Senior UK car industry executives teamed up with Business Secretary Sajid Javid to give British-built cars a unique send-off to the Frankfurt Motor Show. The event coincided with news that total investment in the UK's automotive sector this year, has topped £2 billion, with more than 4,500 new jobs created. Among the 10 cars flying the British flag, the brand new Rolls-Royce Dawn was seen in public for the first time ahead of its Frankfurt world premiere.
Bentley has unveiled its first ever SUV - the Bentayga. Described as the most powerful SUV in the world, the Bentayga's 6.0-litre turbocharged engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, for a 0-62 time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 187 mph. An integrated skid plate in the lower front bumper, along with muscular haunches and large, 22-inch alloy wheels, hint at the cars off-road capabilities while up to eight drive settings help with variable rugged terrain. The Bentayga will be debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Citroen has unveiled a new concept – the Cactus M – aimed at outdoor types. The M pays homage to Citroen’s iconic Mehari, which also featured a completely open cabin, with drainage holes so it could easily be cleaned with a hosepipe. With a raised body and large wheels underlining its ‘go-anywhere’ ability, the concept also comes with a housing for surfboards and an inbuilt step for rear seat passenger access. The Citroen Cactus M will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.
LEGO has released a limited edition Ferrari F40 set. LEGO's designers studied the supercar's 134-page owner's manual in developing the 1,158 pieces for the 1:15 scale model. The model Ferrari features the iconc F40's pop up lights and triple exhaust while the rear hatch and large spoiler can be raised for a closer look at the removable 2.9-litre V8 engine. Available now, the LEGO Ferrari F40 is priced at £69.99.
BMW has previewed the Concept M4 GTS - a future high-performance model for road and track. It features new technologies such as an engine water injection system - which offers a ‘noticeable increase’ in output and torque and comes with carbon fibre aplenty. It runs on 20-inch lightweight M sport alloys and has a new light signature with organic LEDs.
Ferrari has revealed its new 488 Spider. Powered by a turbo-charged V8, pumping out 660bhp, the 488 Spider can cover the 0 to 62 sprint in just 3 seconds flat thanks in part to zero turbo lag - with a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds. The Retractable Hard Top is 25 kg lighter than a comparable fabric roof and takes 14 seconds to fully retract. The Ferrari 488 Spider is set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
SEAT has won the fleet contract to supply new Leon cars to the Italian police force. The special cop-cars feature 22mm thick bullet proof glass while the AK-47 resistant armoured doors were extensively tested along with the shatter-proof windows. The two prototypes - which come fitted with special safety tyres and adapted suspension - had their car chasing capabilities tested to the max by being driven continuously for 30,000km, stopping only to refuel.
Honda has pulled the covers off its all-new Jazz supermini. The latest Jazz is proportionally bigger on the inside than the outgoing model and is powered solely by a 102 PS, 1.3 litre i-VTEC petrol engine which, when mated to the newly-developed CVT gearbox, returns CO2 emissions as low as 106 g/km. Available in three trim levels, prices start at £13,495 OTR when it goes on sale in September.
Jeep has unveiled a pair of bespoke Renegades to mark its global partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival. Created by Garage Italia Customs - the latest project of former Fiat Marketing Manager, Lapo Elkann – the cars are finished in nine coats of paint, based on the lacquered body of electric guitars, with guitar string graphics drawn across the bonnet and boot. On the inside, black denim fabric lines the cabin, offset with Dark Brown natural leather.
Hyundai has produced a short comedy sketch promoting its new i20, starring Kelly Brook and comedian Tom Stourton. Showcasing the new i20 hatchback and Coupe, the film is the fifth installment of Hyundai's ‘Honest Series’ and features hapless car salesman, George who this time gets stuck awkwardly in the middle of a bickering couple, acting as counsellor, surrogate child and eventually... lover. Prices for the new i20 start at £10,995 OTR.
