Highlights

The Land Rover Discovery HSE Td6 has taken on a 121-ton road train and the Australian Outback…and won. During the ultimate towing test, the Land Rover Discovery towed a seven-trailer semi-truck from a stopped position for a total of nearly 10-miles. Land Rover completed the impressive display of towing capability by pulling a 328-ft road train in the remote Northern Territory of Australia to announce the arrival of the 2018 model year Discovery Discovery HSE Td6.

An extreme McLaren GT racing car is today confirmed as an exclusive choice for gamers in the hugely anticipated PlayStation 4 title, Gran Turismo Sport, which will be available starting October 17, 2017. The McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo was designed in response to a call from game creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, for vehicle manufacturers to design ‘visionary GT cars’ to compete in Gran Turismo Sport. While not a prototype for any future McLaren model, the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo showcases the kind of car that McLaren could produce beyond 2030. Players will be able to choose from three liveries: Performance, Ulterior and Noir.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) North America this week celebrated the U.S. Armed Forces Team at a send-off event in Long Island, N.Y. ahead of their departure to Toronto for the 2017 Invictus Games, the international sporting event for wounded, ill and injured service members. JLR is the Presenting Partner of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 and sponsor of the U.S Armed Forces Team, continuing their support of the inaugural Games in London in 2014 and the Orlando Games in 2016.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has partnered with Fondation Beyeler (the Beyeler Foundation) to present an artistic concept by internationally renowned Swiss artist, Pipilotti Rist, for the institution’s famed Summer Night’s Gala 2017, held on 16 September. Normally the reserve of Fondation Beyeler’s esteemed guests, Rolls-Royce’s patronage ensured that the installation was seen and experienced by the public on Sunday 17 September. Visitors to Fondation Beyeler were treated to a sensorial feast within Rist’s highly complex work. Curated by Fondation Beyeler’s Director Sam Keller, the installation was created for the museum’s Summer Night’s Gala. The artistic concept which was supported by the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, is part of an initiative that sees the marque serve as a benefactor in creating new works in partnership with prominent art institutions.

A limited number of bespoke McLaren 570GT models will this month become available to a fortunate few McLaren buyers in the UK and Europe. Commissioned from McLaren Special Operations as an MSO Collection, the six cars are finished in McLaren historic ‘XP Green’ exterior paint – the same color as the famous F1 XP GT ‘Longtail’ homologation model built in 1997. The Saddle Tan leather interior additionally features green leather inserts in the seats and green contrast stitching, as well as a dedication plaque mounted on the center tunnel beneath the infotainment screen identifying each car as one of six in the Collection.   The exterior of the car is adorned with Saddle Tan aero pin-striping edging the front aero blades, side skirts, and rear diffuser, while each door carries a stripe of the same color that runs rearwards from […]

Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled the Jaguar I-PACE race car that will compete in a pioneering single-make series supporting the FIA Formula E world championship. The electric racer is based on the Jaguar I-PACE – the world’s first premium, performance, all-electric SUV that launches next year and is already a hit with customers around the globe placing their deposits. The new Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY series will join the Formula E circuit in 2018.

Land Rover has announced the launch of the new Land Rover Experience Center Heritage Program, a celebration of the history and legacy of the iconic Defender. The program will allow consumers to drive the Defender off-road at Land Rover Experience Centers across the U.S. As one of the world’s most recognizable four-wheel drive vehicles and a brand icon since its introduction, the enduring capability of the Defender lives on through the Defender Driving Experience. From September 2017, Land Rover enthusiasts will be able to experience the vehicle’s off-road abilities first-hand at Experience Centers in California, Vermont, and North Carolina.

Land Rover has a new place at the heart of the world’s creative capital – a dramatic sculpture hat the London Design Festival. The installation at the Design Museum in Kensington offers an extraordinary insight into the Land Rover design philosophy of Reductionism that inspired the new Range Rover Velar. The sculptured vehicle is Land Rover design in its purest form; beautifully balanced volumes and proportions with stunning silhouettes that point towards future models.

