RETROMOTIVE

Greetings and welcome to issue 15 of Retromotive As I write, we are on the downhill slope into the silly season. The team are busily outing together content for the next issue of the magazine now – meaning we can have a little breather just after the Christmas period. There has been a sentence attached to my bio at the bottom of this page for a few years now: “Nathan likes to pretend that he will actually finish the series 3 Land Rover which sits in his garage gathering dust.” Well, I think I am done with pretending and I need to be held accountable … Others have tried and failed, but I think if I put it in writing here and now as some pseudo New Year’s resolution, I am hoping…

To understand the purpose and development of the Half11, it makes sense to look at its creators. Twin brothers Iliya and Nikita have spent their careers designing at various OEMs – working on production vehicles whilst setting automotive trends with their personal vehicles. Originally born in Nova Scotia, Canada, they moved to the US at 17 years old. Their combined experiences have allowed them to venture beyond their commercial lives to start their own company. Both brothers have worked in design departments for large vehicle manufacturers – initially at Toyota, then both heading over to Honda. After a successful career with Honda, Iliya moved on to GAC Motors and then to Canoo – an LA start-up that has developed breakthrough electric vehicles. Nikita moved to Hyundai to work on the…

Ergonomics, value, durability, reliability — the defining markers of a Toyota. Its not-so-little brother Lexus is hallmarked for its quality, comfort, and luxury. The Toyota Motor Corporation has catered to every niche of the automotive industry for decades: developing everything from the stalwart alternative-fuel commuter to the roving overlander. We have even seen them dominate the sports-car segment with Supras, Celicas, and SC 400s, oh my! But there was one angle the seasoned Manufacturer had yet to explore: the supercar. Sunday morning, nine o’clock. The Hakone Skyline shines in the distance, backlit by the morning’s rays. Breathtaking as the scenery may be, it is not accompanied by the tranquil sounds of the surrounding flora and fauna. It seems as though nature has gone silent. Until there, in the distance, a faraway hum…

What if, having reached the summit of Mount Everest – after all that effort and personal sacrifice – Sir Edmond Hillary simply turned to Tenzig Norgay and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. It is a bit of a stretch to equate the scaling of Mt Everest to the purchase of your dream supercar; however, this was Spencer Mclean’s quandary. After working diligently toward his goal for years, he found himself sitting in his dream-specification Aston Martin–dark blue with cream leather – feeling underwhelmed. Fortunately, the Salesman had a plan B! I suspect he had seen this before; so, without skipping a beat, he said: “Have you driven a Ferrari, sir?” It is funny how people see themselves in cars. Up until that point, Spencer had not seen himself as a Ferrari kind…

The white-and-orange prototype shoots over the crest beyond the Dunlop bridge, headlights ablaze while its long skinny slab-sided body, glued to the ground, winds its way through the Esses toward Tertre Rouge and onto the Mulsanne Straight. Ex-Formula-1 Pilot Chris Craft is at the wheel of car six: after qualifying fifteenth, was flying high in seventh after just three laps of La Sarthe. Now, after almost 40 laps, the British Driver is rapidly fighting back after fuel issues had forced him to pit. Grabbing a gear with the throttle pinned, Craft charges onto Mulsanne: setting the steering dead-ahead for a determined 200-plus miles per hour in hot pursuit of the Porsches battling ahead. The cabin vibrates violently as the scenery blurs – but the rush is sharply interrupted when the roaring…

The Honda City was developed as a practical and economical three door hatchback primarily for the Japanese local market. If you have spent time around Tokyo and seen how the locals can park these tiny cars literally in parking spots the same size of the car, you would appreciate the proportions – in most other locations, probably not. However, this tiny car punches well above its weight with a James Bond like option being its central party piece. The Honda City first generation was offered with a foldaway scooter option that fitted perfectly in its practical and mundane looking boot. Park near your work / gym / restaurant etc, lift the hatch and behold a scooter the size of a suitcase is ready for you. Press a button and it…