Highlights

For our Video of the Week this last Wednesday of October we are going to let the famed British brand dunhill do the duties. When dunhill first laid plans to enjoy the ultimate Flying Scotsman Rally experience, there was only one man they could turn to for the job – William Medcalf. Supported by dunhill, The Flying Scotsman Rally is Britain’s premier vintage car rally that comprises three days of open-road motoring against the most picturesque backdrops in the north of the UK. And William Medcalf has one of the greatest competitive histories at the event.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London – Rolls-Royce’s flagship dealership – has hosted a spectacular evening to mark the launch of the all-new Phantom in the heart of Mayfair. Rolls-Royce is Britain’s most iconic motor car brand, and the Phantom has been its premier model since the first-generation car was released in 1925 – when it was judged as ‘The Best Car in the World’ by cognoscenti. As such, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London based its launch evening around the theme “because the world needs icons”.

The prestigious Jaguar / Guild Of Motoring Writers (GOMW) Sir William Lyons Award is now open for entries, offering aspiring motoring journalists aged 17-23 their first step on the career ladder to becoming a professional writer. After celebrating 50 years of the award in 2016, the 2017 prize will once again be presented at the Royal Automobile Club during the Guild Annual Dinner and Awards. It gives the winner their first chance to network with potential employers and PR colleagues.

McLaren Automotive today announces a further strengthening of its North American communications team, during a period of unprecedented growth for the brand in the region, with the addition of Roger Ormisher to the new position of Vice President, Communications and PR. He will report directly to McLaren Global Communications and PR Director, Wayne Bruce, who is based in the company’s Surrey, UK headquarters, and regionally into the McLaren North America President, Tony Joseph, located in New York. Roger Ormisher will be responsible for developing and implementing a press communications strategy to enhance and grow the visibility of the McLaren brand on the back of the recent launches of the 720S and 570S Spider, both new to the US market in 2017.

MINI USA is once again proud to congratulate amateur racer Craig Wilcox on his continued success in the Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Series and the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals. Wilcox, of Blue Springs, Mo., finished as the Year-End Points Winner in the ProSolo Series Championship and finished second place in the Solo National Championship in September at the Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Neb. It was the sixth time Wilcox finished as the Year-End Points Winner in the ProSolo Series. Wilcox has also been crowned the Prosolo Series Champion four times in the past five years as well as four Solo National Championships with ten podium finishes over his racing career which began in 2003. The longtime MINI owner continues to race his 2012 MINI Cooper S Hardtop, which doubles as his day-to-day primary vehicle. The 2017 season kickoff event […]

Rare and race-bred, the extreme limited-edition Lotus Elise Cup 260 packs the company’s passion for motorsport engineering into one of the most accomplished cars it has ever produced. Taking what’s widely regarded as the benchmark for intuitive handling and driver involvement, Lotus has integrated some of the latest design philosophies from high-performance stablemates including the Exige Cup 380, and the mighty Evora GT430, as well as building upon the track and competition only Elise Race 250. Setting a standard for outright track pace and low lap times, this ultimate Elise has been unveiled as the company prepares for the 70th anniversary of when founder Colin Chapman built his first car in 1948. Referencing Lotus’ motorsport successes, the new Elise Cup 260 has a laurel wreath decal on the left buttress and the Union Jack on both the rear wing endplates […]

Bentley Motors today announces the appointment of Adrian Hallmark as its new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, starting on 1st February 2018. Hallmark’s appointment marks one of four senior leadership changes at Bentley Motors with new Board Members for Engineering; Sales and Marketing; and People, Digitalisation and IT. Hallmark, 55, joins Bentley from Jaguar Land Rover, where he held the role of Global Strategy Director. He brings more than 18 years of automotive board level experience from the US, Europe and Asia with Porsche, Volkswagen, SAAB and Bentley Motors. During his time at Bentley, he held the role of Board Member for Sales, Marketing and PR and played an integral role in the introduction of the sector-defining Continental GT in 2003.

Aston Martin and global property developer G&G Business Developments have broken ground on Aston Martin Residences at 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way in Miami, confirming that construction of the 66-story luxury condominium tower is set for completion in 2021. The milestone marks the development of Aston Martin’s first real estate project and the iconic brand’s expansion into luxury residential design. Aston Martin Residences at 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way has become the first condominium tower to break ground in Downtown Miami this year, underscoring the development team’s strength and market confidence. The striking building of curvilinear glass and steel is set to rise on one of the last parcels of developable land on the Downtown Miami waterfront and has been designed by Revuelta Architecture and Bodas Miani Anger, renowned for creating visually impressive and exceptionally well-engineered landmark properties. General contractor Coastal Construction […]

City Concours, the unique and world-class automotive garden party, is to return to Central London in Summer 2018. Following the overwhelming success of the inaugural event this summer, City Concours will once again display some of the world’s finest cars within the intimate and exclusive setting of the Honourable Artillery Company from 7-8 June 2018. All are welcome to enjoy a relaxed environment with great food, luxurious exhibitors and a variety of entertainment suites, all alongside some of the world’s most magnificent automobiles positioned around the historic gardens of the Honourable Artillery Company in Central London.

