Articles by Staff

Luxury British car brand Aston Martin Lagonda is confidently looking to the future at the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, with CEO Dr Andy Palmer leading the company into an exciting new era reaching far into the next decade. For the first time in China the innovative DBX Concept and exclusive Lagonda Taraf were unveiled, spearheading Aston Martin’s display at the show. The display of handcrafted luxury sports cars in Shanghai defines the way ahead for Aston Martin and its commitment to the market in China, with each model on display representing a distinctive and differentiated story for Chinese customers The DBX Concept signals a key change in vision as the brand embarks on a new chapter of change and growth. “With its unique fusion of high luxury and advanced technology along with its day-to-day practicality, the DBX Concept […]

The first SUV in MG’s history, the MG GS, has been unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. MG, now a brand of parent company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), finally took the wraps off it highly anticipated new MG GS SUV. The Nissan Qashqai-rivaling newcomer will go on sale in China next month and will arrive in the UK next year. It will be joined by a Nissan Juke-sized crossover in 2016. SAIC, first gave indications that an MG SUV was in the pipeline by unveiling the MG CS concept at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. Under the hood, two engines will be available. The turbocharged 1.5-liter unit produces 168 PS (124 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque, while the turbocharged 2.0-liter develops 220 PS (162 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. Depending on which engine is […]

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Augmented reality glasses to wear while you are driving. In an article for Autocar, Darren Moss is reporting that Mini has revealed its augmented reality glasses concept at the Shanghai motor show. The glasses, which are currently in the working prototype stage, can project vehicle and navigation instructions in front of drivers and render parts of the car – including the A-pillar and doors -‘invisible’ in order to improve visibility. Other functions include a ‘first and last mile’ system, which guides wearers either from their starting point to the car, or from the car to their final destination on foot. Destination settings can also be programmed while outside the car. Functions usually handled by a head-up display, such as navigation, speed and traffic data, can be viewed in front of the driver. Phone messages […]

PROTON Holdings Berhad (“PROTON”) the ultimate holding company of Lotus Group, announced that it has signed a Joint Venture (“JV”) Agreement with Lotus Group International Limited, United Kingdom (“Lotus Group”) and Goldstar Heavy Industrial Co. Ltd. (“Goldstar”) for a possible business expansion of Lotus cars in the People’s Republic of China. The collaboration seeks to accelerate the development of Lotus cars in the premium sports segment in China, leveraging on the incentives offered by the Fujian Provincial Government. Both PROTON and Lotus Group are subsidiaries of DRB-HICOM Berhad. Signing on behalf of PROTON was the Honourable Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Chairman of PROTON and former Prime Minister of Malaysia and witnessed by Dato’ Abdul Harith Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON. Signing on behalf of Lotus Group International Limited, United Kingdom was Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer and witnessed by […]

An impressive convoy of 146 cars drove around the Rockingham Circuit in Corby, Northamptonshire (UK) oval circuit in order to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest parade of MGs. Officially, the world record will be 144 cars – as two MGs were discounted from the attempt as they were over the maximum distance of two car lengths between vehicles. The record was set on 11 April and was organised by Lancaster Insurance and the MG Owners’ Club. Lancaster’s managing director Richard Morley, who helped lead the parade in a race-prepared MGF said: ‘We’re so thrilled with how it went. When we first got to the track it was raining and miserable, but luckily the sun came out and so did the cars.’ Martin Wills, who drove a race-prepared MG ZR, added: ‘I thought it’d be quite naff but it’s […]

The MG Car Club Northwest Centre presents their fifth annual MG Car Show & All British Vintage Car Show. When: Sun, May 24, 9am – 3pm Where: Triple X Root Beer Drive-in, 98 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, Washington, 98027 The show is open to all vintage British automobiles built in 1980 or earlier. Exhibitors will vote for and awards given in four categories: Favorite Car; Best Engine Compartment; Best Interior; and Best Exterior. Exhibitors who vote will be automatically entered in a door prize drawing. Owners of the first fifty cars to register will receive a commemorative dash plaque. Registration forms are available at the website for download.  The registration fee is $10.00US in advance or $15.00US on the day of the show at the ‘gate’.  The deadline for mail-in registration is Saturday, May 16th.  A portion of the proceeds will […]

