Aston’s V12 Zagato to debut at Kuwait Concours d’Elegance

Isn't she lovely?! Now where did I invest that bonus payment?

The first production Aston Martin V12 Zagato will debut at the Kuwait Concours d’ Elegance on 15th – 18th February.  And isn’t she a beauty?  Regular readers will know that I’m more than a bit of an Aston fan anyway, but just look at this lovely creation!

The Kuwait Concours d’Elegance, in its third successive year, is the only event of its type in the Middle East and plays host to some of the world’s finest automotive art from over 19 countries.  Having gone from strength to strength in the past two years, this event has become the earliest of its type in what is considered by car connoisseurs as ‘the season’.

At the heart of such an established and important market for Aston Martin, the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance this year is supported by Premier International Motors Group, Aston Martin’s dealer partner in Kuwait.

Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin said “We are excited to show the new V12 Zagato for the first time in production form at the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance. Over 50 years since the introduction of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated to create this modern interpretation which remains true to the original focus of craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity.”

The V12 Zagato, being built in strictly limited numbers of up to 150 cars, is due for first customer deliveries in late 2012. Carrying on the partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato that started over 50 years ago with the DB4 GT Zagato, the V12 Zagato, hand assembled at the company’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England, is based on the highly acclaimed V12 Vantage and features a beautiful hand-crafted aluminium and carbon fibre body along with a bespoke interior. Combining traditional craftsmanship and high technology, the V12 Zagato also boasts Aston Martin’s most dynamic bonded aluminium platform and the power of the company’s acclaimed 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque.

Launched successfully, in prototype form, in late May 2011 at the Villa D’Este Concours on Lake Como, Italy, the V12 Zagato saw off tough competition to be awarded the coveted Design Award for the concept and prototypes class. Just a week later, the V12 Zagato made its racing debut at the at the historic Nürburgring racetrack before the two prototypes were entered into the gruelling Nürburgring 24 Hour race – both taking the chequered flag to maintain the marque’s 100% finish record in the race.

Being judged within the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance is a number of rare and historic Aston Martins from private owners across the world. One such car is an original DB4GT Zagato, one of the finest examples of the first partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato.

The spiritual inspiration for the contemporary V12 Zagato, the DB4GT Zagato came to fruition just over 50 years ago when Aston Martin sought to remove even more weight from the very special DB4GT. In the search of an ever lighter and higher performance version, Aston Martin approached Zagato, a company renowned for such projects. Managing Director, Elio Zagato and Technical Director Gianni Zagato along with a talented team managed to draft the main designs of the DB4GT Zagato in just one week.  Of the original 19 DB4GT Zagato built, all still survive and are held in pride of place within some of the world’s greatest car collections.

Following extremely positive initial customer reaction, the V12 Zagato is currently being offered for sale at £330,000 GBP (excluding local taxes).

Now here’s a surprise – MG enters the 2012 BTCC series with Jason Plato on-board

Jason Plato and rising star Andy Neate

MG Motor UK today announced it will enter the 2012 BTCC Series with a ‘dream team’ of cars, drivers, constructors and sponsors.

Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team piloted by double BTCC champion Jason Plato and BTCC rising star Andy Neate.

The cars will be prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful constructors in touring car racing. And completing the ‘dream team’ are principal sponsors Tesco Fuels with their Momentum 99 brand and KX energy drink completing an all-British line-up.

MG KX Momentum Racing will debut at Brands Hatch on April 1 when the 2012 Dunlop MSA BTCC championship season gets under way.

The MG6 GT five-door fastback is the first all-new MG in 16 years. It is designed and engineered at MG Motor UK’s plant in Birmingham where final assembly also takes place.

Jason Plato is the most successful driver in BTCC racing history with 68 career wins, with more fastest laps, pole and podium positions than any other driver in the history of the Series. He is undoubtedly the face of British Touring Cars as well as being a well-known and respected TV presenter and newly appointed Director of the British Racing Drivers Club.

