Corporate Business

The Aston Martin DB10 built exclusively for James Bond in the forthcoming movie, Spectre, roared into Newport Pagnell on Saturday as part of a tour of the British sport car maker’s UK dealers. The relaxed, family-friendly, event saw more than 500 people visit Aston Martin Works to get a close-up view of the exclusive new sports car. DB10 is limited to just ten examples, all of which are used in the highly anticipated new Bond film which premieres in London on Monday October 26. Stunt driver Mark Higgins – the man behind the wheel for the extreme driving scenes in three Bond films – was also at Saturday’s event to share his fascinating insights into both the making of Spectre and the experience of driving the exclusive DB10. Aside from the rare chance to see the stunning Aston Martin DB10 […]

Contrary to what some people may think or say – the British car manufacturing industry is in pretty good shape. Every 20 seconds, a brand new vehicle rolls off the production line somewhere in Britain. Last year, Britain built more cars than France, and one single plant, Nissan Sunderland, made more cars than the whole of the Italian car industry put together. Meanwhile, seven out of 10 Formula 1 teams are based in Britain, including Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Lotus, Williams, Force India and Manor (Marussia). And the UK doesn’t just make cars, they also build engines – one in three Fords sold globally in 2014 had their engine built in either Bridgend or Dagenham. Building Cars Live is a new two-part documentary that takes viewers into the fascinating world of the car manufacturing industry, with presenters James May, Kate […]

Six months ago, MG Motor UK launched the new MG6 and it has been a great success with customers enjoying the numerous improvements made to the value-for-money fastback. With the range starting from £13,995 and the top specification coming in at £17,995, customers have been really taken with the MG6. To mark the six months, MG spoke to six owners to find out how they’re getting on with their MG6 and what they love about it the most. Kevin Wright bought his MG6 from the Sales Centre in Longbridge. He said: “We owned the previous version of the MG6 and decided to upgrade to the newer model after seeing that MG had made so many great changes to it. We’re so happy with the car and find it nice to drive. Plus, the emissions and fuel economy have been made […]

Yesterday (Sunday 18th October), 13 employees from MG Motor UK’s technical centre conquered 13 (plus 0.1) miles in the Birmingham Half Marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support. The team of thirteen had been training hard in preparation for the run that took place through the streets of Birmingham’s city centre. The team were running for Macmillan Cancer Support and, with money still rolling in, they have managed to raise an impressive £5,700 – which is almost £2,000 over their original target. The team leader for the baker’s dozen, Richard McAllister, said: “It was a great day all round, but my legs certainly aren’t saying that today! The weather held off for us making running conditions ideal. “We were all really proud of our times, as we all had our own goals; even if it just meant getting round in one piece! […]

The Lotus Driving Academy is pleased to announce the addition of the new, critically acclaimed Evora 400 to its fleet. What’s more, the entire fleet is renewed, with five Elise 220 Cup, two Exige S and one Exige S Club Racer model joining the new Evora 400 and now available to drive on the famed Hethel test track at Lotus’ Norfolk HQ. Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, commented: “We are pleased to offer potential customers and track driving enthusiasts the opportunity to drive the new Lotus Evora 400 and our other high-performance models at our Hethel test track. Lotus prides itself on offering benchmark handling and pure driving experience and the Evora 400, developed at Hethel, is the latest proof of this concept. To drive the Evora 400 at the very track used throughout the model […]

The new Lotus 3-Eleven completed a successful two-week test session at the fearsome and challenging Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. The video documenting this comprehensive test and development programme can be found on the Group Lotus YouTube channel. Individual areas of expertise and vehicle set-up were a specific focus – aerodynamics, engine calibration, chassis tuning and suspension geometry – as the model continues its development towards start of production in early 2016. The Lotus 3-Eleven is the quickest and most powerful production Lotus road car ever produced, offering the ultimate pure driving experience. Heralding the next generation of Lotus high-performance sports cars, the 3-Eleven re-affirms Lotus core values as the perfect demonstration of “lighter, faster” and benchmark handling which comes from Lotus’ roots in competitive motorsport. Prices start at £82,000 for the Road version (including VAT and on the road costs) and […]

