by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
Maserati celebrates the Bora, the first mid-mounted rear engine road car in the Brand’s history, just as the MC20 is the first mid-mounted rear engine vehicle in the new Era.
The wind of the Maserati Bora spans through 50 years of history, and reaches the dawn of a new phase for the Brand: all new models share the exclusiveness, sportiness and uniqueness that have always characterised the Modenese constructor, and Bora has also handed down its engine position, first introduced on the Tipo 63 (1961), initially reprised on the MC12, and now a key feature of the new MC20.
Exactly 50 years have passed since 11 March 1971, when the Geneva International Motor Show provided the backdrop for the debut of the Maserati Bora, which was produced until 1978 with 564 cars built, not to mention the spectacular Boomerang, a coupé prototype created by Giugiaro with futuristic engineering and wedge-shaped bodywork.
Following the trend that had already revolutionised Formula 1 racing cars over previous years, Maserati asked Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign to come up with a mid-mounted rear engine sports car with enhanced performance, design, comfort and safety.
The engine was the tried and tested 4,700 cc V8 producing 310 horsepower at 6,000 rpm (to be joined by the 4,900 cc unit two years later), mounted lengthways on a subframe installed on the monocoque.
The car’s distinctive features included retractable headlights to prevent aerodynamic drag, projecting differential on the rear axle, independent suspensions on all wheels (for the first time in a Maserati), disc brakes, dry-mounted single disc clutch, 5-speed gearbox and telescopic suspension dampers.
The Bora combined comfort and performance and had a top speed of over 280 km/h, ensuring great driving pleasure thanks to the engine’s exceptionally agile response and the quiet interior.
While the car’s engineering design carried the name of Giulio Alfieri, the aerodynamics and styling were by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created a two-seater coupé on simple, elegant lines which gave the Maserati Bora a balanced appearance.
The approach was futuristic, with a low, slender, almost tapered front styled to cut through the air, while the front grille included two rectangular air vents with a Trident in the centre. The perfectly sleek sides were centrally divided by a thin black rubber trim, while the rear ended in a Kamm or truncated tail.
The result was a trend-setting, streamlined car perfect for the rock-and-roll spirit of the ‘70s, which is still delighting fans today.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
All-inclusive electric car subscription provider expands its fleet with 300 Audi e-tron Black Edition SUVs
which are now available to subscribers for as little as one month
- e-tron 55 Black Edition now available via all-inclusive subscription service Onto
- No deposit or long-term commitment required – minimum one-month usage period
- Straightforward all-in monthly fee of £1,299 covers insurance, free charging, servicing, breakdown cover and up to 1,000 miles.
- Option to continue, switch model or stop at the end of each month
- Boosted by purchase of 300 e-trons, Onto is operator of UK’s largest EV fleet
By taking a selfie and completing a simple online registration process, drivers who may have been considering a trial separation from the internal combustion engine can now take delivery of a new Audi e-tron Black Edition for as little as one month usage period.
The attractive new incentive to make the switch to zero local emission driving is the result of a collaboration between Audi UK and all-inclusive electric car subscription provider Onto, which has just purchased 300 examples of the much sought-after electric SUV. The relative newcomer to the world of vehicle fleets is now making the e-tron available for periods starting at one month, with everything from insurance and maintenance to 1,000 miles-worth of electricity all taken care of by one simple subscription payment.
“Although it’s an increasingly unfounded viewpoint, electrification and additional complication still go hand in hand in the eyes of many drivers, so our involvement with Onto will be valuable as a means of dismantling as many perceived obstacles to EV ownership and usage as possible,” says Director of Audi UK Andrew Doyle.
“Onto’s acquisition of 300 Audi e-trons is one of the largest corporate BEV purchase commitments we have seen so far, and supplements an EV fleet which is already the most extensive in the UK. This acutely convenience-focused service has real potential to be a key driver of attitudinal change and broader integration of more environmentally compatible mobility.”
Unlike more familiar automotive leasing models, the Onto service doesn’t require subscribers to secure their chosen car with a deposit, or to commit to binding multi-year agreements. During the online subscription process, customers selecting the e-tron Black Edition will be asked to pay a fee of £49.50 to cover delivery to their preferred UK address. This can be carried out within as little as 72 hours. At that point either 50 per cent or 100 per cent of the advertised monthly fee of £1,299 is also debited, depending on the proximity of the booking and delivery dates. This payment can be a one-off, as subsequent charges only become applicable ahead of each new month when the customer confirms they want to extend usage of their car. If they don‘t, they can pay a £49.50 collection fee and walk away, or pay this fee and swap to another electric vehicle available as part of the Onto service (for which charges vary).
