You might wonder about the timing of the uprated diesel XF (from £36,900 to £44,900 depending on specification: on sale now). Uprated? Surely it might be better to introduce a downrated version of the smooth but relatively thirsty V6 diesel derived from Peugeot/Citroën.

Yet high-powered executive diesel road-burner versions sell surprisingly well. This new engine is actually a breathed-on version of the twin-turbo, 60-degree V6 diesel originally fitted in the S-type and latterly the first XF. It’s modern, clever and lightweight. 

The 3.0-litre unit comes in two power and torque outputs: 236 or 271bhp, with 368 or 442lb ft of torque respectively. The transmission is a six-speed automatic. The secret to unleashing all this extra power is sequential turbocharging, where one small turbo blows at low engine revs to boost driveability and then another, larger turbo takes the strain at higher revs. 

The high-powered model we drove is startling: a max 155mph, 0-60mph in 5.9sec and 30mpg. When you floor the throttle, the nose lifts, the traction-control lamp flickers and the car heads for the hills. Diesel cars aren’t supposed to behave like this while giving 30mpg-plus economy. 

Part of the Jaguar appeal is a combination of ride and handling that eludes the German opposition. Jaguar, without appearing to try very hard, manages to outride, outhandle and outdo the competition in almost every measure. 

The responses to the major controls, the precision of the steering and the damping control of this 4,012lb (1,820kg) car are remarkable. Only at the highest speed does the XF feel hurried. In town it feels like a big car, especially as the turning circle isn’t brilliant. We were glad of the parking sensors when in the multi-storey. 

McLaren F1 designer Peter Stevens once contemplated the ideal grand touring car, which he thought would be about the size of the XF with enough room for four adults and their luggage to travel long distances in rapid comfort. 

The new XF Diesel S effortlessly satisfies that brief and fully merits the “ideal GT” tag.

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Billed as the fastest and most agile Vantage ever, the V12 version mates Aston Martin's 6.0-litre, 510bhp engine used in the DB9 with the smaller, more responsive Vantage chassis.

As well as developing 510bhp, the V12 engine has 420 lb ft of torque. Aston Martin claims a top speed of 190mph and 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds. 

It also says that every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed for driving enjoyment, employing race-developed components and lashings of carbon-fibre. It is differentiated from the V8 Vantage by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids, which also make the V12 version appear wider. 

The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, alongside the existing DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage. The company says that it will make between 300 and 500 examples per year. Deliveries are expected to start in late 2009. Prices will be confirmed on press day of the Geneva motor show. 

The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. The company's engineers have made it a production reality in only 12 months. 

Aston Martin's chief executive officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package, providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience. 

“The V12 Vantage has a unique character that will appeal to different people with different tastes It also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.” Read more

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A cunning plan to get in front of white-van man involves the serious and immensely satisfying V12-engined Vantage.

It is strange but true that an anagram of the word Vantage, so beloved of Aston Martin, is: "Get a van." For many of those in a hurry it is sound advice.

As most of us know, the fastest way of getting anywhere by road is by a van, painted white, powered by diesel. It will scatter all traffic ahead of it like straw to the wind, sweeping past in a blur, its driver seemingly confident that no radar system short of something very secret and very military will ever track it. While most mere mortals are still plodding homeward, its driver will be relaxed, feet up in front of the television, tugging at the ring-pull of a can of amber nectar. 

But, if anything is going to stay way ahead of any known white van it is going to be the new V12 Aston Martin Vantage. 

I rate it as the best of all modern Aston Martins and it could become one of the world's greatest sports cars. Hugely powerful, it makes absolutely no pretensions to having low CO2 emissions, a frugal thirst for fuel or being the bargain of the week. It is unashamedly a glorious, totally high-spirited thoroughbred – and the most accelerative road car ever produced by Aston Martin. 