Renault Sport Racing and McLaren Racing are pleased to announce they have agreed on an engine supply partnership for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. The deal will see Renault Sport Racing supply McLaren with Formula 1 power units, while also establishing a close working relationship with McLaren’s engineers and technicians. Despite a combined Formula 1 presence that stretches back to 1977 (McLaren Racing has contested 814 GPs; Renault 591 in its role as an engine manufacturer), this will mark the first time that the two brands have ever collaborated.

On Friday 1st September, the Royal Automobile Club awarded its Club Trophy at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, to the glorious 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, also known as Nellie. The owner, Katie Forrest, was awarded the Club Trophy by Royal Automobile Club President, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, beating off strong competition from the best of the best of the UK car clubs who were invited to send entries. Katie said: I’m absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this honour. Nellie has been in our family for more than 25 years and I have so many wonderful memories to share. I named her Nellie because, when she first arrived with us, she was painted in a grey colour and, being large, reminded me of Nellie the Elephant! As part of the spoils, Nellie will be making an […]

The FIA World Endurance Championship is ready for action in the Wild West; as the 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas is set to take place this weekend in Austin, Texas. After winning last time out in Mexico with the #95 V8 Vantage GTE, Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen will be hoping to continue that run of form this week and repeat last year’s victory in Austin; a result that catapulted their 2016 championship bid.

Caterham was in high spirits at the Goodwood Revival last week, as all 60 of its new, retro racer Seven SuperSprint sold out within an incredible seven hours. The SuperSprint, the second retro Seven unveiled in the last 12 months to mark the Seven’s 60th anniversary year, can now lay claim to be the fastest-selling model in Caterham’s history.

As part of Jaguar Land Rover North America’s continued commitment to supporting Veterans and Transitioning Service Members, the company today announced the expansion of its Veterans hiring program with CALIBRE Systems, Inc. across its retailer network in Canada. The first Canadian Armed Forces Veteran was hired through Jaguar Land Rover Edmonton in Alberta, Canada this month. The program, which connects skilled and experienced service members and veterans with employment opportunities at Jaguar Land Rover retailers in partnership with CALIBRE Systems, Inc., was launched in the U.S. in 2016 and has resulted in the hiring of nearly 200 Veterans to date. This program follows the recruitment of over 700 Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, and currently serving members of the National Guard and Reserve in the UK since 2013. Those interested may apply online at www.jlrvets.com.

GKN has agreed to a multi-year partnership with Panasonic Jaguar Racing, which will see the global engineering group provide design, manufacturing and consultancy services to the Formula E team. The official partnership was announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show, in advance of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E championship that commences in Hong Kong on 2 December, and continues GKN’s longstanding relationship with Jaguar.

You can never have too much of a good thing, and Aston Martins are certainly a good thing. Our friends at Take to the Road recently produced an excellent video review of a 1959 Aston Martin DB4, and we are featuring that review here as our Video of the Week. Make sure to check out their site for additional pictures and other great articles. We are going to quote from the Take to the Road review: Off all the British automotive brands that have come and gone, there is one that is guaranteed to stir the emotions. And that is Aston Martin. It is a name that evokes style, luxury and speed. And of course a certain fictional spy. The Aston Martin DB4 was never a Bond car but its design laid the foundations for the legendary DB5. It is […]

After becoming the first premium manufacturer to enter Formula E in 2016, Jaguar has created eTROPHY, the world’s first production battery electric vehicle race series. The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY will be the support series for the FIA Formula E championship, taking place on the same weekends at the same city circuits, starting in late 2018.

Land Rover announces new additions to its Discovery range at Frankfurt IAA with the unveiling of Discovery SVX, the pinnacle of the Discovery family, and a new 2.0-litre petrol engine option to its S, SE, HSE and HSE Luxury models. Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK said: The new Discovery SVX embodies the ultimate in adventure and capability of the Discovery family. Customers love the Discovery’s versatility and capability and we are delighted to offer UK customers even more choice with the addition of the Si4 300hp engine.

Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Ltd, the producer of luxury handcrafted sports cars, today welcomed a decision by Moody’s Investors Service to upgrade its credit rating for the company. The upgrade follows the earlier change in outlook from Stable to Positive, as well as the publication of Aston Martin’s sharply improved first-half financial results.