Highlights

Our video this week comes from the folks at “The Fast Lane Car” and features a look at the exception Aston Martin DB2/4 DHC. Over the decades. Aston Martin has built some of the most beautiful and sexy cars ever made. And many would argue that the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drop Head Coupe is no exception to the rule. This model was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. It is also one of only a few small number of Aston Martin DB2/4 Drop Head Coupe convertibles ever built – supposedly just 15. It features a dual overhead cam straight-6 designed by W. O. Bentley and it features four seats and a convertible top. Just those facts alone make it a classic. Just for references sake, Hagerty’s value guide currently suggests that a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk I, not the […]

The Performance Car Show presented by Landsail Tyres in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com will host the public debut of the Zenos E10 R, a road-legal British track day car delivering 500bhp/tonne. This astonishing road-legal trackday car will be on display at The Performance Car Show between 14-17 January for the very first time, allowing showgoers to be amongst the first in the world to see the E10 R in the metal. Following the introduction of the E10 and E10 S, the E10 R represents the brand’s quickest, most exhilarating and most focused car to date. Powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, related to that found in the Ford Mustang and Focus RS, the E10 R produces 350bhp and 475Nm of torque and is set to be one of the stars of the Performance Car Show.

Twas the night before the car show, but I was out in the shed. My car wasn’t budging – the danged thing was dead. The battery and petrol had been checked twice with care, The tires kicked too, to make sure they held air. The plugs were all snugged up, tight on their leads, While shop towels betrayed how much knuckles can bleed. Once more I inspected the rotor and cap, But that car was intent on a long freakin’ nap. When out in the street there arose such a clatter, I sat up far too fast to see what was the matter. Into the sump my head slammed with a bash, Crunched back to the floor – I grew faint with the crash. The lump on my forehead and ringing in ears, Gave an aura of migraine, while nausea […]

MINI USA today announced the official route for the 2016 running of MINI TAKES THE STATES. The legendary biennial cross-country owners rally will kick off at Road Atlanta in northeast Georgia on July 9, 2016 and finish at the Thermal Club in Palm Springs, CA, on July 23, 2016. In true MINI TAKES THE STATES fashion, the route will not take a direct path from point A to point B. The more than 4,000-mile “track-to-track” adventure will travel up the east coast, across the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains before arriving in Southern California.  The legendary adventure, which attracts thousands of MINI owners and enthusiasts every other year, will pay tribute to the brand’s motorsports heritage by stopping at several professional race tracks to host driving experiences along the way.

We just received an email from Les Edgar of TVR with updates on all manner of things. Some of the most interesting details of the upcoming production come when talking of the body and chassis.

OK, I will have to admit to having a bit of a ‘man crush‘ on Ian Callum. How could any follower of British cars and fan of Jaguar not? Here is a man who set out early on to pursue his passion, has worked for Aston Martin and Jaguar helping to create some of the most iconic modern designs, is well spoken, and is genuinely a nice guy. I had the good fortune of meeting Ian in 2014 at the Hilton Head Motoring Festival when Jaguar was launching their new F-Type. His insights into not only the work he does for Jaguar but into the automotive design field as a whole were eye-opening. His recollections of his youth and dedication to becoming a design engineer were just as enlightening. In this ten-minute video, you can watch as Jaguar Director of Design […]

A pristine slice of Group B rallying history is going up for sale at the Coys auction at Autosport International, in the form of a show-condition MG Metro 6R4. The Metro 6R4 is headlining a star-cast of over 60 rare and collectable road and race cars going under the hammer live at Autosport International. This particular example is one of the lowest mileage examples of its kind, having covered just 3,100 miles since it was built in 1985. Its pristine condition is down to the fact that, unusually, it has never been raced or rallied, as it was the original Rothmans show car. Instead, it was mainly used as a display car at shows, although it was used for the occasional demonstration. As a result, it is a perfect, almost box fresh example of the 6R4.

British GT GT4 Drivers’ Champion Ross Gunn (18) has won the inaugural Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy, receiving a factory-backed contract with Aston Martin Racing for the 2016 season.   Competing against a strong field of young hopefuls, aged between 16 and 25 years old, the High Wycombe-born GT4 rookie excelled in the academy’s seminars held throughout 2015. Focusing on key areas such as fitness, simulator sessions, engineering, marketing and PR, a final group of six were selected for the Bahraini showdown. After shadowing the Aston Martin Racing team throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship’s season finale, each of the six finalists enjoyed two track sessions as part of the official WEC rookie test, driving the 2015 V8 Vantage GTE.

At least two Bentley Continental GT3s will enter the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge as Bentley Team Absolute announces a programme including entries from young American rising star Andrew Palmer and one of Asia’s top sportscar drivers, Adderly Fong. The Pirelli World Challenge is a 20-round GT championship comprising 50-minute-long, single-driver races on eleven of America’s most historic and iconic racetracks, including Laguna Seca and Road America.  The Continental GT3 has taken race wins in the championship this year and Bentley Team Absolute is looking to continue the race car’s success in the States.

As another year draws to a close, MG Motor UK takes a moment to reflect on what 2015 has brought and what 2016 is yet to bring. This year has seen another significant step in the growth of MG, with the launch of the new MG6, a rise in MG3 sales and new additions to the dealer network. At the beginning of the year, the manufacturer celebrated a record first quarter when sales boomed and made it the best since the new MG company was formed. This saw the 2014 achievement of ‘fastest growing automotive brand in Britain’ carry over into 2015. Throughout the year, sales have continued to grow and MG reached 3,000 registrations this month.

