Show Review: Salon Privé 2011

Salon Privé is billed as Britain's most elite car show and, with its lashings of pink champagne, lobster barbecue and attendees who look to have taken a wrong turn from the UK scripted-reality show, Made in Chelsea, it's certainly the glitziest. This year Salon Privé moved from its traditional home of The Hurlingham Club, just a (precious) stone's throw from the real-life set of the aforementioned show, to the grounds of Syon House in outer West London. Home to the Duke of Northumberland, Syon House's Italian Renaissance architecture and lush grounds provide a fitting background for such an event although those familiar with the locales of Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the heart of Lord March's idyllic West Sussex estate or the dramatic Californian coastline of Pebble Beach may be disappointed.

China’s Hong Qi State Limo twice the price of RR Ghost

FAW's Hong Qi Limo - a snip at £720k It would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, but this week China has seen the reveal of two cars that would stretch even the finances of a Western plutocrat. The Hong Qi State Limo is a behemoth of a car designed to ferry China’s elite in safety and comfort. It was used in China’s recent 2009 ‘Review of the Troops’ to chauffeur Chairman Hu.

Jaguar XE / Jaguar F-Type spied

Jaguar XE Spied - looking like a chopped XK To be honest, we don’t even know now whether Jaguar will call their new, smaller sports car the Jaguar XE or Jaguar F-Type, as there’s talk of them ditching the iconic Jaguar badging in favour of a Germanic numbers-based moniker across the range. But whatever Jaguar do finally decide to call their new small sports car, we know it’s officially in the planning and has been for more than a year. And now it’s out playing, albeit wrapped up in a chopped XK.