► Salon Prive comes to London► Here are a few highlights
► From GV60 to Valkyrie
Salon Privé has arrived in London, and it’s an opportunity to see some of the rarer more niche cars in the motoring sphere. Featuring classics, bespoke EV conversions and high-end hypercars, it’s not exactly the Frankfurt or Geneva motor show – if you’re looking for some affordable metal, we’d look elsewhere. The show is taking place in the Royal Chelsea Hospital’s ground for the next three days – and CAR magazine wandered over earlier in the week to see what it was all about. With that in mind, here are 7 things worth checking out at the Salon Privé 2022 London show.
1. Caton Healey by Caton
Think of retro-modern conversions, and you’re probably thinking of Singer Porsche’s, electric Mustangs (which we’ll get to later) – and other iconic from the 70s onwards. Caton aims to fill in the gaps with this, an all-new take on the classic Austin Healey.
Featuring a revvy four pot, LED lights, and leaf springs the Caton Healey is a curious tidy-up more than a total rehaul, and keeps most of the styling elements of the original car.
2. Charge Mustang
Forget the Mach-E, think of an electric Mustang and it’s something closer to the CHARGE – not a quick SUV – that comes to mind. Although an out and out classic on the surface, the Charge Mustang has everything you’d expect from a performance EV in 2022: underneath the ’67 Fastback bodyshell – officially licensed from the Blue Oval – the Charge has all the specs you’d want.
It uses a 63kWh battery and has 200-mile range, 400kW of power and 1520NM of torque – though that’s spread to both axles here. Expect advanced driver aids such as AEB and Adaptive Cruise, too. But our favorite bit? It looks like a real Mustang.
3. Ferrari Daytona SP3
There’s no such thing as a run-of-the-mill Ferrari, but it’s fair to say the SP3 sits among the Pantheon of Maranello’s most exclusive cars. A tribute to mid-rear-engined supercars, the SP3 is latest of the brand’s Icona series. Just 599 of them will be made, each with performance to destroy most other things on the road: 0-62mph in 2.85sec, 0-124mph in 7.4sec and a top speed in excess of 211mph.
Expect to have paid just over £2 million if you even made it onto the list.
4. Aston Martin DBX 707
Fast SUVs aren’t exactly uncommon now, but that doesn’t mean there’s still not stunning pieces of machinery. The 707 doesn’t deliver the pure performance you’d expect from an Aston Martin – but it does handle impressively for its size, with a generous side dish of practicality and comfort. Not sure about the looks? Judge for yourself in person.
5. Aston Martin Valkyrie
Unless you’ve caught it testing around Gaydon or visited the odd Formula One grand prix, you’ve probably not seen the Aston Martin Valkyrie in the flesh. Thankfully, they’ve got one here at Salon Prive. The jewel in the crown for Aston Martin, the Adrian Newey designed hypercar is just as stunning when stationary.
Our tip? Get behind it and take a look at those huge diffuser tunnels – they’re a big reason why the Valkyrie handles more like a single-seater than a normal road car.
6. Prodrive Hunter
If it’s good enough for Sebastian Loeb, it’s probably worth looking at. That’s the thinking behind the Prodrive Hunter, the latest project from Dave Richard’s hugely successful motorsport company. This is pretty much a road-going version of the Bahrai Raid Xtreme car driven by Loeb at the Dakar, and uses a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that develops more than 600bhp.
7. Genesis GV60
You’ve probably seen the Hyundai Ioniq 5 on the road, and possibly even a Kia EV6. Both of those cars run on the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, and so does this. The GV60 is a little different and more bulbous to its peers, but promises a level of refinement above the Kia and well above the Hyundai. Judging how both the Kia and the Hyundai have done in our extensive comparison tests and reviews – there’s every chance the Genesis will be equally impressive.
8. Pal-V Liberty
Another automotive event, another flying car, but this one is the real deal. We’ve heard it all before, but put the cynicism to one side and the XXX is a stunning piece of engineering regardless.
Called the Liberty, it’s apparently the world’s first commercial flying car – so it’s got to be legit, right?
9. LEVC Sutton VIP Class
When is a London taxi not a London taxi? When it’s this, a Clive Sutton prepared LEVC taxi. Designed to look like every other modern cab from the outside, the VIP Class features a bespoke interior with leather stitching, a range of tech (including a flat screen TV) and a dimmable sun roof. The equipment list and customisable extras go on forever, but almost every part of the VIP Class has been sourced from other flagship cars such as the Mercedes Maybach. And who’s it for? CAR was told the majority of customers can afford more ostentatious luxury cars, but want the anonymity of a cab – as well as the bespoke service Clive Sutton can offer.
Keyword: Salon Privé London 2022: 9 things to look at