This week our video comes by way of Scotland and features the immortal Austin Healey. This event may have taken place four years ago, but I think you will agree that the cars look as good today as they did then, or even 50 years ago. Coming to us from the Austin Healey Club in the UK, the footage is actually from 2013 when Crieff Hydro in Scotland hosted over 250 Austin Healey cars and their owners at the 4th European Healey Meeting. The above video was taken at the Knockhill Circuit in Dumfermline, Fife, which played host to the event’s Auto Test. Fastest time of the day went to Oliver Chatham’s 3000 Mk1, which completed the 1.3-mile course in 37.7 secs. The Austin Healey Club is a group of 1,600 enthusiasts dedicated to preserving the Austin Healey Marque and […]

McLaren, the British creator of luxury sports and supercars, has confirmed that the next model to be introduced under its Track22 business plan will be an addition to the Ultimate Series. Its mission is to be the most extreme, track-concentrated road car McLaren has yet designed. To be publicly revealed in the first quarter of 2018, it will be delivered ahead of a second future Ultimate Series model codenamed BP23 which aims to be the world’s first Hyper-GT. As members of the McLaren Ultimate Series, both will be produced in very limited numbers and all examples are already assigned. Ultimate Series models are positioned above McLaren’s core Super Series and have a distinct focus. Previous examples of the Series include the McLaren P1™ and McLaren P1™ GTR. This next model to join the Ultimate Series will be the ultimate track […]

Traditional car books tend to be sleep inducing for those uninterested in the automobile. How refreshing then that John Nikas’s new tome underpins the absorbing histories of Britain’s most famous sports car manufacturers by chronicling their invaluable role in reviving the country’s decimated post-war economy. Rule Britannia conveys in fascinating detail how the national resolve created vehicles that not only earned desperately-needed foreign currency but established a humble but exciting category of motorcar that continues to captivate the imagination of enthusiasts the world over. Exhaustively researched and written in an easy-flowing but authoritative style, Rule Britannia is also lavishly illustrated with a delightful mix of carefully-selected period images and stunning studio photography contributed by master lensman Michael Furman. This then is a book as alluring for anybody interested in Britain’s post-war social history, as those inspired by the indelible mark made on the world […]

Caterham has surpassed last year’s record-breaking sales achievement. The news comes as Caterham today (October 16) celebrates the 60th anniversary of the very first Seven being unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show. With more than two months to go until the end of 2017, Caterham has already overtaken its record haul of over 600 orders set in 2016. It’s the second year in a row that the iconic British sports car brand has reported its best sales year, a record that had previously not been beaten since 1996.

MG Motor UK achieved an impressive second place in What Car? magazine’s inaugural Servicing Satisfaction Survey, with the brand receiving praise for its outstanding customer service. The survey asked 8,300 UK motorists to rate their most recent dealer experience based on the politeness of staff, quality of work and value for money. In the overall results, MG Motor UK came second by just 0.3 percent, with the manufacturer being praised for its attention to detail, honesty, and value.

Aston Martin Racing is set to take on the 7th round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, as the series visits the spectacular Fuji Speedway in Japan. Despite the race set to the backdrop of Mount Fuji, there’ll be no time to savor the surroundings, as the British outfit continue to pursue 2017 title glory in all championships.

The most elegant of convertible Aston Martins begins a new chapter with the introduction of the eagerly-awaited DB11 Volante. Joining the DB11 Coupe, which was launched to wide acclaim last year, the new DB11 Volante sets new standards of performance, innovation, engineering, and style to create the definitive open-top Sports GT. Powered by a new 4.0-litre twin-turbo 510PS V8 engine, the DB11 Volante is built around the all-new bonded aluminum structure first seen in the DB11 Coupe. Lighter and more rigid than the model it replaces, the DB11 Volante has been engineered to deliver a much broader envelope of abilities. Greater levels of performance and handling accentuate the more sporting side of its character, while increased refinement, comfort and interior space ensure it remains a consummate grand tourer.

One customer will shortly be taking delivery of two unique McLarens, created to his individual specification by McLaren Special Operations (MSO).  Called the MSO R Coupé and MSO R Spider, they are the latest in a lineage of McLarens produced as personal commissions, a service that sees the customer working closely with MSO to agree on the direction, scope, and specification of a project. An MSO Personal Commission is the highest level of partnership between a customer and McLaren Special Operations, undertaken to design, develop and create unique interpretations of McLaren cars, expertly tailored to meet the exact requirements of the owner. A typical MSO Personal Commission extends beyond paint colours and materials and finishes to encompass changes to body and interior design and also dynamic and powertrain enhancements as required. The result is a McLaren personalised by MSO to […]

Our Video of the Week for this second week of October comes all the way from the 2017 All MG Collier Cup race at Watkins Glen, NY, put on by the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). So buckle up and take a ride with Mike Barstow in his MGTD. The “Collier Cup” took place during the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix which was held from September 6 through 10. More than 400 vintage and historic race cars competeD in 11 vintage race groups. The race groups showcaseD many well-known marques, including Lotus, Porsche, Shelby, Alfa, Ferrari, Corvette, MG and Jaguar. Running as a part of this event this year ASs the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli.