New Powerful Lotus Evora GT430 Unveiled

July 20, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Following the successful introduction of the Lotus Evora 400 and Evora Sport 410 to global markets, Lotus has unveiled its most powerful road-going model ever – the Evora GT430. A beautiful and pure combination of elegance and power, Lotus has lavished attention on hand-crafted carbon-fibre components to endow this fully homologated Evora with a level of precision engineering and design unseen before. This focused evolution of the critically acclaimed Evora has resulted in a landmark model for the famous British manufacturer. Powered by a new development of the 3.5-litre V6 supercharged and charge cooled engine producing 430 hp, and benefitting from a significant hike in downforce, the rare breed Evora GT430 is a class apart from its competitors.

VotW – Panasonic Jaguar Racing Formula E New York City Race One Highlights

July 20, 2017 Michael Carnell Comments Off

This week, our video features the performance of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team at the Formula E races in New York. First of all, it is fun watching these cars tear around, but secondly, it is such a different auditory experience with the sound of electric motors instead of the internal combustion beasts. In front of the iconic Manhattan skyline, Panasonic Jaguar Racing claimed a vital championship point in the first of the NYCePrix Formula E races. Adam Carroll advanced three positions to finish 10th, whilst Mitch Evans sustained damage early in the race. For those who don’t know, Formula E, officially the FIA Formula E Championship, is a class of auto racing that uses only electric-powered cars. The series was conceived in 2012, and the inaugural championship started in Beijing on 13 September 2014. The series is sanctioned by the FIA. […]

BMW to decide location of Electric MINI E Plant

UK Plant Favored to Build Electric MINIs

July 19, 2017 Staff Comments Off

BMW’s Oxford factory in England is currently the favored location for building an electric version of the Mini despite Britain’s planned departure from the European Union, two sources familiar with the company’s thinking told Reuters on Wednesday. Any decision by the German carmaker to commit to further spending at Oxford would be a boost to the British government, which has been warned by businesses at home and abroad that Brexit will hit investment.

Rolls-Royce Teases New Phantom with Exhibit Announcement

July 19, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Today, as excitement builds towards the premiere of ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ Exhibition at Bonhams in Mayfair, London next week, Rolls-Royce has announced the final three great Phantoms that will join the event. In addition it has released one teaser image of New Phantom – the eighth Great Phantom which will debut at the Exhibition and will be streamed online at 21.00hrs British Summer Time on 27 July 2017 at www.greatphantoms.com. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has graciously assented to her Phantom VI State Limousine being present for the public to see. Also joining the Exhibition are the Phantom IV that belonged to the Aga Khan III –one of 18 such Phantoms built only for Royalty and Heads of State; and the First Goodwood Phantom VII, which began the renaissance of Rolls-Royce on 1 January 2003.

Aston Martin Le Mans Short Chassis - Astons featured at Concours of Elegance

Rare Astons to be Featured at Concours of Elegance 2017

July 18, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Concours of Elegance 2017 will welcome a host of rare and important Aston Martins to Hampton Court Palace this September, tracing the history of the brand from the 1923 Aston Martin ‘Clover Leaf’ all the way through to the DBR9/01 racer. There will also be a special Aston Martin V8 display of more than 100 vehicles, including an example of each V8-engined model produced by the iconic British manufacturer. The 1923 Aston Martin Clover Leaf appears in the main concours event, earning its place among more than sixty of the most incredible cars in the world. It is thought to be the second-oldest roadgoing production Aston Martin in existence, and has recently been treated to an extensive restoration back to the special three-seat layout it was original built with.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Supports Sussex Police

Rolls-Royce Supports Sussex Police in Chichester

July 18, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was delighted to support Sussex Police at the ever-popular Chichester Police Station Open Day on Saturday. Rolls-Royce displayed a Ghost Black Badge, resplendent with authentic lights and Sussex Police decals. The car is finished in Andalusian White, with the interior in Black and Tan contrast leather and the fascia in Black Badge Technical Fibre. The Rolls-Royce ‘police car’ drew huge crowds, including new Chichester MP, Gillian Keegan, who paid the event a visit. The accompanying team from Rolls‑Royce collected donations for Chestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice for Sussex and one of the company’s previous ‘house’ charities.

