On the eve of the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours, Ferrari has revealed a special new Piloti Ferrari specification for the 488 Pista. Why the debut at Le Mans? Because only Ferrari owners involved in the firm’s various motorsport programmes will be allowed to order one…
This includes Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, who will be driving AF Corse’s number 51 car this weekend, still revelling in their status as 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title-winning drivers and manufacturers.
Fittingly, the two drivers have helped reveal the 488 Pista Piloti Ferrari over at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Piloti Ferrari 488 Pista, created by the firm’s Tailor Made division, has been inspired by the two champs’ winning racer. The bespoke livery in the tricolore of the Italian flag has been developed from their 488 GTE racing car; it even carries the FIA WEC logo and the ‘PRO’ logo that identifies the class it raced in.
The tricolore continues down the sides, which also boast a race number: the launch car carries the 51 of the title-winning drivers, but clients will be able to pick their own number.
Other exterior differentiations include a matt black finish for the S-Duct, vent surrounds and carbon fibre ‘dovetail’ rear spoiler. Colours? Pick from four suitably motorsport-inspired hues: Rosso Corsa, Blu Tour De France, Nero Daytona and Argento Nürburgring.
Inside? More Italian flag inspiration: the black Alcantara seats contain a special perforated tricolore centre section and, brilliantly, the national colours also feature on the gearshift paddles.
Floor mats are given an Italian flag edge too (and they’re made from a “special technical fabric”), while the number chosen by the owner for the outside is replicated on the base of the steering wheel. All the carbon fibre elements are also finished in matt, and there is a special identification plate and carbon fibre door sills to finish it off.
And the engine? The same 720hp 3.9-litre turbo V8 that’s just been voted best engine in the world in the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards – for the third consecutive year.
The first ever F1 car driven by Ayrton Senna was a Williams, which he piloted at Donington in the summer of 1983. It was Keke Rosberg’s FW08C Williams-Ford – and now, 35 years on, Guy Martin has announced he’s going to rebuild it and use it to race Jenson Button during the 2018 British Grand Prix.
Jenson’s car for the challenge? A Williams FW08B: an unusual six-wheel Williams prototype that itself would have raced in 1983, if it hadn’t been banned just before the season began.
It’s all part of a new show Guy’s filming for Channel 4, called ‘Speed with Guy Martin: Classic F1 Driver’. He’s working with Williams Heritage to rebuild the ‘83 racer, and it’s a genuine two-pronged challenge. First, he has to get up to speed with the specialist F1 engineering used in an early-1980s race-winner…
… Then he has to learn how to drive it.
‘All bets are off’
Typically, Guy’s up for the challenge. “I feel that I’m in good company behind the wheel of the Williams FW08C. It was the first F1 car to be driven by the great Ayrton Senna and it won the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix.
“It’s been a real privilege to work with Williams on bringing this iconic piece of motoring history back to life. Jenson may be a world champion but with a stunning vehicle like this all bets are off.”
“Guy has proved himself to be the consummate professional yet again, being both mechanically adept and having a real feel behind the wheel of a racing car.
The challenge will take place on the opening day of the 2018 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. If you want to see who wins ahead of the documentary airing on Channel 4 later this year, get your tickets now before they sell out…
It’s Father’s Day this weekend (you hadn’t forgotten, had you..?), so we thought it was time to trawl the archives in search of cars your dad drove… and those he dreamed about.
In each case, we’ve selected the sensible and the sexy, or the humdrum and the hero.
Honda Accord
Spare a thought for your poor, beleaguered father. At the end of the 1990s, he was preparing to wave goodbye to more than just the last millennium. A receding hairline was a sign that his best days were behind him, with his misery compounded by the list of potential company cars faxed to him by his fleet manager.
If he was lucky, the company would offer him a Mondeo, but the spectre of the original Vectra was a looming menace. Sensibly he avoided the Avensis and opted for the reliable Honda Accord, which ensured he would make it home for tea and your weekend trips to the seaside would pass without a call to the AA.
Honda Accord Type R
“The Accord has the lowest running costs, the best residual values and one of the most comprehensive warranties in its class. It’s also well built and has a better image than most of its rivals. Extremely well equipped and tremendous value, in SE trim it costs around £1000 less than the equivalent Passat and comes with cruise control and ABS as standard,” said Fleet Car Business in 1999.
