Car launches are a bit like buses. You wait an age for something new to be announced that isn’t another generic electric crossover, and then all of sudden you’re bombarded by a spate of models designed with people like us in mind. So on today’s episode of The Gassing Station podcast, we’re kicking things off with arguably the biggest story of the lot: the first Alpina designed under BMW. Not that the Vision Alpina previews anything you’ll be able to buy, with BMW’s first production model expected to be based on the 7 Series – but massive 20-spoke wheels, Alpina-branded skirts and a V8 up front all suggest the German tuner’s name is in safe hands.
While we’re talking concepts, Volkswagen has taken the wraps off its new ID Polo GTI which, yes, is all-electric, but has a decent 226hp on tap, an electronic limited-slip differential and is expected to cost around £30,000. Best of all, there are loads of proper buttons in the cabin, so no more swiping a clammy finger across some piano black trim to turn up the air con. At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve been chatting to Lamborghini chief Stephan Winkelman about the company’s decision to ditch EVs and what’s next on the horizon. So a lot to get through then, and that’s only the first half of the episode.
As usual, there’s a buying challenge to get excited about. PHer Toyota-MR23 has a budget of £60k-£80k to spend on a new sports car, and while they admit the obvious choice is a Porsche 911, they’re much more keen on something a bit more attention-grabbing like an Aston Martin Vantage. Sam, however, thinks this Mercedes-AMG GT S fits the bill better. Not only does it come under budget (the high end, at least) at £76,000 and has just 25k miles on the clock, but it also benefits from a two-year manufacturer warranty. As does the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 I’ve chosen, and while it’s a touch more expensive at £79,995, it has 15k fewer miles and, above all, a six-speed manual gearbox. But if you think you can do better, head into the topic here and show us what you’ve got.
Finally, Sam somehow finds a way to make cobra kid’s topic on ‘driving in India’ about the quality of roads in Wales. As a proper journalist, Sam’s dug through the first and second pages of Google to determine whether countries with chaotic roads are as good as some PHers believe, which he then follows up by proclaiming that the best roads in the UK can be found in Wales. And not just for the topography, either, because the roads are in noticeably better nick than they are in England. You can weigh in on the debate here, or have a listen to pod first to see how this all fits together.