As we celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Her Majesty’s ability to mix horsepower has never waned in those 70 years.
At this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show she arrived on four wheels, courtesy of Land Rover’s finest Range Rover, to spend a day amongst four legs.
The British-based car brand has been a constant part of her time on the throne.
A trusted vehicle
The first Land Rover was four years old when Elizabeth became the Queen, and she would have to wait another 18 years before the comparatively luxurious Range Rover was born.
The Royal Family had a few of those very first Rangies, and the ensuing models are now as familiar a sight as Corgis around the Queen – and it’s not too difficult to understand why.
I’ve had a Range Rover pretty much all of my life, starting with Dad’s original 3-door that worked hard on the farm before being brushed down for the school run.
Today, I own a near-20-year-old one and despite the wear and tear from the children and the dogs, it still makes me feel like I’m being chauffeured home, even when I’m doing the driving.
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The design of all cars has remained pretty much as it was when the Mini was popular 70 years ago – four wheels, a box on top, and a circle to steer things with. What has dramatically changed, though, is what powers them.
With the new electric version, that special connection between the car and the driver is muted
MINI’s current owner, BMW, has just put its much-admired high-performance ‘M’ badge onto an electric car for the first time.
Called the i4 M50, its figures are worthy of a top performing family machine – torque is almost 800Nm, 62mph happens in under 4 seconds, and it has a starting price of around £65,000.
M badge given the electric treatment
However, while the electric motors definitely add some spark to each punch of the throttle, some of the M’s soul has been removed.
I usually fizz with excitement when I drive an M car – M3, M4 or M5 – as their alert handling keeps me on my toes.
But with the new electric version, that special connection between the car and the driver is muted, and it’s not as light on its toes round the bends, either – both essential M ingredients.
Perhaps we should look deeper into the Queen’s garage for the perfect example of four wheels that are as quiet as an electric car and just as clean with emissions – the Gold State Coach.
She could even badge it M for Majesty…
You Tube: The CAR Girl
Presenter Fifth Gear, Discovery+ & Quest; The Car Years, ITV4
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