Concorso Italiano Announces Featured Vehicles For Monterey Car Week 2018

Concorso Italiano is set to celebrate their 33rd annual event at Monterey Car Week in California. For 2018, spectators can expect to see some of the world’s most prestigious Italian cars spread across the beautiful backdrop of  the Black Horse Golf Course  on Saturday, August, 25.

Well-known as one of the most creative activations during Car Week, the 33rd Concorso Italiano will focus its attention on championing Italian products to the utmost extent, with extensive selections of sophisticated cuisine, drinks, clothing, and nearly 1,000 rare and exotic automobiles, including cars from Alfa Romeo, De Tomaso, Ferrari, Fiat, Iso & Bizzarrini, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maserati. This year there will be ten featured vehicle classes, in addition to a few groups of non-Italian Marques.

“We are thrilled to be in our 33^rd year as part of Monterey Car Week and cherish the fact that we are the biggest luxury and exotic Italian car show in the country. Numerous Italophiles, enthusiasts, collectors, celebrities and hobbyists will come together to share their passion for these automotive works of art,” said Tom McDowell, chairman, Concorso Italiano. “We are looking forward to the incredible vehicles and programming we have in store for this year and can’t wait to welcome our amazing guests.”

Some of this year’s most exceptional moving works of art will include the following.

• 2017 Ferrari F-12 TDF: Ferrari designed this model to pay homage to the Tour de France, the legendary endurance road race that Ferrari dominated in the 1950s and 1960s.The F-12 TDF is the ultimate expression of the concept of an extreme road car that is equally at home on the road as it is on the track. Only 799 have been built.
• 1951 Siata Gran Sport Spyder: Based on the Fiat 1400, the Gran Sport Spyder was crafted extremely carefully, and was one of the largest models offered by Siata. It was known in the United States as the “little Ferrari” due to its incredible speed. Due to its age and the number built, this example is incredibly rare.
• 1952 O.S.C.A. MT4: O.S.C.A., an Italian manufacturer of racing and sports cars, was established 1947 by the Maserati brothers. In their day, the MT4 model cars were exceptionally expensive but extraordinarily fast. Only 72 were built.
• 1966 Bizzarrini P538: This is a very rare rear-engined race car launched in the mid-1960s by Scuderia Bizzarrini. Five-speed manual transaxles were used in this car, with gearing specific to the race for which each car was constructed. This was the first V8-powered car to debut at Le Mans.
• 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO: This vehicle was designed for the legendary Group B racing circuit and is one of the top Ferraris ever created. It is a rear-engined, five speed manual that boasts a 400 horsepower twin-turbo 2.9-liter V8 engine. Only 272 were made.

The Concorso Italiano team has organized several new additions to last year’s offerings, including breakfast and lunch options, a fashion show, and the 50^th anniversary celebration of the Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini models Espada and Islero. Furthermore, Egidio Reali, Founder of MR Group, will be celebrated this year at the event’s “La Bella Macchina” awards.  This year’s VIP tickets will offer guests early access on Friday afternoon, VIP parking, breakfast, lunch, cocktails, wine, a cigar, a copy of Concorso Italiano Magazine, and a commemorative gift.

For more information on Concorso Italiano, please visit:  concorso.com

Images courtesy of: Concorso Italiano

Nissan Named Featured Marque for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Two-time winner of the IMSA GTS Drivers’ Championship Steve Millen drove his restored 300ZX at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. (photo credit: T.M. Hill)

In light of the upcoming 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, set to take place this August during famed Monterey Car Week, Japanese automaker Nissan has been named featured marque.

“This is the first time an Asian automaker’s racing heritage has been celebrated at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and we are thrilled to welcome Nissan and its extensive racing history into the historic racing scene,” commented Gill Campbell, Senior Vice-President of Laguna Seca. “From the early Datsuns to more modern day Nissans, their achievements have earned the respect of racers and deserve to be recognized.”

Nissan’s successful racing history is significant to say the least. In the late 1960’s the marque acquired two championships at the Japanese Grand Prix with their legendary R381. While on the other side of the Pacific, Race Car Driver, Bob Sharp was establishing Nissan’s name in the United States through his first place result in his Datsun 1600 roadster at the SCCA F Production Championship. However, Sharp’s win was just the beginning of Nissan’s involvement in the US race circuit. Just prior to the turn of the decade, Peter Brock, who is today best known as a former Shelby designer, joined the West Coast Datsun team with Brock Racing Enterprises in 1970. Following Brock’s involvement, driver John Morton secured four national championship wins with BRE’s iconic liveried red, white and blue Datsun 2000 Roadsters. Additionally the team also acquired two Trans-Am 2.5 Championships with the BRE Datsun 510s, as well as a couple C Production Championships with the Datsun 240Zs.

John Morton, left, and Bob Sharp are two of the most well known drivers in the decorated racing history of the Nissan Z®

Bob Sharp’s team continued successfully through the mid 1970’s with the addition of famed actor and race car driver Paul Newman to his team. Throughout this historic period BRE landed ten podium finishes in eleven season-ending races in the SCCA B Sedan and C Production competitions, and acquired the IMSA GTU title in 1975. Following the BRE period, Nissan championed the IMSA Manufacturers Championship, taking home first place trophies in 88′,89′ and 90′. Additionally, Nissan won nearly every IMSA race in 88′ and 89′ with the partnership of Geoff Brabham and driver John Morton, who accomplished nine wins (eight of them being consecutive).

