by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- Volkswagen Caravelle on six-month loan to The Captain Tom Foundation
- Captain Tom raised £38.9 million during the first COVID-19 lockdown
- Caravelle will help continue Captain Tom’s legacy through charity work
- Volkswagen Caravelle chosen for its space, comfort and ease-of-use
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is continuing its support of The Captain Tom Foundation with a long-term loan of its Volkswagen Caravelle, used to assist with ongoing charity work and fundraising.
The Captain Tom Foundation took delivery of the Volkswagen Caravelle in November 2020 to support Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts.
The Volkswagen Caravelle was chosen by the foundation for its space, ease-of-use and comfort and the long-term loan will now be extended to assist the family in continuing the charity work.
The Captain Tom Foundation was founded in May and officially launched in September 2020 following the astounding success of Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts for the NHS in the first COVID-19 lockdown, raising £38.9 million. The foundation focuses on causes that were close to Captain Tom’s heart: combating loneliness championing education and equality and continuing to support the NHS.
The Volkswagen Caravelle offers the highest standard of professional passenger transport, with comfortable interior, state-of-the-art infotainment systems and innovative driver assistance and safety systems to ensure a comfortable and smooth journey.
Hannah Ingram-Moore, who co-founded The Captain Tom Foundation with her father commented: “We are delighted to have the support of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and the continued use of the Volkswagen Caravelle. We could never have imagined the events of last year. It’s been extremely busy and emotional, but also immensely rewarding and we are so incredibly grateful for the support we have received from far and wide. The loan vehicle has helped us with our continued fundraising and the charity support that my father was so passionate about.”
Amy Allen, Product Affairs Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said: “It’s a pleasure to be able to assist The Captain Tom Foundation with a loan of one of our Volkswagen Caravelles. The work started by Captain Tom, and now continued by his family through this foundation, has proven invaluable over the past year and we’re delighted to help continue Captain Tom’s impressive legacy.”
Captain Sir Tom’s family has also recently launched the Captain Tom 100 challenge, inviting everyone to dream up a challenge based around the number 100 and complete it anytime and anywhere over Captain Tom’s birthday weekend (Friday 30 April to Bank Holiday Monday 3 May). For more information, please visit: https://captaintom.org/captain-tom-100
For more details on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ award-winning range of products and services, or to find your nearest Van Centre, please visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- On display from 23 to 25 April, next to the bull sculpture, Rotunda Square
- Product ambassadors will be on hand to explain the ground-breaking car’s unique design and advanced technologies
- IONIQ 5 set for launch this summer
Visitors to The Bullring in central Birmingham from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 April will be among the first in the country to see Hyundai’s innovative new all-electric IONIQ 5.
The car is set to be one of the most advanced all-electric vehicles available when it goes on sale this summer, capable of ultra-fast charging and boasting a range of luxury features including an advanced head-up display, relaxation seats, a sliding centre console and a next-generation infotainment system with two 12.3-inch screens.
Those wishing to be amongst the first to experience the new all-electric IONIQ 5 can simply visit Rotunda Square, located in front of the famous bull sculpture. The pop-up will be open on Friday between 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday 09:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. No registration is required. Early adopters who have pre-registered for the high-spec launch model, Project 45, will have priority viewing windows each day from 11:00-12:30PM.
Hyundai product ambassadors will be on hand to answer questions and guide visitors on the car’s ground-breaking design and advanced features. The model on show will be an IONIQ 5 Ultimate in Gravity Gold.
Also on display will be another of Hyundai’s electric vehicles, the award-winning KONA Electric, which features an updated design delivering 300 miles from a single charge. The KONA range will soon be expanded with the addition of the high-performance KONA N, which is set for a global unveiling online on 27 April.
COVID-19 measures and restrictions will be in place following the latest government guidance. Please follow all instructions whilst speaking with our brand experts.
Find out more about the IONIQ 5 here: https://www.hyundai.co.uk/new-cars/ioniq5.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
PEUGEOT is supporting a new world record attempt to circumnavigate mainland Britain by a stand up paddleboard (SUP).
Attempted by Brendon Prince, adventurer and former Head of Outdoor Education at a South Devon grammar school for 25 years, the new record attempt will look to raise awareness for water safety, men’s health and the need to protect Britain’s coast lines.
Travelling by SUP around mainland Britain has been attempted many times before but never completed. Brendon is hoping to be the first to complete this world record as well as set two other world firsts; to be the first person, and fastest, to paddle from Land’s End to John O’ Groats via the coast and the longest ever journey on a stand up paddleboard. He is aiming to cover the approximate 2360miles in under 90 days.
Brendon will have to manage everything from tides and weather, to port authorities and MOD firing ranges, as well as the general fatigue that comes with paddleboarding for many consecutive days.
Joining Brendon will be a support team travelling in two PEUGEOT vans; a Boxer van which will act as a support vehicle, travelling to each stop to help with logistics and the PEUGEOT Expert van which will provide safety provisions. Brendon is attempting the record without a support boat, but his attempt will be tracked from the coastline to ensure his safety with the help of the PEUGEOT Expert.
The record attempt will start and end at Torre Abbey Sands at Torbay, with Brendon departing on Saturday 24th April. He’s looking to cross John O’Groats, the top of Scotland, within 40 days. The PEUGEOT vans will be delivered by Vospers PEUGEOT in Torquay and will be on loan for the duration of the record attempt.
The award-winning PEUGEOT Expert is one of PEUGEOT’s most successful LCV models. With a load volume of up to 6.6m3 and payload of up to 1,458kg, the PEUGEOT Expert is available as a panel van in Compact, Standard or Long lengths, with four different trim levels. The PEUGEOT Expert is also available as a crew van (accommodating up to six people), allowing drivers to meet a variety of business needs. Unveiled last year, an electrified PEUGEOT e-Expert is also available now, with either 50kWh or 75kWh batteries providing a range of up to 205 miles under WLTP tests.
The range’s largest LCV model, the PEUGEOT Boxer van, offers multiple body sizes allowing for an internal loadspace capacity between 8.0 to 17m3, with a payload of up to 1,870kg on panel vans. Also arriving later this year is the PEUGEOT e-Boxer, available with either a 37 kWh or 70 kWh battery.
Brendon Prince, said: “This attempt would not be possible without the support of many people and organisations. I’m very thankful to PEUGEOT and for the loan of its two vans. They will ensure the attempt has the best chance of success and will help keep me and my team safe throughout.”
Julie David, Managing Director, PEUGEOT UK, said: “Brendon’s record attempt is an ambitious one, and we are fully behind him and look forward to starting the journey around Britain. He’s working to promote some fantastic initiatives, and we wish him the very best on his journey and with the attempt.”
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- The first official photographs of the special version of the 812 Superfast were made available today
- The model’s name and further technical information will be revealed on May 5 during a live-streamed event on Ferrari’s social media channels
- The ultimate expression of Ferrari DNA: exclusivity, a racing soul and the pinnacle of automotive innovation
- Naturally-aspirated V12 unleashes 830 cv at 9,500 rpm for a sensation of endless power and performance
The first official images of Ferrari’s latest limited-edition special series have been published in the build-up to its world première, which will be broadcast live on the Maranello marque’s social media channels on May 5 at 14:30 CEST.
The new model is the ultimate expression of Ferrari’s concept of an extreme front-engined berlinetta, honing the characteristics of the critically-acclaimed 812 Superfast to a level never seen before. The result is a car that encapsulates and epitomises the company’s 70-plus years of experience on the world’s circuits, drawing on its thoroughbred sports car DNA to deliver a perfect marriage of performance, form, and function. Aimed at Ferrari’s most passionate collectors and connoisseurs, it features numerous uncompromising engineering solutions to guarantee peerless driving pleasure.
As is the case with all Ferrari’s cars, the most striking feature lies at its very heart: in this instance the latest evolution of Maranello’s legendary 65° V12 engine, which reaches the highest output of any Ferrari road-car engine – 830 cv – and revs to 9,500 rpm, again the highest of any Ferrari ICE. The use of state-of-the-art materials, the redesign of many of the engine’s key components, a new valve timing mechanism and a new exhaust system are just some of the technical solutions that allow the most noble of Ferrari engines to deliver performance levels that are unprecedented in the V12 segment.
