Sponsored Video: MINI: Not Normal

It's fair to say that the 'Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15' - better known as the MINI - has come along way since its inception in the late Fifties. A British icon and a rally driver's dream rolled into one, the MINI is one of the few cars to be driven by hippies and bowler-hatted gentlemen with equal measures of pride. A democratic, idiosyncratic slice of engineering genius that has charted its own path for over 40 years? Sure. A normal car? Not exactly.

The MINI grew not out of a desire to build a great car - but out of a desire to build a better miniature car than the Germans, whose economical 'bubble cars' had become hugely popular in the midst of the Suez fuel crisis. But when Britain's answer to the bubble car was launched in 1959, design snobs laughed at the MINI's trademark 'wheel at each corner' layout, while industry experts labelled its front-wheel drive engine (which left 80% of the Mini's floorpan for passangers and luggage) anachronistic. Those whose bought one, however, appreciated every bit of its creative design.

Besides, had the MINI have been designed like a 'normal' car it's unlikely anyone would remember it today - far less own one. Being 'Not Normal' is, it seems, what made the MINI a success. To celebrate this, you can watch the brilliantly art-directed 'MINI: Not Normal' video above. Oh and one last thing. The MINI isn't the only thing that has come a long way since late Fifties: the company is now owned  and brilliantly-run by BMW. So well done, Germany... not a phrase you'd normally hear in Britain.

MINIspace.com | MINI Facebook

This post has been sponsored by MINI.

Senna's 1984 Toleman F1 Car

Few F1 fans will remember Toleman. An underachieving team sponsored by fridge magnates Candy, Toleman scored zero points in both the '81 and '82 seasons. They did, however, do something right. They hired Ayrton Senna. Now you can own the car Senna announced himself to the world in, famously fighting his way up to second in the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, challenging Alain Prost for the lead until the race was stopped on lap 31 due to torrential rain. The Brazilian's 650hp Toleman TG184-2 F1 car is up for auction on May 16 and while it almost certainly isn't much fun to drive, it's probably the most valuable piece of the Senna memorabilia money can buy. Wouldn't you just love to park it in your lounge...      

£600,000 (Auction Estimate) | www.silverstoneauctions.com

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Yellow Peril: Graham Hill's 1956 Lotus XI

In 1954, Norman Graham Hill was a Lotus mechanic hoping that, one day, he'd get a chance to prove himself in the cockpit. Two years later and he'd talked Lotus boss Colin Chapman into letting him build and race this Lotus XI, aka 'Yellow Peril'. Despite not being a naturally gifted driver (Hill didn't even pass his test until he was 24) the mustachioed chap from north London drove Yellow Peril to several victories before joining Lotus' F1 team in 1958. Why are we telling you this? Because 'Peril is currently up for sale.

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Touring Superleggera Disco Volante 2012

Coachbuilder Touring Superleggera is responsible for the bodywork of the Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6. Yet most have never heard of its most significant achievement: the 1952 C52 Disco Volante ('Flying Saucer' in English). Only three were built, but its insane boat-tail curves went on to inspire car design for the next 30 years. Essentially, Superleggera had wandered up to the automotive industry's rather imposing residence, relieved itself through the ornate letterbox, and stumbled off into the night - utterly delighted.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Cars are nice, but Ferraris are better. And this - the F12 Berlinetta - is the the fastest road-going Ferrari ever built. Propelled by an insane 740bhp V12 block it hits 62mph in 3.1 seconds, snapping though gears in milliseconds thanks to its F1 dual-clutch transmission. The all-new aluminium spaceframe and bodyshell incorporate 12 different alloys, thus making the F12 50kg lighter than last year's 599GTB Fiorano. The F12 stops rather swiftly, too, by dint of its actively-cooled carbon-ceramic brakes. If there's not a small part of you that wants one, perhaps it's time you took a long, hard look at your life...

£TBA | www.ferrari.com

Tesla X Electric Car with Falcon Doors

Whilst 2012's crop of hybrid cars, such as Jaguar's mouthwatering C-X16, looks promising, consumers are reticent to embrace 100% vehicles. Why? Limited range. The current standard is around 100 miles but Tesla, the electric car brand run by PayPal billionaire Elon Musk, is launching two game-changing vehicles: the Model S saloon (due this summer) and the Model X all-terrain (pictured above, due next year). Both vehicles can travel up to 300 miles on their liquid-cooled 85kWh batteries and ace 0-60 in under five seconds. What's more, the Model X has 'falcon' doors that not only open like gullwing doors but retract in on themselves, so that one can still get out when tightly parked. Though if you do find youself hemmed in, Temple Run will no doubt be playable via the Model X's 17-inch, iPad-style touchscreen...

£75,000 (TBC) | www.teslamotors.com

2012 Bentley Continental GT V8

Bentley unveiled its 2012 Continental GT V8 in December, with a UK launch pencilled in for February. A discrete, red-enamelled winged 'B' denotes that it is now powered by a 500bhp/487lb ft twin-turbo V8 engine, capable of propelling the car from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds. In other words, pretty ballistic. Bentley says the V8 offers up to 40 percent better fuel economy than the insane, 6.0-litre V12 previously fitted to GT's. But to be fair, so would a Tomahawk missile...

From £134,000 | www.bentleymotors.com