Octane July 2024

WHEN I WAS a pup – well, probably in my teens, which means my opinions were even more virulent yet even more unfounded – I didn’t much care for new Porsche 911s. You couldn’t blame me: I was born in 1968, so when I was most full of revolution and rebellion and looking for a system to smash, 911s were at their new-establishment peak, that thankfully brief window in the mid-80s when all the cliches were formed. Red-braces wearing yuppie a-holes going backwards into hedges in matching Guards Red impact-bumper 911s while swilling from a bottle of Pol was real (though perhaps rather less frequent than the tabloids made out). As was the 911’s guilt by association, sadly. By the time I got into the classic car magazine game in the…

ROWAN ATKINSON ‘In the last 18 months, I’ve been buying back a number of cars that I’ve owned previously and one is an early Goodwood Rolls-Royce Phantom that I bought new in 2004. I did a lot of miles in it over five years, sold it and have now re-acquired it at 110,000 miles in a ropey but salvageable state.’ Find out more on pages 128-129. STEVEN BENNETT ‘All that beardie stuff you’ve ever read about classic 911s? It’s true, and the G-Series of classic 911s – spanning 1974 to 1989 – is the absolute sweet spot. You know the best bit? The one to choose isn’t necessarily the most expensive of them.’ It’s a 50th anniversary worth celebrating. Turn to pages 44-54. SAM GLOVER ‘Sportiness and driving pleasure are not always…

To take advantage of this month’s special offer and get three issues of Octane for £5, either visit octane.co.uk/subscribe or call +44 (0)330 333 9491 and quote code DMAY24 Buying your issue of Octane – new and old PRINT ISSUE Octane is available at the usual branches of UK shops, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and independents, as well as WH Smith High Street and Travel. You can order the latest magazine or a back issue, delivered direct to your door, by visiting magsdirect.co.uk and searching for ‘Octane’. DIGITAL ISSUES Download the Octane Magazine app on Android or Apple and you will be able to enjoy the new issue. Alternatively you can source the digital edition via either Zinio or Readly. SUBSCRIBE You can find superb offers on print (order…

81st Goodwood Members’ Meeting, 13-14 April The tenth running of the Members’ Meeting since its rebirth in 2014 was as spectacular as ever, especially if you like Can-Am, and even more so if the menacing Shadows are your favourite cars. There was a big tribute to Niki Lauda, too, while the GMA T.50 made its long-awaited dynamic debut with Dario Franchitti at the wheel, and there was frankly terrifying sidecar action around the circuit for the first time. For us the star turn was the opening of the famous Tyrrell Shed, saved from its Surrey location and transplanted to its new forever home at Goodwood.…

22-23 May Concours on Savile Row London’s famous Savile Row closes to traffic as ultra-stylish cars go on display. concoursonsavilerow.com 24-26 May Nürburgring Classic Wheel-to-wheel racing at the Nürburgring, where spectators are invited to walk the grid. nuerburgringclassic.de 24-26 May Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este The ultimate European glamour event on the shores of Lake Como. Classics compete in classes including ‘Time Capsules’ – reserved for ‘cars that the outside world forgot’. concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com 25-26 May Masters Historic Festival The Masters circus comes to Brands Hatch, with grids for pre-’66 GTs, F1 cars from the period 1966-1985, Touring Cars and Le Mans prototypes. mastershistoricracing.com 25-30 May Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille The route for the 2024 edition of the ladies-only regularity rally runs from Paris to Andorra. peterauto.fr 31 May – 2…

24-27 September 2024 Amsterdam – Paris Great hotels, great roads, Champagne and lots of camaraderie! Enjoy all this this in your pre-war car on a four-day journey through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and France. Shortest day 200km, longest 330km. Entry €4900. classicevents.nl 30 September – 13 October 2024 Austria to Athens Challenge A two-week, 4000km competitive rally across Europe from the snow-capped Austrian Alps to the ancient city of Athens on the Aegean Sea. Asphalt and gravel roads, a variety of Tests and Regularities, and an adventure through some of the less-explored parts of the Balkans. Open to pre-1977 cars, with a separate classification for pre-1946 cars. rallytheglobe.com 25-31 January 2025 Winter Trial A Trial like no other for pre-1986 cars. Regularity rally averaging 350km a day, plus, for those…