Aston Martin DB5 Reviews

An eccentric Swiss company has created a car with a periscope-style camera to scan the road ahead and a steering wheel that can be stowed – so you can browse the web on the way to work.The Rinspeed Budii (pronounced "buddy") is the star concept car at this week's Geneva motor show, due to open Wednesday March 4, Australian time.The Swiss firm based its latest flight of fancy on the BMW i3 electric car, which has been pulled apart and rebuilt so it is unrecognisable – and loaded with advanced equipment from more than two-dozen technology suppliers.The periscope uses laser and camera technology to read traffic and detect obstacles, while the steering wheel can be used as a makeshift table to rest a lap-top while the car finds its way through traffic.The steering wheel can also be swivelled from the left to the right side of the cabin depending on where the vehicle is sold – or can be slid across at a moment's notice if the driver is too tired.A dedicated app for smart phones (and smart watches) enables owners to set the air-conditioning temperature of the car minutes before they are due to start driving, and activate the electric car's recharging cycle.Although the Rinspeed Budii concept car is not equipped with autonomous driving technology, it does provide an insight into what the inside of self-driving cars could look like.There are large iPad screens in the sun visors, with road information for the driver, and a TV or DVD player for the passenger.The central cabin control screen is as large as a TV, and the display automatically reduces the amount of information shown based on what the driver uses most."The vision of autonomous driving will soon become reality and will fundamentally change the interaction of man and automobiles," says Rinspeed boss Frank Rinderknecht.The car industry is gradually increasing the level of automation in modern vehicles, starting with radar cruise control with "stop-start", which keeps a safe distance from the car ahead, automatically comes to a stop and restarts once the traffic is moving again – without the driver having to touch the brake or accelerator pedals. This technology is available in luxury cars today.The next step is "on-ramp to off-ramp" automation on freeways. Experts believe it will be 10 to 15 years before the technology is good enough to handle the complexity of city and suburban driving."The autonomously driving car will require more than solving technical problems and legal issues in the next two decades," said Mr Rinderknecht. "We not only have to redefine the interaction of man and machine, but must also raise questions about responsibility, tolerances and expectations."Police and insurance companies have already made it clear drivers will still be responsible for obeying the law while behind the wheel of autonomous cars, just as a pilot must stay alert and in control when a plane is on auto-pilot."Even the best technology will not be perfect, albeit less prone to error than humans. That is something we will have to accept," said Mr Rinderknecht. "In the future, cars will do just as we do: they will keep learning every day, and as a result will get better and better at mastering the complex challenges of modern-day private transport."Rinspeed has a long history of creating unusual concept cars. Last year it showed a Tesla electric car with the seats facing backwards – towards a large screen TV – to illustrate how quickly autonomous technology was developing.In 2013 Rinspeed showed a tiny city car in which drivers and passengers stood while strapped to a seat rest; the idea was to create a super-small vehicle that can carry five or more people in comfort.Although the latest Rinspeed concept car does debut a number of world firsts, it wasn't the first company in the world to dream of a bird's eye view of the traffic ahead. Last year Renault unveiled a concept car called the KWID which had a camera drone beam live images back to a screen in the dashboard.It is fitting that so many supercars and racing machines for the super-rich are due to bow at the 2015 Geneva motor show. You need a tax haven to be able to afford to buy – or bend – any one of these.Clearly a recession is around the corner. History shows when super cars become common as muck the global economy collapses, the car industry contracts, and we start all over again.In the meantime, here's a taste of how Europe's filthy rich are living it up as we race towards a fiscal cliff.We don't know what the name means either, but what we do know is that this is the new two-seater sports car concept from the German-owned British brand Bentley. The 'EXP-10 Speed 6', to give its full name, is a pointer to a new model to sell alongside the Bentley coupe and sedan that are already on sale and the SUV that is a few years away from showrooms. The press blurb waxes lyrical about the design and the "expression of muscular, athletic surfaces inspired by the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft fuselages and wings". But nowhere does Bentley mention what type of engine it has. Perhaps 'six' is a clue.For some people, even Lamborghini supercars aren't fast enough. That's why cars like this are born. Lamborghini has extracted 50 extra horsepower and trimmed 50kg of bodyweight from the regular V12 Aventador to produce this limited edition lightweight model. It's called (deep breath) the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. All you really need to know is that with 750 horsepower (or 560kW in modern parlance) it can reach the speed limit in just 2.8 seconds and will likely cost more than $800,000 when it goes on sale in Australia late this year.Only 24 of these will be made and, as the saying goes, if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it. You will need especially deep pockets given this is a race car, and spare parts won't exactly be "off the shelf". The entire body and chassis are handmade from lightweight carbon-fibre. And the U-shaped steering wheel looks like something from a fighter plane. The Aston Martin Vulcan is the company's latest track weapon, said to have a handy 800 horsepower from its 7.0-litre V12. This is Aston Martin's answer to a one-make racing series for the super-rich.Aston Martin's first sedan since 1976 was released as a limited edition for the Middle East in 2014; now the company has extended production of the aptly-named Taraf to other global markets – in both left- and right-hand-drive – but will cap the number built to 200. Price "remains confidential" but the British press report it will cost £400,000 (approximately $800,000 in Australian dollars, but closer to $1 million by the time Luxury Car Tax and GST are added). Each car will be powered by Aston Martin's 6.0-litre V12 as the engine deal with Mercedes-AMG is yet to start.Do not adjust your eyes: this is the new, second-generation Audi R8. You can tell because it has vertical slats in the lower section of the front bumper, a bigger bulge in the side vents, and squinty headlights. Despite the visual similarities with the original, every panel is new. And the 5.2-litre V10 has been given a tune-up: 449kW in its most powerful guise. On sale here early next year from an estimated $400,000.After 10 years and 450 sales (at €1 million plus taxes apiece) the last ever Bugatti Veyron will bow at the 2015 Geneva motor show. In the end, the world's fastest car had an epic 895kW of power and a mind-boggling 1500Nm of torque from its quad turbo W16 (yes, two V8s mounted back-to-back). Top speed: an average of 431km/h over 1km and a 0 to 100km/h time of 2.5 seconds, which is faster than a Formula One car. The good news: Bugatti is developing a successor.The 488 GTB is the first turbocharged mid-engined Ferrari since the epic F40 supercar made from 1987 to 1992, and is only the second turbo V8 in the company's modern era after last year's California T. As with almost every brand, Ferrari is moving to turbocharging because it can extract more power from smaller engines that burn less fuel. A sign of the times, the 488 GTB (reviving the 40-year-old badge from the 308 GTB) easily eclipses the F40's output (351kW/577Nm) with an impressive 492kW of power and 760Nm of torque to create a 0 to 100km/h time of 3.0 seconds.This may look like another bad-ass Mercedes AMG GT but the bigger news is under the bonnet. It's the last hurrah for the high-powered and highly-strung 6.3-litre V8 that has been at the heart of almost every Mercedes-Benz AMG V8 model for the past decade. And it's going out on a high as the engine to be used in Mercedes' GT3 racer next year.British F1 firm McLaren has joined the long list of supercar makers with a new racing program: the P1 GTR is powered by a 1000 horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8. The show car is finished in the same colour scheme as McLaren's LeMans winner from 20 years ago. McLaren's one-make racing series for the well-heeled kicks off later this year.German sports car maker Porsche has finally done what diehard fans have demanded for more than 10 years. It has fitted the bigger and more powerful 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine from its 911 flagship into the smaller, more affordable and mid-engined Cayman. The result is a car that promises to out-pace and out-manouvre the iconic 911, which is precisely the reason Porsche was so reluctant to build it in the first place. In local showrooms by the end of the year with a price we're guessing will top $200,000.Meet Mercedes-Benz's monster truck, and one of the most expensive four-wheel-drives in the world. The G500 is based on the legendary Mercedes G-Class body (originally developed for military use but has since been made for civilians) and uses AMG's new twin turbo 4.0-litre V8. But the big news is the desert-racer suspension and the massive 22-inch wheels and tyres – and a price tag likely to cost in excess of $500,000. Fortunately it rides so high there isn't much chance you'll scratch it.Not every car at the Geneva motor show is expensive, inaccessible and unlikely to ever hit the road. But nor is every new car actually a car. Between the regular passenger vehicles is an increasing array of small SUVs.The world's biggest selling car (and the top-seller in Australia for the past two years in a row) is due for a facelift mid-year. New headlights combine with a futuristic-looking grille and sleek front bumper to give it a freshen-up. It's also tipped to get a rear-view camera as standard on every model (bringing it up to speed with the Corolla sedan and the Yaris hatch). The photo is of a hybrid version sold in Europe but Toyota Australia still has no plans to introduce the petrol-electric Corolla.This car should erase any doubts about Hyundai's continued climb up the sales charts. The new Hyundai Tucson (the first European reveal for an all-new Hyundai) is due in Australia in August. Underneath its miniature Hyundai SantaFe looks is a choice of 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre turbo diesel and 1.6-litre turbo petrol power.The initials "GT" are usually associated with iconic Falcon V8 sedans or Ford's US-made Ferrari-fighting sports car, but BMW has decided to add the badge to its first people mover. The 2 Series "Grand Tourer" is the seven-seat version of its 2 Series front-wheel-drive hatch. Note the longer body, taller roof and the bigger boot to fit the third-row seats. On sale later this year.With its bright red paintwork, dark grey alloy wheels and sleek lines you could be forgiven for thinking this could pass for Ferrari's first ever wagon. In fact, it's a Kia. This concept is a pointer to the new generation Optima sedan, which will also be available as a wagon for the first time. Due on sale in Australia late this year.This cool-looking concept comes from Mitsubishi, which has a habit of making its production cars look nowhere near as exciting as the motor show tease. Here's hoping we're wrong. This is the preview to the all-new ASX compact SUV due in showrooms next year. The concept has plug-in hybrid technology but we're not certain that'll make the production version. Petrol and diesel engines will likely be standard fare.Nissan's luxury brand Infiniti (which doesn't know how to spell "infinity") is about to join the baby SUV boom with the oddly-named QX30. Car makers are switching to letters and numbers because apparently we're running out of car names that don't offend someone somewhere in various languages. Expect a showroom version of this to appear next year.It's difficult to know whether this is a tall hatchback or a squashed SUV. The Lexus LF-SA (be careful how you say that) concept is said to be a pointer to the brand's first pint-sized SUV for the city. As is the case with previous Lexus concepts, the showroom version won't look anything like this unfortunately. Imagine this car with normal doors, much smaller wheels and tyres, regular headlights, and then squint a bit, and you have an idea how the real thing will look when it arrives next year.This is a concept intended to warm us to the look of the new generation Audi A4 and A6 wagons due in the next two years. The concept also previews "production ready" plug-in hybrid technology, joining the long list of European brands embracing electrical cords to reduce the emissions ratings for their petrol-powered cars.We're not sure if this looks like a Kia, or if the latest Kia cars look like Citroens. But just to be clear this is the facelift for the Citroen DS5, with a slightly cleaner front-end look while the rest of the car is unchanged. That said, it still turns heads, three years on. The update should be in Australian showrooms by the end of the year.The photos of the new Ford Focus RS hot hatch were released last month, but the vital signs and "tech specs" will finally be made available during the car's first public outing. Powered by the same 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder engine used in the Mustang, and matched to an all-wheel-drive system, it promises to become Ford's fastest and most powerful hot hatch.The Honda Civic Type R has been in the making for almost as long as the Nissan GT-R. Here's hoping good things come to those who wait. We've seen the concept before, and we know it'll be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, but the production version of the Civic Type R finally bows at Geneva. There is just one catch: Honda says we might not see the car in Australia until 2017 because the priority is to get the Honda NSX supercar in local showrooms next year.Is your idea of sleeping under stars simply a hotel with a five-star rating? This could be the camper trailer kit for you. Jeep has created a trailer in the same shape as the tail-end of its new city-sized SUV, the Renegade. It comes with a wide screen TV and a massive sound system to annoy other campers. But fear not: it's only a motor show tease. You will not be able to buy this source of public disturbance at a Jeep dealer any time soon.

