Tag Archives: British

News

2024 BTCC season preview: assembly the person who makes it occur

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Alan Gow, boss of the massively profitable Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for all however three of the previous 34 seasons, is the personification of a decisive chief.

He spends most of his time making clear, fast choices aimed toward enhancing what’s extensively acknowledged to be the world’s greatest automobile competitors of its sort. For many years, his authority has been each bit as nice as Bernie Ecclestone’s was in his Formula 1 heyday.

Not that there are a lot of different similarities between Gow and Ecclestone. Bernie was small, enigmatic and scary; Gow is tall and laconic, an Australian immigrant who arrived from a profitable Melbourne-based motorsport profession in 1990. He thrives on wisecracks and vibrant language, and for all his word-is-law authority, he’s a remarkably modest man.

“People think all the big decisions come from me,” he says. “But they actually come from me listening. I don’t have a sole franchise on good ideas, so I surround myself with people with interesting opinions, some a lot smarter than I am. So you listen, you sort wheat from chaff, and usually you find the truth somewhere in the middle. I’m a magpie. I’ll pinch anyone’s good idea if I think it will improve the BTCC.”

Typically, Gow has a collection of latest concepts yearly, and it’s the identical for 2024. They are designed to sharpen the competitors and the spectacle. “If you don’t have great racing,” he says, “you don’t have anything.”

This 12 months would be the third for the hybrid powertrains, a world-first he cooked up throughout lockdown with the assistance of Cosworth. After one season to search out the bugs and a second to iron them out, he’s satisfied 2024 shall be a fantastic 12 months for hybrids, making the prospect of 1 driver scoring runaway championship wins (already powerful) virtually unattainable.

“This year we’re doubling the boost available through the driver’s push-to-pass button,” he explains. “It’s a combined turbo and hybrid-electric boost, worth about 80bhp. At the first race this season everyone will get 15 seconds of boost per lap. But as soon as a driver wins a race his boost will fall to just one second, and there are graduated reductions down to 10th place. That will really change things.”

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Stellantis named Van Manufacturer of the Year at Great British Fleet Awards

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  • Stellantis takes dwelling award for Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024
  • Stellantis is the UK’s best-selling van producer thus far this yr
  • The group additionally leads the UK’s electrical van market
  • Stellantis is the one OEM producing vans in quantity within the UK

 

Stellantis has been named Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024.

The award comes shortly after Stellantis revealed its newly-upgraded LCV line-up. Citroën, Peugeot, FIAT Professional and Vauxhall have all up to date their small, medium and enormous vans, with every receiving new designs, improved expertise and upgraded efficiency on electrical variants. The not too long ago up to date van vary is now open for orders.

John Kendall, Editor, Van Fleet World, mentioned: “Merging two vehicle brands is enough of a challenge, but trying to bring five together, while striking a deal to supply vans to another, certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. In the past year, Stellantis has revised the van ranges for Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Opel. Each model has received a facelift and range has been extended for all electric models. All new vans are now equipped for connectivity from the factory. The largest electric vans now all get the same motor and battery, while there are new transmissions for diesel models. At the same time, Stellantis has formed a new business unit, Pro One to handle LCV sales for all brands. It’s been quite a year.”

Lee Titchner, Director, Stellantis ProOne UK, mentioned: “This award reinforces our status as the UK’s best-selling van manufacturer and highlights the strength of our commercial vehicle range. We are proud to be leading the way in the electrification of LCVs, with all four brands offering an electric variant of every model in their line-ups. We are grateful to the Great British Fleet Awards for recognising our status as a leading provider of practical and affordable vans for our professional customers.”

The manufacturing group’s success is exemplified by its sturdy gross sales efficiency in 2024, which sees it lead the UK van market year-to-date. Stellantis accounts for almost one-in-three (31.24%) vans bought within the UK thus far this yr.*

 

Stellantis additionally leads the market in electrical van gross sales, with a market share of 44.82% year-to-date. As of March this yr, Peugeot took the crown for the best-selling electrical van model within the UK, with the E-Expert being the UK’s hottest electrical van year-to-date.

