One of the most exclusive performance supercars in the world is to star in a massive sale staged by Lex Autolease and BCA at the Bedford centre on Tuesday, 10^th January at 10:30am.  The Fisker Tramonto is the only right hand drive model in existence and is one of just 15 built and its original retail price was in excess of $250,000.

The Tramonto is based on the Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG and is coachbuilt by Fisker Coach Build of California – the company established by former Aston Martin head designer Henrik Fisker, who includes the DB9 and V8 Vantage on his CV.   This car was first shown at the Top Marques show in Monaco and is painted in Titanium Quartz Metallic with two-tone Sand interior in finest Italian leather and finished with Aluminium and bare Carbon Fibre touches.

The sale will feature a fantastic selection of 400 end of lease cars direct from Lex Autolease – the UK’s largest contract hire company.  There will be a diverse range of product on offer, with vehicles from most of the major manufacturers being represented.  Age ranges from nearly new up to 5 years old with a huge variety of mileages should also ensure that there are prices to suit everyone’s budget. The majority will also be presented with V5 and service history.

Other vehicles of special interest include a Hummer, Audi Q5 and Q7, Porsche Cayenne, BMW 650 Sport, Range Rover Sport and Jaguar XKR.

Full catalogue details will be available from the BCA website at www.british-car-auctions.co.uk and every car in the sale will be covered by the BCA Assured programme.

Robert Sturley Southern Area Auction Manager for Lex Autolease said: “Every indication suggests good quality stock is going to be in short supply throughout 2012, so we are delighted to be able to offer such a premium selection of cars so early in the year.  We are sure the buyers will be out in force and with BCA’s marketing expertise behind the event we are looking forward to an exceptional turnout on the day.”

Alan Gupwell BCA Corporate Account Manager for Lex Autolease added “With demand typically rising sharply in January, this is an ideal time to stage this sale and it will create a superb opportunity for buyers looking for quality stock.  The added attraction of the Fisker Tramonto turns it into an event that is not to be missed!

The BMA has set out compelling scientific evidence supporting a total ban on smoking in motor vehicles.BMA director of professional activities Vivienne Nathanson (pictured) said: ‘The UK made a huge step forward in the fight against tobacco by banning smoking in all enclosed public places, but more can still be done. We are calling on UK governments to take the bold and courageous step of banning smoking in private vehicles. The evidence for extending the smoke-free legislation is compelling.’The BMA board of science briefing paper highlights evidence indicating that second-hand smoke in vehicles presents a serious health hazard, with toxin levels reaching more than 23 times those of smoky bars.

It says an estimated 4,000 adults and 23 children die each year as a result of second-hand smoke in the UK, with global figures running into the hundreds of thousands. Smoking can also be a road-safety risk and distract drivers.

The Smoking in Vehicles briefing paper says children are particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke, as they absorb more pollutants because of their size and have underdeveloped immune systems.

BMA public health medicine committee co-chair Keith Reid said: ‘The state has a responsibility to intervene to protect children, and a ban on smoking in motor vehicles would reinforce the message that children are harmed through others’ smoking. The evidence suggests that the most feasible way to accomplish this is to implement a complete ban on smoking in motor vehicles.’

A second parliamentary reading of Stockton North Labour MP Alex Cunningham’s private members bill is scheduled for this week. It calls for a ban on smoking in private vehicles where there are children present.

PHMC conference chair Douglas Noble said he hoped there would be time for the bill to be heard. He added: ‘We want to see this bill debated, and the BMA briefing paper highlights how much the medical community is behind the ban.’

The catalogue is now closed for the forthcoming Walter Hayes Sale and while there are many eye-catching lots to admire, perhaps there is none more so than a 1961 Morgan +4, a Le Mans class winner in 1962.

Bidding is also expected to be strong at the Silverstone Auctions hosted event for an extremely rare Zagato-bodied 1960 Lancia Flaminia Sport with an estimated price of between £100,000 and £125,000 and a right-hand drive 1958 Jaguar XK 150 3.4 Roadster, just one of 44 built.

Single-seat competition cars appearing in the auction include a 1990 Reynard F3000 90D driven by Johnny Herbert as well as a 2000 Arrows A21 Formula One car driven by Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen.

All the action takes place at Silverstone over the Walter Hayes Festival Trophy weekend, the traditional end of season race meeting. Viewing takes place on 3^rd November and auction day is on 4^th November.

With a varied and exciting collection of classic cars, modern sports cars and championship-winning competition cars, now totalling 69 lots, anyone interested in buying a catalogue or registering a bid is advised to do so as soon as possible by visiting www.silverstoneauctions.com  or calling 01926 691141.

Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “We are very excited to be hosting The Walter Hayes Sale at the home of British motor racing. Interest has already been strong and we’re looking to build on the success we enjoyed at our previous auction where we sold cars totalling £1.5 million.”

Those wishing to attend the auction, which is being held in Silverstone’s new £27 million ‘Wing’ building, Britain’s longest building at 360 metres, must register beforehand.

But while the auction surroundings in the ‘Wing’ are ultra-modern, some of the cars have a much more mature pedigree. Indeed, one of the oldest lots is a stunning 1928 Nash Sedan, featuring a twelve-sided steering wheel.

However, admirers of more modern vehicles won’t be disappointed. One of the newest and highest priced cars – a stylish 2007 McLaren Mercedes SLR – dates back just four years and is estimated between £160,000 and £190,000.

Also under the hammer is a wide collection of automobillia, including a 1906 French Grand Prix Brooch, a Jenson Button race suit and an original oil painting of the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio.

Those wanting to bid for any of the lots can do so in person by attending the sale, by telephone, by leaving a commission bid or live, online.

Nick added: “The Walter Hayes Sale boasts some real gems that very rarely come to market. The collection is also very varied in its appeal and is a great way to mark the end of the racing season.”

I just knew it would happen as soon as I heard the announcement of the discussion to increase the speed limit on motorways to 80mph.

And I didn’t have to wait long for the safety “experts” to explode onto the media with their horror stories and tales of doom. Here are a couple that came across my desk today. There are many more but to be honest I got a little bored with the sentimentallity of them all.

“Even from a breakdown perspective there’s a massive impact. It’s terrifying enough to be broken down on a Motorway with cars going at 70 miles an hour next to you, imagine them all travelling almost 15% faster? We would have concerns not only for the broken down motorist and their passenger(s), but also the mechanics in attendance.”
David Williams CEO of GEM Motoring Assist.

David, your mechanics are currently attending to breakdowns with vehicles travelling at 80-90mph next to them. Have you not driven on a UK motorway for some time?

“How are we suppose to cut CO₂ emissions by up to 80% as legislated by the Climate Change Act, when increasing the speed limit by 10 mph would increase CO₂ emissions by at least 17%? In a stroke, this would undo 10 years of hard work by the industry in reducing new car emissions and makes a nonsense of EU legislation to cut carbon from vehicles”.
Dr Ben Lane of Next Green Car

Dr Lane, at least the “cat” will reach operating temperature unlike the millions of vehicles that commute into citys spewing out masses of hydro-carbons due to the inefficiency of the “cat” when not at the correct operating temperature.

Today Gordon Murray Design Limited and Toray Industries Inc announce a prototype electric sports car named TEEWAVE AR.1.

The AR.1 had an internal GMD code number of ‘ T.32′ and the car is the result of a commission from Toray for Gordon Murray Design to design, tool and build a fully functioning prototype vehicle which utilises many of Toray’s advanced automotive materials in order to achieve Toray’s basic concept of an attractive vehicle for everyone.

The 2-seater sports car is designed to use the Toray carbon fibre component system with a process time of less than 10 minutes. A carbon monocoque, one of the key technologies of TEEWAVE, can be applied to all types of vehicle other than the 2-seater sports car.

The entire programme from concept discussions to running vehicle took just 9 months and was delivered on target, both in terms of cost and final handover. The power train in the vehicle are the base components used in one of the commercial electric vehicles currently available, but the unique electrical architecture and control units were developed by Gordon Murray Design.

A carbon front crash structure was designed and developed for the car.   A Full vehicle Euro Ncap O.D.B test was simulated in addition to a rigid barrier dynamic impact.  A correlation process was conducted on the front crash structure for both half energy and full energy using physical tests.  Quasi -static bend and torsion analysis was also conducted.

The AR.1 has a remarkably low weight of just 850kg (including the 240kg battery) putting the car firmly in Lotus Elise territory and some 400kg lighter than a Tesla.  The ultimate performance is limited by an output figure of 47kw but a torque of 180 Nm available from a standing start results in lively acceleration.

