New Cars

MINI UK is today launching the new MINI Cooper Black Pack Clubman and the new MINI Cooper D Black Pack Clubman. Designed exclusively for the UK, the first MINI Clubman edition offers 17-inch Black Net spoke wheels combined with Black bonnet stripes for a sleek and sporty finish to further enhance the characteristic MINI Clubman styling.

The London Taxi Company (LTC) today announced the official opening of the UK’s first car plant dedicated solely to the production of range -extended electric vehicles. This new, state-of-the-art, vehicle plant in Ansty, Coventry, is where the world’s first purpose-built, mass-market electric taxi will be built. LTC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geely, has invested more than £300m in the new site and the next-generation London taxi, which will be produced at the plant and exported around the world. The investment and expansion of LTC has created more than 1,000 new jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprenticeships.

McLaren Automotive has released a new design sketch of its forthcoming ‘Hyper-GT’. Codenamed BP23, the car will be the most powerful and most aerodynamic road-going McLaren ever produced. Development of BP23 is currently underway at McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the bespoke division of McLaren responsible for designing and crafting the luxurious new addition to the McLaren Ultimate Series product family. The BP23 codename is taken from the car being MSO’s second Bespoke project and it having three seats. Production will be limited to 106 examples, the same volume as the McLaren F1. BP23 owners will work alongside MSO to select colors, trim materials and other points of personalization unique to them. The first examples of BP23 are expected to be delivered in 2019. Note: Press release courtesy of McLaren Automotive.

Evolved, energized and even lighter, a significant update for the legendary Lotus Elise has been unveiled ahead of its arrival in showrooms this spring. Pride of place in the latest Elise line-up is the new Sprint edition, capturing the spirit of Lotus by offering the latest in efficient engineering to deliver a car that sets the standard at under 800 kg. Featuring a host of weight-saving items as standard, as well as the Elise’s distinctive new styling, the new Lotus remains true to the company’s founding principles. Benefitting the range as a whole, all new Elise editions receive the car’s new look and new interior options, and every single one of the Sprint’s lightweight components can be specified on the standard Elise Sport and the Elise Sport 220 variants.

Jaguar has unleashed its first electric vehicle – the Jaguar I-PACE – onto the streets for the first time. Driving on the streets of London’s famous Olympic Park, the electric performance SUV concept previews Jaguar’s first electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-PACE, which will be revealed in late 2017 and will be on the road in the second half of 2018. The feedback on the I-PACE Concept has been fantastic. With the I-PACE Concept we’ve torn up the rule book to create a vehicle with supercar inspired aesthetics, sports car performance and SUV space, in one electric package. It has surprised people and the enthusiasm for our first electric vehicle has been beyond all my expectations. Driving the concept on the streets is really important for the design team. It’s very special to put the car outside and in the real-world. […]

Bentley Motors is sharing its ambition to define the electric luxury segment with the EXP 12 Speed 6e concept at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show.

The new McLaren 720S made its global debut at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, introducing the second-generation of McLaren’s Super Series and simultaneously raising previously accepted limits of performance in the supercar sector. Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland. This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new 720S is absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment. — Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive

Aston Martin has chosen the 2017 Geneva Motor Show to launch AMR – an exciting new brand that brings a new dimension of race inspired dynamism and performance. Reflecting Aston Martin’s racing pedigree, AMR takes technology and inspiration from motorsport to amplify the sporting prowess present across the model range. With enhanced performance, sharper dynamics and more powerful design language, AMR takes Aston Martin’s road cars to new and exciting extremes. The AMR brand follows in the wheeltracks of successive iconic Aston Martin road cars which boasted top-level racing pedigree. In the mid-1930s the success of Aston Martin’s Team Cars in the Ulster TT road race led the marque to build further examples of the lightweight two-seater for sale to the public. In 1951, Sir David Brown introduced uprated and highly desirable ‘Vantage’ specification models, and steered the marque to […]

Just a brief note with a single picture, the Jaguar I-PACE Concept will make its European motor show debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 7 March in a new color – Photon Red. To use a phrase from the past, I do believe the I-PACE is the “Shape of Things to Come”.  