Nissan’s racing success in the 1990’s has been highly attributed to Steve Millen. Throughout the early to mid 90’s, New Zealend Born Millen accomplished an impressive 20 victories as well as 23 poles in his iconic No. 75 300ZX, both of the latter being all-time highs for the IMSA GTS. The victor of the Drivers’ Championship in 1992 and 1994 returned to the track for several endurance races in 1994, including championing his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and wining both the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. In commemoration of these incredible wins, Millen raced the No. 75 300ZX at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

This year’s annual gathering scheduled to take place at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca from August 23rd through the 26th, will offer automotive enthusiasts races that feature classic period-correct race cars  competing around Laguna Seca’s historic 2.2 mile track. The event is best described as the automotive version of Ben Stiller’s “Night at the Museum”, however, instead of the animation of President Theodore Roosevelt and an Easter Island Head, we get to experience a collection of 550 vintage cars coming back to life! This year we should expect no less than panels with racing legends, open paddocks, and a significant range of manufacture tents/displays. All said, if you like action, there are few better places to be during famed Monterey Car Week.

Individual day tickets and full hospitality packages are available in advance by calling 831-242-8200 or online at:  www.mazdaraceway.com

McCall’s Motorworks Revival Is Set to Commemorate Its 27th Year

For 2018, the illustrious McCall’s Motorworks Revival will enter their 27th year during world-famous Monterey Car Week and, if it’s anything like past years, this year’s celebration is undoubtedly going to be one party you just can’t miss!  Serving as host to 3,000 auto-moto-aero aficionados, the grand gala guarantees that they’ll be offering delectable culinary delicacies and fine wines for the indulgment of the guests throughout the evening.  Together with the innovative ideas of combining both the fields of aviation and automotive into one joint celebration, which is a concept that has been reproduced a couple of times throughout the country, McCall is again demonstrating their inventive ethos as they add the joy of food and wine to the party’s merriment.

The list of local celebrity chefs are also quite impressive as it includes Chef Jerome Viel (from Jerome’s Carmel Valley Market), Chef Paul Corsentino (from Ventana Inn Big Sur) and Chef Matthew Beaudin (from the Monterey Bay Aquarium).  Furthermore, a very special guest, famed Executive Chef Joshua Schwartz (from Napa Valley’s Del Dotto Winery) will also be making an appearance this year as he showcases his exemplary culinary skills and insights by preparing bespoke composed plates paired with boutique wineries from Carmel Valley and Napa Valley.  In addition to the special plated offerings, award-winning wines from Napa Valley will include the likes of Silver Oak, Del Dotto Vineyards, and Altamura; not to forget wines from Bernardus winery that is going to be exclusively for VIP guests enjoyment with the presentation of Santa Lucia varietals, served by its winemakers, winery staff and owner Ben Pon.  At the beginning of the evening, the main Center Stage Pavilion will kickoff the celebration with California Caviar paired together with appetizing morsels.

Thanks to the event’s beautifully planned reception, McCall’s VIP Red Carpet guests will once again be given the special privilege of an early arrival accompanied by valet parking, which results in far less traffic to navigate at that time.  “We started this special ticket four years ago and the interest has grown substantially,” McCall reports. “We’re pleased to entertain people for an extra hour and give them the opportunity to take in more of the sights. It’s become a coveted party within the party. This year’s Red Carpet Club will be in the mezzanine of the main hangar, which will have its own bar and give the Red Carpet guests the bird’s-eye view over the hangar and tarmac display. The Red Carpet tickets have sold out since we started the special ticket, and are sure to sell out again this year.”

Putting aside the wonderful foods and wines, the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation is coming back again to be the beneficiary of the deeply philanthropic guests who will be in-attendance.  The event is going to feature many generous sponsors that will be donating their goods to those lucky donors during the evening.  Both Swiss watchmakers Baume & Mercier and Eberhard are going to donate timepieces of their own, along with additional, big-hearted sponsors, who will be giving away high-end luxury products to support the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation’s cause.  “With so many events now on the Monterey Peninsula, our Wednesday night party seems to push all the buttons for several of our motorsports legend guests,” McCall mentions. “They get to see all of their friends here and can relax and enjoy the scenery without the crowds.”

Heavyweights of the aviation and automotive industries will be arriving to help celebrate McCall’s 27th annual event.  Authorities from the aero industry consist of brands like Gulfstream, Textron Aviation, Embraer, Piper, and Pilatus, whereas the auto industry features well-known names such as McLaren, Porsche, Genovation, Toyota, Genesis, US Specialty, etc…  Other participants, including Aeristo, HRE Performance, Weathertech, and the famed Quail Rally, will amaze the VIP guests with their stunning displays.  Besides the leading-edge auto and aero displays that will be present during the celebration, innumerable privately owned vintage aircrafts, superlative sports cars and ravishing racecars are also going to be put on exhibit by McCall’s international band of friends.  McCall’s Motorworks Revival is an event in itself with a history of hosting some of the biggest names in the auto-moto-aero industries.  The event is so noteworthy that several high-profile individuals fly in during Monterey Car Week just to take part in this one-night soiree. This year will also mark the start of a new tradition, Club McCall, the official After Party of McCall’s Motorworks.

The 27th Annual McCall’s Motorworks Revival officially commences on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit:  eventbrite.com

Follow McCall Events on Instagram:  @McCallsMotorworksRevival

Photographer: Marli Allard

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan: Luxury Travel is Now Effortless, Everywhere

In what is now being called the most anticipated car of 2018 and, may very well be, the most expected Rolls-Royce of all time, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has just made its debut with the title of Rolls-Royce’s first ever SUV.  The car is quite remarkable as not only does its practical yet contemporary design make it garner a distinctive difference from the other typically unostentatious SUV examples,  but its all-terrain high body makes it the embodiment of an off-road, luxury vehicle that carries with it the saying that luxury travel is now Effortless, Everywhere.  Furthermore, the Cullinan is named after the largest diamond ever unearthed, which is currently part of the British Crown Jewels, and is the second type of Rolls-Royce to feature the new cutting-edge aluminium ‘Architecture of Luxury’.

“The super-luxury lifestyle is evolving and Rolls-Royce is in the lead,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.  “Luxury is no longer an urban concept. More and more it is about embracing and experiencing the wider world. Our customers expect to go everywhere in luxury, effortlessly and without compromise, conquering the most challenging terrain to enjoy life’s most enriching experiences, wherever they may be. For this reason, they have asked us to create a Rolls-Royce that offers uncompromised luxury wherever they dare to venture. Cullinan is that car. It is Effortless, Everywhere.

It is incomparable and dramatically evolves the parameters of super-luxury travel, translating Rolls-Royce’s ethos of ‘Effortlessness’ into physical capability, anywhere in the world. Cullinan will simply take the world in its stride.”

With a 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 Rolls-Royce engine under the hood, it discharges the perfect amount of torque (850Nm) at the minimum level of revolutions (1,600rpm) directly to the new all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer system.  The Cullinan was officially announced to the world three years ago by Rolls-Royce in order to give what their customers have been very curious about: a Rolls-Royce SUV that incorporates luxury, performance, usability and comfort for all-terrain.  Most of these customers are very successful individuals who experience much travel as they work, so they wished for a ride where they are accompanied with nonpareil luxury on their extensively long business ventures.

“History set our precedent, and today Rolls-Royce answers its call to action,” comments Müller-Ötvös. “Our answer to the visionaries, adventurers, explorers and those who believe in the supremacy of liberty is the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.”

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan concept was created with the fast moving and vigorous business of the automotive mobility in mind.  This business had many dynamic concepts popping out such as SUV models, which were making appearances in constant intervals. The Cullinan came to be in the same manner: it was a new concept that needed perfecting to be accepted by the patrons of true luxury, which it was with flying colors.

“The proposition of this car is an engineering masterpiece, its off-road capability, whilst maintaining the world-famous ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ of Rolls-Royce,” comments Müller-Ötvös.  “When we began engineering this car, these were the guiding principles.”

The engineering team who were behind the Cullinan’s creation had modified the Architecture of Luxury to the design template of a high-bodied car appointed to them by Giles Taylor and his personal design team as a result of its intrinsic adaptability, this allowed the Architecture of Luxury of the Cullinan truly be its own.  The Cullinan utilizes its Architecture of Luxury in order to deliver unabated comfort, space and usability, advanced technology, incredible on-road/off-road driving capabilities, as well as a striking and simply iconic inner and outer presence.  The car obtained tremendous stiffness for functional performance on rugged terrain whilst retaining the quality of comfort due to its extraordinary, all-new aluminium sub-structure.

“The drivetrain system we engineered for Cullinan had one key job to do,” states Caroline Krismer, Engineering Project Leader for Cullinan. “To bring the famed Rolls-Royce ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ to all other terrains possible, while ensuring class-leading on-road behaviour in the SUV sector.”

Via a wide-spread re-engineering of the existing air suspension system, the Cullinan is now able to transport its owner to destinations that were previously unreachable by past Rolls-Royce owners whilst still traveling in comfort and luxury.  For times when you are driving off-road, the car’s built-in electronically controlled shock absorber adjustment system employs an air compression system to firmly drop any wheel it notices losing traction in order to safeguard any wheel that is making incessant contact with the terrain and so maximum torque is being properly distributed to all wheels.

“Put simply, what makes the car great on-road makes the car great off-road,” concludes Krismer.

The most notable function that makes the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Effortless, Everywhere is one single button, which is referred to as the ‘Everywhere’ button by Rolls-Royce; with only the press of the button, the car will mobilize all of its outstanding Rolls Royce engineering to vent out its dynamic off-roading prowess.

“The launch of a new Rolls-Royce model is always a seminal moment in the luxury industry”, said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Chairman of Rolls-Royce and Member of the Board of the BMW Group.  “Today we are setting a new standard by creating a new class of motoring and motor car for customers who are well-connected, highly mobile and have a global perspective. They want a new type of motor car that gives them unbounded access in ultimate luxury. Their sense of adventure and daring demands a “go-anywhere in ultimate luxury” motor car that will both take them to and meet them at the pinnacle of life. Cullinan is that motor-car.”

“From the very beginning the design team treated this brand new Rolls-Royce as a unique, high bodied car. With global customer expectations in mind, our aim was two-fold – realise a presence to match the magnificent capability of Cullinan, whilst setting sector defining standards for luxury and elegance. We know that many of our luxury patrons pursue sports or leisure hobbies that require precisely this type of go anywhere vehicle – Cullinan’s design gesture had to possess an immediate sense of effortless accomplishment.”

The expression of making luxury Effortless, Everywhere was the beginning of change to Rolls-Royce’s approach on how they create an official Rolls-Royce SUV model.  The most noticeable indication of this was the revolutionary tailgate of the Cullinan.  Furthermore, the Cullinan also came with two rear configurations  – Lounge Seats or Individual Seats – to suit the needs of the passengers.

“Cullinan is luxury in its purest form blended with perfect practicality and off-road capability,” comments Müller-Ötvös. “Effortless, Everywhere is not just the promise behind Cullinan. It’s the fact.”

The seats can be folded electronically in a host of configurations by pushing the apt button in either the boot or rear door pocket.  The seats in the back can be folded entirely to create a leveled loading space or in a 2/3 and 1/3 split.  Passengers in the rear cabin can bring along a huge load or even use the carpeted seat back as a temporary table.  The rear compartment or boot area accommodates a standard 560 litres of space, which can rise to become 600 if the parcel shelf gets removed.

However, there is also another interesting feature that keeps the items in the boot from moving around and safely secures them in place.  This feature is only possible because the base of the rear seats are positioned higher than the boot floor, which is a function never before seen in any other SUV.  And if there is still need for more space, a loading strength of 2245mm and a load capacity of 1886 litres can be introduced by electronically lifting the boot floor to reach the seat base, which would then allow items slide through more smoothly.

The Individual Seat configuration, in particular, is set for those who choose luxury over the practicality of the SUV.  This configuration focuses on the two individual rear seats that are separated by a Fixed Rear Centre Console that also includes a drinks cabinet with Rolls-Royce whisky glasses and decanter, champagne flutes and refrigerator.  In addition, the seats can be arranged in a multitude of planes to give passengers in the rear a flexible and refreshing environment.

Another unique feature that turns the Cullinan into the first “three-box” SUV is a glass partition that separates the passenger cabin from the luggage compartment, thereby generating an impeccable cabin area without any cluttering luggage in the way.

Taylor and his design team transformed the car into a work of unrivaled luxury architecture as they gave it its timeless, signature Rolls Royce touches.  The design encompasses the proper set or proportions found on other Rolls-Royce models as well as the same level of splendor and comfort.  The Cullinan’s body is simply overwhelming with horizontal and vertical lines, a grille made from hand-polished stainless steel, and its iconic Rolls-Royce badge and Spirit of Ecstasy that reside above the line of the wing.

“The label SUV is now applied to anything with a two-box silhouette and the least suggestion of going off tarmac,” comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.  “We envisioned an authentic, three-box high-bodied all-terrain car with a convention-challenging design and absolute capability that would satisfy the adventurous urges of our clients.”

The interior design of the cabin is the combination of luxury that Rolls-Royce has been famous for and an uncomplicated, well-proportioned functionality to articulate the precise tenacity of the Cullinan.   You will discover that whether it be the fascia and centre stack of the dashboard or the arm rests attached to the doors, the structural vertical and horizontal features complete the interior layout perfectly.  In addition, the new contemporary ‘Box Grain’ black leather is applied as a cover over the upper fascia.  What holds up the structure of the upper section is a durable cord of wood that has been shaped in three-dimensions to stream along the centre stack, whereas the dashboard is sheltered by leather cushions on both the top and at the end.

The seats throughout the Cullinan have a bold, eye-catching style, which were created with exemplary Rolls-Royce craftsmanship, that adds to the car’s already tenacious outer body.  The seats include an up-to-date yet effortless horseshoe graphic of which accentuates them with auxiliary bolsters.  Each seat aboard the Cullinan expresses a level of high-quality leather artistry, which can be recognized by the backrest panel that was conceived by a lone piece of leather in order to grant a remarkably three-dimensional facade.

The Cullinan is capable of either lowering itself by 40mm to make access easy and effortless for passengers and driver to begin their adventure or be elevated by 40mm to its standard height with a push of a button to give occupants a grand view on or off the road.  Amazingly enough, with just a touch of the sensors that is on the exterior door handles, the doors will shut by themselves from outside the vehicle. The seats have both heated and ventilated functions, whereas all equipment and technology is on display in arms reach of the driver.

The front passenger seat and driver’s position has excellent access to the first time touch sensitivity central information screen that offers fast action functions, map views and vehicle set-up.  Additionally, this portal can still be operated from the Spirit of Ecstasy controller, of which rests a top the central console alongside the ‘Off-Road’ button, Hill Descent Control button and Air Suspension height adjustment controls.

There is a wide-range of cutting-edge technological installments aboard the Rolls-Royce Cullinan such as: Night Vision and Vision Assist including daytime and night-time Wildlife & Pedestrian warning; Alertness Assistant; a 4-Camera system with Panoramic View, all-round visibility and helicopter view; Active Cruise Control; Collision Warning; Cross-Traffic Warning, Lane Departure and Lane Change Warning; an industry leading 7×3 High-Resolution Head-Up Display, WiFi hotspot, and of course the latest Navigation and Entertainment Systems.

You will never be disconnected from your tablet or any other electronic device and in need of charging thanks to the five USB ports around the cabin, whilst phones, as an exception to the rule, can be charged wirelessly in the front of the cabin.  In addition, occupants will never need to fear getting dirt on themselves as both the rear and front coach doors keep all dirt outside the vehicle; a unique feature that only Rolls-Royce would ever have thought of implementing into their luxury automobiles.

For more information visit:  www.Rolls-RoyceMotorCars.com/Cullinan

Images Courtesy of:  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Citroën To Be Featured at The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2018

Yet another amazing addition is planned to be added to the the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this year, which will be nothing short of spectacular. This year’s event marks the very beginning of Citroën becoming a featured marque at the 18th fairway on August 26th, 2018. The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance poster that was painted by Barry Rowe (as shown above), pays tribute to this momentous occasion.

“Interest in Citroën among collectors has seen exponential growth in recent years, and the Concours is pleased to showcase custom coachwork Citroëns that offer the best of French technology and design,” said Concours Chairman Sandra Button.

Having made its first appearance at the 1955 Paris Auto Show, Citroën’s emblematic spaceship-like DS earned itself high praise for its unique design, which resulted in more than 80,000 orders by the end of the week. The innovative DS platform didn’t end with just its amazing outer appearance as advanced features such as, hydro-pneumatic suspension and hydraulic systems for the brakes, steering, and transmission were implemented. With the addition of these dynamic upgrades, the DS became one of the most reliable autobahn cruisers to have been built. The extraordinary vision of the DS became an enticing concept for coachbuilders like Henri Chapron to utilize as a canvas. The art was later sustained into 1970s custom Citroëns.

Jeffrey Fisher, a Citroën enthusiast, relates Citroëns to couturier dresses —“because they featured some of the highest number of interior and exterior permutations for a car ever.” The Tour poster illustrates three cars from Fisher’s collection depicting the development of the Citroën DS from middle class family car to postwar work of art.

The largest and first car on the poster is the two-tone blue 1966 Citroën DS 21 Chapron Le Léman Coupé, of which is just one of around 24 assembled. This exact car (chassis no.4350020) had once been on the stage of the 1966 Geneva Motor Show and symbolizes the peak of Citroën custom coachwork. The green 1967 DS 21 Chapron Cabriolet d’Usine was modified to convertible specifications directly from the factory. On the other hand, the yellow DS 19 embodies the spirit of the original DS saloon. Each of the Citroëns in the poster were fully restored by famed Citroën expert Vincent Crescia, who operates today from the very same building his father’s Citroën dealership was located.

As a member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society (AFAS), Barry Rowe delves deeper into the inner workings of the ever growing relationship between the automobile, society and daily life. When expressing cars, he is admired by his creative use of light and color. Together with Rowe’s contribution, the Concours commemorates the launch of Citroën as a featured marque.

Image Courtesy of: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

McLaren Launches 3 North American Track Programs For 2018

McLaren North America’s “Pure McLaren” program, will be offering both clients as well as interested buyers the opportunity to test out the automaker’s vehicles at three different locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Pure McLaren, which will be launching in 2018, will provide participants the chance to test both McLaren’s standard road vehicles as well as their “track only variants”. Spread across three events for the 2018 season, enthusiasts will have a few different opportunities to practice and improve their driving as well as racing skills for advanced participants.  Custom tailored services include personal driver coaching sessions with a professional driver, dedicated technical teams, driving analysis, a VIP hospitality set up, in addition to personalized hotel and circuit transfer handling.

Entry level packages start with coached sessions in the McLaren 570s over a half day period. More advanced options offer the McLaren owner the ability to drive their own vehicle around the circuit. However, our personal favorite is the Performance Academy Race Level 3 course which takes place over two and a half-days, and allows the participant to get behind the wheel of the ultra impressive McLaren 570S GT4 track car.

Program locations will include Le Circuit Mont Tremblant in Canada (June 2-4, 2018), The Thermal Club in California (October4-6, 2018), and Circuit of the Americas in Texas (November 7-11, 2018).

Images courtesy of:  McLaren Automotive Inc. North America

For further information, please email:  NAexperiences@mclaren.com

North American Premiere of the all-new Bugatti Chiron Sport

The new Sport variant of the Bugatti Chiron, following its debut at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show, just recently made its North America premier during this year’s New York International Auto Show.  Celebrating its first time in North America and in the Big Apple, the New York International Auto Show’s exhibition of the new Chiron Sport started on the 30th of March and lasted until the 8th of April.

Despite having no change in power and performance data, the Chiron Sport has made substantial progress in increased handling as well as far better dexterous maneuverability.  Bugatti even developed a dynamic handling package in order to lessen the weight of the car by roughly 40 pounds.  This resulted in the Chiron Sport achieving greater cornering speeds and even making it possible to do a complete lap around the Nardò handling circuit in the south of Italy a whole 5 seconds faster than the Chiron.  And you should know the Nardò circuit was the perfect testing ground to assess the Chiron’s capabilities to its utmost potential; it was undeniably the ideal track for the sports car to execute its handling to the upper limit even at cornering speeds in excess of 200 km/h.

“We have developed the Chiron Sport for customers wanting an even sportier driving experience with their Chiron, with improved lateral dynamics on winding roads,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “What was important for us was to leave unchanged the unique character of the Chiron, its combination of ultimate performance, longitudinal acceleration and maximum speed with luxury, comfort and everyday usability.”

One of the most obvious distinctions between the characteristics of the Chiron Sport and the standard Chiron version are the new wheel design specs as well as the new four-pipe exhaust deflector.  Furthermore, the Chiron Sport comes with an optional colour and trim package to offer prospective customers unhindered customization to suit their individual preference.  You can make your own Chiron Sport look as sporty as possible, and look to the Chiron Sport on show in Geneva to get inspired as it features all the available options.  Specifications include: Fuel consumption, l/100km: urban 35.2 /extra urban 15.2 /combined 22.5; CO2 emissions, combined, g/km: 516; efficiency class: G

“The Chiron Sport has become perceptibly more nimble and its new agility, especially in tight corners makes for a much more emotional experience for the driver on winding roads and handling circuits,” Winkelmann continues.

The Chiron is the most superlative production super sports car ever built by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. to date.  Crowned the ultimate production vehicle, the Chiron distributes a massive power output of 1,500 HP, an incredible high torque value of 1,180 ft-lb from between 2,000 to 6,000 rpm and a wide range of advanced technical features.  The Chiron embodies not only speed, but also luxury to increase the overall thrill and comfort the ride has to offer.  By joining together both luxury and speed, the Chiron has transformed into a vehicle of unrivaled proportions; be its one of a kind concept or its outstanding ability to be the best in everything all the while leaving out nothing of importance, the Chiron is truly worthy of being the world’s most complete super sports car.  Because of how the Chiron is already perfect with excessive power and performance data, the changes needed for the Sports version is minimal, though, the handling has had immense improvement.

As the first manufacturer to develop a carbon fibre windscreen wiper, Bugatti developed the current windscreen wiper arms on the Chiron Sport, which created quite the striking feature.  Being the first production car to harbor windscreen wiper arms contrived from carbon fibre, the Chiron Sport has become a perfect example of innovativeness.  Additionally, this new feature makes it unnecessary for Bugatti to employ articulated joints that would typically be used on standard wipers.  The purpose for such joints are not needed because there is joints already fused inside the carbon fibre of the wiper arms.  These carbon fibre wipers are 77 percent (1.4 kg) lighter than their predecessor versions, which is a result of aluminium on the wiper arm tips that were created by a weight-saving 3-D printing process.  The Chiron Sport’s carbon fibre windscreen wipers not only enhance the overall look of the car, but also improve the aerodynamic capabilities as well.

The dynamic handling package with stiffer suspension and new Dynamic Torque Vectoring function makes the Chiron Sport far more superior than the standard Chiron version in a contest of speed.  A significant modification on the Sport is that it has a weight reduction of 18 kilograms, causing it to be extremely nimble on the road.  This package introduces a new control plan for the shock absorbers that perform a complete 10 percent more stiffly than on the standard Chiron.  In addition, the steering has been adjusted without omitting its superlative performance.

The car’s rear-axle differential has been upgraded and now includes a Dynamic Torque Vectoring function that distributes torque  separately to each of the wheels in order to enhance the Sport’s steering capabilities, such as its behavior and agility.  This shows signifiant improvement in efficiency, which is most noticeable when making tight curves, and is practical in every driving mode.

The new “Course” alloy wheel rims and the new exhaust deflector, which cast away the rectangular design used on the Chiron in favor of four round tailpipes, is a very distinguishable feature.  In addition, the “Sport” logo is seen on the door sill strips and there is also an insert on the central console with an embellished “Chiron Sport” logo.

The colour trim options include a traditional duo-tone colour pattern for the body of the car.  The A-colour at the back of the Chiron Sport is evident by grey carbon while the Italian Red paintwork at the front reflects the B-colour.  Furthermore, aside from Italian Red, there is “French Racing Blue”, the silver tone “Gris Rafale” and a dark grey “Gun Powder”.

The Chiron Sport features a mostly black interior, with even the controls of the car in a black anodised finish.  The steering wheel and selector level, however, are covered in luxurious suede leather.  The interior was styled with just three materials: alcantara was used for the roof liner as well as the A-pillar and sun blinds, the rear wall trim, the sill trims, the lower part of the central console, the insides of the seat side cushions and the boot lining.  Smooth leather is applied for the seats, the inside door trims, the armrest, insert of the central console, the airbag container on the steering wheel, and the islands on the dashboard with the instrument cluster trim.  The last material used in the interior is the dashboard itself, the door trims, the rears of the backrests and the steering column sheltering made from uncovered carbon fibre.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of the year with a base price of €2.65 million or $3.26 million in the US market, which also covers transport, customs duties, taxes and fees.  However, provided that you include the optional colour trim package, such as the one on show in Geneva, it would reach a price of €2.98 million (US market: $3.672 million), making it presumably one of the most expensive production cars of the year.