Plato said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it’s just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on the track.”

Guy Jones, MG Motor’s Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted that the new MG6 will be seen by millions of fans in Britain and beyond and this continues the famous sporting lineage of the brand.”

Triple Eight, headed by Ian Harrison, is based at Greatworth, just a few miles from the famous Silverstone race circuit. The company has more than 100 BTCC race wins to its credit.

Toyota arrives in the FIA World Endurance Championship – in the nick of time!

Toyota's new hybrid endurance racing car

Toyota Racing today announced more details of its forthcoming FIA World Endurance Championship participation, including an intention to race two cars in specific races.

With Peugeot pulling out of this branch of motorsport, Toyota is arriving at just the right moment this time!

For me, the most interesting element is that the new cars are hybrids.  Is this a belated attempt to add a little more excitement to its range of road cars by association?  Will lessons learnt in the race series be carried over to the next Prius?  I suppose that anything that brings additional efficiency (and safety) should be seen as useful.

Let’s hope that some of the sportiness sneaks into the road car range, because I have to say that for all its sales, Toyota has the dullest range of cars that I can remember it having, pepped up only by the arrival of the “Toyobaru” that it has been working on with Subaru as a partner.

The new team, which is based at Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne, Germany, will make its race debut on 5 May in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Toyota Racing intends to enter two TS030 HYBRID cars in the subsequent Le Mans 24 Hours (16-17 June. Participation in further rounds is yet to be confirmed.

A driver line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima has already been confirmed for one car while discussions are still ongoing to finalise the driver line-up for the other. Additionally, Andrea Caldarelli, from Pescara, Italy, has joined Toyota Racing as a junior driver.

The TS030 HYBRID is Toyota’s successor to the iconic TS010 and TS020 cars which participated at Le Mans with podium success during the 1990s, with TS an acronym for ToyotaSport.

The THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System – Racing) powertrain is designed to deliver maximum performance and features an all-new V8 3.4litre normally-aspirated petrol engine and hybrid system with capacitor storage developed by official team partner Nisshinbo.

The team will use the TS030 HYBRID’s first test to evaluate the merits, within the current regulations, of a front motor system produced by Aisin AW and a rear motor system developed by official team partner DENSO. Those regulations limit hybrid systems to recovering a maximum of 500kJ between braking zones whilst restricting deployment to only two wheels.

A brand new carbon fibre LMP1 chassis has been developed and produced at TMG, where the complete car was assembled for the first time in preparation for a roll-out on 11-13 January at Paul Ricard.

During an exclusive test session at the French track, which included running in darkness, the TS030 HYBRID completed several hundred kilometres, showing an impressive level of reliability and performance for this very early stage in the car’s testing programme.

Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre both put the TS030 HYBRID through its paces at Paul Ricard, joined by 30-year-old Japanese driver Hiroaki Ishiura, who is a candidate to join the driver line-up at races where Toyota Racing participates with two cars.

Official partners to the Toyota Racing programme include ZENT, Aisin, Nippon Steel, Takata, Toyoda Gosei and Michelin.

Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “Of course we would love to win Le Mans; that is the dream for all competitors in this race. But we are realistic and we know we need to develop and to learn in order to compete with some very strong competition. Our target this year is to show the performance level of our car and particularly the THS-R powertrain. Hybrid is a core technology of Toyota so it is important to demonstrate this in a motorsport arena and we want to prove it can bring a performance advantage, both in terms of lap time and fuel efficiency. Everyone involved in designing, developing and preparing the car – both at TMG and at Motor Sport Division in Japan – has worked incredibly hard to reach this point and we are all very excited to be back on the race track again.”

Well, it’s good to see Toyota back racing.  Let’s hope the company sticks it out this time!  (I felt that Toyota left F1 at just the wrong time, though given the need to be perceived as a conservative brand in some of its markets, it’s hardly surprising that the company pulled out when it did).

Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director: “The two main performance drivers of our TS030 HYBRID car are the aerodynamics and the hybrid system. The regulations for hybrid powertrains allow us to recover energy under braking and release this to improve acceleration out of a corner, delivering lap-time benefit. For any given performance level, a hybrid powertrain will achieve this with less fuel so it is an extremely relevant technology and one we are excited to be bringing to endurance racing. Another key point in our development phase has been delivering aerodynamic efficiency. The development team at TMG has worked very hard to achieve an optimum aero concept using our state-of-the-art aero development processes based on combined wind tunnel testing and CFD. Judging by the positive feedback we received during the roll-out we have a very good base on which to build in the coming weeks.”

Hisatake Murata, Hybrid Project Leader: “Toyota has been working on hybrid systems for motorsport for several years, during which time we have made huge progress. Now we feel ready to bring our technology to the ultimate motorsport test: the Le Mans 24 Hours. Integrating a hybrid powertrain is, of course, a different challenge compared to a ‘standard’ powertrain. But we have worked together with partners such as DENSO, Aisin AW and Nisshinbo to develop the THS-R technology so it is part of the overall concept of the TS030 HYBRID. This technology will be used to recover up to 500kJ between braking events, energy which can be released via either front or rear motors to deliver a performance advantage. Toyota’s hybrid technology has already won a 24-hour race – the Tokachi 24 Hours in 2007 – so now we are bringing the latest THS-R development to global motorsport; we know this is a technically-demanding exercise but we are well prepared for the challenge.”

Alex Wurz: “It was cool to drive the TS030 HYBRID car for the first time. Just leaving the garage on the electric power is very futuristic, then when you let the clutch go and the internal combustion engine kicks in it is like an old friend has returned! When we put on the slick tyre I could feel the car generates a very good amount of grip so I think we have a good base and I think we can turn this into a really fast car. I am definitely very happy but my nature is to also be analytical and therefore I know there is still a lot of work to be done. It’s really good to work with all the mechanics and engineers; the Toyota Racing team is very international and this works well. I am very comfortable in this team because they are all extremely professional, that is really clear.”

Nicolas Lapierre: “My first impression from the roll-out was positive; the chassis is really advanced and the hybrid system works very well. The TS030 HYBRID car has good reaction to the steering with quick and efficient response combined with an impressive base level of downforce which is a nice feeling for a driver. It is totally different from anything I have known before because the philosophy is different. So our roll-out was promising and we saw the car’s potential on several levels; we still have plenty of work to do but I think that we will have a strong package. We are starting from a blank page so the challenge is exciting.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “I cannot wait to drive the TS030 HYBRID for the first time. I spoke a lot with Alex and Nicolas about the car during the roll-out and it obviously has great potential. I have been doing a lot of time in the TMG driving simulator so I have got to know the car in a virtual world, as well as the Le Mans track; now it’s time to drive it for real. It is a great opportunity for me and I am thoroughly looking forward to the experience of racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota Racing. To return to Le Mans with hybrid technology is a big challenge for Toyota but it is also a real opportunity for all the drivers and I hope my recent Super GT experience will be a benefit. It’s a great feeling to be involved in this project and I am really motivated for this season.”

As with all motorsport efforts, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.  If Toyota manages to bring some extra excitement to the racing, gets some good results early on and is able to transfer technologies to its road cars, the programme will have been successful.

 

Wrinklies conquer the world in an old Bristol!

Here's the star car - old but gold!

This is what it’s all about!

Geoffrey Herdman, a member of the Royal Automobile Club, and his wife, Hilary, recently completed a remarkable trip around the world in a 1956 Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe, of which only 42 were made. The trip, which Herdman describes as a ‘wrinkly gap year’ took 16 months during which time they covered more than 33,000 miles. What a magnificent effort!

To celebrate this achievement, the Royal Automobile Club is to put their Bristol 405, registration 10 DPG, on display in the rotunda of its Pall Mall clubhouse from 3 January 2012.

The Herdman’s incredible journey involved driving up the east coast of North America to Halifax before crossing Canada and then heading south down the west coast. After a couple of months in South America, they headed across to Australia before the car was shipped back via Turkey for the drive home. All of that sounds very brave to me!

Geoffrey Herdman, who is President of the Bristol Owners Club, says: “Central America was perhaps the most exciting part of the trip. There were no signposts or GPS coverage. The first night in Guatemala, having taken three hours to cross the frontier, we climbed for an hour in first gear on precipitous narrow roads. Long after dark we gave up trying to reach Lake Atitlan and stayed in a roadside hotel at 8,000 feet, it was bitterly cold and we were clearly the first guests to stay in a very long time.” He continued “We lost count of how many times we were stopped by the police in Spanish America, but the record was five times in three hours driving through Honduras”.

During the incredible road-trip, the Herdmans travelled over 33,000 miles, sometimes on awful roads, many of which with no tarmac, climbing to 10,000 feet on several occasions and yet only had $125 spent on repairs! As Geoffrey proudly states “the evidence speaks for itself – the Bristol 405 Drophead is the ideal touring car”.

Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee, says: “We are always pleased to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our club members and Geoffrey Herdman’s is clearly one of the most remarkable.”

Congratulations to the Herdmans – this is the kind of commitment we love to see!

(By the way: apologies for the title! I only feel able to post such a thing as I’m probably now a member of the Wrinkly crowd myself).

Cobras to race at 2012 Goodwood Revival

Racing Cobras

The finest collection of significant and authentic racing AC Cobras ever assembled in the UK will gather at next year’s Goodwood Revival (14-16 September 2012) for an exceptional one-model race.

It’s always difficult to tell a real one from a replica Cobra or a continuation edition (unless you’re a bit of a connoisseur / anorak), but don’t worry: the organisers of the Revival will have done the hard work for you!

To mark the 50^th anniversary since Carroll Shelby’s introduction of the initial versions of this cult Anglo-American sports car, the 2012 Revival will feature a grid exclusively made up of 30 Cobras and their derivatives.  This special all-Cobra race will be a 45-minute two-driver competition, with driver changes in the pits between 15 and 30 minutes.

It is expected that this one-off race will feature an extraordinary mix of historically-significant competition Cobras, including some of the special-bodied aerodynamic Cobra-based coupés.  Goodwood (and I!) also hope that Carroll Shelby will be able to attend the 2012 Revival in person as well, although this has yet to be confirmed.

The race promises to make for an intriguing spectacle and a fitting tribute to one of the world’s most revered, and copied, sports cars.

The Cobra has a long association with Goodwood and an exceptional line-up of top drivers is expected to campaign the Cobras.  (Please don’t bend any of them!).

Tickets and further information for the 2012 Goodwood Revival, plus Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show, can be ordered on the Goodwood website (www.goodwood.com/motor sport/).

Caterham and Lotus brand clarity

Here's one they made earlier.......

Finally ending the confusion that has endured for at least the last year between the Lotus and Caterham road and race brands, Caterham Group has officially been confirmed as the parent company name for the range of automotive, motor racing, technology and innovation companies that sit within a single business under the stewardship of Group CEO, Riad Asmat.

Eight months after the purchase of Caterham Cars, Chairman, Tony Fernandes, announced the creation of the new umbrella brand at the Brazil Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

“We have been talking for some time now about our plans for Caterham in all its guises, from the road car company to Formula 1 and GP2, and in the technology, design and innovation fields. Now, with the announcement about the rebranding in Formula One to Caterham F1 Team for 2012 and beyond, we are in a position to give a much more in-depth explanation of how the Caterham Group is taking shape,” explained Fernandes.

At launch, Caterham Group consists of four main areas: Caterham Cars, Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI) and Caterham Composites. More business identities will be added in the future.

