Tim Pitt

It was literally a few minutes from the pub where we had the Christmas party. Should have stayed in the Lion hotel!

Inside the Bentley Continental GT Azure.

‘Postural Adjust’ seats use inflatable air pockets to reduce fatigue on long journeys.

Open-pore walnut veneer is the standard finish, but the Naim audio system is a £7,350 upgrade.

Also spotted this Evora Sport 430 in the Encor workshop.

The fastest Lotus road car ever when launched in 2017, with a 430hp supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota V6 and a titanium exhaust.

Lotus Esprit Sport 350 in the Encor workshop.

One-of-50 final edition Esprit has a 350hp V8, five-speed manual ’box, thinner fibreglass body panels, AP Racing brakes, stiffer suspension and a carbon fibre rear spoiler.

Not one that will be getting the restomod treatment!

This fabulous 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 is one of only 10 white cars with the optional tartan interior.

Its fibreglass body is combined with a 162hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Kerb weight is just 900kg.

The Giugiaro wedge in its purest form?

Encor Series 1 retains the Esprit’s pop-up headlights, but with LED projector lamps.

You won’t find any Morris Marina door handles here, though – the solenoid door releases are hidden within the side air intakes.

Wheels are billet-machined 17-inch rims with Bridgestone tyres.

Encor Series 1’s tartan trim and two-spoke wheel are nods to the classic Esprit.

Digital binnacle is made from a single piece of billet aluminium.

The electrical architecture is by Encor’s sister company, Skyships Automotive – an OEM supplier for Pagani and the Lotus Evija.

A closer look at the Encor Series 1.

Its engine and chassis come from a late-model Esprit V8, but the carbon fibre body is inspired by the original 1975 Esprit S1.

Encor says it has ‘approached the Esprit not as a blank canvas, but as a piece of cultural heritage’.

These are tough times in Hethel, but there’s still plenty of love for Lotus in Chelmsford…

Pictured here: a run-out 1999 Esprit Sport 350, a stunning 1976 Esprit S1 and – the reason for my trip to Essex – the new Encor Series 1 restomod.

It is their flagship car, and only available in one fully-loaded spec.

‘They seem to have come and gone as rapidly as a Lotus Evija in Track mode.’

Read my piece on the decline and fall of the electric hypercar – with insights from Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann and Longbow Motors COO Mark Tapscott.

New on Robb Report: robbreport.com/motors/cars/...

Inside the Chery Tiggo 9 CSH.

Central 15.6-inch touchscreen is combined with a 10.25-inch driver display.

There are seven seats, plus a huge 819-litre boot with the third row folded down.

Chery Tiggo 9 CSH combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with twin electric motors and a 34.5kWh.

Zero to 62mph takes 5.4 seconds and EV-only range is 91 miles.

New Chery Tiggo 9 CSH majors on value for money.

There’s one single ‘Summit’ spec and standard kit includes surround-view parking cameras, heated/cooled rear seats and a 14-speaker Sony audio system.

Chery has matched Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, too.

Today: driving the Chery Tiggo 9 CSH.

This seven-seat, plug-in hybrid SUV is Chinese brand Chery’s new UK flagship.

Yours for £43,105 – or £499 a month.

Thank you, Stu. It’s no 80mph Jazz Club, but I must endure it…

Sunday drive in the Bentley Continental GT.

This new ‘standard’ Conti GT uses a detuned, 680hp version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and 140kW electric motor from the 782hp GT Speed.

A 25.5kWh battery gives 50 miles of EV range – and official figures of 217mpg and 29g/km.

‘The McLaren is a full-blooded endurance racer with slick tyres, an F1-style steering yoke and an air jacking system for quicker pit stops.’

Read my review of the PalmerSport experience – including a drive in the McLaren Artura GT4.

Now live on MR: www.motoringresearch.com/features/pal...

In the next issue of Copacetic - @timpitt100.bsky.social drives the exquisite all-carbon Kamm 912C 😍

In shops December 16th - or pre-order right now: copaceticmagazine.co.uk/product-cate...

Just delivered: Bentley Continental GT.

This one is in Azure specification, which means a vertical-vaned grille, crystal-effect headlights, 22-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof and ‘wellness’ seats.

Paint colour is ‘Cricket Ball’ – a £9,540 option from Mulliner.

‘The V8 goes from zero to high-rev hysteria before you remember to take a breath. It feels more akin to a superbike than anything I’ve experienced in a road car.’

Read my review of the Lamborghini Temerario in Auto Italia magazine.

New issue is with subscribers now and in the shops soon.

‘The new Cayenne seems very spec-dependant. The entry-level car looked rather anonymous in grey, but the Turbo in Mystic Green Metallic (seen here) drew an appreciative crowd all evening.’

First impressions of the Porsche Cayenne Electric – now live on MR: www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/por...

‘A token 15kg saving means the CS weighs in at 1,850kg. That’s nearly 300kg more than an E46 M3, but also a whopping 700kg lighter than the current M5 Touring.’

Read my review of the new BMW M3 CS Touring – now live on the City AM app and website: www.cityam.com/bmw-m3-cs-to...

Pretty sure they are 21s – and the Turbo is on 22s.

They are definitely being sold from a performance perspective. I guess you may get slightly more range as well, but that would probably be negated by having the drivetrain in Sport Plus. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Cayenne Electric is the first Porsche to offer (optional) wireless charging – you simply position the front wheels either side of an 11kW inductive plate.

Maximum (plugged-in) charging speed for the 113kWh battery is 400kW, allowing for a potential 10-80% fill-up in 16 minutes.

Inside the new Porsche Cayenne Electric.

Curved OLED ‘Flow Display’ is the largest in the marque’s history. It can be combined with an augmented reality head-up display projected onto the windscreen.

There’s an optional 14.9-inch touchscreen for the front-seat passenger, too.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric at its London debut.

These ‘Active Aeroblades’ extend from the Turbo’s rear wings when Sport Plus mode is engaged – or if you activate launch control – to smooth airflow down the sides of the car.

First look at the new Cayenne Electric – making its UK debut at Porsche Mayfair.

The base model delivers 442hp when using launch control, hits 62mph in 4.8 seconds and maxes out at 143mph. 

The Cayenne Turbo offers up to 1,156hp: good for 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and 163mph.

Made a Mk5 GTI friend (quite envious, actually, as I originally wanted a white one).