Highlights

In our video of the week, Christopher Glancy’s tastefully refreshed Jaguar XJ6 Coupe makes Jay Leno envious with its lack of B pillar, comfortable seats, and British racing green styling. The XJC’s, otherwise known as the XJ Coupes, are a rare two-door version of the standard four-door saloons. When Sir William Lyons began styling exercises for the new XJ models in the mid-1960’s, it was clear that he had the notion of a two-door coupe in mind for eventual production. They were first shown in 1973 at the International Motor Show when it was announced that both 4.2 liter six cylinder and 5.3 liter twelve-cylinder versions would be available for the 1974 model year. However, production was delayed until the 1975 model year due to a combination of labor disputes at the Brown’s Lane factory and engineering troubles with the coupe […]

Legendary Jaguar sports car racers Andy Wallace and Davy Jones joined the Special Vehicle Operations development team at Goodwood Motor Circuit last month, declaring the new Jaguar XE SV Project 8 “absolutely staggering” and “a winner” after testing it on the fast and demanding UK track. British driver Andy Wallace won the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race in 1988 driving the Jaguar XJR-9 and was part of Jaguar’s victorious 1988 and 1991 World Sports Car Championship teams. The Goodwood test was the first time he’d driven the all-wheel-drive track-focused Project 8, which features a 600PS supercharged 5.0-litre V8 powertrain.

Aston Martin is to introduce a new generation of competitive Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and GT4 race cars to customer teams in 2019 that will be based on the critically-acclaimed next generation Vantage road car and the GTE version, set to make its debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. The two new cars, designed and built at Aston Martin Racing’s headquarters in Banbury, will replace the ultra-successful Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4, currently raced by customer teams around the world. The outgoing examples represent AMR’s most successful racing cars, and they continue to set the standards by winning races and leading championships in GT series around the world 12 years after the first customer car was purchased.

The new Aston Martin Vantage GTE will make its long-awaited racing debut in the 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Super Season at the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this weekend (3-5 May). The Aston Martin Vantage GTE is based on the critically-acclaimed Aston Martin Vantage road car, the most performance-oriented sports car to come from Aston Martin’s ‘Second Century Plan’. Powered by a 4.0-litre, V8 turbo-charged AMG engine developed and optimized by AMR, the Vantage GTE is the first all-new GT car Aston Martin has introduced to the FIA WEC GTE category in seven years.

Aston Martin and Triton Submarines are pleased to announce the successful completion of the design phase for Project Neptune, and the commencement of the first production model ahead of its public unveiling later this year. Since the announcement of the creative collaboration in September 2017, Aston Martin and Triton have worked meticulously to refine the detailed design of the submersible’s hydrodynamics, body styling, and luxurious interior packaging. For a vehicle to wear the iconic Aston Martin wings, it must be equipped with all the performance, beauty and elegance one has come to expect from the British marque. To earn a signature trident, the submersible must be safe, reliable and offer its passengers near 360º visibility. The final design of the submersible is a testament to the extraordinary attention to detail of both design teams and reflects the complementary values of […]

The extraordinary hand-craftsmanship applied to the new Rolls-Royce Cullinan will be the subject of an exhibition of images captured by the distinguished portrait photographer, Cat Garcia, in collaboration with Leica Camera. Showcased during London Craft Week, the images will take viewers inside the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, revealing the meticulous artistry lavished on the most anticipated car in the world: the new Cullinan SUV. The images, captured exclusively on the camera brand’s flagship Leica SL, will show the men and women who can proudly claim that their hands built this remarkable high-bodied car.

TopSpeed has an interesting take on the upcoming Lotus SUV.  To quote, Lotus’ planned SUV is taking shape ahead of its scheduled debut in 2022. But, before things are said and done, the British automaker is reportedly keen on positioning its SUV as a luxury model, pushing it into the segment occupied by other premium SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, Jaguar F-Pace, and Maserati Levante. More importantly, it might not be the only SUV to wear the Lotus badge. Not much more to say at the moment, at least not until the car becomes a reality, but stay tuned and we will bring you more details as they become available. One just has to wonder how many more SUVs the world needs – especially overpriced, luxury SUVs produced by sports car companies. Note: This article originally in part or total […]

Yesterday, five customers from across the globe drove their own DB4 G.T. Continuation cars at the home of British Motorsport, Silverstone Circuit. In 2016, it was announced that the iconic model would be celebrated with a special series of 25 track-only Continuation cars built to lightweight specification by Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell. Fittingly for a car created to celebrate one of Aston Martin’s most illustrious competition models, the DB4 G.T. Continuation was built to be enjoyed on track. Aston Martin Works have begun the two-year international track driving programme held at many the world’s finest race tracks, the first being Silverstone Circuit.

MINI UK is celebrating a key milestone with the 25th anniversary of the MINI Convertible, first on sale in 1993. The iconic vehicle is similarly celebrating another ground-breaking landmark as the bestselling convertible model in the UK. 1993 Mini Cabriolet The Rover Mini Cabriolet was introduced in June 1993, following a previously successful UK trial of the Mini Lamm Cabriolet in 1991. During the trial, German-based Lamm Autohaus removed the roof of the vehicle prior to sale in the UK and it was an instant hit with all 75 vehicles selling immediately – making it one of the rarest Minis ever produced. At launch, Mini Cabriolet cost almost double that of the 1993 Classic Mini and was available in two colors, Caribbean Blue with a Grey hood and Nightfire Red with matching hood, and featured new 12-inch diameter Revolution wheels […]

