Corporate Business

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today announced the name of its forthcoming new car. The new model, an exciting and sensuous drophead, will be known as Rolls-Royce Dawn. The car was unveiled to representatives of the marque’s 130-strong global dealer network at the 2015 Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference in Los Angeles, California today. “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date,” said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer. “Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s social hotspots.” Rolls-Royce Dawn is the next step in […]

General Motors has become the first car manufacturer in the world to produce 500 million vehicles, as Vauxhall in the UK – GM’s fourth largest market – celebrates 90 years of ownership by the US company. Commenting on the milestone achievement, Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, said: “During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day. This adds up to nearly ten million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as ten million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.’ The landmark figure came 90 years after General Motors purchased Vauxhall in 1925 in what was the American company’s first overseas acquisition. Luton-based Vauxhall, which is Britain’s oldest surviving car manufacturer, quickly repaid GM’s investment and to date has sold nearly […]

Aston Martin Lagonda today announced that with the leadership of its major shareholders, it has arranged additional committed funding of £200 million, enabling the 102-year old luxury sports car manufacturer to develop significant new luxury models that will drive the future of the company under its strategic business plan. The additional capital investment comes in the form of £200 million of preference shares; £100 million of which were issued on 29 April 2015 with the remaining £100 million – already subscribed for – to be issued in the next twelve months, and will further expand the previously announced investment plan. This major investment in new luxury models is at the core of Aston Martin’s strategic vision. Under the plan, the company will expand into the luxury GT crossover market with the introduction of a new vehicle based on the DBX […]

Jaguar Land Rover launched its new Land Rover Heritage division at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany a few weeks ago. Body, trim and extended servicing items are available for Range Rover Classic, while for Range Rover P38 and Discovery 1 and 2, Land Rover Heritage supplies salvage and extended service parts to ensure customers’ cherished cars are maintained to the highest possible standard. For Series l, ll and lll, selected Land Rover Heritage Parts are available and the brand will gradually reintroduce more original part numbers – all made using original tooling methods and all items supported under warranty*. Land Rover Heritage forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division and has been created to support the brand’s passion in nurturing and preserving its rich heritage of vehicles and supporting its loyal customer base across Land Rover’s […]

According to Alabama new outlet Yellowhammer, British luxury sports car brand Aston Martin is considering building a new factory in Alabama that would likely manufacture the company’s DBX crossover utility vehicle (CUV), which was released as a concept in March of this year. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said late last week that building such a facility in Alabama would make sense for two primary reasons. Number one, locating a factory near the current Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama would provide unique convenience and cost-savings opportunities for Aston Martin’s operation. Over the last several years, Aston Martin has established and extended its partnership with Daimler AG, the parent company and manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz. Daimler now holds a five percent stake in Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. and supplies the British carmaker with electronic parts and adapts Mercedes-Benz AMG engines to fit […]

According to CarScoops, SAIC owned MG brand plans to expand from the UK into continental Europe with the GS SUV, which debuted last week at the Shanghai Auto Show. The MG GS will arrive in the UK in 2016 and will compete in the highly competitive compact SUV segment. However, the brand reportedly has bigger ambitions with the new model. According to MG Motor product manager Andrew Lowerson, the automaker will consider expanding into other European markets following the UK rollout of the GS, its first SUV. “The SUV brings something new to the brand,” Lowerson told Autonews Europe. With the GS, MG’s UK lineup will grow to three models: the MG3 subcompact hatchback, MG6 midsize model and the GS compact SUV. The latter will likely be offered with a diesel and a petrol unit in Europe. Porsche Engineering is responsible […]

According to AutoCar, the 986bhp McLaren P1 GTR will be converted for road use by British marque specialist Lanzante. The Hampshire-based firm, which is renowned for its work on customer McLaren F1s and F1 GTRs, has decided to undertake the conversion work following demand from customers who have bought the track-only version of the P1 GTR from the factory. More than 40 £1.98m P1 GTRs were sold, with the cars being offered to existing P1 road car owners only. The track car has a kerb weight of 1440kg, giving it around 685bhp per tonne. The level of standard modifications has not been revealed, nor the price of conversions, because of the complexity of customer requirements. “We will be tackling all conversions on a case-by-case basis,” said Dean Lanzante. “What we do will depend on where the customer wants to run […]

Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design, has won the Designer of the Year Award after taking the number one position in The Drum’s second annual Designerati – a list celebrating the top 100 most influential individuals in UK design. The expert panel of judges decided Ian is this year’s most influential UK designer finishing top ahead of Maggie Hodgetts, Head of Graphic Design at Waitrose and Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer at Burberry in second and third place respectively. Stephen Lepitak, editor of The Drum, said: “Ian Callum is a visionary of British design. From his roots at Ford in the 1970s, to his craftsmanship on Aston Martin, his influence on car design is legendary. “His beautifully simple designs, including the 2013 Jaguar F-TYPE and the new XF, unveiled last month, have ushered in a new era for Jaguar, breathing […]

Aston Martin’s ongoing expansion in the important Asia Pacific region continues to gather pace with the opening, today, of the luxury British sports car brand’s first official dealership in the South Korean capital, Seoul. Operated by Kiheung International Limited Company and known as Aston Martin Kiheung International (AMKH) the impressive new dealership comprises a superb 500-square metre showroom allied to a state-of-the-art 1,500-square metre aftersales facility at 235 Banpo Street, Seocho-gu, in Seoul. It will offer the full range of Aston Martin sports cars, from the track-inspired Vantage through the timeless DB9 and elegant four-door Rapide S to the ultimate in sporting luxury: the Vanquish. Officially opened today by Kiheung International CEO Mr Lee Kei Wung along with Aston Martin Global Sales Director, Christian Marti, the new showroom represents Aston Martin’s ongoing commitment to its customers in the region. Speaking […]

Since the unveiling of the pioneering and ground-breaking Lotus Elise in 1995, Lotus has reached another production landmark. No less than 40,000 examples have been produced of its technologically advanced “small car platform”, epitomised by the brilliant Lotus Elise, which has maintained exceptional standards in light weight and efficiency, while producing a benchmark in handling, to result in a pure driving experience. The “small car platform” and its sheer production flexibility is defined by the various models based on it, which have included the Lotus Elise, Exige, Europa, 2-Eleven, 340R and racing variants. In being the first carmaker to use extruded and bonded aluminium, Lotus revolutionised the industry and it has become a method that is being widely adopted amongst the rest of the motor industry. In the meantime, Lotus continues to refine and develop its own lightweight structure currently […]

British luxury and sports car manufacturer, Jaguar has been announced as The Official Car of The Championships, Wimbledon. Jaguar Land Rover will supply 170 luxury and high-performance vehicles to support tournament operations. The new Jaguar XE and XF, and XJ models will be seen in London at this year’s Championships. Laura Schwab, UK Marketing Director at Jaguar Land Rover, said:“Wimbledon is a British icon, which is recognised globally as the pinnacle of international sport. There’s no other event like it.  “The tournament captures our imagination in different ways. For some it’s the feeling of summer, but for others it’s British sport at its best. We’re very excited to be working with the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club to establish our new partnership and celebrate what makes Wimbledon so special.”  Former British No.1, Tim Henman, who now sits on […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]