Explaining the philosophy of Caterham Group, Fernandes, said: “This range of business interests provides us a very strong foothold in a number of growth sectors, staffed with teams of people with a strong mix of experience, youth, creativity and passion. In short, we have all the right ingredients in place to do some incredibly exciting things in markets that are ripe for innovation and new ideas.”

Under the guidance of Chief Executive, Ansar Ali, Caterham Cars has not only been busy expanding into new markets like India and China, readying the exciting SP/300.R sports prototype for 2012, but laying the foundations for a completely new product range that will see the first all-new Caterham road car launched in 2014.

In terms of Caterham F1 Team, which includes Caterham Racing as the new name for the Group’s GP2 outfit, Fernandes said: “This is the new and permanent incarnation of our Formula One investment. On and off track we continue to invest in people, infrastructure and technology, and 2012 is a critical year in our development.”

The F1 team will also act as a focal point for a development programme that encompasses 700 plus Caterham Seven racers around the world and various motor racing formulae from karting, GP3, World Series by Renault and up to F1 – a staircase of talent that gives opportunities for drivers, engineers, mechanics and all the associated skill-sets across the motorsport industry the chance to learn, develop and reach the top.

The third strand of Caterham Group is Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI) which was launched in September.

In addition to assisting Caterham Cars on the development of the next generation of accessible and affordable sportscars, the rapidly expanding team of engineering experts in their field is already beginning to undertake advanced projects for external companies operating within the automotive and aerospace sectors, including a radical new in-flight entertainment system.

Caterham Composites completes the newly formed business.

Under the stewardship of Mike Gascoyne, who will combine his role as CTO of Caterham F1 Team with that of CEO of Caterham Composites, the company is already working on projects across the aerospace, nautical, motorsport and automotive industries.

“With those four arms in place, and more to be announced in due course, we have a dynamic group of businesses already working together that gives a clear vision of what our long-term strategy is in their respective fields, and as one entity under Caterham Group,” Fernandes added.

“The Group will be based across a number of centres of excellence – Caterham Cars, Caterham F1 Team and our motorsport interests will be based in one location that we are close to announcing, and our technology and composites interests will be based in Norfolk.

With those plans now complete we have the foundations in place for long-term growth and success, and now we are in complete control of our own destiny. We have a very exciting future ahead of us and are all looking forward to seeing the rewards of our hard work pay off for many years to come.”

Clarity at last!

DS3 Racing and Pixie Lott make a happy couple

Don't they make a beautiful couple?

British pop starlet Pixie Lott is continuing her musical relationship with Citroën. The triple-platinum selling singer-songwriter takes the special edition DS3 Racing for a spin in her new music video for single What Do You Take Me For.

And I’m happy to show you what the happy couple look like!  (Both very photogenic, I think you’ll agree!).

Featuring U.S. hip-hop artist Pusha T, the new track, out on 7th November, is taken from Pixie’s forthcoming second studio album, Young Foolish Happy. The first single, All About Tonight, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart – Lott’s third UK number-one.

Directed by Declan Whitebloom, the video is a high-energy sequence of contemporary dance with both Pixie and Pusha T putting their best feet forward in an explosive and upbeat performance.

Pixie fans wanting to be among the first to watch the video can head to Citroën UK’s Official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/citroenuk).

Marc Raven, Citroën Communications Director, commented: “Citroën’s association with Pixie is a great way to introduce DS3 to a younger generation of music lovers. Having the video on our Facebook channel is also a fantastic way to reward our loyal fans – almost 70,000 of them and still growing. The new single is a stand-out track, full of energy and fantastic performances – the ideal environment for DS3 Racing.”

Developed by WRC winning team Citroën Racing, the special edition DS3 Racing fuses sporting pedigree with bold styling, racing inspired design, an uncompromising choice of premium materials and extensive equipment specification.

The turbo-charged 207hp engine delivers a 0-62mph time of just 6.5 seconds, and at the same time is environmentally responsible with 44.1mpg fuel efficiency and just 149g/km CO₂ emissions.

Pixie Lott is a 20-year old multi-award-winning artist from London. She rose to fame with her June 2009 debut single ‘Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)’, which went straight to number one in the UK charts. Her debut album produced five consecutive Top 20 singles.  In February, Pixie was awarded Hottest Female in the 2011 Virgin Media Music Awards.

Both car and artist deserve a gratuitous plug!

CPP announces a new Jensen Interceptor for next year

Side view of the proposed new Interceptor harks back to the original

Those CPP chaps are very busy, aren’t they?  With acquisitions aplenty recently, they have some more news for us.

An all-new Jensen Interceptor will be launched next year, after CPP Global Holdings was appointed to engineer, develop and build the new car by the brands’ owners, Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd (HSCS).

CPP, the British specialist automotive group, will finalise the new car’s development in Coventry and manufacture it at a new production facility on Browns Lane from 2014.  A team of Coventry-based design consultants employed by HSCS has completed the design of the new Interceptor, which has already gained significant customer interest.

The new Jensen Interceptor – echoing the four-seat grand tourer layout of the much-loved original built between 1966 and 1976 – is based on an all-new aluminium chassis and handcrafted aluminium body. The public unveiling of the Interceptor is planned for late 2012, with deliveries to customers beginning in 2014.  Annual production numbers and pricing are yet to be confirmed, but will be fixed to ensure ultra-exclusivity.  Expressions of interest can be registered on the website www.jensensportscars.com.

Brendan O’Toole, founder and co-owner of CPP, said: “I started my career by restoring bodies and components for classic British sports cars, so for CPP to take the lead role in reviving this iconic brand is very exciting for the business, and for me personally.  The Jensen design team has respected and honoured the great heritage and attributes of the original Interceptor, while injecting a contemporary edge and advanced technologies that will ensure it appeals to the passionate, discerning motoring enthusiast of today.

“This work is at an advanced stage, and married to CPP’s expert coachbuilding, craftsmanship and engineering skills, the new Interceptor will be an exceptional example of British automotive excellence,” he said.

Liam Cardiff, director of Healey Sports Cars Switzerland, said: “CPP is the perfect partner to revive the iconic Jensen Interceptor.  With the Jensen design team integrated into an organisation with much greater resources and broader expertise, our dream of seeing the Jensen and Interceptor badges once again adorning the bonnets of beautiful, modern, British-built GT cars has come closer to reality.”

What is CPP going to revive next?

An updated AC Cobra?

How about having a word with TVRski?

As long as it’s not a 3-wheeler Reliant!  (Though a new Scimitar wouldn’t be a bad idea).

Answers on a postcard, please……..

New Jaguar cub breaks cover

Jaguar's latest creation on the road

It looks to me as if Jaguar is really on its game right now. 

Remember the C-X75 it showed off not so long ago……  Well, just when you thought Jaguar had used up all its mojo in that one great design, here’s another one! 

The new C-X16 two-seater concept looks beautiful and seems to combine advanced design, engineering and vehicle technology to create a really desirable car. 

A hybrid, the C-X16 mixes two essential Jaguar ingredients: searing performance and beautifully-realised styling.

Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars: “The C-X16 embodies the established Jaguar strengths of sensual design, animal-like agility and inspirational performance and combines these with attributes that set us on a course to create sustainable sports cars of the future.”

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars: “Jaguars have always been dramatically different. With the C-X16 we have moved the current award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance.”

Under the muscular clamshell bonnet is a next-generation supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 380 PS (280kW) and 332 lb ft (450 Nm) of torque. Already boasting a high specific power output of 126 PS-per-litre, the performance of the C-X16 is further supplemented by a Formula 1-inspired hybrid boost system with a steering-wheel mounted button for on-demand acceleration.  In other words, Jaguar’s take on KERS on a road car. 