This week let’s look at an all-time favorite, one of the big Healeys, the Austin-Healey 3000. This video is from the good folks are Hagerty Insurance and Wayne Carini of “Chasing Classic Cars“.  In the video buyer’s guide, Carini tells you what to look for when buying an Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII and tells you how to spot potential issues — such as rust — that can plague these cars. A bit about Wayne Carini – With a lifetime of experience in automobile restoration under his belt, master car restorer Wayne Carini has a resume that includes body and paint work on rare car collections owned by the likes of David Letterman, tennis great Ivan Lendl and the DuPont family. He’s been featured in the New York Times as well as numerous automobile magazines, and starred in two one-hour television specials. The Austin-Healey […]

The prototype of the MG GS SUV has been spied on the road recently in the UK. The new 5-seat SUV, scheduled to go on sale in 2016, was seen undergoing road trials in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire. This will be the first time in the company’s history that MG has entered the hotly contested SUV market. Reports on sightings fo the prototype have come from both AutoExpress and AutoCar. The most recent photos captured show the prototype SUV with far less camouflage to disguise its appearance. The production version of the GS was styled under the stewardship of MG design boss Anthony Williams-Kenny, in a collaboration between the company’s Shanghai and Longbridge design teams. The first-ever MG SUV adheres closely to the look of the well-received CS concept, with a highly contemporary look featuring a clear family resemblance to the […]

According to Motoring.com.au, Jaguar may be eyeing the Mercedes-Benz A-Class with the first front-wheel-drive Jaguar hatchback. Speaking during a roundtable interview at the New York motor show, Jaguar design director Ian Callum revealed his love of small cars and said the leaping cat brand is investigating the idea of a front-drive small car. “There’s always space to go smaller — the world is changing very quickly,” he said. “I think there’s a huge opportunity in the small car market, but it’s a very difficult business — hugely competitive and hugely price conscious.” Callum cautioned that for the time being Jaguar was “too small to think about taking on that sense of volume and competitive pricing”, but he conceded that there is drive within the company to explore the small-car market. “My personal belief, and I must emphasise that, is that […]

The accountancy firm Deloitte has had a £14m fine relating to its dealings with collapsed car maker MG Rover cut to £3m after an appeal. The reduced penalty was announced on Monday after an appeals tribunal earlier this year threw out eight of 13 charges against the firm in a case brought by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). It also cut the fine imposed on former Deloitte partner Maghsoud Einollahi from £250,000 to £175,000 and reversed his three-year ban from the profession. Instead, he and Deloitte were given a “severe reprimand”. MG Rover entered administration in 2005 with debts of £1.4bn and more than 6,000 job losses. It had been bought by directors known as the Phoenix Four for a token £10 five years earlier. The FRC filed a formal complaint against the firm and Einollahi in 2012 and the […]

Jaguar North America announced that for the third year in a row, since the F-TYPE launch in 2013, it is challenging the sports car status quo by strengthening the two-seat sports car’s competitive position in the marketplace. The 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE now features an expanded lineup, dramatically increased value position and a new 5-year/60,000 mile warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance package that leads the luxury sports car market.   Since the launch of Convertible in 2013 and addition of Coupe in 2014, Jaguar has sold 7,085 F-TYPE vehicles in the United States, with sales increasing 83 percent in 2014. The 2016 F-TYPE will arrive in dealerships starting in April. The lineup will offer added technology such as All-Wheel Drive, more model choices including a manual transmission, enhanced standard equipment and the best warranty and longest complimentary scheduled maintenance package of […]

News from MG Motors announces that the new MG6 enjoys a higher level of equipment than the model it replaces while offering customers a saving of almost £3,000 over the previous car. The new front includes new lamps, grille, lower vent, and LED daytime running lights. On higher level trims, the MG grille is highlighted in chrome. At the rear, the update has been even more dramatic, with a lower black aerodynamically styled bumper and shaped tailpipe. These changes all contribute to make the 2015 MG6 unmistakable on the road. The 2015 MG6 retains the look of a distinctive, fastback vehicle with the addition of standard 16” alloys across the range. The 6 has been rationalised with the 1.8 petrol and Magnette saloon making way in the new range. The 1.9 DTi-Tech diesel from the previous car remains, but with […]

