Tyres and Tar

Design firm Callum has taken the covers off Callum Skye, its vision for a "high-performance multi-terrain electric vehicle" and the first own-brand vehicle that is fully conceived, designed and engineered in-house. "Designed to exceed expectations" The all-electric, all-wheel-drive vehicle is created to provide an extremely capable off-road performance. Measuring just over 4m long and 1,9m wide, the Skye makes use of a space-frame chassis and suspension with sufficient ground clearance and comfort and across a diverse range of terrains. A 42kWh lithium-ion battery provides a range of about 272km (170 miles). It is also available in an optional 'empty-to-full in under ten minutes' fast charge specification. The Skye has a target dry weight of 1,150kg and with a balanced 50/50 weight distribution is expected to record a 0-100km/h (0-60mph) time of under four seconds. Ian Callum, founder and head of design at the firm, said the Skye is "proportioned with a...

A 1966 Aston Martin DB5 that was owned by a motoring journalist for close on three decades is being offered up on auction by H&H Classics. "The DB5 is an iconic symbol of British automotive heritage" Once the property of Andrew English, motoring correspondent for Britsh newspaper Daily Telegraph, it is expected to fetch somewhere between £500,000 and £550,000 ($631,105 and $694,216). The car, which has borne the UK number plate 'GBO 500D' since it was first registered, has a rich racing history, having been both FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) and MSA (Motor Sports Association) registered and subsequently entered into several sprints, hill climbs and rallies. Julian Pinkster, motorcar specialist at H&H Classics, said: "The DB5 is an iconic symbol of British automotive heritage, thanks to its association with James Bond. The performance and history of this particular model, place it among the nicest driving examples of the DB5 to come t...

A British company that engineers what it calls genuine "plug and play" solutions for classic car electric vehicle (EV) conversions is growing its global network of partners in the UK and Europe to bring more iconic vehicles back to live with its unique "drop in" conversion kits. "Helping more customers convert iconic models to electric drive" Electrogenic's expansions builds on the growth of a network that already includes numerous outfits in the US and Europe. New partner companies are provided with an extensive technical training course on the firm's range of EV powertrain packages that are created to easily fit into the existing architecture of a vehicle. The kit range includes powertrain options for a vehicles such as the Porsche 911, Land Rover Defender, and Jaguar E-Type. The company's co-founder, Steve Drummond, said he was "delighted" that the installer network was growing. "The network is united by a desire to offer char...

The new Hyundai Tucson is set to grace showroom floors in 2024 and the carmaker has is giving the world a look at the design and specifications of a vehicle that it says embodies its "progressive vision for future mobility". "The best-selling car in the compact SUV segment in Europe in 2022" Set for a European debut in early 2024, the Tucson reveals a facelift, the first partial redesign in three years, from the current model's design language. Hyundai says the front is "a bold interplay of thin, angular lines in the radiator grille, complemented by Parametric Jewel Hidden Lights", while a seamless extensions of the bumper and skid plates give the impression of a wider stance. Hyundai said: "Two decades ago, the model entered an emerging SUV segment and has since evolved into a global bestseller. Its unwavering popularity among European customers is unmistakable. According to global automotive market research company JATO Dynamics, Tucson became t...

As vehicle model names go, 2024 G56 GT4 Evo is a mouthful, but that belies that fact that Ginetta's latest creation is lithe and advanced. The British racing car manufacturer has uprated its new Evo model, taking the best of original G56 GT4 and ensuring it remains a formidable contender in GT motorsport. Homologated for GT series and endurance racing globally, it has cooling improvements and changes to improve tyre heat and degradation. This includes adjustments to the suspension, roll development, a higher platform height, and larger wheels and tyres on both axles. "The 2024 G56 GT4 Evo is an upgrade in every possible area" Gineta has focused a lot of attention on a redesign of the bonnet and cooling system to maintain optimal temperatures in the engine area and cockpit. Body lines have also been resculpted to improve the aerodynamic profile without sacrificing the beauty of the design language. The new Evo's first year of competition will include a production run o...

The Vatican City State has chosen Volkswagen to help it make strides towards sustainable mobility and will take delivery of about 40 fully-electric vehicles from the ID range at the start of 2024. Strongly committed to the implementation of innovative and sustainable solutions This forms part the Vatican City's decarbonization, which has set of goal of making its fleet climate-neutral by 2030. The city state has stressed that it is "strongly committed to the implementation of innovative and sustainable solutions that make it possible to reduce, in concrete terms, the impact of human activities on the environment in order to protect the planet". Volkswagen sales, marketing and after-sales board member, Imelda Labbé, said that electrification of fleets "is becoming increasingly important across the globe". Volkswagen Financial Services chairman Dr. Christian Dahlheim added: "We are delighted to support the Vatican in this important project. This is something ...

