Allard J2X returns
Anyone thinking of spending around £95,000 on a performance car is spoilt for choice. A Porsche 911 GT3 perhaps, or how about an Audi R8, Maserati GranTurismo, or Aston Martin V8 Vantage? Alternatively, European buyers can now go for something completely different. Allard may not be a name familiar to all (especially as the original company went out of business in 1966) but now it’s back with a MKII version of the J2X, a model previously produced between 1951 and 1954. Like its predecessor, the J2X MKII features an American V8 engine, but it’s no longer British-built. The rights to the Allard name are now owned by Allard Motor Works Inc., which is based in Montreal, Canada. Although the J2X - unsurprisingly - looks like something from the 1950s, the mechanical elements are bang up to date. Power comes from a GM Ram Jet 350 cubic inch (5.7 litres) fuel injected V8, which pumps out 350 bhp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 542 Nm (400 lb-ft) of torque. That’s a lot in a car that weighs just...