Rolls Royce opens its books for this years apprenticeships, with 20 places available in 2017.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced that a record number of places are available for the company’s 2017 Apprenticeship Programme. Since the programme was launched in 2006, numbers have progressively increased, with 2017 offering a record 20 candidates the opportunity to join the team at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex.

The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Apprenticeship Programme provides 16-24 year olds with the opportunity to learn and develop skills at the Home of the world’s leading luxury manufacturer. 

The apprenticeships last for up to four years and allow successful candidates to build a career by completing college courses that are nationally recognised, alongside on-the-job training at Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars. The programme has been designed in conjunction with several local colleges.

Those applicants who stand out during the selection process will join in August 2017, working alongside specialised craftspeople in leather, wood, paint, engineering and assembly roles. 

Since the launch of the Apprenticeship Programme in September 2006, over 100 people have joined the programme. Following a successful apprenticeship period, there is an opportunity to develop within the company, with many Apprentices now taking up leadership roles.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “I am delighted to announce the start of recruitment for this year’s Apprenticeship Programme. We are committed to developing future talent at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and I am especially pleased that we will welcome a record number of new Apprentices to the business in 2017. The development of artisanal craft skills at our centre of excellence here in West Sussex, has been a hallmark of the first successful chapter in the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. I look forward to welcoming the next generation of talented craftspeople to the Home of Rolls-Royce in the Summer.”

In addition to the Apprenticeship Programme, around 100 university students were employed with the company in 2016 on industrial placements, ranging in duration from six to 12 months. Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars is currently recruiting for positions in 2017. The company also runs a successful Graduate Programme, with new positions made available each year.

Potential candidates for all Rolls-Royce Motor Cars positions should apply online at:

www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/careers

The closing date for Apprentice applications is 13 March 2017.

The Jaguar F-Pace Sports Utility Vehicle takes the Supreme award in the 2016 Woman's Car Of The Year Awards.

• The Jaguar F-PACE is crowned ‘Supreme Winner’ at the 2016 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards
• Jaguar’s fastest selling car is also awarded Women’s World SUV/Crossover of the Year title
• Women’s World Car of the Year is the only car award voted for entirely by women

The Jaguar F-PACE has been named ‘Supreme Winner’ at the 2016 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards. As well as collecting the top accolade, the car was also named as Women’s World SUV/Crossover of the Year.

These awards are the latest in a line of major industry honours for the F-PACE since its launch in April, including being named Auto Express ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium SUV’ by Telegraph Cars. 

Fiona Pargeter, Head of Global PR Communications for Jaguar Land Rover, said: "The awards of Supreme Winner and Best SUV/Crossover in the 2016 Women’s Car of the Year Awards is a great achievement and a true highlight in the continuing F-PACE success story.

“The combination of beautiful design, everyday usability and unrivalled driving experience set the F-PACE apart from the competition and is attracting new customers to the Jaguar brand worldwide.”

The Jaguar F-PACE is an SUV designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement all Jaguars are renowned for, together with unrivalled dynamics and everyday usability. It seats five adults in absolute comfort with generous headroom and knee room, while offering a 650-litre luggage compartment.

Anna Gallagher, Senior Launch Manager for Jaguar, said: “We are very proud of this award as female buyers were at the heart of the F-PACE design from day one. Through customer clinics and data we ensured that we created a distinctive vehicle that would appeal to all lifestyles. Our teams worked hard on the features that appeal to both male and female customers, to deliver the best mix of performance, design and practicality.”  

Women’s World Car of the Year judges submit their personal shortlists and this year 294 cars were nominated by 17 judges from 14 countries. A master list was compiled and judges picked six category winners from the 32 cars that made the grade. They voted once more to make the Jaguar F-PACE the Supreme Winner from the six category winners.

The Jaguar F-PACE, priced from £ £35,020, is available to order now at Jaguar UK retailers

The Honda Jazz and Honda Civic are both winners in the 2016 Woman's Car Of The Year Awards Ceremony.

Honda has scooped two awards at the 2016 Women’s World Car of the Year. The company was the only brand to win twice, with the Honda Jazz and Civic both scooping prizes in their respective segments.

Women’s World Car of the Year is the only car award voted for entirely by women. This year, 17 judges from 14 countries nominated almost 300 cars for recognition. Each of the judges is a professional motoring writer and is considered an expert in the field.

The award was created to reflect the different buying criteria many women have when purchasing a car. Jury members submit their own short list; from this a list of the top five cars in each category are decided.

Judges then vote by awarding points under five criteria - engineering, appearance, comfort, storage and value for money.

Sandy Myhre, Managing Director of Women’s World Car of the Year, congratulated Honda: “From the early lists the judges send in there were some strong contenders in one or two categories but mostly only a few percentage points separate the top three cars in each segment,” she said. “Honda must be congratulated for winning two prizes.”

Honda UK, managing director Philip Crossman said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win not one, but two, awards from the Women’s World Car of the Year judges. The Jazz and Civic have been thoughtfully designed to fit seamlessly into everyday life.

“To know our cars are so highly regarded by women in these categories is a real honour.”

Rolls Royce is moving ahead with testing on the Phantom VIII, ready for it's debut and sale in 2018.

• Development programme for eighth generation Phantom makes excellent progress at the home of Rolls Royce as strong demand for the outgoing Phantom continues.

The development programme for the eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, considered to be the ‘Best Car in the World’, has taken another significant step forward. New images of the all-new aluminium architecture being engineered at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood show how well the project is advancing and how the new Phantom is taking shape. 

This all-new hi-tech aluminium architecture will underpin the new Phantom, which arrives in 2018, as well as all other future Rolls-Royces.

In the meantime demand for all four models of the current Phantom VII has remained strong since the announcement in February of this year that it will be replaced. Patrons and connoisseurs of true luxury, unwilling to compromise their expectations of an authentic super-luxury motor car, have snapped up all 50 of the final Phantom Coupé and Drophead Coupé Zenith Collection cars.

In addition they and their trusted Rolls-Royce dealers around the world are requesting further Bespoke Collections and one-off examples of the pinnacle Phantom limousine before the line closes on 31 December 2016. In recognition of this demand, Rolls-Royce is developing highly-individual cars which will be offered in order to satisfy demand well into 2017.

“To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of Phantom’s death are greatly exaggerated,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The huge level of demand for Phantom VII, which we will fulfil well into 2017, clearly demonstrates that the Rolls-Royce customer and patron of true luxury will accept no compromise when considering the purchase of a super-luxury motor car, and will not be seduced by mass-luxury brands. I am proud and excited to confirm that a new Phantom is on the way – and it will be a contemporary and beautiful Phantom befitting of its role as the flagship of global luxury."

Volkswagen has opened up it's 2016 Apprenticeship scheme, so if you're interested, apply now.

• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches 2016 apprenticeship applications 
• Comprehensive programme offers mix of class-based and on-the-job training
• Open to 16 to 24 year olds; choice of disciplines to appeal to a variety of applicants
• Apply online via www.volkswagencv-apprenticeships.co.uk website

As the summer school term and exam season approaches, many young people’s thoughts will start to turn to what career route they will take in September.  

For those looking for a career in retail or engineering, a great starting point could be an apprenticeship, and – to that end – Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has now launched its annual search for the next crop of talented young individuals to join the Volkswagen Advanced Apprenticeship Programme.

Designed to train the next generation of Parts and Service Advisors and Technicians, the scheme offers the chance of a two or three-year apprenticeship (two for Parts and Service Advisors and three for Technicians) at one of Volkswagen’s dedicated Van Centres or Authorised Repairers. Open to candidates aged between 16 and 24 years old, the comprehensive apprenticeship programme provides the selected trainees with an exciting and challenging opportunity.

On-the-job training equips the apprentices with the knowledge and experience to achieve a series of formal qualifications while in full-time employment. On completing the course, apprentices will gain VCQ/VRQ Level 3, an IMI Technical Certificate, an Advanced Apprentice-ship Completion Certificate and Key and Core Skills Certificates relevant to their specialist area.

Class-based training takes place at the Volkswagen Group’s state-of-the-art dedicated National Training Centre in Milton Keynes. Training is delivered in one-week blocks throughout the programme and equips the trainees with the knowledge and skills to keep pace with the latest technological advances as well as providing the very best levels of customer service.

Employing 883 apprentices across the Volkswagen Group and its associated brands, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles currently employs 90 of these within its 96 Van Centres and Authorised Repairers across the UK. The next crop of apprentices will be recruited during the next few months, with applicants able to apply online via the Volkswagen apprentice website. 

Erica Belsom, People Development Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented: “Our apprentice programme continues to be hugely popular with all of our Van Centres taking part in the scheme. Applications are now open and the website is live for applicants to complete the simple online form.

“The scheme offers a great opportunity for those wanting to learn a trade whilst getting paid, learning not only technical skills but also the importance of customer focus, team work and problem solving. Throughout their time on the programme, our apprentices work alongside experienced personnel, learning valuable knowledge and skills to help them in developing their future careers.”

Aston Martin, Red Bull and Adrian Newey to collaborate on a Red Bull branded Hypercar.

• Aston Martin and Adrian Newey developing ground-breaking hypercar
• Aston Martin becomes Innovation Partner to Red Bull Racing

British luxury brand Aston Martin and Formula One team Red Bull Racing are today announcing a partnership which sees Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey and Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman collaborate to produce a ground-breaking Aston Martin hypercar.

Codenamed Project ‘AM-RB 001’, the new hypercar will represent the ultimate blend of cutting edge F1^TMtechnology with Aston Martin’s signature sports car design. The combined talents of Newey, widely noted as the most successful Formula One designer of all time, and Reichman, Aston Martin’s design chief since 2005, are set to produce the ultimate hypercar.

Combining the strongest elements of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Aston Martin, this new Innovation Partnership unites the world’s best aerodynamicists, composite experts and manufacturing masters. All the parties offer different elite capabilities and the combination of all of those skills, ensuring that Project ‘AM-RB 001’ promises to be an exciting prospect for customers and enthusiasts around the world. 

Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Formula One offers the ultimate global stage to build wider awareness of the Aston Martin brand. However, this partnership will deliver even more than that when the hypercar that Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are in the process of developing hits the road.

“Between Q by Aston Martin Advanced, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and project partner AF Racing AG, we are going to create a car that will excite and stir the imaginations of the car designers of the future and a global audience of sports car enthusiasts.

“These are exciting times for Aston Martin and arriving hot on the heels of our DB11 launch earlier this month, this new partnership underlines that our brand really is racing again.”

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said of the new partnership: “This is a very exciting project for everyone at Red Bull Racing. Through this Innovation Partnership the iconic Aston Martin logo will return to grand prix racing for the first time since 1960, and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, led by Adrian, will be harnessing our Formula One DNA to produce the ultimate of all road cars. It’s an incredible project which also realises a dream and vision long held by Adrian to design a road car. We are very much looking forward to what I’m certain will be a successful partnership.”

As the designer of cars such as the Aston Martin DB11 - which was revealed earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show - the Aston Martin Vulcan and the One-77, Marek Reichman holds the key to the unmistakeable design language of the modern era of Aston Martins.

“We are in the process of developing a hypercar that combines the latest in aerodynamics from F1^TM and the stunning design language of an Aston Martin sports car,” said Reichman. “The opportunity to collaborate with Adrian (Newey) and Red Bull Advanced Technologies will be a fascinating experience for everyone involved. Unconstrained by F1^TM regulations, we have a unique chance to create a car in its most efficient form that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology.”

Having an illustrious Formula One career spanning nearly 30 years, and as the designer of ten World Championship winning Formula One cars, the partnership represents a new challenge for Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey.

“From the age of six I have had two goals in life – to be involved in the design of racing cars, and to be involved in the design of a super car.” Newey commented. “Whilst the former ambition went on to form my career to date, the latter has always bubbled away, resulting in countless sketches and doodles over the years.

“The opportunity to now develop and realise those ideas whilst working with Marek and his colleagues from Aston Martin is tremendously exciting.  It allows us to translate the technology we have developed in F1^TM into a new arena.”

The Aston Martin brand was borne out of the racing exploits of Lionel Martin - one of the founding partners of the British marque over 103 years ago - and the company made its international motor racing debut at the 1922 French Grand Prix. While motorsport has always remained integral to the brand’s DNA, the most famous moment in Aston Martin’s significant motorsport history is the 1959 outright win at the Le Mans 24 Hours for Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby in the Aston Martin DBR1. The modern Aston Martin Racing team, formed in 2005 has taken three class wins at Le Mans and will return to Circuit de la Sarthe again this June.

To celebrate the partnership between Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the RB12s will carry the iconic Aston Martin wings logo throughout the 2016 season, making their debut at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. 

Renault/Nissan to strengthen synergies in Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, & HR

• Renault and Nissan to strengthen synergies in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering & Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, and Human Resources
• Additional functions expected to converge after internal approval process
• Convergence should generate €5.5 billion in synergies in 2018

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is strengthening synergies in four core divisions and launching new convergence projects to boost efficiency and revenue. Convergence includes integrating divisions, creating common processes, exchanging talent and other significant sharing of resources. 

Convergence helped Renault and Nissan generate more than €4 billion in annualized synergies in calendar-year 2015.

During a convention of top Alliance executives globally, Renault-Nissan announced today that it is strengthening synergies in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain Management, Purchasing, and Human Resources. These functions converged in 2014 and already have Alliance executives managing the units.

The Alliance also plans to partly converge Quality and Costing to support the original four converged functions. The Alliance will study other opportunities to increase synergies in Sales & Marketing, Connectivity and Connected Services, Product Planning, Aftersales and other support functions.

Through the end of March, Renault and Nissan executives will present these convergence projects to appropriate employee representation and corporate decision-making bodies. If approved at the end of an internal review process, implementation will begin April 1. Leaders in these new functions and the scope of their converged activities will be announced at that time.

Alliance as Pragmatic Business Tool

Renault and Nissan share an industrial footprint with numerous cross-manufacturing projects in France, South Korea, India and Russia. In addition, engineers at Renault and Nissan – which have a combined annual R&D and capital expenditure fund of €10 billion -- work together as one team to reduce duplication in the development of next-generation technologies.

The Alliance aims to generate €5.5 billion in synergies in 2018.

“The auto industry is rapidly evolving, requiring Renault and Nissan to leverage the Alliance as a pragmatic business tool,” said Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO and Chairman Carlos Ghosn. “The road ahead is one of more convergence, working more closely together.”

Renault-Nissan Alliance cost savings increase to 3.80 Billion Euro's, an increase on the previous year.

• Purchasing, engineering and manufacturing are biggest contributors to synergies
• Common Module Family (CMF) drives synergies in all major areas
• Convergence of key functions in 2014 accelerates synergy momentum
• Sales and marketing and other functions increase contributions

The Renault-Nissan Alliance posted record synergies of €3.80 billion in 2014, up from €2.87 billion the previous year. Purchasing, engineering and manufacturing were the biggest contributors. The launch of the Alliance’s first Common Module Family (CMF) vehicles, as well as the recent convergence of four key units, helped drive synergies all three areas.  

Synergies are generated from cost reductions, cost avoidance and revenue increases. Only new synergies (not cumulative) are taken into account each year. Accounting for synergies helps Renault and Nissan determine if they are meeting their performance objectives. More significantly, the net savings and revenue enhancements enable both automakers to offer higher-value vehicles to customers around the world.

“Our Common Module Family system continues to drive synergies in all major areas,from purchasing to vehicle engineering and powertrains,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. “At the same time, the recent convergence of four key functions at Renault and Nissan -- Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering & Supply Chain Management, Purchasing and Human Resources -- is accelerating the momentum.”

Renault and Nissan converged the four functions on April 1, 2014. While Renault and Nissan remain separate companies, each function is led by a common Alliance executive vice president. Thanks to the convergence, the Alliance expects to overachieve on its goal of generating €4.3 billion in annualized synergies by 2016. That’s up from €1.5 billion in 2009.

Common Module Family (CMF)

Common Module Family is the Alliance’s unique system of modular vehicle architectures and an increasing source of synergies (to see our CMF infographic go toblog.alliance-renault-nissan.com/node/2634/)

CMF enables Renault and Nissan to build a wider range of vehicles from a smaller pool of parts, while at the same time increasing customer choice and quality. Small vehicles are based on CMF-A, while mid-sized vehicles utilize CMF-B, and the largest vehicles use CMF-C/D.

In February 2014, Nissan launched an all-new version of the popular Qashqai crossover in Europe. The Qashqai is built on CMF-C/D and is the third CMF model for Nissan. In 2013, Nissan launched the Rogue SUV in the United States and X-Trail crossover SUV in China. Earlier this year, Renault launched its first CMF vehicles: the New Espace and the Kadjar. Both vehicles are built on CMF-C/D as well.

In 2015, Renault will launch the Kwid in India. The Kwid is the first Alliance car built on the CMF-A architectureand will be produced at the Renault-Nissan plant in Chennai. Datsun will launch a vehicle on the same platform in 2016.

By 2020, the Alliance expects 70 percent of its vehicles to be built on CMF architectures.

Cross production

The cross production of vehicles is also a major driver of manufacturing synergies. Cross production is expected to accelerate across the Alliance following the rollout of the Alliance Production Way (APW) at all plants around the world by the end of 2015. The APW manufacturing system is the result of best practice sharing throughout the organization and allows plants to make better use of their capacity by enabling them to produce both Renault and Nissan vehicles.

In 2014, Nissan began production of the Rogue crossover in Renault’s plant in Busan, South Korean, to meet stronger-than-expected demand in the U.S.

The AVTOVAZ plant in Togliatti, Russia, is the Alliance’s biggest production base in the world with capacity of nearly one million vehicles per year. The plant produces vehicles under four brands – Lada, Renault, Nissan and Datsun. The Alliance owns a majority stake in the joint venture that controls AVTOVAZ, Russia’s largest automaker.

Contribution from other business areas, including sales and marketing

The Alliance is increasingly benefitting from synergies in other areas, such as sales and marketing.

For example, thanks to the Alliance, Renault and Nissan are able to offer customers an extensive range of vehicles around the world. In 2014, the Alliance signed global contracts with several fleet customers, including multinational food-products corporation Danone.