A New Year always bring hope of what lies ahead. It gives us the chance to wipe the slate clean of what’s gone before and focus on new goals, new resolutions and new ambitions.
So although 2021 has started pretty much in the same vein as 2020 ended, I’m determined that this column is going to be positive. A thorn in the side of the coronavirus, so to speak.
The past year has been a bit crazy, but music and cars have helped keep Christian sane!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s been tortuous at times, holed up in my tiny London flat with an exercise bike and some technology for company, but it’s made me think about what’s important.
Maybe growing up on the Isle of Wight has given me an impossible reality to live up to and it’s certainly uppermost in my mind when I think about all the things I want to do when this invisible curfew ends. First on my list is a trip back to see my folks, and second is any one of these cars I’ll talk about below.
Hope also arrived for all of the winners I had to surprise in the three-times-a-week giveaways at BOTB.com. To hand over a cheque for tens of thousands, or a shiny new car worth six figures, has moved both me and the recipients to tears on occasions. Somehow it means even more when as a nation we’re collectively short of cheer and positivity.
Music too has got me through the darkest days and my radio show on Virgin has been a lifeline, not just with the music itself but also the fabulous members of the public who ring in. While pop music is generally derided, we all need something to keep us upbeat at the moment.
So… on to the cars of 2021, what can we expect, and will they be any good? Here’s a few to start off the year:
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
Meet this five-star version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio — less of a mouthful in truth but all its talking is done under the bonnet. It uses the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, but the power rises to 533bhp. It does have four doors if you want to give the family a white-knuckle ride, although there is an option to remove the rear seats and sub in a roll-cage if you wish!
The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.
Audi e-tron GT
Audi’s answer to the Porsche Taycan will reportedly be announced later this year after all manner of sneak previews and glossy videos. While the technology and range is very similar to the Taycan, it’s all about the design on this car. The concept version had a combined 590 horsepower, but you can expect that figure to jump to around 650 horsepower on the production model, though only when the available ‘boost mode’ is used. I’ve heard it will also charge faster than any Tesla, although whether it goes as quick as one in ludicrous mode is another matter.
The Audi e-Tron GT.
Cupra Formentor
The Cupra Formentor will be the brand’s first unique car as previous Cupra models have been re-badged, modified SEATs. Launching with a 2.0-litre petrol engine or a plug-in hybrid set-up, both produce plenty of power in order to keep up with alternatives such as the Audi SQ2. Fans of the hot-hatch will be queueing up at the forecourt (socially distanced of course!)
The Cupra Formentor.
Ford Mustang Mach-e
Mustang’s muscle car just went green. Welcome to Ford’s alternative to the Tesla Model Y, with a claimed range of 370 miles and the kind of looks we’ve grown accustomed to. There are four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive versions with varying levels of performance, and a GT variant in 2022 that will go from 0-60mph in less than four seconds.
The Ford Mustang Mach-e.
New Mercedes C63 AMG
Although I’ve already bemoaned the loss of its signature V8 engine, reports suggest the C63 AMG will use the same turbocharged, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine as the AMG A45, but paired with an electric motor which on its own will produce at least 100hp (that makes it 500hp-plus in total). It’s also likely to become four-wheel-drive, albeit with a two-wheel-drive ‘drift mode’. Prices could be on the higher side though, thanks to the hybrid tech, possibly in the £80,000 ballpark, so get saving.
You’ll notice that two of the five are all-electric cars which, given the government’s decision to pull forward its ban on internal combustion engines to 2030, seems like a decision many of us will be making in the years to come.
Whether we can ever reconcile the loss of engine noise, or the thrill of a rev, is a debate for another time, because we’ve probably got enough to contend with at the moment!!
The new Mercedes C63 AMG.
CHRISTIAN’S FACTFILE:
Car of the month: Toyota GR Yaris – Try and get a test drive of one… you’ll see why it’s my car of the month.
Tune of the month: Foo Fighters — Waiting On A War
Top speed: 147mph in that little GR Yaris (back at the airfield!)
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