguar’s sporting pedigree continues within the cabin, with its surfeit of high