The new Super Subaru to attempt a record run at the Nurburgring and up the goodwood hill.

The WRX STI Type RA NBR Special is set to make its public debut and take on Goodwood’s famous Hill Climb at the Festival of Speed.

The RA designation stands for “Record Attempt” and has been applied to various Subaru performance models. The original venture took place in 1989 when a competition version Subaru Legacy broke the FIA World Speed Endurance Record by clocking over 62,000 miles in 18 days and set a top speed record of 138 mph.

Furthering this spirit of endeavour, a race prepared WRX STI Type RA NBR Special will attempt a Nürburgring speed record this summer after its runs up the Goodwood Hill Climb in the Time Attack Open class and will be driven by rally and stunt driver Mark Higgins.

Mark recently drove a WRX STI down St Moritz’s Olympic Bobsled run, and set the lap record at the Isle of Mann TT in 2016.

Subaru will also be at the Moving Motor Show on Thursday, with cars available for visitors to try up the Hill Climb.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing will also be in attendance on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July with Ash Sutton, Josh Price and James Cole for a meet and greet on the Subaru Stand at the Moving Motor Show at 11:00 and 16:00. 

Lotus celebrates the First Esprit by emulating the Bond Esprit onto an Evora Supercar.

• Unique, one-off Evora Sport 410 created by Lotus Exclusive
• Tribute to one of Lotus’ most famous liveries
• Lotus Sport 410 sales success continues

Representing the state of the supercar art, a one-off Evora Sport 410 has been commissioned through Lotus Exclusive as a tribute to one of its most famous ancestors, the Lotus Esprit S1.

Launched in October 2016, the Evora Sport 410 has wowed motoring press and customers with its combination of effortless pace and intuitive handling. With production limited to just 150 examples a year worldwide, the build schedule is filling up fast.

The benchmark was set by the original Lotus Esprit S1 as seen in the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year, and Lotus’ in-house personalisation department has crafted a special, one-off Evora Sport 410 in commemoration.

Combining the latest in Lotus engineering with period details, the new pure-bred supercar takes design cues from the iconic Esprit and integrates them into a car with class-leading performance. Packing 410 hp into a car that weighs just 1,280 kg, it sprints from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 secs.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc said, “So many of us recall the impact of the Lotus Esprit when it hit the big screen in The Spy Who Loved Me, and we wanted to honour that with a special Evora Sport 410. It’s the perfect tribute to such an influential Lotus, but a world away in terms of its abilities and performance. 

Supremely fast and agile, rivals’ cars look overweight and underpowered in comparison. Lotus was founded on the principle of lightweight engineering and, even today, nobody does it better.”

Lotus Exclusive

The work of the in-house personalisation department, Lotus Exclusive, this one-off Evora Sport 410 features many unique design touches. A special, colour-coded bumper modifies the car’s front end, while the one-piece carbon-fibre tailgate is part keyed white to give the illusion of a traditional liftback. In addition to a black coach line, delineating the car’s waist, it sports a bespoke badge script on the B pillar - in the style of the original Esprit’s graphics.

Nods to the Lotus Esprit S1 from The Spy Who Loved Me continue inside, with the insert panels of the carbon-fibre sports seats and door cards trimmed in the popular heritage Tartan, while red contrast stitching complements the Alcantara® dashboard and console finish.

Beneath the personalisation, this unique car retains all the engineering elements that make the Evora Sport 410 so formidable. From the supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine, producing 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 3500 rpm, to the highly advanced aerodynamics, which deliver up to 64 kg of downforce, it’s designed to deliver both on road and track.

The Evora Sport 410 remains refined on B-roads, but blisteringly fast when needed. The use of hand-made carbon-fibre components has been key in keeping mass to a minimum, with each specifically designed to enhance the car’s performance. Covering the car from nose to tail, they include front splitter, revised front access panel, roof section, tailgate, rear quarter panels, as well as the rear diffuser.

These lightweight carbon components not only reduce the kerb weight of the Evora Sport 410 but also help lower the centre of gravity, allowing for the recalibration of the suspension which, along with re-valved dampers and a reduced ride height, provide better body and roll control - but not at the expense of comfort and composure.

This one-off Evora underlines the work of the increasingly popular Lotus Exclusive service. Combining traditional British craftsmanship with modern design, it inspires buyers to spend time tailoring the character of their Lotus with a comprehensive array of options. Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc continued, “Our customers have really embraced the Lotus Exclusive service, with 25% of new cars undergoing some form of personalisation. It is well established that Lotus cars come with benchmark performance as standard.  Now, thanks to the skilled team at Hethel, responsible for hand building all Lotus cars since 1966, you can specify a Lotus that perfectly reflects your personal tastes.”

The Lotus Evora Sport 410 is limited to a global production run of one-hundred and fifty vehicles per year, and is on sale in Europe and rest of world markets now. A Federal version of the Evora Sport 410 for the North American market will arrive this spring.

Fulham Football Club and Fiat UK Via Motor VIllage are to launch a Limited Edition 500X

A new special edition Fiat 500X has just been launched in London to celebrate the continuing successful partnership between Fiat Chrysler Motor Village UK and Fulham Football Club.

The special version of the popular Fiat SUV – the Fulham FC special Edition – features distinctive styling details, exclusive black, white and red paint finish and unique ‘FFC’ badging, along with a host of 500X standard equipment. It will be sold through Motor Village UK, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK’s flagship dealer.

A limited run of just 15 of this celebration range of cars will be built, designed exclusively for Fulham FC season ticket holders. The special cars will cost £21,365 OTR.

Available in two different styles – City Look and Off-Road Look – the car is based on the 500X Pop Star version, and includes among its standard equipment: alloy wheels, front fog lights with cornering function, rear parking sensors, climate control, six airbags, cruise control and 5-inch touchscreen with navigation, Bluetooth, USB and aux-in socket.

The SKYbet Championship football club is also holding a prize draw in which one lucky winner will get to drive a new Fiat 500X Fulham FC Special Edition for two weeks, with their keys being handed over by the team’s players. Signed footballs and shirts are also available as runners-up prizes.

“This is another excellent example of how we are teaming up with Fulham FC and its supporters,” says Fabio di Prima, managing director, Motor Village UK. “There’s the prize draw to win the limited edition 500X for two weeks, the chance to meet the players and the opportunity for season ticket holders to purchase the new car.

“Of course, if a non-season ticket holder would like to buy the Fulham FC Special Edition – or any other of our large range of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles cars – we would be delighted to sign them up!”

“It is important to us to ensure that our partners and supporters have a positive relationship, and being able to offer such a fantastic prize is a really tremendous way of highlighting that,” says Casper Stylsvig, chief revenue officer, Fulham FC.

“The limited edition 500X is really quite unique, so with an opportunity to win, plus an additional competition to meet the players, Motor Village really has excelled itself in giving added value to the Fulham fanbase which we are delighted about; good luck to all!’

Note to editors: Motor Village UK is Official Car Partner to Fulham FC and offers exclusive deals to club season ticket holders on new Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Abarth cars. The prize draw is open to Fulham FC season ticket holders, over-18s and holders of a valid driving license.

The 4th Genration Mazda MX-5 now sports it's first special Limited Edition, the Icon, limited to just 600 cars.

• On sale from the 1^st August, the £20,995 on-the-road Icon special edition is limited to just 600 cars.
• First special edition version of the 1.5-litre 131ps all-new Mazda MX-5.
• Joins a host of other MX-5 highlights at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The all-new Mazda MX-5 Icon special edition will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Joining Mazda’s award-winning sports car line up from the 1^st August, the Icon is based on the 131ps SE-L Nav and is the first special edition fourth-generation MX-5 with the 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-G engine.

With a choice of free-of-charge Meteor Grey Mica or Crystal White Pearlescent paint, the £20,995 on-the-road Icon is marked out by its contrasting design cues and enhanced standard equipment. 

Visually the Icon makes a bold statement with its Soul Red Metallic wing mirrors, rear spoiler, side stripe decals (not pictured) and front skirt. 

The unique look is further boosted by 16-inch Gunmetal alloy wheels, while the increased equipment tally also includes black leather seats, rear parking sensors, dusk-sensing lights and rain-sensing wipers.

On display at Goodwood within Mazda’s unique ‘Raise the Roof’ live music area, the Icon joins a host of other MX-5 highlights at this year’s Festival of Speed. 

These include the European debut of the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF, plus the first appearance outside of North America for the MX-5 Speedster and Spyder concept cars. 

While marking the amazing popularity of the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car, the one-millionth production MX-5 will also be on display.

The fourth car to wear the Icon badge - previous MX-5 Icon special editions were sold in the UK in 2000, 2005 and 2007 (see below) – the latest Icon is a striking sports car with an achievable price, and limited to just 600 cars it’s available to order now.  

Pre-order is also open on the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF ahead of its arrival in dealerships next year, and with limited supply in the opening months, fans of the latest incarnation of MX-5 should register their interest now to be one of the lucky few to take delivery of early versions of the Retractable Fastback, a car that represents the next chapter in the MX-5 success story.

“We are delighted that UK MX-5 fans will get to see both the Icon special edition and the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF at the Goodwood Festival of Speed”, commented Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director of Mazda Motors UK. 

Adding, “with over 120,000 sales since its launch in 1990, the UK has played a huge part in the MX-5 success story and the Icon follows a long tradition of special edition MX-5s that allow customers to have a stand out vehicle which is truly affordable. 

And I’m really excited about the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF, this is a car that offers something new and I’m sure it will attract even more people to the MX-5 family, which is why I’d encourage anyone interest in the RF to pre-order early, as based on dealer feedback after its launch at the New York Motor Show, we envisage that demand will outstrip supply when the car goes on sale next year.”

With the Moving Motor Show on the 23^rd June, the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from the 24^thto the 26^th June.

Mazda MX-5 Icon special editions

2000 MX-5 Icon

Number built: 750

Engine: 1.8iS

Colour: Art Vin Red Mica

2005 MX-5 Icon 

Number built: 1,563

Engine: 1.6i and 1.8i

Colours: Chilli Orange, Black Mica, Sunlight Silver and Titanium Grey

2007 MX-5 Icon 

Number built: 1,250

Engines: 1.8i and 2.0i

Colours: Copper Red, Stormy Blue and Marbie White

USA - VW launches another Beetle Special Edition, again based on history, the Beetle Denim Limited Edition.

The special edition Beetle Denim is a contemporary tribute to the 1970s Beetle Jeans model

• Exclusive short-run model, arriving in dealerships in early 2016
• Equipped with 17-inch Heritage wheels and 1.8-liter TSI® engine
• Original interior design, including unique seating surfaces and  jeans-inspired seat pockets

Volkswagen of America Inc. announced today the launch of the special edition 2016 Beetle Denim. Paying homage to the 1970s Jeans Bug, the vehicle revives the rich heritage of the Beetle brand, offering fans a modern take on this classic model.

As a special edition vehicle, exclusive design elements have been added to the 2,000 production units. The 2016 Beetle Denim is offered in two exterior color options—Pure White or Stonewashed Blue. The production run will be split equally between the two colors. The convertible top has been finished in Dark Blue with a brand new textured fabric that resembles denim.

Interior design features include a unique light-blue-and-silver dashpad and jeans-inspired seat pockets with small Beetle tabs in red. 

The light blue denim-color cloth seating surfaces also feature white piping and dark blue leatherette accents.

For model year 2016, the vehicle is equipped with Volkswagen’s new MIB II infotainment system, which offers higher resolution, faster processing speeds, and crisper graphics than ever before. 

A 5.0-inch resistive touchscreen display comes with a host of standard features including AUX-in, SD card slots, and a USB multimedia interface with iPhone® and iPod® device connectivity, reverse camera display, and Bluetooth® technology for compatible devices.

Available in the United States with a 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, the Beetle Denim produces 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The 2016 Beetle Denim will be a value model in the Convertible lineup.

Kia to launch a new special and limited edition Sportage - The Axis.

• Special-edition model to be built in a run of only 1,200
• High-value package for a mid-range price
• SUV styling flourishes with a luxury leather interior 
• Choice of two engines and four paint finishes  
• On sale from 1 July, priced from £20,995 OTR

Exclusivity is guaranteed with the new Kia Sportage Axis Edition, a limited-run model of which only 1,200 will be made. The Sportage ‘Axis Edition’ has been styled and equipped to provide retail and fleet customers with many of the features of a high-grade Sportage for a mid-range price, starting from just £20,995 on the road – on sale from 1 July.

It will be available with a choice of two efficient powertrains and four paint colours. The engines on offer are the 1.6-litre GDi direct-injection petrol unit developing 133bhp and 165Nm of torque, or the advanced 1.7-litre common-rail turbodiesel which develops 114bhp and 260Nm. Both are front-wheel-drive models featuring a six-speed manual transmission linked to Kia’s Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) engine stop-start system to save fuel and eliminate emissions when idling in traffic.  

The standard colour is solid Arctic White, but buyers are able to opt for one of three metallic finishes – Phantom Black, Fusion White or Dark Gun Metal – for a price of £525. 

SUV finishing touches

The Sportage ‘Axis Edition’ models sit between trim grades ‘2’ and ‘3’ in the range, but include many of the features found even higher in the line-up plus a number of SUV finishing touches, including roof rails as standard. The black gloss arrow mesh radiator grille with chrome surround, LED daytime running lamps and rear LED combination lamps and the roof-mounted ‘shark’s fin’ antenna deliver a premium look. Automatic headlight control is included in the lighting package, and the ‘Axis Edition’ models are fitted with electric folding door mirrors with LED indicators.

The sumptuous interior is upholstered in unique black leather with contrasting grey Dinamica^® microfiber inserts. 

This is complemented by the light grey door inserts unique to the ‘Axis Edition’ models. The front and outer rear seats incorporate heater elements. The premium look of the interior is enhanced by black headlining, black B and C pillar coverings and black sun visors, grab handles and map light switches. Privacy glass and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror are other luxury flourishes fitted as standard. ‘Axis Edition’ logos are applied to the outer C pillars. 

Lavish specification

The lavish specification includes a seven-speaker Infinity®high-end sound system incorporating a subwoofer and external amp. This includes an AM/FM radio, CD player, USB and AUX sockets and iPod connectivity. Bluetooth music streaming and hands-free phone operation are also supported, with voice control in any of ten languages. 

The Axis Edition models also come with a seven-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system including full UK postcode recognition and European mapping for 44 countries. The system includes TMC traffic messaging with a detour function, motorway junction views, lane guidance and a speed limit alert. It allows the driver to input quick, short and economy routes. A reversing camera with views displayed in the touchscreen is an additional useful feature built into the system.        

The ‘Axis Edition’ models are fitted with the same 17-inch light alloy wheels and 225/60 R17 tyres found on Sportage ‘2’ and ‘KX-2’ grades.

Europe-focused powertrains

The 1.6-litre GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine is from the Gamma family. GDi makes it possible to increase power and torque levels while reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Typically, a GDi engine will deliver seven per cent more torque at low engine revolutions and 12 per cent more torque at high rpm than a conventional engine of similar capacity – and with a fuel economy improvement of around ten per cent.

It develops 133bhp at 6,300rpm and 165Nm of torque (122lb/ft) at 4,850rpm.  It is an aluminium 1,591cc 16-valve twin-cam unit with variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust valves, and featuring a high 11.0:1 compression ratio. 

A fine mist of petrol is injected directly into each of the four cylinders at up to 135 bar in minutely precise quantities and with millisecond timing to ensure the Sportage uses only as much fuel as it needs, exactly when it needs it.  The result is highly efficient combustion that ensures excellent performance with low fuel consumption and emissions – the 1.6-litre GDi Sportage with ISG has a combined fuel economy of 44.1mpg and CO₂ emissions of only 149g/km.  It accelerates from 0-60mph in 10.7 seconds and has a maximum speed of 111mph

The 1.7-litre turbodiesel is part of the U2 family engineered and designed at Kia's research and development facility in Germany.  Developing 114bhp at 4,000rpm and 260Nm (192lb/ft) of torque at 1,250 - 2,750rpm, it has been crafted for optimum driveability in European conditions. More than 90 per cent of maximum torque is available from just 2,000rpm. Performance is similar to that of the 1.6-litre petrol version, with a maximum speed of 107mph and 0-60mph acceleration in 11.9 seconds, while combined fuel economy is 54.4mpg and CO₂ emissions are a remarkably low 135g/km.

As with every Kia, the Sportage Axis Edition models come with a unique-in-the-UK seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, subject to certain wear and tear conditions. It is fully transferable should the car be sold before the time or mileage limits have been reached.

Sportage Axis Edition – pricing

Model	OTR price
1.6 GDi ISG	£20,995
1.7 CRDi ISG	£22,395

Sportage Axis Edition – performance, economy and emissions

Model	Power bhp	Torque Nm	0–60 sec	Max speed mph	Average mpg	CO2 g/km
1.6 GDi  ISG	133	165	10.7	111	44.1	149
1.7 CRDi ISG	114	260	11.9	107	54.4	135