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Hyundai elect new leader for USA division

Hyundai has elected to promote one of its most trusted senior executives of global operations to the position of president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. Kyung Soo (Kenny) Lee, will be responsible for Hyundai’s U.S. sales and marketing.

The Korean automaker has tabled September 18th as the day Lee will take over president and CEO duties. He will occupy the position left vacant by Jerry Flannery who has now returned as the company’s executive vice president, chief legal and safety officer.

Speaking of the new appointment, Won-hee (Wayne) Lee, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, said “Lee has an in-depth understanding of Hyundai Motor’s global operation, following nearly two decades in diverse markets around the world, including the U.S., Europe and Latin America.”

He was later quoted as saying, “I would like to personally thank Jerry Flannery for his leadership and the stability he brought the organization while serving as interim president and CEO.”

Lee, now 61 years of age, has had a long an illustrious carrier at Hyundai that began in 1982 The most recent position that hed held before being appointed as head honcho of Hyundai USA was, president and CEO of Hyundai Translead, a manufacturer of dry and refrigerated van trailers, container chassis and converter dollies.

According to Hyundai, here Lee played vital roles for more than 10 years adding to his expertise in overseas markets. These credentials, the company says, made him the favoured candidate to take on the top job. That said, he has a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Now, he will be tasked with leading Hyundai’s charge against domestic brands such as Ford, GM and Chrysler while still ensuring that it remains competitive enough to fend off the upstart Chinese makers who have managed to undercut it at its own game.

Jaguar ‘Game of Drones’ aims to prove XJL’s spaciousness

Jaguar has picked an unconventional way to prove how capacious its XJ’s cabin can be through the use of drones. The automaker staged a remote-controlled drone race called ‘Game of Drones’ to demonstrate how much room its flagship long-wheelbase saloon has to offer.

As part of the race, these high-speed mini aircraft, that were piloted by professional drone racers, flew through three cars on a course that was marked out with 13 gates that were the same shape as an XJL rear door.
Considered a marketing ploy, the drones that were travelling at close to 100km/h had to navigate their way through the door-shaped gates lit in Phosphor Blue and Red to highlight two of the XJ’s interior lighting options.

Speaking of this unique drone race, Brett Collis, a champion drone pilot, said, “I’ve been racing drones in competition for years, but this is a first for me. The course was a great test, but the fact we were able to go at such speeds proves how much space the doors of the Jaguar XJL gave us.”

“Despite having to fly through the cabin we were still pushing the drones to their top speeds,” He later added. These ‘to close for comfort’ drone maneuvers were executed to demonstrate the difference that it makes to have five extra inches of legroom with the long-wheelbase car, that that offered with the base car.

Jaguar’s XJ is the largest four door saloon that the company makes and it boasts an ‘exquisite’ interior that is bestowed with the latest technology. It also features airline style reclining seats with massage function, increased headroom, fold-out tables and specially tuned rear suspension to enhance ride comfort.

The car is also equipped with full LED headlights, all-wheel drive and All Surface Progress Control (ASPC), as well as the latest Touch Pro infotainment system. It’s basically Britain’s ultra luxury answer to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series.

Currently, the XJL and its more powerful sibling, the XJR575 are built at Jaguar Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich plant alongside the XE, XF and F-TYPE. In recent years, the model has helped bolster the company’s yearly sales.

New season of Wheeler Dealer to premiere for 200 guests in November

The new season of the ever popular classic car restoration show, Wheeler Dealers, will be back on tv screens for a brand new season. Unlike before, the show will go on without the venerable Ed China. The restoration guru had a falling out with the show’s producers regarding filming, which resulted in his departure.

Known for his meticulous attention to detail, China has always ensured that viewers were well informed of the actual work that goes into each vehicle. This, he believed would enable them to be better informed when dealing with similar problems on their own. Due to a difference in views regarding filming, Ed China decided to leave the longstanding automotive show.

And as such, for this and future seasons, classic car restorer Ant Anstead will take over where Ed had left of. He joins the Wheeler Dealer’s stalwart host, Mike Brewer as he hunts for classic bargains that the duo will purchase, restore and then flip for a reasonable profit. Despite how many avid fans of the show might feel, the changes may offer some interesting twists.

The show’s first episode will be viewed by about 200 guests in the UK at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, on Saturday 11th November. Classic motoring enthusiasts are being given the chance to win two tickets in a prize draw which sees them automatically entered when booking their show tickets before Thursday 26 October.

Both Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead will be present during the viewing, which will allow them to conduct meet and greet sessions with fans shortly after the show. The designer of the vehicle featured in the first episode will also be present during the viewing, though Discovery has chosen to be coy about the exact details.

Speaking of the new show and partner, Mike Brewer said, “Making Wheeler Dealers with a new partner and thousands of miles away from our native country is difficult, but the reward is bringing one of the world’s biggest and greatest car shows to the screen.”

