Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.
Showing posts with label Chris Evans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Evans. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 August 2015

Honda to provide a massive stand and display at the second BBC Children in Need Car Fest (South)

Honda (UK) is revved-up to steal the show at Chris Evans’ CarFest South which will take place at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire (28-30 August).

CarFest is the brainchild of popular Radio 2 presenter and new Top Gear host Evans, raising vital funds for BBC Children In Need via a family-orientated, high-octane blend of fast and exotic cars, celebrity cameos and live music from some of the hottest acts around.


Having played a leading role at last year’s events as well as at this year’s CarFest North, which took place at Oulton Park earlier this month, Honda (UK) will return to Laverstoke Park – the home of ex-Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter – with an array of crowd-pleasing activities and displays.

A full Honda stand will showcase the newest car range in the industry, including the Civic Type R, Civic Sport, Civic Tourer, HR-V, CR-V, Jazz and – straight from the brand’s award-winning Goodwood Festival of Speed stand – the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 in a box, the model driven by F1 World Champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Honda's two-wheeled offering has something for everyone, from the newly-launched, learner-legal CB125F, through the legendary VFR800F right up to the race-inspired CBR1000RR Fireblade.  

The new Forza 125 scooter, with its GT look and exceptional fuel economy will appeal to those wanting a striking but efficient means of transport.  

Visitors can also learn about Honda's innovative dual clutch transmission which, on bikes such as Honda's NC750X, combines the road presence and agility of a motorbike with the twist-and-go practicality of a scooter.

The ‘King of the Hell’ Xbox roadshow is also roaring into town, offering festival-goers the chance to win a brand new Civic Type R for a year provided they set the fastest time around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife in a state-of-the-art simulator.

Nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’ by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart, the 12.9-mile Nordschleife is regarded as the most challenging and daunting circuit in the world, with each lap comprising no fewer than 154 corners, large bumps, cambers and surface changes.

The British-built Civic Type R – Honda’s ‘Race Car for the Road’ and the most extreme and high-performing model ever to wear the acclaimed ‘Red H’ badge – set a new front-wheel-drive lap record there last year, and in celebration of its arrival in UK dealerships, fans are invited to test their mettle by getting as close as possible to that impressive benchmark.

Honda Yuasa Racing Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal – currently sitting third and sixth in the title standings, with Honda atop the manufacturers’ table – will perform high-speed demonstration runs behind the wheel of the road-going Civic Type R.

Honda’s latest Robot mower – Miimo – will be a working display in the Honda activity centre and will inspire a unique children’s drawing activity, whilst many of last summer’s favourites will make a welcome return, such as My First License, a mini-motorbike taster session that introduces 5-to-11-year-old non-riders to the exciting world of motorcycling.  

Carried out in a safe, controlled and fully supervised environment on restricted 50cc Honda CRF50 bikes, complete with helmets and kneepads, My First Licence culminates in the presentation of a special licence for the kids.

The ATV Experience on Honda’s TRX420 continues the fun yet educational theme, teaching older teens the inside line on throttle control, slaloming, overcoming obstacles and balance.

Meanwhile, the ride-on lawnmowers for 16-year-olds and above is sure to generate hilarious head-to-head racing around a timed garden course, where lane control and garbage-grabbing are orders of the day.

Last but by no means least the innovative and interactive ‘Power of Lean’ demonstration will simulate Superbike-style knee-down riding, replicating the feeling of being at full power whilst almost horizontal to the ground!

Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: “CarFest South is fantastic fun for all the family and jam-packed with exciting and interactive things to do for people of all ages.  

The music line up looks fantastic – as does the food offering, much of which is sourced from Laverstoke Park itself.   We aren’t quite sure of the weather yet, so will have both wellies and flipflops on standby!”

Monday, 24 August 2015

More than 100 cars are lined up for auction at this years second CarFest show in aid of Children In Need.

More than 100 amazing cars will be going under the hammer in Classic Car Auctions’ (CCA) two-day sale at CarFest South, taking place at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire, on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August.

From celebrity owned cars, iconic British classics, Italian supercars as well as classic campervans and pickup trucks, there really is something to tempt everyone. Visitors to the show could even pick up a classic car bargain, as 25 of the cars available are offered with no reserve.


Topping the bill at the sale is a beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Manual Roadster, estimated at between £65,000 and £75,000. An original right-hand drive example, presented in British racing green with contrasting cream leather, the matching numbers car has been owned by the current vendor for some 10 years.

For those who hanker after something simpler then the ‘brand new’ 1983 Austin Metro Vanden Plas 500 could be just right. The car, offered without reserve, has covered just 741 miles and had just one registered owner since new, for many years forming part of the famous and historic Patrick Collection housed in Birmingham.

With the last Land Rover Defender rolling off the production line this year, CCA are offering a chance the chance to own the ‘ulitmate’ 110 County Station Wagon Defender. 

This unique and bespoke example, estimated at between £19,500 and £21,000, is one of the earliest built with rare features. Just a handful to this specification are believed to have left the Lode Lane factory and it is possible that this 110 was a pre-production or even a press car.

Offering the potential for a great investment is a 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider, estimated at between £45,000 and £55,000. Finished in striking Giallo Fly Yellow, the left-hand drive car was supplied new to Ferrari Lausanne in Switzerland, where it has spent most of its life. 

A far more controversial supercar is also going under the hammer in the form of a 1981 Delorean DMC12, estimated at between £29,000 and £31,000. Having been in the UK for the last few years it has recently benefitted from £15,000 of work lavished on it.

Celebrity owned cars include a 2000 Volkswagen Golf GTi once owned by Sir Elton John, a 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL formerly owned by CarFest organiser and new Top Gear presenter Chris Evans, and legendary Blues musician Seasick Steve’s old VW Campervan.

From the small screen comes a 1965 Morris Mini Moke that starred in cult TV series The Prisoner. One of four vehicles in the show, ‘HLT 709C’ is estimated at between £11,500 and £13,500. It was discovered in storage in a barn in Holland, where it had been for many years and is now back home in the UK.

Speaking ahead of the sale, Guy Lees-Milne, general manager, Classic Car Auctions, said: “It’s an honour to be asked by Chris Evans and the CarFest team to host a classic car auction at this fantastic event and we hope that our sale will help in raising important funds for such a worthy cause. 

There’s a great variety of cars on offer and I’m sure there’s something to tempt any petrol head out there.”

As well as all the great cars available there will also be a selection of special charity lots on offer with 100% of the proceeds going to Children in Need, most notably the amazing Martin Brundle and Sky Sports F1® designed Scalextric set.

Lots 601-654 will be offered on Saturday 29th August and lots 701-752 offered on Sunday 30th August.  

In order to view or purchase a car in person at the festival buyers will need a CarFest South ticket, with a limited number available by contacting CCA. For those not attending CarFest, bidding can be made by phone, online or by leaving a commission bid with CCA before the sale.

Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Classic Car Auctions to auction off the 2015 F1 Scalextric track designed by Martin Brundle.

Classic Car Auctions (CCA) is delighted to announce it will be auctioning Hornby Hobbies’ Ultimate 2015 Scalextric track at CarFest South on Sunday 30th August.
Designed by Sky Sports F1® expert Martin Brundle, the biggest layout the slot car track experts have ever created will take centre stage on Hornby’s stand at the festival.

Scalextric’s magnificent track is made up of 177 pieces and is 45 metres long.  It features the best corners, chicanes, and sections from the 2015 F1® calendar that fans can watch live on Sky Sports F1® throughout the season, including:
  • Italy and the Ascari Chicane
  • Monaco and the Casino Square
  • Canada and the Wall of Champions
  • Silverstone and the Copse
  • Abu Dhabi and the Marina Complex
Martin Brundle, Sky Sports F1® expert and former racing driver, commented: “The team challenged me to design my dream circuit using sections from the 19 F1® races in 2015, all of which will be live on Sky Sports F1®. I immediately wanted a figure of ‘8’ like our beloved Suzuka, and could only dream of driving a series of corners such as scaling the mountain up to turn one in Austin before falling through the ‘Senna S’ of Brazil and towards Silverstone’s fearsome Copse corner. And that’s just a small section. Now amazingly, we’ve built a model and so I will revert to my childhood for many laps. It’s going to get competitive.”
Hornby Hobbies Marketing Controller Jim Proctor-Blain said, “We are delighted to be supporting CarFest again this year and are excited so many people will be able to enjoy the Ultimate 2015 track.”
“Martin’s design has mass appeal so we hope to raise much needed funds for Children in Need.”
Kindly donated by Hornby and Sky, the Ultimate 2015 track will feature as part of CCA’s auction and is offered with no reserve, with 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the track going to Children in Need.
Guy Lees-Milne, general manager, Classic Car Auctions said, “We’d like to thank Hornby once again for allowing us to auction this amazing circuit in our sale at CarFest. We’re sure there will be plenty of interest and hope to generate a fantastic sum for charity.”
To see and race on the track visit Hornby on stand W25 at CarFest South from 12pm to 7pm on Friday 28thAugust and 10am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday the 29th and 30th August.
For more information on the track and the sale please visit www.classiccarauctions.co.uk.

Friday, 31 July 2015

Peugeot promises fun for all at Both CarFest events this year, and i am sure they will be amazing.

  • PEUGEOT supports CarFest South and North to raise money for BBC Children in Need
  • New CarFest Dynamic Duo Family Challenge backed by PEUGEOT
  • 108 TOP! to be the fastest, funkiest DJ booth in the world
PEUGEOT is promising fun for all the family with a feast of fantastic features at this summer’s CarFest events. CarFest North is at Oulton Park, Cheshire from July 31 to August 2; CarFest South, follows from August 28-30 at Laverstoke Park Farm, near Andover in Hampshire. 

At both events PEUGEOT is a major supporter by helping to provide entertainment for all the family and raise money for the BBC Children in Need charity.


New this year to the PEUGEOT-sponsored Big Top is the CarFest Dynamic Duo Family Challenge. 

This fun family spectacle invites CarFest visitors to enter teams of two. 200 competitors then go through an elimination process starting with general knowledge questions on cars, music and food. The Family Challenge climaxes with a race against the clock to pack a PEUGEOT 208 with a host of novelty items.

For visitors young and old with energy to burn, PEUGEOT has a very special 108 TOP!. This has a DJ booth built into it and will be the centrepiece for a toddler disco every day. 

And if you can’t do enough dancing, there will be two DJs battling it out in a silent disco while a not-so-silent disco will blast out sounds guaranteed to get all ages moving.

That isn’t the only family fun from the French maker. Visitors to the PEUGEOT stand have the chance to channel their inner Superhero, in the spirit of PEUGEOT’s BBC Children in Need money-raising challenges.

Inside the PEUGEOT marquee section there’s a reaction light chaser and a range of superhero fancy dress equipment, anyone wanting to take part, dresses up as their favourite Superhero then competes to see who has the fastest reactions. A leader board will display the highest scores over the three days.

Visitors to the PEUGEOT marquee will also be able to relax in a special seating area and follow PEUGEOT’s own BBC Children in Need exploits via a giant screen.  PEUGEOT and its Dealer network have already raised more than £1million for the charity.

The PEUGEOT stand will also feature plenty of style with a comprehensive range of the latest vehicles for CarFest visitors to get up close and personal with. Included are the recently launched PEUGEOT 2008 Urban Cross, the 208 GTi by PEUGEOT Sport, 108 TOP! 108 Roland Garros and 308 SW GT.

CarFest is the brainchild of petrolhead, music lover and family man Chris Evans, the Radio 2 DJ and new BBC Top Gear presenter. 

As well as a host of mouth-watering Formula One cars, rally cars, touring cars and supercars, there will be plenty of tyre-smoking on-track action as well as top music acts including Take That (August 30), Primal Scream (July 31) and Paloma Faith (August 29). 

All the proceeds from both CarFest events go to BBC Children in Need.

Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Car Fest announces the bands and activities that will take place at this years twin events.

  • Cars, music and much more at CarFest North and CarFest South
  • Family fun for kids of all ages
  • Top music line-up with Will Young, Seasick Steve, Texas, Primal Scream, Paloma Faith, Joss Stone and Take That
  • Other attractions include the Megaland, Goalfest, the CarFest beach, stunts and air displays
  • Just a few tickets left for Friday, 31 July at CarFest North
  • CarFest South: all three days sold out
  • CarFest North: Saturday and Sunday sold out
  • Inspired and hosted by BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Chris Evans, CarFest has raised £3.5m for BBC Children in Need to date 
Inspired by music loving petrolhead Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans himself, it should come as little surprise that his CarFest weekends are crammed with top line bands and plenty of on-track, tyre smoking, motoring action.
But the BBC Radio 2 broadcaster is also a family man… and he has ensured that the focus of both CarFest North (Oulton Park, Cheshire, 31 July-2 August) and CarFest South (Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, 28-30 August) is fun for all the family. Indeed both venues will be bursting at the seams with awesome activities and eye-catching entertainment to amuse and inspire all ages.