Its rivals, like the super-competent Audi R8 V10, the road-dominating Ferrari F430 and the quality-led Porsche 911 GT2, are each magnificent in their own right. But, the Aston has the plus of a classic powertrain layout: front engine, rear-wheel drive and almost precisely equal front/rear weight balance of 51/49. 

Its sibling, the V8 Vantage with a mere 420bhp, is also a fine car and at a glance the two look similar. But the new £135,000, V12 is far, far more than just a V8 with carbon-fibre sinews and a louvred bonnet. It has been engineered to become an almost totally different machine. 

Its 6.0-litre engine is shared with the DBS and produces the same power and torque: 510bhp and 420lb ft, sufficient in raw performance terms to propel it to 62mph in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190mph. 

But, the DBS already does much the same thing, you might be thinking – and the slightly less powerful DB9 is also a 190mph car. So what's the point? The point is in the driving. The V12 Vantage is a total sports car: very sharp, very firmly suspended, with super-precise steering (controlled via an Alcantara-trimmed wheel), ceramic brakes as standard, superbly comfortable lightweight seats and the most wonderfully thunderous engine and exhaust sound you could possibly wish for. 

Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez reckons a driver can appreciate what the V12 Vantage has on offer within a few metres of driving it. Such apparent hyperbole is typical of car makers, only this time it's right on the button. 

Driving some sports cars is a bit of a lark. Not this one. This is not a toy for boys (or girls); it is a very serious, hugely powerful, demanding, satisfying, hard machine. 

It covers the ground at a truly amazing rate, devouring distances – even on curving, swooping mountain roads – to the point where you wonder if the navigation system is hopelessly miscalculating. It isn't. You just get there very quickly. 

On some hairpin bends, the mid-front engine effect becomes noticeable and there is a need to wind on a lot of lock but it's not a problem, and even adds to the great character of the car. A weight-saving programme makes the car only about 50kg heavier than the V8. 

Accelerating away again – particularly if the car's "sport" button is pushed to give a very rapid throttle response and even more exhaust thunder – is all highly satisfying. On dry roads it feels utterly safe; wet would probably call for some circumspection. 

Minuses are few: the gearlever is too far back and the shift quality of the six-speed manual gearbox is acceptable but not brilliant; the main instruments could be clearer; rear three-quarter visibility is limited. But, most importantly, the rear-view mirror seems to have a blind spot: I didn't see a single white van. More here

THE FACTS

• Price/availability: £135,000. On sale now
• Tested: Aston Martin V12 Vantage with six-speed manual
• Power/torque: 510bhp @ 6,500rpm/420lb ft @ 5,750rpm
• Top speed: 190mph
• Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.2sec
• Fuel economy (Urban): 11.6mpg
• CO2 emissions: 388g/km
• VED band: M (£405)
• Alternatives: Porsche 911 GT2, from £131,070; Audi R8 V10, from £99,580; Ferrari F430, from £135,685
• Verdict: big-boned sports car that says, "Drive me!"
• On the stereo: Take it to the Limit by The Eagles
• Telegraph rating: Five stars out out of five
  

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The line-up of cars, motorcycles - and even knitted Ferraris - on display at Canary Wharf.

The Italian firm is showing its competition-honed RSV4 Factory, which has a 999.6cc, 65-degree V4 engine developing 177bhp. Expect 60mph to arrive in 3.2sec and a top speed of about 175mph. All for £14,999.

Aprilia is campaigning the RSV4 Factory in the World Superbike championship. It began building motorcycles and scooters after the Second World War and is now the only European manufacturer with a range of machines spanning 50cc to 1,000cc. 

Aston Martin 

Two UK debuts for Aston Martin, both, intriguingly, playing host to the same engine. Not that we're complaining, given that it's a hand-built, all-alloy, 6.0-litre V12 developing 519bhp, 420lb ft of torque and an addictive soundtrack. 

The latest DBS loses a roof and gains a price of £168,000. The same engine in the Vantage costs £135,000 and is accompanied by a raft of race-derived technology, lashings of carbon-fibre, revised aerodynamics and a stiffened undercarriage. The V12 carries a weight penalty of only 50kg (110lb) over the V8. 

