Henry Catchpole

Jul 1, 2024 | evo.co.uk | Henry Catchpole

Let’s imagine ourselves in Jost Capito’s garage. I’m not talking about the Williams’ pit garage at a Grand Prix, George Russell plotting his way to another Q3 in a the FW43B. No, I’m talking about Capito’s personal garage, at home, away from his current job as the team principal at Williams Racing. I should point out that I’ve never been to his garage, nor do I know if it exists. For all I know, Capito may live in a one-up-one-down with limited street parking.

Jun 21, 2024 | hagerty.com | Bryan Gerould |Henry Catchpole

This is the new Bugatti Tourbillon, the successor to the Veyron and the Chiron, due to be delivered in 2026. Its looks are very much evolution rather than revolution, but unlike its predecessors the Tourbillon doesn’t have a turbocharged W-16 engine, instead it has a naturally aspirated, 8.3-liter V-16 developed in partnership with Cosworth. This produces 1000hp on its own but in conjunction with three electric motors the Tourbillon has a combined hybrid system output of 1800hp.

Jun 19, 2024 | evo.co.uk | Henry Catchpole

There are a few beaches on the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall that look like they could be in the Caribbean. The fine white sand is second cousin to caster sugar, tufts of Marram grass give a feeling of seclusion, and the crystal clear, turquoise water is spectacularly inviting. Which is why every year it is a rude awakening as toe meets shallows to discover that a 5mm wetsuit still feels entirely appropriate in August.

May 21, 2024 | hagerty.com | Henry Catchpole

The first full-throttle acceleration—once the oil is warm in the engine and the gearbox has lost its initial stiffness—that’s when you really feel how light the McLaren F1 is. Up to that point, you could be forgiven for questioning the 2500-pound weight. The steering is heavy, there is roll and dive and squat and the squeaking brakes don’t quite stop it on a dime. It isn’t a flighty, darty car with the reactions of a gnat that’s just sipped some espresso.

Feb 5, 2024 | evo.co.uk | Henry Catchpole

Three pedals. That’s why I nominated the 911 R. It arrived at a point in 2016 when the H-pattern manual gearbox looked like it was stalling. Paddles and their perfect shifts were sweeping all before them, not least at Porsche where the 991.1 GT3 was offered only with PDK. And the rot wasn’t confined to the upper echelons either, where the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini had gone entirely two-pedal; the Renault Sport Clio had also switched to DCT-only.