Apex Motorsport received a lift at the weekend when the Jaguar XKR of Stuart Scott, Chris Ryan and Mark Sumpter claimed third overall in the 1,000k Britcar race at Spa Francorchamps on Saturday.

The V8 supercharged XKR performed flawlessly during testing, achieving 3rd fastest from a field of 40 cars. Qualification put the Jaguar in 5th place, but following a rule infringement of a vehicle closer to the front of the grid, the XKR moved up to 4th place, and another non-starter put Scott’s Jaguar in 3rd place to start the 4 hour race, behind a TVR Sagaris and a Mosler, both lighter and with more bhp than the Jaguar.

Chris Ryan was first into the seat, retaining 3rd position through to driver changeover after 50 minutes. Mark Sumpter, the 2000 British GTO Champion, and currently competing in the International Group C Historic Championship, was driving the XKR for the first time, in 8th place after pitting. After 50 minutes on the track, and back in 3rd place, he brought the Jaguar into the pits declaring that he “adored” the XKR. Stuart Scott took over, and kept the car in 3rd place, despite pressure from the competition.

Early in Mark’s second session, the weather closed in, and the team faced the decision of whether to lose crucial time for a tyre change. Despite the rain, Mark was achieving remarkable lap times on slicks, so based on Mark’s extensive international experience and the performance of the XKR, the decision was made to run the full 50 minutes on slicks. The rain lasted just 8 minutes, and the decision not to change tyres had ensured that the Jaguar went into the last session with driver Chris Ryan still in 3rd place.

Chris was catching the 2nd position Porsche at a rate of 3 seconds per lap, and the team had calculated that a coveted 2nd position was within grasp, when Chris lost the Jaguar in a spin at Les Combes just 8 laps from finish. No damage was incurred, but it cost the team 30 seconds, and 2nd place was out of reach.

Finishing 3rd, 20 seconds behind second place, the three drivers were delighted with the car’s performance. “The car just ran like clockwork, with no issues,” said a delighted Stuart Scott; “Many thanks were due to the Apex Motorsport Team for their slick and professional pit-work and the opportunity to honour Richard Lloyd with the first Apex Motorsport podium since Bentley at Le Mans.”

The next Britcar event is at Brands Hatch on 14th June.

- Apex Motorsport

These are the very first official shots of the soon-to-be-launched Insignia’s interior, showing the immense attention to detail Vauxhall’s designers have lavished on the car’s cabin. Highlights include chronometer-inspired instruments, use of high-quality fabrics and materials, and a unique instrument lighting system.

First impression is of Insignia’s bold, wrap around interior, dominated by the signature ‘wing’ that flows from the front instrument panel and dives into the door panels. The surfaces from the exterior’s ‘blade’ feature are echoed in the shape of the interior grab handle, where the bright accent material sweeps dramatically into the door armrest.

The cabin’s interior lighting gives Insignia a unique night-time appearance. Vauxhall’s designers have added a warm amber-colored ambient light to enhance the night driving environment. The instrument cluster is illuminated white, but on pressing the ‘Sport’ button, the lighting turns red to match the surrounding illumination.

“This is a paradigm shift for Vauxhall,” says John Puskar, Executive Director of Interior Design at GM Europe. “We wanted to create interior environments for all our future vehicles that are warm, inviting and sporty. The Insignia is the first evidence of this philosophy.”

Cabin practicality will also raise the bar in Insignia’s market sector. The center console offers flexibility and intelligent design solutions, such as a space-liberating e-brake and separate multi-function control on certain models. Both the steering wheel and front seats have a huge range of adjustability to suit all shapes and sizes, while adjustable armrests, ergonomically placed controls, a multi-use storage box and MP3 connectivity will reinforce Insignia’s appeal to private and business drivers.

“Every detail was meticulously thought through,” says Jochen Werner, Insignia’s Assistant Chief Interior Designer. “We even tipped the infotainment center at a 30 degree angle to allow the center console to flow and give the car’s cabin a greater feeling of spaciousness.”

Many of Insignia’s interior design features will provide the DNA for future Vauxhall designs. Variations on sculptural artistry – the wing, flowing sculptural forms and a sporty dynamic environment – will be used moving forward, as Vauxhall refines and evolves its new-found design language.

- Vauxhall

Climax has started production of their exclusive new sports car. A limited run of only 100 cars are planned so far with prices starting at €100,000. The aluminium two-seater is powered by a Prodrive tuned horizontally opposed 4-cylinder turbo-charged Boxer petrol engine that rockets the Climax to 60mph in under 4 seconds and tops out at 170mph. The engine can also run on bio-ethanol for those who are environmentally conscience. Photos and official specs are included below.

Standard Specification

Drivetrain

Engine

Horizontally opposed Prodrive Boxer

4 cylinder, DOHC/Bank

4 valves/cylinder, Turbo/Intercooler.