Which is all well and good, but as your father browsed the Honda website, he couldn’t help but have his head turned by the Accord Type R. He pleaded with Colin the fleet guy, but even the prospect of a delete option on that rear spoiler wasn’t enough for him to put a four-door saloon with the performance of a touring car in the office parking lot.
Ford Sierra
When the Ford Sierra arrived in the UK in 1982, its space-age styling wasn’t exactly met with universal applause. Even some dyed-in-the-wool Ford fans preferred the outgoing Captain Sensible Cortina to the Kool & The Gang Sierra. Others simply switched allegiances to the Vauxhall Cavalier.
But soon, the Sierra cemented itself as part of the furniture in 80s Britain, alongside Daisy Duke’s shorts, Sonny Crockett’s espadrilles and Terry Wogan’s microphone. Some 3.4 million Sierras were sold before it made way for the Mondeo.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
As if to motivate your father to try even harder at work – “these paperclips won’t sell themselves, you know” – Ford unleashed a number of ‘sportier’ models. The fuel-injected 2.0iS was within reach, as was the XR4x4, if your dad spent less time eating Early Starters in the Little Chef.
But no hostile boardroom takeover would be complete without an in-yer-face Sierra RS Cosworth. In excess of 200hp, a top speed of 149mph and a 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds. In his head, your father’s 1.8-litre LX was a pair of Recaro seats and a whale-tail away from a Cossie. The reality was quite different.
Vauxhall Cavalier
Back in the day, your father would do anything to get ahead in the office, even if it meant jumping the queue once in a while. Insert something here about a high-flying career or a jump in sales.
The little badge on the back of the Cavalier acted like a barometer of success. An ‘L’ delivered a Philips stereo radio cassette player, remote-controlled door mirrors and flush wheel trims. But a man in a CD was a man in control. His Cavalier offered electric windows, mirrors and aerial, plus power steering, sunroof, central locking and a tiltable steering wheel.
Vauxhall Cavalier Calibre
Your dad was happy cruising in his Cavalier CD, sunroof open, Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald cassette on repeat to sooth away the miles spent on the M1. Happy, until he saw a blaze of Carmine Red exiting the Roadchef at Watford Gap. Your father’s ‘Lady in Red’ wasn’t a lady at all, it was a Vauxhall Cavalier Calibre.
These run-out models were styled and converted by Tickford and Irmscher and only 500 were built, each one commanding a price tag of £13,000. Even today, your father probably daydreams about turning up at a meeting in a Calibre, so best not tell him there are believed to be four on the road.
Ford Cortina
Ford knew how to tickle the fancy of the average company car driver. In the days before motivational memes, a Ford Cortina brochure could make the difference between jumping out of bed and pressing ‘snooze’ on the bedside teasmaid.
Over the course of two decades, the Cortina was the archetypal fleet and family car, being cheap to run, cheap to service and good to drive. It also was named after an Italian ski resort, which added a touch of glamour to the otherwise worthy saloon.
Ford Cortina Lotus
But your dad didn’t want to be ‘Jim from sales’, he wanted to be Jim Clark. Which is why he had his eyes on the Lotus version. The recipe was delightfully simple: add a Lotus twin-cam engine to a Cortina bodyshell to create an instant legend.
To your father, the Lotus Cortina was as tantalising as a free bar at a sales conference with drinks served by Diana Rigg in a catsuit.
Peugeot 405
We hate to break it to you like this, but once upon a time, your dad fancied himself as Surbiton’s answer to Tom Cruise, and your mum was his Kelly McGillis. All that was needed to complete the effect – aside from a pilot’s licence – was the Porsche 356 Speedster replica as seen in Top Gun.
Only your father couldn’t stretch to a 356, which is why the sight of a Peugeot 405 blazing a trail through a field of burning maize took your dad’s breath away. The British-built 405 became a sales sensation (just like your dad).
Peugeot 405 Mi16
Your dad would have been happy in his 405 GRD, until Peugeot decided to up the ante with the 405 Mi16. This was less a case of having your cake and eating it and more having your cake and slapping it in the face of your unsuspecting work colleagues. The Mi16 was a race-bred hero.
Drivers would gleefully inform anyone who’d listen that the engine was derived from the 205 T16 Group B rally car, which is why your father fancied one parked outside his three-bed Poco Home.
