Secrets of the Supercars offers viewers a behind the scenes look at manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6.
Multi-layer safety glass, armoured passenger compartment, post-blast-protection, leak-resistant fuel tank and run-flat tyres make this vehicle capable of withstanding attack from automatic weapons like the AK-47.
Broadcasting in the UK this Sunday at 19:00 BST on Dave.
For 40 years, BMW has set the standard in the design and development of armoured vehicles.
Now, for the first time in its history, the company has granted TV cameras access inside its secretive Protection Vehicle division. Secrets of the Supercars will take viewers behind the scenes for an exclusive look at manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6 – an SAV capable of withstanding attack from automatic weapons like the AK-47.
The next episode of Secrets of the Supercars, to be broadcast this Sunday evening in the UK, will lift the lid on the BMW X5 Protection VR6. It will take viewers behind the scenes at the BMW Protection facility in Munich, Germany, to see how the company designs and builds a car that can withstand sustained enemy attack whilst keeping occupants safe. The vehicle will also be put to the test on track and at the shooting range, providing viewers with unique insight into how it achieves its industry-leading safety certification.
Barely distinguishable from the series-production model both in terms of its appearance and driving dynamics, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 shields occupants with approximately 30 mm thick multi-layer safety glass that features an internal polycarbonate splinter protection layer. Combined with the armoured passenger compartment, post-blast-protection, leak-resistant fuel tank and run-flat tyres, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 can safeguard against attacks from short-range and long-range weapons.
The Secrets of the Supercars series provides an inside look at some of the most exclusive car companies on earth, putting vehicles through their paces on the track, discovering game-changing supercars of the past and revealing what happens when engineers push supercar design to the extremes.
Secrets of the Supercars BMW X5 Protection VR6 episode will broadcast on Dave on Sunday 2 May at 19:00 BST. International broadcast dates across Europe and other territories will follow.
Zenvo Automotive has appointed the MOHR GROUP as its official dealer in Germany, marking a first step towards the brand’s world-wide dealer and service network, as it sets to expand its commercial offering all over the world.
Based at its headquarters in Munich, the MOHR GROUP will offer Zenvo Automotive’s current line-up of limited edition hypercars at its recently-opened showroom – a 1,600m2 space in Motorworld München. The TS1 GT grand tourer, TSR track model and the flagship TSR-S will be available alongside an array of exclusive hypercar, premium vehicle and motorcycle brands. MOHR GROUP, which is led by Mohr brothers Luis and Lorenz, will also retail Zenvo Automotive’s upcoming, all new series of limited edition hypercars, which will be built from the ground up by Zenvo.
Angela Kashina, CEO of Zenvo Automotive, said:“This is an incredibly exciting and significant first step for Zenvo and our expansion plans. With our sights firmly set on establishing a global distribution network for our vehicle models, we are delighted to appoint the MOHR GROUP as our dealer partner in Germany.
“The company’s [MOHR GROUP] business model provides a compelling partner offering in a key market. It presents several competing brands under one roof, allowing discerning customers to compare Zenvo to other brands and make informed decisions. We are extremely proud of our unique proposition and feel that our hypercar line-up will prosper in such an environment. We look forward to this partnership bolstering our industry foothold ahead of further expansion.”
Lorenz Mohr, Managing Partner of the MOHR GROUP, said:“Zenvo is a brand that I have watched with excitement and interest for some years. We are honoured to represent the exclusive Danish hypercar innovator throughout Germany, and extend our service and hospitality to its customers.”
Founded in 2007, Zenvo limits production of its models to five cars per year, all hand built by a skilled team at its headquarters in Præstø, Denmark, which has been recently refurbished to expand its in-house production capabilities.
Zenvo’s road-going TS1 GT and TSR-S are both fully compliant with Euro 6 regulations and are homologated for the German market. A power pack upgrade for the TSR-S is in development and set to launch this year, while an all-new series of vehicles, built solely by Zenvo, is also in progress.
Continues a long tradition – Formula 1 teams first attended the Festival of Speed in 1994
See the world’s fastest cars and drivers up close in the Festival’s F1 Pit Lane
The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard takes place 8-11 July 2021
Goodwood is proud to announce that five current Formula 1 teams are already confirmed to attend the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard on 8-11 July.
Formula 1 teams first visited the Festival in 1994, when the event was in its infancy, with Williams, McLaren and Arrows joining the celebrations and taking to the Hill that year. It remains the only event outside the World Championship calendar regularly attended by all the top teams.
Joining us at motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party this year, one week before the British Grand Prix, will be the McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Red Bull Racing Honda, Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow, and Williams Racing.
With the F1 season now underway, the Festival of Speed provides the best, and one of the only, opportunities to see the cars and drivers up close this year outside of a Grand Prix weekend. Visitors to the Festival can enjoy unrivalled access, as the teams’ engineers prepare the cars to take on the iconic hillclimb, the engines roar into life, and the drivers get behind the wheel.
Over the years, the Festival’s F1 Pit Lane presented by Sky Sports has been graced by the greatest cars in the sport’s history, driven by World Champions past, present and future, and 2021 will be no exception.
The Duke of Richmond said: “The glamour and spectacle of Formula 1 has become an intrinsic part of the Festival of Speed with so many legendary teams, drivers and cars attending over the years. We can’t wait to once again hear and see the cars running in anger up the Hill, delighting the fans as only Grand Prix winners can.”
Further announcements about the Festival of Speed, including details of attending Formula 1 drivers, will be made in the coming weeks.
Vauxhall is to supply new all-electric Corsa-e and Mokka-e models to the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre in Milton Keynes to help educate and inform the public about the ongoing benefits of going electric.
The centre, dedicated to highlighting the benefits of electric vehicles, offers visitors the chance to test drive a range of electric and plug-in cars on the market. The site contains experts who also assist with any questions about electric vehicles. The Electric Vehicle Experience Centre, is the only centre of its type in Europe, and boasts 50,000 customer visitors per year with 24,000 test drives per year
Natalie Reay, EV Experience Centre Manager, said: “We’re very excited to add the new Corsa-e and Mokka-e to our fleet of vehicles. With our centre now back open, we are looking forward to welcoming customers behind the wheel of our new electric vehicles.”
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “The Electric Vehicle Experience Centre is a fantastic initiative to help educate British consumers about the benefits of switching to electric. Vauxhall has a range of affordable all-electric cars and vans and we are looking forward to be able to offer visitors to the centre test drives in both Corsa-e and Mokka-e.”
Corsa-e The zero emissions Corsa-e features a 50kWh battery connected to a 100kW (136PS) electric motor, and is capable of up to 209 miles from a single charge under WLTP testing. Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, an 80% charge takes just 30 minutes, making it ideal for multiple test drives per day.
All Corsa-e models come standard with Vauxhall’s Multimedia Navi system with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Vauxhall Connect that allows owners to see their vehicle’s state of charge and even schedule remote charging via their smartphone.
The Corsa-e was named The Sun Car of the Year 2020, as well as the AUTOBEST ‘Best Buy Car of Europe 2020’. Prices for the Corsa-e start from just £27,140 OTR*.
Mokka-e All-new Mokka-e showcases Vauxhall’s new design language, including the new Vauxhall Vizor front end and the new Vauxhall Griffin emblem – both of which will feature on all future Vauxhall models. With an aerodynamic design that cuts drag by up to 16% at motorway speeds compared to the previous model, the new Mokka is even more efficient, dynamic and fun to drive.
The fully electric Mokka-e features a 50kWh battery and 100kw (136PS) electric motor to produce 260Nm of torque. The new Mokka-e can drive for up to 201 miles on a single charge under WLTP testing and supports up to 100kW rapid charging, with an 80% charge taking just 30 minutes.
All-new Mokka-e models come standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless smartphone connectivity. The standard Multimedia system also features Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, hands-free calls via the steering wheel, and SMS read out and reply functionality. Prices for the Mokka-e start from just £30,540 OTR*.
The Corsa-e and Mokka-e are available to purchase online via the new Vauxhall Store. The new online platform allows buyers to configure, finance and order their next vehicle entirely from the comfort of their home.
Customers can also schedule a one-on-one live tour of the vehicle they’re interested in via the new Vauxhall Virtual Showroom that connects buyers with a product expert who will walk around the vehicle through a video feed and answer any potential questions.
* Price includes current Government Plug-in Car Grant
VAUXHALL MOTORS Vauxhall Motors started making vehicles in the UK in 1903. Today, as the oldest and most familiar of Britain’s automotive manufacturers, its philosophy is to build vehicles that are relevant to all. Vauxhall’s two manufacturing plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton produced 120,000 cars and vans in 2019, and its sales accounted for 7.5 per cent of the UK market.
Vauxhall is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. By 2024, each of its models will offer an electrified version, part of the company’s PACE! plan to become sustainably profitable, global and electric. www.vauxhall.co.uk
World-first offering sees WAE combine its new EVX modular electric vehicle platform with Italdesign renowned vehicle design and turn-key development expertise
Complete upper premium EV production solution can support the rapid industrialisation of tomorrow’s premium electric Sports GTs, Crossovers and sedans
New generation of vehicles majors on performance, reduced time to market, flexibility and low-to-medium volume production business cases
Featuring a composite structural battery, EVX provides the platform to deliver vehicles with class leading weight and chassis stiffness
State of the art WAE designed modular battery system, enabling up to 1000kW power output or the ability for EVs to travel1000km between charges
Fully customisable solution, adaptable to individual brands’ needs
Italdesign and Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) today announce a unique new partnership that will provide the upper premium automotive sector with a complete high-performance EV production solution.
Combining a state-of-the-art composite electric vehicle rolling chassis from WAE with turn-key vehicle development services from Italy’s world-famous Italdesign, the joint venture will enable both newcomers and established OEMs in the automotive sector to benefit from the expertise of two global leaders in EV engineering and vehicle design, supporting them in the creation of a range of upper premium EVs from high performance GTs, Crossover and Sedans.