Stellantis is the one OEM presently producing vans in quantity within the UK. The manufacturing group produces the Citroën E-Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo Electric, Peugeot E-Partner and Fiat E-Doblo at its Ellesmere Port plant, the UK’s first EV-only quantity manufacturing facility. In 2025, Stellantis can even start restricted manufacturing of electrical vans at its Luton plant, alongside continued manufacturing of ICE vans.

*excluding pick-ups and off-roaders

About Stellantis

Stellantis N.V. (NYSE / MTA / Euronext Paris: STLA) is without doubt one of the world’s main automakers and a mobility supplier. Its storied and iconic manufacturers embody the fervour of their visionary founders and at the moment’s prospects of their revolutionary services and products, together with Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. Powered by our variety, we cleared the path the world strikes – aspiring to turn into the best sustainable mobility tech firm, not the most important, whereas creating added worth for all stakeholders in addition to the communities wherein it operates. For extra info, go to www.stellantis.com.

News

BYD Seagull may come to UK in model’s reasonably priced EV push

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BYD’s UK bosses are eager for the corporate to supply the low-cost BYD Seagull electric car to British patrons.

No resolution has but been taken nonetheless on if and when the three.8-metre-long Seagull would launch within the UK, but when it does it will probably be the cheapest electric car on sale within the UK.

In China, it’s priced from the equal of £8000, a worth at which BYD is known to make the automobile profitably and nonetheless supply a spread near 200 miles.

BYD’s UK advertising boss Mark Blundell mentioned he was “keen to have it” when requested in regards to the potential UK launch of the Seagull and mentioned there was a transparent area under the BYD Dolphin hatchback within the vary for it. It is bought because the Dolphin Mini in some markets.

Blundell mentioned it was BYD’s technique to “make electric cars accessible to all” and eager pricing was a part of that. “EVs shouldn’t just be for well-off people…[we need to] have affordable EVs in the range, and need accessible EVs, not just £50, 60, 70,000 ones”.

Blundell was talking at an occasion to mark the one-year anniversary of BYD’s launch within the UK. The agency has not set any targets for UK gross sales or development however the agency, which bought extra electrical automobiles than some other automobile maker globally final yr, together with Tesla, is effectively backed, effectively funded and impressive – and development akin to that achieved by MG within the UK is conceivable over the following few years.

In the medium time period, Blundell mentioned he’d prefer to see BYD “established as a credible brand, with an established infrastructure and dealer network and to be part of the landscape” within the UK. “We need coverage in key markets and robust aftersales.”

The agency plans to go from 21 to 60 sellers within the UK by the summer season, giving good geographic protection throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Blundell was the primary workers member within the UK on BYD’s automobile aspect – it has been promoting buses within the UK for 10 years now, too – however the agency has round 40 workers now and shall be including 100 or so extra within the subsequent few months.

BYD operates a wholesale retail mannequin and retains a great inventory of automobiles to have the ability to get them to patrons rapidly; Blundell quoted a typical two-week lead time to get automobiles to patrons after orders.

Part of its capacity to maintain prices so low is by producing so many components in-house and proudly owning a lot of the logistics and provide chain; one instance given by Blundell is that the agency has lately commissioned its personal cargo ship that holds 7000 automobiles.

“We control what we can control,” he mentioned. “We’re switched onto provide chain and logistics and ‘build our own’“ in the case of elements.

That coverage will even lengthen to the agency’s new automobile European manufacturing unit in Hungary that shall be on stream subsequent yr, though Blundell mentioned it was not but determined which fashions could be constructed there.

News

2024 BTCC race season to be streamed dwell through TikTok

The 2024 season of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) will probably be streamed dwell through TikTok, in a transfer designed to carry the UK’s standard occasion to a brand new, youthful viewers.

ITV Sport, the media outlet chargeable for the protection, has mentioned that that is the primary time a serious organisation like itself has livestreamed an whole competitors throughout the social media platform.

Every race is about to be proven in full through ITV Sport’s TikTok account.

The transfer to social media additionally means the BTCC will probably be broadcasted dwell around the globe for the primary time in its 66-year historical past and is claimed to be “one of the most significant [decisions] in the history of the BTCC”. 

All races and occasions will moreover be lined on the present ITV community, together with ITV4 tv and ITVX streaming.

Highlights and catch-up programmes for the tin-top championship may even be accessible throughout the tv community.

The full broadcasting schedule is about to be revealed within the coming weeks. You can discover the total race calendar here.

BTCC chief government Alan Gow mentioned: “This is a very groundbreaking transfer for the BTCC. I’m extremely proud that we would be the first main motorsport championship on the planet to have its whole race season streamed dwell on TikTok.

“It’s the true cherry on the highest of our ongoing and huge UK protection, which is dwell and free on ITV4 and ITVX.

“Most importantly, this settlement will introduce the BTCC to an enormous new and fully completely different demographic – a youthful and extra numerous viewers, which is precisely what we, and in reality all of motorsport, wish to obtain.

“This may be very large information for the BTCC, our groups and our companions as we cement the way forward for the UK’s most prestigious motorsport championship.”

The opening ceremony for the 2024 season will happen at Donington Park on 16 April, alongside the ultimate pre-season check forward of the aggressive marketing campaign starting on the 27 April.

Prior to the season’s launch at Donington’s National circuit, the primary check day will happen at Brands Hatch (Indy) in Kent on 3 April, with the following scheduled for one week later (10 April) at Croft in North Yorkshire.

Motorsport

This Wild Amphibious Prototype Was Built By TVR’s Former Owner. It Still Runs And Drives

TVR has had an eclectic historical past of manufacturing gorgeous British sports activities automobiles. But not every part created by the corporate was destined for the monitor. In the early 2000s, TVR’s proprietor, Peter Wheeler, considered an amphibious automobile able to serving a bunch of roles. A brand new video from Harry’s Garage captures the one present Scamander prototype beginning up and driving for the primary time in over a decade. 

The Scamander final ran in 2012 or 2013, in accordance with Wheeler’s son Joe. Time is often unkind to even probably the most dependable automobiles that haven’t moved, however the amphibious automobile appears largely unaffected, chilling via the 2010s with out a lot decay.

The Ford-sourced 3.0-liter V6 engine begins up with out hesitation. The flip indicators, brakes, and windshield wiper works too, whereas the cover opens and closes with out challenge. One of the rear-view cameras works as effectively, however the digital display screen for the sprint must be fastened, so the Scamander removed from good. It’ll require work earlier than it’s road-legal once more, the brief check drive revealing a attainable challenge someplace within the driveline.

You’d suppose a beastly machine able to treading water would have four-wheel drive, however Wheeler stored the Scamander to two-wheel drive to avoid wasting weight, with an automated gearbox channeling the facility.

The cabin has three seats, with the driving force sitting within the center. The engine is immediately behind the passenger compartment, separated by a skinny, detachable cowl. The two passenger seats fold down to hold stretchers, and the steering wheel flips as much as assist the driving force in getting out and in of the gangly machine that appears virtually beetle-like.

Wheeler offered TVR in 2005 earlier than finishing the Scamander, however he continued engaged on it till he died in 2009. Hopefully his son can get it road-ready someday within the close to future.

News

Future of F1 British Grand Prix safe till 2034

The British Grand Prix will stay on the Formula 1 calendar till at the least 2034 after Silverstone secured a 10-year extension to its present deal.

The new deal secures the long-term way forward for the occasion on the 3.6-mile Northamptonshire circuit, which hosted the first-ever spherical of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950.

A document 480,000 followers attended the occasion throughout the weekend final yr.

Silverstone’s present deal was because of expire on the finish of the 2024 F1 season, making it the final remaining race on the schedule but to safe a long-term deal.

While the British GP is a cornerstone of the calendar, F1 bosses had launched a collection of recent races on road circuits in recent times, together with Miami and Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Spanish GP will swap from Barcelona to a brand new road circuit round a conference centre on the outskirts of Madrid.

Peter Digby, chairman of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which owns Silverstone, mentioned the extension “will provide a solid base for the further development of the venue as we continue to improve and transform the circuit into a year-round international motorsport and leisure destination”.

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali added that he was “delighted” with the deal, calling Silverstone “an iconic venue at the heart of F1 history”.

F1 chiefs have labored lately to safe long-term offers with many established occasions.

The Japanese GP lately secured an extension to run at Suzuka till 2029 and the Austrian, Canadian, Hungarian and Australian GPs have all secured offers operating to 2030 or past.

The races in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain all have offers of comparable lengths.

The F1 calendar has been expanded in recent times to accommodate the brand new races, and this yr will function a document 24 occasions.

This yr’s British GP is about to happen on 7 July.

Technology

Everything To Know About The English Electric Lightning Jet

During the Cold War, the British, like so many different nations around the globe, sensed hazard brewing and responded as humanity so inevitably will — with more and more potent weapons and army autos. The Avro Vulcan strategic bomber was one results of this work. Mighty because it was, the Vulcan and different British bombers have been positive to be main targets for any potential enemy which will emerge. The greatest protection is an efficient offense, they are saying, and so fighters/interceptors have been developed that would deter any assault on the bases they known as house.

This line of considering led to the English Electric Lightning, however the plane took some appreciable time to return to fruition. Early in 1949, English Electric acknowledged the potential of the idea for the plane, which had been devised by one W.E.W. Petter, generally known as Teddy. There was hope that it might obtain a high velocity even greater than initially envisaged, and a lofty Mach 2 turned the goal to hit.

August 1954 marked the plane’s first flight, nevertheless it wasn’t till the flip of the next decade that it formally joined two squadrons of the Royal Air Force. When it did, it proved to be a powerful asset certainly, succesful not solely of exceptional speeds however of different spectacular mid-air feats too.

News

Iconic Motorcycle Marque BSA Could Be Coming To India In 2025

In 2018, iconic British motorbike model BSA was acquired by Indian automotive large Mahindra Group. Since then, we’ve been seeing fairly a number of improvements from the long-lasting British model, most of which centered across the UK and a few neighboring European markets. It goes with out saying {that a} model like BSA will maintain quite a lot of heritage within the world stage, and that the model’s growth into the worldwide market is certainly considerably overdue.

While basic bike followers within the US eagerly await the return of the BSA model, of us in India may not have to attend so lengthy. A latest report by our pals at AutoCar Professional means that Classic Legends, Mahindra’s motorbike arm, is planning a serious growth for BSA within the Indian market. More particularly, the BSA model is reportedly set to enter India in 2025, and much more curiously, enterprise into the electrical automobile phase.

Merlin Alton and Hixon BSA Gold Star Jackets

Classic manufacturers taking over the electrical scene are nothing new. We’ve seen it with Royal Enfield’s massive plans for electrification, in addition to EV prototypes and ideas from the likes of Triumph and BMW. In the case of BSA, its growth initiatives will definitely be fueled by a large Rs 8.75 billion (roughly $105 million) funding from Classic Legends. Said capital injection will reportedly be used to diversify BSA’s product vary, whereas on the identical time put up extra sellers and repair facilities throughout India and different key markets.

While India certainly performs a key function within the growth of BSA, as it’s certainly owned by an Indian firm, Classic Legends is eyeing growth past its dwelling nation. More particularly, Classic Legends hopes to ascertain a presence for the renewed BSA model in key markets equivalent to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. To fulfill the wants of those markets, the corporate’s manufacturing facility in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh may even obtain an improve, particularly to cater to the manufacturing of electrical bikes.

When it involves the choices of BSA within the Indian and Asian market, Classic Legends CEO Ashish Joshi defined that the corporate is certainly contemplating the event of twin-cylinder engines. However, it was famous that the demand for such is fairly low in India, as most small-to-mid displacement bikes within the retro and basic phase are powered by single-cylinder engines.

Ultimately, BSA will align its priorities to the preferences of the native market. Indeed, that is key, as Joshi envisions BSA to be the second-largest model in India’s mid-size motorbike phase, subsequent to none aside from Royal Enfield – fairly an aspiration, as RE has world gross sales in extra of 850,000 items.

Motorsport

Beloved Roadster Factory Declared A Total Loss After Christmas Day Fire Engulfs Building

The Roadster Factory, a beloved components provider of classic British sports activities automobiles, suffered a catastrophic loss after a hearth tore via its Indiana County, Pennsylvania facility on Christmas day, The Tribune Democrat studies. 

The firm’s 48,000-square-foot constructing was declared a complete loss by the hearth chief following a whole day of dousing flames. More than 100 firefighters from two completely different Pennsylvania counties had been referred to as to assist comprise the blaze, says The Tribune Democrat, after the Armagh and East Wheatfield Fire Department obtained the decision at about 1 a.m. Christmas morning. 

Fire crews might be seen sifting via the constructing’s stays as late as midday on Christmas to extinguish hotspots that may restart the hearth. “I would think we’re going to be here for 20 hours,” Armagh and East Wheatfield Township fireplace Chief Tom Fry instructed The Tribune Democrat, “and then we’re probably going to get called back.”

The Roadster Factory makes a speciality of manufacturing and supplying components for classic British sports activities automobiles from the likes of MG, Triumph, and extra. Founded in 1978, the corporate is a “British Motor Heritage Approved Supplier,” with direct entry to original-equipment components in addition to high quality reproductions, based on its web site.

There had been a number of automobiles contained in the construction on the time of the hearth, solely three of which had been eliminated by firefighters earlier than the constructing collapsed, says CBS Pittsburgh. It’s unclear what number of automobiles had been misplaced to the hearth. 

Thankfully nobody was significantly harm, with solely minor accidents reported from firefighters working with particles.

The explanation for the hearth is unclear. The Tribune Democrat says the Pennsylvania state fireplace marshal has been contacted to research.

The Factory’s proprietor, Albert Runyan, was on the scene as firefighters fought the blaze, however declined to remark when questioned by The Tribune Democrat. We’ve reached out to The Roadster Factory ourselves for extra data, together with an inquiry into whether or not it is arrange a strategy to settle for donations for help and rebuilding. We’ll make sure you replace this text once we hear again.

Concept Cars

The Adams Probe 16: The Unconventional Car With a Unique Style

Dennis and Peter Adams, who used to work at a British sports car manufacturer called Marcos, decided to create futuristic cars that explore extreme styling. The result of their efforts ended up being featured in Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange.”

The M-505 Probe 16 stood at just 34 inches tall and didn’t have conventional doors. Instead, it featured a sliding glass roof that necessitated passengers to hop in and slide down into reclined bucket-style seats.

Although the interior resembled a jet fighter cockpit, it was powered by a 1.8-liter OHV, 1,900cc JanSpeed-tuned 4-cylinder Austin B-series engine from British Motor Corporation (BMC), positioned transversely behind the driver. It was paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox, along with four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes.

The Probe 16 made its debut at the 1969 London Motor Show, where it received the “Best Styling Exercise” award. While three were produced, only two are currently known to exist (chassis no. AB/2 and AB/3). Initially, it was believed that the prototype was destroyed in a fire, a known issue with mid-engine cars from that era, leaving behind chassis AB/3 and AB/4.

However, according to Bonhams (who auctioned off AB/3 in 2020 for $184,800), the prototype, which was sold to songwriter Jimmy Webb, is still in existence, while AB/4 is not. Regardless, it’s without a doubt a concept car that should have been produced.