Net Power: 300.48 PS @ 6,000

Torque: 407Nm @ 4,000

Fuel Consumption mpg (1/100km)

Urban: 20.5 (13.8)

Extra Urban: 34.4 (8.2)

Combined: 27.4 (10.3)

CO2 emissions g/km 243 (Unleaded fuel)

(Engine upgrades available)

Transmission

6-Speed manual with Limited slip differential

(Seguential option available)

Suspension

Fully adjustable performance suspension kit.

Height and damping adjustment.

Performance

Max. Vehicle Speed: 170 mph, 274 km/h (est)

0-60 mph (100kph) Sub 4 seconds (est)

Exterior

Body Work

Hand rolled aluminium body work, available in a choice of finishes.

Flip up mirrors and aero screens

Removable tonneau covers

Remote opening doors

Chassis

Conctructed from lightweight aluminium castings and extrusions with steel sub frames

Wheels

Carbon fibre/magnesium alloy wheels (Choice of styles)

Interior

Styled engineering, race car inspired interior.

Bespoke neoprene racing seats (Trim options available)

Digital instrument panel

Removable steering wheel (Optional carbon fibre carry case)

Hidden storage

Heater

Optional sound system

Price

€100,000 + regional taxes (Plus delivery)

- Climax Cars

Ten Bentley Graduate Trainees have challenged themselves to complete a 24-hour, 200 mile sponsored run from the Bentley Motors factory in Crewe, Cheshire, to the historic Brooklands Race Circuit in Weybridge, Surrey.

The charity run in aid of Leukaemia Research at Manchester Royal Infirmary will take place over three days from 10th to 12th June 2008 with the team members running 48-minute relays covering 7 miles each over 8 hours each day.

The run will start from the historic Bentley factory on Pyms Lane in Crewe on Tuesday 10th June at 9am, with the ten participants followed by two support vehicles manned by their colleagues from the Trainee programme. The route cuts through the English countryside via footpaths, country roads and parks calling in at three dealerships on route – Bentley Birmingham, Bentley Pangbourne and Bentley Surrey. The team hope to collect funds and raise awareness of both leukaemia and the research undertaken by Manchester Royal Infirmary whilst en route, before finally reaching the Brooklands Museum in Surrey on the afternoon of 12th June.

The group are all enrolled on the Trainee Development Programme at Bentley Motors during which they are learning a wide variety of professional skills to prepare them for a career in the automotive industry. As part of their Programme, the Bentley Academy, which leads this development scheme, encourages the trainees to contribute to the local community, including the organisation of, and participation in, charitable fund raising activities.

The event is the sole responsibility of the trainee team from logistical organisation to completion of the 200-mile course. Andrew Jackaman, Bentley Graduate and Event Organiser comments “The team has worked extremely hard over the past few months, not just training for the actual run but also in planning, collecting sponsorship donations and gaining support from local and national businesses for equipment and clothing.” He adds, “We are confident that our training schedule has been sufficient preparation for what will be a very challenging run. However we still want to raise a lot more money for these causes, so we want to remind people that it is not too late to donate.”

The run coincides with the launch of the Bentley Brooklands, the luxurious four-seater coupé model that went on sale early this year. The 24-hour running period is also in keeping with the historic Brooklands race in which Bentley competed in the 1920s at the historic race circuit in Surrey.

The trainees will be running in memory of Will Boffey who completed a 12-month industrial placement in production finance at Bentley in 2004, but sadly died last year after a struggle with Leukaemia. All funds raised will go to the Leukaemia Research Fund at Manchester Royal Infirmary (Fund Reference 9163), a designated fund of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals Charity (registered charity number 1049274) where Will was treated. Will completed the Wilmslow half marathon while at Bentley and therefore the team deemed a running event fitting with a fundraising event in his memory.

If you would like to make a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/bentleytobrooklands

For further information please contact Andrew Jackaman at andrew.jackaman@bentley.co.uk or call 01270 656724

The running team are:

Andrew Jackaman - Purchase - Graduate Trainee

Amy Grace - Whole Vehicle Engineering - Graduate Trainee

Tim Morgan - Interior Trim Engineering - Design Engineer

Andrew Durrant - Closures Engineering - Graduate Trainee

Alex Frost - Electrical Engineering - Graduate Trainee

Dan Evanson - Bodyshop - Apprentice

Nick Rait - Sales and Marketing - Graduate Trainee

Andrew Conneely - Whole Vehicle Engineering - Graduate Trainee

Hannah Proffitt - Closures Engineering - Sponsored Degree Apprentice

Mark Byass - Styling - Graduate Trainee

The support team are:

Graeme McKenzie - Body in White - Graduate Trainee

Jon Smithies - Maintenance - Apprentice

Dan Cornwall - Aftersales - Apprentice

- Bentley

London’s Canary Wharf is the stage for the show debut of a stunning new British sportscar on June 9, as Breckland Technology removes the wraps from its exclusive two-seat V8 soft top, the Beira, at London Motorexpo.

Norfolk-based Breckland - part of Hong Kong-based multi-national, Riche Holdings - is vastly experienced in the development and production of high-quality, low volume specialist cars and prototypes for an array of prestigious international clients, including Mosler, and has now employed its substantial skills in the making of its own limited-production supercar.

The Beira is a hand-built, two-seat roadster with unique styling cues, based on proven GM architecture and powered by GM’s LS2, 6-litre V8 engine, tuned to produce just a whisper short of 400bhp.

Tipping the scales at some 1,400kg, the Beira’s impressive power-to-weight ratio ensures invigorating performance, with the promise of a sub-five second sprint to 100kph, coupled with tremendous torque and a governed top speed of 155mph.

“Beira carries on from where Marcos and TVR left off in terms of providing maximum performance for money spent, and real individuality”, says Breckland Director, Mike Rawlings.

“We wanted to showcase Breckland’s design and engineering capabilities and produce an exciting driver’s car, with excellent handling dynamics, terrific performance and great looks,” he added.

“We also looked seriously at environmental concerns and, as a result, Beira is designed to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas as well as petrol. This not only helps to reduce running costs and emissions, but also means Beira is capable of a range of some 700 miles between refuelling stops - that’s the equivalent of travelling non-stop from the north to the south coast of France.

Beira dynamics

Beira is based on the well-developed General Motors Kappa platform, on sale in the North American market.

Beira differs in many significant respects from the GM products however, the most radical departure being the installation of the potent, 6.0-litre, LS2 V8 engine, more commonly found in Corvette and Pontiac GTO models. It replaces the four-cylinder Ecotec engine and, by comparison, produces more than twice the power of the original unit.

“We didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel with Beira,” says Engineering Director, Mark Easton. “The Kappa platform offers a highly competent chassis, which has been subject to intensive crash and safety tests, and is readily available.

“Since all of the hard work has been done, it has enabled us to keep development costs low. Over the years, and through our own experience, we’ve seen many supercars come and go, due in part to their massive development costs, and we were adamant that we would not fall into the same trap. That’s why we developed the Beira where we needed to, not for the sake of it. It has also enabled us to bring the project to fruition in less than 12 months.”

The mighty, fuel-injected, aluminium V8 and Tremec six-speed manual gearbox are neatly packaged under the Beira’s swooping bonnet, with a bespoke wiring harness and ECU, the latter being reprogrammed to allow the V8 to deliver close to 400bhp, combined with a dual-fuel capability.

Other key considerations involved significant attention to chassis dynamics, to ensure the car corners, steers and brakes effectively with the significant increase in engine output.

To satisfy this requirement, the fully independent suspension was entirely re-engineered by Breckland in association with KW Suspension, with uprated springs, dampers and bushes, plus thicker anti-roll bars front and rear. The result is slightly less suspension compliance, but a more focused ride and handling.

Stopping power is provided by impressive, 325mm ventilated discs on all four corners, the fronts being grasped by six-pot callipers, with four-pot at the rear, both from UK specialists, HiSpec.

Steering is via power-assisted rack and pinion, whilst the dramatically styled 18″ cast alloy wheels are 8.5″ front and 9.5″ rears, shod with Bridgestone ultra-low profile tyres. Customer options include an upgrade to 19″ diameter rims and tyres.

Exterior packaging

In order to make the Beira eye-catchingly different, save weight and liberate additional luggage space behind the passenger compartment, Breckland’s design engineers have totally re-modelled both the front and rear body sections in-house, using lightweight composites instead of steel, the result being a highly distinctive nose section and pronounced fastback rear.

Despite the inclusion of an additional 70-litre LPG reservoir to go with the existing, 13-gallon petrol tank, the Beira features a significant increase in usable luggage space with the hood down, thanks to some clever packaging solutions.

GM steel doors are used to ensure excellent side-impact protection and good sealing properties, while crash protection front and rear is provided by transverse aluminium crush structures attached to the hydro-formed steel chassis. Both front and rear bulkheads are steel to provide rigidity to the windscreen and hood.

Bespoke interior

Beira features a custom-built interior, including electric windows, air conditioning, twin airbags - in the steering wheel and in the passenger dash - combined with clear, concise instrumentation, and hand-stitched leather/Alcantara seats and trim.

Breckland stresses that the Beira’s interior can be customised to specific buyer requirements in terms of materials and equipment - one significant benefit of the company’s inherent flexibility as a low-volume producer.

The stylish central instrument cluster incorporates a double DIN showcase of mobile entertainment from in-car specialists, Clarion. Its immense specification includes a 7″ TFT colour touch screen, DVD player, direct iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and an in-built 30Gb hard disk drive (HDD) navigation system with full European mapping. Beira buyers can also opt for the rear reversing camera, which relays the view behind onto the same in-dash display.

A GM manual cloth hood with heated rear screen is retained on the Beira and, when folded down, stows quickly and neatly out of sight under the deck lid for a smooth,

integrated appearance. This is further accentuated by the sculpted deck lid, incorporating individual fairings behind driver and passenger.

Affordability

The Breckland Beira is designed very much as a high-quality low-volume, affordable sportscar for enthusiasts, and follows the highly appealing tradition of installing an easily available, American-designed V8 engine in a small, nimble, two-seater chassis to produce an exhilarating, high-performance package. Although using a tried and trusted concept, however, Beira is very much a vehicle for the 21st century, and accomplishes this with both environmental and fuel efficiency concerns in mind.

“We have received tremendous interest, and orders, for Beira already,” says Mike Rawlings. “The car debuts in left-hand drive form, underlining its appeal to enthusiasts in Europe and well beyond, and will be available in the UK and internationally via our appointed agent network from November 2008.”

The Breckland Beira on-the-road price will be confirmed shortly but is expected to be in the region of £55,000 in the UK.

- Breckland Technology

Tata Motors today acquired the Jaguar Land Rover businesses from Ford Motor Company for a net consideration of US $2.3 billion, as announced on March 26, in an all-cash transaction. Ford has contributed about US $600 million to the Jaguar Land Rover pension plans.

Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, was present at the handing over ceremony at the head quarters of Jaguar Land Rover at Gaydon in the UK along with Mr. Don Leclair, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ford Motor Company, and Mr. Lewis Booth, Executive Vice President of Ford Motor Company, who has responsibility for Ford of Europe, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Tata said, “This is a momentous time for all of us at Tata Motors. Jaguar and Land Rover are two iconic British brands with worldwide growth prospects. We are looking forward to extending our full support to the Jaguar Land Rover team to realise their competitive potential. Jaguar Land Rover will retain their distinctive identities and continue to pursue their respective business plans as before. We recognise the significant improvement in the performance of the two brands and look forward to this trend continuing in the coming years. It is our intention to work closely to support the Jaguar Land Rover team in building the success and preeminence of the two brands.”

Tata Motors confirmed that Mr. David Smith, the acting Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, would be the new CEO of the business. Mr. Smith has 25 years of experience with Jaguar Land Rover and Ford. Before recently returning to Jaguar Land Rover as its Chief Financial Officer, he was Director Finance and Business Strategy for PAG and Ford of Europe.

Mr. Smith said, “We are very pleased with the association with Tata Motors. We look forward to a sustained bright future for the company and its stakeholders.”

Jaguar Land Rover has been acquired at a cost of US$ 2.3 billion on a cash free, debt-free basis. The purchase consideration includes the ownership by Jaguar and Land Rover or perpetual royalty-free licences of all necessary Intellectual Property Rights, manufacturing plants, two advanced design centres in the UK, and worldwide network of National Sales Companies.

Long term agreements have been entered into for supply of engines, stampings and other components to Jaguar Land Rover. Other areas of transition support from Ford include IT, accounting and access to test facilities. The two companies will continue to cooperate in areas such as design and development through sharing of platforms and joint development of hybrid technologies and powertrain engineering. The Ford Motor Credit Company will continue to provide financing for Jaguar Land Rover dealers and customers for a transition period. Tata Motors is in an advanced stage of negotiations with leading auto finance providers to support the Jaguar Land Rover business in the UK, Europe and the US, and is expected to select financial services partners shortly.

- Land Rover

Aston Martin has completed the traditional pre-Le Mans test day at the La Sarthe circuit, two weeks prior to the endurance classic.

The test is an opportunity for drivers and teams to re-familiarise themselves with the eight-mile circuit in order to finalise the set-up for the round the clock race. This year, Aston Martin Racing will be defending its GT1 class win with two Gulf-sponsored DBR9s, numbered 007 and 009. Also competing in the event is an Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype, entered by Charouz Racing System, as well as two customer DBR9s from Team Modena and Vitaphone Racing.

Conditions for the test day were a mixture of wet and dry weather, which limited running for most of the teams. Despite the changeable conditions, the teams were still able to carry out some useful preparation.

The 007 DBR9 was crewed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger, while 009 was driven by David Brabham and Antonio Garcia. The car’s remaining driver, Darren Turner – who won the GT1 class along with Brabham in 009 last year – was absent due to touring car commitments in the UK, but he has plenty of previous Le Mans experience to fall back on when it comes to the race.

The test day consisted of two sessions, from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm. During the lunch break, 20 Aston Martin road cars took to the La Sarthe circuit, as part of the 2009 model year V8 Vantage press launch.

Aston Martin DBR9 007:

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (D): “Although the conditions were extremely mixed, every bit of running at Le Mans is useful, as these are all conditions that could be replicated during the race. I last competed at Le Mans 16 years ago: it was interesting to be back! I don’t remember much of the circuit at all, so it was useful to get my bearings. It was hard to do any detailed set-up work, but the balance of the car feels generally good – which is a very positive sign for the race to come.”

Andrea Piccini (I): “It’s a pity that we didn’t get more consistent weather as it was quite hard to get a good feeling. During my laps, half the circuit was dry – up to the Mulsanne straight – and the other half was wet. I was running on medium slicks, so it was tricky for me to get enough heat into the tyres and generate the grip we needed for a quick time. I last drove for Aston Martin at Le Mans in 2006, so it took me a little bit of time to get familiar with the car again but now I feel comfortable.”

Karl Wendlinger (A): “This was a very useful session to refresh my memory of the Le Mans circuit, which I last competed on in 2001. There’s a lot that’s new since then, particularly the section around Tertre Rouge. I’ve got experience of the DBR9 from the FIA GT Championship already; it feels very strong under acceleration and braking here – which will definitely help us in the race. We don’t know what the weather will do during the race weekend, so I’m glad we experienced the wet and tried a few different things today.”

Aston Martin DBR9 009

David Brabham (AUS): “We weren’t expecting any real surprises from the test day, and luckily that turned out to be the case. I drove a lot of the race last year in the wet – including the very last stint – so it all felt quite familiar today! I think everyone’s test programme was compromised by the weather today, but my personal goal was just to get used to the car again after a year out of it and I succeeded in that objective. Although we waited a bit I was still one of the first drivers out, so the track was extremely green and slippery – but it was all useful running.”

Antonio Garcia (E): “I was quite lucky compared to some of the other guys, as I managed to get a few laps in dry conditions. I made the most of that opportunity to push quite hard, and from that I feel confident that we will be competitive. It’s difficult to draw too many detailed conclusions, but I think we’re well-prepared. I drove the DBR9 last year for a customer team, so it all feels quite normal; even the weather!”

The LMP1 car entered by Charouz Racing System and driven by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mucke (D) used the test day to get familiar with the conditions and work on the prototype’s wet-weather set-up.

Team Modena’s DBR9, car number 59, will be driven by Terry Borcheller (USA), Christian Fittipaldi (BR) and Jos Menten (NL). The Vitaphone Racing car, numbered 53, will be driven by Peter Hardman (GB), Nick Leventis (GB), and Xavier Negrao (BR).

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: “It was a very tricky day in terms of preparing for the race, with completely random weather. Still, it has been the same for everyone and at least all our drivers here got the chance to drive the car in a wide variety of conditions. Along with everyone else, we’ve got a lot of work still to do on Wednesday and Thursday of race week.”

The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours will start on Saturday June 14 at 3pm.

- Aston Martin

Stadco Ltd, the leading supplier of body-in-white services and facilities for the automotive industry, has announced it has secured a new contract with Coventry-based LTI Vehicles, Britain’s premier manufacturer of purpose-built Taxis.

The win firmly underlines the decision made by Stadco to invest in their unique paint shop facility in Coventry last year, which now enables the company to ecoat all components in black paint, thanks to a switch to the Powercron 6200 Generation 6 cationic epoxy electrocoat.

As part of the agreement, Stadco will apply black ecoat paint to the chassis frames of the latest generation iconic London Taxi with volumes expected to reach an indicative volume of 3,000 units for 2008. Stadco already ecoat seam seal and primer coat for the complete body for LTI.

Commenting on awarding the contract to Stadco, Peter Shillcock, Managing Director, LTI Vehicles said: “We required a facility capable of accommodating the large chassis of the new TX4 Taxi model, and Stadco is able to provide a comprehensive solution which meets our requirements coupled with a first class finish.”

Dinos Andreou, Commercial Operations Manager UK, Stadco Ltd, said: “This new contract is a welcome boost to the Coventry site which houses one of the largest paint shop facilities outside of a major OEM. With an 8m long, 80,000 litre cathodic electocoat paint tank which can process components and body shells over 6.1m in length, 2.5m in width, and 1.9m in height, Stadco has the capability to coat the large chassis used by LTI Vehicles.”

The ability to coat components in black paint, which has increasingly become the preferred choice for OEM customers and manufacturers, recently saw Stadco sign a long-term contract with Shropshire-based Ingimex, to apply paint to a variety of bodies supplied by the Shropshire-based light commercial vehicle specialist.

In addition to black being the most requested colour, the newly-introduced Powercron 6200 paint offers customers a host of other benefits too including broader film build capabilities, improved transfer efficiency and excellent chemical resistance. Importantly, Powercron 6200 has been formulated to meet the automotive industry’s increasing demand for improved corrosion resistance without the need to use heavy metals such as lead, thereby reducing any negative impact on the environment.

Dinos Andreou concluded: “Working with LTI Vehicles and our other customers justifies the investment made by Stadco in 2007 to be able to offer the latest paint coating technology. This complements our other core areas of expertise including pressings, sub-assemblies and product engineering. We look forward to the continuation of the long-term relationship we have enjoyed with LTI, an automaker synonymous with a rich heritage in the UK.”

- Stadco Ltd.

From Monday 9th to Sunday 15th June 2008 the Motorexpo will return to transform indoor and outdoor public spaces of the Canary Wharf estate, bringing a display of the latest vehicles from many of the world’s leading motor manufacturers.

This year’s Canary Wharf London event will be the 13th annual consecutive Motorexpo and will be followed by the first international Motorexpo event, which will run from 15th- 19th September 2008 within the heart of New York’s Lower Manhattan business district at the World Financial Center.

MOTOREXPO HISTORY

In June 1996 Graeme Carver, Motorexpo Managing Director, brought together six London car dealers to create an entirely new format of motoring event. Its focus was to engage the growing business population, those based at Canary Wharf and their business visitors, together with a display of the latest product available from many of the world’s leading motor manufacturers. It was a format that marked stark contrast from more traditional motor shows with a focus primarily on the selling of vehicles rather than the simple exhibition of them; offering its audience a free-to-visit structure and its exhibitors a low cost, yet high quality opportunity. Since the inaugural event in 1996 the total audience figure has risen by approximately 15% year on year and is consistent with the rapid development of the Canary Wharf estate over the past 12 years. A total of 354,486 visitors attended the 2007 Canary Wharf Motorexpo.

A DIFFERENT FORMAT OF MOTOR SHOW

While there are a number of differences between the Motorexpo and other more traditional motor shows, the primary of these is the environment within which the Motorexpo is unveiled. The vibrant and modern landscape of the Canary Wharf estate offers manufacturers an exceptional level of both design and production flexibility, which ensures that exhibiting cost stands at a comparatively low rate as opposed to the static exhibition hall setup of traditional motor shows.

With a wide range of locations to choose from, including the opulent marble lobby of One Canada Square (Britain’s tallest tower), the landscaped parks of Canada Square or Jubilee Park or the sculpture-laden hard standing areas such as Montgomery Square, the innovation of the Motorexpo as a motor show is clearly evident.

2008 CANARY WHARF LONDON MOTOREXPO – SHOW DEBUTS

The 2008 Canary Wharf London Motorexpo will be the platform for a total of 19 show debuts:

* Alfa Romeo Brera S

* Aston Martin DBS

* BMW X6

* BMW 125i Convertible

* Breckland Beira

* Cadillac STS

* Confederate B120 Wraith

* Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat

* Corvette 2008 Z06

* Jaguar XF

* Land Rover Defender SVX

* Mercedes CLS-Class

* Mercedes SL-Class

* Mini Clubman Cooper S

* Kahn Cosworth Range Rover Sport

* Piaggio GP 800

* Porsche Cayenne GTS

* Volvo XC60

* Volkswagen Touareg R50

The Motorexpo has a long standing tradition for being used by manufacturers as the ideal setting for their latest vehicle launches. The past two years have seen the Motorexpo utilised as the launch platform for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Porsche 911 Turbo amongst others. For 2008, and in addition to the confirmed debuting vehicles, rumours are rife of some big surprises to be unveiled at the show.

2008 MOTOREXPO BUSINESS PARTNERS

The 2008 Canary Wharf London Motorexpo is delighted to announce that for this year’s event our Business partners will be:

* American Airlines as Official Airline Partner

* The Daily Telegraph as Official Publishing Partner

* Radisson Edwardian New Providence Wharf as Official Hotel Partner

* Sunseeker Charters and Sunseeker London combined as Official Lifestyle Partner

THE FUTURE

Following the completion of the 2008 Canary Wharf London event, attention will turn to the first international Motorexpo set to be unveiled to the business population of New York, when the 2008 World Financial Center New York Motorexpo opens from Monday 15th September. Confirmed exhibitors include Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Morgan and Porsche. Full details will be made available closer to the event.

Graeme Carver, Motorexpo Managing Director, said; “2008 represents a significant year in the development of the Motorexpo and I am delighted at the progress we have made on both sides of the Atlantic. It is anticipated that our shows will receive a combined audience of over 700,000 visitors with most of these being the time-poor, cash-rich individuals based at our locations within two of the world’s leading business districts.”

- Motor Expo

With over five weeks to go until the 2008 Festival of Speed (11-13 July), Goodwood can already confirm that over 80 of the world’s greatest motor racing drivers and riders will be present at the world’s largest celebration of motoring culture, with more big names still expected to follow over the coming weeks.

Confirmed drivers at the Festival will include current Formula One stars Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Bourdais, as well as WRC works drivers Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson, Matthew Wilson and Mikko Hirvonen. Current two-wheeled heroes in action will include WSB Championship contenders Troy Corser, Yukio Kagayama and Carlos Checa, plus BSB title challengers Leon Haslam, Michael Rutter, Cal Crutchlow, Stuart Easton and Tom Sykes.

Famous names from motor racing’s past in attendance at Goodwood will include Sir Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Carl Fogarty, Juha Kankkunen, Mike Doohan, Bobby Unser and John Watson. A plethora of BTCC drivers will be on hand to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of this hugely popular race series, including Tom Chilton, Andy Rouse, Anthony Reid, John Cleland Win Percy, John Rhodes and Frank Gardner.

A full summary of the drivers and riders, along with the vehicles they will be running up the challenging 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb, is attached.

Who’s Driving/Riding What at the 2008 Festival of Speed

Here are just some of the star drivers and riders taking part in this year’s Festival of Speed:

Rauno Aaltonen, former World Rally driver will be driving a Mini Cooper S and Opel Manta 400 on the Forest Rally Stage.