Whilst the monthly fee for usage may initially seem uncompetitive versus more traditional contract hire and PCP rates, the total cost of ownership for the customer is actually comparable when the absence of a lump-sum deposit and the inclusion of insurance, charging and servicing are taken into account.
All-inclusive package
That package includes fully comprehensive insurance with breakdown cover for drivers aged between 30 and 80, up to 1,000 miles-worth of electricity accessible monthly through membership of the BP Pulse and Shell Recharge networks with their thousands of UK charging stations, and servicing, including agreed wear and tear provision. It also includes specification enhancements, such as metallic paint, that are often categorised as extra cost options in conventional leasing agreements.
The key interface – quite literally – between Onto and its customers is the Onto app, which is downloadable from the App Store or on Google Play. It replaces physical keys for users of the service, who instead lock, unlock and start their cars using the app on their smartphone.
In the case of the e-tron, the app also supplements the car’s onboard e-tron route planner by showing public charging locations at which users can top up with the electricity included as part of their subscription using their BP Pulse or Shell Recharge charge cards. Charging is of course also possible at compatible public points that are not part of the BP Pulse or Shell Recharge network, and at home using the appropriate cable supplied with the e-tron, but any costs incurred in these instances are not covered by the subscription.
Based on the perennially popular S line trim with its more sporting slant, the Black Edition specification available for the e-tron as part of the Onto service enhances the SUV‘s profile further still with some premium touches. Privacy glass, matrix LED headlamps and 21-inch alloy wheels with a black finish that is carried through into the singleframe, the front and rear bumper inserts, the window trims, the roof rails and the door mirror surrounds are key external features. Lowered adaptive sport air suspension also contributes to the purposeful stance, and of course also to composure through corners.
Inside, S line detailing, front sport seats finished in contrast-stitched Valcona leather and additional dashboard, door and centre console upholstery in Twin leather subtly signal intent while lending the appropriate air of luxury. Naturally this is also complemented by upscale technology in the form of features such as the Audi Virtual Cockpit, the Audi smartphone interface, Audi Phone box wireless smartphone connectivity and charging and the touch-screen MMI Touch system with its dual monitors. This serves as the gateway to MMI Navigation Plus and to the many online services available as part of the Audi Connect portfolio.
235-mile driving range
The e-tron Black Edition is currently available in 50 quattro form with a WLTP-certified range of up to 183 miles, or as a 55 quattro capable of travelling for up to 235 miles between charges, and it is this second, more powerful version which Onto has chosen to expand its service offer. Its two electric motors deliver a system output of 300 kW and can make up to 664 Nm (489.7 lb-ft) of torque available within a fraction of a second, enabling acceleration from a standing start to 62mph in 5.7 seconds and a top speed electronically-limited to 124mph. The 95 kWh battery that makes this possible can charge with direct current (DC) at up to 150 kW, meaning that approximately half an hour is all that is required to restore 80 per cent of its capacity at fast charging stations.
The e-tron SUV symbolises the beginning of a transformation for Audi, as the brand famous for Vorsprung durch Technik seeks to reorient itself as a pioneer of sustainable mobility. The company plans not only to roll out an electrified product range that will be 30-strong by 2025, including no less than 20 fully electric models, but also to maximise the environmental compatibility of its production facilities and processes. Its fundamental objective is to operate all its sites carbon neutrally and reduce its overall carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2025, and ultimately to become a wholly net-zero carbon-emission company by 2050.
Further information about the e-tron 55 quattro can be found at www.audi.co.uk, and prospective Onto subscribers can explore the service in more detail at https://on.to/
Easy-going electrification – Audi UK has teamed up with online electric car subscription provider Onto to make the e-tron 55 Black Edition available to its subscribers for one simple, all-inclusive monthly fee, and for periods of as little as one month.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
NEW SURVEY FOR TOP GEAR HIGHLIGHTS THE FAMILY ‘MOTORING MEMORIES’ THAT COULD SOON BE LOST TO HISTORY
Classic in-car ‘I-Spy’ style games, parents bickering over directions and children’s cries of ‘are we there yet’ are now all part of a bygone age of motoring according to a new study
- Survey into the history of family car travel identifies the motoring experiences that younger generations will never encounter
- Research reveals six in ten (63%) adults aged 40 and over cherish childhood memories of family outings by car
- 60% say the most honest and heartfelt chats with family take place in the car
- Study marks the launch of a new series of hit BBC One motoring show Top Gear on Sunday 14th March
- First episode sees presenters Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris drive their old family cars as they reminisce about their childhood motoring memories
Mum and Dad bickering over maps and directions, playing ‘I Spy’ style car games with the kids and using wire coat hangers for replacement aerials are now all part of a bygone age of motoring according to a new survey released today.
The research for Top Gear into family car travel over the last 40 years reveals a seismic change between generations and identifies the in-car travel experiences that could soon be consigned to the history books.
Tuning in the car stereo, picking up hitchhikers and the plaintive cries of ‘are we there yet?’ from listless children are also listed among the motoring experiences that younger generations are unlikely to encounter.
The survey of 2,000 UK adults aged 40 and over was commissioned by BBC Studios to mark the start of the 30th series of flagship BBC One motoring entertainment show Top Gear on Sunday 14th March.
In the series opener, presenters Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris drive their old family cars and reminisce about their childhood motoring memories.
The top ten family car travel experiences which have been lost to history:
- Unfurling of maps and arguments between parents over directions (54%)
- One CD or tape in the car that you had to listen to every single time you went on a drive (53%)
- Pre-planning routes (39%)
- Using a coat hanger as a radio aerial (39%)
- Using the cigarette lighter for its original intended purpose (35%)
- Endless tuning to get a radio signal (34%)
- Classic ‘in car’ games such as ‘I Spy’ (34%)
- Picking up hitchhikers (30%)
- The rallying cry of ’are we there yet’ (24%)
- His and hers windscreen stickers (sunscreen strips) (23%)
Bygone experiences which just missed out on a top 10 placement included changing your own spare tyre (23%), the discovery of local radio stations being picked up as you drive through a hilly region (19%) and going for a Sunday family ‘leisure drive’ (19%).
The survey also revealed that the countless hours spent on childhood car journeys hold vivid and cherished family memories for the vast majority (68%) of British adults.
In car games such as ‘I Spy’ and imaginative checklists to spot road signs were also named as the most fondly remembered ‘motor memories’ of a now bygone era (67%) and whilst it may have been their parent’s worst nightmare the rallying cry of ‘are we there yet’ still has a place in Brit’s hearts with over half of those surveyed (56%) saying it was one of their most vivid family road trip memories.
Conversely, arguments between parents over directions (44%), endlessly tuning to find radio stations (43%) and arguments over what radio station to listen to (37%) are the experiences we miss the least.
Paddy McGuinness commented: “Kids now will never witness the delights of an A to Z or the games of eye spy in a very warm car. It was great to take a drive down memory lane in our old family cars for the new series. One thing we all recalled with huge affection was the heartfelt chats we had with our parents on those long car journeys when we were growing up.”
The research, launched ahead of Mothers’ Day, reveals that over half of us find it easier to have deep and meaningful conversations with family whilst on a car journey. 53% of respondents recall memorable heart-to-hearts with mum on the road whilst 47% also delved into deeper ‘in-car’ conversations with their fathers. Six in ten of those surveyed said they connected most with their parents while chatting in the car.
Clare Pizey, Top Gear’s Executive Producer said: “As this new survey would seem to prove, whilst long car journeys back in the day took for ever, weren’t always very comfortable – or indeed safe given lots of us didn’t have rear seat belts – what they did have was loads of family chats and games that have made precious memories. Fred, Chris and Paddy certainly felt like they were driving down memory lane when they drove their Dads’ cars recently and they all remembered just being with their parents in the car very fondly.”
Further findings revealed that 59% of Brits now identify satellite navigation aids as the number one piece of modern tech they would not want to live without followed by Hi-tech entertainment systems (12%) and sophisticated security features (8%).
The new four-episode series of Top Gear, produced by BBC Studios, returns to screens this Sunday 14 March and will feature: a titanium-shoed presenting team being dragged down a Scottish runway by The Stig driving their cars; a tribute to the most famous and least well-known Bond cars; Freddie racing in the battery-powered-off-road Extreme E against a Jetpack man; and a ‘Mid-life Crisis Cars’ episode involving bicycles, lycra and jet skis!
Top Gear starts this Sunday 14 March at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
For more information, please contact Rosie Cope at Taylor Herring: RC@taylorherring.com
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- Women in music and film: Jaguar continues to support creative industries
- Creative collaboration: Brand works with DJ/producer Hannah Wants and actor Christina Chong to launch the new Jaguar E-PACE on TV
- Soundtrack: New track Lift Off has been adapted exclusively for the campaign after featuring on BBC Radio 1 Dance Party with Annie Mac (UK only) and Spotifyplaylists
- New inside and out: New E-PACE has enhanced interior and exterior, advanced connectivity and is available with efficient plug-in-hybrid and mild-hybrid electrification
- Available to order: Jaguar E-PACE is priced from £32,575. Click here to see Christina and hear Hannah in the new Jaguar E-PACE TV advert
Jaguar has collaborated with electronic dance music DJ/producer Hannah Wants and actor Christina Chong to celebrate the new Jaguar E-PACE SUV.
