Issue 6 of influx is now available for you to view and download online. The issue includes features on RCA Designers of the Future, Requiem for a Supercar, East Bay Rats, Volvo, Karting and much more.

The Nereus, a three-seater with a hydrogen fuel-cell powerplant, changes its shape to reflect the different movements and speeds experienced in the course of driving it. Inspired by the form of mantas and stingrays, the car is named after the shape-shifting Old Man of the Sea from Greek mythology.

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Finnish designer, Joonas Vartola says that the Iomega is a relaxation capsule with a chauffeur. The shape of the car was inspired by the lines of a swan. Driver and passengers have their own private compartments. This is “a passenger car rather than the usual driver’s car architecture,” according to Joonas.

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Britain’s racing circuits are being graced with the striking and colourful sight of Sarah Bennett-Baggs behind the wheel of her bright pink 1978 Porsche 911 SC, sponsored by Adrian Flux.

Sarah is competing in the Porsche Club Championship for the first time, but having raced for three seasons in Britcar Production Saloons, as well as the Formula Women Series, she’s proving to be no pushover and has already won races in the Championship.

She’s the only woman in the field, so is her choice of colour a provocative move? “Maybe it’s a bit of a shock,” she laughs. “But it’s a great colour and the ‘pink panther’ style really stands out — it’s actually the original Porsche Rubystone Red. The colour also matches Flux Babes’ pink lady logo, which is a nice tie-in with my sponsor.

“I don’t think it’s provocative. At first glance some people may think it’s funny, but fortunately the stop watch doesn’t lie — and there’s no disguising ability in a one-marque championship such as this.”

Can Sarah win the Championship? “I’m still getting used to racing a 30 year old car — it’s a steep learning curve — and there are guys on the circuit who have years of experience in them. But I am going to get results and will be beating myself up about it after each race if I don’t.”

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The immense 612bhp 6 litre v12 makes the 599 the most powerful production Ferrari ever, and if supercars have any kind of a future, this may be it. The Pininfarina design is fresh as ever, and the ride is superb, thanks to the same Magneride suspension used on the Audi R8 (and featured on page 7 of influx issue 6).

In fact the 599 is everything the Ferrari F40 wasn’t — a usable supercar with performance when you need it, and refinement all the time, with all mod cons thrown in — it even comes with an iPod connection as standard.

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The Ferrari F40 recently celebrated its 21st birthday. The swansong of Enzo Ferrari, it was introduced on 21st July 1987 to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary.

Engineered with the sole purpose of becoming the fastest production car in the world, Ferrari viewed it as a competitor to the Porsche 959. But whereas the Porsche was a luxury automobile, the Ferrari was a stripped-down, raw machine of Kevlar, carbon fibre and lightweight aluminium and didn’t even come with floor-mats.

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“A supercar you can use everyday.” The 911, in its various guises has always aimed for that accolade, but, the 993 Turbo was the ultimate combination of luxury, performance and excitement. Benefitting from an all-new multi-arm rear suspension, which reduced the tendency to oversteer traditionally found on the 911. Uprated brakes, improved power steering and a dual-flow exhaust system balanced against the thrill of that legendary flat six engine at the back to create a tamed monster.

This was the last air-cooled turbo, but the first fitted with all wheel drive, electronic engine management and OBD-II onboard diagnostics. This car is the fusion of a glorious heritage with the white heat of technology.

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The story of the birth of the GT40 is legendary. Henry Ford II, outraged at Enzo Ferrari for pulling out of a deal to sell up his company to the Americans, ordered his engineers to come up with a car that could humble Ferrari at Le Mans, which the Italians had won six times in a row from 1960 to 1965.

The Mk1, 2 & 3 versions of the GT40 can claim to be largely British as they were designed and built by Ford’ Advanced Vehicles Ltd, in association with Lola engineers, at Bromley, then Slough, with the chassis made in Coventry.

Our shoot featured a Sbarro GT40 rather than an original — the scarcity of the original cars, and their value makes them very hard to come by — but Franco Sbarro has better claims than most to build authentic GT40 replicas, as he was part of the Ford Advanced Vehicles team. Even near-exact replicas such as can sell for around a quarter of a million, such is the regard for the GT40.

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In the post Leyland era, Jaguar employees formed “The Saturday Club” to work on pet projects outside of company time. Chief engineer, Jim Randle, had a vision for a spiritual successor to the XJ13 (as famously wrecked, through no fault of his own, by Norman Dewis) — a v12 mid-engined two-seater coupe.

Almost unbelievably, Jaguar decided to make it, with the help of TWR, and the car that went into production, as a serious rival to the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, was eventually fitted with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine in order to meet emissions standards. The car’s limited production run of only 289 ensures that it remains one of the most highly sought-after cars by wealthy collectors.

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