Tag Archives: tours

Motorsport

This Tour Of The Abandoned Factory That Once Built The Allante And Testarossa Is Fascinating

We’ve seen loads of video excursions of barns filled with deserted vehicles, nevertheless it’s not usually we get excursions of complete automotive factories. Pininfarina constructed this plant to construct our bodies for the Cadillac Allanté beginning in 1986, and went on to construct varied vehicles there up till 2011. Now, it sits unoccupied.

The Allanté had an odd meeting course of. Pininfarina made the car’s our bodies on this plant in Italy earlier than mounting them to particular cradles and transport them to Detroit utilizing Boeing 747s. The remainder of the manufacturing occurred on the Hamtramck meeting plant, the place EVs just like the Hummer and Silverado are presently constructed. 

After the Cadillac went out of manufacturing, the positioning briefly produced the Ferrari Testarossa after which the Peugeot 406 Coupe. Pininfarina additionally constructed the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider there shutting down the positioning in 2011.

The video exhibits Brera take a look at vehicles that have been left on the grounds as late as 2015. Some of them nonetheless wore the camouflage used for growth functions. These automobiles have since been taken away, although. 

The manufacturing unit flooring appears to be like remarkably good for being closed for over a decade. The machines for the meeting line are nonetheless there and seem prepared to move automobiles once more. Several robots are nonetheless there, too. Amazingly, among the diagrams for construct the Brera are nonetheless at their respective stations. 

The workplace on the web site is a whole mess, although. Looters appeared to have stripped the constructing of copper and stole the bottoms off the chairs within the lunch room. There’s additionally graffiti on among the partitions. It’s a surreal and unhappy sight.

Outside, the take a look at observe remains to be partially seen, however nature is quickly taking again the house. Grass is rising by cracks within the asphalt, and timber are sprouting in some areas. In this web site’s heydey, there have been spots for evaluating a car’s suspension and going by deep water.

Pininfarina shut down the plant for quite a lot of causes. After the 2008 monetary disaster, constructing small-run automobiles grew to become a more durable enterprise case, which was this web site’s specialty. Mahindra buying the corporate in 2015 probably did not assist, both. According to the video, the manufacturing unit exhibits no indicators of a resurgence in manufacturing — a rattling disgrace contemplating its quirky historical past.

News

Driving a Lunaz bin lorry: the UK’s biggest new EV

Interested in a vehicle with 5000lb ft of torque making weekly tours through your local streets? That’s what Lunaz is offering.

This kind of pulling power is about double what the largest heavy-haulage vehicles can offer. And believe it or not, this vehicle can accelerate from 0-50mph in six seconds, despite weighing 17 tonnes when empty.

Lunaz, the Silverstone-based company known for electrifying premium classic cars, is about to deliver its first ‘upcycled’ electric bin lorry to Buckinghamshire Council. The company has garnered investment from high-profile investors, including David Beckham. Although it’s unlikely that Mr Beckham will be involved in the waste management operations, his support adds to Lunaz’s environmental credentials.

Lunaz Applied Technologies, the company behind the electric bin lorry, is poised to be the main revenue generator for the brand. Founded only five years ago by David Lorenz and Jon Hilton, the company has developed the lorry in its new 250,000sq ft building.

Upcycling is Lunaz’s unique selling point. Instead of requiring local authorities to invest in an all-new heavy commercial EV, Lunaz repurposes a bin lorry, using the chassis, cab and body from a vehicle that has reached the end of its UK service life. Lunaz replaces the diesel drivetrain with an electric one, producing around twice as much power and seven times the torque.

The concept allows the Lunaz lorry to retain 80% of the donor vehicle, with the electric components being the main upgrade. This results in 80% of the lorry’s embedded carbon being saved, compared to a brand-new commercial EV, which has to be manufactured from scratch.

Lunaz says its bin lorry is just the start, with the potential for over 1100 upcycled electric commercial vehicles to be produced yearly. Details about the specific derivatives have not been revealed.

DSAutomobile

DS AUTOMOBILES LAUNCHES PUBLIC ART TOUR, AS GALLERY COSTS POSE BARRIER FOR BRITS TO ENJOY CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

  • Premium French car maker, DS Automobiles, introduces public art tours for drivers to enjoy local culture on the move
  • ‘Art Tour’ initiative comes after research showed that 55% of British public say entrance fees put them off visiting galleries and exhibitions
  • 61% of Brits said that public art enhances the cultural identity of their community, with over half believing that public art has a positive impact on the local economy
  • DS Automobiles public ‘Art Tour’ offers five curated routes across the country for drivers to take in free and accessible art as they drive
  • Routes available to experience on DS Automobiles website here and users are invited to share their travels using #DSArtTour

DS Automobiles has launched a new series of public art tours to allow drivers to experience the best of their local culture while on the road. The five specially curated routes allow drivers to experience the French art of travel across all four corners of the country.

The Art Tour routes, available in London, North-East, North-West, East Anglia, and Central Scotland, provide drivers with greater access to the UK’s diverse range of art collections. The tours showcase a mix of sculptures, installations, and paintings, all free of charge.

The initiative was developed in response to research findings that 55% of British individuals are discouraged from visiting galleries and exhibitions due to entrance fees. Additionally, 33% of respondents expressed a need for more guidance on local art initiatives, galleries, or public art installations.

To access the Art Tour routes, drivers can visit the DS Automobiles website. All tours begin at local DS retailers and can be completed during a DS 24 Hour Test Drive, allowing potential customers to borrow a car for a whole day. The tours also provide recommendations for high-end restaurants and hotels along the way.

The available routes include Manchester to Liverpool, Edinburgh to Glasgow, Newcastle to Durham, Norwich to Aldeburgh, and London.

For example, the Manchester to Liverpool route suggests starting at the DS retailer in Manchester and visiting various art sites such as the street art of Withington, the ‘Dream’ sculpture, Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture on Liverpool University Campus, the abstract ‘Penelope’ in Wolstenholme Square, and the iconic Beatles statue on Liverpool waterfront.

In Scotland, the Edinburgh to Glasgow route allows drivers to see well-known pieces of public art such as The Kelpies near Falkirk, The Hope Sculpture on the Clyde, and the Central Glasgow Mural trail.

Drivers who complete the tours are encouraged to share their experiences using #DSArtTour.

DS Automobiles is known for its close association with the worlds of art and design. The brand offers a range of models, including the DS 3, DS 4, DS 7, and DS 9, each embodying French luxury savoir-faire. DS has been a partner of the Louvre Museum in Paris since 2015 and an official partner of Paris Fashion Week since 2019.

Julie David, Managing Director of DS Automobiles UK, stated, “We hope that our new Art Tour routes offer drivers the opportunity to experience more of the cultural experiences that the UK has to offer, while bringing a little bit of the French Art of Travel to the roads of the UK.”

Research conducted by DS also revealed that 60% of Brits feel uninformed about art and artists, despite acknowledging the positive impact of art on the local economy. Claude Monet was the most recognized artist, while Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ was the most recognizable individual work of art.

DS offers plug-in hybrid and 100% electric models across its range.