Charles & Dean Director & Co-founder Simon Grace talks us through the cars he’d love to find under the tree on Christmas morning.
Porsche 911 S/T
2023 marked both Porsche’s 75th birthday and the 911’s 60th. The twin anniversaries demanded a celebration car, but what to build? How about a heart-flutteringly desirable fusion of the old and the new – cutting-edge GT3 RS engine and chassis gorgeousness packed into a timeless 911 silhouette?
Sounds great. And it is.
‘Right now, this is pretty much as good as it gets for me,’ says Simon. ‘The S/T is just so, so cool, and while I haven’t had a chance to drive one yet I’m pretty sure I’ll love it. I loved the 991 GT3 RS we had and, while I didn’t get the GT3 Touring thing at first, I’ve become a big fan of the 992 GT3 Touring. An Oak Green GT3 Touring is mega, and this is basically a faster version of that. What’s not to like?’
DLS Turbo by Singer
‘I mean, it’s Christmas – I can have anything, right? In which case, it’s got to be a DLS Turbo.’
Singer, the California-based restoration phenomenon, took its work to another level with the original DLS study. A money-no-object reboot of the 964 911 in which everything was optimised, replaced, light-weighted and made 2000% more beautiful, the DLS cars are the high-watermark of naturally-aspirated Singer restorations. But now Singer’s gone turbo, and in some style. The DLS Turbo is a 700bhp road-legal racer that looks like a 934/5 gone rogue.
‘I just think it looks obscene – in a good way,’ says Simon. ‘I first saw it at Goodwood Festival of Speed and I had that thing where you’re just mesmerised – I couldn’t stop looking at it. It’s like they asked AI to describe a classic 911 mixed with a Jetsons influence, and this is what it kicked out. I can’t quite believe they’re going to produce it. Incredible.’
Range Rover
Only the fifth all-new Range Rover in the icon’s history, the current L460-generation car reached dealerships in 2022. A logical evolution of design boss Gerry McGovern’s de-cluttering crusade, it’s a hugely desirable and incredibly competent SUV. A gorgeously comfortable long-distance tool, it’s available with diesel, petrol and plug-in hybrid power. A full-electric version lands in 2024.
‘The current Range Rover is a superb bit of kit,’ says Simon. ‘I had one for the weekend, with the BMW-derived twin-turbo V8, which is a great engine. Pretty much the perfect family car. Belgravia Green with tan leather, please.’
Pre-owned Audi RS6
Doing an awesome job of serving families who don’t fancy an SUV, Audi’s current fast 6 is one of the best cars ever to wear RS badges. Endless V8 power, astonishing traction and the versatility to do it all, from cross-country blasts to family holidays, ballistic has never been so accessible.
‘Performance versions are still north of £120,000 second-hand, but you can buy a current-shape, non-Performance RS6 for £75-£80k, which I think is really tempting.’
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