An Audi RS6 C7 formerly owned by Prince Harry has been put up for sale on a British website for automotive enthusiasts. The car has a royal lineage that can be traced back to 2017 when the Royal reportedly took delivery of the car. This includes its original number plate, KX17 ZBN. At the time he paid £91,530 for the 418kW, four-wheel-drive, V8-powered estate model. The current selling price is now set at £42,000. The estate covered around 7,242km (4,500 miles) on the car during the 15 months it was owned by Harry. The six-year-old model has now covered a total of 109,435km (68,000 miles). The RS6 can sprint 0-100km/h (0-60mph) in under four seconds and is equipped with an extra £11,000 of factory-fitted optional extras. Harry also elected to have the electronic speed limiter de-restricted, allowing for a top speed of 280km/h (174mph). (Words: Newspress and Philip Devine | Pics: Newspress)

Ferrari has announced the fastest lap record yet for a road car at its Fiorano racetrack, located near the Italian town of Maranello. The circuit is a private racetrack owned by the sportscar maker and is used for development and testing purposes. The start of the show was the 1030-cv SF90 XX Stradale, the new limited-series special based on the SF90 Stradale, and it clocked in a time of 1:17.309. Ferrari says this performance, which was recorded during tests at the SF90 XX Stradale media launch on the 16th of October 2023, represents a new record for homologated road cars. Homologation is the process by which a vehicle is certified to comply with the necessary technical and legal requirements to be roadworthy and safe for public use. Ferrari Head of Development Test Driving, Raffaele de Simone, was responsible for setting the record time. The company says that the outfitting of the SF90 XX Stradale with lightweight carbon-fibre wheels and Michelin Cup2R tyres was behind the reason tha...

The new Langen LightSpeed 1200 motorcycle will be on display at the National Exhibition Centre Birmingham in late November as Langen Technology Limited shows off their latest model. "Achingly beautiful, high-performance motorcycles" The company, which describes itself as "one of the leading automotive engineering and development companies, specialising in hand-built, limited production motorcycles" says this offering continues to demonstrate its ability "to build achingly beautiful, high-performance motorcycles using the very best components, fuelled by the team's passion to combine innovation with emotion". The LightSpeed follows the company's first production motorcycle, The Two Stroke, and has a power to weight ratio of 1 ,000hp (745kW) per tonne. It makes use of carbon fibre bodywork on high-tensile steel tubular frame, Ohlins front forks and rear shock absorbers and Hel performance callipers on 320mm twin floating front discs. Power is provide...

The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, located in the South of England, is trying to identify any workers who helped built Sir Henry Segrave's Land Speed Record-breaking 1927 Sunbeam. The 4-ton, 7.16-metre-long car was built at Sunbeam's Wolverhampton works with goal of being the first vehicle to break the 200mph (321km/h) barrier. With Segrave at the helm, the car met the mark on the 29th March 1927 at Daytona Beach in Florida, USA, recording a top speed of 203.792mph (327.971km/h) over the flying mile. "Powered by two 22.45-litre Sunbeam 'Matabele' aero engines" Described by as The National Motor Museum as "a miracle of engineering", it was powered by two 22.45-litre Sunbeam 'Matabele' aero engines. Delivering a combined 1000hp (746kw), the motors were installed behind and in front of the driver, linked together and driven through a three-speed transmission. Almost every part of the car was built in Great Britain. Family ties One worker has a...

A bar owner who built a mobile pub in the back of a van after he had to close his establishment during the Covid lockdown has emerged as the winner in eBay's inaugural Van Conversion of the Year Awards. "One thing you couldn't get in lockdown was freshly pulled pints" Paul White, a bar owner from Liverpool, England, was awarded with a £10,000 cash prize and his van judged to be the "Best Business Entry" for his 'AmBEERlance', after his wife, Clare, applied to the awards on his behalf as she felt he deserved recognition for his work during Britain's lockdown. W ith their business, The Dog House bar, closed during restrictions, the couple decided not to leave their future up to chance and Paul decided that if regulars couldn’t come to the bar, the bar would come to them. Using a Peugeot Boxer that was an ambulance in it's previous life, he used the huge volume of interior space to embark on an amazing conversion. Paul said: "One thing you ...

