Rover 827 Sterling, Wheel Centre Caps ! on 2040-parts.com

VW Phaeton - the new one coming in 2015

A brand new Volkswagen Phaeton Mk2 will be launched in 2015, based on a new architecture being masterminded by cousins Audi. Dubbed VW631, the new VW Phaeton will be based on MLM Evo (modular longitudinal matrix) which makes provision for a plug-in hybrid option, an aluminium-intensive body structure and a much more advanced and less nose-heavy dynamic layout. Although VW chairman Martin Winterkorn has in the past black-flagged the Avantissimo (A8-based) and the Passat Variant Plus (A6-derived), there is still a lot to be said for a second more practical bodystyle in addition to the four-door notch which is almost compulsory in this segment.

Bluebird Electric aiming for UK Land Speed Record

Bluebird Electric You’d hope that anyone of any age would associate ‘Bluebird’ with ‘Campbell’, but as many of our schools don’t seem too keen on anything that may be even remotely considered part of Britain’s history, perhaps not. So we’ll just throw in that Sir Malcolm Campbell drove a variety of Bluebird (or Blue Bird) cars to new land speed records on Pendine Sands in the 1920s and his son, Donald Campbell, matched his father’s achievements with world speed records on both land and water – the only man to have held land and water speed records at the same time. And he too used the Bluebird moniker for his record-breaking transport of choice. Fast forward the best part of fifty years and it’s the grandson of Sir Malcolm – Don Wales – who’s plotting to take the Bluebird Electric to a new UK Land Speed Record, and planning to make a start on that quest at Pendine Sands (a location Top Gear fans will probably recognise – and was it Pendine Sands on the new Torchwood series last week?).

Pagani Zonda Revolucion (2013) first pictures of ultimate 790bhp Zonda

Is the new Pagani Zonda Revolucion the Nurburgring lap-record holder in waiting? The Zonda Revolucion (Revolution in Spanish) is a fettled version of the track-only Zonda R, boasting more power and F1-derived brake and aerodynamic know-how. It should easily be able to eclipse the Zonda R's record-breaking 6min 47sec Nürburgring lap time, but you’ll need fast money, too. Available to order now, the five Revolucions being produced will set you back an eye-watering €2.2m (£1.8m) each – plus taxes – and you still can't drive it on the road… For £1.8million, the Pagani Zonda Revolucion had better be packing some serious punch… Worry not: the mid-mounted 6.0-litre AMG V12 (normally aspirated still, rather than twin-turbocharged like the new Pagani Huayra in CAR's video review below) develops 789bhp – a 50bhp increase on the 2009 Zonda R's output.