Ever since we started driving, we've been looking. You may not realise you've been looking, but you have. The trouble is we never find it. Well, I've found it. The NA-137. The GMA T.50. The road. And the car.
And that's it. That's what I'd do with my final tank of fuel. 750 SVO 200 And while we're at it, powers that be, could I also request the exact same weather and traffic as 7am-11am on 6 October 2023? It's a week later now, and every night I've dreamed about the T.50 on that road. I've never had that before. Reliving memories is one thing, but to have your off-duty brain replay scenes with such vivid clarity you remember them the next morning is quite another. My subconscious clearly doesn't want to let those moments go either.
I don't know whether to feel relief or profound excitement that Gordon Murray and his team have created arguably the finest driving device that's ever been conceived. No less was expected after all. And yet, despite everything I'd already learned about it, this wasn't the car I expected it to be. It wasn't better or worse, it was just different.
This wasn't a 'one road' thing, by the way. The T.50 was mine for four whole days and close to 900 miles. The length of the Pyrenees, from Barcelona to Bilbao. I knew it had potential, but hadn't expected it to throw up the Driving Nirvana Combo. My original plan had been a lightweight roadtrip, until I realised two things: that an all areas reduction would see me ending up like James May in that racing Aston; and that if Gordon had been utterly ruthless about mass, we wouldn't have a pair of lovely leather cases for each luggage locker, but a bin bag.
Just a roadtrip then. But what a road trip, taking in about 25 cols and passes, investigating the length and breadth of this secluded mountain range, ricocheting between Spain, France and Andorra. The stuff that lights our fires. The stuff the GMA T.50 was designed for.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mi5 SILENT, POSH AND LETHAL!
With its reimagined design language, BMW has done what it does best-divided opinion with the kind of fervour usually reserved for debates about pineapple on pizza.
A VIRAL ESCAPE
The last time I visited Hampi in Karnataka was back in 2021, just as the world began to shake off the COVID-19 travel bans.
FROM UNDERDOG TO CHAMPION
Thierry Neuville's Journey to WRC Glory
Max Verstappen: FOUR-TIME CHAMP UNDER THE VEGAS LIGHTS
From dominance to resilience, Verstappen cements his legacy while Mercedes shines in Sin
VOLKSWAGEN VIRTUS GT PLUS SPORT: SEXY+SPORT
Volkswagen has a knack for keeping their loyal and enthusiastic customers grinning from ear to ear. The German manufacturer has almost become synonymous with build quality, safety and performance.
BE GE AND XEV 9E Sexy and Ballsy!
Starting a review can be quite a challenge, especially when it's hard to pinpoint the flaws!
CAPTURING THE ESSENCE
Chilly, cold mornings and Mumbai is a rare combination that we seldom see in this part of our beautiful country.
BATTLE OF TWO GOLIATHS
When Luxury Meets Performance, Who Takes the Crown?
THE E-MPV THAT DARES TO DREAM BIG
The MPV market, dominated for aeons by Toyota's Innova, has always felt like a rather predictable place. It's the type of vehicle you buy not out of passion but practicality-like a pair of orthopaedic shoes.
IMPRACTICAL YET IRRESISTIBLE
Exactly ten years ago, I took my first international trip. It was to Bahrain, a country of endless desert and skyscrapers, where my aunt and uncle lived. Among their friends and neighbours, one particular gentleman, upon learning I was a budding petrolhead, took an entire day off work to take me around the city’s showrooms to see some “normal” Middle East traffic.