The Philosophy and Psychology of British Car Restoration by Robert Morey- Header

Win a Copy of Philosophy and Psychology of British Car Restoration

July 14, 2017 Michael Carnell 67

Congratulations to our winner! We would like to congratulate Bruce Cunha on his win of the book. Bruce, and you can read his comment below, drives an MG BGT as his everyday ride, which is great! Says his wife drives an SUV, and he has an MG TD under restoration. Sounds like a pretty good way to go. Look for our next contest coming soon. We haven’t had a competition for a while, and it is time to change that. What’s more, we would like to give some lucky ready out there a chance to own a copy of Robert Morey’s Philosophy and Psychology of British Car Restoration. You have heard us talk about the book, and you may have even read Bob Seidler’s excellent review, so now it is time for us to part with a copy and send it […]

New Jaguar E-PACE Specifications Released

July 14, 2017 Staff 1

The Jaguar E-PACE is a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle. The newest member of the Jaguar family of SUVs, the E-PACE follows the brand’s first all-electric SUV, the I-PACE Concept, and the World Car of the Year-winning F-PACE performance SUV.

Italian Job Voted Best British Film

July 14, 2017 Staff Comments Off

The 1969 film ‘The Italian Job‘ and its fleet of Minis has been named the best British film ever, following a survey by Vue Entertainment. The heist film starring Michael Caine and three patriotically-colored Minis beat other flicks such as The Full Monty and Zulu to the top spot. The Italian Job is widely recognized for having some of the most recognizable scenes in cinema (and horrifying to car lovers) including the destruction by the Mafia of a Jaguar E-Type, the chase through Turin following the heist and the final scene at the end of the film, where a bus carrying the £4 million of gold bullion teeters on the edge of a cliff.

Jaguar E-PACE Guinness Record Barrel Roll

VotW – Jaguar E-PACE Performs Record Breaking Barrel Roll

July 13, 2017 Staff Comments Off

The New Jaguar E-PACE has set an official Guinness World Records™ title during its world premiere in London. Leaping into the record books, Jaguar’s compact performance SUV achieved an epic 15.3 metre-long jump, complete with a 270-degree corkscrew-like barrel roll. Behind the wheel was legendary British stunt driver Terry Grant. One of the best things about watching this barrel roll, other than the sheer marvel of such a stunt, is that you get a full 360-degree view of the E-PACE. Let’s face it, it is hard to hide much when you soft white (or aluminum) underbelly is exposed for all the world to see.

John Lennon’s Phantom V Rolls-Royce to Return to London

July 13, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Today, Rolls-Royce has announced that it will celebrate the 50th anniversary year of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in its own way by bringing the colorful Rolls-Royce Phantom V, famous for being owned by John Lennon, back home to London for the British public to see. Currently owned by the Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada, ‘The John Lennon Phantom V’ will travel from Canada to London to join ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ – A Rolls-Royce Exhibition, at Bonhams on New Bond Street, an area visited regularly by Lennon in the late 1960s in this very car. Members of the public will be able to see ‘The John Lennon Phantom V’ at Bonhams from 29 July to the 2 August.

Jaguar E-PACE to be Built Outside of UK

July 13, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Britain’s biggest carmaker, said on Thursday it is to build its new E-PACE compact sports utility vehicle in Austria and China, the first of its cars only to be manufactured outside of its home market. JLR said its three British plants were either full or at near capacity but the decision will spark fears the firm is looking to boost its output by using overseas operations, rather than invest in greater capacity at home.

VehicleDNA to be Featured at Atlanta Concours

July 13, 2017 Staff Comments Off

While DNA factors can often find the answer to our own health concerns, what about utilizing similar statistics to maintain the health of a collector car? The Atlanta Concours has entered a multi-year partnership with Alpharetta-based VehicleDNA, an engine, and transmission testing company that provides a complete analysis of all engine and transmission fluids, to offer collector car owners the reassurance of knowing the current health of their vehicle. All registered cars for the Atlanta Concours will have the opportunity to receive a complimentary fluid analysis throughout the weekend, September 30-October 1st, (a $75 value), and receive a detailed assessment of a component’s condition, as well as recommendations for addressing potential problems within 48-72 hours.

