Advice (Page 6)

At Windrush, we welcome plenty of turbo and supercharged vehicles to our prestige car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds. But there’s still something about the classic naturally aspirated engine that casts a spell. The fundamental principle remains unchanged: air intake to this engine type relies entirely on atmospheric pressure (unlike the forced induction of turbo and supercharging). And while naysayers will tell you the unwelcome upshot of N/A is a bulkier, fuel-thirstier engine, naturally aspirated vehicles typically offer bigger revs, better throttle response (with no turbo lag), optimal torque, easier maintenance and a healthy roar. No wonder the N/A format is still in manufacturers’ thoughts – and has a healthy following amongst our long term car storage clients. Here’s ten of the best naturally aspirated engines, as chosen by our classic car storage team.     Honda S2000 An epic 2.0, 4-cylinder engine making 240 horsepower at an incredible 8,300 rpm. It revs and it roars and it screams… and all that power is right at the top of the revs, meaning you have to work the engine hard. But, it’s a Honda, so it takes it all day long and still comes back for more. Lexus LFA A very special 4.8 V10 built with help from Yamaha. While the Japanese may not have made many supercars, the V10 LFA creates a sonorous wail when on song, as only a V10 can. Not only is it a work of art, it also makes the LFA one of the fastest Japanese cars ever made with its 552 horsepower.  Dodge Viper What more can you say, an 8.4 V10 engine is more than enough in anyone’s book. With 640 horsepower, the all-aluminium engine creates an exhaust note that is unforgettable and while the car makes little sense, our classic car storage team applauds its very existence, every time a Viper rolls into our facilities. Ferrari 550 A 485 horsepower 5.5 litre engine mated to an open-gate manual transmission is certainly something to savour. A front-engined Ferrari is always special, but with a V12 soundtrack and an all muscle, no turbo power delivery, the 550 is now regarded as one of the finest modern road cars out of Maranello. BMW E46 M3 CSL The standard E46 M3 is also worthy of this list, but when BMW squeezed out 355 horsepower from a 3.2 litre naturally aspirated straight six, one can only nod with approval. Light enough to keep the M3 agile, but with a noise unique to an M3, it is one of the heroic engines of all time. Porsche Carrera GT V10 Porsche’s engineers designed and built the 980/01 V10 for F1 but didn’t use it as they pulled out before they had the chance. A detuned 604 horsepower version found its way into the glorious Carrera GT, a car that demands all of the driver’s attention, all of the time, and was as wild a road car as you could get. Alfa Romeo 147GTA The greatest 6-cylinder of all time? None look or sound as good as this, and none feel as special… or as fragile. With 250 horsepower the front-drive 147 GTA was a great place in which to fit the Busso V6. Arguably the most beautiful engine to be fitted to an attainable car. McLaren F1 The marvellous S70/2 V12 with its 6.1 litres, was the only V-12 made by BMW with four valves per cylinder. A gutsy 618 horsepower at 7,500 and 455 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm was enough to propel the F1 from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Chevrolet LS1 V8 Launched in 1997, it was rated at 345 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 350 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, with power uprated to 350 horsepower in 2001. The LS V8 range is now a highly regarded ‘crate’ engine with great power, unrivalled reliability – and very tuneable too. A piece of American history.  Ferrari 458 Speciale Ferrari put all their tech knowhow into this engine, and the result was 600 horsepower from a 4.5-litre, naturally aspirated V8, plus a flat-plane-crank that sounds like only a Ferrari can. Was it the last of the great V8s? In a world of turbos and hybrids, quite possibly, but what a way to go out. Aston Martin Valkyrie Cosworth are the masters behind this soon-to-launch V12 NA engine. If all goes to plan, it will be the most powerful NA engine in history, producing a claimed 1130 horsepower from its 6.5 litres. Whether it launches with that output remains to be seen, but the naturally aspirated engine might not be over just yet… Choose Windrush classic car storage, for turbo, supercharged & N/A engines At Windrush, we treat every visitor to our prestige car storage facilities as an individual. Of course, some elements of our famous 12-step induction process are the same across the board, from the professional wash/dry your car will receive on arrival, to the climate-controlled environment and individual storage bays that mark out our long term car storage from our rivals. But this is no ‘one size fits all’ service. With Windrush’s classic car storage experts on hand around the clock, we’ll adapt our ongoing maintenance programme to the specifications and demands of your vehicle, ensuring we cater to the quirks of the engine, mechanicals and more, and keep your car in an ‘always ready’ condition. For details of our long term car storage, get in touch with the Windrush team on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk

You might be wondering why – as the leading providers of classic car storage for Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds – we’re urging you to get out and about on the region’s best driving roads. The fact is, at Windrush, we believe you can (and should) enjoy your car, and from dappled stretches sprinkled with rustic pubs, to deserted former Roman roads that demand fifth gear – you’ve come to the right county. Best of all, with Windrush’s classic car storage in Oxfordshire keeping every vehicle ready to roll at a moment’s notice, all it takes to satisfy your need for an impulse drive is a quick call to the team. If you’ve already tackled the routes in our last blog, here are four more to try.   B4507 Wantage To Ashbury When you check your car out of Windrush’s classic car storage in Oxfordshire, you’ll want to remind yourself of its pace and handling. The B4507 ticks both boxes, inviting you to open her up, then testing your mettle with some addictive slow-speed corners. Ease off as you pass the Uffington White Horse: a 110-metre prehistoric hill figure that’s visible from the road. B4100 Banbury to Warwick The M40 that runs parallel is faster, but the B4100 is the more interesting drive, hence its high placing in a Caterham Cars survey of the UK’s favourite roads. Expect a great surface and enough challenging features to keep the blood pumping – while the cherry on top is the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. B4455 Chipping Norton to Princethorpe What have the Romans ever done for us? Well, for starters, there’s the B4455. Having breakfasted at Chipping Norton, fork north-west out of the market town on the A3400 until you reach this famous 25-mile stretch of road, so arrow-straight that your steering wheel is practically redundant. B480 Oxford To Reading If the objective is to hit the maximum number of chocolate-box villages per mile travelled, the B480 has a reasonable claim to be the world’s greatest stretch. At Cookley Green, you can either stick with it and enjoy a riverside lunch at Henley-on-Thames, or fork onto the B481, skirting the Chilterns and ghosting through emerald blankets of shaded woodland. There is no wrong answer here. Then back to the best classic car storage in Oxfordshire There’s nothing wrong with letting your vintage car off the leash – provided it gets the best downtime once you’re done, courtesy of Windrush’s acclaimed classic car storage in Oxfordshire. Trust our expert team to look after every detail, welcoming your pride and joy to our dedicated classic car storage facility, putting it through our famous twelve-step induction programme and keeping everything limber with a tailored maintenance programme that ensures we can hand you the keys at a moment’s notice. To discover more about our acclaimed car storage in Oxfordshire, get in touch with the team today on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk

It’s official: new petrol and diesel vehicles will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030. But how will the government’s deadline affect motoring enthusiasts – and what are the positives to take from this news? Nine years. Even with Covid taking much of our attention, Boris Johnson’s November announcement of the cut-off for petrol and diesel cars was hard to miss. It’s now official that cars and vans powered by an internal combustion engine – otherwise known as ‘ICE’ vehicles – will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030, as part of the government’s ambitious ten-point plan for a “green industrial revolution”. But where does that leave us motoring enthusiasts? Inevitably, there have been pockets of dissent, with some industry figures talking of the “Herculean effort” required to shift the UK from fossil fuels to electric. Look beyond the headlines, though, and you’ll be heartened by the wider industry’s proactive response, from the rise of converted classics to the development of climate-neutral eFuels. Let’s take a closer look at the road ahead. What does this mean for motoring enthusiasts? Scan the headlines after Johnson’s announcement and it was easy to conclude the end was nigh for your cherished ICE car. But the implications of impending ban are a little more nuanced. First, it’s important to note that the 2030 cut-off doesn’t apply to all vehicles (or at least, not immediately). Hybrid vehicles can be sold until 2035, provided they can travel a “significant distance” in zero-emission mode. Plus, while only pure-electric (or hydrogen) cars can be sold new from 2035, second-hand petrol and diesel cars can still change hands and take to the road after that. There are hopes, too, that the government might revisit its ruling and offer exemption to drivers who own cars made by low-volume manufacturers and cover limited mileage. “If we can canvass the government,” Caterham CEO Graham MacDonald told Hagerty, “and say, ‘Look, the reality is that the cars are noisy and arguably dirty, but they get driven under 2000 miles per year – can there be an exception for low volume cars?’ And if they say yes, then great. We’ll continue selling the Seven as long as we can.” Perhaps we’ll reach a point where enthusiasts drive an EV for their daily commute – and treat themselves to a limited-mileage run in an ICE car at weekends. For now, with government decisions on that point still a way off, it’s very much in the interest of any ICE owner to investigate professional eco friendly car storage, ensuring the maximum lifespan from a model that might never be manufactured again. What positive developments are there? Concerns still linger over the prohibitive weight of EV batteries, which have traditionally added as much as 300kg and compromised performance. But the upturn in electric car sales – with three times more EVs and plug-in hybrid cars sold last October, year-on-year – isn’t just down to public panic-buying. Professional commentators are finding the latest EVs are not only viable but genuinely thrilling to drive. On a practical point, the UK’s charging network is growing fast – and if Nio’s scheme in China rolls out, we might find a national battery swapping system ends the EV’s long-standing Achilles heel. Beyond the vehicles already on forecourts, the industry is making giant leaps in EV design and development, with smaller firms who are less bound by red tape proving particularly agile. Consider the possibilities of Ariel’s Hipercar, or the confidence of Morgan’s CEO, Steve Morris, who believes his marque’s inimitable character will emerge intact in the EV era. “The EV technology within the marketplace is evolving at such a speed,” he told Hagerty. “We are assessing a number of drivetrain solutions and opportunities. Of course, the starting point for any discussion about a future Morgan EV is that it should be handcrafted, lightweight, exciting to drive and available in an almost infinite combination of tailoring options.” On the subject of character, keep in mind the rise of the converted classic, whether that’s the Jaguar E-type Zero (an official model built from the ground up, with impressive results) or the emerging companies who skilfully swap EV mechanics into an ICE chassis without casual observers being any the wiser. Or maybe the EV revolution will never come to pass at all, with Porsche and Siemens Energy working on a next-generation climate-neutral eFuel that could put a red pen through the government’s plans. Watch this space. Why choose eco friendly car storage? Nine years is a long time. Nobody can predict how the 2030 ICE car ban will play out. But at time of writing, the smart money says that stock of the great ICE cars is likely to dwindle after 2030, and if you’re lucky enough to own one, you should take steps to keep it in optimum condition and ready to enjoy, for as long as possible. That’s where Windrush’s eco friendly car storage comes in. Our philosophy is that preserving a car is best for you and the planet: after all, keeping your vehicle in working order stops you having to buy a new one. To that end, every element of our professional car storage is eco-minded, right down to the solar panels that help power our car storage facilities in Central London and the Cotswolds. At Windrush, we’re proud to offer the complete car storage solution. Following a thorough twelve-step induction, we’ll settle your vehicle in a dehumidified, climate-controlled indoor storage bay, maintained with 24/7 security, twice-daily checks and weekly battery and drip tray inspections. Plus, every 60 days, we’ll give your car an expert maintenance checkover and run it up to temperature on our internal rolling road. Whether you’re based in the countryside, or need London car storage, your vehicle couldn’t be in safer hands. To discover more about Windrush’s eco friendly car storage, get in touch.

Windrush’s classic car storage facility in the Cotswolds couldn’t be better-placed. Our location in Lower Slaughter not only allows us to serve motorists across the region, from Cheltenham to Oxford and beyond. It also sits right on the doorstep of the some of the UK’s best driving roads. At Windrush long term car storage, we keep your vehicle in an ‘always ready’ state and pride ourselves on flexible collection that means it’s no issue when you fancy a day out on impulse. In our recent blog, we’ve already recommended some great Oxfordshire roads to warm your classic’s tyres. Now, here are five more self-contained road trips in Wales, as chosen by the Windrush prestige car storage team. Just remember: while the routes listed below are some of the greatest driving roads in the country, Windrush reminds you to drive within the legal speed limits at all times. A4069 (The Black Mountain Pass) Stray west past Cheltenham and don’t stop until you reach Brecon Beacons National Park: a playground for motorists seeking catharsis, offering both horizons to snatch your breath and roads to test your hardware. While you can’t go wrong with any of the b-routes that spiderweb across this ancient heather-dusted moorland, the A4069 is the pick, sprawling 19 miles between Llandovery and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, and testing your mettle just enough. A487 to Whitesands Bay Extending your journey to one of Wales’ most westerly points is well worth the petrol. Whitesands Bay might be the money-shot destination, but the journey is all part and parcel, especially if you time your trek to skirt the coast just as the sky melts into almost unnatural tints of purple, pink and orange. With experts glumly predicting that the fabled A487 might soon be reclaimed by the sea, it’s a drive to take without delay.      The Abergwesyn Pass If you’d prefer to focus on South Wales, take this narrow strip across the Cambrian Mountains. It weren’t for the gleaming machinery bearing you along, you’d swear you’d stepped back in time as you slice through this untainted kingdom of moorland and babbling streams that ties Llanwrtyd Wells with Tregaron. Motorists are scarce, sheep more plentiful, and though the route is more about spectacle than speed, you’ll want your wits about you as you tackle the aptly named Devil’s Staircase: a run of high-gradient hairpins halfway along the twenty-mile stretch. Aberystwyth to Rhayader We’re not done with the Cambrians quite yet. The so-called ‘green desert of Wales’ demands a little more exploration, and one of the best routes reveals itself when you take the B4574 to Cwmystwyth, then segue onto the spellbinding mountain road that treats you to both the natural peaks and the chain of man-made Elan Valley reservoirs created back in Victorian times. A4085/A498 around Snowdon If you’ve got time to roam, head north to Snowdon. The 1,085-metre-high mountain isn’t just the preserve of the waterproof trouser brigade: you’ll get views almost as spectacular when you skirt the base of the main massif anti-clockwise. The A4085 will lead you into the foothills, then turn at Beddgelert to take the A498. From this point on, it’s strictly eyes left for Snowdon’s summit: a mighty crag whose heaven-scraping physicality pulls you up short, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Windrush classic car storage – always your final destination Once you’ve cured your itchy feet, make sure you come home to Windrush, for luxury term car storage that ensures your classic stays fighting fit. Both in the Cotswolds and at our central London facility, we make a point of treating each car with unrivalled care and attention, right from the moment it arrives for our exhaustive twelve-step induction process. Meanwhile, with Windrush’s ongoing maintenance programme factoring in every quirk of your model, our long term car storage is simply the safest place for your pride and joy during downtime. For prestige car storage with the personal touch, it has to be Windrush. We’re looking forward to hearing from you on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk