Corporate Business

Today, Lotus is pleased to announce a 55% rise in its global sports car sales at the conclusion of the 2014/15 financial year. For the full year, the company has increased its sales volume to an excellent 2015 units, contrasted with 1,296 units in the year 2013/14. This is the best result achieved by Lotus since FY 2008/09. Key global markets showing the renaissance experienced by Lotus are in China (+186%), France (+177%) and Germany (+130%), while Japan (+103%) remains the company’s largest export market. Sales in the UK have more than doubled to 346 units (+102%). The USA market, which sells the Evora range as a road car and the Elise and Exige ranges for track use only, has increased by 24%. Leading the excellent performance is the Elise range, with a 80% increase in volume to 729 cars. […]

MG has announced it will open a prestigious multi-million pound flagship dealership in the heart of London’s Piccadilly. The exclusive showroom, next to The Royal Academy of Arts and directly opposite Fortnum & Mason, is one of the most sought-after retail locations in the world. MG’s showroom will become a centre of excellence for the iconic 91-year-old brand which is Britain’s fastest growing marque. This is the latest and most significant move in a major expansion of new MG dealerships across the country. In the past 12 months MG has opened 26 new dealerships in Britain, and has declared its intention to continue growing by targeting a further 30 open points. London was a key goal in MG’s ambitious plans to substantially build its dealer network. It was considered vital for MG to have a flagship presence in the UK’s […]

This Is Money states that iconic British car maker MG Motor UK will this week announce astonishing results, confirming its recovery from near collapse and providing yet another sign of Britain’s resurgent motor industry. The group, now Chinese owned, will proudly reveal that sales surged to a record high in the first quarter of 2015. At the same time the company is set to launch its new MG6 model and it is preparing to open a £30 million flagship showroom in Piccadilly in the heart of the capital. The news is a far cry from events ten years ago when manufacturer MG Rover was forced to call in the receivers after it catastrophically ran out of money as hopes of a £100 million bridging loan from the Government evaporated. MG Rover’s 26,000 workers found themselves instantly unemployed and the ramifications […]

McLaren unveiled the 570S coupe before its public debut party at the New York auto show this week. The newest British supercar will be part of the two-car McLaren Sports Series, which falls below the Super Series that includes the 650S and 675SLT. The all-new McLaren Sports Series brings McLaren race-derived technologies and supercar driving exhilaration to the sports car market for the first time. Launching with two power outputs, the Sports Series offers class-leading performance, lightweight construction including a carbon fibre chassis, recognisable McLaren design values and a comprehensive specification list. Pricing for the higher-powered 570S, shown for the first time at the New York International Auto Show, will retail from £143,250. McLaren also confirmed that the pricing for the 540C Coupe will start at £126,000. This model will be unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show when further details […]

The all-new Jaguar XF will make its global motor show debut today in New York. Formed around Jaguar’s aluminium-intensive architecture, the all-new XF will bring an unrivalled blend of design, luxury, technology, dynamic capability and efficiency to the business car segment. Ian Callum,Director of Design, Jaguar, said: “I believe the all-new XF is the best looking car in its class. Elegant, handsome and with proportions that imbue a great sense of integrity – the all-new XF is true to the great tradition of sporting Jaguar saloons while being completely of its time.”  The all-new XF’s dynamic, coupé-like design combines the outstanding proportions, elegant surfaces and perfect lines which define all Jaguar cars, with a longer wheelbase, more interior space and exceptionally low aerodynamic drag. The all-new XF range will consist of: XF Pure/ SE, XF Prestige, XF R-Sport, XF Portfolio, […]

Autocar Professional is reporting that Britain’s car manufacturing industry has received yet another financial boost with three major manufacturers announcing UK investments worth more than £1 billion  in the past six days. Honda, Jaguar Land Rover and the London Taxi Company have each made announcements of funding to build new vehicle models, amounting to a total of £1.05 billion.   The latest announcements come on the back of a total of £7 billion committed in 2013 and 2014. The UK is seeing a renaissance in car production. In 2014, more than 1.5 million cars were produced – an increase of 50% since 2009, and the sector’s best performance since 2007. The latest announcements include: Jaguar Land Rover announces £600million new investment into its West Midlands operations, covering Castle Bromwich and Whitley sites.Coventry-based London Taxi Company reveals a £250 million investment […]

The 2015 Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy squad has been unveiled at the manufacturer’s state-of-the-art headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire UK and includes stars of the future who will race in four of the world’s top national and international GT championships. The ten ‘up-and-coming’ drivers, selected by a panel of judges at Aston Martin Racing, have been named as: Matt Bell (GB); Jamie Chadwick (GB); Jade Edwards (GB); Jody Fannin (GB); Jake Giddings (GB); Ross Gunn (GB); Daniel Lloyd (GB); Devon Modell (GB); Dennis Strandberg (SE); and Jonathan Venter (AU). “We are extremely pleased with the line-up of the inaugural Evolution Academy,” commented Aston Martin Racing’s Team Principal John Gaw. “There’s no doubting we have ten very talented participants but the question is, who will prove to us that they have what it takes to be an Aston Martin Racing works […]

Aston Martin has announced it will widen its product offering for markets outside of Europe. Based on a conditional offer of an exceptional regional growth fund from the UK Government, Aston Martin will commence work this year on new models intended to broaden its customer reach in export markets such as China and the Middle East. The UK Government has committed support up to the value of £6.9 million, conditional on investments in new products from Aston Martin. Commenting on this news, Aston Martin CEO, Dr Andy Palmer said: “Expanding our product range to enable a greater reach into export markets is an essential part of our Second Century business plan. Having this support from the Government to help execute the plan is a meaningful vote of confidence in the future of the company.” Press release courtesy Aston Martin, 29 March 2015, […]

According to This Day Livee, Coscharis Motors, the authorised dealer of Morris Garages (MG) in Nigeria, has said it is well positioned to make MG the preferred car for the younger generation and to take the dream further by making MG one of the most popular brand in the country. A statement by Coscharis officials said, “MG is now 90 years since 1924, and no matter how the times change or how technologies move forward, MG 550, has remained the dream car of every younger generation. And yes, it takes you to the new age when the desktop of driving operation can be customised, when the perfect fusion of digital technology and fashion interface.” According to the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Services, Mr. Babarinde Abiona, “Coscharis Motors, offers to customers unmistakably British standard vehicle (MG) with a unique combination of […]

This just in from the folks at Lotus cars: All car companies, including unconventional specialists like Lotus, always make the most ingenious use of their resources, notably around the time of new car launches. One such new car, the exciting Lotus Evora 400 supercar was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show recently. With a maximum speed of 186 mph (300 km/h) and acceleration 0-60 mph of just 4.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds), the new Evora 400 is the fastest car in the Lotus range. With benchmark handling capabilities and a pure driving experience, it is lightweight and efficient and the envy of the supercar scene. So a thought-provoking launch campaign needed to be developed to direct new customers to this thrilling new offering. The solution lies in an ingenious on-line game, accessed through both the Lotus website and […]

The Vulcan, Aston Martin’s “most intense and exhilarating creation to date” will make its first appearance in North America at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) next month. The Aston Martin Vulcan – a track only supercar producing some 800-plus bhp – joins the British luxury sports car maker’s presence at NYIAS fresh from a global reveal at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier in March. Fronting a new seven-car display led by CEO Dr Andy Palmer, the Aston Martin Vulcan will be joined by examples from the current Aston Martin product range in North America including the new Vanquish Carbon, Rapide S, DB9, V12 Vantage S and the V8 Vantage GT Roadster. CEO, Dr Andy Palmer commented: “We are enormously encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reaction we have received from customers and sports car fans around the world […]

The all-new Jaguar XF: lighter and more efficient, with unrivalled refinement, dynamics and design: The all-new XF’s aluminium-intensive architecture enables class-leading weight: 80kgs lighter than the competition* The lowest CO2 emissions of any non-hybrid model in the segment: 104g/km Class-leading efficiency: over 70mpg* Elegant, progressive design combines short overhangs and outstanding proportions with exceptional aerodynamic efficiency: Cd 0.26 Segment-leading rear seat space All-new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system – InControl Touch Pro Bespoke 825W Meridian digital surround sound system with 17 speakers Reconfigurable 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster Powertrains from 163PS Ingenium diesel to 380PS V6 supercharged petrol Double-wishbone and Integral Link suspension deliver exceptional ride comfort, handling and unrivalled refinement Torque on-demand all-wheel drive system (AWD) with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics delivers the optimum balance of performance and all-weather capability Full technical and range specifications released 01 April *Ingenium four-cylinder diesel 163PS […]

(MAHWAH, N.J.) – Jaguar North America announced that the ‘British Villains‘ marketing campaign, starring the 2015 F-TYPE Coupe, a two-seat sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement, has been honored with Regional AME Platinum and Gold AME Awards for the ‘World’s Best Advertising & Marketing Effectiveness’ in the automotive category. The 2015 international AME Grand Jury, comprised of interactive and multidisciplinary marketers, planners, and creatives, awarded a total of 25 Gold AME Awards, 25 Silver, 26 Bronze, and 20 Finalist Certificates to entries submitted from 18 countries on five continents. Award-winning campaigns successfully demonstrated groundbreaking solutions to challenging marketing problems. The “British Villains” campaign was launched in January 2014 and captured the premise that Brits have long made the best villains in landmark films, combining intelligence with charm, restlessness with calm, and are always confident. The brand and […]

20 March 2015, Gaydon: This weekend (Saturday & Sunday, March 21 & 22) Aston Martin will display some of James Bond’s most famous cars in London’s Covent Garden.  Bond in Motion is the largest collection of original Bond vehicles in the world, currently celebrating its first anniversary at the London Film Museum. Among the line-up on show for one weekend only will be an original Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, as well as the iconic Aston Martin DBS sports cars used in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. There will also be a selection of current Aston Martin models on display, as well as a line-up of classic Aston Martins courtesy of members of the Aston Martin Owners Club. Due to popular demand, Bond in Motion will now remain open at the London Film Museum until further notice. […]

MG is using Benedict Cumberbatch in a series of very ‘Sherlockian’ ads for their launch of the MG3 in Thailand. All those sightings of Benedict in London filming a few days ago can now be officially confirmed that he was indeed filming an advert for the 2015 MG GS crossover car. You can view some of the videos here with even the music echoing to the famous detective. More of these videos and Benedict in Thailand – http://events.youku.com/2015/mggs/

The all-new 2016 Jaguar XF model will make an extraordinary journey across London on March 24, one week ahead of its public motor show debut in New York. Jaguar has teamed up with expert British stuntman Jim Dowdall, veteran of dramatic action stunts in movies including Bond, Bourne and Indiana Jones, to perform a world’s first high-wire water crossing in the all-new Jaguar XF. The dramatic drive, across two 1.3in (34mm)-diameter wires suspended high above water will highlight the lightweight and agile credentials of the new Jaguar XF and will be streamed globally on jaguarusa.com/NewXF at 3:00PM EST (19:00 GMT) on 24 March 2015. XF was first launched in the UK in 2007 and in North America in 2008 , and is Jaguar’s biggest selling and most awarded car. The next generation XF is completely new from the ground up and will […]

13 March 2015, Jakarta: Aston Martin is continuing its confident global expansion with the opening of the luxury British sports car brand’s first dealership in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Created in partnership with PT Pesona Intan Abadi, the impressive new two storey showroom is conveniently situated in the prime location of Jalan H.O.S Cokroaminoto 70, Menteng, Central Jakarta. Set to open to customers in April 2015, the new showroom capitalises, too, on a healthy rise in interest in the High Luxury Sports (HLS) sector in Asia. Welcoming the announcement of the new dealership in Jakarta, Aston Martin Global Sales Director Christian Marti said: “I’m very happy that we are able to develop this stunning new facility in Indonesia. “Offering the highest levels of sales and aftersales service to our owners around the world is fundamental for our business, and I’m […]

Is it possible to be more British than British? Well, according to the forthcoming report of the Automotive Council, yes. British cars, meaning those made within the confines of the British geographical region, are being made with more British-sourced parts as the upswing in UK car production continues. The report shows that homeland component makers sold 19% more products to UK vehicle producers last year than in 2013. Yes, that means the cars are 19% more British. Currently, approximately one-third of the components in a UK-built car are domestically sourced. This is far down from the heyday of the mid-1970s when that number was more than 90%. However, vehicle manufacturing in the UK is undergoing rapid growth – British car production has increased by more than 50% since 2009, and this is creating new opportunities for domestic suppliers. The Automotive […]