Aston Martin has revealed its most extreme model ever, the race-ready and track-only Vulcan supercar. Like the recently revealed hybrid Ferrari FXX-K and McLaren P1 GTR, the Vulcan is a super exclusive track weapon that can't legally be driven on the road. Instead, just 24 units will be built for wealthy gentlemen racers and packaged with an exclusive Aston Martin driver training program.Building on Aston Martin's experience in GT racing, the Vulcan uses an all-carbon fibre construction and isn't directly related to any current Aston road cars.Under the bonnet is a massive 7.0-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine with over 597kW, which drives the rear wheels through a race-spec 6-speed sequential gearbox. This gearbox is linked to a limited-slip differential via a magnesium torque tube and carbon fibre driveshaft.Brakes are competition-ready carbon ceramic items measuring 380mm at the front and 360mm at the rear, within lightweight 19-inch magnesium wheels wearing 345/30 Michelin race tyres. Like the exotic One-77 road car, the Vulcan uses a pushrod suspension setup, with anti-dive geometry, dynamic spool valves and adjustable dampers and sway bars. Because it won't necessarily be driven by professional drivers, the Vulcan also features anti-lock brakes and traction control systems with variable degrees of assistance.The car also sports an aggressive aerodynamic package with large rear wing, front splitter and rear diffuser along with aerodynamically-optimised cooling ducts over the body.Aston Martin has also stated that the Vulcan's styling hints at the next generation of the British firm's road-going sports cars.      The interior features race harnesses, roll cage and fighter jet-spec steering wheel and the Vulcan complies with all FIA race safety requirements.The 24 lucky Vulcan owners will be able to take part in an extensive track driving program with Aston Martin Racing's Le Mans winner Darren Turner, while the car's performance can be scaled down for driver's who aren't yet confident in exploring its full potential.Before taking delivery, driver's will also pilot a number of high performance Aston Martin models including the V12 Vantage S, One-77 and Vantage GT4 race car to build their skills. The Aston Martin Vulcan will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show next month, with performance data to be revealed closer to its track debut later this year. 

In a year when the overall car market shrank, all but a handful of prestige brands increased sales. Buyers don't just want a good car; they want others to see they have one, helping everyone from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz post gains.The trend is accelerating and a steady stream of new models in 2015 only adds to the impetus. CarsGuide looks at what's in store for the premium players this year.It isn't hard to foresee the popularity of the 4C two-seat coupe when it hits showrooms next month. This baby supercar uses a carbon-fibre tub, mid-engine layout and minimalist interior to present a modern incarnation of a stripped-down racer. Pricing will be $80,000-$100,000. The soft-top Spider is due in October. The Alfa Giulietta also gets an update.A steady new model rollout starts in February with the arrival of the TT coupe for just under $80,000. It will be joined by the soft-top roadster midyear and the TT S performance model in August or September. The plug-in petrol-electric A3 e-tron five-door hatch is due in May with an expected price of $60,000, with the Q7 large SUV due late in the year. Updates or variants include the A6/A7, RS6/RS7, A1, RS3 and Q3/RSQ3.New metal is in short supply at the British brand but two models will join the line-up, starting with the Vantage S Roadster at a shade under $420,000. If that isn't exclusive enough, consider the $500,000 Vanquish Carbon using the same V12 but with eight forward ratios in place of the Vantage's seven.BENTLEYChauffeurs will going cap-in-hand to buyers of the Mulsanne Speed for the chance to steer the best Bentley ever. A twin-turbo V8 cranks out 1100Nm - only the Bugatti Veyron can torque itself up as a more powerful production model - to push the 2.7-tonne limo into triple figures in 4.9 seconds. Pricing has yet to be set but if you have to ask, you can't afford it.There's a lot of product in the pipeline this year but only one all-new car. The X1 will switch to front-wheel drive when the second-generation model arrives in the third quarter. The X1 will look more mini-SUV than compact wagon, aligning it with the X3 and X5. Top-end versions will be all-wheel drive. Updates and new variants include the 2 Series convertible, X5M/X6M, 6 Series/X6, 3 Series, X4 M40i and X5 e-Drive.The 458 range has a Speciale A due next