Motoring Break

Here’s A Concept: Chevrolet Puts Next-Gen Buyers In Charge

Editorial — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:07:05 +0000

Chevrolet today introduced two concept coupes at the 2012 North American International Auto Show aimed at inspiring next-generation buyers to take the wheel and suggest ideas for a car they can co-create. “Chevrolet has always stood for making the aspirational attainable for all generations” said General Motors North America President Mark Reuss. “These two concepts interpret that vision for a new generation. We’re seeking out our newest customers’ opinions, listening to their advice, and engaging them in new ways.” According to U.S. Census data, there are 80 million American consumers approaching 30. They represent 40 percent of today’s potential car-buying public and a combined $1 trillion in purchasing power. Over the past year, Chevrolet has conversed with young consumers across the United States. Based on their feedback, the Chevrolet concepts explore the styling and functionality this group of new buyers says they are looking for in a car. Read more..

World Premiere Of Continental V8 Range

Editorial — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:53:19 +0000

Two new Bentley Continental V8 models will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on 9th January 2012. The new 4.0 litre, twin turbocharged V8 Continental GT coupé and GTC convertible achieve exceptional standards for power-to-emissions in the high luxury sports car sector. This remarkable, new Bentley V8 engine delivers maximum power of 500 bhp (507 PS / 373 Kw) at 6000 rev/min and an extraordinary peak torque of 660 Nm (487 lb ft) which is available across virtually the entire rev range from 1700 to 5000 rev/min, providing exhilarating performance and effortless power delivery in the Bentley tradition. Combined with a new close-ratio 8-speed automatic transmission, this translates into a 0-60 mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds for the GT coupe (0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds) and a top speed of 188 mph (303 km/h). At the same time, the new V8 Continental models achieve outstanding levels of fuel efficiency and CO2emissions for the luxury performance sector and are capable of travelling over 500 miles (800 km) on a single tank of fuel. The arrival of the new V8 Continental m... Read more..

One Of A Kind Fisker To Star In BCA Bedford Sale

Editorial — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:41:18 +0000

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, 10th 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 wil... Read more..

Avis To Run New MG6 Models

Editorial — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:33:01 +0000

One of Britain’s leading car rental firms will soon be running the exciting new MG6 models from MG Motor UK. Avis Rent a Car has taken delivery of 100 MG6 GT fastbacks and MG6 Magnette sports saloons. It is the first order of its kind for MG. The cars will be put on Avis’s national car hire fleet and customers will soon be able to hire the MGs for business trips, holidays and other journeys. Both the MG6 GT fastback and the MG6 Magnette sports saloons are powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine. The cars offer comfort and space for five adults and of course the legendary MG driving dynamics. The cars are designed, engineered at MG Motor’s plant at MG Birmingham where final assembly also takes place. Anthony Ainsworth, Commercial Director of Avis Rent a Car, said: “We are extremely pleased to see the iconic MG marque back again and know that our customers will be delighted to be offered the chance to drive an MG when they hire a car from us.” The MG6 offers class leading chassis dynamics, high levels of standard specification and a huge boot. For car buyers the MG6 has the lowest insurance group ratings of any car in its class. Both S and SE models are rated... Read more..

Subaru Forester Named Junior Crossover Of The Year

Editorial — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:36:33 +0000

The recently refreshed 2011 Subaru Forester has been named ‘Junior Crossover of the Year’ by specialist off-roading magazine, Total 4x4. The go-anywhere, family friendly Forester, which is now available with a choice of extensively revised petrol and diesel Boxer engines, faced competition from the likes of a Toyota Urban Cruiser, Suzuki SX4 and Skoda Octavia Scout. However, thanks to its sure-footed Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive configuration, car-like driving dynamics and exceptional practicality, judges singled-out the Japanese crossover for the highest praise. The panel of experts at Total 4x4 magazine said of the Forester: “Typically of Subaru, the Forester does very good things without making a fuss of it. The combination it offers of quality, value, practical usability and driving talent makes it very hard indeed to beat. “The Forester has always been a star in its own corner of the market, and heavily revised petrol and diesel engines means it now shines brighter than ever.” The 2.0-litre Boxer diesel Forester range, which returns an impressive 47.9 mpg combined, starts at £23,070 (on-the-road) for the entry-lev... Read more..

Donkervoort GTO: ‘Experience’ Has A New Meaning

Editorial — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:29:23 +0000

The devotees have been waiting anxiously. Now it’s here! After two and a half years of development Donkervoort Automobielen in Lelystad - in close collaboration with Audi Quattro GmbH - has presented the next generation of open sports cars: the Donkervoort GTO. A combination of beautiful shape, the latest auto techniques and the ultimate experience. With a capacity of 340 to 400 HP and a torque of 450 Nm from about 1600 RPMs. And all this with a total weight of around 700 kilos. Without a doubt one of the fastest sports cars on the European market. And, with the first private preview for Donkervoort Ambassadors from all over Europe, received so enthusiastically that within a few hours approximately half of the first 25 specially designed GTOs were sold. The GTO is clearly a size larger than its predecessors, the closed GT and the open D8 270RS. About 35 centimetres longer and 15 centimetres wider, to be exact. Necessary to accommodate the massive, longitudinally placed, five cylinder 340 hp 2.5 TFSI Audi motor and at the same time realise an astonishing balance in the design. The GTO is therefore a brand-new designed car. Only sharing 5% of the parts with the D8 270RS... Read more..

Range Rover Evoque Awards Tally Passes The Half Century

Editorial — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:27:16 +0000

The Range Rover Evoque has added more awards to its portfolio, taking the total to 53 since its recent launch in September this year. Recent honours bestowed on the Evoque came from Britain's 4x4 Magazine, which proclaimed the Evoque its 4x4 of the Year, and this was swiftly followed by the Car of the Year title from the Czech Republic, and Best SUV from the Brazilian automotive news agency Auto Press, taking to 15 the number of different countries to recognise the smallest, lightest and most efficient Range Rover ever produced. Evoque's half-century tally includes notable titles such as Car of the Year in the UK AutoExpress New Car Honours, Scottish Car of the Year, US Motor Trend's SUV of the Year, BBC Top Gear's Car of the Year, Car and Driver Spain Car of the Year, the Design Trophy from l'Automobile in France and a host of honours from Chinese organisations and publications. For Land Rover global brand director John Edwards, keeping up with the awards is proving a welcome headache: "The speed with which the honours are being collected by the Evoque is breathtaking... Read more..

All-New Ford Focus St Cast As Lead Car In The Sweeney Movie 2012

Editorial — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:13:33 +0000

Ford's first global performance car will take centre stage next year with a starring role in new film blockbuster The Sweeney. Flying Squad detectives Jack Regan (Ray Winstone) and George Carter (Ben Drew aka Plan B) will lead a cast of crime-busting officers as they give chase to London's criminals in black Ford Focus ST hot hatchbacks. Thanks to the Ford Focus ST's 2.0-litre 250PS four-cylinder EcoBoost engine and explosive acceleration, the criminals will always struggle to make a clean getaway. The new Ford Focus ST, which goes on sale in 40 countries from next year, was shown in final production-ready form at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Anthony Ireson, Ford Britain marketing director, said: “The new Focus ST is a hugely exciting car for Ford with terrific dynamic credibility. It will be a car for real driving enthusiasts, so Regan and Carter won't be disappointed." Last month special early-build Ford Focus ST models were secretly delivered to The Sweeney set, joining Ford Mondeos, Galaxys and Transits also being used as unmarked vehicles. Director and co-writer Nick Love, whose prior films include The Football Factory Read more..

Aston Martin Racing Begins Testing The V12 Vantage GT3

Editorial — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:13:07 +0000

Aston Martin Racing began testing its new V12 Vantage GT3 at Brands Hatch in Kent this week, covering almost 1000 kilometres in just two days. The majority of the mileage was conducted by factory driver Darren Turner. After two days behind the wheel, Turner said: “The car ran like clockwork throughout and we’ve managed really good mileage already. The feeling of the V12 Vantage GT3 is a massive step forward from the DBRS9. Being based on the smaller Vantage it is more responsive and feels more nimble, giving the driver plenty of confidence to extract all the performance from the V12 engine while also being light on its tyres. It isn’t too physical to drive and I didn’t even break into a sweat during the test! “With the clean styling and the amazing sounding V12, it’s closer to the core values of Aston Martin’s road cars than any of the racing cars we’ve ever built. I’m certain it’ll become a favourite among motorsport fans in no time at all.” The design and engineering of the new V12 GT3 endurance racer has been led by Aston Martin Racing’s Chief Engineer for GT, Dan Sayers. Th... Read more..

Haulage Logistics Issues: Difficulties Ahead Of The Olympics

Editorial — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:33:33 +0000

With only around eight months to go before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, it has been revealed that 26 per cent of road freight operators - or one in four - are still not prepared for the logistical issues they will face. A survey by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) explained that while progress is being made by a large number of HGV insurance customers ahead of the gathering - with the number of unprepared companies down by ten per cent since July - transport operators are still not too comfortable with their contingency plans. According to the FTA, issues such as the provision of extra vehicles and staff, as well as the preparedness of customers regarding changes to their deliveries, are holding the industry back. While there is marked progress relating to the responsiveness of hauliers, the FTA says the sector is still rather short of where it needs to be. The survey went on to ask the industry to indicate its knowledge of the Olympic Route Network (ORN), which effectively closes down the chance of deliveries between 6am and midnight. Meanwhile, a number of so-called Games Lanes have been established, which are designated for athletes, Games officials and marketing partners, effectively affecting additional operations. Worryingly, 18 per cent of respondents reported that they had scant knowledge of these facilities, while 26 per cent... Read more..