It’s the Brits, and they are making their way to the Middle East shores with MG’s first SUV, the MG GS. Without a doubt, the MG range had definitely had a strong impact during the Dubai International Motor Show this year, and the much-loved British brand’s current lineup had won many awards too. Enter MG GS, the very first MG SUV that reflects the brand’s innovative designs and more importantly, the aesthetics of the car was pretty much influenced by various cultural elements and landmarks of British-style and heritage. Also, it comes as no surprise as the GS is the only British compact SUV in the middle-class market segment.

As the ultimate incarnation of the world famous Exige, Lotus has revealed the Exige Sport 350, the latest version of the class-leading and award-winning sports car, that’s lighter and faster than ever before. A video demonstrating some of the areas where weight savings have been made, together with a glimpse of the stunning performance of this Sport 350 variant can be found on the Group Lotus YouTube and is included below. The 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine generates 345 hp and 295lbft of torque at 4500rpm, offering scintillating, progressive power to the road, while revised suspension tuning and wheel geometry contribute to un-matched vehicle dynamics and steering precision. Coupled with the car’s lower mass, this power and torque enables the Lotus Exige Sport 350 to accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds) before reaching a top […]

A one-of-a-kind Land Rover Defender sold for a record £400,000 at a prestigious charity auction at Bonhams tonight, from which all proceeds are being donated to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners. This is the thought to be the most valuable production Land Rover ever to be sold at auction. The unique vehicle, the two-millionth of the iconic Series Land Rover and Defender models manufactured at Land Rover’s Solihull plant since 1948, was sold to a bidder from Qatar. The vehicle was built in May 2015 by an all-star cast of brand ambassadors and people from Land Rover’s history including Bear Grylls, Virginia McKenna OBE and Stephen and Nick Wilks, sons of the founders of Land Rover. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red […]

Of the 35 candidates for the 2016 European Car of the Year award, the Jaguar XE is one of just seven to be short listed. The 58 jurors representing 22 European countries will announce the winner on 29February 2016. Key criteria for European Car of the Year are technical innovation and value for money. Developed using Jaguar’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the XE is the most fuel-efficient Jaguar and offers the lowest total cost of ownership of any Jaguar, boasting class-leading residual values and CO2 emissions from just 99g/km. Together with benchmark vehicle dynamics, perfect proportions and dramatic Jaguar design, these qualities have already contributed to 23 global awards. The inherent strength and stiffness of the body structure, together with cutting-edge driver assistance systems including stereo camera-based Autonomous Emergency Braking, helped the XE to achieve the maximum five star safety rating […]

The Bentley Continental GT is one of the most iconic cars on the road today. The Continental name first entered the company’s lexicon in 1952 with the R-Type Continental – arguably the world’s first Grand Tourer. With a top speed of 120 mph it was the fastest four-seater in the world at the time of its launch. Many of the 208 examples produced were coachbuilt by Mulliner – a name that is still closely associated with Bentley to this day. With just three strokes of the designer’s pen, the shape of the Continental comes to life – the striking power line, muscular rear haunches and swooping, fast roof line. These three elegant styling cues have remained a fundamental part of the Continental’s DNA over six decades. Today’s Continental elegantly fulfils the same grand-touring brief as its forebear. With immense W12 […]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced that the company is seeking a record number of candidates for its 2016 Apprenticeship Programme. Seventeen places are available, the highest number of annual apprenticeships since the programme launched in 2006.The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Apprenticeship Programme provides people aged 16-24 with the opportunity to train with the Goodwood-based manufacturer of the world’s best-selling super-luxury cars. The apprenticeships last for up to four years and combine on-the-job training with The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Apprenticeship Programme provides people aged 16-24 with the opportunity to train with the Goodwood-based manufacturer of the world’s best-selling super-luxury cars. The apprenticeships last for up to four years and combine on-the-job training with classroom based studying for nationally recognised qualifications. The programme has been designed in conjunction with several local colleges.The selection process is designed to guarantee recruitment of the very best […]

So our video this week is thanks to the MG Owners’ Club. They ran a contest recently asking folks to create a video answering the question, “Why do I love my MG?”  The winning entry is our VotW this go round. It is by Alex McLeod and features his beautiful yellow MGBGT. Congratulations to Alex McLeod who will receive a £50 MGOC Regalia Voucher. The videos in this contest were really superb, and you can see a few more of them on the MG Owners’ Club Website. The MG Owners Club is the World’s largest single marque car club. Formed in 1973 and supplying all MG requirements, the Club provides a full range of benefits for the dedicated MG enthusiast or the less enthusiastic owner who simply enjoys running an MG for everyday transport or just for fun. Catering for all […]

MG Motor UK is thrilled to have reached 3,000 registrations for 2015 before the year-end. Today, the British manufacturer has exceeded last year’s figures by almost 1,000, and this year’s figure has already surpassed 2013 and 2014 registrations combined. The increase in sales has been as a result of great deals, a continual expansion of the dealer network, and an ever-growing awareness of the brand. Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We are delighted to have reached 3,000 registrations for this year. It is such a rewarding moment to exceed previous years, and we strongly believe that next year will be no exception; particularly with the 2016 MG3 and arrival of our new and exciting SUV. “I would like to thank our dealer network for their continued efforts; it’s fantastic to be working with people who […]