Hitting the motoring headlines are the use of LED lights – they are used for high and low beam settings, as well as daytime running indicators snaking across the bottom of the main headlights.  The LED’s don’t stop there, they are used liberally on the inside lighting the footwells and engine compartment.  Well, you need to be seen, don’t you?

The 5.2 litre V10, sourced from Lamborghini, will propel you from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.  The V10′s third gear hits its optimal power at 8000rpm, but you don’t need to shift for fourth until 8700rpm, giving the R8 V10 one of the broadest powerbands available.  This 518bhp of power raises the bar on the R8 speed from 187 to 196mph.  Reviewers are describing the drive as punchy, unthreatening, relentless, supple and civilised.  All great adjectives to describe a supercar that gives you bags of power on tap, but never leaves you feeling out of control.

So, what provides the confidence when opening up the throttle? The Magnetic Ride system automatically adjusts the suspension settings for the road conditions, the Quattro four-wheel drive adds to the all-weather capability ensuring maximum grip on terra firma at all times. These systems provide accurate feedback and instant gratification, enhancing the feeling of being in charge.

The R8′s interior is comfortable and elegantly finished off.  There is complete seat adjustments and good side support.  The cabin is spacious and its not a task getting in and out.  Luggage space? A reasonable amount behind the seats and a large boot under the bonnet.  Extras?  You can blow £1,565 on Nappa leather seats or £6,995 on the ceramic brakes.  The optional extras make for scary reading.

All told, this supercar perfectly reflects Audi’s heritage.  A drive with amazing performance, but with the comfort and safety to make it a pleasurable experience.

The Roadster is powered by 6,831 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.  When connected to a special recharging outlet the car takes about three and half hours to fully charge.  Once charged the car travel over 200 miles before you need to find another empty socket.

Quite obviously, this is no ordinary electric motor, the copper and steel rotor is spun by an electric field; besides the rotor there are no other moving parts in the engine. Built by Lotus and based on the Elise chassis, the Tesla has been built to demonstrate that eco-friendly driving need not mean average performance. Choose one of the two gears available, hit the accellerator and all you will hear as you sweep through the curves is the wind whipping over the curve of the bodywork.

The bad news is that the Roadster is only available in the US for now (European sales due to start late 2008), prices start at $98,000.

Tesla Motors (www.teslamotors.com) has some serious backing including the founder of Paypal, Elon Musk and the two founders of Google, Page and Brin. A sports sedan is currently in development.

Engine: Electric motor powered by lithium-ion battery
Power: 248bhp @ 8000rpm
Torque: 200 lb ft @ 0-6000rpm
Transmission: Two-speed manual
CO2: zero emissions
Acceleration: 0-60mph: 4sec
Top speed: 130mph

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Styling for this car was carried out by the young Ercole Spada, a relative new-comer to the Zagato factory in Turin.  What emerged from the factory was a curvy new body that smoothed out the GT’s styling and gave the coupe a distinctive look of its own.

The Zagato featured a 314 bhp engine and achieved a top speed of 154 mph (246 km/h).  0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) could be reached in 6.1 seconds.

Initially the production called for 25 cars, but in the end only 20 were ever built.  Now this model is considered the most desirable and a buyer can expect to pay anything over £750,000 to own one.

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How appropriate then, that the new VW owned Bugatti should develop such a ground-breaking supercar in the Veyron. This mid-engined monster boasts a top speed of 407 km/h and is powered by a 8.0 litre engine (16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders).  There is a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled seven speed manual transmission and the engine is cooled by no less then 10 radiators.  Made of high-tech carbon, ceramic, and titanium materials, the braking system allows this car to get from 100 km/h to 0 in under 5 seconds.  The cars rear spoiler serves as an additional air brake for speeds over 200 km/h.

So how does it drive?

“From behind the wheel of a Veyron, France is the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how fast I crossed it the other day. Because you simply wouldn’t believe me. I also cannot tell you how good this car is. I just don’t have the vocabulary. I just end up stammering and dribbling and talking wide-eyed nonsense. And everyone thinks I’m on drugs.”
- Jeremy Clarkson (www.timesonline.co.uk)

“In my first lap, I took the car up to about 185 mph, at which point the tire noise was fairly loud but the Veyron was otherwise calm and relaxed. One reason it felt so secure is that when you hit 137 mph, the Bugatti hunkers down, lowering its normal ride height of 4.9 inches to 3.1 in front and 3.7 in the rear. At the same time a small spoiler deploys from the rear bodywork and a wing extends about a foot, perched at a six-degree angle. Two underbody flaps ahead of the front tires also open up.”
- Csaba Csere (www.bugattipage.com)

“When I finally stopped accelerating I had to slow down and do it all over again, just to make sure I hadn’t been dreaming. Whatever your definition of fast, be it defined by Porsche 911, Ferrari F430 or Mercedes SLR McLaren, the Veyron will take it and, in one instant, burn it before your eyes. Time and distance fuse into one unintelligible fog in your head. In the public road environment, there has never been anything like this.”
- Andrew Frankel (www.channel4.com)

Model: Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Engine: 7993cc, 16 cylinders in a W
Power: 1001bhp @ 6000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG, manual and auto
Fuel: 11.7mpg (combined)
CO2: 574g/km
Acceleration: 0-62mph: 2.5sec
Top speed: 253mph
Price: £810,345

The sixth-generation 911 takes another step in what seems like a story with no end. And even though you could mistake the new 911 for the previous model at a glance, every body panel is new apart from the roof. The biggest clue to the new car is in the separate round headlights, which hark back to 911s of old and further distinguish the 911 from its Boxster sibling. The 2004 model has two engines on offer, a 3.6-litre flat-six with 325bhp for the regular Carrera, or a hotter 3.8-litre 355bhp engine for the Carrera S.

One of the best driving experiences available at any price just got better. All of the familiar and unique 911 cues are still abundantly present, from the gruff, thrashy rumble of that fabulous engine, to the gentle porpoising action of the car as it transits undulating surfaces, to the steering, which is just about unparalleled for feel, weight and feedback.
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The X-type has been built on the Ford Mondeo platform, but front-wheel drive just wouldn’t do for a Jag, so the entire range gets permanent four-wheel drive. The result is a car that boasts fine handling and superb grip. The V6 engine is so quiet at speed, it makes the wind and road noise seem more pronounced. It suffers some shunt from the four-wheel-drive power train when crawling in traffic and shifting between lower gears. Its gearshift is smooth and precise, but its wooden clutch feel hinders seamless changes.

The TLL Team