Bobby Allison, Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, will drive a Buick Regal from his 1983 Championship winning season.

Chris Atkinson, WRC driver for Subaru, will take to the hill and the Forest Rally Stage in a Subaru Impreza WRC on the Sunday of the Festival.

Richard Attwood, popular Le Mans winner, will be present and is expected to drive a Porsche 908/3.

Alex Barros, former Grand Prix motorcycle rider, is expected to take to the hill on a 1989 Cagiva V589.

Derek Bell, five-time Le Mans winner, will once more be at the Festival all three days, driving a Mirage GR7 and a Ferrari 312 B3S.

Sebastian Buemi, current test driver for Red Bull Racing F1, will drive the Red Bull-Renault RB3.

Stig Blomqvist, former World Rally Champion, will drive an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 and Talbot Sunbeam Lotus on the Forest Rally Stage.

Sebastian Bourdais, four-time Champ Car Champion and current F1 driver for Toro

Rosso, is expected to drive his multiple Championship winning Lola B03-00 on the hill.

Russell Brookes, former British Champion and star of the British circuit, will drive his 1985 title-winning Opel Manta 400 all weekend on the Forest Rally Stage.

Ralph Bryans, former Honda works motorcycle star, will ride a 1962 Honda RC171 motorcycle.

Andy Burton, hero of British rallying, will be in action on the Forest Rally Stage over the weekend, in his unique Peugeot-Cosworth.

Jenson Button, star driver for Honda Racing F1 team, will drive the Honda RA108 over the course of the weekend.

Carlos Checa, former Grand Prix motorcycle rider and current WSB rider, will ride his for Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR on the hill.

Eddie Cheever, Indianapolis 500 winner both as a driver and a team owner, will be in attendance over the Festival weekend.

Tom Chilton, BTCC driver, will be driving his 2008 Honda Civic Type R.

John Cleland, former BTCC champion will be driving his championship winning 1995 Vauxhall Cavalier.

Troy Corser, two-time WSB champion, will be present at the Festival.

Cal Crutchlow, BSB Championship contender, will ride a 2008 HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR over the course of the weekend.

Darren Dixon, British TTF1 Championship winner and two-time World Sidecar Champion, is expected to ride a Suzuki RGV500.

Marcus Dodd, twice British Rally Champion, will drive a 2003 Hyundai Accent WRC, all weekend on the Forest Rally Stage.

Martin Donnelly, former F1 driver for Arrows and Lotus, will drive a 1968 Lotus 49B.

Mick Doohan, five-time World Motorcycle Grand Prix Champion, will be riding a classic Honda over the weekend.

Gwyndaf Evans, Welsh rallying wizard and former British Rally Champion, is expected to drive the Grp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, which he drives in the British Championship.

Carl Fogarty, four-times WSB Champion, is expected to ride Steve Hislop’s 2002 British Championship winning Monstermob Ducati 996R.

Jim France, Executive Vice President of NASCAR, America’s most popular motor racing series, will be present at the Festival.

Nanni Galli, former F1 driver for McLaren, Ferrari and Williams, will be driving a 1972 Tecno PA123.

Frank Gardner, three-time BTCC Champion and double Formula 5000 Champion, will be driving his 1968 BTCC Championship winning Ford Escort Twin Cam.

Stuart Graham, one of the few men to win TT’s on two and four wheels – will take to the hill on a 1967 Honda RC174.

Carl Haas, famous US Team owner, is expected to attend the Festival as part of Lola’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Lewis Hamilton, British F1 star and serious title contender, will attend on the Sunday of the event and drive his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23 F1 race car.

Leon Haslam, BSB Championship contender, will ride a 2008 HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR over the course of the weekend.

John Haugland, former works Skoda rally driver, will drive the ex-Colin McRae Skoda Fabia WRC as part of a tribute to McRae’s career.

Hurley Haywood, three-time Le Mans winner, will drive the 2003 Brumos-Porsche Grand-Am Daytona Prototype.

Bob Heath, will take to the hill on a 1961 Honda RC173 motorcycle.

Mikko Hirvonen, World Rally Championship driver and five-time rally winner, will drive his BP Ford Focus WRC on the hillclimb and Forest Rally Stage.

David Hobbs, versatile British driver, Formula 5000 and Trans-Am Champion will drive a 1972 Lola T332.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing F1, will be present over the course of the weekend.

Yukio Kagayama, WSB Championship contender, will be in action all weekend on his Pepephone Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8.

Juha Kankkunen, four-time World Rally Champion, will be driving a 1998 Toyota Corolla WRC on the hill.

Dougie Lampkin, twelve-time individual World Champion trials rider, will be performing a manner of tricks on his Beta Trials Bike over the course of the weekend.

Timo Makinen, one of the original flying Finns, is expected to be in attendance over the Festival weekend.

The Earl of March will drive a selection of historically significant machinery over the weekend.

Markko Martin, former World Rally Championship driver and five-time rally winner, will take to the hill and the Forest Rally Stage in a Subaru Impreza WRC on the Friday of the Festival.

Nick Mason, the Pink Floyd drummer and keen motor enthusiast, will drive the 1938 Auto Union Type D.

Jochen Mass, former Grand Prix star and Le Mans winner, will drive the 1908 Benz Grand Prix car and is also expected to drive a 1989 Sauber C9.

John McGuinness, multiple TT winner, will ride the HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR that he rode to victory in the 2007 Isle of Man TT.

Allan McNish, former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, is expected to drive his Audi R10 endurance race car.

Hannu Mikkola, 1983 World Rally Champion and designer of the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage, is expected to drive an Audi Quattro S1 and Ford Escort Mk1 throughout the weekend on the Forest Rally Stage.

Rod Millen, Kiwi hillclimbing legend and Pike’s Peak winner, will drive his 1994 Toyota Celica in which he won the world famous hillclimb.

Nicolas Minassian, Peugeot Endurance racing driver will be in attendance over the course of the weekend, fresh from competing at the Le Mans 24 hours.

Chas Mortimer, eight-time Isle of Mann TT winner, will ride an ex-Barry Sheene Yamaha OW53 YZR500.

Sir Stirling Moss, probably Britain’s greatest-ever never to win a World Formula 1 title, will be driving a 1958 Vanwall.

Alesandro Nannini, former F1 driver for Bennetton and Minardi, will be present at the Festival.

Jackie Oliver – Le Mans winner, F1 driver and former Arrows F1 team owner, will drive a Porsche 917K.

Win Percy, three-time BTCC Champion and Bathurst 1000 winner, will drive a 1958 Jaguar Mk1.

Brian Redman, F1 driver with a brilliant career in sports cars for Ferrari and Porsche, will drive a Porsche over the course of the weekend.

Jim Redman, multiple World Championship-winning motorcyclist, will take to the hill on a classic Honda racing bike.

Anthony Reid, stalwart of the British Touring Car Championship, will drive a BTCC

Nissan Primera and a Williams FW07 over the course of the weekend.

John Reynolds, three-time BSB Champion, will be riding his 2004 championship winning Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000.

John Rhodes, British Saloon and European Touring Car Champion, will drive a 1965 Mini Cooper S on the hill.

Tommy Robb, former works rider for Honda, will take to the hill on a classic Honda racing bike.

Andy Rouse, four-time BTCC Champion and most successful British Touring Car driver ever, is expected to drive a Triumph Dolomite Sprint on the hill.

Michael Rutter, BSB Championship contender, will ride his Northwest 200 Ducati 1098R at the Festival this year.

Terry Rymer, British Champion and the first British rider to win a World Superbike race, will be in action on the Loctite Yamaha OW01 at the Festival.

Tom Sneva, Indy 500 winner and two-time Indycar Champion is expected to drive his 1983 Indy 500 winning March 83C.

Petter Solberg, former World Rally Champion, will take to the hill and the Forest

Rally Stage in a Subaru Impreza WRC on the Saturday of the Festival.

Steve Soper, BTCC Championship stalwart, will drive a 2007 WTCC BMW 320i throughout the weekend.

Sir Jackie Stewart, Britain’s most accomplished F1 Champion, having lifted the crown three times, is expected to drive a Matra MS80 and a Tyrrell 001 over the course of the weekend.

Tom Sykes, BSB Championship contender, will ride his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000K8 over the course of the weekend.

Luigi Taveri, former works rider and TT winner will take to the hill on a 1961 Honda RC162 motorcycle.

Paul Tracy, 2003 Champ Car Champion, will drive his 1997 race-winning Penske PC26 Champ Car.

Oliver Turvey, current British Formula Three Championship contender will be in action over the Festival weekend.

Bobby Unser, three-time Indy 500 winner and 13-time Pikes Peak Hillclimb Champion, is expected to drive an Audi Sport Quattro S1 ‘Pikes Peak’ over the Festival weekend.

Bjorn Waldegård, rallying superstar and the first-ever winner of the Drivers’ World Championship, will take to the hill and the Forest Rally Stage in a Ford Escort Mk2 as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Ford Escort.

John Watson, five-time F1 Grand Prix winner, will drive a 1987 Porsche 962 on the hill.

Jamie Whitham, former British Superbike Champion and current Superbike commentator for Eurosport, is expected to ride a 1998 Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha YZF750 over the course of the weekend.

John Whitmore, former British and European Touring Car Champion, is expected to drive a Ford-Lotus Cortina Mk1 at the Festival.

Malcolm Wilson – Britain’s leading rally driver during the explosive Group B period in the 1980s and principal of the Ford M-Sport works rally team – will be present over the weekend.

Matthew Wilson – WRC driver and son of Group B star Malcolm – will drive the Stobart Ford Focus WRC up the hill and on the Forest Rally Stage.

Stan Woods, 10-time TT winner, will ride the late Alan Robinson’s Manx Norton 500 at the Festival.

Alex Wurz, current test driver for Honda F1 Racing, will be present at the Festival on Saturday, driving the Honda RA108.

- Goodwood