Car Critiques Corner

When you’re the director of what’s widely regarded as the custodian of British motorsport’s bloodline and heritage, you’d better have a ride to match. This isn’t just any club; it’s an institution so exclusive that full membership is reserved for those who’ve achieved top-level national or international success over multiple seasons. With motorsport royalty like David Coulthard, Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, and the Flying Scot himself, Jackie Stewart, among your peers, your wheels ought to speak the same language.

As I rounded the corner of a discreet housing estate buried on the rural fringes of a busy Cotswold town, my gaze landed squarely on this rather ominous specced Ferrari GTC4 Lusso. At first, I snapped a quick front and back portrait shot and thought nothing more of it. But once I got home, I thought, ‘This could make a great writeup.’ So I jumped in the car and went back out just to see it again. And here we are.

Something about a neglected, city-dwelling sports car isn’t it. I think it’s a combination of two things. First, there’s the idea that you might stumble upon the owner, politely lowball them, and ‘rescue’ their humble Boxster, locking it away to a lifetime of two bucket washes, a regular service, and Sunday morning car meets. The second is the curious; the idea that there is someone out there who loves a Boxster enough to keep it in permit parking in one of Bath’s most affluent areas, but despite likely having the coin, won’t undertake what most enthusiasts or even car owners might deem basic visual maintenance.

Today is Easter Sunday, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! This afternoon I was at Marque in the Park 2025 in Bath, after making a discovery it was a thing in the morning. I didn’t really know what to expect as I was driving there, with the advertisement saying, ‘there’s a car here for everyone, from 1950 to 2024.’ But as I drove past the park’s gates on London Road, I caught a glimpse of what was on offer. It looked promising!