While it may receive a name change before taking a bow at dealerships, the Paceman will be the seventh MINI model in showrooms, following the debut of the MINI Roadster in 2012 and the MINI Cooper Coupe this October. The Paceman is based on the same underpinnings as the MINI Countryman crossover, and will be produced in the same assembly plant in Graz, Austria. The new concept was displayed at the 2011 Autoshow in Detroit. “If MINI keeps releasing cars at their current pace, we’re going to have to expand our showroom,” said Tim Parker, general manager of New Country MINI, a Hartford, Connecticut MINI dealer. “The Paceman packs the capability of the Countryman into a sportier package, which is the right recipe for a lot of Connecticut MINI fans that want a fun ride when the weather is cooperating […]

The MG Motor Company is using images of the past to stir desire for its new models. In a new advertising campaigned titled “It’s Time To Fall”, the company uses romantic images of the classic MGA extensively, but also the MGB, MGBGT, and MG T Series. While obviously playing to the nostalgic feelings for one of Britain’s most beloved brands, the ad makes it clear that the new MG6 can stand on its own to capture the driver’s heart. You can view the shorter TV advertisement or the full “extended brand film” on the MG Motor site.

Planet LeMans is reporting that boosted by a new driver and a major sponsor, Team RLR will enter the 6 Hours of Silverstone determined to impress in front of a home crowd at the penultimate round of the 2011 Le Mans Series next weekend (September 9-11). The mid-season break proved to be a productive one for the Lancashire-based squad as it added former Le Mans 24 Hours winner Warren Hughes to its line-up alongside regular drivers Barry Gates and Rob Garofall, and also confirmed famous British car brand MG Motor UK as an official sponsor. Read the complete story over at Planet LeMans.

Tynemouth Priory, in North Tyneside, played host to more than 50 classic vehicles at the weekend for the climax of the MG Northumbria Car Club’s annual Heritage event. Set against the impressive backdrop of the English Heritage site, dozens of club members got to showcase their pride and joy to admiring spectators, all with a common appreciation for the popular classic cars of yesteryear. Among the impressive display was an MG Midget, a 1948 Riley 2.5 litre Roadster, an Austin Healy, a TVR and a Lotus Cortina. Overall winner on the day out of the 54 cars exhibited was George Dalgarno with his 1948 Riley Roadster. Club committee member Mike Mitchell said: “The prize was handed out to the owner who had best maintained their vehicle. The rally is a great chance for owners to show off to the public what they’ve […]

As reported by Bring A Trailer, an auction will be held on September 24th in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania that will liquidate the 5-acre property and British car collection of the former owner. It is rare to find such a sale that includes restored cars and vintage racers in what looks like pristine condition. They are shown parked in a finished display area with hardwood floors! Find more info and photos here via AuctionZip.com. A brief (?!) inventory listing of the auction…. Cars – 1966 Austin Healey 3000, 1962 Triumph TR4 vintage race car w/race history, Land Rover Series IIA, Morris Minor 1000, 1979 CJ5 Jeep & P/A plow, off road ATV like new buggy, Areins 14 hp Hydrostatic garden tractor & cart; Lucas items; hundreds of  vintage oil cans & oil & gas station items; British car parts; grill badges & rally plates; […]

While other models were sleek and streamlined, the Morgan looked and sounded like sports cars were supposed to. But its throaty roar could be a thing of the past, at least on one model, with the 101-year-old company developing an electric low-carbon version of the iconic vehicle. The electric car will be made of aluminium and be powered buy a plug-in battery. Morgan is co-operating with two other British companies, Zytek and Radshape, to produce a concept car which could be seen for the first time at the Geneva motor show next year. In fact two cars are being produced. One will be held back for further engineering research, while the other will be on public view as Morgan decides whether to develop a version which could be put on sale. The project is being backed by a £100,000 grant from the […]

Importing Toyotas to Japan may seem like selling ice to the Eskimos, but that’s precisely what’s in store. In fact, it’s Toyota itself that will be bringing the Avensis back to its home market from its global assembly plant in the UK. Demand for European cars in Japan has got Toyota cashing in on the game, exporting as many as 750 units of the Avensis back to the home country. Since the Avensis holds a similar position to the JDM Toyota Mark X, which is available only as a sedan, Toyota will only be offering the Avensis wagon back in Japan, packing a 2.0-liter four mated to a CVT. Japan, of course, will only be the latest market in which the British-built Avensis will be sold, joining a list of 47 countries worldwide to which some 85% of the units built at the […]

British luxury car manufacturer has announced that they are experiencing a never before seen surge in demand for their masterpieces in 2011. In Jan-June 2011 period, Bentley sold 2978 cars, which is also their best start to a year since 2008. Thanks to the new Continental GT, Bentley is experiencing this surge in demand. In China alone, Bentley sold 680 luxury cars this year while in America, their largest market, Bentley sold 907 luxury cars. At home, in the United Kingdom, Bentley registered an increase in sales of 6% as they sold 533 units this year. Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley’s Chief Executive said, “Interest in our product range is increasing and with our largest markets achieving significant growth we are on track to meet our targets for the full year. It’s an exciting time for Bentley as we continue to invest […]

This in from the TopGear site…  To be honest, the presenters weren’t that impressed with the new MG6 during the show on Sunday. Or its recycled-racing-horse badge adhesive. However, this latest old-car-new-tech offering from Frontline Developments seems like a valiant use of the brand. And a rather more affordable alternative to the Eagle Speedster. Each car uses a new British Motor Heritage MGB shell, into which Frontline shoves a 2012 2-litre VVC MX-5 engine. It’s got billeted con-rods and crankshaft, forged fully-skirted and Teflon-coated pistons and it’s been hopped up with a 45mm direct injection throttle body and closed-loop Lamda set up. That equates to 215bhp and 170lb ft at 4000rpm. That means 240bhp per ton (it only weighs 900kg). 240bhp. IN AN MGB! But don’t worry, the sixties shell’s been uprated to cope with the 130bhp power boost (the B […]

While visiting the United Kingdom, the Premier of China helped launch the first new MG model in 15 years. The Premier visited the MG car plant in Longbridge, England where the new MG6 will be assembled. The factory is now owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, which is China’s largest automaker.  He hailed the launch as a potent symbol of friendship between China and the U.K. The plant is expected to serve as a platform for tapping the European market in the future.

The battle lines are drawn. The race to build Britain’s fastest and most 
powerful production 
car is on. But it’s not McLaren, Bentley or even Aston Martin that aims 
to lead the way. It’s Lotus. During an exclusive gathering at the company’s HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, chief technical officer Wolf Zimmermann told Auto Express of his plans to build a flagship Superleggera version 
of the next-generation Esprit – and we can show you what it will look like in our exclusive images. Bosses held the meeting to face critics of the New Era plan, which in June 2010 revealed five new cars would be launched in five years. As well as confirming the flagship Esprit, Lotus unveiled plans for a city car called Ethos – to rival the Aston Martin Cygnet 
– plus the 2+2 Elite, four-door Eterne and the […]

While Mercedes calls its cars “uber” internally when they want to give them steroids, the British marketing teams at Land Rover are currently considering a “Grande Evoque”, which will fill the gap in the lineup between the compact Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport. Once again, this is a car that’s being analyzed from a marketing point of view first and then from an automotive perspective, but we’ll let it slide because we like the new design direction the British firm has. According to Autocar, inside sources say that a final conclusion on whether to give the go-ahead or not is close to being reached. Land Rover wants to bridge the gap in price between the range-topping Evoque and the entry-level Sport. The Grande Evoque could be a five-door machine that takes the recently introduced shape and blows […]

The first of McLaren’s 35 dealerships set to open in 2011 opens its doors tomorrow in London’s One Hyde Park. McLaren’s first dealership opens in one of London’s newest and most prestigious developments – fitting for the all-new supercar. Although the MP12-4C is not McLaren’s first foray into street legal super cars it will offer more than four times the sales and service support than it did with the F1 and its eight worldwide dealerships. This time instead of flying a technician to the owner of the car or service center McLaren claims it “is stocking its retail network with a spare of every serviceable part for the MP4-12C.” McLaren calls it “its ‘pit stop’ service concept that ensures fast and efficient repair.” Good thing too because the MP4-12C is the first in a full lineup of carbon-fiber based sports […]

Robbie Williams has admitted he still can’t drive a car at the age of 37. The British singer struggles to get around Los Angeles, where he lives with wife Ayda Field, because he has never passed his driving test. He said: “I don’t have a driver’s licence. In London you just don’t drive because the traffic is terrible, so you get cabs to go everywhere, which has left me being 37 and still without a driver’s licence in Los Angeles.” Although he can’t drive, the Take That star – who has teamed up with country music star Bob Paisley to record ‘Collision of Worlds’ for the forthcoming ‘Cars 2’ movie – is fascinated by cars and loves watching motor racing on television. In an interview organised by Disney and posted on Robbie’s official website, he said: “We have Formula 1 […]

The Mini, inspired by Goodwood, is an exclusive special edition that adds another layer to the MINI brand experience with a generous dose of automotive luxury and exclusivity in its highest form. The MINI, will have only 140 vehicles coming to the United States. The Goodwood MINI has had a close collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team at the development center of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, and has produced a limited-run special edition MINI, whose exterior and interior design is inspired by fine materials and the British luxury car marque’s commitment to absolutely flawless workmanship. “The Mini, inspired by Goodwood is a limited edition model that will combine typical Mini driving fun with discerning craftsmanship,” said Darren Richie, Irvine, Calif., Mini’s General Manager. “We’re excited for its arrival to the U.S and we’re excited to see our Mini […]

I know nothing about this car, have no stake in its sale, and can do no more than to point you towards the advertisement. But, I just think this Austin A40 is very, very cool. See more of this Austin A40 Countryman for sale at http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2259843

Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss OBE has retired from racing, closing the door on a competitive racing career that has spanned more than 60 years. During qualifying for the Le Mans Legends race at the wheel of his Porsche RS 61, Moss made the decision to retire from the sport he loves. On his retirement Stirling said, “This afternoon I scared myself and I have always said that if I felt I was not up to it or that I was getting in the way of fellow competitors, then I would retire.” Moss leaves motor racing as one of the most recognised racing drivers in the world, having raced from the age of 18, winning the British Grand Prix twice, the Monaco Grand Prix three times, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy, as well as countless […]

Longbridge has drastically cut its annual losses from over £12 million to just £392,000 as the rebirth of Birmingham’s most famous factory gathers pace. Results for MG Motor UK for 2010 showed that sales of parts to China had helped slash cash losses at the car firm, which launched production of the MG6, its first all-new MG, in April. Meanwhile, a capital injection of £7 million from the Chinese parent company also helped to bolster the firm’s financial status, the report revealed. The vastly improved results came as sales of Longbridge’s first all-new MG for 16 years generate increasing revenues for the Birmingham factory following the relaunch of volume production. The MG6 generated over £3 million of business in its first two weeks in showrooms, leaving many buyers facing a waiting list of up to six weeks for customized vehicles. […]