Archive

MG will enter the highly competitive compact SUV segment in Europe with the new GS in June, 2016. Originally unveiled last year in Shanghai, the vehicle will be ready, in its final form, for the 2016 London Motor Show, where it premiere on May 6.   Dynamic. Sporty. Modern. Three words given to the MG car designers before putting pen to paper. From those first sketches, which were pinned to the wall of the Birmingham based design centre, the MG GS was born and this June it launches in the UK.

Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series. Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type – affectionately known as XKC 003.

Mulliner, Bentley’s in-house coach-building division, is revealing its latest range of bespoke creations for the Flying Spur, enabling customers to personalise the four-door luxury sedan to an even higher level. For the first time, the Flying Spur can now be specified with a refrigerated bottle cooler between the rear seats, painted veneers, Mulliner quilted leather, sterling silver atomisers and hide-trimmed stowage boxes. This new range of personalisation options are but a few of the limitless possibilities a customer can find with Mulliner, and further enhance the Flying Spur’s reputation for unparalleled luxury and refinement for both work and relaxation.

Aston Martin has once again celebrated success with its Vanquish in the latest readers’ vote for the “Best Cars 2016” held by renowned German automotive magazine auto motor und sport. The 2016 awards were presented on Thursday in Stuttgart and decided entirely via readers’ votes, the Aston Martin Vanquish was awarded first place in the Sports Cars Import category.

The Triumph Club of the Carolinas will be hosting The Gathering in April, 2016. The Gathering is the largest British Car Show in the Southeast. Held in Dobson, North Carolina at Shelton Vineyards, one of the nicest show venues you will ever see. Stroll around the beautiful grounds of the largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina, while enjoying the sight of great British cars of all marques! Last year, over 300 cars attended representing over 10 varying marques! For lunch, you can bring a picnic or, better yet, sample the wonderful faire offered by Shelton’s Harvest Grill Restaurant. Also, Shelton’s will offer Hamburgers and soft drinks. 2016 Gathering Schedule All times subject to change. All changes will be posted at registration. Friday, April 15th 1-5 pm – Registration at the Hampton Inn & Suites, Shelton Vineyards at Dobson leaving […]

The Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) and Bonhams today announced a new series for under 2 Liter sports racing cars built between 1950 and 1962 to take place at the HMSA’s Barber Historics and The Sommet des Legends in 2016. The U2 series will feature the “giant killer” sports racing cars from the 1950’s such as the Lotus 11, Lola Mk1, Maserati 200S(I), Ferrari 500TR(C), Ferrari 196 Dino SP and Porsche 550/RSK/RS60-62. Drivers will be competing both on and off the track with awards given for race results and best “giant killer” performance, as well as the most period correct car on the grid and for the person and or team who best exhibits the spirit of the 1950’s sports racing scene. “At Bonhams we see the world’s best collectable automobiles at our auctions every year,” commented Mark Osborne. “The […]

Land Rover celebrated 68 years of history today as the last of the current Defenders was produced at its famous Solihull production facility. To mark the occasion Land Rover invited more than 700 current and former Solihull employees involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles to see and drive some of the most important vehicles from its history, including the first pre-production ‘Huey’ Series I as well as the last vehicle off the production line, a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top. At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe. The first vehicles will […]

MINI USA and LAP MotorSports LLC are gearing up the MINI John Cooper Works Team for the 2016 season of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge(CTSCC), the first full season for the team. The team also today announced the addition of a third car and two new drivers – Ethan Lowe and James Vance. Building on the momentum of the team’s first podium at the season finale at Road Atlanta last year and a solid performance during three days of testing at The Roar Before the 24, the team is hopeful for more podium finishes during the 2016 season. The season kicks-off this Friday, January 29th, at Daytona International Speedway. The Indianapolis-based MINI John Cooper Works team owned and operated by racing veteran Luis Perocarpi will return this year with drivers Mat Pombo and Derek Jones. The racing duo, who […]

The Classic & Sports Car Show was an enormous success last autumn with 15,150 visitors attending the inaugural event. Now The Show is returning for 2016 – and it will be even bigger and better. Organised by the world’s best-selling classic car magazine, Classic & Sports Car, and Haymarket Exhibitions, The Show will return to the majestic and iconic venue of Alexandra Palace, running from Friday 28th October to Sunday 30th October, 2016.

