As part of its continuing strategy to introduce product-relevant technology into racing, Ford announced today plans to bring its 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost® racing engine to the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series. The new engine, which will debut at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 25-26, and run the entire 12-race season, will power a new-look Daytona Prototype car, created with Ford corporate design influence. Michael Shank Racing is on board as the first team to put EcoBoost power behind its DP car. “At Ford Racing, we really put great emphasis on racing production-based vehicles as well as production-based technologies,” says Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “We’re proud to bring a direct-injected, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine to the United SportsCar Championship in a field of competitive V8-powered entries. We want to show Ford EcoBoost’s capabilities as an engine that provides both performance and fuel economy, on and off the track.” “This … [Read more...]
MITSUBISHI MOTORS 40 YEARS IN EUROPE: THE REFERENCE MARKET
This month will mark the start of a milestone year for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) as it is about to celebrate forty years of non-stop presence in the most strategic European market, from its first official display at the London Motor Show in October 1974 to the launch of the pioneering Outlander PHEV from late 2013 onwards. Mitsubishi Goes International Even though small numbers of Mitsubishi vehicles were already present in a few selected European countries, namely Spain (1956) and Greece (1962), Mitsubishi’s own corporate export move to Europe came as a result of a unique agreement in February 1970 between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co. (MHI) and Chrysler Corporation whereby MHI would 1) spin off its already existing auto division and 2) join forces with Chrysler to create “Mitsubishi Motors Corporation” (MMC). In May 1971, a further deal between Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Chrysler International S.A. included the distribution of Mitsubishi vehicles … [Read more...]
ASTON MARTIN GT4 WINS AT NÜRBURGRING
Aston Martin’s Nürburgring Test Centre team has won its class in the seventh round of the 2013 VLN series having qualified on pole position. Running in the highly competitive SP10 category for GT4-specification cars, the #186 V8 Vantage set a qualifying time of 8:50.830 with Andy Gülden – chief instructor of Aston Martin’s Driving Academy – at the wheel. In dry and sunny conditions, he and team-mate Egon Allgäuer then drove superbly throughout the four-hour race to clinch victory by a mere 0.5 seconds from their nearest challenger to add to the Nürburgring Test Centre Team’s tally of VLN class wins. Also running in SP10, the Vantage GT4 of Team Mathol Racing finished in third position, within 30 seconds of the winning Aston Martin, having also completed 26 laps of the gruelling 15.5-mile circuit. In class SP8, the V12 Vantage of Marcus Mahy, Jesse Menczer and Nürburgring Test Centre Director Wolfgang Schuhbauer qualified and finished in fourth position. David King, … [Read more...]
PORSCHE DRIVER’S SELECTION PRESENTS LUXURY HOME AND OFFICE COLLECTION
Porsche Driver’s Selection, the automaker’s line of lifestyle apparel and accessories, introduced unique home and office items last week at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The new collection includes items crafted exclusively from original Porsche parts, including an office chair made from a 911 Carrera sport seat and a wall shelf constructed from the rear spoiler of a 911 GT3 Cup Race car. Built to the same specifications and upholstered with the same premium black leather as the sport seat found in various 911 models, the office chair provides familiar comfort long after the drive to work. It also features an electronic backrest adjustment and an embossed Porsche emblem in the headrest. The shelving unit, made out of carbon-fiber material, is repurposed from an original Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car rear spoiler and can support up to 264 pounds. Also featured in the updated Porsche Driver’s Selection collection is a 1:8 scale resin model of the Porsche 918 … [Read more...]
FIAT OF SAN FRANCISCO IS THE FIRST FIAT STUDIO TO OPEN IN THE CITY
FIAT of San Francisco, the first FIAT studio to locate in The City by the Bay, is open for business in the Van Ness Avenue corridor. There now are six FIAT studios in the Bay Area, but FIAT of San Francisco is the first to open for business within the city itself. This newest FIAT studio is located at 1595 Van Ness Ave. on the edge of San Francisco’s famed Pacific Heights neighborhood. “The opening of FIAT of San Francisco is an important step for continuing the growth of our brand in the United States,” said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, Chrysler Group LLC. “We have FIAT studios in the region, but having a presence right in the city, where our Fiat 500 has been so popular, will make it easier for our customers to do business with us. This is the ideal location, in the fashionable Pacific Heights area, for our first studio in San Francisco.” With FIAT of San Francisco now open, the FIAT brand now has 209 studios in the United States. The FIAT … [Read more...]
TOP GEAR LIVE WOWS RECORD CROWD
Already firmly established as the greatest motoring theatre show in the world, Top Gear Live has conquered new peaks by performing to a record-breaking crowd of more than 58,000 fans in Warsaw’s impressive National Stadium in Poland on Saturday (21 September). It’s the largest ever single night attendance at a Top Gear Live extravaganza, once again underlining the show’s huge global appeal. The unprecedented number of fans packed into the vast arena were entertained by the three stars from the award winning BBC Television programme – Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, together with driving legend ‘The Stig’. Bringing the TV show to life, the dramatic evening’s action-packed performance was filled with an astonishing array of high flying stunts, dazzling fiery displays, fun-filled races in Reliant Robins, a glittering array of the world’s finest supercars and a host of crazy challenges. Appropriately in a stadium that hosted a semi-final of the UEFA Euro 2012 … [Read more...]
McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE LAUNCHES IN CHINA
The entry of McLaren Automotive into the major Chinese market has begun with the establishment of four new McLaren retailers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, highlighting the continued progress of this exciting global car company. China is the world’s number one automotive market and access to its growing base of consumers will provide a major opportunity for McLaren. In time, it is anticipated that the Asia Pacific region will account for one third of global sales for McLaren, with China contributing a growing number of orders. McLaren Automotive is a new and highly ambitious car company, and entry into China is the latest in a list of exciting and bold milestones it has reached. In only its third year of trading, McLaren Automotive has already established a strong retail network in the majority of the world’s mature markets, with the four new retailers in China making 45 locations globally. The company set itself an ambitious target from the outset, to … [Read more...]
TOP GEAR LIVE DEBUTS IN SCOTLAND
Top Gear Live is coming to Scotland for the very first time with three live shows – confirmed today (Thursday) – at The SSE Hydro, Glasgow in January 2014. Hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May together with driving legend ‘The Stig’, Top Gear Live brings to life the massively popular BBC 2 TV programme and features the incredible Top Gear Live Stunt Team, the world’s most beautiful cars and some outrageous challenges. To celebrate Top Gear Live’s debut in Scotland, three action-packed 90-minute arena shows have been announced for the weekend of 18-19 January with tickets on sale from 9am on Friday 4 October. “I’ve absolutely no idea exactly what we’ll be up to in Glasgow but, as this is the first time we’ve ever performed live north of the border, you can guarantee it will be something very special. What we can promise is lots of gigantic explosions, some very scary stunts plus a magnificent line-up of incredibly expensive supercars… not to mention all … [Read more...]
FORD MUSTANG IS VOTED EUROPE’S MOST-WANTED CLASSIC CAR
The Ford Mustang is Europe’s most desirable classic car, according to a survey of more than 75,000 users of online car portal AutoScout24. A total of 37 per cent of Europeans named the Ford Mustang as the classic car they would most like to own. Confirmed as coming to Europe and the UK for the first time, the Mustang was the clear winner, ahead of the BMW M1 (20 per cent) and the Volkswagen Beetle (11 per cent). “Ford Mustang is more than a car, it’s the freedom of the open road and the spirit of performance driving,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “Mustang has been a fundamental part of global automotive culture for almost half a century and is one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles.” Ford also said the Mustang Customizer - a downloadable and online app – has already attracted more than 500,000 visits from Europe. Available for iOS and Android phones and tablets, the app enables Mustang fans to build their … [Read more...]
NEW McLAREN SHOWROOM OPENS AT MEILENWERK STUTTGART
McLaren Automotive is actively continuing its plan of expanding its retailer network by opening the latest showroom in Germany. Just three weeks after the sports car manufacturer’s 50th anniversary, the models of the British car maker will shine at Meilenwerk Stuttgart. The new showroom – the company’s fifth in Germany – will officially open on 26th September, further enhancing this German car metropolis with a very prominent marque. This location could not reflect the McLaren brand more effectively: the exclusively designed showroom in the listed Böblingen airfield complex forms the ideal backdrop for the display of the entire range of high performance sports cars. Visitors can immediately immerse themselves in the fascinating and glorious racing history of this automotive manufacturer. As with the McLaren retailer in Frankfurt, responsibility for the new Meilenwerk showroom rests with the Dörr Group. At the sharp end is Andrew Skey, from the UK, who has several years’ … [Read more...]