Editor-in-chief
“AS THE RATE OF CHANGE ACCELERATES, US CAR NUTS ARE THE LUCKY ONES”
Here at TopGear we pride ourselves on celebrating the full spectrum of what’s out there Big or small fast or slow new or old petrol or electric deeply talented or utterly shambolic there’s a seat for all in TG’s broad church Which is fortunate because we’re living through a period of transition that’s creating fertile ground for some of the most fascinating cars the world has ever seen
Of course electric cars are still the new kids but they’re already seeping into every possible niche from Nürburgring destroyer Porsche Taycan Turbo GT p to sensible small cars designed to hoover up the mundane trips with ease and a little pizzazz Volvo EX test p There are even clever people stuffing batteries and motors into classics like the Datsun Z with mixed results p and EV startups like Rivian p forging ahead without any of the baggage of legacy manufacturers and more ideas than they know what to do with
Electric isn’t killing the combustion engine either Right now it seems to be spurring it on to even greater heights with more manufacturers throwing caution to the wind and building the sort of stuff that would have died on the design studio floor just a few years ago Yes we’re looking at you Bugatti Bolide you feral slice of carbon fibre with a cylinder power station strapped to your back p or any of the machines we inserted Stig into and fired him through Catesby tunnel with one simple purpose to make as much noise as possible p
Even as time marches on and the rate of change accelerates us car nuts are the lucky ones we get to enjoy cars from the past for as long as we care to keep them running In the Audi R’s case a true TG hero we give a proper send off to p I hope that’s forever Failing that we have our memories to lean on years on from Senna’s death we keep his legacy alive not by recounting the tragedy but by highlighting his imperious talent with things you might not know about the great man Trust us we had to dig deep
So let’s not look at the evolving world and moan about change and inconvenience let’s lift our heads and take it all in It’s a special time to be alive
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