For example, children can get behind the wheel at the Gocompare.com Kids’ Driving School, where they can drive go-karts, jeeps and kiddie quads. Footie, rugby, hockey and netball fans can hone their goal scoring skills in Goalfest supported by Mark Harrod ltd. or learn a host of new skills at Summer Camp… everything from magic tricks to basket weaving, and more.
Mum, Dad and the kids can head to the beach, with support from Wicks, tonnes of sand has been brought to both venues to create the perfect chill out area with deck chairs and extreme sandcastle building competitions. Don’t forget your sun cream.
Festival goers can turn back the clock at the Car Clubs & Vintage Village area and marvel at the daredevil antics of Stunt School; enjoy local talent performing acoustically on the Wigwam stage; and let the whole family take part in the Great Festival Dash supported by Garmin.  If their feet aren’t too sore after that, they can learn how to walk on hot coals under the watchful eye of experts from UK Firewalk.
There’s a Big Top, Showground, air displays and even a taste-off with Tom Kerridge and Paul Hollywood who want to know whether those at CarFest North prefer sausage rolls or Scotch eggs.
And, of course, there are the cars and the music. Among the top bands performing at both events are the Boomtown Rats, Seasick Steve, Scouting for Girls, Level 42, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Texas, Midge Ure and The Feeling.
Headlining at CarFest North will be Primal Scream (Friday 31 July), Joss Stone plus Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott of Beautiful South fame (Saturday, 1 August) and Will Young (Sunday, 2 August) while topping the bill at CarFest South will be Jools Holland (Friday, 28 August), Paloma Faith (Saturday, 29 August) and Take That (Sunday 30 August).
And the mouth-watering selection of cars due to perform on track include Formula 1 cars, touring cars, rally cars, super cars, landmark classics, dragsters and custom cars. At Oulton Park, strong man Simon Plant will attempt to pull no fewer than 14 Ford Fiestas around part of the track, while among the star cars will be the ‘Dirty Dozen’ – Ferraris, Astons, Mercs and Jags from Chris Evans’ own collection.
CarFest also offers the finest festival food to ensure that all fans, whether they are coming for just a day or staying for the whole weekend and camping on site, will feast on more than just cars.
Best of all, these epic family festivals are in a good cause. With a minimum of 25 per cent of all ticket revenues going directly to the charity, CarFest – now in its fourth year – has already donated more than £3.5 million to BBC Children in Need – a figure which will grow significantly when this year’s donations are included.
There are still a few day tickets left for Friday (31 July) at CarFest North, at £60 for an adult and £11 for those aged 6-16. But hurry because they are going fast.

Honda to pull out all the stops to support the CarFest 2015 events in Cheshire and Hampshire.

  • Cars, stars and interactive treats galore from Honda at CarFest
  • Racing fans challenged to prove they can be ‘King of the Hell’
  • Activities for all ages, from five-year-olds to the young-at-heart
Honda (UK) is pulling out all the stops at Chris Evans’ two charity-focused CarFest events this summer, bringing along stars and cars, two-wheeled thrills and a range of crowd-pleasing entertainment and displays.