Integrated into the eight-speed gearbox is a motor generator which draws power from a 1.6kWh battery pack mounted behind the seats for ideal 50:50 weight distribution. Charged through a brake energy regeneration system, the batteries allow the motor to provide an additional 95 PS (70 kW) and173 lb ft (235 Nm).

Mounted in an aluminium chassis structure, the result is 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 186 mph and acceleration from 50-75 mph of 2.1 seconds. The  C-X16 is also able to travel at speeds of up to 50 mph under electric power alone and has CO₂ emissions of 165 g/km.

Amazingly, this is going to be a small car by Jaguar standards: the C-X16 measures 4,445 mm in length, 2,048 mm in width and 1,297 mm in height and has a wheelbase measuring 2,622 mm.  That’s smaller than a Porsche 911! In fact, in terms of overall length, the C-X16 is the smallest Jaguar created since 1954 (its lovely XK120)!

I’m not going to bore you with all the stats, but here are the ones that really caught my attention:

• Powered by an innovative supercharged 3.0-litre V6 producing 380 PS (280 kW) and 332 lb ft (450 Nm) of torque.
• Hybrid system controlled by a steering-wheel mounted ‘Push to Pass’ button boosts output by 70 kW and 235 Nm.
• Top speed of 186 mph, 0-62 mph in 4.4 seconds and 50-75 mph acceleration in 2.1 seconds with CO₂ emissions of 165 g/km.

The C-X16 will be presented at the Jaguar Land Rover press conference in Hall Five at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday September 13 at 09:15 CET.

I just hope it gets a better name when it’s launched as a real-world road car!

McLaren’s GT3 car takes to the hill at Goodwood

McLaren GT3 racing car, 2011.

The first McLaren car built for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR will make its public dynamic world debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from 30 June-03 July. The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, will appear in its revised form, honed during a recent intense period of development.

And in my opinion, it’s more of a looker than the road car (but then, perhaps I’m biased).

New components designed to optimise the car’s aerodynamic performance include a front radiator, which increases the maximum ambient temperature at which the car can run, along with a new gearbox cooler mounted on the rear Aerodeck.  These features complete an aerodynamics package incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders, all of which is produced entirely from carbon fibre by McLaren Racing, following design input from McLaren Automotive.

The 12C GT3 is being developed by the recently established McLaren GT.  Led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT is spending the 2011 race season developing the 12C GT3 before delivering 20 cars to privateer teams for GT3 racing in Europe in 2012.

Like the 12C road car, the MP4-12C GT3 features a unique one-piece carbon fibre chassis, the ‘MonoCell’.  McLaren introduced a carbon fibre monocoque to Formula 1 in 1981, and the 12C GT3 will feature several other Formula 1-derived technologies. The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the same steering wheel design used by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car.  Formula 1 suppliers past and present including Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin are working with McLaren GT to create a race car specification technologically superior to the GT3 competition in 2012.

Since the 12C GT3 was unveiled to the media and prospective team owners in May 2011, McLaren GT has tested its new car at a mixture of proving grounds and FIA approved circuits across Europe. This development phase is an opportunity for McLaren GT to optimise the technical specification and durability of the 12C GT3.

Andrew Kirkaldy from McLaren GT said: “The reaction to the 12C GT3 at the circuits we have visited has been phenomenal. I can’t wait to see how it goes down at Goodwood this weekend.

“CRS Racing was clearly excited to be confirmed as partner in this project as we were only too aware of McLaren’s short, but unbelievable GT history with the F1. But the anticipation amongst circuit owners and race teams to McLaren’s return to GT racing has still surprised us.  I’m delighted that we have the opportunity to drive the 12C GT3 up the hill at Goodwood and raise the interest even further.”

Confirmed drivers of the GT3 car for the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend are Andrew Kirkaldy, 2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey, and McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin.

A brand new website is launched this weekend to celebrate the GT3 car’s public debut: www.mclarengt.com