Jaguar's new F-Pace has made its first public appearance, as a support car for Chris Froome and Team Sky at the Tour de France. The prototype shed its hard camouflage - instead sporting a specially created wrap, hinting at the final design of the new SUV. Running on large alloy wheels, the new car also features two large tailpipes and red brake calipers. The new Jaguar F-Pace will be fully unveiled for a world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
smart has created a unique forfour – nicknaming it the ‘forrail’– for a one-off test. smart officials describe the regular fourfour as the 'ultimate commuting machine' but also admit that the train does has the more direct, point-to-point advantage, so in an effort to combine the best of both worlds, the city car was fitted with solid steel 22-inch wheels built specially for the railway track. To avoid any steering movement, supports were welded in place, before the smart forrail successfully ran for 10 miles along the privately operated Bluebell Railway, much to the surprise of local trainspotters!
Mercedes has confirmed its new mid-range SUV - the GLC - will be available in the UK. The new model replaces the GLK which was only available in left-hand drive markets and features an all-new design upgraded technology and improved efficiency – with fuel consumption reductions of up to 19 per cent. All models feature 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive while Mercedes is also offering a plug-in hybrid variant for the first time in the segment. Prices for the Mercedes GLC start at £34,950 OTR when is goes on sale later in the year.
Nissan has revealed a new, uber powerful Juke-R 2.0 concept. Borrowing the engine and running gear from the Nissan GT-R, the uprated Juke-R is capable of pumping out 600 bhp. Styling tweaks include a heavily redesigned front bumper with the cooling apertures now double in size to stop the monster power-plant from overheating. Sporting the Nissan ‘R’ matt black finish, the concept is an even more muscular, bolder and powerful version of its predecessor. No word yet as to if the Nissan Juke-R 2.0 will make it into production.
Alfa Romeo has revealed its all-new Giulia. The new rear-wheel drive sports saloon features plenty of Carbon fibre with a 50/50 weight distribution, short overhangs and a long bonnet – under which lies a range of new engines - including a bespoke unit for the flagship model. Tuned by engineers from a 'Ferrari background' the lightweight aluminium V6 turbo engine delivers 510bhp, propelling the Giulia Quadrifoglio from 0 to 62 in just 3.9 seconds. Pricing has yet to be confirmed.
BMW has launched its all-new 7 Series. A new generation of power units includes a plug-in hybrid system and a petrol V8, mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission. The new BMW flagship weighs 130kgs less than the outgoing model thanks to a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic body structure combined with steel and aluminium. Luxuriously appointed, rear seat passengers enjoy an ‘Executive Lounge’ with massage chairs and a panoramic glass roof. Prices for the new BMW 7 Series have yet to be announced.
A new concept car, the Alpine Celebration, has been revealed at Le Mans. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Renault’s racing department, the two-seater coupe was inspired by Alpine's motorsport heritage, and features sleek lines with carbon detailing. Finished in a deep blue with hints of orange, the colour scheme recalls the livery of past Le Mans entrys from Alpine, dating back as far as 1963. The Alpine Celebration is set to make an appearance next week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Jaguar returned once more for the 2015 Mille Miglia four-day event in Italy. The official Heritage team, piloted by famous faces from the world of motorsport, TV and music, headed to the start in Brescia with 9 classic Jags - ranging from C-type and D-types to an XK140 driven by musician Example and an XK120 Roadster driven by model Jodie Kidd and male model David Gandy. All nine cars ran smoothly throughout the gruelling four-day event with the Jaguar Heritage team finishing strongly in the Mille Miglia’s regularity trial rankings.
Fiat has teamed up with pac-a-mac brand, K-Way for a new Special Series. The Panda K-Way launches with a choice of petrol or Bi-fuel, Methane engines while a 1.3-litre turbodiesel joins the range later. The special Panda features twenty colour combinations and titanium detailing while on the inside the interior is decorated with K-Way's distinctive colours on the personalised seat belts, key cover and the multilayer carpets. Launched in Italy, the special edition Panda K-Way hits European showrooms soon.
Audi's all-new Q7 has been trialed by motoring journalists ahead of its late UK summer arrival. Powering the seven-seat SUV from launch is a 3.0-litre TDI engine with 600Nm of torque, mated to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission. 0-62 takes just 6.5 seconds with fuel consumption of up to 47.9mpg. On the inside, a second-generation infotainment system offers a comprehensive range of new driver assistance technology. Order books for the Audi Q7 are open now with prices starting from £50,340 OTR.