The foundation of this new venture is WAE’s innovative EV architecture; the new rolling chassis which distils WAE’s expertise in electrification, light-weighting, innovative chassis structures and vehicle and system integration into one advanced architecture.
Differentiating itself from other EV platforms currently in the market, EVX integrates the battery casing with elements more commonly perceived as part of the body structure. Front and rear chassis structures mount to the carbon composite case and crash loads can be transferred via internal reinforcements to the integral side sills. The resulting higher profiled cross section achieves much of the torsional stiffness needed to deliver the full potential of the platform. These two design philosophies reduce reliance on the upper structure, which then gives greater design freedom for a variety of “top hats”.
Starting from WAE rolling chassis, Italdesign’s Engineering Team then complete the vehicle architecture adding safety systems, structures, UX devices to constitute the modular platform that will be the base to build-up several different high performances vehicles.
The innovative modular platform is ready for customisation by the Italdesign styling team who will shape the final vehicle to match the brand’s requirements in terms of marketing positioning, design direction etc.
Majoring on high performance, reduced time to market, flexibility and affordability at low-to-medium volumes, the new platform is capable of supporting production runs up to 10,000 units, up to 500 of which could be manufactured by Italdesign at its facilities.
Featuring a molded composite structural battery, EVX sets new standards; reducing both investment and part costs. The core pack, designed in-house by WAE using knowledge gained from the world of global motorsport and high performance road car programmes, has the ability to deliver 1000kW of power with 104kWh-120kWh of energy. The flexibility within the module design enables expansion of the pack enabling up to 160kWh for a potential 1000km vehicle range.
WAE was the original supplier of batteries to the entire grid of FIA Formula E World Championship cars in 2014, a relationship that has been revived for the 2022-23 season. WAE also supplies battery systems to ETCR and Extreme-E and has considerable experience in high-performance electrified road car programmes stretching back more than a decade.
As well as being a structural component of EVX, the platform can accommodate wheelbases from 2900mm to 3100mm, with customers able to choose rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive layouts.
Combining recycled composite materials with aluminum, EVX is lightweight and sets new standards for static and torsional stiffness. With class-leading performance and mass targets, EVX will provide the perfect basis for tomorrow’s electric vehicles, supporting a flexible range of powertrain options with outstanding aerodynamics and safety performance.
“We are delighted to join forces with Italdesign on this exciting and timely joint collaboration” said Paul McNamara, Technical Director at WAE. “Demand for high performance electric vehicles is continuing to show considerable growth but to date, there has not been a complete EV production solution. This unique relationship brings together state-of-the-art EV rolling chassis technology with one of the world’s leaders in vehicle body engineering”.
“The partnership will allow the premium vehicle industry to harness an unprecedented amount of sector-leading expertise. We will be able to support both new automotive entrants in bringing halo EVs to market – and established OEMs on lower volume high performance models – with turnkey project delivery across the board, homologation included”.
“As well as our expertise in electrification and vehicle integration, WAE can bring these organizations the advantages of speed-to-market and the support to develop new, upper premium EVs from design to industrialization with a defined route-to-market strategy through our industrial partnerships.”
“We are extremely glad and thankful of the chance to cooperate with Williams Advanced Engineering” Antonio Casu, CTO at Italdesign, stated “With 53 years of experience in design and engineering development, our role in the partnership will be to advance the rolling chassis developed by WAE to the complete platform and shape it according to the vehicle body style, architecture and contents defined with customers. Over the past five decades we have developed skills and experiences in turnkey projects, meeting our customers’ needs, whether international OEMs or new born start-ups”.
“We aim to develop vehicle architectures in the GT, Sedan, Crossover and Convertible markets, fully customisable inside and outside. We are targeting business cases that will cover different production volumes from an Ultra Limited Series up to 10,000 units a year, 500 of which can be built by Italdesign at our facilities in Turin”.
About Williams Advanced Engineering (“WAE”) Williams Advanced Engineering Limited is a world-leading technology and engineering business, born out of Williams F1 in 2010.
Based on the Williams technical campus in Grove, Oxfordshire, UK we successfully deliver projects for a global customer base. With over 300 employees, we pride ourselves in solving the most difficult applied engineering challenges for clients across a wide range of sectors, combining cutting edge technology and the industry’s best engineers with precision and speed to market.
Our unique knowledge of high performance lightweight batteries has been honed in the highly-competitive and demanding motorsport arena and the company now provides battery systems for the majority of the global electric racing series including Extreme E and ETCR.
WAE actively supports sustainability with innovative through transformational technologies and capabilities such as advanced simulation, digital and stress modelling, aerodynamic and thermodynamic optimisation, systems / full vehicle testing, integration, and low volume production.
EMK Capital acquired a majority equity stake in WAE in December 2019, unlocking the potential for further growth.
A multi-award-winning business, the company was accorded the RAC Simms Medal in 2015 and Queens Award for Enterprise, in 2018.
