Features:
Alfa 8C Competizione - The 8C is arguably the sexiest car to come out of Italy this century - and starting on page 70 we're granted an exclusive audience with the production- ready Alfa, which will reach the first of 500 lucky buyers this autumn. David Vivian runs his hands over its curves - and chats to its German designer
Audi R8 - Will it be a proper rival for Porsche and Aston? Or will it be a gorgeous car with a fantastic engine but one that's been set up to understeer safely at the limit? Richard Meaden could induce oversteer from a pogo stick, so we sent him all the way to Las Vegasforthe R8's moment of truth
The Cost of running Super-cars - Harry Metcalfe is a man who knows all about supercars. But Nick Hancock of the P1 Club knows even more. Want to know what breaks down, depreciates faster than it accelerates and is generally a pain in the Coutts? It's all here
New Civic Type-R - It's right up there with BMW's 'M' and Porsche's RS' monikers. A new Civic Type-R is an event, but can it deliver on the promise? Harry Catchpole is first behind the wheel
Hot Hatch Group Test - What is the current king of the hot hatches? Is it Civic Type-R (New Hatch On The Block), Astra VXR (World's Strongest Hatch), Golf GTI (Eton and Harrow Hatch), Leon FR (Budget Hatch), Megane R26 230 F1 (Difficult Hatch) or Focus ST (Lazy BeHatch)? John Barker decides
TVR Typhon - According to Greek mythology, Typhon had a hundred horrible heads, venom dripped from his eyes, lava poured from his mouths and he tore up whole mountains and threw them at the gods. Amongst his children were Cerberus and Chimera...Jethro Bovindon drives TVR's last Blackpool-built beast on a poignant journey to the old factory
Regulars:
Planet evo - You wait ten years for a new Japanese supercar and then three turn up at once. There's a new NSX (Hurrah!), a hybrid-powered Supra (a quiet, green sort of Hurrah! that doesn't let out too much C02) and the V10-engined Lexus LF-A pictured below
Letters - One of our experts' is taken to task for daring to suggest a Vauxhall could ever replace a Lotus
Subscriptions - We're practically giving 'em away.
Long-term tests - We welcome a big Merc and an unlikely Nissan to the fleet this month. And Tomalin dabs a tear away and flutters a hanky in the breeze as the Westy rides off into a particularly deep red sunset
The Knowledge - Should the Radical SR3 featu'eo ip issue 100 be included on our Bedford lap chart? You decide.
NSX: Birth of an Icon - The Honda NSX is tn.s mcntn s Sr,p ao.-.n memory lane. And this month's pub trivia is that NSX stands for New Sportscar experimental