Octane October 2017

IT CAN’T ONLY BE ME who’s suddenly noticing Porsche 996s. Spot one on the road and it’s not just a recent Porsche: you specifically clock it as a 996, something a little older and out of the ordinary, and then start wondering about a few possibilities. Such as, hmm, should I buy one? Is this the last affordable 911? Good questions both, which we want to answer in our feature beginning on page 60. But I’ll let you in on a little clue, here. While I can see two 996s in our cover image – the first time they’ve featured there – there are another two outside the Octane office, one belonging to David Lillywhite, the other to Adam Towler, deputy editor of our sister magazine Evo. And you can…

JOHN BARKER ‘Some cars can’t cope with the tricky roads of the North York Moors, but the 13-year-old, 60,000-mile 996 Carrera 2 made itself right at home and confirmed that it’s a “proper” 911 – characterful and capable, tactile and engaging. It’s currently Porsche’s most underrated and undervalued car.’ Find out more on pages 60-74 . RICHARI BREMNER ‘The Matra Rancho hasn’t attracted a following keen to preserve them, so they’re rare, and rarer still in fit, low-mileage condition. Which made driving this one a nostalgic joy. First, because it drove as they should, and second, because I’ve owned several examples of the Simca it’s based on.’ Read Richard’s Rancho story, pages 92-98 . JOHN SIMISTER ‘Octane often features mad, powerful cars that sometimes are for sale, so…

AFTER 2040, it will no longer be legal to sell new vehicles in the UK that rely solely on petrol or diesel power. This announcement of the wholesale electrification of personal transport is a stark reminder that the UK is on a one-way street to a carbon-free future. Few deny that the road to cleaner air and renewable energy is the only one open if we are to protect the future of humanity and its environment, but the realities, logistics and practicalities of accommodating such an all-encompassing change are anything but straightforward. The questions and fears raised by the enforced switch to hybrids and pure electric vehicles are complex and far-reaching, and the historic car movement faces its own concerns not debated in the mainstream media. We outline them here:…

We also approached Sir Greg Knight MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group. ‘Historic vehicle owners need not be queuing up to sell their pride and joy,’ he said. ‘I regard the Government announcement as an ambitious aspiration which may or may not be delivered in the timescale mentioned – and more likely not. ‘Whilst it is admirable to pursue the aim of seeing only zero-pollution vehicles on our roads, it is necessary to also take along public opinion. Any democratic Government that gets too far ahead of public opinion becomes a missionary at its own risk. ‘Even if new petrol cars are banned from being sold from 2040, it would be at least another 15 years before they could be phased out and then only if…

Infiniti invents a heritage for Pebble Beach Nissan’s high-end Infiniti car brand has existed only since 1989, but at the Pebble Beach event it will show a retro-inspired sports racing car concept based on what a barn-find Infiniti, hidden for 70 years, might have looked like after restoration. To give modern relevance, the concept is actually an EV. Pebble Beach will also see the unveiling of a one-off, Pininfarina-bodied Jaguar XK120 SE from 1954, restored by expert specialist CMC of Bridgnorth. Its first owner was famous American car importer Max Hoffman. Goodwood Revival marks Fiat 500’s 60th birthday The Goodwood circuit will look more like the centre of Turin as 150 examples of the tiny Fiat form up for each day’s opening parade. Other Italian vehicles of the era will…

THE OCTANE AWARDS, previously known as the International Historic Motoring Awards, is now open for nominations in 13 of its 19 categories. These include Motoring Event of the Year, Motorsport Event of the Year, Museum of the Year, Personal Achievement Award, Race Series of the Year, Publication of the Year, Rally of the Year, Tour of the Year, Industry Supporter of the Year, Restoration of the Year, Specialist of the Year and Club of the Year. Details of the shortlist for Car of the Year will appear in a future issue. The awards take place on 16 November, at the Underglobe, beneath London’s famous Globe Theatre. To nominate, please visit the website www.octaneawards.com. The deadline for nominations is 1 October 2017.…