McLaren North America is celebrating a significant milestone in the automotive sportscar and supercar brand’s short yet illustrious history, with the delivery of its 5,000th car in the North American market. The 5000th car, a Silica White 570S Spider, was delivered this week to California-based customer Dr. Gary Leach. McLaren Automotive retailed its first vehicle in North America in December 2011 and in less than seven years already represents more than a third of McLaren’s global sales tally. Debuting in the U.S. in 2011 with the McLaren MP4 12-C and followed soon after by the 650, 675LT and the iconic McLaren P1TM supercars, McLaren saw steady growth that doubled in 2016 following the introduction of the 570 Sports Series line up. 2017 was another very successful year for the brand, and the region, with the addition of the 570S Spider and the Super […]

A new engineer joined Great Britain’s sacred immortals at ceremonies here today. Emerging from the shadows, Reid Antony Railton stepped into the limelight of a spectacular career in the service of speed. His life and achievements are being celebrated by author Karl Ludvigsen in a new book titled Reid Railton — Man of Speed. ‘After World War 2’, said author and Railton expert Karl Ludvigsen,’ Britain often held the Triple Crown of Speed on land, sea and air. Railton’s vehicles were responsible for the absolute speed records on land and water.’ Speed kings Sir Malcolm Campbell, John Cobb and Goldie Gardner rode to fame in Railton-engineered craft. Car designs from his draughting board for Campbell were the first to 250 mph and 300 mph.

Aston Martin is celebrating 70 years of its world-famous DB bloodline, as the luxury British marque unveiled its latest DB family of sports cars for the first time at the 2018 Beijing Motor Show – the V12 and V8-powered DB11 coupe and DB11 Volante. The famous letters stand for David Brown, referring to the legendary British industrialist David Brown who bought the company in 1947. Over time, the DB brand has become as iconic as the Aston Martin wings themselves and continue to this day with the DB11 model; unveiled today in a striking Volcano Red color scheme, which would have been the favored choice of Aston Martin’s previous owner. Brown’s legacy has meant that over the last 70 years, DB-badged Aston Martins have become among the most coveted of all cars, with just under half of all Aston Martin’s […]

This morning in Beijing, the MG X-motion concept car premiered at the Beijing Auto Show. The X-motion follows the MG brand design philosophy of Emotional Dynamism that was showcased in the brand’s first fully electric sports car concept, the MG E-motion. The ‘X’ in the product name X-motion represents the endless possibilities of how people can relate to the design. Whether that is through its stunningly eye-catching appearance, inspiring performance thanks to its sporting genes, or through an appreciation of its multi-dimensional intelligent technology.

Jaguar is marking 50 years of its flagship XJ luxury saloon – the choice of business leaders, celebrities, politicians and royalty for five decades – with the launch of a new special edition model. Revealed at the Beijing Motor Show, the Jaguar XJ50 celebrates half a century of trademark performance, technology, and luxury. Available in both standard and long wheelbase with a 3.0-litre diesel (300PS) powertrain, the exterior updates for the XJ50 include Autobiography-style front and rear bumpers. These mark the anniversary edition out alongside purposeful new 20-inch Venom wheels, a black front grille and unique badging to the rear and side vents, while the striking color palette includes Fuji White, Santorini Black, Loire Blue, and Rosello Red. Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft-grain diamond-quilted seats with an embossed leaper on the headrests and an XJ50 logo on the center […]

Pure McLaren, the exclusive driving program of McLaren Automotive, that gives both McLaren owners and prospective owners the chance to experience the performance of the cars in the controlled environment of a race track, will launch in North America in 2018. All Pure McLaren events offer not only the opportunity to enjoy the McLaren range of road cars but also track-only variants. In addition, participants can choose to improve driver skills or even select a  path to progress through the advanced coaching program for those whose aim is to go racing.

Silverstone Auctions is excited to announce that a very special Evanta Aston Martin DBR1 is coming to its May Sale on May 19th at Silverstone racing circuit. Built as a near exact replica of the original Aston Martin DBR1, famed for its success during the late 1950’s in the hands of legends including Sir Stirling Moss and Carroll Shelby, the stunning recreation was crafted from scratch by the Evanta Motor Company, owned at the time by car designer and ‘Wheeler Dealers’ presenter, Ant Anstead. A genuine 1956 DBR1 sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction last year for $22,550,000 inclusive of the buyer’s fee. This made it #7 on the list of the 10 most expensive cars to sell at auction, just ahead of a 1955 Jaguar D-Type. To date, this is also a record for the most expensive British car ever to be […]

Aston Martin’s ongoing expansion in the important China region continues to gather pace with the opening of the luxury British sports car brand’s second official dealership in the Chinese capital, Beijing. Operated by Wintop Group and known as Aston Martin Beijing the impressive new dealership comprises a 400-square metre showroom at No.99 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District in Beijing.

The Bespoke Collective of the House of Rolls-Royce has conceived a darker iteration of Black Badge Wraith and Dawn, presented in a limited Collection, named Adamas. Drawing inspiration from the name, meaning ‘untameable’, ‘invincible’ and also ‘diamond’, the Collective celebrate the darker side of contemporary craftsmanship, expertly weaving a dark aesthetic of unbreakable carbon structures into just 40 Black Badge Wraiths and 30 Black Badge Dawns. Technical fibers and molecular compounds are manipulated and recognized for their systematic, beguiling beauty. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce, commented: Adamas is a Collection that fuses the extraordinary competence of our Bespoke craftspeople from the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, with the rebellious spirit of Black Badge. The result is a motor car for those who seek more than the definitive of engineered luxury conveyance. This is a motor car for […]