The decidedly hard-core V12 Vantage will spit from 0-60mph in 4.1sec and keep your spine welded to the racing upholstery all the way to 190mph. 


Bentley 

English as a wasp in a jug of Pimms, six times winner of Le Mans and the car in which Ian Fleming installed a not so squeaky-clean James Bond. 

The £123,000 Continental GT and new £153,000 GTC Speed are on display. The Speed features the GT range's 6.0-litre W12 power plant, beefed up to 600bhp and 553lb ft of torque, its ace in the hole being that it's one of very few convertibles that still looks good with the hood up. 

The W12 throws the huge car at the horizon with startling alacrity; 60mph comes up in 4.5sec, with a top speed of 200mph. 

BMW 

Exhibits include the recently launched Z4, the 118d M Sport (2008 World Green Car of the Year) and the 135i M Sport Coupé, M3 Coupé and X6 xDrive35d. 

Finally afforded the folding hardtop fundamental to luring Mercedes owners out of their SLKs, the new, longer and wider Z4's two-piece roof can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds. 

A range priced from £28,645 to £37,060 offers a choice of three six-cylinder petrol engines. The sDrive35i's 3.0-litre, twin-turbo unit develops 306bhp, which is good for 62mph from rest in 5.2sec. 


Cadillac 

The all-new CTS-V is the star attraction of the American brand's display, where it is joined by the "cooking" CTS saloon and Escalade SUV. 

A mere £56,500 buys you a supercharged, 6.2-litre V8 delivering 557bhp and 550lb ft of torque to smear the most powerful Cadillac ever to 60mph in just 3.9sec and on to 191mph. 

Those concerned that US carmakers don't do handling will be surprised to learn that the Cadillac claims the current production saloon lap record of the Nürburgring: 7min 59.32sec. 


Corvette 

The ZR1 bristles with the DNA of a million racetrack miles and is the most powerful, fastest and best-handling high-performance car to bear the name. 

As with the Cadillac, there's a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet, here developing 638bhp and 604lb ft of torque. With a kerb weight of just 1,528kg (3,370lb) the ZR1 has a power-to-weight ratio said to better that of the Porsche 911 GT2, Ferrari 599 and even Lamborghini's LP640, and is capable of 0-60mph in 3.6sec and 205mph. 


Getty Images 

London's largest independent photographic gallery presents a collection of prints of classic marques, legendary drivers and celebrities with their favourite modes of transport. 


Hummer 

The original Hummer H1 had astonishing, military levels of off-road ability. The "urban-friendly" H3 is simply a conventional 4x4 with a relatively weedy, 3.7-litre, 242bhp, five-cylinder engine good for 0-60mph in a whisker under 10sec and barely 100mph. Prices start from £28,500. 


Jaguar 

UK show debuts for the 2010 high-performance XFR and XKR, joined by the full Jaguar product line-up. 

Within an appropriately discreet exterior makeover, the £59,999 XFR's power comes from an all-new, 5.0-litre, supercharged V8 thumping out 503bhp. An Adaptive Dynamics mode sharpens throttle and gearbox settings, and reduces ESP system intervention, while Jaguar's new Active Differential Control is designed to further enhance traction. 


Land Rover 

In addition to its full product line-up display within Jubilee Park and the return of the Driving Experience to Montgomery Square, Land Rover is also offering test drives of the Freelander TD4-e: the world's first SUV featuring intelligent Stop/Start Technology. 

The next generation Discovery, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport all make their UK debuts. The Sport has a new, supercharged, 503bhp V8 suspiciously similar to Jaguar's XFR – this engine is also used in the 2010 Range Rover. 


Mercedes-Benz 

On sale this month, the E-class saloon offers three new diesel engines, a new V6 petrol unit and the familiar, 382bhp V8. The 168bhp E220 CDI and 201bhp E250 CDI turbodiesels both emit just 159g/km of CO2, the latter also returning 47.1mpg Combined. For a car weighing 1,660kg (3,660lb), that is remarkable. 