London Taxi Company becomes London Electric Vehicle Company

London Taxi Relaunches as LEVC – London Electric Vehicle Company

July 12, 2017 Staff Comments Off

London Taxi Company (LTC) has relaunched as LEVC, marking the next stage in the company’s transformation. Underpinned by an investment totaling £325m, LEVC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geely, has the single-minded ambition to be the urban commercial vehicle provider of choice for cities around the world. Chris Gubbey, CEO, LEVC said: Today is an incredibly exciting day for the company, for the world’s cities, for the air we breathe and for the drivers of commercial vehicles. The launch of LEVC marks Britain’s leadership as a first mover in creating the world’s only dedicated electric vehicle company for the urban commercial market.

Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar Design Details Revealed

July 12, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Since the first reveal of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar in July 2016, Aston Martin, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and project partner AF Racing have been working intensively to further develop the Valkyrie’s aerodynamics, body styling and cockpit packaging. The teardrop-shaped cockpit’s upper body surfaces and lower tub contours follow the envelope of space available between the huge full length Venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit floor. Drawing huge quantities of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser, these tunnels are the key to generating the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s extraordinary levels of downforce while keeping the upper body surfaces free from additional aerodynamic devices that would spoil the purity of the styling.

2017-07 Simply Jaguar People's Choice Runner Up Paul Baker in his Jaguar XK150

Simply Jaguar at Beaulieu – Show Report

July 11, 2017 Staff Comments Off

An impressive 282 Jaguars of every shape and size purred into Beaulieu for the second Simply Jaguar rally which attracted as many as 634 participants. The graceful ‘big cats’ gathered in the grounds of the National Motor Museum to join the display which ranged from post-war classics to the latest models of the legendary British motoring marque.

Rover V8 - The Story of the Engine -Header

Book Announcement: Rover V8 – The Story of the Engine

July 11, 2017 Staff 6

Rover V8 – the Story of the Engine by James Taylor tells the fascinating story of the engine that created a legend in its own lifetime. Starting life as a General Motors design in 1961, but withdrawn three years later in favor of cheaper technology, it reached Rover by chance in the mid-1960s. Few other British companies then had V8 engines in production, and Rover immediately gained a special status when the V8 entered UK production during 1967. This was an extraordinarily compact design and also extraordinarily light, thanks to its all-aluminum alloy construction. It was not a temperamental high-performance engine, but had a well-proven and simple architecture that made it both reliable and easy to work on. Small wonder, then, that the Rover V8 was bought by sports car makers who needed a light, compact and powerful engine. Small wonder […]

Aston Martin Goes Big at Soapbox Race

July 10, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Aston Martin’s Red Bull Soapbox team “24 Seconds of Le Ally Pally” has taken second at the 2017 Red Bull Soapbox Race at Alexandra Palace, after a dramatic performance in front of 22,000 strong crowds. With an extensive ten-minute testing program for the GTE racer complete, the team headed to Alexandra Palace in the knowledge that at the very least, they’d deliver an entertaining run.

JD Classics In-House 5-Speed Synchromesh Gearbox for Classic Jags

July 8, 2017 Staff Comments Off

JD Classics – one of the world’s leading classic car racing and restoration businesses – has launched its very own five-speed all-synchromesh gearbox for classic Jaguars. Designed by a team of JD Classics’ expert technicians and a well-respected motorsport engineering company, the gearbox is available to order now. Engineered with synchromesh on all ratios, helical cut gears and a reinforced aluminium cast casing, it is capable of handling up to 400hp and 350 ft/lb of torque.

JLR Sales Strong in June, Driven by China Sales

July 7, 2017 Staff Comments Off

Ahead of the Range Rover Velar arriving in showrooms, retail sales for Jaguar Land Rover reached 51,591 vehicles this month, up 11.0% on June 2016. Retail sales for the quarter totaled 137,463 vehicles, up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Retail sales for June were up year-on-year in China (65.3%), the UK (3.8%), Europe (3.7%) and North America (3.2%) whilst sales in Overseas markets were down 8.5%, due to challenging conditions in emerging markets such as Brazil, the Middle East and Russia.