We went to the New York Auto Show to gawp at nice cars. Here are five of the best
Porsche Boxster Spyder
No radio, no air conditioning and a manual fabric roof that you’ll almost certainly have to wrestle up in a thunderstorm; Porsche’s new Boxster Spyder is not your average prestige sports car. In fact, it sounds a bit like our dad’s 1965 Triumph Stag. But that’s kind of the point: the 2015 Boxster Spyder harks back to the Sixties, a golden age of traditional sports cars, before cupholders and Bluetooth. Designed with purists in mind, it features a 3.8-litre, mid-mounted flat six, retro bucket seats and weight-shedding cloth loop door handles. Want an automatic gearbox? Tough, because it’s manual only – we expect sweaty palms are all part of the experience. In a have-it-your-way world obsessed with ‘bespoke this’ and ‘curated that’, it’s refreshing to hear an iconic brand say, "Sorry, we’re doing it our way – and if you don’t like it you can buy a Kia Picanto."
£60,459 (July); porsche.com/uk
Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired By Film
Firstly, yes that is the name of this car. Secondly, as if owning a glittery land yacht with umbrellas secreted in the doors was not enough, Rolls customers can now order this film-themed edition boasting a solid silver mascot and ‘black lambswool’ carpets.
From £229,000; rollsroyce.com
Lyons Motor Car LM2 Streamliner
No one had ever heard of Lyon Motors until the New York firm unveiled its LM2 Streamliner. The 290mph, 1,700bhp beast could be the fastest car ever made. But can designer Kevin Lyons grab the world by the throttle, or will the LM2 turn
out to be a pipe dream?
£880,000 (due 2020-ish); lyonsmotorcar.com
McLaren 570S Coupé
This beauty is what McLaren calls its ‘affordable’ supercar. For a mere £140k, the 570S will usher you into the exclusive ‘200mph club’. Despite the carbon-fibre body, suicide doors and Formula 1 pedigree, McLaren says it makes a great daily driver.
£140,000 (July); cars.mclaren.com
Jaguar XF
Look out for the new XF in the forthcoming Bond film, Spectre. Jaguar’s new ‘business class’ saloon is structured from 75 per cent aluminium – so it’s 80kg lighter than rivals – and features a state-of-the-art 10.2in Dual View touchscreen. No ejector seat, sadly, but it might have only invalidated our no claims bonus.
£30,000 (autumn); jaguar.co.uk
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