There's also Lewis Hamilton's 2008 title-winning McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 Formula One car on show. 


Nissan 

Just £56,800 gets you the face-bending GT-R, unofficial holder of the Nürburgring lap record of 7min 26.7sec. Under the bonnet lurks a 3,799cc twin-turbo V6 good for 478bhp, giving 0-62mph in 3.5sec and 194mph. 

With a soft-top Roadster due next year, the 326bhp 370Z offers all the performance subtleties of a dum-dum bullet from £26,900. 


Piaggio 

Founded in 1884, Piaggio is one of the world's leading manufacturers of two-wheelers. Debuting at Motorexpo this year, its 400cc MP3 LT actually has three wheels. As it's classified as a trike, you don't need a bike licence to ride it. Test rides are available. 


Porsche 

Having recently opened its new Canary Wharf dealership, Porsche will return to the marble lobby of One Canada Square for Motorexpo. 

While an engine located astern has seen the iconic 911 endure decades of painstaking engineering to take the fight to the laws of physics, the mid-engined Cayman S is still encouragingly quick, and little short of perfect, straight out of the box. 


Saab 

Alongside its new £27,000 9-3X crossover, making its UK show debut, Saab will display a further five vehicles on the Reuters Plaza area. 

The 9-3X is essentially a Sport Wagon bodyshell emboldened by a 35mm (1.4in) hike in ride height and lashings of the requisite yomping paraphernalia. Its Cross Wheel Drive (XWD) system includes a rear axle limited-slip differential capable of transferring almost 100 per cent of available torque to one wheel only. Engines are a 2.0-litre 210bhp turbocharged petrol or a 1.9-litre 189bhp turbodiesel, the latter only available with front-wheel drive "for cost reasons". 


Smart 

Claims of 85mpg and CO2 emissions of only 88g/km for the £8,000 Smart fortwo cdi make it the world's greenest diesel production car. 

Smart's Micro Hybrid Drive (MHD), only on petrol models, is effectively nothing more than a stop/start system incorporating a starter generator to boot up the engine and offer regenerative braking to recharge the battery. 


Tesla Motors 

Potential customers can test drive "the most-efficient high-performance production sports car on the planet", the £90,000 Tesla Roadster. Telegraph Motoring has already tested it on your behalf, so if you want to know what it feels like to be shot from a gun that doesn't go "Bang", click here. 


Twelve miles of yarn 

Lauren Porter's knitted Ferrari has received wide acclaim. The classic red bodywork consists of 250 squares of garter stitch. The result – hand wash only, one assumes – is stunning. 


Vespa 

Enrico Piaggio's determination in 1946 to mass produce low-cost transportation gave birth to a legend. The firm is 63 years old, but its latest products are more than worthy descendants of the original "wasp" scooters. 


Volvo 

The Swedes are showcasing the C30, C70, S40 and XC60, as well as their latest safety innovation. The City Safety system, which slows or stops the XC60 if it senses you're approaching the rear of the car ahead too quickly, will be demonstrated at the show. More here

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Motorexpo 2009 starts on 8th June in London's Canary Wharf for a week. Will free events replace traditional motor shows?

There are four fundamental problems with the British Motor Show in its traditional format: first, its stands are crammed with entirely stationary machinery, the sole function of which is to move – making it about as exciting as an air display in which nothing ever gets off the ground. 

Second, it's billed as "a day out for all the family", which, let's face it, it isn't (mywife would rather tuck into a bowl of ball bearing than spend five minutes gazing at inert pressed metal). Third, it's expensive to visit, which a car showroom isn't. And, fourth, much like the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's Urban Spaceman, it doesn't exist.

Nor, in the face of the London Motorexpo, which starts on Monday and lasts until Sunday in Canary Wharf, is it likely to again. Because, now in its 15th year, the 2009 Motorexpo artfully addresses each of these issues, putting them to the sword with vorpal blade alacrity. 

