Marques

Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy is no stranger when it comes to record-breaking achievements on two wheels, but now the Scot can lay claim to his first record on four wheels. Joining Caterham to celebrate 60 years of the Seven, Sir Chris took on the ‘60 Second Donut Challenge’ at Donington Park. Sitting inside Caterham’s most powerful model, the Seven 620R, Sir Chris completed a record 19 consecutive donuts in the time allocation. Sir Chris said: Everyone knows I spend a lot of time in cars these days but I’ve never had much practice donuting. But when someone tells me there’s a record up for grabs that certainly focuses my mind. During the attempt I just kept going, putting everything I’d learnt into practice. You lose sense of time when you’re in a spin, so I was shocked when I was told I’d completed 19 […]

Unlimited in every sense, the new series production Exige Cup 430 is Lotus’ wildest incarnation of its fire-breathing, point-to-point two-seater sports car. New to the Exige, the Cup 430 sees the introduction of a savage, high-performance engine installation, mated to a new supercharger and chargecooler, designed specifically for the unique demands of this vehicle. A development of the powertrain recently used on the phenomenal Lotus Evora GT430, it’s perfectly paired with a newly-designed body, which delivers enhanced aerodynamic performance to reveal the model’s true potential. The result is a strikingly different beast of pure performance, that’s not for the faint of heart. With 55 hp, or 15%, more power than the limited production Exige Cup 380 model it succeeds, and 220 kg of downforce, it’s a monster of a car. Compared to the Exige Sport 350, it has 24% more […]

Bentley Motorsport is today unveiling an all-new Continental GT3 racecar, currently in development for the 2018 motorsport season. The second-generation Continental GT3 is the latest dedicated racecar in an acclaimed Bentley motorsport lineage that includes the 4½ Litre, Speed Six and Speed 8 Le Mans winners. The first-generation Continental GT3 has proven to be a championship-winning endurance racer, scoring 120 podiums and 45 wins across 528 races around the world to date. Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush comments: After four years of success with our Continental GT3, we’re excited to reveal our second-generation car. The new car leaves no area or system untouched in the search for even better performance, and the early test results are promising. The new Continental GT road car has proved to be a great starting point for the development of a new racer, and […]

The 32nd running of the MG Classic meeting, the longest running event of its kind in New Zealand and one of the biggest in competitor numbers, will be at Manfeild this weekend. Still known by many as “The Whittakers” because of the brand’s long association in the earlier events, this year’s meeting has attracted more than 200 competitors who will race in a record nine different categories covering open wheel, sports cars, and saloons.

I hear a lot how young people aren’t into our older British cars, but I think that sometimes that is just because they haven’t been given the chance. To show how some younger folk view our classic sports cars, our video this week is from a guy who goes by the YouTube handle of ThatDudeInBlue. The video, a review of a nice MGB, is quite honest and although he approaches the car from a distinctively modern viewpoint, it is clear that he enjoys the ride. The reviewer is very honest in talking about both the successes and the shortcomings of the MGB. He mentions how the cars have a reputation for unreliability, though it seems he doesn’t take much stock in that. In contrast to being a bit small and perhaps underpowered, he talks about how the MGB and other […]

Globally as a whole, Jaguar Land Rover sold 46,418 vehicles in October, up 0.2% year on year. Solid sales of all models, including the new Range Rover Velar and the Jaguar F-PACE, continue to bring new customers to the brand each month. China continues to perform well with sales up 12%, while overseas markets were up 16% compared to the same period in 2016. But difficult market conditions have led to retail sales being down 18% in the UK, and 3% down in Europe and the US.

Dr Andy Palmer will trade his business suit for a race suit this weekend when he takes on the challenge of competing in a 24-hour motor race. The Aston Martin President and CEO will race in the Hankook 24 Hours of CoTA (Circuit of the Americas) in Austin, Texas on 11-12 November. Naturally, Palmer’s car of choice is the Aston Martin Vantage GT8, the very same car that won its class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours earlier this year. He will share driving duties with Paul Hollywood, John “The Voice of Le Mans” Hindhaugh and Peter Cate.

Aston Martin Racing has claimed its 50th victory since its inception in 2004, after winning the eighth round of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship; the 6 Hours of Shanghai. After taking the GTE Am pole position yesterday, the #98 V8 Vantage GTE of Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A) converted their advantage to victory, claiming a maximum 26-point haul from the weekend. In what was a trouble-free run throughout the entire six hours, the trio collectively amassed a gap of over one lap by the chequered flag.

Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled a 35-foot high Jaguar F-TYPE emblazoned with a bespoke poppy design to mark Remembrance Sunday in partnership with forces’ motorsport charity Mission Motorsport and the Royal British Legion. The F-TYPE, clearly visible to motorists on the M6 motorway, fittingly faces the Sentinel sculpture which depicts the Spitfires Castle Bromwich was famous for building during World War Two between 1938 and 1945.

Aston Martin has collaborated with renowned bicycle manufacturer Storck to produce a limited edition run of road bikes. Just 107 examples of the exclusive Fascenario.3 Aston Martin Edition will be produced. The frame and forks are the result of the latest advances in carbon fiber and aerodynamics, while the componentry is of the highest quality, meaning that the Aston Martin Edition sits at the very pinnacle of current road bicycles. This project came about after Markus Storck, the eponymous founder and innovative leader of the Storck bicycle company, joined forces with Aston Martin on the Vanquish ‘One of Seven’ project. Having owned several Aston Martins, Storck worked with Aston Martin’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, to develop the septet of special sports cars that focused on showcasing carbon fiber.

The launch of the MG ZS marks an exciting new era of design for the iconic brand, representing a major step-change and commitment to a new global MG design philosophy. Based on ‘Emotional Dynamism’, the MG ZS embodies a more expressive design language that emphasizes the premium experience and commitment to quality of the ambitious brand. With a look that brings together the three key elements of ‘Emotional’, ‘Humanised’ and ‘Agility’, the MG ZS represents a desirable, accessible and dynamic approach to affordable motoring. One of the key design features of the MG ZS is the compelling new face of MG, which features an enlarged, full frame grille, inspired by the famous brand’s heritage, but executed in a contemporary way. It allows for a much bigger MG badge to take center stage and showcase pride in the brand. This confident […]

Aston Martin Racing will be looking to cement their position as GTE Am title challengers this weekend, as the 2017 World Endurance Championship reaches the penultimate round of the season this weekend in Shanghai, China. Victorious last year at China’s leading race circuit, the team’s #98 V8 Vantage GTE Am entry of Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A) will be looking to repeat that feat. Currently poised just one point behind their rivals, the trio will be looking to reverse the order by Sunday.

David Townsend of Sports Car Art has announced a new collection of prints featuring the evolution of different models of classic British sports cars. These works are available either as prints for framing or as backlit or unlit box displays. Currently available titles include:    • Triumph TR3 • Triumph TR4-TR6 • Jaguar XK • Jaguar E-Type • MGA • MGB • Austin-Healey 100 • MG T-Type 

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has reported October 2017 U.S. sales: Jaguar sales were 2,891 units, a 10 percent decrease from 3,219 units in October 2016; Land Rover sales decreased 1 percent to 5,477 units from 5,532 in October 2016; Jaguar Land Rover October U.S. sales for both brands hit 8,368 units, a 4 percent decrease from 8,751 units in October 2016. Year to date, Jaguar Land Rover is up 11% percent in the United States, building on 2016’s record year sales pace. October proved to be a challenging month for U.S. sales resulting in Jaguar Land Rover coming down slightly from our record pace in 2016. We continue to be very encouraged by growing sales for the year and in particular growth of our newest SUV models, the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Velar which are bringing new customers […]

The McLaren 720S beat nine strong competitors to win the 2018 Performance Car of the Year title by Road & Track. As the first model in the second-generation Super Series range, the car has been extensively praised for its blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement. The McLaren 720S is the friendliest, least intimidating supercar I’ve ever experienced… it’s more than what’s new in supercars; it is also what’s best, what’s fastest, what’s most capable. As such, the 720S was the easy winner of our vote.   — Concluded the editors of Road & Track

The Vanquish S is one of the world’s great Super GTs and the quintessential Aston Martin. To celebrate this much-loved and highly-acclaimed flagship as it enters the final phase of its production life, Aston Martin has created a very special model to bid a farewell: The Vanquish S Ultimate. Like the regular Vanquish S, the Ultimate edition is powered by Aston Martin’s legendary naturally-aspirated 6.0-litre V12. With 595bhp and a spectacular soundtrack, scintillating performance is guaranteed. An 8-speed Touchtronic III automatic transmission gives an impressive combination of response and refinement, while 3-stage adaptive damping and carbon ceramic brakes complete a package born to deliver one of the great modern driving experiences.

Loving this one. Our video this week is from our friend John Clancy who brings you TriumphDVDs. But, this week’s video is not about Triumphs. No, this week we are looking at the history of Rover. Rover is one of those brands that was never very popular here in the US but was a standard in England. Additionally, the Rover brand was had heavy influences on almost all other British car brands and contributed one of the most famous engines of the classic period – the Rover 3500 V8. This video is a preview of the documentary DVD charting the full story of Rover from the introduction of the safety bicycle in 1895 to the last cars in 2005.

MINI USA has announced the launch of the new MINI John Cooper Works Tuning Kit at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, expanding the current tuning kit offering to now include Clubman and Countryman models. The new John Cooper Works Tuning Kit utilizes a retrofit exhaust system, aftermarket components and engine software programming increasing the engine power output and exhaust system performance. This new John Cooper Works Tuning Kit can be installed on any MY 2018 Cooper S or Cooper S ALL4 Clubman or Countryman model, intensifying the vehicle‘s sporty performance and sound characteristics. The MINI USA team will also have the new MINI Ice Blue special edition Cooper S Hardtop on display at the show.