For more information visit:  Bugatti.com

Images courtesy © 2018 Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

Jack Barclay Bentley in London is Reborn

The automotive showroom icon, Jack Barclay Bentley, located in the Mayfair neighborhood of London, has just reopened as of last month after a painstaking multi-million-pound renovation, which has given new life to the world’s oldest Bentley dealership. Clients who plan to visit the newly refurbished space will immediately notice the more airy modern design that also incorporates its historic persona into a contemporary layout, which will improve the overall client experience. The finished product truly blends well with the gallery and boutique filled streets that make up the neighborhood the showroom resides in.

One of the most impressive additions to Jack Barclay Bentley include a central leather accented bar and private room for clients to customize or spec their future Bentley. The dealership which is operated by H.R. Owen deals with several premium auto brands in addition to Bentley, yet also provides after market services such as Insurance Services and Chauffeur Drive.

Jack Barclay Bentley Brand Director, John Stone, comments: “Jack Barclay Bentley is true British institution and a real icon for both Bentley and the UK as a whole. Customers come to Mayfair from around the world to savour the Jack Barclay Bentley experience, and thanks to this stunning refurbishment, we can ensure they continue to enjoy the best service available. We are very excited to open our doors once again and plan to use the space to the full by hosting some fantastic events throughout the year.”

Aside from all of the marvelous updates, longtime customers will be able to rest assured that many original design elements have been incorporated harmoniously into the Showroom’s current layout, such as the quintessential art-deco signage, chequered floor, and stunning wood panelling.

Images courtesy of: Bentley Motors

Range Rover SV Coupe Makes its Debut at The Geneva Motor Show

It has been nearly 50 years since Land Rover introduced the luxury SUV segment known as Range Rover.  However, now in March of this year during the Geneva Motor Show, an amazing new addition to the class was presented as the world’s first full-size SUV Coupe: the limited-edition, two-door, Range Rover SV Coupe.

The SV Coupe has proven to be a masterful creation by Land Rover Design and Special Vehicle Operation; it is inherent of Range Rover as it offers oustanding capabilities, exemplary craftsmanship and superior design elements.  This new SUV Coupe, which boasts the next generation of cabin luxury, is quite proficient in a variety of terrains as well as in many different weather conditions.  Demonstrating the sheer exclusivity of the vehicle, it will be brilliantly hand-crafted and limited to approximately 999 examples.

“The introduction of the new SV Coupe brings a new level of individual expression to the Range Rover portfolio and builds on the success of Special Vehicle Operations’ existing bespoke Range Rover program,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director. “Feedback from SV clients who have already seen the vehicle in confidential commissioning sessions has been overwhelmingly positive.”

With its luxurious interior finishes, sleek outer appearance and stellar high-performance capabilities, the Range Rover SV Coupe is synonymous of the words: elegance and speed.  Being a new addition to the Range Rover family, the SV Coupe can be easily recognized by its signature floating roof, unimpeded waistline and acicular tail, yet also has its own distinctive features.

The Range Rover SV Coupe integrates the panoramic roof, which allows for light to flood the cabin area, with its elegant power-close doors accompanying frameless glass to bring about a tranquil, contemporary and spirited atmosphere.  The cabin features heated and cooled 20-way electrically alterable front and 10-way electrically adjustable rear seats, seats available in Semi-Aniline leather from a single tannery established in 1905 and a one of a kind gradated diamond quilt design.  In addition to having much wider and deeper seats, which only increase the level of comfort, the SV Coupe introduced three elegant wood veneer choices (Nautica, Natural Black Ash and Santos Palisander) for the door casing, steering wheel rim, loadspace floor, instrument panel and central console.

“The Range Rover SV Coupe is a celebration of the Range Rover Bloodline,” said Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover. “With a dramatic two-door silhouette, this breath-taking four-seat Coupe alludes to its unique heritage while being thoroughly modern and contemporary. Beautifully realized and superbly engineered, the Range Rover SV Coupe delivers the most distinguished, luxurious and exclusive Range Rover ever built.”

Powered by a vigorous 557 hp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 powertrain, which is the most powerful engine presently available on the full-size Range Rover, the SV Coupe is unquestionably the fastest-ever full-size Range Rover.  Being fitted with extremely high performance capabilities, the SV Coupe can go not-to-60 in just 5.0 seconds (0-100 kmh in 5.3 seconds) and reach a top speed of 165 mph (265 kmh).  Furthermore, the vehicle has the 1700w, 23-speaker, Meridian™ 3D Signature Sound System paired with dual-channel subwoofer installed, which features Trifield™ 3D technology to allow for an unrivaled listening experience.

Every single Range Rover SV Coupe will be hand-assembled by specialists at the SVO Technical Center in the UK, which happens to be a first for the British marque.  “As you’d expect from Range Rover, the engineering integrity in the SV Coupe is more than skin deep. This is a meticulously honed vehicle that’s designed for SV clients who love driving,” said Mark Stanton, Special Vehicle Operations Director.