A  great deal of attention has been given to the low weight, low centre of gravity and suspension geometry which has resulted in an excellent ride and handling balance.

The concept design team included Barry Lett, Frank Coppuck, Kevin Richards and Gordon Murray.  Exterior and interior styling was designed by Zachary Seward, Kevin Richards, Barry Lett and Gordon Murray. The project leader at Gordon Murray Design was Mark Lewis.

The main architecture design team was led by Barry Lett and the engineering, composites and analysis team were led by Frank Coppuck, while the electrical system and power train design was by Dr Ralph Clague.

Gordon Murray Designs’ world class prototype build team ensured the vehicle was built to schedule and Gordon Murray Designs exacting standards.

At all stages during design and development Gordon Murray Design and Toray worked very closely on the design, use of materials and Toray’s automotive applications.  

The Toray team consisted of Toru Yamanaka, Project Leader,  Nobuhiko Shimizu, Project Manager,  Yukitane Kimoto, Composite Team Leader, Yoshito Kuroda, Yuki Sakamoto, Kosaku Hashimoto, Composite Team,  Alan Riley, UK Composite Handling and Osamu Goto, Project Advisor from Geo Technology.

Technical Specification

Emissions  NEDC Cycle 31.4 gms per Km (on Japan energy mix)

Toray Materials and Products used in the AR.1

1.  Toray carbon fibre for the monocoque chassis, crash structures, body, interior and seats.

2.  Toray PLA/PET floor mats and luggage mats.

3.  Toray paint film on steering wheel cover.

4.  Toray ‘Ultra Suede’  trim on seats and door cards.

5.  Toray PLA/Nylon alloy optional floor mats.

6.  TPO laminated soft touch material with Toray PLA foam and pressure sensitive adhesive on instrument panel, sills and door top trim.

7.  Toray Picasus film on instrument screen.

8.  Toray 3GT/PET polyester knit on A pillar trim panels.

Professor Gordon Murray of Gordon Murray Design said:

“It has been a pleasure to work with Toray Industries’ team on this challenging project.   The resultant vehicle weight of just 850Kg achieved using Toray’s carbon fibre once again proves that performance through light weight is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to achieve power to weight targets.”

Toray Industries said:

“Toray is happy to work with the Gordon Murray Design team to achieve Toray’s basic concept of an eco-friendly and highly efficient light weight electric concept vehicle, TEEWAVE.  It should be viewed as a flagship for embodying our Green Innovation Project in the automotive field.”

Visitors at this year’s Rallyday, at Castle Combe in Wiltshire on Saturday 17 September, can enjoy the ride of their life, as passenger in a Qt Services Wildcat 500 driven by Top Gear’s former ‘Stig’, Ben Collins. However, not only will they experience a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, they will also support the Race2Recovery campaign, as it raises money for wounded and disabled British servicemen.

The Race2Recovery campaign is supporting three charities – Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress – and has set itself a challenging goal: to compete in, and finish, the 2013 Dakar Rally and in the process, raise £2m for wounded British servicemen and their families. The team will run a pair of Qt Wildcats on the event, one driven by amputee Captain Tony Harris and co-driven by Captain Matt O’Hare, while the second will be driven by Qt’s Dave Marsh and co-driven by triple amputee Corporal Tom Neathway.

The team will be familiar to fans of BBC’s Top Gear, as they featured in the last episode of the latest series, preparing to begin competition in the Britpart British Cross Country Championship and gain their necessary license to compete on the Dakar.

Their cause has also attracted the attention of several celebrities, notably TG’s former ‘Stig’ and experienced racer, Ben Collins, who became the campaign’s Patron.

Collins will be one of the drivers giving passenger rides at RallyDay, rallying’s premier fan event. Other drivers will also be giving passenger rides, including Harris, who recently claimed Race2Recovery’s first class win in the BCCC, partnered by O’Hare.

Over the last few years, the organisers of the event, which draws huge crowds every year, have been developing the off-road, rally-raid presence at the show and this year, the Race2Recovery team will feature in this.

Passenger rides with Collins are priced at £250 while rides in one of the other Wildcats are priced at £20, with all proceeds going directly to Race2Recovery’s goals.

However, it’s not only rides in off-roaders that are available to supporters of Race2Recovery. Through the organisers, the team has secured two passenger rides in state-of-the-art stage rally cars: one in the works Ford Fiesta WRC, built in the UK by M-Sport and one in the Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX R4, also developed in the UK by the company formed from the ex-works Mitsubishi World Rally Team, MML Sports.

The driver of the Fiesta is yet to be confirmed but at the wheel of the Lancer will be former works Mitsubishi driver, Harri Rovanpera, who claimed second overall in Mitsubishi’s last official event in the WRC.

Both the rides in the Fiesta and the Lancer will be auctioned by Race2Recovery online, with the proceeds again contributing to the campaign’s goals.

Commenting, Harris said: “Rallyday is, without doubt, the biggest rally show in the UK and it was a bit of a no-brainer that we had to attend. Ben came up with the idea of ‘selling’ passenger rides in the Qt Wildcats to raise money towards our goals.

“The Rallyday organisers were incredibly supportive of the idea and we are all delighted to be at the event. Personally, I think £250 for a ride with Ben in one of the Wildcats is great value and will help our cause enormously. But of course, we will be just as grateful to anyone who goes for a £20 ride with one of the other drivers or simply makes a donation on the day.”

Collins is also excited by the prospect of the event: “I’m looking forward to seeing the R2R Team in action again at Rallyday at Castle Combe – the last time I saw them was on BBC’s Top Gear program and we were driving down a cliff face, so it should be exciting to see what the Team come up with this time out. Supporting this remarkable charity is a huge amount of fun and I would invite as many people as possible to come and meet the Team and to feel as inspired by their adventures as I do.”

Wildcat rides with Collins are limited and must be pre-booked, by emailing Race2Recovery Team Manager Andrew Taylor at Andrew@race2recovery.co.uk. Rides in the other four Wildcats can be booked on the day, though.

The all new Kia Rio is on sale in the UK on September 1st.

These are the official images released by Kia.

Gallery follows on next page.

Following the success of the ViaMichelin Traffic application for iPad, Michelin has extended its offering with the launch of the first edition of the 2011 Michelin France map for iPad. The application can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.

The quality and extensive content of Michelin maps combined with the flexibility of digital technology.

The 2011 Michelin France map, which has been optimised for the iPad screen, enables users to:

• Access three scale settings so that they can easily move about, zoom in on maps and refine their searches:
  - 1:1,000,000, the scale of the Michelin France map.
  - 1:275,000, the intermediate scale.
  - 1:200,000, the scale of the Regional maps and the Michelin France atlas.
• Launch rapid searches for a specific city.
• Display hotels and restaurants from the Michelin guide, as well as tourist sites selected in the Michelin Green Guides, using geolocation technology.
• Interface using the same graphic standards and same symbols as the printed Michelin maps.

Another advantage is that all map data is embedded in the iPad, which means no Internet link is necessary.This reduces possible connection costs and ensures that the maps are accessible at all times.

Users can consult the offline application from their home country when preparing their trip or when travelling in France and zoom at their leisure on the dynamic maps that are displayed, with no Internet hook-up costs.

In addition, users whose iPad is equipped with a GPS chip or who have Internet access can geolocate themselves instantly,move about on the maps and zoom at their leisure on the dynamic maps that are displayed.

Updated every year with new infrastructure data from across France, Michelin maps ensure that readers have access to the latest road and tourist information. Convenient and easy to use, they allow travellers to quickly get their bearings and visualize their surroundings.

Available in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish), the 2011 Michelin France map can be downloaded for £7.99.

Visitors to the National Motor Museum can now see its latest exhibition, Feats of Endurance, featuring vehicles that have stretched the boundaries of motoring endurance both in extreme conditions and on challenging terrain.

Throughout history mankind has felt the need to explore and discover.  With the invention of mechanised road transport, new challenges became possible and motorists and motorcyclists were soon pushing both themselves and their machines to perform new feats of endurance. Long journeys have tested drivers and machines from the earliest days of motoring, one of the earliest being the 1907, 9,000 mile, Peking to Paris Rally.

Adventures have often taken vehicles where few thought it possible; penetrating the jungles of Asia and the rain forests of South America, enduring the frozen expanses of the Arctic and the vast arid deserts of Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. Many adventurous journeys have also been undertaken on bicycles with continents crossed and mountains climbed.

Some gain satisfaction from completing a challenge simply because it is there; crossing a desert or traversing a continent.  The desire to win is the driving force of those who compete in long distance rallying while, for others, motoring expeditions can be used to promote a cause, highlight an issue or test new technology.

The vehicles on display in the exhibition illustrate all these motivations, from the   Austin Westminster that completed a 17,500 mile drive from Norway’s North Cape to Cape Town, South Africa in 1955, to the British team driven Land Rover 110 Turbo Diesel that won the Camel Trophy in 1989 and the 1978 Mini 1275GT and trailer that has twice driven round the world for charity.

Many two wheeled vehicles have also successfully travelled around the world including a Triumph Tiger 100 that in 1973 was taken on a 63,400 mile epic adventure round the world, a Guinness World Record Breaking BMW R1150GS Adventure and a Koga Miyata Signature bicycle that was ridden on an 18,296 mile journey through 20 countries.

The exhibition runs until the end of October 2011 and can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction which is open every day from 10am.  For more information visit www.beaulieu.co.uk or telephone 01590 612345.

Q-Park, an international parking company, has won the bid to take over 14 car parks in the heart of London. Q-Park has been granted the 25-year lease by Westminster City Council, leaving behind strong competition from across Europe by demonstrating its proven quality, outstanding operations, sustainable financial performance and after promising to invest GBP 10 million in an extensive refurbishment programme. Q-Park will take over operation of the car parks on 1 February 2011.

The 14 car parks which provide 4,200 car parking spaces and 900 motorcycle bays serve multiple customer groups with different economic, residential and leisure needs. For these customers, business partners and the local community, Q-Park seeks to increase the accessibility of Westminster, to improve safety for car drivers and pedestrians and to enhance the quality of public space. Very popular tourist destinations are located close by, such as the Houses of Parliament, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, Soho, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Lords cricket ground.
The 14 car parks are; Abingdon, Broadley, Chinatown, Church Street, Cramer Street, Harley Street, Knightsbridge, Oxford Street, Park Lane, Pimlico, Queensway, Soho, St John’s Wood and Trafalgar.
Besides the investment of GBP 10 million to support local economic, mobility and quality needs, Q-Park’s social responsibility policy will address fair pricing schemes, and will minimise traffic searching for a place to park, thus reducing CO2 emissions. It will also include sustainable and functional car park refurbishment and maintenance, and will support Westminster City Council with its integrated mobility-restricting policy.

Adam Bidder, Managing Director of Q-Park Great Britain: “We are delighted to have been chosen to work in partnership with Westminster City Council. We look forward to completing the process and investing in the car parks to the benefit of our customers. We believe this provides a framework for other local authorities to provide quality parking facilities which we hope to build on for the future”

Ward Vleugels, CEO of Q-Park NV: “We are delighted to be entrusted by the Westminster Council to provide a number of quality car parks across central London. This new partnership will enrich the parking experience of residents and visitors by offering quality facilities in a customer focused environment.”

Fans of Top Gear can now see three new cars from The Three Wise Men Christmas Special, in the World of Top Gear exhibition at Beaulieu.

For the 2010 Top Gear Christmas Special, the show’s producers sent presenters Jeremy, Richard and James on their most dangerous challenge to date; following the path of the three wise men, starting – rather worryingly – in Iraq and finishing some 1200 miles later, in Bethlehem. It was a journey of remarkable scenery, fascinating culture and a reasonable amount of massive scariness. It also did some terrible things to Richard Hammond’s bottom.

Jeremy Clarkson’s car of choice for this epic journey was a Mazda MX5. Special features include a unique ‘car of many colours’ paint job, evidence that the car was once fitted with an ‘axle of evil’ and holes in the bodywork left behind by Clarkson’s rubbish ‘bulletproofing’ plan. Don’t bother looking for the hookah pipe though – that fell off. If this car was running you might be able to hear if it was spluttering on three cylinders again. But it isn’t so you can’t.

James May’s malfunctioning BMW Z3 had a cunning camouflage paint scheme, inspired by the work of the Africa Corps and the Luftwaffe. This car does not contain the frankincense James bought in Bethlehem but if you’d like to recreate that particular gift simply steal a small bottle of shampoo from a hotel.

Richard Hammond was pleasantly surprised by the reliability of his Fiat Barchetta although the missing ‘buttock’ didn’t make for comfortable driving. Note the bits of actual desert carefully applied to the front of the car by smearing it in glue and then throwing sand at it, and the remnants of the Bedouin tent to the rear of the vehicle.

“We like to keep the exhibition as up to date as we possibly can and what could be better than for fans to see the show on TV and then the cars just a few days later,” said Stephen Munn, Commercial Director at the National Motor Museum.

The 2008 DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report says white is the top vehicle color choice in North America for the second straight year, and is a strong player globally, with “white effects” allowing consumers to differentiate cars subtly to express their individuality. Black and silver with effects also turned in a strong performance globally. The term “effects” refers to special pigments that lend a pearl or iridescent appearance to coatings.

The global review of color popularity reveals that preferences are converging around the world, but within the convergence there is subtle differentiation between markets. As DuPont reported in June 2008, blue is becoming more popular and currently ranks among consumers in North America with 13 percent of the overall market. Blue has garnered 12 to 13 percent of the market for the past few years and is a top five color choice in every market with the exception of Brazil.

“Neutral colors like silver and light gray shades capture a high volume, but long term they show a decreasing tendency in almost all regions,” said Nancy Lockhart, DuPont color designer for North America. “Moving forward, it will be imperative to refresh styling of these popular colors with different effects that can restore their popularity.”

Europe is dominated by the popularity of black vehicles in all segments. Black with effect, white/white pearl and silver are most popular across the board with a rise in bright reds in this year’s report. The rankings remain consistent for black/black effect with 26 percent of the market, silver with 20 percent and gray with 18 percent.

White/white pearl saw a slight increase in popularity, rising from 8 percent last year to 10 percent in 2008. The warm neutral tones of beige and brown regained popularity in 2008, reaching 4 percent — up from 2 percent last year.

“Current preferences are strongly influenced by ecological concepts, with demand growing for light, pure and sophisticated looks and the strength of blue showing optimism for the future,” said Elke Dirks, DuPont color designer for Europe. “In the long term, we believe that European consumers will ask for a more colorful and individualistic palette from car makers.”

Gordon Murray Design’s iStream® Manufacturing Process has won the SMMT 2010 Automotive Innovation Award. This prestigious award, from one of the UK’s largest and most influential trade associations, was launched in September to encourage the creation and development of new innovative products, technologies and ideas that could change the face of the UK automotive industry, as well as to recognise existing products which have already contributed to automotive excellence.

Judged by a panel of industry experts, including Dave Salt, chief engineer, GKN Driveline, Dr George Gillespie, chief executive officer, MIRA, Joe Greenwell, chairman, Ford of Britain and president, SMMT, Paul Everitt, chief executive, SMMT and Simon Lewis, motoring editor, Mail on Sunday Live magazine, Gordon Murray Design was announced as the winner at SMMT’s Annual Dinner last night.

Professor Gordon Murray, CEO & Technical Director of Gordon Murray Design said of the award “It is a great honour for the team at Gordon Murray Design to receive the SMMT Innovation Award for our iStream technology. For me personally, the most important message is the recognition that we need innovation in both technical and business sectors to help the UK take the lead in the new ‘green’ industrial revolution that is taking place in the automotive industry.

Weight reduction is the single most powerful tool in our industry’s armoury and iStream delivers lightweight with high levels of safety – it brings Formula One technology within reach of the every day motorist”.

Gordon Murray Design was established in 2007 to develop an innovative and disruptive automotive manufacturing technology trademarked iStream® – a complete rethink and redesign of the traditional manufacturing process which has the potential to be the biggest revolution in high volume manufacture since the Model T Ford.

The design and prototyping of Gordon Murray Design’s T.25 city car was central to both the development and validation of iStream® and represents a major breakthrough in city car design in the areas of weight, footprint, safety, usability and efficiency. Whilst applying a holistic and fit for purpose approach to the design and development of the T.25, Gordon Murray Design has taken the opportunity to incorporate solutions to multiple urban mobility problems.

What Car? readers have awarded the BMW 1 Series Coupé the Best Car Overall accolade in the 2010 What Car? Reader Awards. Second place went to the iconic Rover Defender and third to the Alfa Romeo MiTo.

What Car? Editor in chief Steve Fowler said: “The results suggest that no one ever regrets buying a 1 Series Coupé, with the vast majority of readers dishing out a full five-star verdict. The entry level BMW was complimented for its driving ability as well as its fuel consumption. It’s a worthy winner.”

Skoda was named Best Manufacturer 2010, while Saab was the worst overall.

The Ford Focus CC was ranked as the worst car overall with the biggest number of complaints stemming from problems with leaky roofs. Over half of the readers involved in the research gave their Ford Focus CC only a one-star rating. However, more recent favourable reviews suggest that Ford may have got to the bottom of the leaky roof problem.

The award for best supermini went to Alfa Romeo for the MiTo, while the Skoda Octavia picked up the award for the best small family car. The open-top category was won by the Lotus Elise, and the Volkswagen Passat CC was the winner in the family car and compact executive category.

Ford collected the MPV prize for the Ford C-MAX, the Land Rover Defender won the crossover and 4×4 category, and the coupé category was awarded to the BMW 1 Series Coupé. The Mercedes-Benz CLS came top of the luxury and executive cars class, and the British-built MINI Clubman won the estate class.

The What Car? Reader Awards comprise the opinions of 30,000 whatcar.com readers who have experience of what the cars are like to own and live with on an every-day basis. The 2010 Reader Awards cover 170 cars.

“Our relationship with our readers is very important to us and to all car buyers, and our annual What Car? Reader Awards provide invaluable information for anyone choosing a new car,” said Fowler.

Based on the already impressive Chevy Ute SS, (sold as the Pontiac G8 in the US and the Holden Ute SS in Australia) the 535bhp 590lb.ft 6-litre supercharged V8 SuperUte is a pick-up with supercar credentials offering 4.5-second 0-100km/h acceleration, dramatic overtaking ability and elasticity. SuperUte is also more economical and greener than standard while still remaining docile, gentle and easy to drive.

Powered by a supercharged V8 similar to that found in the Corvette ZR1, SuperUte clearly is a supercar – 0-60mph acceleration of an automatic version improves from the standard Ute’s already handy 6 seconds to 4.4 seconds, while 0-100mph flashes by in 9.9 seconds – almost four seconds faster than standard.

SuperUte reaches 125mph in 15.5 seconds – that’s over five seconds quicker than stock, boasts a quarter-mile time of 12.7 seconds at 113mph and runs the standing kilometre in 22.8 seconds at 150mph while top speed is up 25mph to 175 mph.

SuperUte is not just all speed and power – improvements extend to bigger race-specification front disc brakes and callipers, while subtle yet effective suspension tweaks will see the Ute’s already impressive handling, road holding and dynamic ability also improve without undue compromise to ride and comfort.

The TractionBar is unique SuperUte device that Lupini applies to enable the pick-up to dip well below the five-second 0-60mph-acceleration bracket.

Another vital LupiniPower aspect is the company’s standard Warranty & Service Plan in its home market to ensure customer peace of mind normally lost when factory plans are voided by such aftermarket modifications. SuperUte enjoys a 5 -year Unlimited LupiniPlan Performance Warranty in South Africa.

The Lupini SuperUte comes with a striking staggered 20” wheel & tyre set-up with 8.5J front and 10J wide rear alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE050 ultra-high performance tyres, while option boxes available to be ticked include full Bilstein suspension and a limited-slip differential for the serious track day fan. Only a limited number of SuperUtes will be offered to guarantee exclusivity.

LupiniPower’s Chevrolet SuperUte sells for US $91 500 (Euro 63 000, GBP58000) for a complete new vehicle in South Africa. An identical LupiniPower SuperLumina option is available on the Chevrolet Lumina SS sedan.

Visit www.lupini.co.za for more SuperUte information or contact info@lupini.co.za for more on export opportunities on the vehicles

LupiniPower Chevrolet SuperUte

Specifications

• All other specifications as per Chevrolet Ute SS Automatic

LupiniPower Chevrolet SuperUte Automatic – Performance vs. Standard

All quoted performance; fuel economy & other figures on both SuperUte & Standard are independent LupiniPower tests.

A car used by the greatest Briton* – Sir Winston Churchill – is set for auction at arguably the greatest British auction venue – Brooklands – when Historics hosts its third sale at its permanent home on Saturday, December 4th.

Featuring the finest coachwork by the Carlton Carriage Co., the Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupé was used by the British Prime Minister during 1944 and 1949 election campaigns and is expected to fetch offers in the region of £200,000 to £250,000.

Owing to the second world war, only eight of the proposed 23 DB18 Drophead Coupés due for 1939 were built, with four completely destroyed during the Blitz, a fifth so badly damaged it was scrapped and the whereabouts of two unknown, Chassis 49531 remains the only discovered surviving 1939 model.

Rolling off the production line in the same year motor racing ceased at Brooklands, the DB18 was capable of a top speed of 76 mph and a 0 – 50 mph acceleration time of a none-too-shabby 17.9 seconds.

Although technically speaking the DB18 utilises manual transmission, the car actually makes use of a 4 speed Wilson Pre-selector gearbox in tandem with the Daimler Fluid Flywheel, which allows the driver to select the next available gear by hand before using the ‘change pedal’ to enact the shift.

With its extensive history well documented, including ownership in the U.S.A, Germany, UK and even by an Iranian Prince, this eminently intriguing motorcar has benefited from a painstaking c €140,000 top-to-bottom restoration by the revered restorer, E. Thiesen of Hamburg, Germany.

Finished in stately silver over black coachwork with a contrasting three-position cabriolet hood, the striking exterior is complimented by a luxurious green leather bench seat in the front and sideways seat in the rear, whilst an elegant wooden dashboard houses period black Jaeger instruments.

The car will be on display at the Brooklands Museum until the sale on Saturday December 4th, and for more information, or to attend the Historics at Brooklands auction on the afternoon of December 4th, call 0800 988 3838, e-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk, or see the website, www.historics.co.uk. Entry by catalogue only, available prior to, or on the day of the auction.

As tens of thousands of new students leave home and head for university this month, Warranty Direct reveals that the best car to pack them off in, for the student-sized budget of under £3000, is the Honda Jazz.

The diminutive Jazz is the least likely runabout to leave its driver stranded on the hard shoulder, and is also cheap to repair if it does break down.

Warranty Direct analysed its 50,000 live policies to produce the reliability list of small used cars that come with a price tag suitable for parents or cash-strapped students.

The Vauxhall Astra is second in the list, and Toyota’s trusty Yaris completes the top three recommendations.

Top 10 most reliable student favourites

To measure overall reliability, Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index reviews rate of failure, average mileage, age and repair cost to calculate its rating.

The Honda Jazz has only an eight percent chance that it will break down in an average year, and costs an average of £231.59 when a fault does occur. Likewise, only 11 percent of Astra owners make a claim during a typical year.

At the other end of the table, 23 percent of Citroen C3s suffer a fault in an average year, although owners can expect bills of just £211.90.

Just over half of Daewoo Matiz drivers report axle and suspension faults, while a fifth of Fiat Punto models suffer engine woes.

Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, said: “Sending a son or daughter off to university can be a worrying experience for a parent, so having the peace of mind that you’ve sent them off in a car that’s less likely to break down is a bonus.

“Our research should be reassuring to those with a modest budget, although any vehicle can land you with a large bill if you are unlucky, particularly when a car moves into its fourth and fifth year.”

More information can be found at any time at Warranty Direct’s www.reliabilityindex.co.uk website.

Searching for a unique gift for the car fan in your family? Model Marque has the answer, with a range of exquisite high-quality die-cast cars – and any message you like personalised on the front and back number plates.

Visit www.model-marque.com and pick the car from the hundreds available, then enter details of the letters/numbers to appear as the registration. Each plate is colour-correct; black lettering on white at the front, and black on yellow for the rear. Silver on black for older vehicles is also available. Best of all it’s free; there’s no additional cost for a personalised plate.

“There’s space for up to eight characters and we’ve had all sorts of requests,” said managing director Victor Keller. “We can do names, dates, football club initials like ‘MUFC’, actual number plates, messages such as ‘No 1 Dad’, or a simple ‘Thanks’. The only limit is the customer’s imagination.”

Cars to choose from include newer models such as Mercedes’ striking gullwing SLS AMG. Classics like the Jaguar E-Type are well represented – there are five different versions to choose from! – as well as mainstream and more obscure models.

“There are plenty of WRC rally cars and we have Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren Formula One racer,” explained Victor. “We even do TV cars like the General Lee Dodge Charger and our range of personalised tractors is very popular too.”

Each replica is approximately 25cms long and accurate in every detail. Many feature opening doors, bonnet and boot, as well as stunning interiors and engine bays. Working steering is also available on some models. Exact details for each car are included on the website.

To place an order or find out more please visit www.model-marque.com or call 01603 663691.

Surf’s up dudes – and here’s the proof! Chevrolet, the manufacturer behind the market-leading 5-Year Promise aftercare package, has pulled the wraps off a one-off special version of its top-selling Spark supermini, created to celebrate the brand’s American heritage and connection to youth culture.

Spotted driving around Newquay, Cornwall, at the start of the annual Boardmasters surf, skate and music festival, the Spark Woody will go on to star at the grand final of this year’s Young? Creative? Chevrolet! arts competition, which takes place in Paris on the eve of the International Motor Show next month.

The car recalls the dawn of the surf movement in the USA, when, in the late Fifties and early Sixties, surfers bought ‘Woodies’. These were traditionally large estate cars based on mainstream models, but with timber framed bodywork, as they were both cheap and spacious enough to carry their boards and equipment.

Woody Wagons were immortalised in song, chiefly in The Beach Boys’ Surfin Safari and Jan and Dean’s Surf City, both widely regarded as two of the most famous surfing tunes ever.

Yet even when car makers stopped using wooden frames, an expensive and difficult production process, the Woody had become so much a part of American culture that its essence continued, with Chevrolet one of many US manufacturers who used Di-Noc woodgrained vinyl panelling to maintain the woody effect.

The Spark Woody was created in the UK for Chevrolet using a three-quarter vinyl body wrap provided by Pyramid Visuals of Weybridge, whose speciality is normally in vans and shop frontages. Its roof is adorned with an Escape Mini-Mal surfboard, made in Cornwall, as its wood-effect panelling was in keeping with the car’s retro styling.

Chevrolet chose Newquay to show off the car for the first time, as the Cornish resort is famous across the world for its surfing culture – the Atlantic Ocean meets the British Isles at one of its narrowest peninsulas, which gives naturally excellent conditions for surfing.

The Spark Woody is one of a series of Art Sparks created by Chevrolet Europe in the past year. The first, a unique interpretation of the car by German fashion designer Smeilinener, made its debut at the final of the Young? Creative? Chevrolet Art Competition in Berlin last October, while other Art Sparks include a one-off WTCC leading car by Portuguese art student Jose Rocha, a YCC winner, and a Spark DJ Car – the world’s largest record turntable, created by Chevrolet UK this year.

A further Art Spark, created by 27-year old British artist Ian Cook, will appear later this month at Silverstone Circuit to coincide with the British Touring Car Championship meeting there, while the Spark Woody will make its next public appearance this coming weekend at Snetterton, again tied in to the BTCC.

After nearly 50,000 kms riding his Yamaha Tenere Z 660 XT, on his Circumnavigation of Africa, Spencer Conway is near to completing his epic venture. He is due to arrive back in the UK in the quiet village of  Biddenden, in Kent,  on Sunday the 15 th of August.

On his travels, which have been accomplished solo and unsupported, he has experienced highly dangerous and life-threatening incidents. Shot at in Kenya, robbed in Angola and avoiding logging trucks intent on forcing him off the road in Ghana, he has survived, and is about to return to his family and friends in his home village.

His bike has taken him across four deserts where, in the Sahara, he felt the full force of sandstorms in 45 degrees and, conversely, struggled through tropical thunderstorms that turned the murram roads into quagmires. He had to contend with animals, both wild and domestic, suddenly running across his tracks and also had to avoid potholes as big as craters that forced quick evasive action.

Conway camped wherever he could, sometimes deep in the bush and at other times in campsites where he was able to have a shower and a short respite on his travels. He survived on food gathered from the roadside, sometimes on snakes and other edible creatures and, of course, on the staple food of Africa, mealie pap and gravy. Over the nine months journey Conway has lost nearly 12 kls in weight.

He saw the face of Africa, both good and bad, met some amazing people, received support and help in times of difficulty and managed to deal with red tape and petty officialdom that caused some extensive delays on his trip.

The Tenere proved to be his friend and companion and without this machine living up to its reputation he would never have completed the circumnavigation. After countless punctures, several changes of tyres to suit different terrains, a snapped chain and adjustments to shocks and repairs to broken lights and clutch the bike has proved its worth.

He is now in Morocco and will head home through Spain and France in the next two weeks. TV and Press will be in Biddenden on the 15^th to record his arrival. It is expected that bikers will be there to welcome him home and to congratulate him on his amazing feat. Representatives from ‘Save the Children’ will also attend as Conway has acted as Ambassador for the Charity, visiting projects in several African countries. He has raised nearly £28,000 for medical supplies and orphanages in Sudan, Angola and Burkina Faso.

Visit www.africa-bike-adventure.com for further information.

Car enthusiasts in the UK can now enhance the appearance of their cars and enjoy improved performance and handling with Solomon Alsberg’s new Eco Super Light forged alloy wheels. Following a three-year period of testing and development, the premium wheel specialist has optimised its design and manufacturing techniques to produce a strong, stylish and highly durable wheel that weighs up to 35 percent less than its cast counterpart. The result is a considerable reduction to the vehicle’s unsprung weight, allowing the driver to experience sharper handling, improved steering feel and faster acceleration, while reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by over ten percent in stop-go driving conditions.

Available in an array of striking designs, Solomon Alsberg’s wheels are styled from blanks supplied by Alcoa, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forged alloy wheels, whose customers include luxury and high performance car makers such as Aston Martin and Ferrari. The unique process used to forge the alloy blanks allows for class leading strength and reliability, while fashioning the wheels from standard blanks provides Solomon Alsberg with the opportunity to create a wide range of different styles. 

“We’re delighted to be launching such high technology wheels in the UK aftermarket,” explains Aleksandr Aksentyev, manager, Solomon Alsberg. “In designing a super light wheel we sought to boost vehicle performance while also recognising the need to reduce CO₂ emissions and help improve fuel economy. It’s very much a twenty-first century product design: efficient and environmentally conscious.”

Independent testing conducted by leading German specialist TUV on a German premium saloon revealed that when running on Solomon Alsberg Eco Super Light wheels, the minimum weight saving per wheel was 3.7 kg compared to the lightest cast equivalent. Two different sets of Solomon Alsberg 19 inch and 20 inch wheels were used for the test, followed by cast wheel equivalents of the same size. In addition to the fuel economy/ CO₂ benefit, the cars using Solomon Alsberg’s forged wheels showed acceleration improvements of up to 2.8 percent.

Solomon Alsberg supplies 19, 20, 21 and 22 inch wheels to fit Porsche, Lexus, BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and Infiniti cars. Its Eco Super Light manufacturing processes combine Alcoa’s latest technological advances in wheel blank forming with sleek and striking designs. Rigorous testing at top Russian and German laboratories takes place at every stage to ensure that the wheels provide outstanding weight reduction without compromising strength and reliability.

Europe’s new car market continues to be a place of marked contrasts, with certain brands and markets growing sales and others not, as revealed by the latest monthly analysis from the world’s leading provider of automotive intelligence, JATO Dynamics.

European sales have fallen again in June (down 6.5% vs. June 2009), dragging down the overall YtD figure to just 1.1% above the same period last year.

The continued weakness in German and Italian new car markets (down 32.3% and 19.1%, respectively) is the main contributory factor to lower sales volumes, which is also affected by the lack of strong Central and Eastern Europe economies. 

This is affecting some of the major brands – including Fiat, Ford and Volkswagen – that traditionally sell well to German and Italian buyers. 

In France and UK, by contrast, things look better: sales figures are in the black (up 2.3% and 10.8%, respectively), helping certain brands whose sales are based on these markets, to show more positive sales figures.

However, as David Di Girolamo, Head of JATO Consult cautions, this should not be taken at face value:  “It is certainly true that demand is weak today in Germany, but direct comparisons to June 2009 should bear in mind that Germany’s scrappage scheme was active in this period, driving high sales, whereas the UK scheme had only just begun and in June 2009 this market was still relatively depressed.” 

Brand Performance

One brand that has seen a net benefit over the past year is Renault.  In June 2009, Renault was fifth in the new car sales YtD; it is now second and just 196,694 behind Volkswagen, with its Clio and Mégane both up again in June.

Elsewhere, new models have offered the key growth opportunities.  Opel/Vauxhall Astra is performing strongly in many European markets, pushing the brand to third in overall sales, while the increased popularity of Volkswagen’s new Polo is lifting the German brand’s fortunes outside its scrappage-hit home market.

Both Ford and Volkswagen are showing declines in sales, in part affected by the German market downturn, which followed a 35.1% decline in May, with a 32.3% drop in June, vs. the same periods, 2009. 

Similarly, Fiat is suffering from the Italian market’s weakness.  While it retains the top three selling models in Italy for June, each recorded a drop in sales, vs. 2009.

Brand Performance

Model Performance

Opel/Vauxhall’s performance is down to two key models – Corsa and Astra – the latter of which was recently relaunched.  Both were particularly popular in the UK during June (sales up 22.2% and 85.9%, respectively) and have consequently taken second and fourth place overall in sales. 

The other big model recently relaunched was the Volkswagen Polo (overall June 2010 sales up 72.3%), whose freshness has afforded it a far greater popularity than its predecessor attracted in the same period in 2009.

Renault’s refreshed Clio and Mégane continue to show improving sales, while the Ford Focus and Fiat Panda have dropped out of Europe’s top ten selling models.

Top 10 models

National Trends

Germany’s severe post-scrappage decline has not yet affected its position as the biggest market in Western Europe, but it is second only to Greece (down 40%) in the weakening of new car demand.

Concludes David Di Girolamo: “The balance of new car sales has not shifted yet.  However, if current trends continue and any of the other major markets gain momentum, we may yet see Germany lose its title as the largest new car market in Europe.”

Sales by Market

Top Gear presenter and notorious scourge of the caravan industry Jeremy Clarkson last night outed himself in front of millions of viewers across the world by saying something positive about a caravan – an Airstream travel trailer to be precise.

Hollywood movie star and Airstream owner Andy Garcia was enthusing about his 34 foot “silver bullet” trailer, in reply to which Jeremy openly admitted that Airstreams “look very good”.




However, just as Airstream enthusiasts the world over were jumping off their sofas in premature celebration, he wrongly added that owners of Airstream travel trailers must use a bucket for certain bodily functions.He didn’t say it exactly like that, but we don’t want to shock you, gentle professionals of the Fourth Estate.

We would just like to take this opportunity to point out that all European specification Airstreams don’t just look good but feature spacious bathrooms, extensively equipped with the finest porcelain bathroom fixtures.

To some, a car is simply functional, to others a passion, but to 26-year old Oliver Ashley, four-wheel fever knows no bounds.

Since 2007 Oliver, a senior technical manager for a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Bristol, has been building a car from the ground up, forsaking a normal social life to fulfil his dream of creating a truly unique automotive masterpiece.

The K1 Attack roadster, on which Oliver’s car is based, is born of a small Slovakian producer, and has been on the hardcore enthusiast’s radar across the globe since the first cars appeared some years back. Progress to market has been slow, which prompted Oliver to take matters into his own hands.

It started with an approach to Swindon-based mobile entertainment specialists, Clarion, who Oliver suggested might like to showcase its award-winning audio, multimedia and satellite navigation equipment in his project.

Over three years later, after 4,000 hours of spare time toil, patience, immense skill, and an almost obsessive drive for perfection – not to mention £70,000 of his hard-earned cash and savings – Oliver’s unique K1 Attack sportscar is wowing crowds at shows across the country.

Starting with a basic chassis, some body panels and a variety of components, delivered in a box from the Slovakian factory in 2006, Oliver set to in his garage, creating and building his dream car in stages.

“I have actually assembled the car four times since starting the project”, said Oliver. “I had an original concept firmly in mind, and the design and specification evolved as I went along by building the car, checking the fit of every new component, dis-assembling, making modifications and so on, until I was happy with every element.”

Oliver’s parts list, created as the build progressed, included a whole host of one-off items specially produced for the car – which he designed and had made, all echoing his fanatical desire for individuality and quality. These include linear actuators and mechanisms for opening the driver & passenger doors by remote control, carbon fibre bodywork and interior detailing, colour-coded cabling, polished hoses and pipework, chromed suspension and a full bespoke leather/Alcantara cockpit, detailed with exquisite design and styling touches.

But as Oliver explains, attention to detail doesn’t come cheap: “For example, I chose Asanti wheels from the USA, at £2,000 each, because they are just the greatest. I spent many thousands of pounds more on the composite bodywork styling, hand-crafted seats and interior, suspension, lighting, designing and engineering a right-hand drive conversion, even chroming hundreds of nuts and bolts…the list is endless.”

Along with Clarion, which has supported Oliver from the outset with a dashboard delight of  of state-of-the-art audio and DVD, amplifiers, ‘speakers, hard drive navigation, and a rear reversing camera system, other major brands have assisted in the build, including MOMO, which dipped into its treasure chest of interior styling products to add Italian flair to Oliver’s creation, and Yokohama, whose  legendary high-performance tyres now grace the car.

With a 250bhp Honda Civic Type R 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox installed midships, ultra taut race-bred suspension and formidable Brembo braking, the car’s performance is more than a match for its stunning looks, which are capped with a sumptuous Lamborghini pearl white paint finish.

Amidst all the attention, Oliver is frequently asked what he’ll do now the car is finished. “I’ve actually been offered a lot of money to sell it but I plan to enjoy it for a year or so, and after that? Well, building a speedboat from scratch could be fun,” he mused, suggesting this isn’t the last we’ll hear of the West Country wizard.

Vehicle Specification

Vehicle & Bodywork

• Steel tubular K1 Attack chassis coated in graphite metallic powder coat with full custom right-hand drive conversion.
• Composite body, finished in Lamborghini balloon white pearl, with graphite detailin
• Carbon fibre front and rear valences
• Bespoke carbon fibre bonnet pods
• Bespoke rear tailgate with boot and spoiler assembly
• Bespoke carbon fibre one-piece roof & windows  
• Bespoke two-piece roof with mohair panels for “get me home” roof 

Engine/ Transmission

• 246bhp Honda Civic type R Ep3 engine 2-litre with 6-speed manual Honda type R gearbox
• Hondata Kpro ECU, custom-mapped and tuned
• Custom side HKS inlet air intake
• Colour coded / polished hoses and pipe work
• Full Samco Urban Camo hose kit
• Two light weight Powervamp  racing batteries in custom framework at front of chassis
• Supercharger conversion to be fitted 2010

Braking

• Front: Brembo Gran Turismo vented & cross-drilled discs and calipers
• Rear: Brembo DC5 vented & cross-drilled discs and calipers with combined hand brake mechanism
• Tilton Brake bias valve

Wheels & Wheels

• Bespoke Asanti 144 wheels 19” x 8.5 front; 19” x 10 rear
• Yokohama Advan tyres Front:  235/40 ZR19  Rear:  285/35ZR19

Suspension

• Sporteing adjustable coil-overs with custom springs
• Front suspension arms coated in marine chrome 

Cooling & Exhaust

• Bespoke stainless exhaust system with twin centre exit exhaust, inc high flow catalytic converter
• Bespoke four-branch manifold
• Bespoke stainless coolant pipe work front to rear
• Alloy front mounted radiator, with custom alloy header tank

Interior

• Racing seats re-moulded in carbon fibre & trimmed in black leather, red stitching with red alcantara detailing
• Instrument panel glove box and door cards trimmed in Black leather with red stitching & red alcantara detailing to match seats
• Centre dash panned remoulded in carbon fibre then re-trimmed in leather & red alcantara
• Bespoke carbon fibre centre console with bespoke stainless gear surround
• Momo GTR2 Steering wheel re-trimmed with red alcantara grips to match interior
• Momo GTR2 gear knob with custom gator
• Momo GTR2 handbrake handle
• Momo GTR2 pedals
• Momo 4-point race harness in red

Audio & multimedia

• Dashboard chassis assembly lowered by 50mm to accommodate Clarion MAX678RVD double DIN multimedia head unit
• Two pairs of Clarion SRU1720 component speakers moulded into bespoke door cards and A-pillar housings re-trimmed in leather & alcantara
• Clarion NAX973HD hard drive navigation moulded into dashboard below glove box
• Two Clarion APA4360 active amplifiers built into floors below seats
• Clarion CC2011E reverse camera set into rear number plate surround
• Clarion BLT373 Bluetooth hands free phone kit
• Clarion iPod kit mounted into glove box
• Two Clarion PFW1051 subwoofers built into bespoke fibreglass enclosures behind each seat, re-trimmed in black leather & red alcantara
• Portable 1000 Gigabyte hard drive built into custom concealed enclosure behind seat

Ancillary

• Linear actuators installed for remote one-touch access to driver & passenger doors, boot & bonnet
• PIAA Hid headlight system, LED sidelights
• Renovatio LED rear lights
• Full Cat1 alarm / immobiliser system with mobile alert system

For more details on the Clarion range of products and a full list of dealers, call Clarion (GB) Ltd., on 01793 870400, or visit www.clarion.co.uk.

Beaufort Restorations is celebrating 30 years of restoring, repairing and preparing an extraordinary diversity of fascinating historic road and competition cars for clients across the world.

A glimpse into Beaufort Restorations’ workshop taken at any time during the past three decades would reveal some very interesting ‘patients’. Managing Director Mike Williams and his specialist team have brought back to life everything from an 1898 Locomobile steam car to Grand Prix cars. The eclectic mix in the workshop has also included a 1920s NN Renault bread van which Mike surmises may well have been used by the Maquis (part of the French Resistance) during WWII as, when the paint was stripped off, a spray of machine gun bullet holes was revealed.

Legendary competition machines…

Vintage and Historic Grand Prix and sports-racing cars the team has restored and/or prepared grace racetracks across Europe, preserving these pieces of motor racing history for spectators to enjoy in action decades after they first raced.

They include such legendary machines as the ex-Graham Hill BRM P261, ‘Hanuman II’ – the ex-Prince Bira of Siam E.R.A. R12B, a Maserati 250F, three Connaught GP cars, C-type Jaguar XKC 008, the D-type XKD534 (known as the ‘New Zealand Barn-Find Car’), a 1970s Formula 5000 McLaren, and the one of the last British front-engined Grand Prix cars, the beautiful Aston Martin DBR4/250.

…magnificent road cars – and more!

Beaufort Restorations’ craftsmen have always turned their highly skilled hands to restoring and maintaining an equally diverse range of road cars. Here, again, the ‘patient’ list is fascinating, including virtually every type of pre-war Bentley, plus Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6, pre and post-War Alvis, pre-War MGs, MkVIII, Mk2, XK 120 Lightweight and XK 150 Jaguars, SS100, Isotta Fraschini, Lancia Aurelia B20, the afore-mentioned 1898 Locomobile steam car, Railton Fairmile Coupé, 1920s Stanley Steamer, Messerschmitt Tiger and Borgward Isabella, plus a variety of pre and post-war motorcycles.

They have also undertaken the redesign and build of a Riley Big 4 to meet the client’s desire for a ‘more sporting machine’ that could be entered into competitive events and even returned a Tiger Moth biplane to the skies with a fresh colour scheme. Beaufort Restorations has been awarded the accolade of ‘Restoration of the Year’ at the International Historic Motorsport Show, and received a Bonhams award for restoration excellence.

Everything under one roof

Key to Beaufort Restorations’ success is the fact that it can provide everything needed for a total nut and bolt restoration of a historic vehicle at its workshops in the Kent countryside, and, if any component – however large or complex – is beyond restoration, the company’s craftsmen can make a replacement.

Engines can be rebuilt, reconditioned and blueprinted. Bodywork can be restored or new, one-off panels or complete bodies constructed from alloy or steel. Chassis can be renovated or new chassis fabricated, and ash frames created from scratch. Transmissions, brakes and electrics can all be restored or, again, new ones made. And the perfect finishing touches are delivered in the paintshop, with its temperature-controlled paint booth, by the coachtrimmers, who work with the finest leather, Wilton carpet, woolcloth, double-duck and mohair, and by the metal platers, who use chrome and nickel to restore bumpers, radiators etc. to their former glory.

“Our aim from the start was to create a ‘one-stop-shop’, where an owner could find, under one roof, all the specialist services and knowledge needed for the total restoration of their motor car. We didn’t want to be restricted to one area of specialism or to one marque.”

A labour of love

Over the years, Mike has seen the highs and lows of the effect the world’s economic climate has on the historic car world at first hand. The recession of the early ‘90s and the crash of the collectors’ car market was a hard blow to the company, but the car collector David Wenman became his fellow Director in the business and Beaufort Restorations went from strength to strength.

Mike has seen every type of owner, from the ‘Cheque Book Charlies’ of the late 80s who saw cars purely in financial terms to the true enthusiast. After 30 years working on the machines he loves, with a business that has enabled him to meet boyhood heroes such as Tony Rolt, Tony Brooks, Tony Rudd, Sir Stirling Moss and so many others, he takes perhaps the greatest satisfaction in seeing each enthusiast owner’s reaction when presented with the finished project – such as that of the owner of a low-chassis Invicta S-Type. The man had owned the car since the 1960s but it had not been drivable for many, many years. When the owner collected it, Mike remembers “The absolutely HUGE grin on his face… a mature man scrolling back through the years, the countryside flashing by as he changed up through the gears – man and machine reunited for new adventures!”

Challenging new projects always invited

“It would be fitting to mark our 30th anniversary with a new and challenging project,” said Mike Williams, “and we invite owners currently contemplating what may seem like an impossible restoration to contact us. We also invite both existing and potential clients to visit our new website, where they can view many of our projects.”

Beaufort Restorations can be contacted on +44 (0) 1795 830288 or through www.beaufortrestoration.com.

Now in its third year, Victory Wheelers South-coast based bash, South Coast Internationals goes from strength to strength. Held in the grounds of theNational Motor Museum from 18^th – 20^th June, it started as a one day event in 2008 with 200 custom cars on display in the Beaulieu Arena. In 2009 it moved to a three day event with a large contingent of custom car enthusiasts spending the whole weekend at Beaulieu, their numbers swelling further on the Sunday’s  Hot Rod and Custom Car Drive-In-Day,

This year’s event proved equally successful with 150 custom cars arriving for the weekend, increasing to over 500 Hot Rods and Customs, Classic Americans, Chops and Bobbers sunning themselves in the picturesque Beaulieu grounds on Sunday.

Friday evening saw a steady stream of custom vehicles heading for Beaulieu and by nightfall, over 150 vehicles were parked and their owners happily camping in the Beaulieu parkland with entertainment provided during the evening by Ace Trio. On Saturday 130 vehicles took part in Cruise-Out through the picturesque New Forest to the waterfront at Christchurch for a lunch stop, returning to Beaulieu through more of the beautiful New Forest. In the evening it was time to stroll over to the Surf City Diner and party till late with live music from Dr Blue and ZZ Eliminator, with surf boards optional!

On Sunday, more hot rod and custom cars joined the event to provide a stunning display of vehicles on the Beaulieu Arena, bringing the final tally of vehicles to over 500, including many custom bikes. In addition, there were a number of trade stands selling custom related merchandise and accessories, a free Speedway, funfair ride and live music, again from Ace Trio. The day is becoming a ‘must-do’ event for Beaulieu’s visitors who, this year numbered 5,000.

Assisted by Burlesque performer, ‘Dolly Divine’, the Hon Ralph Montagu presented prizes, including Autoglym car cleaning products, to the 6 best cars in each decade from the 1920s to the 70s.  Best Club Car went to Dave Weaver in a 1957 Chevrolet, packing over 1,000hp under (and over) its bonnet and Best in Show, given by Custom Car Magazine, went to Gary Chester in a 1932 Ford Model B 5 window coupe. The People’s choice, both Beaulieu visitors and show entrants, was a 1941 mustard yellow Cadillac Lowrider, driven all the way from Belgium by Hugo Vervliet.

Custom Car magazine, Milkcow gave a trophy for the Best Tradition Rod, awarded to Brian Lucas in a 1932 Ford Roadster and American Car World awarded the American Choice to Shaun McGee in a 1953 Hudson Hornet.

A new award was presented this year in memory of last year’s Victory Wheelers Chairman, Alan Partridge, from Stubbington. Known to all as ‘Big Al’, he died at the end of last year, after a short illness. The award, given to the member of the club who best exemplifies his spirit, was presented to Martin Griffin by Big Al’s children, Alex, Tom and Violet and his father Patch.

Keith Ellis, this year’s Victory Wheelers Chairman, said:” It has been another brilliant weekend event, with even more vehicles and trade stands than last year and the variety and quality of vehicles consistently strong.”

The Hot Rod & Custom Drive-In-Day was supported by Custom Car Magazine.

The new Kia Sportage, which goes on sale in August, is Kia’s latest European-designed model to have been specifically developed for the UK’s roads and drivers.  Research & development experts from Kia Motors (UK) have been involved with the testing of the new Sportage, to be built at the Žilina plant in Slovakia, from the prototype stages in mainland Europe right up until final testing in the UK itself during the early part of 2010.

“Being involved right from the early stages of prototype testing on project ‘SL’ (the internal codename for the new Sportage), in both dynamic and static performance testing, has meant that we have been able to ensure UK market needs have been incorporated throughout the development process” explains Neil Kent, Product Specialist, from Kia Motors (UK). 

“Once we had completed testing for ride quality, steering and dynamics with our European colleagues, vehicles were then brought to the UK for final set-up, benchmarking and evaluation.  UK testing is invaluable as it allows us to ensure we have the right levels of comfort and performance for the very specific road conditions we have here”, he added.

Kia engineers at the Korean firm’s Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany are confident the new Sportage will meet the demands of European customers as well as the challenging variety of roads they drive on. 

Michael Lugert, Kia’s Steering & Suspension Development Manager explains: “When we benchmarked the leading competitors we found some offered comfort, others focused on agility.  With Sportage we believe we have balanced these two attributes well and created a Kia whose primary focus is on ride quality but maintains agility and good dynamics.” 

Lugert continues: “The entire suspension set-up – springs, dampers, stabiliser bars and bushes – has been developed on European roads.  We also worked with our tyre partners to select specific EU market compounds.  The steering also had to have a ‘European feel’ – very natural with a linear torque build-up – so the electric steering has been adjusted to achieve this.”

Following in the footsteps of Soul, Venga and Sorento, the new Sportage will be the fourth consecutive new Kia to be launched which has undergone development in the UK – Michael Cole, Managing Director for Kia Motors (UK) Limited, commented: “The United Kingdom is the largest market for Kia in Europe so great efforts are made to ensure that our new products not only look and feel ‘European’ but that they perform just as UK customers want them to.  Sportage has been in the UK for over fifteen years – I’m convinced that the new generation’s striking design and great on-road ability will find favour with both our loyal existing customers and people who are new to the Kia brand.”

An investigation by E&T magazine has raised serious questions about the viability of investing in the production of EV batteries using lithium-ion or any other current technology – plus the millions required to build the supporting infrastructure – suggesting the Government would be better placed to encourage the development of high efficiency diesel models and hybrids.

With consumers indicating that they will resist switching to electric cars until their overall performance more closely matches conventional models, limits in battery technology are forcing manufacturers to restrict plans to cars with effectively the same range as electric vehicles made in 1910 – and no obvious solutions are on the horizon.

The article in the latest issue of E&T (issue 9, out 17 June, published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology) gives the example of a standard model Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf being capable of travelling for over 600km – in mixed driving conditions – on one tank of fuel and easily maintaining 70mph.  However, for an electric car to offer a similar level of performance, E&T experts calculated that the batteries alone would weigh 1.5 tons, would be larger than a complete conventional car and would cost approximately £100,000.

While progress on costs is expected in the next ten years, a battery-powered car will remain significantly more expensive and heavier than a conventional car and their realistic range is likely to remain at around 100 miles – with possibly half that range in winter.

And with the majority of UK electricity likely to be from non-renewable sources for the next ten years an electric vehicle could actually contribute more CO2to the environment than a current high efficiency diesel model.

Put simply, battery technology has at least three fundamental problems that will remain difficult to overcome.

Firstly, while the performance of electronics has increased by some 10,000% in the past 35 years, the performance of battery technology has only increased six-fold in the past century. A similar increase would be required for batteries to give EVs the level of performance demanded by current car owners, but in around ten years.

Secondly, manufacturers already know that to have any hope of getting a reasonable life from lithium-ion batteries they should not be run from full to empty but should be kept at between 20%-80% of their charge – yet car manufacturers’ range calculations are based on running a complete cycle from full battery to empty.

Thirdly, charging remains a major stumbling block. Recharging an EV battery on a domestic supply is likely to take around 13 hours. As laptop and mobile-phone owners have come to understand, the useful lifetime of a lithium-ion battery is only a few years – rapid charging and discharging cycles damage the battery and cut its useful capacity. Further complications arise with much lower EV charging times quoted for up-rated power supplies, as no one knows what the impact of such ‘rapid’ charging will be on the batteries. It could take up to ten years before car manufacturers know the true picture in a real life environment – leading to serious questions over whether they will be able to offer a full warranty on what is likely to continue to be by far the most expensive part of the car.

Commenting on the stumbling blocks to developing electric cars, Peter Miller, director of electrical and electronic engineering at leading automotive consultants Ricardo, says: “You could drive and then find it takes a day to recharge with a domestic electric socket. To get a vehicle that behaves the same way as a petrol or diesel model is not viable for the foreseeable future.”

E&T magazine Editor in Chief Dickon Ross adds: “Some of the performance improvement claims being suggested are likely to stay pure fantasy for the foreseeable future. While we believe electric cars overall are a good idea, particularly for short-range commutes, there’s a need for more honesty on whether they can really be the solution to our transport and environmental needs in the mid- to long-term. Do people really have to invest in more than one car, and all the resources they demand, to take care of commuting and family holidays? We need to encourage alternative solutions.”

The Honour Motorsport-backed Project Runningblade has claimed a new landspeed record for the world’s fastest lawnmower at Pendine Sands in South Wales. Driver, Don Wales, steered the Kawasaki-powered Countax ride-on machine beyond the 87 mph barrier for the first time, surpassing the previous top speed of 80.792 mph reached by Bob Cleveland on a home-built lawnmower in 2006 at Bonneville Flats, USA,

In line with regulations, Don Wales, the eight-time landspeed record holder cut grass outside Pendine’s Museum of Speed, before beating the existing four-year old target on the military beach by nearly 6 mph on Saturday (86.069). The grandson of Sir Donald Campbell who made his debut in 1924 on the same sands, then went on to set the new outright world landspeed record for a lawnmower at 87.833 mph, after successfully completing two individually timed runs within a one-hour period along the shores of Carmathen Bay in Sunday’s session.

Don Wales not only enters the history books with nine such accolades to his name, but the latest attempt also marks the accomplishment of the dream of motoring author and Runningblade’s Team Principal, Stephen Vokins, who laid down the British challenge in 2009 following heart surgery. The project has equally raised significant funds for the Wessex Heartbeat charity which supports the Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General Hospital where the TV presenter received the life-saving treatment.

Adrian Honour, Managing Director of Honour Motorsport, explains: “We would like to congratulate Don Wales and the team for such a remarkable achievement. It has been a real privilege to be part of such an exciting project, and the success which we have witnessed today is a true testament to all the hard work which has been put in by all involved during the past year.”

The EU 8th Research Framework Programme (FP8) covering the period 2014 to 2020 should declare sustainable mobility a key priority for research funding and further encourage collaborative research in the road transport and automotive sector. This will ensure to reaping maximum benefit from the work started within the 7th Programme and sustain progress towards sustainable mobility.

These recommendations were published today by the European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR) in the paper ‘FP8 — Priorities for Transport’’. The paper is EUCAR’s initial contribution to what will be a multi-stakeholder discussion between the Commission, Member States, European Parliament, industry and academia to define Europe’s R&D focus up to 2020. The EUCAR paper also relates directly to the Europe 2020 strategy, which calls for a European “Innovation Union”, the Commission’s Strategy for Clean and Efficient Vehicles and the upcoming White Paper on the Future of Transport.

The major European automotive manufacturers invest over €26bn per year in research and development, responding to the societal demand for sustainable transport, which includes a competitive industry, safe and affordable mobility of people and goods and a clean environment.

EUCAR Chairman Marc Duval-Destin, Vice President, Research and Advanced Engineering at PSA Peugeot-Citroën stated: “FP8 should enhance the EU’s support for collaborative R&D in the automotive sector, increasing the effectiveness of research through cooperation and leveraging our industry’s private investments”. The current 7th Framework Programme’s “Cooperation” programme is funding research projects which bring many industrial companies and research organisations together in pre-competitive common projects, creating a pool of expertise and broadening the potential for exploitation of the results.

The main conclusions of the paper read as follows: Structure the 8th Framework Programme to include coherent research themes, in which mobility and transport is included as one of the priority themes. Allocate a significant level of R&D funding to the mobility and transport priority theme, recognising road transport and automotive research asa primary topic within that theme. Ensure consistent cooperation between the EU and Member States to enhance the effectiveness of research activities in the European Research Area. Embed solutions for administrative burdens in research funding into the structure of the 8th Framework Programme. Continue to consult actively with industry to ensure its optimum contribution to the development and execution of the 8th Framework Programme.