Ford Capri
The Ford Capri should have been enough for your father. Although it was based on the humble Cortina, the transformation from everyday to exciting was quite remarkable.
Even the lowly 1.3- and 1.6-litre versions looked the part and while he wouldn’t like to admit it, the Capri offered the much needed comfort and practicality a traditional sports car couldn’t offer.
Ford Capri RS3100
Throughout its long and illustrious career, the Capri range featured a range-topping model, kicking off with the Advanced Vehicle Operations RS3100. The pert ducktail spoiler sat on the back, encouraging your father to spend the best part of £2,500 on the flagship Capri.
The V6 Capris were the cars you always promised yourself, the others were merely pretenders.
Vauxhall Viva
Vauxhall did its best to extol the “sporty qualities” of the Viva, positioning the HB version as “Britain’s sportiest 1.1-litre gadabout”. There aren’t enough gadabouts in today’s new car market.
It handled well enough, but the Viva wasn’t exactly what you’d call exciting. Even the Brabham failed to live up the promise made by the illustrious connection.
Vauxhall Viva GT
The Vauxhall Viva GT, on the other hand, was a different kettle of carp. That it was more a rival to the Escort Twin Cam and Cortina GT than the Lotus Cortina hardly seemed to matter, because the hot Viva looked the part.
The contrasting bonnet was an option, but the bonnet scoops were standard fit, guaranteed to turn heads on the King’s Road. The GT took Viva drivers somewhere they’d never been before: 100mph.
Austin/Rover Montego
Naming a car after an exotic location is a clever marketing trick – witness what the Cortina name did for Ford’s family saloon. Montego, then, should conjure up images of long days relaxing by the ocean on Jamaica’s north coast.
In truth, the Montego felt about as exotic as a Rustie Lee leftover curry in the TV-AM studio, but it sold well enough and was more than attractive to fleet buyers. But your father didn’t fancy Rustie Lee, he was after the automotive equivalent of Grace Jones.
MG Montego
“The quickest MG production car of all-time,” proclaimed the headlines, as Austin Rover waved the MG Montego Turbo under your father’s nose. “Quicker than a BMW 325i, a Porsche 924 or a Ferrari Mondial,” claimed the ailing British company, knowing full well that your dad would be impressed.
It was faster than a Grace Jones right hook on an unsuspecting Russell Harty, and Austin Rover even managed to tame the torque steer. If only somebody was on hand to tame Grace Jones, thought Harty. Probably.
Volvo 240
During the late 70s and throughout the 80s, nothing said ‘middle class family man’ quite like a Volvo estate. Only wrapping yourself in After Eight mints and sticking a Sade compact disc on repeat would be more middle class.
Your dad pretended he was happy with his 2.4 children and golden retriever. But in truth, his head had been turned by a hot Swede. No, not Britt Ekland…
Volvo 240 Turbo
Secretly, in 1985, your dad was watching Swedish porn, as the Volvo 240 Turbo romped to victory in the European Touring Car Championship. This was as far away from daytrips to the in-laws as your father was from marrying Felicity Kendal.
Your dad’s heart rate had just returned to normal when Volvo decided to go racing again, this time in an 850 estate. Well, strike me down and call me Björn Borg.
Peugeot 406
A Peugeot 406 towing a caravan could act like a metaphor for your father’s life. No, really, it could. Sure, the 406 estate is handsome enough and certainly capable of living a long and fruitful life, but it’s not exactly svelte, suave and sophisticated.
And that caravan weighing things down at the back represents a mortgage, bills and responsibilities. Ouch.
Peugeot 406 Coupe
Looking at the Peugeot 406 Coupe, it’s hard to believe it’s related to the more humdrum versions. Fact is, Pininfarina penned one of the most beautiful cars of the turn of the millennium, which seems to look better with every passing year.
Something your father was reminded of, as a 406 Coupe whooshed past in a display of French glamour, as he trundled along the A303 to screams of “are we nearly there yet?”
The McLaren Senna is the cover car star of Forza Horizon 4, the latest instalment in the Microsoft Forza franchise – and visitors to last weekend’s E3 Expo in LA got an early chance to test drive the virtual Senna in the new game.
Set in Britain for the first time, Forza Horizon 4’s Senna star car is a nice follow-on from Forza Motorsport 5: that game featured the McLaren P1 as the cover star, with a real-life P1 gracing the E3 stage back in 2013.
“We are delighted to be working so closely with Microsoft on their Forza racing franchise,” said McLaren’s executive sales and marketing director Jolyon Nash.
“Videogames are now so realistic and our relationship with Forza has been a powerful tool both to grow brand awareness and show what makes McLaren cars so special.
“So few people will ever get the chance to pilot the McLaren Senna, but now a whole new audience can experience the thrill of driving our ultimate track car virtually on the roads of Britain.”
The 800hp car, named after three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, is McLaren’s most extreme road car ever; it does 0-124mph in 6.8 seconds, 0-186mph in 17.5 seconds (perfect for going flat-out on the free-roaming Forza roads), and is the firm’s lightest car since the original F1. Only 500 will be made, each costing from £750,000 – and they’ve all long since sold out.
“We are proud of our long-term partnership with McLaren with whom we have a rich history,” said Alan Hartman, studio head of Microsoft’s Forza developer Turn 10 Studios.
Forza Horizon 4 will be officially launched on 2 October, for Xbox One, Windows 10 PCs and Xbox Game Pass. There’s going to be a garage of over 450 cars to choose from at launch… and “more surprises and activities are planned later in the year as the McLaren and Forza partnership continues”.
Do you remember when Alfa Romeo set impressive lap times around the fearsome Nordschleife Nürburgring circuit? We’ll forgive you if you don’t, as it seems a manufacturer notches up a new ‘Ring record every other week.
However, Alfa is suitably proud of the times it achieved with the Quadrifoglio Stelvio SUV and Giulia saloon models, and is building limited edition versions of both to celebrate. Their names are almost as long as the 12.9 miles of the Nürburgring. Say hello to the Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING Nürburgring Limited Editions.
So what do you get? Well, each comes with the exclusive ‘Circuito Grey’ matte paintwork, matched with side skirts, mirror caps, and grille inserts in carbon fibre. There is more carbon fibre inside, covering the dash, gear knob, steering wheel inserts, and the shells of the Sparco bucket seats. Leather and Alcantara covers the remainder of virtually anything not bedecked in carbon.
Being based on the Quadrifoglio models means that both Stelvio and Giulia are powered by the thumping 2.9-litre V6 Bi-turbo engine, producing 510hp and 443lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard regardless of bodystyle.
The Stelvio uses Q4 all-wheel-drive, whilst the Giulia is the choice for drifting with rear-wheel-drive. Brakes are carbon ceramic for track-ready stopping power.
Go saloon and you’ll be able to achieve 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, and a substantial top speed of 191mph. Plump for the Stelvio, and the AWD traction means 0-62mph in a quicker 3.8 seconds, but top speed is ‘just’ 176mph.
Most important of all are those Nordschleife lap times, of course. The Stelvio set a new SUV record with a time of 7 minutes 51.7 seconds, whilst the four-door Giulia is even quicker at 7 minutes 32 seconds.
Just 108 examples of each NRING model will be built, and buying one gets your far more than just the car. Before the car is even delivered, lucky owners will be sent a 1:18 scale model to stare longingly at.
There are even more goodies when taking delivery. Buyers get a set of Sparco race gloves, customised jacket, an Alfa-branded sports bag, special cufflinks, and even a pair of bespoke shoes. Owners will also get the chance to attend a driving event at the Nürburgring in 2019.
Those in the UK interested in buying one of the NRING limited editions will have their chance to see them first at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month. Prices, and numbers of how many cars will be coming to the UK, will be confirmed nearer the time.
What better way to celebrate the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup that with a £70,000 custom Land Rover Defender? That’s the view of vehicle modifier Chelsea Truck Company, part of Kahn Design.
Hyundai is Chelsea FC’s new car partner
It’s hard to argue with the description that the World Cup Edition sets itself apart from ‘virtually anything on the road’, with the Honey Mustard paintwork certainly not subtle. It makes the recent Kahn Vengeance Green Superhero look almost subtle.
The eye-searing colour is applied to Chelsea Wide Track bodywork, with the stretched wheel arches the most obvious feature.
Stainless steel mesh fills vents in the bonnet, there’s a custom X-Lander front grille, and a new bumper with integrated lights. The headlights themselves are replaced with shadow chrome units, and it is also impossible to ignore the gloss black 20-inch Mondial alloy wheel.
Inside the usually spartan Defender interior, almost everything has been covered with leather. That includes the sports seats, the instrument binacle, and the central glove box. A Kahn Design steering wheel made from billet aluminium is not the biggest trinket, as that prize goes to the Churchill Time Clock.
Beneath all the exterior adornments and interior details, the World Cup Edition is powered by the same 2.2-litre TDCI diesel engine as found in a regular Defender. Adding all the additional bits doesn’t come cheap, with the lucky buyer needing £69,995 to take home the World Cup edition.
Kahn Design founder and CEO Afzal Khan also has plans to try to encourage members of England’s football team to give it their all at the World Cup.
Should England lift the trophy, Mr Kahn has promised to gift midfielder Eric Dier the number plate ‘NO 4’, said to be valued at £500,000. Defender Danny Rose would also have a choice of number plates, said to reward him for his openness about his battles with depression.
England play their first game of the 2018 World Cup against Tunisia on Monday 18th June. That might give us some indication as to whether the promise of number plates helps England score.
The Bridge isn’t exactly what you’d call a feel-good television show. Set in Malmö and Copenhagen, the Scandi-noir crime drama sees Sofia Helin playing the socially challenged but brilliant detective Saga Norén as she attempts to solve a series of gruesome murders.
Following much speculation and guesswork about Saga’s Porsche, the case closed on a definitive verdict. It’s a 1977 Porsche 911S, imported from San Francisco in 2010. More information was revealed in an article on the old Origin Porsche website.
Hans Hedberg, test manager of Swedish car magazine Teknikens Varld, imported the Porsche to Sweden in 2010. He said: “I bought the car from a Porsche workshop outside San Francisco in autumn 2009. From out of the blue, I suddenly spotted the car when just passing by: a sudden stop, 180-degrees turnaround and in for a quick check of the cars and the workshop. I gave them a price and the next day it was all mine.”
Hans continued: “[I liked the fact that the car was] original and non-fixed. The 1977 911S has the big 180hp engine but in the small body. In 1978 the wider 911SC came, but the 911S-77 is, in my eyes, the cool cat. And fast! The colour, Jäger Grün (Hunter Green as I call it) was an option, and yes; the paint has been fixed, but not by me.”
From a city famous for its Golden Gate bridge, the 911 was sold to The Bridge production company in 2010. According to Hans, the colour was key to the deal: “The film/production company behind Bron (The Bridge) called me up and the car was sold as quickly as it had been over in the States. Just like with me, it was the colour and appearance that made the deal.”
Hans concluded: “I think The Bridge is one of the best TV crime series ever… and every time I see Ms Saga and her Jäger Grün Porsche, I’d like to have it again. Of course it’s even more fun that people around in the world by this way can enjoy the car as much as I did!”
Not that Sofia Helin enjoyed the driving the car. Speaking to the Independent in 2015, Sofia said: “All I can say is that it’s very hard to drive. It’s so old.”
Little chance, then, that the Swedish actress will be making a bid on the famous 911. In 2015, the Telegraph revealed that Sofia Helin doesn’t have a car. “I live in the city,” she said, “I don’t need a car.”
The 911 was introduced around 49 minutes into the first episode of series one. “Nice car,” says Saga Norén’s Danish crime fighting partner, Martin Rohde (played by Kim Bodnia) as he sees the Porsche for the first time. “Is the Swedish police paid well?” he asks.
“Don’t jump to conclusions about by wages based on my car,” says Saga. Later, in episode four of series four, the Swedish detective reveals to her current Danish partner that she won it in a bet with her tutor at the Police College.
The Bridge will close at the end of the current series, leaving fans wondering what will come of Saga Norén. Of more interest here is the fate of the Porsche 911. It must be due a dramatic send-off. But, as Saga drives over the Oresund Bridge for one final time, this could be your chance to take the wheel of the famous 911.
The Porsche 911S is owned by the production company and has been on display at the Malmö museum. But with the series reaching its conclusion, the producers have donated it to charity, with the proceeds going to WaterAid.
Sofia Helin, who is an ambassador for WaterAid, said: “Saga’s Porsche is not only a big part of my own acting life but has also become part of Swedish TV history. I’m so pleased the sale of this car will go to such a good cause. Through my work with WaterAid, I’ve seen first-hand the difference clean water can make to people’s health, education and livelihoods.”
