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Land Rover launch programme to demonstrate capabilities of iconic Defender

Land Rover is offering an incredible experience for those who appreciate the outdoors and are avid fans of the brand. It has launched a new Experience Centre Heritage Program to celebrate the history and legacy of its most iconic vehicle, the Defender.

This programme will allow consumers to experience the capabilities of the Defender by taking it off-road at Land Rover Experience Centers across the U.S.. Besides the Defender, the public can also experience other vehicles from the Discovery and Range Rover families as well.

Despite it being phased out to make way for a new and more capable vehicle, the Defender’s legacy will continue to endure though the Defender Driving Experience. Starting from this month, enthusiasts will be able to experience it first-hand at Experience Centers in California, Vermont, and North Carolina.

At these locations, the Defender will be able demonstrate its off-roading capabilities as participants of the programme take it through grass, mud, ruts, water crossings, and more with personal coaching from expert Land Rover Experience Instructors. It’s an experience any off-roading fan wouldn’t want to miss.

Regarding the programme, Kim McCullough, Vice President of Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America, said, “Recognized as one of our most iconic vehicles, the Defender has conquered some of the world’s most demanding terrain.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing that experience to consumers through the Land Rover Experience Center Heritage Program,” said . “Brand loyalists and new fans alike now have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a piece of history and continue to celebrate this historic Land Rover icon,” he later added.

The Defender Driving Experience will be made available at all its Experience Centres which are the Quail Lodge in Carmel, Calif., Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vt., and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.

Participants will not only be able to enjoy the great outdoors and develop off-roading skills, but they will also get to test the capabilities of Land Rover vehicles, both past and present. The programme will be made available as half-day or full-day events with the former costing $1,200 and the later coming up to $1,500.

For more information on Land Rover’s Heritage Centres, take a look at the following website: landroverusa.com/experience

Four amazing cars that were on display at IAA

Frankfurt played host to some of the more interesting reveals in recent years. A number of automakers brought out some pretty interesting and luxurious offerings. H.R. Owen, a leading luxury vehicle dealership is gearing up to have these vehicles put on sale soon.

The company deals with the world’s most sought-after premium car brands which include Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and BAC. Here, were are going to a cover a number of more memorable cars that were unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Bentley Continental GT

The first car worthy of mention is Bentley’s new Continental GT, which sports a smoother and more rounded design, more prominent circular headlights with DRLs and of course an all-new engine. Its an enhanced version of the company’s famous 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine that is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Ferrari Portofino

Like Bentley, Ferrari too had something pretty interesting to show us. It launched the Portofino, an entry level Ferrari and a successor to the California T. It’s a drop-top GT that is powered by a 592bhp engine and a E-Diff3 limited-slip differential.

It is supposed to be lighter than its predecessor, and that coupled with a more powerful engine, means that the Portofino requires just 3.5 seconds to get from 0-100km/h, a mere 0.1 seconds slower than the more expensive and sophisticated GTC4 Lusso.

Bugatti Chiron

Bugatti’s main reason for showing up at Frankfurt was to flaunt its Chiron hypercar at its rivals. The Chiron made the news recently for setting a remarkable pace record by accelerating from 0-400km/h and back to a standstill in just 41.96 seconds.

What’s even more remarkable than this is that the Chiron needed only 3.112km to accomplish this feat. It’s an astonishing vehicle both in terms of capability and styling. H.R. Owen’s Bugatti London showroom will have an example on display for order and for the general public to salivate over.

Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster

Last but not least, Lamborghini was there too, primarily for the Aventador S Roadster. Compared to the standard car, the S version has more power and a four-wheel steering system. Though not revolutionary for the time, the Aventador is still one of the most extreme hypercars on sale today.

Unlike Ferrari and McLaren, Lamborghini vehemently believe that naturally aspirated engines still offer the best driving experience one would want. And until it’s no longer economically viable, they will continue to make these amazing non-boosted vehicles for the elite.