month. The 499 examples of the alloy hardtop model are already sold, meaning the $635,000 two-seater is likely to be a smart investment. Keep an eye on the classifieds.The struggle to be a serious prestige player continues for Infiniti with a major model overhaul due in 2016. A refreshed Q70 flagship is due midyear with a nip-and-tuck for the bumpers, updated interior trim and more safety software.The transition from niche player to prestige powerhouse is predicated on the XE sedan being a genuine rival for the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and BMW C-Class. Specs indicate the engines are up to the job, so it comes down to how well it can be priced in Australia. There will be updates for the F-Type coupe and convertible and XF sedan.Styling that echoes the Evoque and a premium interior mark the Discovery Sport, debuting in May. Essentially a replacement for the Freelander, the Sport is a serious off-roader with 600mm wading depth and four-wheel drive. Also expect a Range Rover Sport SVR, Range Rover hybrid and updated Evoque.A compact performance sedan, the RC F will cost $133,500, making it a 'budget' alternative to the Germans. The naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 isn't quite on par with the Euro competition but neither is the price. The GS F mid-sized sedan will use the same engine and is due later in the year, price undisclosed. The NX200 will get a new turbo engine.No new news is still good news for Lotus aspirants. An automatic Exige - the brand's first self-shifter - is due in the second quarter. Expect to pay around $9000 for the clutch-less version, putting the price above $135,000. An updated Evora should land late with less weight and improved interior.An 'affordable' McLaren is due late in the year with an entry level Sport model priced at more than $300,000. That puts it in the higher echelons of Porsche 911 territory - but still well below typical McLaren prices.Australia's top-selling prestige brand rolls out a range of new toys this year to expand its appeal. The action starts with the AMG GT and C63 AMG in the second quarter, both using a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Skip ahead to Q3 and there's the new GLE (formerly known as the ML) and GLE coupe SUVs, followed by the CLA Shooting Brake and the much-needed GLC compact SUV. Other updates or variants include the S63 coupe, CLS, B-Class and S500 coupe.The action starts with an entry-level five-door Mini Cooper One at $25,600 in February. It is powered by a three-cylinder engine with 75kW/180Nm. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the John Cooper Works three-door hatch, which will be the Mini with the most mumbo ever when it arrives midyear at an estimated $48,000.There's plenty to whet the appetite for performance enthusiasts, even if it is all clad in existing bodywork. The base V6 and performance GTS Cayenne SUV models are due next month, followed by the Turbo S midyear. An update of the 911 should make it before Christmas and Santa may deliver the new GT4 Cayman at the same time.The XC90 large SUV is due midyear with prices starting from about $90,000. A more affordable alternative will be the V60 Cross Country due late in the year from $65,000. The elevated version of the V60 wagon will be sold in FWD and AWD guise.

James Bond scores bespoke Aston Martin DB10 for Spectre.Ever since the classic Aston Martin DB5 graced the screen in Goldfinger, the cars driven by James Bond have been something of a cultural touchstone. The suave spy in the very expensive sports car cliché had to start somewhere.However, for Bond's 24th outing, Spectre, the British spook is kicking it up a notch.Aston Martin and the Bond film producers have taken the wraps off the Aston Martin DB10 - a purpose-built James Bond car.Aston Martin is only building 10 DB10s and they are all headed to the film setThe DB10 was designed in-house by Aston Martin, with the film's directer Sam Mendes having a hand in ensuring the DB10 would be a car fit for Bond.The DB10's styling is a mix of classic Aston details and cues from the marque's recent production offerings, but a new headlight shape could be a hint at what's to come from the Gaydon factory.While there is no word on the engine or other features of the car, but it can be safely assumed an array of aftermarket accessories will be fitted by Q-Branch.Unfortunately, those wishing to live the James Bond lifestyle themselves will have to settle for something else, Aston Martin is only building 10 DB10s and they are all headed to the film set.Given Bond's less than gleaming track record of returning field equipment undamaged, it's unlikely we'll see one drive away unscathed when production wraps ahead of the film's November 2015 release.

New S-Class Coupe to make Australian debut at Motorclassica, along with appearances from Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and Lotus.Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building will play host to Motorclassica this weekend, as over 500 cars and motorcycles fill the world-heritage listed building and its surrounding grounds.Celebrating classic cars and bikes, Motorclassica started as a concourse event but has since grown to become a motor show-style exhibition which has attracted attention from several iconic sports car marques.Among the classic cars at this year's event will be new models from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Caterham and Morgan.Each of these brands have rich histories, and Motorclassica gives manufacturers a platform to build on this heritage with their latest models.S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8Mercedes-Benz was the first contemporary manufacturer to debut a new model at Motorclassica last year, and will use this year's event to reveal its new S-Class Coupe to an Australian audience for the first time.The new model is Mercedes' flagship luxury coupe, replacing the CL-Class range, and will rival the Bentley Continental when it goes on sale locally in the first quarter of next year.Though Australian specifications are still unconfirmed, the S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 aboard the S63 performance flagship.Maserati will celebrate 100 years in the automotive business at this year's show and is expected to be represented strongly with iconic past models. The Italian marque's new Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans will also be on display, along with the Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio two-door models.Jaguar will showcase its F-Type R Coupe, the firm's most powerful production model ever, while fellow British brand Aston Martin will have a Vanquish and V8 Vantage on display.Lotus will also show a pair of mid-engine Exige S sports cars, one hardtop and one roadster.The show will also celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang with a special display featuring the most desirable and classic Pony cars, although the new 2015 model due to go on sale in Australia next year won't make the show.Motorclassica 2014 will run between October 24-26 at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Goodwood. There is nothing remotely like it, anywhere in the world.It's a combination of a British summer garden party, the world's most upmarket motor show, a classic car event and a high-speed hill climb. Then there is the air show, a rally stage and so, so, much more.Officially it's called the Festival of Speed and it's held each June on the driveway and front lawn — yes, really — at the stately home of the Earl of March, about 90 minutes into the green British countryside from London.The difference is that Charles March has a driveway that is ferocious fun at 250km/h in a retired Formula One car. His front lawn hosts more than 120,000 people over four days.He also knows some very special people, from F1 heroes Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen to rock gods and movie stars. And they like to show their collectable cars and cut loose in the speed trials."This is just amazing. It is unique," Bentley Motors chairman Wolfgang Durheim tells me. He's prowling like a regular punter, taking a close look at the new Jaguar F-Type Project 7 as thousands check the new arrivals in giant temporary showrooms and the Moving Motor Show.And that's what has changed at Goodwood. The event began as a fun run for classic cars and old-timer drivers but the collapse of the last surviving British motor show means the car companies now put all their effort into "The Festival".If you added the investment from all the brands, you would quickly run beyond $50 million. But even that doesn't sound like much when there are classic Ferraris on display that would cost more than $5 million each to put in your garage.The Festival now runs for a full four days and there are regular demonstration runs up The Hill by the most desirable cars on the planet, including the latest LaFerrari, Porsche 919 hybrid and McLaren P1. If you want to see how a Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series looks in action, this is the place, and it's the same for Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Lotus and Bentley and more.There's an everyday side, too. Peugeot and Citroen and Toyota and Nissan have giant displays and Ford shows the new Mustang that's coming to Australia in 2015.Ford also uses the Festival to reveal its new Focus ST hot hatch, as Land Rover teases a hot rod Range Rover from its new Special Vehicles division, and Aston Martin and Nissan display concept cars created to debut digitally in theVisiting the show is an automotive overload. It takes a full day just to appreciate the size of The Festival. My weekend passes in a blur because Goodwood blurs dreams with reality, the past with the future, and unspeakably exotic cars with road-going runabouts. Goodwood is much more immersive than a regular motor show. And the cars move, which brings the whole thing to life.It helps immensely that the classic race cars, which truly provide something for everyone from the Dakar to Le Mans, fire up all the senses. How can you not smile as a Blitzen Benz from the dawn of motoring chugs up the same piece of bitumen that Kimi Raikkonen tears apart with a near-new F1 Ferrari?This is passion, and excitement, and a smile-a-second reflection of everything that is good about cars. "Why am I here? Where else would I be?" laughs Martine Walkinshaw, widow of Tom and now the driving force behind Holden Special Vehicles and the Holden Racing Team. She has driven to the event in an HSV Commodore and is watching son Sean driving classic Jaguar racers.It should come as no surprise that the death of the Australian International Motor Show has sparked a lot of interest in Goodwood, and how it can be copied and adapted down under. A couple of attempts are already under way and we'll see in 2015 whether the headline act in Melbourne, combining the resources of the VACC and RACV, can get somewhere close to The Festival.But that's still in the future and, despite all the glorious cars from the past and the sight of so many of the motorsport heroes even from my childhood, I'm still deeply immersed in Goodwood 2014.If you have a Bucket List, and you're remotely interested in cars, add the Festival of Speed. At the top.

The track focused Porsche 911, the GT3, is up against the the fastest ever Aston, the V12 Vantage S.

LIKE most people, Ivan Sentch realises that unless he wins the lottery, buying an Aston Martin DB4, his dream car, will always be out of reach. Just last month a 1960 series II model sold at auction for $US550,000 ($607,000). But the computer programmer has a backup plan. He is printing the car, piece by piece, in his garage, until he has a working replica.For the past year the car's raked back, windscreen pillars, swooping roofline and distinctive side "gills'' have been slowly emerging from a 300 3-D printer at Sentch's home in Auckland, New Zealand. Working from a digital model downloaded from the internet, Sentch, 32, has split the car's panels into hundreds of 10cm x 10cm pieces so they can be replicated by his small Solidoodle 2 printer, which slowly builds up the shape, layer by layer, with molten plastic that is directed through a nozzle, taking about eight hours for each part.The printed shapes are glued together to make moulds for fibreglass panels. These are mounted on a metal frame, containing the engine, gearbox and suspension from a Nissan Skyline coupe, to make a working car looking identical to a DB4. It has taken a year to print the bodywork in full. Now Sentch plans to start on the interior."If it was not for 3-D printing, I would not have been able to do this project,'' he says. "The normal way of doing it is to mill the shape out of foam, which is too expensive, or to shape it by hand, which was too big an undertaking."By doing it this way, the final cost, including the printer, plastics and the donor car, will be around $NZ40,000 ($37,700). I hadn't thought about using a 3-D printer before this: it was just a solution to a problem.''He is not the only car enthusiast to find that the rapidly developing technology will allow him to build a dream car.In 2008 Citroen unveiled its GT concept car, which was designed for a computer screen. It was featured in the Gran Turismo 5 PlayStation game, but in real life its sharp lines, gaping air intakes and wraparound windscreen were a step too far for the French company. Apart from a prototype driven by a few journalists, the GT remained firmly on the drawing board.Now, slowly emerging in a Toronto garage is a replica of the car, formed on a MakerBot 3-D printer. "I fell in love with the car when I saw it for the first time and I thought that I'd have a go at making it,'' says the owner, who gives his name only as Arthur K, fearing that Citroen will take a dim view of his project. Like Sentch, Arthur will make the panels out of fibreglass and needs plastic moulds."I have got no modelling skills at all, so I can't translate what I see into a clay or foam model,'' he says. "I've downloaded a 3-D model and I'm printing the doors, the interior, the skirts on the front, rear and side, as well as the mirrors.''There are limits on what the MakerBot can do, though: the engine will come from a Chevrolet Corvette and the gearbox from a Porsche Cayman. The oldest 3-D printers were built in the mid-1980s, but consumer versions have emerged only in the past five years, and at first there were few obvious things to make with them. Now it's the car industry that is planning to make greatest use of the technology.Dealerships may no longer have to keep your car for days until a part is delivered: they could print it on the spot. Classic car owners won't have to track down a rare panel: as long as they can get a copy of the blueprints, they will be able to create a replica at home. American chat show host Jay Leno is using the technology to maintain his garage of almost 200 cars."My 1907 White Steamer has a feedwater heater and over the 100-plus years it's been in use, the metal has become so porous you can see steam and oil seeping through,'' he wrote in Popular Mechanics magazine."Rather than have a machinist try to copy the heater and then build it, we decided to redesign the original using our NextEngine 3-D scanner and Dimension 3-D printer, which makes an exact copy of a part in plastic, which we then send out to create a mould."It's like The Jetsons. George Jetson would say, I want a steak dinner. He'd press a button and the meal would come out of the machine, with the roasted potatoes and everything, all on one plate. We may not have the instant steak dinner yet but my NextEngine system is like the car-guy equivalent.''Ford embraced 3-D printing after it printed an engine intake system in four days at a cost of $US3000. The company said a prototype component would have cost $US500,000 and taken four months to make. "We can go from art to part overnight,'' says Matt Zaluzec, Ford's global materials manager. "Three-D printing is all the rage now.''TJ Giuli, leader of Ford's research lab in Silicon Valley, California, is looking at how owners may be able to adapt their cars. "What we really want to do is give people the same kind of acces-sibility they used to have for tinkering with their car, maybe when it was the 1950s, 1960s," he says. "We are interested in seeing how you can use techniques to personalise your car in interesting ways reminiscent of when cars were much more accessible.''Audi has five 3-D printers producing prototype parts for models that run for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Jaguar Land Rover used a 3-D printer from Stratasys to make the air vents in development versions of the Range Rover Sport.Each winter BMW takes its cars to the Arctic for cold weather testing. In recent years the vehicles have been accompanied by a 3-D printer so replacement or redesigned parts can quickly be produced and fitted. Many Formula One teams also have machines in pit lane.Some Lamborghini Gallardo customers had 3-D printed parts fitted after a production problem meant the flap covering the headlight washers was not fitting properly. Instead of holding up production, a new part was produced on a 3-D printer made by an Italian firm called CRP.One hundred cars had left the production line before the tools for the redesigned part were finished, after which the part could be produced normally using injection moulding. Even Rolls-Royce is using the technology, producing life-size models of bespoke fittings."Buyers might want a drinks-carrying solution to hold a certain type of water bottle or champagne bottle,'' says James Warren, a Rolls-Royce spokesman. "We can present them with several options to ensure that the final version is right first time.''For now, though, 3-D printers are unlikely to replace the stamping, pressing and moulding that take place on a production line because they simply take too long. Some of the most precise shapes are built up in layers only 127 microns thick. It takes 100 of these layers to make a part 13mm thick. But for enthusiasts who cannot afford today's stratospheric classic car prices, 3-D printing is a way to make their dreams come true.SEVEN STEPS TO 3D HEAVEN1. Buy a printerThe Solidoodle 4 ($1100, solidoodle.com) and MakerBot Replicator 2 ($2895, thinglab.com.au) are both popular consumer printers.2. Download the 3D digital designWebsites include humster3d.com and turbosquid.com. Patterns cost from about $55.3. Find a donor carIt should have similar dimensions to the car you're recreating and will provide the underbody components. Panels and trim will be replaced.4. Adapt the designUse 3D modelling software to adjust the digital design so it can be attached to the donor car. Divide it into small printable parts.5. FabricateForm the fibreglass panels using the plastic as a template - a time-consuming process.6. FitThe moment of truth: find out if your calculations and processes were correct.7. PaintA good paint job can cost more than $10,000. 

The best road for the Vanquish Volante twists through a steep-sided valley. Dial up "sport" mode, set the driver-select suspension to "track" and proceed at pace