On the final episode of The Grand Tour – the last time we'll see of the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May together on our screens – the men who inspired a generation of car enthusiasts took three classic cars on a drive across Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Ever the sign of their influence, this led to hordes of people trying to follow in their footsteps and snag a car just like those in the show. In particular, many gravitated towards May's 1974 Triumph Stag, with an extraordinary 793 percent increase in search traffic for the Stag on Auto Trader UK.
Considering the renewed popularity of one of the best-named cars ever created, it got me thinking: what if Triumph reentered the car market with a new Stag, 50 years later?
There's no denying, the design language translates well to a modern car – even if the design language isn't the sort of angular robot vomit many modern cars adhere to. The quad headlamps and grille design and those lovely rear haunches still clearly look the part today.
Of course, with Triumph now only making motorbikes, you'd need to source a powertrain from somewhere, and it better be a V8. With the British Leyland alliance long gone, I figured the Ford Mustang GT would be a worthy donor in this regard. There's no forced induction, an available manual gearbox, and it sounds the goods. Plus, the MG ZT was once offered with a Ford Modular V8, so I think that's a realistic enough option.
Since retromods are all the rage right now, is this 21st Century Stag as much of a winner in your eyes as it is in mine? Let me know in the comments below.
2024 Triumph Stag
Suggested Specifications
Engine: 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol (produced by Ford)
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Drivetrain: RWD
Power: 345kW // 469PS at 7250rpm
Torque: 550Nm // 406lb-ft at 4850rpm
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 5.3 seconds
Top Speed: 282km/h // 175mph