The pure yet brutal power unleashed by the powertrain is paired with class-leading vehicle dynamics controls to ensure that the performance can be fully exploited and to guarantee maximum fun behind the wheel. Most distinctive of these solutions is the adoption of independent steering on all four wheels. This extends the feeling of agility and precision when cornering as well as providing unparalleled responsiveness to steering inputs. Another noteworthy engineering achievement is the development work undertaken to reduce the car’s overall weight compared to the 812 Superfast. This was achieved in particular by extensive use of carbon fibre, both on the exterior and in the cockpit. Lastly, the new model premieres version 7.0 of the renowned Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system.
One of the most striking aspects of this new model is how in-depth aerodynamic research has altered the car’s lines. Working in close synergy with the Ferrari Styling Centre, the aerodynamicists have adopted solutions that are extreme in form featuring profiles that are unprecedented for a road-legal car. The aerodynamic redesign of the whole car was aimed at maximising downforce levels: from the new front air intakes, rear diffuser and exhaust configuration to the patented design of the rear screen – which now hosts vortex generators – every modification is a faithful expression of Ferrari’s core belief that form must always follow function.
From a design point of view, this new special series has a strong personality all of its own that differentiates it significantly from the 812 Superfast on which it is based: this was achieved by choosing styling themes that further enhance the architectural design and dynamism of the 812 Superfast, pushing its sporty vocation to new extremes.
One example of this is the decision to replace the glass rear screen with a single-piece aluminium structure. The vortex generators it sports improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, but the design solution chosen, which is fully integrated with the roof, simultaneously creates a backbone effect that underscores the car’s sculptural forms.
Together with the carbon-fibre blade that traverses the bonnet, this motif changes the overall perception of the car’s volumes: the bonnet seems shorter, emphasising the width of the car, and the tail now has a more powerful, fastback look, thus making it appear more compact and competition-like despite it sharing the 812 Superfast’s silhouette, proportions and formal balance. Even the rear spoiler now looks more imposing: it is higher but the specific design treatment used also makes the tail look very wide, almost horizontal.
The interior architecture very much reflects that of the 812 Superfast, retaining the main dash and door panel interfaces and volumes, including the signature diapason motif. Along with other elements of the interior, the door panel has been redesigned to reduce weight and, combined with the introduction of the H-gate theme on the tunnel, this lends the cockpit a sportier, more modern edge that reflects the car’s racing spirit.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- Enquiries and bookings for stag and hen experiences double compared to emergence from the first lockdown in 2020
- Ring it on… recent roadmap announcement sparked big interest from future brides and grooms, with bookings up nearly a quarter since end of February
- Trackdays.co.uk believes surge in bookings shows real confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel
Enquiries and bookings for Stag and Hen driving experiences are double that compared to emergence from the first lockdown last year, new data by TrackDays.co.uk reveals.
Indeed, the analysis by one of the UK’s leading driving experience providers highlights that since the roadmap announcement at the end of February, bookings have increased by nearly a quarter compared to just a 10% increase out of the first lockdown last year.
And it’s the most extreme driving packages that are receiving the greatest interest, with exotic supercar experiences, such as getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari, Lamborghini or McLaren, accounting for almost half of all Stag and Hen bookings.
Specifically, the Double Supercar Blast for Two is one of the most popular experiences for stags and hens, as lovers, perhaps surprisingly, look to spend some last moments of single life freedom not apart but together.
Supercar experiences are followed by two group centric experiences, the Extreme Dodgems package and the Group Kart Grand Prix, both of which have seen a 50% increase in sales since February’s roadmap announcement.
Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said: “It is very encouraging to see a big increase in bookings compared to when we came out of the first lockdown last year.
“We can only hope that there is now real confidence that everyday life is returning to normal, including the resumption of weddings, and that Stags and Hens can once again choose how they wish to party before the big day.”
For more information about TrackDays.co.uk, visit www.trackdays.co.uk, to book a stag or hen experience visit https://www.trackdays.co.uk/gift-ideas/stag-and-hen-days/, while for a romantic aerial adventure head over to www.flydays.co.uk.
