Hi, it’s Alistair 

You probably know all about China’s surprisingly affordable EVs stealing European carmaker’s lunch. But what about thousand-horsepower hypercars and SUVs that act as a boat? Yeah, they can do that too – and at The Next Drive we’ve tried them both.

Mark’s been over in China, where he drove the 1,200hp YangWang U9 round a test track, wrestled with a BYD Seal on a soaking skid pan, and even rode shotgun in the U8 as it was driven into a swimming pool.

On purpose, I should add, and not in a bid to reenact that thing Keith Moon may or may not have done in his Roller. The U8 can float, y’see, pulling itself forward with its spinning wheels, for up to 30 minutes. Rather than actually doubling as a boat, like a 1960’s Amphicar, it’s built to get you out of trouble during a flash flood, YangWang parent BYD says.

You can watch Mark’s full video here!

This week I’ve spent a few days in the new Porsche 911 Turbo S – and you’ll see my video on the channel soon. Without spoiling the video too much, I was struck by the Porsche’s huge breadth of ability. It’s a 700-horsepower rocket ship, but one that’s also comfortable, quiet and easy to drive around town; it’s properly practical too. There’s a decent boot, a couple of kids’ seats in the back, and Porsche’s PR even provided their official dog carrier for my cockapoo puppy, Enzo.

This week I’ll be trying out the new DS No8, a stylish but somewhat quirky EV from the Stellantis brand that is to Citroen what Lexus is to Toyota. Look out for videos on both the Porsche and the DS on The Next Drive soon.

We don’t just want to talk at you in this newsletter, we want you to be a part of it too! Each week we’ll be featuring a readers’ vehicle with a bit of background info and why it matters to them. It could be your reliable daily drive that gets you from A to B without any fuss, a project you’re working on or a pile of rust you have sitting in your garage.

If you’d like to be featured, get in touch at [email protected]! Let us know a bit about your vehicle and why you want to show it off.

There’s been some press coverage on the 355 By Evoluto this week – essentially a restored and modified Ferrari F355 from the 1990s – and it’s got me thinking. While I’m all for restomods of older cars, like an Eagle E-Type and those gorgeous Porsche 911s reimagined by Singer, the 355 feels like a line crossed. Perhaps that’s because it was literally the Ferrari on my childhood bedroom wall, or because throwing a million dollars at a 355 feels like sacrilege.

Either way, I’m now knee-deep in the classifieds looking at 355s and two have caught my eye.

The first a red, manual coupe coming up for auction on Collecting Cars – or, if you’re less patient, the second is a beautiful GTS with the removable roof panel, also a manual, and in rare Azzurro Hyperion Metallic (pale blue). Yours for £150k. I remember a time when F355s were in the mid-30s…

Lexus has revealed it’s latest SUV EV and it certainly isn’t taking any half measures. They describe it as a ‘driving lounge’ because it prioritises spaciousness inside and is fitted with three rows of seats to offer a total of spaces. That departs from the classic offering of seven seats in a bid to maximise the sense of space which allows for things like big captain’s chairs in the front with optional ottoman leg rests.

Finally for this week, I’m tucking into the latest issue of The Road Rat.

A big, beautiful car magazine with the best photography and layout design in the business, The Road Rat landed in 2019 and is now up to issues 23. The latest instalment covers the story of Bugatti with a series of world-class articles and imagery to match, plus a piece on Alpina and essays by Chris Harris and Dylan Jones. It’s not cheap, but I urge you to treat yourself to a subscription.

Thanks for reading The Next Drive. Catch you here next Thursday!

Until then,

Alistair