Maserati has unveiled a limited edition of its MC20 supercar dubbed 'Notte' - or 'Night' - that it says is "born to race on the track and bred to perform on the road". The exclusive, and limited, run of 50 units aims to combine sportiness and luxury through the embodiment of "the mystical and intense power of darkness", it adds. Powered by a V6 engine and aided by the design input of Maserati reference driver and former GT1 world champion, Andrea Bertolini, the Notte is painted in matte black. This is matched by 20-inch 'birdcage' alloy wheels and black brake calipers​. The cabin features six-way power sport  seats in alcantara black-and-grey with yellow stitching​. Klaus Busse, Head of Maserati design, said: "Fuoriserie means 'custom-built' in Italian, and our Trident's customisation program is conceived to create one-of-a-kind rolling sculptures for our clients. MC20 Notte celebrates the thrill of racing and the allure of t...

A rare 1954 Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupe owned from new by a British racing legend is set for auction through H&H Classics in November. Once the pride and joy of Patsy Burt, the vehicle is expected to fetch between £100,000 - £120,000. "It's the history behind it, and its connection to Burt, that truly stands out" British motor racing driver Patricia "Patsy" Burt, was a trailblazer for her time, and remains so to this day. She was, in 1961, the first British driver of either sex to take part in a full season of the European Mountain Championship. She scored out 42 victories and almost 100 national, international, and ladies' records, making her one of the most successful British female racing drivers of all time. Only 195 XK120s were built to right-hand drive specification, and registration 'OLF 460' was supplied by Henlys of London to Burt herself. Damian Jones, senior motorcar specialist at H&H Classics, said: "The Jaguar XK120 holds ...

The new Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe has rolled on to showroom floors in the UK, aiming to unite the best of both the C-Class and E-Class through its design, driving experience and creature comforts. It will initially be available in AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and Premier Edition specifications. The range of powertrains includes four-cylinder and six-cylinder petrol engines and a four-cylinder diesel – all with what Mercedes describes as "mild-hybrid technology". Plans are in the pipeline for a plug-in hybrid to follow at a later date. Standard equipment on all models includes the 'Mercedes-Benz User Experience' (MBUX) infotainment system, making the CLE Coupe is the second vehicle to utilise the MBUX platform. The uprated system has enhanced Android compatibility for installation of selected third-party applications, and an enhanced implementation of the "Hey Mercedes" intelligent voice assistant. The system also supports wireless integrat...

In late 1993 motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson, in his very first road test for The Sunday Times, described the Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 thusly: "Calling the performance explosive is like calling the space shuttle jolly clever…you will not have felt, or heard, anything like it in your life before." "Aston...quickly came to represent the pinnacle of British sports car desirability" Powerful it is. Generating 550bhp (410Kw), and 550lb-ft (746Nm) of torque at just 4,000 rpm, it churns out 220bhp (164Kw) more than its predecessor, the Virage. While this comes from broadly the same 5.3-litre quad cam V8 petrol engine, what makes the difference is the addition of two Eaton M90 superchargers, each fed by its own cylinder bank.   Performance matches the power and torque figures, with a 0-60 (0-100km/h) sprint in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 186mph (297km/h). Quite a feat when you consider the V550 weighs in just shy of two tonnes.   Aston dubbed the approach of its ...

Speed; it has seemingly forever been a passion for humans, and an obsession for some. Written records of going higher, further, longer, or in this case, faster mark our history. In the case of the officially recognised Land Speed Record, teams have for 125 years tried to best previous records. Among the famous names of those record-setters are Sir Malcolm Campbell, Sir Henry Segrave, Richard Noble OBE and Andy Green. Now, the Bloodhound LSR team are searching for another name to add to that list and are kicking off their quest with a display this November at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, considered by some the home of land speed record cars. The current record for the highest speed of a vehicle on land has been held since 1997 by former RAF pilot Andy Green who drove Thrust SSC to 763.035mph (1227.985km/h) across the Black Rock desert in the USA, at the same time becoming the first person to break the sound barrier on land. Bloodhound is a proven machine, with high-speed tests...

It's not often you see an entirely unique, coach-built classic that's less than 30 years old and in excellent condition. It's even less common that you would find one up for auction with links to the the symbol of luxury travel, the renowned Orient Express. "Although based on the Alfa 75, it more closely resembles the SZ model" This vehicle's creators say this 'working prototype' has been uprated since its 1995 launch. The Alfa Romeo Castagna Vittoria, or Alfa CV for short, is the vision of the Carrozzeria Castagna company that is better known for trimming luxury rail coaches, but is unafraid of putting its hand to new designs for vehicles as well. C arrozzeria Castagna was founded in 1849 in Milan, then collapsed in 1954, and came back fighting in a 1995 revival with the unveiling of the CV at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. Although based on the Alfa 75, it more closely resembles the SZ model. An overhanging nose, a profile that mimics the 'c-line...