Bentley Motors enjoyed an exciting and successful weekend at the 17th Jochpass Oldtimer Memorial and Historic-Rallye in Bad Hindelang, Germany. Four historic Bentleys competed in the world-renowned classics event between 9 and 11 October, including the Team ‘Blower’, R-Type Continental, Speed 6 and a Bentley 4,5 Litre Le Mans. About 18.000 enthusiastic spectators were in attendance to admire the 280 classic cars on show. The drivers travelled from all over Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

McLaren established itself throughout the 1960s and 70s as a world-beating force in one of the most extreme forms of motorsport, Can-Am, winning five consecutive championships between 1967 and 1971. In honour of the 50th anniversary of the 1966 inaugural season, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has created the limited production 650S Can-Am which takes its inspiration from the race cars of this golden age of motorsport.  The 650S Can-Am can be commissioned now priced at £255,850 with deliveries set to commence in the spring of 2016, 50 years on from the first race at Mont Tremblant, Canada.  Just 50 examples will be produced globally, all based on the 650S Spider. The Can-Am series, or Canadian-American Challenge Cup, was a no-holds-barred battle of power and speed around some of the most iconic circuits in North America and Canada.  It attracted the […]

Eighty-five years after three-time Le Mans winner Captain Woolf Barnato famously raced the ‘Blue Train’ from Cannes to Calais, modern day Bentley Boy, Steven Kane, has reinvigorated the legendary spirit in a tense four-hour 14 minute sprint against Saudi Arabia’s only desert passenger train. The dune train takes a 480 km route from Riyadh – deep in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula – to Dammam on the Arabian Gulf. The new Continental GT V8 S Convertible raced this unique locomotive on August 15th across the scorched, baren landscape and won, with six minutes to spare. Bentley Team M-Sport driver, Steven Kane, said: “Four hours is the same time as a stint at Le Mans.  But this was far more stressful. The heat, the conditions, not knowing where the train was, while driving within the limits of the country’s regulations.   […]

Jaguar UK today announces an exciting partnership which will see the presentation of the technologically-advanced XF executive saloon car at WIRED2015.  WIRED is recognised as the multimedia authority on the future, in print and digital. Senior Jaguar executives Kevin Stride (XF Vehicle Line Director), Adam Hatton (Creative Director, Jaguar Exterior Design), Alister Whelan (Creative Director, Jaguar Interior Design) and Peter Virk (Head of Connected Technologies and Apps) will support the presentation of the all-new XF at WIRED.  These experts from the Design and Engineering teams at Jaguar Land Rover will also feature in exclusive workshop sessions at the WIRED conference. Chaired by WIRED UK Deputy Editor, Greg Williams, and supported by additional speakers from WIRED2015, two 30 minute thought-leadership sessions will cover topics designed to stimulate discussion and debate by experts in their field.  The first session is scheduled for […]

Jaguar Land Rover, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium luxury vehicles, has launched a new project in Africa as part of its ambitious Global CSR Programme. Jaguar Land Rover’s ambition is to achieve long-term responsible business growth by placing sustainability at the heart of its business strategy by reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles and operations and making a positive impact on society, all through ‘Environmental Innovation’. The company recently received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development for reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles and operations. Jaguar Land Rover’s Global CSR Programme was launched in 2013 as part of its ‘Environmental Innovation’ strategy. The programme invests in education, technology, health, wellbeing and environmental projects which will positively impact 12 million people’s lives by 2020. The programme builds on the success of its UK education […]

Jaguar Land Rover has launched its recruitment drive for over 200 apprentices to join the company in September 2016.  The Government’s Skills Minister, Nick Boles, praised the UK’s largest automotive apprenticeship provider saying: “Jaguar Land Rover is playing a leading role in backing the next generation of highly skilled workers. Their new apprentice intake will learn highly sought after skills whilst benefiting from earning a wage and some will even gain a degree. “Jaguar Land Rover recognises the value apprenticeships bring to their business and productivity, this is why we are committed to delivering 3 million quality apprenticeships by 2020.” Jaguar Land Rover is the largest apprenticeship provider in the UK automotive sector, currently accounting for approximately half of the total apprentices employed in that industry.  Applicants can choose from either the four year Advanced Apprenticeship aimed at GCSE students, […]

