Caffeine and Machine is a new coffee house, bar, restaurant and B&B that celebrates cars and motorcycles in the most unashamedly passionate way – and proof that petrolheads are already embracing the concept has come from the crowds flocking to its opening weekend.

Located in Ettington, Stratford-upon-Avon, the Caffeine and Machine has seen a local B&B and restaurant , The Houndshill, transformed into a destination for enthusiasts of every persuasion. Everyone is welcome, nothing is frowned upon: “No judgement, no sneering, no worries.”

The main house has been fully redeveloped in an exhaustive (and high end) refurbishment, and the grounds remodelled to be car- and motorcycle-friendly. Supercar friendly at that, judging by the number of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches who were there for the opening day.

Outside, a huge marquee tent supplies the caffeine to complement the machines, fuelling what will surely be regular ‘cars and coffee’ meets at the site in months and years to come. Non-drivers could grab a beer from the main house, and the Caffeine and Machine Roadhouse cooked up food that the owners say will have “even die-hard foodies coming back”. I can vouch for how amazing the burgers looked.

Motoring journalist and TV star Tom Ford is one of the partners in the project led by successful businessman Phil McGovern. On the opening day, he was busy. “I don’t know where to put them all!” he said, as another Ferrari and another Lamborghini turned up on site. With a look of delight, he agreed it was a nice problem to have.

Caffeine and Machine is already on the map, judging by the crowds in attendance, the full car parks, the breathtaking variety of cars that turned up, the dozens of cars parked on the verge outside and in the lanes surrounding the site. The Ace Cafe of the Midlands? The Goodwood of the north? It will be fascinating to see how it develops.

Having visited it, I can say excitement that everything Caffeine & Machine speaks of on its website appears to be true. I can’t wait to go back. Be sure to visit when you can, and look out for an events calendar to come at some point. It’s everything an unashamed petrolhead like me loves, and I’m certain you’ll feel the same.

“Caffeine and Machine offers everything you expect from a modern member’s club – except you don’t have to be a member to enjoy it”, say the owners. Nailed it: bravo, guys.

Where is Caffeine & Machine?

For those who find the standard 840hp Dodge Challenger SRT Demon just a little too tame, Wisconsin-based SpeedKore Performance Group has developed an epic solution.

Dispensing with the supercharger attached to the 6.2-litre Hemi V8, and replacing it with a twin-turbocharger setup, has unleashed gigantic power from the muscle car.

Despite making use of the standard Dodge engine block, the pair of Precision Engineering turbochargers create a total of 1,203hp at the rear wheels. As a reminder, that’s an output greater than a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

At present, the engine breathes through holes cut into the bumper, with the exhaust system also exiting just ahead of the front wheels. Sadly this setup, despite being impressive, is not street legal but a traditional rear exhaust version is under development.

Added lightness

SpeedKore specialises in carbon fibre bodywork, with the twin-turbo Demon being no exception.

The lightweight material is used for the front and rear bumpers, wheel arches, quarter panels, roof, and boot. In fact no panel is spared from the carbon fibre makeover, shaving some 113kg from the Challenger.

A neat touch is the Demon logos fitted to the side of the Challenger are now illuminated. A potential warning to anyone who comes across the twin-turbo machine at night…

Setting records

To test the performance of the twin-turbo Demon, SpeedKore asked professional drag racer Leah Pritchett to tackle the quarter-mile at the Great Lakes Dragway.

Despite a chilly October day making the surface less than perfect, Pritchett was able to set a new record for a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Covering the quarter-mile in just 8.77 seconds, with a terminal speed of 161.57mph, meant a considerable step up from the regular car.

In fact, Pritchett had set the previous record for a standard Demon at 9.65 seconds with a speed of 140mph.

Scariest of all is that this only marks the beginning of the SpeedKore twin-turbo Demon story. Upgraded internals for the engine will allow for more power, whilst warmer temperatures next Spring should produce even faster times at the drag strip.

The twin-turbo Demon will make its public debut at next week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. SpeedKore has previously produced a special Ford Mustang for Robert Downey Jr, and a modified Chevrolet Camaro for Captain America star Chris Evans.

A must-have option for Mini buyers since the new model was launched back in 2001 has been the Chili Pack option – but not any more, because the firm has fully overhauled the specification process for buying a new Mini.

The multitude of add-on options – including the Chili Pack and its sister Pepper Pack – has been eradicated, with Mini now basing options around three ‘styles’: Classic, Sport and Exclusive.

This, reckons Mini, will make it much easier to buy a car. Indeed, the process has been narrowed down to just five steps, it says: choose model, performance, style, packs, personalisation… and that’s it.

Here’s how it works:

1: Model

There are five: select from 3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch, Convertible, Clubman or Countryman

2: Engine

One (1.5 petrol), Cooper (1.5 petrol), Cooper D (2.0 diesel) and Cooper S (2.0 petrol) now relate to engine, in the new world of buying a Mini

3: Style

This is the new bit: Classic, Sport or Exclusive

4: Packs

Don’t panic, there are just two here: Comfort or Comfort Plus

5: Personalise

This is where you pick exterior and interior colours and trims, plus other options and is likely to remain the most confusing bit of all. Mini will perhaps be hoping people don’t get too carried away here, and stick to the option packs it details: Comfort, Comfort Plus, Navigation and Navigation Plus.

Even the most basic Mini now gets more standard kit. All have automatic headlights and wipers, ambient interior lighting and the exterior Mini logo projection gadget that shines the badge onto the ground at night.

Mini UK director David George said: “We know that customers today want a simple purchase experience, and this thinking has been central to the development of our new line-up.

“We have reduced complexity in our product offering, and harmonised options across the whole range, ensuring an easy customer journey whether in one of our retailers or on mini.co.uk.”

Yes, online: Mini has launched a buy online sales system – the firm says prospective buyers can configure, arrange a test drive, agree finance and payment details and even get a trade-in value. The retailer steps in at the end to finalise the delivery date.

The new Mini styles

So what do you get with the three new Mini style packs? Here’s the key features for each.

Classic

A 6.5-inch infotainment screen, DAB radio with Bluetooth and intelligent emergency call

Sport

John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit, spoiler, alloy wheels and suspension, John Cooper Works bucket seats and steering wheel, anthracite headliner. Only offered on Cooper and Cooper S

Exclusive

Exclusive alloy wheels, chrome exterior detailing, Mini Yours Lounge upholstery and steering wheel, Mini Yours trim and chrome detail. Again, only on Cooper and Cooper S.

A sales surge following the government’s surprise decision to scale back the Plug-in Car Grant has resulted in changes being imposed early due to remaining funds running out.

Since the announcement was made on 12 October, car buyers have been rushing to the showrooms to take advantage of the soon-to-expire £2,500 saving on plug-in hybrids.

The revised scheme, which focuses only on fully electric and fuel cell cars (oh, and ultra-long range plug-in hybrids, of which there are precisely… none currently on the market) was due to go live on 10 November.

But so quickly have car buyers used up the remaining 3,000 full EV (£4,500) and 6,000 plug-in hybrid £2,500) grant cash, the scheme has already switched over to its new format. This awards full EVs a lesser £3,500 sum.

The cash actually ran out just 10 days after the revised scheme was announced, says the RAC Foundation. 900 claims a day were being made, more than six times above than the average for 2018.

“While ministers might have fallen out of love with hybrid technology,” said RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding, “this last-minute rush to showrooms suggests the reassurance of running in part on conventional fuel is attractive to buyers with range anxiety, especially when it comes at an attractive price.

“The big question is whether motorists’ enthusiasm for hybrids will hold up now that the plug has been pulled on the grant.”

Details of the new scheme are now live on the government website. The only ‘plug-in’ cars now eligible for the £3,500 grant are detailed in full:

• BMW i3 and i3s
• BYD e6
• Citroen CZero
• Hyundai IONIQ Electric
• Hyundai KONA Electric
• Jaguar I-PACE
• Kia Soul EV
• Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
• Nissan e-NV200 (5-seater and 7-seater)
• Nissan LEAF
• Peugeot iON
• Renault ZOE
• Smart EQ fortwo
• Smart EQ forfour
• Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model X
• Toyota Mirai
• Volkswagen e-up!
• Volkswagen e-Golf

The grant will pay for 35 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £3,500. All must have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and travel at least 70 miles (which is why the Renault Twizy is not on the list).

Not all low-emission vehicles will get a grant, adds the government: only cars it has approved are eligible. This is why there’s sometimes a delay between a new model being launched and it appearing on the Plug-in Car Grant list.

Forget the cars you might expect to see outside your local McDonald’s. This collection going under the hammer is altogether classier than usual.

In fact, the four cars for sale were previously part of the Store No.1 Museum – built to commemorate the original McDonald’s restaurant location.

Officially founded in 1955 by Ray Kroc, the restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois marked the first in a chain which would become a global phenomenon. Although the original building was demolished in 1984, the McDonald’s Corporation created a museum on the same site to highlight the impact the chain had.

A key feature of the Store No.1 Museum were the four cars now up for sale. With chrome galore and bright paintwork, the collection was intended to demonstrate the optimism of the time.

The museum itself was closed to the public in 2008, following deterioration in the structure of the building. However, the cars were still cared for, allowing them to go under the hammer at the Mecum sale in Chicago this week.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

Easily one of the most recognisable American cars of the 1950s, no classic collection from the era would be without a Chevrolet Bel Air. This one is powered by a 265-cubic inch (4.3-litre) V8 engine, mated to an automatic gearbox.

Finished in a two-tone red and white paint combination, the matching interior for the Bel Air certainly packs a ‘50s vibe. Masses of chrome, and whitewall tyres, leave no doubt as to the era it is from.

1955 Chrysler New Yorker St. Regis

Despite being one of the longest-running nameplates in the American car industry, the New Yorker is less discernible. Built between 1940 and 1996, the car up for auction is the fourth iteration of the New Yorker.

Featuring a Hemi V8 engine, the St. Regis model marked was top of the New Yorker range in 1955. The white and gold interior stands out as something of an acquired taste.

1955 Oldsmobile Super 88

Produced for 50 years between 1949 and 1999, the Oldsmobile 88 was a perennial fixture in the American motoring landscape. The brand would be killed off in 2004, but this Super 88 comes from a time when the company was at its peak.

With a 324-cubic inch (5.3-litre) Rocket V8, along with a four-speed automatic gearbox, the Super 88 is arguably the most advanced car here. As with all four offered for sale, this 88 has undergone a thorough restoration.

1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria

Thought the Crown Victoria was only associated with New York taxis and police cars? Think again. The first use of the badge was to mark out the premium model of the Fairlane range.

Most noticeable is the special chrome B-pillar treatment, crowning the roofline and giving the car its name. Power comes from a 272-cubic inch (4.5-litre) V8, whilst the exterior looks resplendent with a white and red colour combination.

The four McDonald’s collection cars will be crossing the block this Saturday. More than 1,000 additional performance cars and classics are also on offer, including a number of special collections. One star of the sale is a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo, originally owned by Chicago Bears NFL legend Walter Payton.

Series Elite is a one-make race series just for the over-50s and has now announced the choice of car for its inaugural 2019 season – the 600hp, 200mph Jaguar XE SV Project 8.

The surprise choice of rookie racing car was announced in London. Series founder Graeme Glew says the choice of such a high-profile car will be pivotal in building up interest in the series.

“The opportunity to develop this awesome car into a fully fledged racer was one that I jumped at.

“Not only will our drivers own a fantastic race car, when they finally hang up their race boots, they can if they wish convert their Project 8 back into a road going version.”

An exclusive one at that: Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations has vowed to make no more than a 300 Project 8.

Series Elite is targeting high net worth individuals and says it gives “the unique premise of a racing series for novices who never had the opportunity to get involved in their youth”. Former racers will also be welcomed, adds Glew.  

• Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is the fastest saloon car at the Nurburgring
• Jaguar will let you ride its 200hp Project at at the Nurburgring for £175 a lap

The first race will take place in May 2019, with a series of test sessions planned in the build-up. Circuits to be visited include Silverstone, Donington and Brands Hatch – and a flashy international finale is planned at Portimao, Portugal at the end of the season.

Glew adds that this will intentionally be a series for rich racers. Series Elite has “partnered with a number of luxury brand that will be joining us at the event: like-minded businesses who work within the high net worth individual industry and meet their demand for exclusivity and enriching their lives”.

It’ll be a turn-key series too: racers simply turn up and drive, rather than have to worry about transporting their cars to events. All will be prepared at a centralised facility, and relevant training, testing and race experience will be provided for competitors ahead of the first race next May.

The first Series Elite Project 8 racers will be ready for testing in early 2019.