Editorial

‘Replica’, ‘recreation’ or ‘fake’ – the debate is never-ending. And that’s leaving out ‘continuations’ and ‘Sanction IIs’. But it’s a definite ‘recreation’ that’s featured below, Anthony Maclean’s story of the four Lancia D50 Grand Prix cars re-manufactured in recent years for some of the world’s leading collectors. As the author points out, these cars “contain more original parts and are closer to the original specification than most of the 250Fs out there”, and what other 1950s F1 car do you see a former Grand Prix driver (Jochen Mass) really driving in anger?

There’s only one thing better than launching a car at a motor show and that’s launching the launch of it. And that’s what Porsche (and, it has to be said, many others) are doing pre-Geneva. The new 911 Turbo will be carrying the noble tradition of atomic puissance packaged in an everyday-friendly 4wd 2+2 GT.

Power is now up to 480 HP, and we do like the idea of the ‘sports button’ adjacent to the gear lever to activate a short-time ‘overboost’ at full throttle available in the “Sport Chrono Package Turbo” .

Our correspondent has been sampling Porsche 4wd in a different format – the Dubai launch of the Cayenne Turbo S. It’s described as the ‘ultimate SUV’. And as Jan Richter says, “Discussions over its high price and outrageous fuel consumption are just as relevant as whether the company should be in this market at all”.

Quite so.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com