Meanwhile, Lars Blomgren, Anders Landström and Bo Ehrhardt, creators of The Bridge said, “We are very happy that The Bridge will finish its successful UK journey with the sale of Saga Norén’s Porsche and that we are able to donate the money to a cause as important as WaterAid.”
Its appearance at Goodwood won’t be the first time the 911S has paid a visit to the UK. In February 2014, the Porsche was on show at Nordicana, the festival of Nordic fiction and film in Shoreditch, London.
The 911 is being auctioned without a reserve, with Bonhams slapping a £20,000 to £30,000 pre-auction estimate on the TV star. Too cheap? According to the Hagerty Classic Car Price Guide, the average value of a 1977 Porsche 911 2.7-litre is £34,000.
But the Hagerty value tells only half the story. Writing on the PetrolBlog Facebook page, Adrian Crawford of Porsche specialists Williams Crawford, said: “It’s the last of narrow bodied 911s with a light motor and great sound. This one [offers] no knowledge of true condition or tech status but it is in a great colour and bit of fame, too. Typically they are £35,000 to £60,000. I think it will do well.”
The Porsche 911S will go under the hammer at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 13 July 2018. Buy it and treat yourself to a Scandinavian holiday this summer. Just don’t linger too long when you reach the middle of the Oresund Bridge. Tack!
Jaguar Land Rover has launched a car subscription service aimed at high-mileage drivers. The new venture is called Carpe and is available in the UK now.
Prices for the all-inclusive, unlimited-motoring packages start from £910 (excluding VAT) per month for a standard Jaguar E-Pace (pictured above). A Range Rover Sport HSE is the priciest car on the scheme, at £2,200 a month, again ex. VAT.
The package runs for 12 months and users don’t need to put down a deposit. JLR says it’s being aimed specifically at high-mileage UK drivers who are busy and spend a lot of time behind the wheel.
Turning over the cars each year will help keep mileages in check (despite the scheme coming with no mileage restrictions), and also ensure users don’t get bored driving the same car year after year. Cars don’t have to be off the shelf, either – they can be individually specified.
Included in the subscription deal is servicing, maintenance, insurance, roadside assistance and delivery.
InMotion Ventures is running the Carpe subscription service for JLR. Its MD Sebastien Peck said: “We know there is an appetite for unlimited motoring packages and demand is growing rapidly for subscription services that better meet individual needs.”
He said Carpe is perfect for those who like premium cars, but not the inflexible contracts that come with them. “We aim to give our customers as much flexibility, freedom and choice as we can.”
Want to find out more? Check out www.carpedrive.com. If it’s a success, adds JLR, it might consider expanding its tailored subscription packages further.
Volkswagen has been fined €1 billion (£880 million) by German authorities over the ‘dieselgate’ diesel emissions cheating scandal that has rocked the firm in recent years.
The company has accepted the fine and does not plan to appeal it.
“Volkswagen AG, by doing so, admits its responsibility for the diesel crisis and considers this as a further major step towards the latter being overcome,” it said in a statement.
It hopes that by accepting the fine and settling proceedings, there will be “significant positive effects on further active administrative proceedings in Europe against the Volkswagen AG and its subsidiaries”.
The firm has already agreed to pay $4.3 billion (£3.2 billion) in the United States. VW has forked out over £20 billion in settlements and fines for the dieselgate scandal, which was uncovered in the U.S. in 2015. Almost 11 million vehicles were found to contain software that manipulated official economy and emissions tests.
The German fine is one of the largest ever handed out by authorities, and largely consists of cash to account for the ‘economic benefits’ Volkswagen gained from cheating. Just €5 million is going towards legal penalties.
And although the fine is huge, it should be put into context, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst told Reuters. “Paying out 1 billion euros is extreme painful but in the broader context it isn’t a material number.” After the first quarter, currently-thriving VW had €24.3 billion in the bank…
Following news of the German fine, Volkswagen shares closed marginally higher.
The Tesla Model S estate is a shooting brake for the new millennium. Forget images of the thoroughly British Lynx Eventer, pheasants hanging from the tree and long liquid lunches in the village pub. This Dutch-American effort is more dotcom than Dog & Duck.
It’s the work of Schiphol coachbuilders RemetzCar, under the watchful eye of London-based designer Niels van Roij. A total of 20 electric shooting brakes will be built, and the first one is taking a tour of Europe ahead of its official debut at the International Concours d’Elegance Paleis Het Loo at the end of the month. Today, it made its UK debut at the Dutch Embassy in London.
Video: Tesla Model S Shooting Brake
We’ll gloss over the fact that the Model S has too many doors to be classed as a real shooting brake – manufacturers have been blurring the lines for many years now – and instead, marvel at what could pass for a Tesla factory build. The Model X might have fancy gullwing doors, but it can’t match the Dutch creation for style, grace and charm.
The team at Niels van Roij Design penned the Model SB at the firm’s base in Woolwich, before briefing hearse and limousine experts RemetzCar. The Dutch coachbuilding company has over two decades experience in the field, with a CV featuring the likes of a Bentley Flying Spur station wagon, a six-wheeled stretched Range Rover Sport and a Rolls-Royce Phantom pick-up.
Electric Shooting Brake
Today marks the London press launch of the #Tesla based #ShootingBrake. It is the very first time this tailor made car, designed in #London by Niels van Roij Design and hand made by coachbuilder Remetzcar, will been seen in the UK!
— Niels van Roij Design (@NielsvanRoij) June 12, 2018
It’s not the first Tesla Model S shooting brake – Norfolk-based Qwest unveiled its SportsWagon earlier this year, before showing it at the London Motor Show – but car collector Floris de Raadt turned to his Dutch compatriot when he required a little more practicality from his electric hatch.
“We’ve invested a lot of time in the design process of our Shooting Brake,” said Niels van Roij. “We started with writing the design strategy, after which the design research was initiated, then sketching began.
“The aesthetics of this conversion have been developed thoroughly by producing three design propositions, within which 16 different design themes were generated. Our research focused on benchmarking high-end performance station cars, one-off vehicles and market trends.”
RemetzCar began the process by translating the design sketches, leaving the core structure and the crumple zones intact. To achieve a seamless transition from hatchback to an estate, the coachbuilders developed a bespoke tailgate featuring a rear spoiler with a brake light and a concealed rear wiper.
Finishing touches are provided by a chrome strip running from the A-pillar, along the roofline and around the panoramic roof, with a body finished in green metallic paint with a twist of gold. Inside, the exterior colour is complemented by a cream, green and black cabin. Overall, it takes five months to complete the conversion. Is Mr de Raadt pleased with the result?
“The idea was to translate my Tesla Model S into a dynamic and sporty yet elegant Shooting Brake, rather than creating a car with maximum luggage space,” said de Raadt. “Niels van Roij Design developed several options for the conversion, focusing on premium design combined with limited conversion costs: thus making coachbuilding available for a larger group of connoisseurs.
“Our favourite was the option called ‘Bold Chrome’, featuring remarkable high gloss chrome window trims emphasising the bold, dynamic lines of the car. The result is truly stunning.”
At the launch, it was revealed that it costs around £80,000 plus local taxes to convert the Model S, which is in addition to the cost of the base car. Tesla Model S prices start at around £65,000 for the 75D, rising to around £123,000 for the P100D. Not cheap, then, but with a further 19 planned, exclusivity is guaranteed.
On the eve of the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours, Ferrari has revealed a special new Piloti Ferrari specification for the 488 Pista. Why the debut at Le Mans? Because only Ferrari owners involved in the firm’s various motorsport programmes will be allowed to order one…
The first ever F1 car driven by Ayrton Senna was a Williams, which he piloted at Donington in the summer of 1983. It was Keke Rosberg’s FW08C Williams-Ford – and now, 35 years on, Guy Martin has announced he’s going to rebuild it and use it to race Jenson Button during the 2018 British Grand Prix.
It’s Father’s Day this weekend (you hadn’t forgotten, had you..?), so we thought it was time to trawl the archives in search of cars your dad drove… and those he dreamed about.
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Jaguar Land Rover has launched a car subscription service aimed at high-mileage drivers. The new venture is called Carpe and is available in the UK now.
Volkswagen has been fined €1 billion (£880 million) by German authorities over the ‘dieselgate’ diesel emissions cheating scandal that has rocked the firm in recent years.
