Hot off the press 📰

A rare occurrence where the news I’m sharing is genuinely fresh, and has inspired the theme for this week’s newsletter. Brabus ran their Signature Night yesterday where they showcase their work, and that fashion show inspired event included the Brabus Rocket GTS, a shooting brake styled car, from what I can tell it’s based on the AMG GT. I wish I didn’t like it, but I really do. It looks so menacing, Darth Vader reincarnated as a car. The whole body is carbon, it produces 1,000hp and thunders to 60mph in 2.6 seconds. Evil.

Social spotlight 📱

OK, so in this instance the brief literally was, if Darth Vader was a car what would he look like. That brief became both a hot wheels model and a full sized car! In this Instagram reel the designer behind the project takes you around the car.

Car of the week 💰

The Ferrari FF divided opinion when it was launched, a Ferrari…estate? Not quite, but the shooting brake styling was a departure from their classic style. I am quite partial to a shooting brake and therefore have a soft spot for this Ferrari, it also has 4 seats and 4wd so it’s a practical family car, right? They come with a 6.2l V12 and they’re available on Auto Trader from £70k…you might need to budget some extra for servicing and issues with the 4wd system though.

Small screen scene 📺

Fancy that shooting brake look, but don’t have Brabus budget, how about the Z3M coupe? Referred to as the clownshoe, it’s not quite as imposing as the Brabus, but there’s no doubt the Brabus takes some styling inspiration from this 90’s BMW. Hear what JayEmm has to say about this modern classic in his review.

Seen in the wild 👀

Very conveniently, to tie in with the theme, I spotted this Aston Martin DB7 Zagato on a run in London, 1 of only 99 produced. Personally I think it’s a nice build on the original car, however the prices appear to be exponentially higher on account of its rarity. You might need north of £200k if it takes your fancy.