Pure McLaren announces its first ice driving experience – Pure McLaren Arctic Experience.

• Pure McLaren announces its first ice driving experience – Pure McLaren Arctic Experience
• Set 200 miles into the Arctic Circle in one of the most expansive winter testing facilities in the world
• The only winter driving experience to feature the McLaren Sports Series

Pure McLaren has announced its inaugural ice driving experience, taking place in January 2017. Set against the backdrop of northern Finland, 200 miles into the Arctic Circle, Pure McLaren Arctic Experience will be the only ice driving programme in the world to offer the thrill of the multi-award winning McLaren Sports Series.

The programme is designed to give guests an extraordinary experience on snow-covered roads and ice track. 

Like all Pure McLaren events, the exhilarating programme is tailored to the driver’s needs to help them achieve their goals, whether that’s mastering the infamous Scandinavian flick or building their confidence in challenging driving conditions. 

The team of professional driver coaches from Pure McLaren are working with renowned winter testing facility Test World, a leading proving ground based in Ivalo, Finland, to provide one of the most varied ice driving experiences available. 

Test World’s expansive grounds coupled with Pure McLaren’s professional drive team provide a safe and secure environment to learn and practice in.

Guests will experience the multi-award winning McLaren 570S Coupé,tackling a variety of track configurations, encompassing both ice and snow surfaces. 

The exhilaration continues away from the track with Pure McLaren teaming up with local travel provider Luxury Action to offer an exciting programme of winter activities, including a husky safari and snowmobile expedition. 

Accommodation will be provided in the beautiful Jávri Lodge, the former home of the President of Finland. Here guests will enjoy the very best of Finnish hospitality in a remote location nestled within the untamed Lappish wilderness. 

Built by Urho Kekkonen, the longest serving President of Finland, it is set amongst vast lakes and forests and is in an ideal position for viewing the Northern Lights.  

The Pure McLaren Arctic Experience will take place from January 15 to February 3, 2017 and offers groups of up to 14 guests a three night stay. The event is open for drivers and non-drivers, McLaren owners and non-owners and will be the first Pure McLaren activity of a busy 2017 schedule.

PURE McLAREN ARCTIC EXPERIENCE

Vehicle info Location Travel Clothing Cost

570S Coupé Ivalo, Finland Transfers from Ivalo Airport to JávriLodge are included Winter wear provided suitable for the environment Prices start from £12,500 per person

British Motor Heritage (BMH) is delighted to announce the addition of Anglo Parts to it's list of Approved Specialists

British Motor Heritage (BMH) is delighted to announce the addition of the multinational Anglo Parts concern to its already impressive list of Approved Specialists.

Founded in Belgium in 1982 by MG enthusiasts Chris and Bruno Van Gestel, Anglo Parts is now a significant force across Europe, with branches in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Finland, Luxembourg and the Czech and Slovak Republics. 

As the name suggests, the company supplies ‘Quality Parts for Classic British Cars’; in particular for models of Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Mini, Land Rover Defender and the ubiquitous Morris Minor. 

In addition to its enormous stock of car spares, the company can also supply a large selection of accessories and automobilia, from engine tuning parts to flying helmets and tools to enamel signs. 

It prides itself on the speed, price and condition of its parcel deliveries, and most items ordered in the morning are delivered the following day.

Commenting on this latest appointment, BMH’s Managing Director John Yea said: 

“This union of two well established automotive companies will be mutually beneficial combining, as it does, Anglo Parts’ impressive product knowledge, market reach and extensive distribution options with BMH’s unique range of original parts and manufacturing skills. 

I am delighted at the arrangement, which greatly strengthens the European level of our global coverage.”

Details of BMH’s product range and a full list of the company’s UK and 

Citroën Racing chose the roads of Finland for the third development test session of its 2017 World Rally Car.

Citroën Racing chose the roads of Finland for the third development test session of its 2017 World Rally Car. Running at maximum speed on the famous jumps, Kris Meeke and Craig Breen were able to test the car’s aerodynamic performance.

With its large, fast and rolling roads, Finland is among world rallying’s most revered venues. Due to the high speeds and the difficulty to “read” the road, it is one of the toughest terrains to grasp, with the drivers needing to concentrate on the jump approaches that send the cars flying into the air.

It is, therefore, no surprise that this country figures among the priority destinations for the team in charge of developing the Citroën that will compete in the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship. After the rough terrain of southern France and the mud-filled tracks in Portugal, Finland was ideal to continue assessing the car’s reliability and performance.

For this test, the aerodynamics were closely scrutinised by the engineers. “The freedom allowed by the FIA regulations offers us a much larger range of possible solutions than before,” says project manager for the 2017 World Rally Car, Alexis Avril.

“The bodywork of the WRC must entirely cover that of the original model and the maximum width is set at 1875mm. In this framework, we have a lot of freedom to design the wheel arches and bumpers. We can also create air intakes for re-cooling the rear brakes and add on a diffuser. Paradoxically, there are more restrictions for the design of the rear wing than today, but its efficiency will be increased tenfold by its further backed and raised positioning.”

The aerodynamics of a race or rally car must solve the complex equation of attaining maximum down-force, minimum drag and maximum cooling. To achieve this, Citroën Racing’s engineers have adopted what is now a standard methodology.

“We started the work with the CFD calculations, which let us sift through the possible options, continues Alexis Avril. “We collaborated with the Citroën design studio in order for the race car to resemble the characteristics of the production model. From this data, we built a model that was used in the wind tunnel. Between sessions, we carried on with the CFD calculations in enriching the data from the tests, and vice versa.”

With this approach, the expertise gained during the development of the WTCC Citroën Elysée has been widely put to use: “We have made great strides in our understanding of the flow principles and aerodynamic performance since 2013 and the debut of the WTCC programme. We have saved time in utilising the proven solutions. As the disciplines are different not everything was transferable, in circuit racing, there is a form of systematisation that doesn’t exist in rallying. Thus, the compromises are more important.”

While the aerodynamic development itself was done with CFD calculations and wind tunnel tests, the test sessions were used to assess the resilience of various components. “Vulnerability is an essential point in rallying. The dirt, mud, stones and gravel can quickly tear away the element or block the air intakes,” recalls Alexis Avril. “So you have to run in all the conditions to find a compromise between reliability and performance.”

bentley is back on the ice for 2016, now with added Bentayga, the fastest SUV in world, now that will be fun on ice.

• Bentley’s extraordinary ice-driving event returns for 2016
• Bentayga to demonstrate prowess on frozen lakes of Finland
• Former World Rally Champion, Juha Kankkunen, leads tuition team

The most powerful, most luxurious, most exclusive and fastest SUV in the world, the Bentley Bentayga, makes its ice-driving debut in 2016 at Bentley’s flagship customer event, Power on Ice.

Power on Ice is an unforgettable four-day experience that provides the opportunity to push a full range of Bentley cars to their limits. Running throughout February next year, guests will be among the first to explore the Bentayga’s extraordinary capabilities in one of the most beautiful and challenging environments in the world.

Two days of exhilarating ice driving training are provided by the vastly experienced Bentley Ice Driving Team. Leading the tuition will be four-time World Rally Champion and two-time ice-speed record holder, Juha Kankkunen – who personally designs each of the ten ice tracks.

A range of Bentley models, including the brand’s performance flagship, the Continental GT3-R, will take on the challenging off-piste tracks.  Thanks to their all-wheel-drive systems – and Bentley’s new Drive Dynamics Mode with optional Responsive Off-Road Setting in the case of Bentayga – each of the models can constantly adjust the distribution of power between front and rear wheels depending on available traction, ensuring optimal grip is delivered.

The home of the event will be the unique Chalet Ruka Peak. Relaxing evening meals featuring contemporary Finnish cuisine and a traditional smoke sauna will afford guests time to unwind after an adrenaline-fuelled day. Night time husky-sled safaris to an historic reindeer farm complete the immersion into Finnish culture and ensure a truly unique experience.

Honda to undertake 8,500 miles in a Civic Tourer to show it can achieve better than indicated fuel figures.

Honda will put the real-world fuel economy of its super-efficient 1.6 i-DTEC engine to the ultimate test in an 8,500mile drive across all 24 contiguous EU countries, with the aim of setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for fuel efficiency.

On Monday 1^st June 2015, two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team will climb into a Honda Civic Tourer and set out on an epic journey from Aalst, Belgium. Heading towards the Netherlands and Germany, their trip will see them navigate the Continent in a clockwise direction, with the aim of returning to their starting point some 25 days later, on June 25^th, having covered a planned total of 8,459miles.

The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt comes on the back of several independent tests which have proven Honda’s 1.6 i-DTEC engine to consistently out-perform its quoted fuel efficiency in real-world driving conditions. Keen to once again underline this performance and in the challenging spirit for which the brand is famed, Honda aims to set a benchmark with a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title never before attempted in Europe.

Under the rules of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt, the same two drivers must be in the car for every kilometre of the journey. Step forward Honda R&D colleagues of some 18 years, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK. The pair volunteered to take up the challenge and will be charged with driving an average 370miles, taking around 7.5 hours each day.

Fergal McGrath comments: “We are very much looking forward to the record attempt, and while we’re excited we’re both a little nervous about the scale of the task that awaits us. A huge amount of planning has gone into taking on this challenge and we look forward to what we hope will be a successful result when we return to Brussels on June 25^th. But we’ve got more than 170 hours behind the wheel to contend with first!”

The official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is ‘Lowest Fuel Consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries’, measured in litres per 100km and miles per gallon calculated over the entire journey. If successful the new record will apply to all cars, including hybrid and electric models. Based on strict and rigorous guidelines, the record attempt requires the car to enter each of the 24 countries specified, collecting a range of evidence including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video, photographs and independent witness signatures to prove that it has done so.

To ensure accurate monitoring of the route, journey time and distance driven, the record car has been fitted with a tracking device, provided by fleet telematics and stolen vehicle recovery expert, TRACKER (part of the Tantalum Corporation). The unit will provide a superior level of journey information, in real-time to ensure that Honda can supply robust and reliable automated data-evidence to meet the requirements stipulated by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.  Supporters will even be able to follow the progression of the two drivers live by visiting 

http://www.tracker.co.uk/RealFuelChallenge.

The car which attempts the record must be a standard model in every respect, with no modifications to give an advantage. This will be judged by an independent witness at the beginning and end of the record attempt. The car can only travel by road, therefore the route does not extend to the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, which make up the remainder of the 28 EU countries. In order to ensure no unfair advantage by reducing weight, the tank of the car must be filled to the maximum at each fuel stop.

Philip Crossman, Managing Director of Honda UK comments: “Since its launch in 2013 we have seen the 1.6 i-DTEC engine consistently over-perform on real-world fuel efficiency in our Civic, Civic Tourer and CR-V models, and this is our opportunity to put it to the ultimate test on a huge scale. We are very confident of a great result and we wish the team all the very best of luck as they take on the challenge.”

The 24 countries which are covered in the route, in alphabetical order, are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Follow Honda’s record attempt and get involved at #RealFuelChallenge.

Juha kankkunen drifts Bentleys in Finland

• Flying Spur debuts at high-adrenaline winter driving experience
• Motor sport legend Juha Kankkunen leads Bentley team in Finland
• More dates added to meet demand for 2014 programme
• Bentley luxury experience on and off the ice

Bentley returns to the snow-covered wilds of the far north of Finland this winter with a new and extended edition (6 February-6 March 2014) of its Power on Ice driving experience and the opportunity for even more guests to spend time developing advanced techniques with the four-time World Rally Champion and honorary ‘Bentley Boy’, Juha Kankkunen.

A further highlight of Power on Ice 2014 is the debut of the new Flying Spur sedan on the series of challenging and exhilarating snow and ice circuits especially designed by Kankkunen, who in addition to his 23 world rally victories, has twice broken the world ice speed driving record behind the wheel of Bentley’s Continental cars.

Acclaimed for its exquisite levels of craftsmanship and luxury, the new Flying Spur effortlessly combines this refinement with all the potency of Bentley’s 6.0 litre W12 twin turbocharged engine delivering 616 bhp (625 PS) and a 200 mph (322 km/h) top speed that makes it the world’s fastest luxury four door production car.

A state-of-the-art all-wheel drive system, constantly adjusting the levels of power to the front and rear wheels depending on available traction, ensures the Flying Spur delivers optimal grip regardless of road or weather conditions and is one of the very few ultra-luxury sedans capable of conquering this kind of ‘off-piste’ driving challenge.

“The Flying Spur is going to be an excellent addition to the Power on Ice experience and we’re looking forward to showing what it is capable of. There’s going to be something special about driving a luxury car you’d expect to see in Monte Carlo or London across the snow and frozen lakes,” comments Kankkunen.

The Flying Spur will join an array of Bentley Continental GT coupes in Finland (powered by the company’s 6.0 litre W12 and 4.0 litre V8 engines) and Kankkunen will work with Bentley’s own factory-trained driving experts who will offer in-depth tuition designed to allow drivers to broaden their range of driving skills when faced by testing road and weather conditions.

Away from the thrill of learning how to drive the Bentley of their choice at high-speed on ice, the four-day adventure in Finland offers guests the chance to unwind in the exclusive and luxurious surroundings of the Ruka Peak resort.

Situated just 60 km from the edge of the Arctic Circle, the resort offers a wide selection of hotel and private chalet accommodation options and the mountain resort is widely believed to offer some of the finest, unbroken views of Finland’s spectacular winter scenery. Open fires, saunas, first class local cuisine and flying to and from Helsinki by private jet help to complement the first class experience.