Volkswagen pick’s up a slew of awards at Frankfurt

Volkswagen has been named ‘Most Innovative Brand 2017’ by a panel of judges for the Plus X Award at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA). It is one of the leading innovation awards worldwide for technology, sport and lifestyle.

Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design, collected the top award on behalf of Volkswagen. Though not the only prize bagged by the brand, it is probably the most prominent of the lot.

The award is presented to brands in recognition of their products’
qualitative and innovative edge. Besides this, a number of VW models managed to win in their respective categories for the Plus X award. These vehicles include:

D.BUZZ as “Automotive Concept Vehicle of the Year 2017”
The Golf as “Compact Passenger Car of the Year 2017”
The Atlas as “SUV of the Year 2017”
The Arteon as “Saloon of the Year 2017”

In addition to picking up Saloon of the Year, the Arteon was also awarded the ‘Best of Best’ top ranking in the the categories “Exterior and Interior Volume Brand” in this year’s “Automotive Brand Contest”.

According to the jury that was responsible for handing VW the plethora of awards, “In the Arteon, the designers from Wolfsburg have embodied the shape of the future in a series production vehicle with exceptional aplomb.”

“They have combined the design elements of a traditional sports car with the elegance and space of a fastback while at the same time managing to incorporate many of the concept car’s innovative stylistic features and design details into the series production vehicle, ” they added.

Despite the dark clouds that have loomed overhead these past few years, Volkswagen seems to have pulled its act together and is on its way to better times. If the latest string of awards are any indication of the company’s future, it’s safe to say that VW is back on top.

BMW’s i Vision Dynamics provide preview into i models of tomorrow

BMW announced some interesting news at the IAA Cars 2017 at Frankfurt. It introduced a number of projects including the BMW i Vision Dynamics, which is a futuristic four-door Gran Coupe concept vehicle.

Sporting smooth and elegant contours, minimalist yet functional front fascia and a sensor-laden kidney grille that is integrated with the front bumper, the car’s styling is meant to provide us with a glimpse of the future.

The contours, take on a fluidic shape thanks to a low slung roof and body panels that fit seamlessly throughout the structure. The design of the rear, especially the long tail lamps nd bumper assembly are a major departure from the automaker’s current design language .

BMW says that some design cues will be taken when building the next generation of i models. A lot of what goes into these future cars are studied and tested extensively by realising vehicles like the i Vision Dynamics.

Speaking of the company’s achievemtns with its electrified vehicles, Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design said, “With the i3 and i8 we have designed a revolutionary city car and a revolutionary sports car.”

https://youtu.be/mCZIz0-NzX0

“And now the BMW i Vision Dynamics is combining electric mobility with the core values of BMW: dynamism and elegance. We are therefore demonstrating how the product range and the design language of BMW i can be evolved further into other concepts,” he later added.

The i Vision Dynamics when fully realized, will have a 600km range, be capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 200km/h. It will offer the e-mobility experience that offers, convenience, practicality and sporting elegance.

As advanced as this car maybe, the project is still in its infancy stage and it will take quite a while before we ever see something resembling an i Vision Dynamics gracing our city streets. That said, cars like the i8 owe quite a lot of their styling and tech to outlandish vehicles such as this.

Caterham Seven SuperSprint sells out in 7 hours

Caterham’s latest retro sports car, the Seven SuperSprint, which was on sale during the Goodwood Revival, managed to set a new record for the automaker. In just 7 hours, all 60 SuperSprint vehicles that were up for sale, were all spoken for.

The UK based automaker says that the relative speed at which each car was snapped up was nothing less than extraordinary. The vehicle, which was introduced to mark the original Seven’s 60th anniversary has become the fastest selling car in the company’s history.

David Ridley, Caterham’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “After last year’s incredible sales result with the Sprint, we were hoping for similar success with the SuperSprint. Having said that, to sell out within seven hours is something we’ve never seen before.”

“Considering that last year we took orders for over 600 Sevens, the SuperSprint’s success is likely to account for around 10% of our annual sales in 2017 and we are on track to beat last year’s sales record,” he later added.

Only 60 units in total will be produced, 30 of them are destined for the UK while the remaining 30 will make their way to other parts of Europe. Based on the its popularity, its safe to say that retro style racers like the Seven are still in high demand.

A modern reincarnation of the legendary racer that first started out life as a Lotus, the modern Caterham Seven still looks similar to the original albeit with minor and more modern upgrades, which include newer brakes and more reliable mechanicals.

Under the hood is a 95bhp Caterham Works Racing-tuned, three cylinder engine that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that sends power to the wheel via a limited slip differential. As for stopping power the car gets front discs and rear drum brakes.

Adding to the appeal are Bilstein shock absorbers and 14″ wheels, unique Brooklands windscreen, quilted and stitched seats trimmed in Innes tan Scottish Muirhead leather, a wooden-rimmed sports steering wheel, and 1960s-style racing livery.

The SuperSprint is available as a single-seater or twin seater versions but both will be identical safe for the aero screens.

The following are some of the highlights of the car:

95bhp Caterham Works Racing tuned three cylinder engine
Caterham Works Racing developed live rear axle with A-frame
Race inspired suspension package with adjustable platforms
Limited slip differential
Extended front cycle wings
Quilted, stitched seat, trimmed in Innes tan Scottish Muirhead leather
Single 4 point race harness
Le Mans style mesh grille and side intake

Caterham executed a similar strategy last year by launching the Sprint and that too, sold extremely well but not as well as the SuperSprint. Take a look at the tribute video below to see what the Caterham brand has brought about since the Seven’s birth 60 years ago.

Omologato watches teams up with racing legend John Surtees to produce elegant chronograph timepiece

If you are a fan or collector of special timepieces, this news will be of interest to you. Omologato watches, the same company that brought us the #Tifosi watch, have teamed up with John Surtees CBE to create a Chronograph with Motorsport heritage.

John Surtees, a former Formula 1 Champion with Ferrari, collaborated with Omologato to design a new timepiece late last year. After his unfortunate passing this March, Surtees’ family picked up where he left off and completed the project.

This watch, called The Surtees, is now available exclusively to the public in order to raise money for the Henry Surtees Foundation. Henry Surtees was John’s Surtees’ son, who at just 18 years old, was killed whilst competing in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch in 2009.

The Foundation supports schemes and projects to provide funding multiple air ambulance services around the UK to enable them to carry blood and plasma on board its aircraft. This helps enhance pre-hospital critical care that their crew can offer at the scene of accidents.

Built for a worthy cause, The Surtees is an elegant timepiece with great thought put into its design. Hand-crafted and built with quality in mind, it pays tribute to the only racer to be crowned champion of both the four and two wheel racing world.

It’s watch face is painted blue to pay homage to Surtees’ racing livery on his F1 Ferrari racer. In fact he is the only driver in the company’s history to win the title in a non red car. In 1964, Enzo Ferrari dropped the traditional red in favour of a blue and white colour scheme.

Surtees’ used this new livery in the final two grand prixs of that season. He clinched the title at the final race and entered the record books as the only racer to date, that has been crowned champion of the motorcycle and car world.

The outer and inner markings are a homage to the meter clusters of vintage racing cars and the light blue outline contrasts the navy blue watch face, to provide an illusion of a speedometer.
If you look closely at the bottom section of the watch, you would notice that each timepiece has this identical signature in the same location. This signature belongs to Surtees himself, and as such, each watch has a part of the racing legend.

Omologato founder Shami Kalra said: “Il Grande John was the most versatile racer, an icon for lovers of two and four wheels and a Motorsport legend. I learnt that John rarely lent his name to a brand or product, so it was a true privilege that he wanted to be involved and share his story with Omologato.”

IF you would like to know more about the watch, head on over to omologato watches’ website for the latest information. And to know more about the Henry Surtees foundation, check out the following link www.henrysurteesfoundation.com.

Volkswagen reveal its concept vehicle of the future

Volkswagen revealed a pretty interesting concept during the on going Frankfurt Motorshow. It’s called the SEDRIC and is a representation of the automaker’s vision of future mobility. Resembling a futuristic toaster, this urban mobility vehicle is meant to cater to the needs of the modern traveler.

The capsule-like vehicle aims to be the answer to transportation problems of the future. And its fully automated systems will be able to relieve the driver of some of his/her responsibilites or be able to function without one. According to VW, more such concept vehicles are in the pipeline which include sports cars, touring sedans and commercial vehicles.

“Our team is already working on ideas for an entire Sedric family. This will range from fully autonomous vehicles for the city, through luxurious long-distance mobility and spectacular sports cars, self-driving delivery vans and heavy trucks,” commented the Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen AG, Matthias Müller.

Sporting electrification and digital network tech, VW says that it will promote ‘simple, convenient, sustainable and safe mobility for everybody at the touch of a button’. Users will be able to call upon the vehicle when needed though Volkswagen’s mobility app called OneButton. Working as a digital assistant, it can get occupants from A to B conveniently.

Sedric will make a huge social contribution because thanks to autonomous driving, it can act as a stand alone transportation service for visually-impaired people, members of the older generation, physically-challenged individuals and children. Apart from that, VW has calculated that Sedric could be able to save drivers about 38,000 hours on daily commutes.

This vehicle was developed through cooperation between Future Center Europe in Potsdam and Volkswagen Group Research in Wolfsburg. Sedric is a completely new take on the transportation system by merging the established discipline of vehicle design with that of user experience and feedback.

Volkswagen has also said that Sedric will act as a platform for continuous technological developments that will help the automaker solve issues that are related to environmental protection, demographic change, business and traffic safety. The development of these systems centre around cameras, 360-degree lidar sensors, long and short-distance radar and ultrasound sensors, a hardware and software architecture.

This information will be used for data processing and vehicle control by powerful computers that use intelligent software to drive the vehicle and control its electrification systems. That said, this technology is still in its infancy, and many more man hours of research and testing is needed before VW sees the fruits of its labour.

Honda unveil new compact concept car at Frankfurt

Honda has unveiled a funky new EV concept car called the Urban EV concept at the Frankfurt Motorshow. The supermini sports a compact three-door design and retro looks reminiscent of the early Civics. Shorter than the current Jazz by atleast 100mm, it aims to offer sportiness and ‘manly’ practicality.

The squarish front grille is actually able to light up and display a number of different messages that include greetings and advice for other drivers while on the road as well as charging updates. The Honda emblem has a back-light that emits a blueish hue.

The concept was officially introduced by Honda Motor Co. President and CEO, Takahiro Hachigo, during his press conference speech. This is not some vision of the distant future, a production version of this car will be here in Europe in 2019.”

Visibility from inside the cabin is impressive, thanks to slim A-pillars and a wide windscreen that stretches the entire width of the vehicle. The car also features rear-hinged coach doors and a charging port that is housed on its bonnet.

Inside, the cabin incorporates innovative styling and design that allow for better use of space. Honda says that the Urban EV will be able to seat four adults comfortably across two bench seats. And unlike most cars, the Urban EV’s interior resembles that of a lounge.

Thanks to wood accents, elegantly designed seating positions and an elongated rectangular display on the dashboard, mean the vehicle can also double as a meeting area. The seat-belts for the rear bench are fixed in the middle of the seat, allowing the belt to retract out of the way before a passenger exits the car. Though not ideal, but it’s still a cool feature for a concept.

That said, the car’s main party piece is its Automated Network Assistant that assesses the driver’s past decisions and facial/emotional expressions that accompany them to apply what it has learnt to make new choices and recommendations on journeys.

But don’t get too excited though, concept vehicles such as these rarely ever make it onto showroom floors. Some elements of its design maybe incorporated into upcoming Honda models, but most, will probably be shelved till a later date.

Jaguar introduce one-make feeder series to Formula E

Jaguar is taking a bold step in electric racing by supporting a feeder series to Formula E called I-PACE eTrophy series. It’s a single make series which, beginning in 2018, will see 20 Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racers fill the grid for the 10-race season.

Based on Jaguar’s first all-electric car, the I-PACE, these racers will be custom built by the automaker’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team in Warwickshire, UK. Based on what we can see, they will probably build upon the current design of the I-PACE.

Aerodynamic upgrades including lightening the chassis and and the addition of spoilers will be part of the upgrades. There will also be an FIA certified roll cage, safety harnesses as well as other components. This zero emission Motorsport series is the first of its kind outside Formula E.

These cars will race around the same circuits as the Formula E ones and their events will be held on the same race weekends as that of the main race series for the entire calendar year. This new all-electric series will also help to shine a spotlight on the talent of the up and coming racing drivers.

Speaking of the new series, Gerd Mäuser, Chairman, Jaguar Racing, said: “Jaguar returned to racing in 2016 with the mission ‘Race to Innovate’. With the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY we have strengthened our commitment to battery electric vehicles, international motorsport and Formula E. As a British team, we are proud to announce today the launch of the world’s first production battery electric vehicle championship.”

He later added, “We’ve always said we want to prove our electrification technologies on the track – this is the proof. I am looking forward to seeing a full grid of Jaguar I-PACE racecars in late 2018, soon after the first Jaguar I-PACE hits the road in Europe. Ultimately this innovative series will enhance the technology in our future electric vehicles and benefit our customers.”

The British based automaker has participated in Formula E since last year, making it the first premium vehicle manufacturer to enter the racing series. And now, its commitment to this single make series leads us to believe that Jaguar is heavily invested in electric vehicles as being the future of personal and commercial mobility.

Jag’s latest moves are a nod to the British Government’s rather heavy-handed approach of banning petrol and diesel cars from city streets by 2040. Though forward thinking, it will take awhile before current Motorsports fans can be lured away from the visceral excitement that surround the current racing series.

VW to make booking a test drive hassle-free

Volkswagen USA has managed to revolutionize the way test drives are carried out. The German automaker has teamed up with Amazon to offer test drives of the all-new BMW Atlas SEL Premium through the latter’s Prime Now service.

Amazon Prime Now gives users the ability to schedule a 45 to 60 minute test drive at a date and time of their choosing. Once the meeting point has been confirmed, a VW Atlas driven by an ‘expert’ will show up at their doorstep.

This door-to-door service is only available in the ‘designated’ area codes and if you happen to be outside these places, then things get a bit more cumbersome. In such a case, one would have to visit vw.com and schedule a test drive at the dealership of their choosing.

Speaking of the new collaboration, Senior Director, Transformation, Strategy and Communications, Volkswagen of America, said, “We are very excited to work with Amazon to introduce more consumers to our newly-launched, seven-seater SUV through this unique test drive experience.”

He later added, “We know people have limited time and are always looking for convenient ways to test out a new product, and with the Amazon Prime Now service we are able to bring the all-new Atlas to customers’ doorstep.”

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a full size SUV that seats seven occupants and has been tasked with taking on more established models from Ford, GM and Dodge on their home turf. The vehicle will be offered in a number of variants, which will be powered by either a four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0L TSI or more powerful 3.6L VR6.

Customers will have the option of ordering their Atlas with a front-wheel-drive or the more sophisticated 4Motion® all-wheel-drive system. Apart from this the vehicle also gets 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, power-folding door mirrors and door mirrors with puddle lights.

Then there’s also leather seating, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, automatic High Beam Control (Light Assist) and ambient lighting. The top of the line variant, the Atlas SEL Premium is equipped with Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist), Area View camera and the Fender® Premium Audio System.

Expect more from VW as they begin to penetrate the US full-size SUV market with one of the largest SUVs they have ever made to date.