Octane

Octane is the authoritative guide to the best classic cars in the world.

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Ignition • EVENTS + NEWS + OPINION

Dates for your diary

BOOK NOW! • Some of these events may seem a long way off, but you need to secure your place and travel plans now to take part

Worthy winners • Results of the 2024 International Historic Motoring Awards Presented by Lockton can now be revealed

New concours in Rome

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Jay Leno • McLaren’s hyper-modern W1 attracts for old-fashioned reasons

Derek Bell • An Englishman in America – but forever a gentleman

Stephen Bayley • The truth is out: Formula 1 is boring. And it’s the cars’ fault

Robert Coucher • The 288 GTO is ‘The One’ – but there’s a more affordable alternative

Junkyard king

GLORY BE • With the Ferrari 288 GTO, Enzo himself kicked off a series of supercars to reinvigorate his over-gentrified marque. Now, 40 years on, Octane examines a genuine legend

ANOTHER ONE JOINS THE CLUB • New F80 means we’ll soon have a ‘Big Six’

FERRARI’S HALO IS SHINING • Maranello’s so-called Big Five, both individually and as the ultimate ‘set’, are riding out recent market fluctuations

THE COLOUR OF VICTORY • This Mercedes 2.0-litre Targa Florio was part of the winning works team on the fabled road race in 1924. Now it’s back to tackle those same Sicilian mountain roads a century on

The world’s craziest road race? • Surprising history of the Targa Florio

TOURING PARTY • Lamborghini 350 GT and Aston Martin DB4 Vantage: two 1960s super-GTs with a special Carrozzeria Touring connection. But which thrills the most?

LIGHT SPARKS • Elon Musk’s first foray into the automotive world was based on the Lotus Elise. How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?

THE OTHER LOTUS ELISE SPIN-OFFS • The Elise platform was both talented and flexible. Here’s what else it underpinned

Shiro Nakamura • Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’

SAYONARA GT-R • After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high

REINVENTING THE WHEEL • The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin

A star is reborn • This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August

Octane Cars • The trials and tribulations of the cars we live with

Phoenix from the flames • 1968 Jensen Interceptor James Elliott

Tatra troubles • 1946 Tatra T87 Delwyn Mallett

One for the birds • 1971 Honda Z600 Richard Heseltine

Overdrive • Other interesting cars we’ve been driving

The power to corrupt • 2024 Aston Martin Vanquish David Lillywhite

On another level • 2024 McLaren 750S Matthew Hayward

Hate complication? Here’s the antidote • 2024 Dacia Duster Glen Waddington

The Pro route to faster lap times • Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+ Ben Barry

Len Terry • Racing car designer who hit his stride with All American Racers and Lotus in their 1960s heyday

Adam Gompertz • Artist, man of the cloth, Rover P4 owner and creator of the REVS online community

The AVUS • As fast as it was treacherous, the Silver Arrows’ favourite circuit became a showcase for Nazi technical strength

The best watch in the world • We’ve been here, but it bears repeating – these...