He later added, “We are immensely proud of our efforts and we are excited to share the new look Wheeler Dealers with a live UK audience for the first time ever. The show has more mechanical content than ever before and both Ant and I are thrilled with what we believe is a ground breaking build.”

This news has us excited and though Ed China will be greatly missed, the new shake up could prove to be a positive decision as it adds a fresh perspective on the show. Stay tuned and we will let you know more as soon as we find out.

Mercedes-Benz pick up new award for C-Class and S-Class models

Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class has been hnoured at the first ever BusinessCar awards. It won the ‘Best Premium Car’ title while its bigger brother the S-Class, was named the winner of the ‘Best Luxury Car’ category.

According to the automaker, both of its models received their respective accolades due to exceptional comfort levels, technology and competitive monthly running costs. Adding to that, the S-Class also had a ‘luxurious and unrivaled interior’ something that isn’t said often due to the relatively stiff competition faced at this side of the segment.

Regarding this, Rob East, Head of Fleet, Mercedes-Benz Cars UK, said, “Both the C-Class and S-Class are perfect examples of what Mercedes-Benz does best, combining unbeatable comfort with competitive running costs, plus excellent interior quality. It’s great to see these strengths being recognised by key members of the Fleet industry.”

The editor of BusinessCar stated that the reason that the C-Class trounced the competition was due to the fact that it had set a high bar when it came to comfort, tech and efficiencies, as well as having strong residual value. This means that on paper at least, buying a C-Class over other rival models makes more sense from a consumer’s prespective.

In recent years, Mercedes-Benz has been producing some of the best cars the automotive world has to offer. The styling of the new models are pretty clean and attractive, which is complemented by equally sophisticated and forward-thinking tech. This combination has allowed the German based automaker to bag awards from different competitions.

This momentum doesn’t seem to be ending soon as the automaker has revealed plans and concept vehicles that might turn the automotive world upside down. One thing is for sure, This level of competition could only mean one thing, the cars that will be made available soon, will offer us more bang-per-buck than in previous years.

McLaren and Honda end troubled F1 partnership

McLaren’s Formula 1 team and its engine supplier for the past two and half years, Honda, have decided to part ways after a dismal run of performance since the partnership was forged in 2015. Since switching from Mercedes-Benz powered engines to the Honda ones, McLaren hasn’t been the same.

The team have found themselves closer to the back of the grid, competing with teams that lacked the same technology funding, and driver talent than what the British based automaker had at its disposal. Despite having one of the most talented drivers of this era in Fernando Alonso, the team has failed to impress.

Plagued by constant reliability issues, the under powered Honda units have caused McLaren and Alonso, a great deal of grief. So much so that the Spaniard delivered an ultimatum to his team by stating, if things did not improve soon, he would leave in search of other opportunities.

After allowing all this to sink in, both teams have decided, in a complicated manner, to break-up and go their separate ways. As part of the deal, McLaren will receive Renault engines for the 2018 season, Toro Rosso will switch to Honda power and its driver, Carlos Sainz Jr., would be loaned to the Renault F1 team for the 2018 season.

It’s a complicated break up but it’s one that might allow McLaren to get back to its winning ways. This is especially sad considering that this same partnership allowed Mclaren a great deal of success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Any hopes of both teams rekindling that same success of their glory days will never be realized in the near future.

How well these new partnerships pan out remains to be seen, but rumour has it that Honda might introduce a more powerful engine for the 2018 season. If proven true, McLaren might have jumped the gun by switching to Renault power and allowing Toro Rosso to benefit from its R&D with Honda.

Source: F1.com

Citroën wins award in France for personalized Cxperience Concept

Citroën’s Cxperience Concept won the the Concours d’Elégance “Best of Show” at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille, which was held at the Domaine de Chantilly venue. Admired by a crowd of 16,000 people, the car sports a futuristic body style.

The low slung hood, crease-less silhouette and angular contours that resemble the letter X, this particular Citroen is a sight to behold. It was introduced to demonstrate Citroën’s modern vision of automotive comfort, and was revealed to the public at the Paris Motor Show one year ago.

The car was personalised by Chinese designer Yang Li specifically for this event. It was named joint winner with one of the other concept cars in the “Best of Show” prize. There were five concept cars in total that were in the running for the prestigious Concours d’Elégance award.

Unlike other events of this nature, to participate in the Concours d’Elégance at Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille, each manufacturer was invited to put on display a concept vehicle that it had designed in collaboration with a renowned fashion designer.

Citroën, together with Yang Li, took the Cxperience Concept and turned it into a personalised piece of art. This award-winning concept car has already received a number of accolades, such as the RTL- Auto Plus Grand Prix awards.

Besides these concepts, the event also played host to a car show that consisted of 90 historic vehicles from all corners of the globe .The crowed of 16,000 people were treated to a spectacular display of exotic cars of the past, present and future.

Citroen’s Cxperience concept is said to demonstrate the Brand’s “Be Different, Feel Good” promise in the hatchback segment. The distinctive body style, elegant contours and generous use of exotic materials, showcases the company’s designing and engineering capabilities.

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.