First, the Motorexpo is free for the public to attend; even the show guide won't cost you a penny. Second, with more than 200 cafés, shops, bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity, automotive anoraks need not catch a single glimpse of bored wife or withering offspring all day. 

Third, every manufacturer who wants to offer test drives is afforded the facility to do so. And, fourth, while the established British Motor Show has struggled of late, Motorexpo is snugged firmly under the duvet with the Canary Wharf Estate, and has already committed to repeat appearances until 2016. 

Among the range of cars and motorbikes on display, a total of 13 are making their UK debut. This list includes the Aprilia RSV4 Factory, two new Aston Martins in the form of the V12 Vantage and DBS Volante, Jaguar's all-new XFR and XKR and the new Mercedes-Benz E-class. Land Rover present its full 2010 model-year line-up while BMW has confirmed it will display a recently announced new car that has not yet received its full public debut. 

Cadillac and Corvette showcase the CTS-V and ZR1 respectively, the fastest (and last?) vehicles that the brands have ever produced, while other confirmed manufacturers include Hummer, Piaggio, Vespa, McLaren, Nissan, Smart, Volvo and Saab – which will be showcasing its new 9-3X for the first time in the UK. 

Potential gripes about the relatively small cross-section of global manufacturers represented – which, given the levels of absenteeism from the last British show, may be construed as a bit rich – are also being addressed by Motorexpo, as are criticisms of a somewhat elitist bent. 

"We don't so much discriminate but, rather, look at every exhibit and ask will this be genuinely entertaining or will there be a tangible benefit for our visitors?" says Graeme Carver, Motorexpo managing director. 

Plans to co-ordinate an automotive summit are in the pipeline and should, on coming to fruition within the next couple of years, wallop the final nail into the traditional motor show format's coffin. 

Motorexpo takes place from June 8-14, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm. More details at www.motorexpo.com.

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By car: The Docklands Highway links Canary Wharf with the City to the west and with the A13 and M25 to the east. 

Peak travel time to canary Wharf: a10-minute drive from the City, a 40-minute drive from the M25, a 20-minute drive from the M11.

Care parks: Canary Wharf has three public underground car parks: 2,600 spaces are available, with designated spaces for disabled drivers and parents with children. 

Buses: Canary Wharf is served by approximately 30 buses per hour. A shuttle bus to London City Airport runs to and from Canary Wharf every 10 minutes. 

Underground: The Jubilee Line runs from Stratford in the east to Stanmore in the west. Both the Canary Wharf Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Jubilee Line stations are in Zone 2. 

DLR: The Docklands Light Railway runs from Bank and Tower Gateway to the west of Canary Wharf, Stratford to the north, Beckton to the east and Lewisham to the south. 

By air: London City Airport is only three miles from Canary Wharf. 

By river: A riverbus service runs between Savoy (Embankment), Blackfriars, Bankside, London Bridge City, St Katharine's, Canary Wharf, Surrey Quays (Greenland Pier) and Masthouse Terrace. The service operates seven days a week and an up-to-date timetable and tariff chart is available at www.thamesclippers.com

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Mercedes-Benz brought the new E250 BlueTEC concept sedan to the New York Auto Show today, showing the type of clean diesel sedan that could follow in the wake of last year's BlueTEC SUV mini-fleet. The E250 BlueTEC boasts a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) exhaust technology mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The small diesel motor produces big power: 369 lb-ft of torque at 1600-1800 rpm. Part of the conceptual clean diesel fun comes from a 25-liter urea solution (AdBlue) tank that sits in the exhaust stream and reduces NOx emissions, which helps make the car 50-state legal. This is key, since the E250 was created just for us Yankees, MB says. The concept would also meet Europe's strict EU6 emissions standards, which won't be enacted until the later part of 2014. Using BlueTEC in the E250 would probably get the car a 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway rating from the EPA, Mercedes estimates.

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