CarFest is the brainchild of popular Radio 2 presenter and new Top Gear host Evans, raising vital funds for BBC Children In Need via a family-oriented, high-octane blend of fast and exotic cars, celebrity cameos and live music from some of the hottest acts around.
Honda played a leading role last year and will return in 2015 to both CarFest North at Oulton Park in Cheshire (31 July – 2 August) and CarFest South at ex-Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter’s Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire (28-30 August).
A full Honda stand will showcase the company’s refreshed and exciting product range, including the Civic Type R, Civic Sport, Civic Tourer, HR-V, CR-V, Jazz and – straight from the brand’s award-winning Goodwood Festival of Speed stand – the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 in a box, as driven by F1 World Champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
Highlighting Honda’s expertise on two wheels as well as four, ten motorcycles will be on display, whilst the ‘King of the Hell’ Xbox roadshow roars into town, offering festival-goers the chance to win a brand new Civic Type R for a year by setting the fastest time around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife in a state-of-the-art simulator.
Nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’ by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart, the 12.9-mile Nordschleife is regarded as the most challenging and daunting circuit in the world, with each lap comprising no fewer than 154 corners, large bumps, cambers and surface changes.
The British-built Civic Type R – Honda’s ‘Race Car for the Road’ and the most extreme and high-performing model ever to wear the acclaimed ‘Red H’ badge – set a new front-wheel-drive lap record there last year, and in celebration of its arrival in UK dealerships, fans are invited to test their mettle by getting as close as possible to that impressive benchmark.
Honda Yuasa Racing Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal – currently sitting first and third in the title standings, with Honda comfortably atop the manufacturers’ table – will perform high-speed demonstration runs behind the wheel of both the BTCC race car and road-going Civic Type R at CarFest North, before returning to the track in the Civic Type R at CarFest South.
Honda’s latest Robot mower – Miimo – will be a working display in the Honda activity centre and will inspire a unique children’s drawing activity, whilst many of last summer’s favourites make a welcome return.
My First Licence is a mini-motorbike taster session that introduces 5-to-11-year-old non-riders to the exciting world of motorcycling on restricted 50cc Honda CRF50 bikes in a safe, controlled and fully supervised environment, complete with helmets and kneepads and culminating in the presentation of their own special licence.
The ATV Experience on Honda’s TRX420 continues the fun yet educational theme, teaching older teens the inside line on throttle control, slaloming, overcoming obstacles and balance. The ride-on lawnmowers for 16-year-olds and above, meanwhile, generated hilarious head-to-head racing last year around a timed garden course, where lane control and garbage-grabbing were the orders of the day.
Last but by no means least, the innovative and interactive ‘Power of Lean’ experience will allow those brave enough to simulate Superbike-style knee-down riding, replicating the feeling of being at full power whilst almost horizontal to the ground!
Although most tickets have now sold out, there is still availability for Friday attendance at CarFest North.

Friday, 1 May 2015

The last batch of tickets are available for this years BBC Children In Need Car Fest events.

  • Remaining tickets on sale from 8am tomorrow morning
  • Choice between weekend, camping, single day and VIP entry
  • Boomtown Rats on Friday’s live music bill at both venues
  • To date CarFest – inspired and hosted by DJ Chris Evans – has raised £3.5m for BBC Children in Need
The final tickets for CarFest – summer’s fast and furious fun-fuelled family festivals – have just gone on sale. Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 DJ and the inspiration behind the two motoring and music-themed extravaganzas, has released the last batch at 8am yesterday (Thursday 30 April) morning during his award-winning Breakfast Show.


Evans again will be the perfect party host for both events – CarFest North (Oulton Park, Cheshire, 31 July-2 August) and CarFest South (Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, 28-30 August) – with the promise of more magical music and motors… with lashings of mouth-watering festival food and eye-catching family fun thrown in for good measure.

Indeed, now entering its fourth season, the two spectacular shows are packed with even more features aimed at inspiring and amazing those of all ages. New additions include: goalfest, stunt school, the beach complete with deck chairs, a vintage village, mega land plus a lot more surprises still to be announced. 

The car content has been revved up, too. Track stars this year will include everything from Batmobiles and beach buggies to historic F1 racers and the very latest supercars. 

But to join the party, festival-goers will need to move quickly by logging onto the official www.CarFest.org website tomorrow morning. When the first tranche of tickets went on sale in November they sold out almost instantly. Demand for this final batch is likely to be even stronger.

Fans are also encouraged to consider individual day tickets – priced from £60 for adults – should they miss out on the limited number of remaining £142 weekend camping tickets.

As ever, CarFest will be raising money for BBC Children in Need with a minimum of 25 per cent of all ticket revenues going directly to the charity: now in its fourth year, CarFest has already donated more than £3.5 million to Children in Need.

Full details of both 2015 CarFests – including the bands performing which this year include The Boomtown Rats, Seasick Steve, Texas and Paloma Faith – can be found on the official website at www.carfest.org

CarFest is the brainchild of radio DJ and TV personality Chris Evans. Featuring a medley of fast cars, great food, live music and a rich mix of family entertainment, the inaugural weekend event was staged at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire in August 2012 with a second show at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire in September 2012. Together, they raised almost £1 million for BBC Children in Need.

In 2013, CarFest North switched to Oulton Park in Cheshire while CarFest South returned to Laverstoke Park Farm, raising £1.1m for the charity – a figure that increased to £1.5m in 2014. A minimum of 25 per cent of the price of each ticket benefits BBC Children in Need with all further profits from the running of CarFest also donated to the charity.

BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Need is a charity registered in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557) whose aim is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. 

BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential. 

BBC Children in Need are currently supporting over 2,600 projects that are working with children facing a range of disadvantages for example, poverty and deprivation; children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect or disabled young people.