British/Chinese actor Chong is filmed driving the E-PACE in London, soundtracked by Wants’ new single Lift Off. The new TV advert, Striking From Every Angle, is the latest instalment of Jaguar Creators, a series of collaborations with talented creative artists.
The musical accompaniment is provided British DJ and producer Hannah Wants, a former professional footballer, whose new single with Nathan Nicholson, Lift Off, has been adapted exclusively for the campaign. Wants’ latest track has already featured in the top ten of Spotify’s UK House Music playlist and the Electronic Rising playlist top five.
Hannah Wants said: “Jaguar Land Rover is close to my heart as my dad was an engineer there for more than 30 years. To be approached by the brand to work with them on their new E-PACE campaign is a great achievement and I feel honoured they have chosen Lift Off.”
Her work on the new E-PACE campaign is Jaguar’s second foray into dance music, following a collaboration with American DJ/producer MK to launch the new F-PACE SUV earlier this year. Jaguar is committed to supporting the creative industries and emerging talent.
Christina Chong said: “As an actor, I try to create emotions that connect with people. Learning your lines and losing yourself in a part gets intense – you have to be vulnerable. So I like to escape by getting behind the wheel with my music. The Jaguar E-PACE is a place where I get to be me again.”
The new E-PACE compact performance SUV is available with both plug-in-hybrid and mild-hybrid electric powertrains. Its upgraded interior features Jaguar’s intuitive new Pivi Pro infotainment, with Software-Over-The-Air capability ensuring both infotainment and vehicle system updates are installed seamlessly and remotely. Optional cabin air ionisation with PM2.5 filtration captures ultrafine particles and allergens for enhanced occupant wellbeing.
Andy Hunt Cooke, Jaguar Global Communications, said: “Our new global strategy, called Reimagine, sets out Jaguar’s future as a pure electric luxury brand with a dramatically beautiful portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies.
“Today the new E-PACE showcases its unique design, hybrid powertrains and cutting-edge infotainment. We’re thrilled to celebrate it with such creative women as Hannah and Christina, who embody the fearless creativity that sets Jaguar apart.”
The new E-PACE which has a choice of eight powerful and efficient engines, including the P300e Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, which combines a 200PS 1.5-litre three-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine and a 109PS (80kW) Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) motor, providing the ability to drive up to 34 miles (55km) in zero emissions EV mode – perfect for daily drives in the city.
To view/download films featuring Christina Chong in the New Jaguar E-PACE, click here: f.io/3977j5Wy
To hear Lift Off by Hannah Wants and Nathan Nicholson, visit https://ffm.to/lift-0ff
The new Jaguar E-PACE is available to order now at www.jaguar.com
by gaukcars.com | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
- First look at all-new KONA N reveals a powerful stance and high-performance design elements
- The ‘hot SUV’ will combine the driving fun of a Hyundai N model with the comfort and convenience of an SUV
- All-new KONA N features the modern design of the new KONA with the bold and dynamic language of the company’s N division
Hyundai Motor has revealed a glimpse of the all-new KONA N without its camouflage disguise.
In a series of teaser images, fans and enthusiasts can enjoy a first look at the latest member of the brand’s high-performance N range.
The all-new KONA N will be the latest addition to the Hyundai N brand line-up, and the first N model with an SUV body type.
As the first images reveal, the ‘hot SUV’ boasts a sporty appearance, further emphasised by its wide, low stance. For the very first time, the Hyundai N division and Hyundai Design Centre worked together to develop an SUV body type, creating a product that clearly represents a powerful presence and driving fun. The all-new KONA N combines the modern design of the recently launched new KONA with the bold and dynamic language of the company’s N models.
The front view is dominated by large, sporty and iconic air intakes, and the new light signature gives Hyundai’s latest high-performance model an aggressive, powerful appearance. The lower grille defines the character of the bumper fascia: its shape is inspired by an aeronautic fuselage and extends to the side of the car, emphasising its aerodynamic efficiency and speed. An N logo on the unique upper grille completes the look.
At the rear, a large double-wing roof spoiler for enhanced downforce gives spice to the rear view. It also incorporates a third, triangular brake light, as is customary with N models. Large N dual exhaust mufflers fully express the model’s high-performance spirit. Lower down on the rear bumper, a large diffuser enhances the airflow departure. The sporty appearance is further emphasised through body-coloured fenders, bringing KONA N visually closer to the ground.
The all-new KONA N is equipped with the eye-catching features reserved for N models, such as exclusive alloy wheels and red accents that embellish the side sills.
The all-new KONA N will be the latest addition to the Hyundai N family, Hyundai’s high-performance, motorsport-inspired line-up. It will also expand the successful Hyundai SUV family in Europe.
More information will be revealed soon.
