bmw concept

New Competition: Win Jaguar XJ Luxury + Abarth Esseesse + £5,000

Jaguar XJ Luxury

Win Jaguar XJ Luxury + Abarth Esseesse + £5,000

Let’s not beat about the bush here. The new Jaguar XJ is easily the best looking executive saloon on sale today. It makes the Audi A8 look bland, the BMW 7-Series look overweight and the Mercedes S-Class look over-styled. It would be fine if that was all it had – Jaguars have survived on much less in the past. But the fact is that the new XJ isn’t just the prettiest car in the class – it’s also the best. Driving down bumpy roads you could think you’re sitting on a sofa, such is the competence of the suspension – then you turn off down a twisty road and the chassis comes alive, changing direction and handling like a car half its size. Because the XJ is made from aluminium it weighs much less than its rivals, so the 3.0 V6 Diesel engine doesn’t need to work as hard and achieves effortless performance while giving excellent economy. So it beats the rivals everywhere so far, and then you look at the interior. Another masterclass in design and function, from the TFT dials to the oh-so-cool rising gear selector, the XJ is pure design greatness inside and out.

Win Jaguar XJ Luxury + Abarth Esseesse + £5,000

Abarth 500 Esseesse

This is the Abarth 500 Esseesse – an even hotter version of the Fiat 500-based standard car that we drove last year. Packing a host of upgrades, it’s one of the most exciting small Fiats in history. While it weighs the same as the standard model at 1,035kg, power from the 1.4-litre turbo jumps 25bhp to 160bhp and torque leaps 24Nm to 230Nm at 3,000rpm. Fiat says the car travels from a 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and has a top speed of 131mph...

Win Jaguar XJ Luxury + Abarth Esseesse + £5,000

2012 BMW M5 skill competition: Win BMW M5 + £10,000

The daddy of performance saloons is back. BMW have learnt a valuable lesson with this latest M5. The previous model was far too laden with technology and it took a lot away from what is the essence of an M5. There were too many gearbox maps, too many suspension settings, and frankly too much to go wrong with the highly strung 5.0 V10 engine. With this new model, everything is simpler, and one thing radically different. The suspension and gearbox work together with only a couple of options including the obligatory ‘M’ button settings.

Win 2012 BMW M5 + 10,000

Under the bonnet is the biggest change though, and one which has upset many diehard M-Gmbh fans. The M5 is back to having a V8 – but this time it has two turbos attached. This, says BMW, is so that they can meet emissions and economy targets, whilst still delivering lots of power and torque. This new V8 pumps out a staggering 560bhp, in a nice subtle 4 door saloon car. Perfectly able to cruise around town one minute, then tear your local twisty road to pieces the next, the M5 has a breadth of abilities wider than most sportscars. The ultimate under-the-radar car has returned…

Win 2012 BMW M5 + 10,000