Aston Martin Racing (AMR) has won the GTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Silverstone today (12 April) but narrowly missed out on a podium position in GTE Pro.   The #98 Vantage GTE of Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and Mathias Lauda (AT) stormed to class victory after qualifying on pole for the Championship’s season-opener. The trio of GTE Pro cars, which started from first, second and third on the grid, all had a great opening stint but a full course yellow gifted competitors a pit-stop advantage that couldn’t be made up by AMR throughout the six-hour endurance race. The #95 finished in fourth, the #97 in fifth and the #99 in sixth in GTE Pro and the #96 finished in fourth in GTE Am. AMR Team Principal John Gaw commented: […]

Bentley’s motorsport season is set to continue this weekend with the first European race of the 2015 season for the works operation, Bentley Team M-Sport. The pair of Continental GT3 race cars, a new favourite amongst GT racing fans, will open their Blancpain Endurance Series accounts at Monza in Italy in a three-hour race on Sunday 12th April.   Having started their season in February with a fourth place finish at the gruelling 12 Hours of Bathurst in Australia, and a second place finish in the Blancpain Endurance Series last year, Bentley is looking to challenge for the title in its second season of GT3 racing. Preparations for the contest have been extensive, with the winter off-season spent refining the setup of the Continental GT3 and recruiting three new Bentley Boys for car #8. Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, […]

The Aston Martin DB10 – the ultimate car for the world’s most famous spy, James Bond – is this year’s winner of the prestigious Design Trophy, awarded by German magazine Auto Zeitung. Readers of the influential European title have voted the DB10 – exclusively built for Bond and set to feature in the upcoming movie Spectre – a clear winner in the contest’s ‘sports cars’ class. Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “Celebrating our 50-year association with Bond, which started with the iconic DB5, the DB10 is doubly significant as, aside from its place in the new film, it also provides a very real glimpse of the future design direction for the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars.” He added: “We are honoured that our car has been voted a winner by the readers of […]

Ultima Sports has revealed its latest sports car, the Evolution. Available in both coupé and convertible forms, the newest Ultima offers up to 1020bhp in its most powerful form. British based Ultima has been selling its GT-R and Can Am models in both kit and pre-built forms for over 15 years. The £95,995 Evolution has more horse power than the Bugatti Veyron at less than a tenth of the price. It also weighs in at half as much. Oh my. This means the Evolution will go from 0 to 100-0mph in 8.8 seconds. That is about a second quicker than the Bugatti. And remember, at a tenth of the cost.   Acting as a replacement for the GTR and Can-Am models, the Evolution is already on sale with the first customer deliverie sof the supercar planned for September While keeping Ultima’s […]

In an article by James Batchelor of Auto Express, the sad fact that there will be no new MG sportscar for at least a few years has become more official. Speaking to to Auto Express, MG’s new head of marketing told them that “the explosion in popularity of SUVs and crossovers has meant it’s a market MG cannot ignore.” They go on to say that, “MG’s new focus on SUVs has come at the cost of a new MG two-seater roadster. Since the demise of the MG TF in 2010, fans have been crying out for a new sportscar harking back to the MGA, MGB, MGF and TF. Cheyne told [Auto Express] that a new sports car would arrive in the future, but not for the next five years at least as the brand concentrates on more profitable sectors like the […]

Time for a little vintage racing. Yes, our video this weeks comes from the VARAC. The VARAC, the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada, is the main Vintage Racing Club in Eastern Canada. All VARAC members share a desire to preserve, restore and race historically significant cars in a form as close to the original specification as possible As for the video itself, it is a profile of MG. Who doesn’t love the MGs? (Don’t answer that. We don’t want to hear it.) Featured in this fantastic video by KarmaComa Studio are three uniquely different versions of the MG. Owned by VARAC members David & Evan Holmes, Dave Good and Gary Allen, these cars have been restored and carefully prepared to race the toughest circuits in North America. More info about racing with VARAC is available at www.varac.ca and about […]