Jeep sponsors the Tough Mudder event for the 4th year and launches a limited Edition to celebrate this sponsorship.

• 100 limited edition Jeep Renegade Tough Mudder vehicles go on sale today across the UK
• Renegade takes on world’s first ‘Tough Mudder for Jeep’
• Jeep wades through signature obstacles from Tough Mudder course including: ‘Mud Mile’, ‘Quagmire’, ‘Killa Gorilla’ and ‘Cliff Hanger’
• Fourth year Jeep will be sponsoring the UK Tough Mudder season
• Renegade Tough Mudder £27,795 OTR and comes in two colours: orange and black

Jeep and Tough Mudder have put their expertise and innovation commitment to the test after partnering to create the first ever ‘Tough Mudder for Jeep’ to launch the limited edition Renegade Tough Mudder.

To celebrate Jeep’s fourth year sponsoring the UK Tough Mudder series, it has released just 100 of the special limited edition vehicles – which go on sale today (27 April) in the UK – just two days ahead of the 2017 UK season kick-off at London West on April 29th.

The limited edition Renegade successfully waded through a course designed by Tough Mudder, tackling rough terrain, dirty water and signature Tough Mudder obstacles, including ‘Mud Mile’ and ‘Quagmire.’ The Renegade also tackled the steep slopes and inclines of ‘Killa Gorilla’ and the treacherous Cliff Hanger obstacle.

Costing £27,795 OTR, the limited edition Renegade embodies the spirit, fun, adventure and innovation of Tough Mudder with Jeep’s legendary off-road credentials ensuring drivers can tackle any challenge while Mudders push themselves into the unknown on the continually evolving obstacle course. 

Will Dean, Tough Mudder CEO and Co-founder commented on the new Tough Mudder Renegade: “We are proud to partner with Jeep for the fourth consecutive year and enhance the onsite experience for participants, as Mudders from all over the UK get the opportunity to check out Jeep’s iconic fleet of vehicles. We are thrilled to partner in launching the limited edition Renegade Tough Mudders. I look forward to getting behind the wheel of the Renegade myself.”

The first ever ‘Tough Mudder for Jeep’ took place at Silverstone Circuit’s off-road course, Northamptonshire.

About the limited edition Tough Mudder Renegade

The Tough Mudder version is a 4x4 Auto 2.0 Multijet 140hp – available in orange and black – and uses the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk’s front bumper to provide a more rugged appearance combined with exclusive features and anodized orange interior. Customers will be able to know the specific number of the limited edition model that they have bought, as there is an exterior decal highlighting this, for example ‘55/100’.

Standard features include:

• 2.0 Diesel Multijet II (140hp)
• 9 speed automatic transmission
• 4x4 Active Low
• 17” black alloy off road wheels – with 215/60/ R17 Mud & Snow tyres
• Tough Mudder exclusive bonnet decal
• Limited edition numbered stickers on upper rear three quarter panel
• Tough Mudder tailgate badge
• Off road style front bumper
• Specific interior look – orange and black – with anodised orange interior bezels
• Fabric – heated front seats
• (DAB) Digital Audio Broadcast
• Uconnect 5” touchscreen with Bluetooth, Sat Nav and live services
• All weather floor mats
• Tough Mudder Merchandise Pack to include water bottle, cap, hand towel, lanyard and wrist band in a drawstring bag

About Tough Mudder and Jeep

2017 marks the fourth year that Jeep UK partners with Tough Mudder, the leading active lifestyle brand and media company, which hosts a series of endurance and mud run events all over the world.

The famed ‘Mud Mile’ obstacle will return to the 10-12-mile Tough Mudder Full and 5-mile Tough Mudder Half events throughout the season where thousands of Mudders will tackle the co-branded Jeep obstacle at the event. Once again, the Renegade converted into a DJ booth will be providing extra motivation for Mudders on that section of the course.

Jeep will be present at six Tough Mudder events this year, providing a fleet of Jeep Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles and displaying the new Renegade Tough Mudder limited edition. The Jeep Fest Service Station will return for a second time, enhancing the participant experience by featuring a face-marking station for participants to use pre-event.

As Mudders finish the events, the Jeep Fest Service Station will also be giving away car seat covers to keep their vehicle interiors clean.

The first UK Tough Mudder events of the season take place this weekend (29 April) at Tough Mudder and Tough Mudder Half London West at Culden Faw. Find out more about the limited edition visit here: http://www.jeep.co.uk/renegade-tough-mudder/

Staff from MG’s Technical Centre, SMTC, which is based at the company’s Longbridge site in Birmingham.

“Their love of the job doesn’t just stop at the end of the day.”

Staff from MG’s Technical Centre, SMTC, which is based at the company’s Longbridge site in Birmingham, recently hosted a vehicle showcase event to profile the team’s engineering expertise and show off their ‘pet projects’, all in aid of charity and having a good time!

From classic cars and hot rods to a variety of motorbikes, the Vehicles of Interest Day saw a number of projects displayed – each lovingly customised and restored by staff at the SMTC in their spare time. 

Each owner completed an overview fact sheet to share key details about their beloved vehicle, as well as explaining engineering modifications and performance upgrades.

Following the showcase, vehicles were taken to the Curborough Sprint Course in Lichfield for an ‘out-of-hours’ race club. As well as taking their own projects around the course, a number of race-prepared MG3 and MG6 models were also made available for staff to drive.

Throughout the event, a collection was taken for Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity close to the hearts of many staff members at the SMTC. The funds raised will be presented to the charity later this year, alongside proceeds from a number of other events planned over the coming months.

Richard McAlister, Vice Director – Electrical at the SMTC, commented: “Every year, we organise a number of teambuilding events to bring staff closer together and develop a strong working culture.

“As highly trained engineers, a number of our team build, refurbish and modify vehicles in their spare time – their love of the job doesn’t just stop at the end of the day! The Vehicles of Interest day was, therefore, a great teambuilding initiative and feedback following the event has been excellent.”

As an integral part of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited – the parent company of MG Motor – SMTC is responsible for key phases of the engineering, research, design and development programmes for all new MG products worldwide.

A new weekend long Ford event to be held next year for the first time, in collaboration with Ford magazines.

• New weekend-long event set to become highlight of the Ford calendar
• Featuring classic and modern Fords from across the world
• Advance tickets now available, from just £10 a head

A brand new event celebrating Britain’s most popular car brand is set to become one of the biggest highlights of the show calendar when it opens its doors for the first time in 2016.

The International Ford Fair will be held at Sandown Park, Surrey, on the outskirts of London, on the weekend of April 30-May 1, and will bring together fans of the blue oval from all over the globe.

The indoor event will feature some of the finest Fords from the UK and beyond, be them standard, restored or modified, along with premium trade stands from a variety of Ford experts and specialists. There will be live demonstrations throughout the day, along with a significant presence from two of the Ford scene’s most respected magazines – Classic Ford and Fast Ford.

Advance tickets for the show are available now, priced at just £10 per person for single day access, or £20 for the weekend (up to two children below the age of 14 go free). Those wishing to make even more of a weekend of it can also take advantage of on-site camping for an extra £10 per person, adding to the show’s festival feel. They can be bought from the show’s official website at 

http://www.theinternationalfordshow.com/

Full details of the show, the cars and the various activities will be announced nearer the date, on the event website, or via the official Facebook page and twitter feeds.

Goodwood festival of Speed welcomes a new category for 2015, Drifting, with some of the world's best.

For the first time in Goodwood Festival of Speed history, the 2015 event will feature a special category dedicated to the art of drifting on June 25-28 with a number of the discipline’s biggest names lined up to take part.

Red Bull Athlete ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett and Monster Energy Athlete Ken Block, who attends with Ford, are two of the best-known exponents of drifting, and both will return to thrill the sell-out crowds on all three days of live motor sport action in the ‘Catch my Drift?’ category.

THE PICTURE THAT USED TO BE HERE HAS BEEN REMOVED AT THE APPARENT OWNERS REQUEST - HOWEVER FAIR USE POLICY WAS IN PLACE HERE.

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE.................................

New Zealander ‘Mad’ Mike’s Flat-Out and Fearless driving at last year’s event earned him the ‘Spirit of the Festival’ award and his style embodies the theme of the 2015 event, at which he again brings his sensational Mazda RX-7 ready for more tyre-smoking action.

YouTube phenomenon Block, whose stunning Gymkhana videos have achieved more than 300million views online, brings his incredible 850bhp Ford Mustang, dubbed the ‘Hoonicorn’, and will be joined by another Monster Athlete, Festival of Speed debutant Buttsy Butler, and his Toyota Soarer.

Goodwood can now announce that EXTREME Drift Allstars, the leading live action drift brand, will bring four supremely-talented drivers to the Festival of Speed.

James Deane, last year’s EXTREME Drift Allstars European Champion, who brings his Falken Motorsports Nissan 200SX S14 to Goodwood’s iconic 1.16-mile Hillclimb. Deane made history in 2014 by setting a new world record for a continuous twin-vehicle drift lasting an astonishing 17.72 miles.

The Irishman will be joined by the man he beat to last year’s European crown, Poland’s Piotr Wiecek, who brings his 1000bhp Budmat R34 Skyline to the UK and will look to show the kind of form that carried him to the 2014 Polish national title.

Norway’s top drifting star, Joachim Waargaard, will give his eagerly-anticipated BMW M4 its first outing in public at Goodwood while Australian Champion Luke Fink will drive his world-famous LBP PS13 V8.

Add in another Polish ace, Kuba Przygonski, driving a Toyota GT86, plus a dedicated area for the cars within the newly-expanded F1 Paddock presented by Sky Sports F1, and a sensational display of flat-out and fearless driving is guaranteed.

Vauxhall to give away £500 fuel for each new car and van sold, at weekend event.

• £500 free fuel with Vauxhall cars and vans purchased from 7^th – 10^th November
• Additional 20 per cent off accessories during four day celebration

Vauxhall is hosting its ‘Weekend of Giving’ at its retailers across the country during the weekend of Friday 7^th and Monday 10^th November, where customers purchasing a new Vauxhall car or van will receive £500 of free fuel*.

The offer is available on a wide range of brand new models including the urban-chic ADAM city car, the Mokka compact SUV and the Corsa supermini.

As well as passenger cars, the offer is also open to commercial vehicle customers across Vauxhall’s multi-award-winning van range, including Corsavan, Combo, Vivaro and Movano.

‘The ‘Weekend of Giving’ is a great opportunity for motorists looking for a new Vauxhall vehicle to benefit from £500 free fuel, which is available in addition to Vauxhall’s existing range of fantastic offers,’ said Mark Pinkney, Vauxhall’s Marketing Programmes Manager.

‘We’d like to invite all those interested in a new 64-plate model to join in the excitement at our dealerships during the event period and discover the Vauxhall vehicle that best suits their needs.’

During the four-day event, customers who buy a new car can also get 20 per cent off selected Vauxhall Accessories, including a vast array of equipment such as Garmin sat navs, roof boxes, iPad cradles and bike carriers.

The Vauxhall Weekend of Giving takes place 7^th to 10^th November 2014.  To find your local dealer and claim the £500 free fuel on a new Vauxhall, visit www.vauxhall.co.uk.

*£500 free fuel offer applies to car and commercial vehicle orders from 7^th to 10^th November 2014, which are then registered by 31^st December 2014. Exclusions, terms and conditions apply. £500 free fuel will be supplied via pre-paid debit card, purchases only and cannot be used to withdraw cash.

Porsche becomes the very first corporate company to hire out the Sistine Chapel

The iconic sports car maker, Porsche, has achieved another world first, they are the first company anywhere, that has hosted a corportae event within the walls of teh Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican City.

Last Saturday evening saw a small elite group of around 40 guests, all paying around 5,000 Euros, to attend this once in a lifetime event. The schedual of events for the night included a classical music concert, followed by a sumptuous dinner in the museum, "surrounded by masterpeices from world renown artists like Raphael and Michelangelo.

A detailed schedual of events can be found HERE, This amazing event has come about due to the current Pope, Pope Francis allowing the chapel to be hired out for private events and functions, and in allowing this, all proceeds raised from the hire, will be going towards the local charities helping the poor and homeless.

This occasion is part of a Porsche tour that also includes further events in and around Rome, and a further couple of days driving, so if you have the money and wish to have the ultimate venue for your private function, then this is surely the best place on earth to have one.

This Sistine Chapel currently gets around six million visitors annually, with the world famous sistine Chapels painted ceiling just one of the main draws to this iconic venue, however, concerts have taken place before within the sacred walls but these have usually been for church related events, the Pope sis not attend the event, but if he had, i am sure he would have liked to have seen the aray of cars present.

His holiness, once he was ordained, requested that the church be poor, for the poor, and he has openly shyed away from the trappings of luxury that had gone before, he has even opened up the Vatican gardens to the public and he, himself, lives very modestly in a simple apartment, but for now, Porsche, can state forever, that they were the first to have a non religious event held at the Sistine Chapel, and thats one huge one upmanship for the German sports car brand.

Jon Mower

Lord March announces Goodwood event dates for 2014

Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival founder Lord March is today (Friday 11 October) able to announce the provisional dates for next year’s two leading sell-out Goodwood motoring events. It should be noted that at this stage the 2014 Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival dates are provisional and remain subject to change, pending ratification by the FIA of the 2014 Formula 1 calendar in December.

The 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed will take place from Thursday 26 June to Sunday 29 June.  The 2014 Festival promises to be packed with action and excitement, as the planet’s most glamorous racing machinery and famous drivers gather together in the beautiful surroundings of Goodwood Park. The theme for the 2014 Festival will be announced very shortly.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will open with the Moving Motor Show on Thursday 26 June 2014, to give new car buyers and motoring enthusiasts the opportunity to see the very latest models up close, and in many cases drive them on a dedicated vehicle evaluation route within the grounds of the Goodwood Estate, including the revered Festival hillclimb.

The unique 2014 Goodwood Revival is set for the weekend of 12-14 September 2014.  The sell-out Revival truly is a magical step back in time, celebrating the halcyon days of motor racing as it used to be, with all of the accompanying spectacle and glamour of the era.  Competitors and spectators alike dress in period fashions, with the finest sights and entertainment of the pre-1966 era for all to enjoy.

In addition, Lord March can also confirm the dates for the new 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting, to be held on 29-30 March 2014 exclusively for GRRC (Goodwood Road Racing Club) members at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

All of the 2014 Goodwood motor sport events promise a spectacular array of cars and motorcycles, plus star drivers and riders, and plenty of other fabulous attractions to thrill spectators of all ages.  Watch out for the very latest news and updates on these popular sell-out sporting and social events in the coming weeks and months.

As in previous years, admission to Goodwood motor sport events will be strictly by advance ticket only, with 2014 ticket sales commencing at 9am on Thursday 31 October 2013.  All young persons aged between 13 and 21 can purchase Festival of Speed and/or Revival tickets for half the full adult price.  Children aged 12 and under remain free of charge for 2014, as does car parking.  The price of adult entry tickets starts from just £27.

For 2013 both the Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival sold out long in advance of the events taking place, and this is expected to be repeated for 2014, so the early purchase of tickets for next year is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Tickets, grandstand seats, camping and other products for the 2014 Festival of Speed, Moving Motor Show and Goodwood Revival can be ordered from 9am Thursday 31 October on the Goodwood website (www.goodwood.com/motor sport/)

New F-TYPE and prototype C-X75 to be presented at exciting supercar event

• New F-TYPE and prototype C-X75 to be presented at exciting supercar event
• Privately-owned XJ220 and XJR-15 to complete Jaguar display at Wilton House

The award-winning Jaguar F-TYPE convertible will feature in a unique presentation of past, present and prototype Jaguar sports cars at the Wilton Classic Supercar** event on Sunday 04 August. The F-TYPE will be positioned prominently on site, alongside a prototype version of the innovative C-X75 hybrid sports car.

Experts from Jaguar and C-X75 programme partner Williams F1 will be on hand to provide information relating to F-TYPE and C-X75. Jaguar will also celebrate its sports car heritage with the presentation of privately owned examples of the rare XJ220 and XJR-15 sports cars.

Lord Pembroke, owner of Wilton House and founder of the Wilton Classic and Supercar event, said: “We will be celebrating the finest sports car ever built at this year’s event, and to have Jaguar present with this collection is very exciting. Jaguar has a rich history in producing sports cars that exude beautiful design, technical innovation and outstanding performance and I look forward to welcoming this great British brand to Wilton House.”

Although the decision was taken in 2012 that as a result of the global economic climate the C-X75 would not enter full production, it was clear that it was a powerful showcase for Jaguar's world-leading expertise in lightweight vehicle construction and the ideal test-bed for the company's innovative research into high-performance, low-emission powertrains.

The great achievements in the development of C-X75 prototypes - including cutting-edge hybrid technologies, carbon composite materials and advanced design solutions pioneered in association with Williams Advanced Engineering - will be utilised in other areas of research and development, innovative future products and next-generation engineering for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.