Autoweek is running an article about RM Sotheby‘s upcoming Scottsdale, Arizona auction and nine cars to watch. What really caught our attention in this one is the inclusion of one of our favorite, but often overlooked, supercars – the Jaguar XJ220. To quote Autoweek… Jaguar’s technological masterpiece is getting to that stage when some of those who wanted them as kids now have the ability to buy them, whether they have to sell their houses to do it or not. The XJ220 had a complicated history, and like an impressive number of 1990s supercars it was conceived during an economic boom to arrive in their owners’ driveways a couple of years after a market crash. The recession of the early 1990s dealt a heavy blow to the XJ220 without killing it outright, though the car itself was in some ways […]

Ahead of the 2016 season, McLaren GT has added to its off-track team with the appointment of Bas Leinders to the role of Sporting Manager. Confirmation of a number of new McLaren GT customer teams for the 2016 season has further strengthened the GT3 grids around the world. Leinders brings valuable experience to the teams on the pitwall and he will work with customer teams to further optimise the potential of the 650S GT3. Leinders, 40, has enjoyed a successful GT and single-seat racing career, which included winning the German Formula 3 in 1998 before joining the McLaren junior team alongside former Formula 1™ driver Nick Heidfeld, and a role as Formula 1™ test and reserve driver. The move to GT racing saw Leinders claim back-to-back FIA GT G2 championship wins between 2006 and 2008 among further accolades. The Belgian […]

I can’t resist stories of the way cars used to be made – back when automobiles weren’t so much produced as crafted. You know, back when every other car that slides off an automated assembly line resembles nothing so much as an over-ripe jellybean. Honestly, it wasn’t that long ago. Our VotW this week goes back to an old Top Gear episode with a much younger Jeremy Clarkson visiting the TVR factory in Blackpool, Lancashire. The video, from 1995, shows a factory that is worlds away from the automotive assembly plants we picture today. TVR was started by Trevor Wilkinson in 1947 in Blackpool. For nearly 60 years the company produced fabulous if ofter quirky sports cars in fits and starts and under various ownership. In 2006, the factory at Blackpool was closed by then-owner and Russian businessman Nikolai Smolensky. […]

Readers of BusinessCar magazine have voted the MINI Hatch as Premium Supermini Car of the Year 2016. This marks the fourteenth consecutive year that the MINI Hatch has won the coveted award. Excellent performance alongside low running costs and CO2 emissions, coupled with strong residual values are just some of the qualities of the MINI 3-door Hatch which have continued to win over BusinessCar magazine readers for nearly a decade and a half.

The Triumph Stag combines classic car style with on the road fun. The noise, the looks, the effortlessness… it’s an intoxicating driver’s car and has been underrated for years. Now Practical Classics magazine has released their “Complete Guide to the Triumph Stag“. Quoting their announcement, “lavishly illustrated, this volume collects a wealth of historical, technical and personal insight from the pages of Practical Classics magazine, including the full Stag story: from drawing board to production, an exclusive foreword by ex-Standard Triumph Development Engineer, Dennis Barbet and rally legend Russell Brookes’ personal take on the Stag at the limit.” Buying & Owning Practical Classics gets to the truth about the much-maligned Stag V8. Complete with tips and guidance for project buyers and budding restorers alike, we’ll tell you how to buy a good one without getting your fingers burnt. Restoring & […]

The Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat (KIMR) has put out a call that they have space for a few more concours quality cars. The 2016 Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat rolls onto Kiawah Island April 15-17, 2016. Located at the entrance to the famed Ocean Course, this celebration of outstanding automobiles features an entire weekend of events. More than one hundred unique and rare Concours cars will compete for the Best of Show trophy and other awards on Sunday, April 17. Collectors are encouraged to submit entries at www.kiawahconcours.com. There is no application fee, but all entries are subject to a selection process.

Way before the fame – the glam rock image, flamboyance, Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie was a creative teenager with a plastic saxophone and a love for the Mini.  Having grown up with a penchant for music, his enthusiasm for players such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane paved an early road for his transition to fame at an early age.  At 15 years old, Bowie formed his first band, the Konrads, playing mostly at family gatherings and weddings.

Word on the street and the net is that the Special Vehicle Operations unit of Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to unveil a special version of the already fantastic Jaguar F-Type. According to sources including Jalopnik, the SVR F-Type will make an estimated 575 horsepower propelling to 200 miles per hour. This is coming from the same group who produced the Range Rover Sport SVR. What appears to be brochure pics and some details trickled out today on Autoblog.nl, Autovisie.nl and other Dutch car sites. According to reports, the SVR F-Type has a supercharged V8, all-wheel drive, and will apparently do the zero to 60 mph (0-100 km/h) dash in about 3.7 seconds. While the manual remains available for the V6 only, the SVR will deliver its power via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The car should be available in both coupe […]

Preparation for the gruelling Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is entering its final stages at William Medcalf Vintage Bentley. The Bentley specialist is preparing all four Vintage Bentleys entering the event, which covers more than 8500 miles over 33 days and over all terrains, including long gravel tracks, dirt roads, the Gobi desert and across Alpine roads making it a real endurance test of both driver and machine.