The new Velar fills the space in the Range Rover family between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport. Refined for every occasion, for every terrain, Velar uses unique sustainable materials and advanced engineering to continue Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond. Created from a clean sheet using Jaguar Land Rover’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, it is safer, stronger, cleaner and improves driving performance. The Range Rover Velar brings a new dimension of glamor, modernity, and elegance to the Range Rover family. Designed to fill the white space between Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, Velar offers levels of luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability never before seen in the mid-size SUV segment. This is a new type of Range Rover for a new type of customer.

Bentley Motors is today announcing the introduction of the Bentayga Mulliner: the ultimate luxury SUV. Bentley’s in-house personal commissioning division, Mulliner, has applied its exquisite craftsmanship to the multi-award-winning Bentayga, creating a new flagship model and setting new standards in automotive luxury.

Aston Martin marks the 87th Geneva international Motor Show with a significant trio of major debuts. In addition to being the global motor show debut of the acclaimed new Vanquish S – the most powerful and dynamic iteration of Aston Martin’s Super GT – the British luxury brand is  also proud to announce the European show debut of the AM-RB 001. This ongoing collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the AM-RB 001 is a thrilling demonstration of technological innovation and design sophistication, resulting in a truly contemporary hypercar.

The second-generation McLaren Super Series, which will be unveiled on March 7 at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, is set to redefine expectations of supercar capability with phenomenal stopping performance to equal its extreme acceleration. Reaching 200km/h (124mph) in 7.8 seconds, McLaren’s new supercar can then brake to a standstill in just 4.6 seconds and 117 meters – six meters less than the 650S and almost on par with the legendary McLaren P1 . “As well as delivering the outstanding driver involvement and enjoyment for which the brand is renowned, McLaren’s new supercar will also excel in everyday driving,” explained McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver, Chris Goodwin. “The extreme performance and dynamic prowess of the second-generation Super Series, honed by testing at the limits and beyond, provides the perfect foundation for it to be the most complete supercar across the […]

Low on specifics but big on drama, Land Rover has announced the introduction of the Range Rover Velar which will be unveiled next week.  Best just to quote the full announcement in its short completeness. The luxury SUV was created in 1970 when Land Rover launched the original Range Rover. Almost half a century later that spirit of innovation continues with the introduction of the fourth member of the Range Rover family, to be unveiled on 1 March 2017. Elegant simplicity, a visually reductive approach and pioneering consumer technology are the hallmarks of the new Range Rover Velar. Land Rover Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern, said: “We call the Velar the avant garde Range Rover.  It brings a new dimension of glamour, modernity and elegance to the brand. The Range Rover Velar changes everything.” Refined for every occasion, for every terrain, […]

We don’t often cover advertisements here on Just British, but this one for the new Land Rover Discovery is kind of fun. In the ad, Olympic hero Sir Ben Ainslie battles a desert sandstorm to reach his Land Rover BAR sailing team. The 60-second advert was directed by Ridley Scott Associates’ Jake Scott and will be aired for the first time in the UK during the break of ITV’s coverage of the RBS Six Nations’ game between Ireland and Italy, at 2pm local time on Saturday 11 February. Later that day, on the same channel, the advert will be shown again during The Voice at 8pm local time. It celebrates the new Discovery going on sale in the UK with prices from £43,495.

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has officially launched BAC USA Inc., as the British maker of the One-of-a-Kind Mono supercar expands its operations in North America. Having previously worked with distribution partners, BAC will now roll out a direct Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) strategy to bring factory assembly, sales, and maintenance services to United States shores.

Fifty years after Alvis stopped making cars, the company is back and its order book is open. And the company will have a significant presence at the London Classic Car Show (23-26 February, London ExCeL) to mark the occasion. Unlike some marque revivals, The Alvis Car Company isn’t simply attaching the famous ‘Red Triangle’ badge to the front of a modern supercar but instead is recreating genuine supercars from an earlier age.

The latest addition to the world-renowned stable of’ Special Edition’Jaguar E-Types that comprises the Eagle E-Type, Eagle Speedster, and the Eagle Low Drag GT. First announced during the 2016 London Classic Car Show to great acclaim, construction is now complete on the very first of these hand crafted lightweight roadsters. With only a very few being built, this will join the other Eagle Special Edition E-types as the most exclusive hand built cars in the world. The Spyder GT builds upon the groundbreaking Eagle Speedster adding a folding roof to offer the best of both worlds – whatever the weather.