After having his yellow car vandalised, Vauxhall has named the colour yellow after him "Maddox Yellow"

• Vauxhall Motors is intending to rename the shade of yellow Corsa ‘Maddox Yellow’ and joins 100 strong car convoy 

Vauxhall Motors is intending to re-name the shade of its yellow Corsas to ‘Maddox Yellow’ in a show of support for Peter Maddox, the 84-year-old pensioner who had his yellow Vauxhall Corsa vandalised earlier this year. 

The incident happened after he was blamed for ruining the view of the picturesque village of Bibury by parking the car outside his Cotswold cottage. 

Peter and his yellow Corsa hit the headlines earlier this year and he has gone on to win the heart of the nation. 

In his support, a convoy of 100 yellow cars from across the country will join forces in a show of solidarity to Peter and drive through Bibury on Saturday 1^st April, for the UK’s biggest ever, ‘Bright Yellow Car Convoy’. Vauxhall Motors will attend the event with ‘Maddox Yellow’ Corsas, as Bibury gets ready to turn yellow. 

The event, organised by members of the public on Facebook, will support Peter Maddox’s chosen charity, The Butterfly Garden - an educational, therapeutic and recreational scheme, based initially on gardening, for people of all ages dealing with a range of disabilities. 

Peter’s local Vauxhall dealership, The Baylis Group, helped Peter get back on the road right away by replacing his vandalised Corsa with a new 3-door, 1.4 Corsa. However, the colour was changed to ‘Satin Steel’, a grey tone to fit-in with his surroundings. In addition, Vauxhall Motors has given him a service package which will ensure the vehicle stays in ‘mint’ condition.

Denis Chick, Director of Communications at Vauxhall Motors comments: “When we heard Peter’s story we were inspired at the way it captured the heart of the public. We wanted to show our support for Peter, which is why we are intending to rename our yellow shade to ‘Maddox Yellow’. We will also be in the car convoy to show our support. It is for a great cause and no doubt a fun day for lovers of all yellow cars, including Vauxhalls.” 

Peter also commented, saying: “I was upset when I found that my Vauxhall Corsa car had been vandalised just because of the colour. I am touched by the support I have received since. It’s great to see both Vauxhall Motors and the public supporting me and The Butterfly Garden, a charity close to my heart.” 

Vauxhall Motors originally announced the, ‘Corsa Camo-net’, a new accessory when the story first hit the headlines in 2015. The accessory was to be designed specifically for use around National Trust premises and ‘chocolate box’ villages. Quick and easy to operate, the net folded up easily into a back-pack or the boot of a vehicle, so ideal for use in the countryside by ramblers and tourists alike.

Porsche to rename the Boxster and Cayman from the 2016 Model Year to 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman.

Mid-engine sports cars from Porsche get new names                          

The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman – these will be the new names of the two-door mid-engine sports cars from Porsche effective with the introduction of the 2016 models. The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer’s 718 designation is a reference to the ground-breaking sports car of this type of the year 1957, which enjoyed much success in renowned car races of the period. 

718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are showing more similarities – both visual and technical. In the future, both will have equally powerful flat four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines with turbocharging. And the roadster will be positioned at a higher price level than the Coupé – as is the case for the 911 models.

Porsche will introduce the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman over the course of 2016.

The 718 model series is a continuation of the proven four-cylinder concept and the history of distinguished Porsche sports cars. The latest example is the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, which also has a highly-efficient, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with just 2 litres of displacement. 

So, not only did Porsche finish first and second in the 24 hours of Le Mans, but most recently it also won the manufacturer’s and driver’s championship titles in the WEC World Endurance Championship. With these victories, the 919 Hybrid has opened up the prospects for the performance potential of future sports car engines from Porsche.

History of the 718: four-cylinder flat engine has many car racing victories

Four-cylinder flat engines have a long tradition at Porsche – and they have enjoyed incredible success. 

In the late 1950s, the 718 – a successor to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder – represented the highest configuration level of the four-cylinder flat engine. Whether it was competing at the 12-hour race in Sebring in 1960 or at the European Hill Climb Championship that ran between 1958 and 1961, the Porsche 718 prevailed against numerous competitors with its powerful and efficient four-cylinder flat engine. 

The 718 took first place between 1959 and 1960 at the legendary Italian Targa Florio race in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1958, the 718 RSK with its 142-hp four-cylinder engine scored a class victory.

Porsche 919 Hybrid: technological front-runner for production cars

In 2014, Porsche returned to the top category of the famous endurance race in Le Mans and the WEC World Endurance Championship with the 919 Hybrid race car. 

The LMP1 vehicle, which was designed for extreme efficiency, is the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built. It serves as a platform for fundamental technology research for future production models – combining two different energy recovery systems with a two-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine.