FIVE OTHER THINGS THAT WENT NEXT LEVEL IN 2018

It wasn’t just Lewis that raised the bar this year

Aston Martin’s ambition

A stock market loatation, a factory in Wales to build EVs, Lagonda revived… and there’s more to come, including a mid-engined Ferrari- ighter, an SUV and a new development base at Silverstone.

Ferrari design under Flavio Manzoni

Maranello’s in-house design studio hit its 18th birthday and a rich vein of form. The 488 Pista is a beautiful blend of aero and aggression, and the elegantly-surfaced SP1/SP2 Monzas are retro done right. Now for Manzoni (pictured) to apply that magic to an SUV…

McLaren (Automotive…)

While the F1 team stuttered, McLaren Automotive’s Senna pulverised our idea of what a road-legal supercar can be. The low-drag, three-seat Speedtail looks set to do the same for GTs. Meanwhile the entrylevel Sports Series has been perfected into one of the world’s greatest driver’s cars, the 600LT.

Hyundai: innovators, champions

The N division lew out of the blocks with the i30N, which also won the World Touring Car Cup, while the i20 was runner up in the World Rally Championship. Sales grew in a declining UK market, and its powertrain line-up now includes hybrid, hydrogen and the astonishing £27k Kona Electric, with its 292-mile range.

Peugeot relocated its ˆlair

2018 was the year Peugeots became desirable again. The handsome 508 was a return to mainstream form and the e-Legend – a retro-futurist EV take on the 504 Coupe – was one of the concepts of the year.