78/79 Ford Dana 60 Hp Kingpin Knuckles on 2040-parts.com

Supercar owners hire runway to find top speed

“What’s the point of owning a supercar,” some might say. “You’ll never be able to reach its full performance potential on the road.” And while that’s true, there is an alternative to risking your driving licence if you buy a car like the new McLaren 650S or Lamborghini Huracan. Essentially, someone hires a private runway, and invites a load of supercar owners to drive as fast as they can before running out of tarmac.

New Vauxhall VXR8 GTS gets 576bhp & costs £54,999

The new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS gets 576bhp If you’re going to make your most potent saloon car more powerful, you could just tweak the engine management a bit to add a few more horses. But Vauxhall have gone a bit further with the latest VXR8 GTS – it gets a 6.2 litre V8 from the Camaro ZL1, a whole 150bhp and 140lb/ft of torque than the old VXR8. Vauxhall has based the GTS on Holden’s new GEN-F GTS – Australia’s maddest production Holden – and the increase in power comes courtesy of a supercharger, new exhaust system.

Making the list: AW's Holiday Gift Guide

We're sure there's a gearhead or two on your shopping list for the holidays. Or maybe you just want to eliminate the uncertainty and give yourself a gift. Either way, we're happy to offer some inspiration on clothing, tools and cool things to get for your high-octane friends and family.