12 Things We Learned This Week

This week saw the M1 motorway in Northampton closed after a lorry caught fire. Not, sadly, the most unusual of occurrences, but noteworthy because this lorry was stuffed to the gunnels with cheese. Delicious, fatty, melty cheese.

Eyewitnesses reported 'a couple of explosions' before the lorry burst into flames. Explosions? TG has sampled some ripe Camemberts in its time, but never any that looked close to spontaneous detonation.

Thankfully the driver avoided a feta worse than death, escaping his cabin before the blaze took hold, as dozens of fondue-loving bystanders clutching large pieces of stale bread and giant skewers moved in to mop up the damage. This bit didn't actually happen.

"It was a GRUYERE miss!" chortled one entirely fictional bystander.

"Don't you mean a PANEER miss?" chimed in another.

"Lucky he wasn't driving a Vauxhall Edam!" added yet another. "No, hang on, that doesn't really work. A Brie-MW? A gorgonzoLaFerrari? This is far more difficult than I initially suspected..."

Picture: Max Earey

It's called the Q60 concept, and previews a production coupe to rival BMW's coupe offerings (expect it to sit somewhere between the 4- and 6- Series).

There is talk of ‘muscular lines' and ‘full-sized wheels' (as opposed to...), and continuing the Infiniti design language seen from recent concepts.

Of course, this only confirms TG's exclusive news brought to you early this year: remember the 550bhp, GT-R-engined Eau Rouge concept? We put it to Infiniti that this new Coupe could benefit from that drivetrain - and put one over on BMW.

"That's a good idea," said Shiro Nakamura, chief creative officer at the company. "If we can get a four-door Eau Rouge built, we can get the same for the two-door using the same powertrain."

Watch this space, Internet...

Patrick Sinn's 1971 flight from Geneva back to his home in Toronto was delayed. Patrick therefore decided to pay a visit to the 1971 Geneva Motor Show to while away some time, where he saw - and fell in love with - the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 you see above.

He immediately went to the Ferrari factory, ordered one, spent a month in 1971 tooling around Europe in it, and then shipped man and Ferrari back to North America. After 18 years of being a Driving God, he was called away to Asia. He thought it would be a few months, but it turned out to be six years. He put the Fezza up on blocks in his condominium parking garage, where it has sat ever since (he never drove it much on his return).

So, from 1989 until now, the car has been ‘hiding in plain sight'. Pat now wants rid of it, and has given it to RM Auctions to sell off, where it's likely to achieve over €600,000. You even get his ‘Disco Rock' eight-track still stuck in the K-Tec player.

Mad Mike Whiddett is a Red Bull drifty person, and is currently undertaking a very unusual and interesting build: with the help of some people, he's putting together a Mazda MX-5 with a twin-turbocharged rotary engine capable of producing upwards of 1200bhp.

It's called Project ‘Radbull', and it's likely to be one hell of a... handful.

Have a watch of the video at the link below to check out Mad Mike's latest update. We'll bring you the full story once it's complete - and assuming it hasn't self-immolated.

Video

News from Ford's new global performance team this week: the company is working on bringing a brand new Focus RS to the world, probably some time in 2016.

There are no specific details on powertrain or performance at this early stage, but you can expect it to feature the new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine from the new Mustang, as well as some clever front-wheel-drive technology and a significant rise over 300bhp.

"To earn the RS badge," explains Raj Nair of Ford, "the vehicle has to be a no-compromise driver's car that can deliver exceptional performance on the track when required while providing excellent every day driving."

With the new Audi RS3 packing 367bhp and Merc's A45 AMG still commanding TG's respect with 360bhp, we'd say it's game on...

Read the full story here

Australia's highest grossing dystopian action film is back! And oh sweet mother of post-apocalyptic road wars it looks good.

For the fourth time Mad Max (now being played by Tom Hardy) is on the run across the Australian Wasteland. With his trusty Ford Falcon XB and a whopping great supercharger strapped on the bonnet - the Pursuit Special - the Road Warrior wants to go it alone this time. However, that doesn't work as he becomes swept up with a group of mutilated metal fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa.

As you'll see, the trailer to Mad Max: Fury Road is an utterly beautiful mix of destruction and madness. There are some crazy mish mashes of cars (a big rig wearing a Mercedes-Benz W123 body, anyone?) but if you can identify any more of them, let us know below.

Watch the trailer here

Earlier this week thieves conducted a smash ‘n' grab heist straight out of a Grand Theft Auto mission at Red Bull Racing's Milton Keynes factory. In the early hours of the morning six men ploughed a 4x4 through the front entrance and made off with 60 of RB's heard-earned silverware. This left Team Principal Christian Horner at little bit angry, and confused.

"Beyond the aggressive nature of this break-in, we are perplexed why anyone would take these trophies," Horner said. "The value to the team is of course extraordinarily high due to the sheer hard work and effort that went into winning each and every one. But their intrinsic value is low; they would be of little benefit to those outside of the team and, in addition to that, many of the trophies on display were replicas."

So, if you're down the pub this weekend and someone tries to sell you a ‘very large and shiny pint glass' that just so happens to have Seb Vet's name engraved on it, walk away and call the police.

For the past 32 years on the trot, the biggest-selling vehicle in America has been the Ford F-150 truck. To prepare children for the inevitable, then, there's also the Power Wheels ride-on mini F-150.

With room for two, a working tailgate and flatbed, two speeds (2.5mph and a dizzying 5mph) it should be at the top of every American child's list to Santa.

But, it wouldn't be a Ford F-150 if it wasn't as tough as the full-size one. So, to test this, Fisher-Price decided to plonk daddy's big truck on top of four small ones. Now that the huge cab and body of the full-size F-150 are made from aluminium, it's up to 300kg lighter than before - which must've helped.

But amazingly the wee trucks were able to withstand the squishing. So we're sure a 5mph Boxing Day head-on crash with the skirting board won't be a problem.

Video

Yep, the same 1.5-litre TwinPower Turbo motor (and just the motor - not the i8's ELECTRICITY) from the petrol-powered Mini Cooper will find its way inside the BMW 2-Series Coupe.

Badged as the 218i, it'll have 136bhp, and the ability to go from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds, as well as return a claimed 55mpg. It'll also have that addictive chainsawing-a-duvet-to-shreds three-cylinder thrum. We can't wait to drive it.

Andre Drummond is an American basketballist who plays for the Detroit Pistons. Andre Drummond drives a Merc S-Class. This week, Andre Drummond posted a photo online driving said S-Class, captioned 'Morning World'. Now, the wisdom of taking a photo while you're driving - and then Snapchatting that photo - is dubious enough, but it's the presence of two further factors that made this a particularly bad decision on Drummond's behalf.

First, that the S-Class's speedo was reading 96mph, on what very much appeared to be a public highway. Second, just to make sure Mr Drummond couldn't claim he was engaged in, say, a busy track-day at the Nurburgring, he helpfully included in shot enough of the sat nav display to make clear exactly where he was speeding. Oh, and for good measure, made sure the 'fasten seat belts' sign was flashing, too.

Drummond, to give him credit, was repentant. "I own up to it," he said after. It's a silly mistake. Just got to move forward from it. It won't happen again."

TG would humbly suggest, Mr Drummond, that this 'moving forward' occurs a little more sedately. And without cameraphone in hand.

A story befitting any Bond film: news reaches us that ‘nine luxury cars' set to appear in the next James Bond film have been stolen.

We're told the theft includes at least five RR Sport models specially customised for 007's 24th outing, which just last week was confirmed as Spectre.

Land Rover told The Guardian: "We are aware of a theft of a number of Range Rovers in Dusseldorf, Germany. This is a criminal act and the police are carrying out a full investigation."

Thankfully, the Aston Martin DB10 - of which just ten will be built specially for Spectre and returning Bond Daniel Craig - is safe. Phew.