Today's electronically managed cars "fill me with sadness", says Tiff Needell in The Sunday Times. The sound of a car coming alive after being tickled by your right foot was a delight, particularly when that car was a Jaguar E-Type from the 1960s. The good news is that there is a firm that brings E-Types back to life.
Eagle has been overhauling old E-Types since 1984. But this new creation, the Eagle Spyder GT, is something else. It is based on a donor car, but about the only original part left when Eagle is done is the chassis plate. The renovation takes 6,000 hours of work, all done by hand. That makes it very expensive £834,000. But you get what you pay for. This is one of the most beautiful cars in the world to look at, but more importantly, "it is one of the most beautiful to drive".
It's fast, agrees Rob Hull on This is Money. A 4.7-litre straight-six engine propels "this chrome-clad bullet" to 60mph in under five seconds and on to a top speed of 170mph, while the twin exhausts amplify the booming engine note nicely. And unlike most classic cars, this is a car you can depend on. You get the style, but also thoroughly modern reliability and safety features.
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It is so beautifully proportioned, I could look at it for the rest of my life, says Chris Evans in the Mail on Sunday. And the ride is "pure joy", firm but not uncomfortable, and the steering, free of power assistance, is nevertheless "light, obedient and effective". The price tag is, of course, "eye-watering". Is it worth it? "I have no idea," says Evans but it is certainly exclusive and desirable and driving one will have you grinning from ear to ear.
You can commission your own bespoke build based on an original Jaguar E-Type. Expect to wait two years, and to pay £834,000. Telephone 01825-830966, or see EagleGB.com.