In comparison to the standard Range Rover model, the suspension of the SV Coupe is adjusted to become more driver-oriented with ride height reduced by 0.31 inches (8 mm), thus staying completely repressed and complacent.  The car includes the same dominant all-terrain capabilities as other Range Rovers, along with nearly three feet (900 mm) of maximum wading depth and a upper-limit towing intake of 7,716 lbs.  The SV Coupe also features a new 23-inch wheel option that expresses the body of the SUV in never before seen proportions.

Clients have the option of four opposing front-to-rear interior colorways as well as various single-tone interior color layouts.  As for the exterior appearance of the car, it was meticulously given a body color that is counterbalanced by the side vent and grille designs.

“Accentuating Range Rover SV Coupe’s proportions, and available as a unique feature for the first time, the new Contour Graphic is created by applying a contrasting paint to the flanks of the vehicle,” said McGovern. “Starting at the side vent, it flows rearwards and around to the opposite vent, and offers customers the opportunity to further personalize their specification.”

The exterior paint colors come in an array of eight tones and available in gloss or satin finish.  Four of these said tones are newly introduced to Range Rover: Constellation, Parallax, Liquesence and Obsidian; and the other four derived from the SV Premium Palette: Ethereal, Flux, Valloire and Desire.  The colors are further specified into one-of-four exclusive duo-tone gloss Contour Graphic options: Valloire/Flux, Valloire/Ethereal, Parallax/Ethereal, Obsidian/Desire.  Clients can also chose one-of-five SV paint finish options: pearlescent, tinted clear coat, tri-coat, ChromaFlair™ and satin matte.

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What’s sure to give customers the most memorable Range Rover experience are their choice of seven design packs that include exterior paint, bespoke badges and interior elements specially hand-picked by the Jaguar Land Rover Design team.  These design packs range from a ‘Modernist’ theme comprising of an Ethereal Silver exterior paint with a Liquesence finish and Rose Gold, Chrome Knurled badges to a ‘Heritage’ theme, which consists of a Modern Luxury Green exterior paint color and Vintage Tan front seats with Ebony rear seats.  This all allows the customer to have the most creative customization possible for his or her Range Rover SV Coupe.

The Range Rover SV Coupe is priced from $295,000 in the U.S. with sales expected to begin at the fourth quarter of 2018.

For more information visit:  LandRoverUSA.com/range-rover-sv-coupe

Images courtesy of LandRoverUSA.com

Jaguar Classic Relaunches the Iconic D-type Race Car

Jaguar’s vision throughout its 80 year history has been relatively simple and straightforward: To produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired the world over.  And as such, the automobiles produced by Jaguar have been simplistic yet classical.  Demonstrating this very approach, Jaguar Classic has just re-launched the iconic D-type race car in Coventry, which marks 62 years after the last model was built in 1956.

This vintage D-type race car, which has been brought back from the past, will be re-introduced with only 25 new examples that were meticulously hand-assembled at Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works in Warwickshire, UK.  The first prototype Jaguar D-type to be assembled by Jaguar Classics made its official debut at the Salon Retromobile show in Paris on February 7.  The original Jaguar D-type was set to have 100 examples in 1955, but only 75 were ever completed.  Jaguar Classic has now fulfilled the company’s past aspiration by assembling the missing 25 models and releasing them as all-new, but period-accurate, sports cars.

“The Jaguar D-type is one of the most iconic and beautiful competition cars of all time, with an outstanding record in the world’s toughest motor races. And it’s just as spectacular today,” Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said. “The opportunity to continue the D-type model’s success story, by completing its planned production run in Coventry, is one of those once-in-a-lifetime projects that our world-class experts at Jaguar Land Rover Classic are proud to fulfil.”

As the champion of the Le Mans 24 Hours race that won three times between 1955 and 1957, the Jaguar D-type has proven itself in the racing world with its six-cylinder XK engine.  Leaving the car in the exact same condition as the original models, the D-type is built for the clients of 2018 with authentic specifications to give them a traditional Jaguar D-type experience.  This re-launch is the third continuation from Jaguar Classic with the six missing Lightweight E-type models completed in 2014-15 and the nine XKSS models built in 2017-18 being the first two.

Kev Riches, Jaguar Classic Engineering Manager, said, “Recreating the nine D-type-derived XKSS models was hugely satisfying, and an even bigger technical challenge than the six missing Lightweight E-type models, but lessons learned from the XKSS project have given us a head start on the final 25 D-type models. Each one will be absolutely correct, down to the very last detail, just as Jaguar’s Competitions Department intended.”

The experts at Jaguar Classic used the original Jaguar engineering drawings and records in order to make the D-type as authentic as possible to the original model.  The new D-type is a blast from the past that evokes a sense of nostalgia to its clients, who also have the option of either choosing the 1955-specification Shortnose or 1956-spec Longnose bodywork.

The 2018 prototype of the D-type series is the 1956 Longnose specification, which is evident by  its extended hood, broadly-inclined cylinder head, quick-change brake calipers and distinctive tail fin behind the driver’s head

For more information, visit the official Jaguar website at:  JaguarUSA.com.

All enquiries from prospective Jaguar Land Rover Classic customers should be directed to:  info@classic.jaguar.co.uk / +44 (0) 203 601 1255 / www.jaguar.com/about-jaguar/jaguar-classic