It's common for vehicle manufacturers to use various modes of camouflage on vehicles in the final stages of development when they are being road tested. It makes it difficult for the media to identify the exact make and model of the vehicle, but mainly helps prevent rival manufacturers from copying any design language or features that may be unique to the new arrival. However, this time it's Volkswagen itself that has released image s of its 'woodlands' camouflaged, all-electric ID.7 estate, which the company says will go by the name ID.7 Tourer1. With the launch of the new model due in Europe in 2024 it means either VW is trying to drum up bit of hype for the estate or possibly that other manufacturers have already figured out their future plans and they intend to pip them to the post.   Nonetheless, VW says this model is highly efficient "thanks to sophisticated aerodynamics" and has a drag co-efficient value of 0.234. In simple terms, that's a measure o...

  Here's a vehicle with a specification write-up that would appear to be something for a specialist sports model. It's the result of three years of development work, which has created a purposefully over-engineered car with all the gadgets that are likely to grab the attention of its drivers, and anyone else that sees it rolls along. "A functioning GPS speedo, clock, and 'fuel' gauge that monitors battery charge for accessories" It is possibly the ultimate in pedal cars and is a product of Austin Pedal Cars, an offshoot of the very same company that produced coveted cars such as the Austin Healey, Sprite, A7, and the renowned Mini. However, you haven't misread the previous sentence. This model is a genuine pedal car for kids who have parents with deep pockets, or perhaps childlike collectors with some cash to flash.   The J40 is no run-of-the-mill pedal car The Austin J40 Continuation is a radical reimagining of the J40 pedal car that was produced between ...

Texas-based hypercar manufacturer Hennessey Performance has rolled out a limited series upgrade of the Camaro ZL1. The Exorcist, or EXORCIST according to the firm's marketing, is the 'Final Edition' in a series of Exorcist models. It was first created in 2017 to 'slay the Dodge Demon', which is Hennessey's reference to the rival supercharged Dodge Challenger. "Built...to slay the Dodge Demon" In its standard form the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine rated at 650hp (485kw) and 650lb-ft (881Nm) of torque. With the addition of a heap of high-performance parts, including a larger supercharger, and a engine management software upgrade, this increases to 1,000hp (745Kw) and 966lb-ft (1309Nm) of torque. The company claims a 'jaw-dropping' performance of 0-60mph/0-100km/h in 2.1 seconds, and a top speed of 217mph (347km/h).   John Hennessey, company founder and CEO said: "Our comprehensive upgrade to the Camaro ZL1 is on...

If you have the spare cash, and importantly, the spare space in your house, you could pick up a unique ‘The Italian Job’ themed driving simulator. Under the hammer by online marketplace Car & Classic, the rig was by a simulator design company by the name of SimbiotiX, and uses a real 1974 Austin Mini to recreate the blue Mini Cooper seen in the 1969 movie. “Whether you want to tear through the streets or Turin, or set the pace on track at Goodwood, this rig offers the chance to do it from the comfort of your own home”  The simulator retains the vehicles original pedals, steering and gears, and has functioning dials on the dashboard. Even the small details haven’t been overlooked, such as fake gold bullion in the boot, and the numberplate ‘LGW 809G’, which is a reference to the number of the return flight the heist team intended to catch in the movie.   On top of all of this is a full surround-sound system with soundbar and subwoofer, WindSim fan kit and two-degree motion s...

Bramble Energy, a fuel-cell-technology firm based in Crawley, England, claims that it has developed a solution that will enable it to produce the world’s lowest cost fuel cells and thereby drive mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cell “across mobility and energy sectors”.   In a whitepaper recently published by the company, it says a new way of tackling production will mean it can cut price targets to ten times cheaper than current traditional fuel cell costs. “Current fuel cell technologies exceed $1000/kW, so it is a major leap to achieve $100/kW,” it says in a recent statement.   Bramble appears to have applied some lateral thinking by using standardised printed circuit boards (PCB) – already widely used in applications from mobile phones to televisions and laptops - and an existing manufacturing route, eliminating the need for huge investment in new methodologies. Though, precisely how they are doing this is seems to be a bit of an industrial secret.   For now, it’s an in...