Jaguar Land Rover has been honoured with three trophies at the prestigious Autonis design awards, voted for by readers of Germany’s leading motoring magazine, Auto Motor und Sport. In the 15th annual reader survey, 115 cars competed across ten categories with more than 17,500 votes cast.  The Jaguar XF led the upper middle class category with 42 per cent share of votes, beating local competition from the Audi A6 (35 per cent) and BMW 7-series (30.5 per cent). The all-new Jaguar XE scooped 36 percent of votes in the middle class group, relegating the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3-series to second and third place with 29 and 28 per cent of the votes respectively. Jaguar also took home the silver medal in the design brand of the year class. Land Rover celebrated success in the SUV class with the Range […]

Aston Martin is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Schwab as President for Aston Martin The Americas, reporting to Global Sales Director Christian Marti, effective 26 October. Laura joins Aston Martin from Jaguar Land Rover where she worked most recently as Marketing Director, leading marketing communications, experiential events, sponsorships, product marketing, customer engagement and corporate social responsibility. Based at the company’s regional headquarters in Irvine, California, Laura’s role as Regional President embraces sales and service, public relations, brand marketing and communications to both Aston Martin’s customers and 46 dealers in the region, spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. Having graduated from University of Kentucky College of Law, Laura started her career with a technology start-up company in Southern California, before joining the automotive industry and since amassing fifteen years’ experience across a variety of operational, sales […]

DNA-inspired sculptures created by world renowned artists and designers, including Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum, raised £250,000 at auction as part of Cancer Research UK’s campaign to raise money for the Francis Crick Institute. Ian Callum’s Jaguar inspired sculpture raised an impressive £11,000 at leading auction house Christie’s last night. On describing his inspiration behind the design he said: “When it came to decorating the double-helix sculpture, it was about beauty, simplicity and something gorgeous to look at and that is our DNA here at Jaguar. My inspiration came from the cars and I wanted to emulate the sense of flow created as they travel through the air. We are all very proud to have been involved in this piece, not only because it derived out of that desire to create something exciting, but more importantly because the money […]

The ground-breaking Caterham Academy championship celebrated its 20th anniversary Thursday, October 1. The very first Academy event took place, under the banner of the Top Gear Caterham Scholarship, at Mallory Park in 1995 and Caterham has located rare footage of the event to celebrate the landmark birthday. Since its inception, the Academy has gone on to become one of the most popular novice race series in the UK, with more than 900 amateur male and female drivers competing across the 21 seasons racing the iconic Caterham Seven. The series is still going strong, with only a handful of the 56 grid slots for 2016 remaining. Academy graduates and aspiring racers alike can get a taste of the action from the inaugural event by viewing the following video.

The entrants of Classic & Sports Car’s global poll to find the best British car ever are set to be celebrated in an iconic feature at Classic & Sports Car – The London Show. After votes were cast in their thousands, the winning car has been decided and will be revealed at the inaugural event, taking place from 30th October to 1st November at Alexandra Palace. The display, including all ten contenders, will continue its British theme with Hertfordshire-based company, Autoglym, revealed as the sponsor. Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, the royal warranted brand manufactures over 100 car care and valeting products. With cars as varied as the Austin Seven, McLaren F1, Ford GT40 and Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost also making up the top ten shortlist the feature is sure to be a key attraction at Classic & Sports Car – […]

British sportscar manufacturer, Caterham Cars, has expanded its growing European dealer network with the appointment of Borghi Automobili as a new distributor in Italy’s fashion capital, Milan. Borghi Automobili was established in 1919 and has almost a century’s experience in selling exotic sportscars from all over the world. The appointment re-establishes Caterham’s presence in Italy and the full European range of Caterham’s iconic British sportscars – including the Seven 165, the brand-new Seven 275, and Europe’s most powerful Seven; the 485 – will be available, as well as Caterham Academy and R300 race cars.  In addition to catering for new customers, Borghi Automobili also offers Italian customers a full after sales service. To celebrate its appointment as an official dealer, Borghi Automobili held a launch event on Friday 25th September at the showroom and showcased the recently released Seven 275 […]