Editorial

If you take the cars from Bristol and Audi in today’s ClassicInside you can see performance motoring at opposing ends of the spectrum.

The Bristol presents an answer to a question that no-one has really bothered to ask. Bugatti has, after a lengthy gestation period, made a 1,000 HP motor car with all the resources of one the most well-funded and technically-driven automotive companies in the world, why don’t we have a go at it too? There must be a few customers out there who’ll bang down a deposit on a car made in the manner of Stephenson's Rocket, with cheroot-smoking facilities and appropriate accommodation for the wearing of stove-pipe hats.

The Audi on the other hand - and please note it’s from the same family as the mighty Veyron - has everything anyone could possibly want, for a price tag probably 20% of the Bristol’s. In fact it will do pretty much anything that all but the most expensive supercars will do, with greater practicality and less provocative presence. A recommended buy.

It was all great fun last night, at the first of what no doubt will be many Casino Royale, Bond-themed evenings this pre-Christmas period, when Aston Martin showed not only the new DBS (details of which are still very much in the manila folder marked ‘Top Secret’) in its pristine showroom form but also the very car barrel-rolled in the forthcoming Daniel Craig film complete with splintered glass and bodywork.

All exciting stuff and even more reason to await the car’s official launch with great anticipation.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com