One of the most acclaimed podcast series of 2021 comes to an end this week, as Audi | Behind the Rings goes on a journey through time with acclaimed actor and Audi ambassador Matt Smith.
Matt played the eleventh incarnation of Doctor Who, as well as Prince Philip in The Crown, earning him an Emmy nomination. His latest starring role in the podcast series sees Matt, a long-time car enthusiast, discuss his passion for motoring in the eighth and last episode of the series: A Drive to Remember with Matt Smith.
During a light-hearted and entertaining back-and-forth with host Alex Goy, Matt reminisces about childhood scrapes in his dad’s beloved company car, embarking on road trips across America in a boxy convertible soundtracked by ‘70s funk, and falling in love with his Audi RS6, a vehicle he fondly refers to as ‘The Beast’.
Matt talks of his plans to take the RS6 on a tour of the Nordics, touches on the similarity between petrolheads and sci-fi fans, and sets the controls of the Tardis to see what travel may look like in the future.
It’s a lively, entertaining and often hilarious end to a series which has gained a loyal following. Previous episodes have taken deep dives on subjects as varied as design, sustainability, motorsport, the future, and the famous Audi philosophy of Vorsprung durch Technik.
All episodes are available to stream or download free at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify.
Prices start from £38,785 OTR for entry-level C 200 Sport Saloon, while the C 200 Sport Estate starts from £40,420 OTR
Choice of four efficient engines available from launch: C 200; C 300 (Saloon only); C 220 d and C 300 d
Every C-Class engine now features 48V mild hybrid system
Available in one of four model lines, including Sport; AMG Line; AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus
On sale now, with first UK vehicles arriving late 2021
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is now on sale, with prices starting from £38,785 for the entry-level C 200 Sport Saloon and £40,420 for the Estate. The range-topping C 300 d AMG Line Premium Plus costs £52,125 or £53,425 for the Estate.
Every engine in the new C-Class range features a 48v Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) mild hybrid system. The mild hybrid system features an energy recovery function and the ability to ‘glide’ with the engine switched off to boost efficiency, while supplying an additional 20 hp and 200 Nm to the car’s overall output.
The C 200 features a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which generates 204 hp and 300 Nm. Depending on specification, the C 200 can deliver between 41.5 and 44.1 combined mpg (Estate: 40.4-42.2) and emits between 146 and 154 g/km (151-159 g/km) of CO2.
Powered by a petrol 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit, the C 300 (available as a Saloon only) can produce up to 258 hp and 400 Nm of torque, with an additional 20 hp and 200 Nm available from the ISG. It can deliver between 40.4 and 42.2 mpg and emits between 152 and 159 g/km.
The diesel-powered C 220 d – currently the best-selling C-Class engine – uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an output of 200 hp and 440 Nm. The ISG produces an additional 20 hp and 200 Nm. It can deliver between 58.9 and 61.4 mpg (56.5-60.1 mpg) and emits between 120 and 127 g/km (124-131 g/km).
The top-of-the-range C 300 d has a 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine which can generate 265 hp and 550 Nm, with an additional 20 hp and 200 Nm from the ISG. The C 300 d can deliver between 53.3 and 55.4 mpg (52.3-54.3 mpg), and emits 133-139 g/km (136-143 g/km) of CO2.
Every C-Class engine is mated to a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission.
Starting from £38,785, the Sport model line – on C 200 and C 220 d only – includes the latest generation MBUX media system, including a high-resolution 11.9-inch central media display; 12.3-inch digital driver display; ‘Hey Mercedes’ virtual assistant; 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels; Agility Control comfort suspension; LED high performance headlights with Adaptive Highbeam Assist; Active Lane Keeping Assist; Active Blind Spot Assist; Parking package with reversing camera; heated front seats and wireless smartphone charging.
For another £1,380, AMG Line models add 18-inch AMG 5-spoke design, alloy wheels; privacy glass; AMG bodystyling; multifunction sports steering wheel finished in nappa leather and visible twin exhaust pipes.
In addition to the above, the Premium equipment line features 19-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels; Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus; Digital Light; ambient lighting; illuminated door sills; KEYLESS GO comfort access, Memory package, including electrically adjustable front seats, steering column and exterior mirrors; MBUX augmented reality for navigation and Parking package with 360° camera. Premium models are available for an additional £2,750 over AMG Line.
Starting from £46,700, Premium Plus adds 19-inch AMG five-double-spoke alloy wheels; panoramic sliding sunroof; head-up display; and Thermotronic four-zone automatic climate control.
On Premium Plus models only, Driving Assistance Package Plus is also available for £1,695 with the very latest driving assistance systems including Active Distance Assist Distronic; Active Steering Assist; Traffic Sign Assist; Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Evasive Steering Assist; Active Brake Assist with cross traffic function; Active Emergency Stop Assist; and Active Blind Spot Assist.
Estate models are also available with an optional tow bar for £750.
New electric vehicles fall as little as 3% short of their quoted range in real world driving conditions, according to the latest research by Britain’s leading new car buying platform and consumer champion, What Car?.
The Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus achieved 281 miles of range in real world driving conditions as part of a new What Car? range test, representing a 3% shortfall from its official 290-mile WLTP range. The Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus also took home the Best Electric Performance Car award at the annual What Car? Electric Car Awards in association with ONTO.
As part of the What Car? Electric Car of the Year Awards 2021, What Car? tested how close 10 current electric vehicles could get to their quoted WLTP range figures. The test was conducted on a closed vehicle proving ground, on a 15-mile route consisting of 2.6 miles of simulated stop-start urban traffic, four miles of steady 50mph driving and eight miles of driving at a constant speed of 70mph, to simulate motorway journeys.
Each of the 10 vehicles was fully charged and left outside for 15 hours, before being fully charged again ahead of the test. The cars were then driven until they ran flat, with on-road position and driver changes at the end of each lap.
The Porsche Taycan 4S beat the Mazda MX-30 SE-L Lux into second place, with that falling just 7.1% short of its quoted 124-mile range. The Fiat 500 42kWh Icon was farthest away from its official range, falling 29.2% shy of its 198-mile WLTP figure. Meanwhile, the Ford Mach-E Extended Range RWD fell 20.2% short of its official figure, but achieved the highest outright test mileage, covering 379 miles before its battery ran out.
On average, the 10 vehicles tested achieved a shortfall of 14.8% from their quoted WLTP range.
Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Range is one of the key criteria for new and used electric car buyers. Our real-world driving test shows that some electric vehicles can get incredibly close to their quoted figures in the real world, while others are farther behind, so it’s important buyers do their research and organise test drives when considering a new electric vehicle.”
The range test included all of the fully electric new car winners at the What Car? Electric Car of the Year Awards 2021. The awards rated the best new and used fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles across key segments, from small cars to luxury SUVs. What Car?’s overall Electric Car of the Year will be revealed at its annual New Car Awards in early 2022.
What Car? Electric Car Awards 2021 winners included the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance Life, which was named Best Electric Family Car, while the Kia e-Niro 64kWh 2 – a previous What Car? Car of the Year – was named Best Electric Small SUV. Kia also took home the Reader Award, for the EV6, with this title going to the upcoming electric vehicle that What Car? readers are most excited about.
The big-selling Tesla Model 3 took home the Best Electric Executive Car title, while BMW’s 330e M Sport was named Best Hybrid Executive Car. Skoda’s Enyaq 60 Lodge won Best Electric Large SUV.
Huntingford added: “As part of the second-annual What Car? Electric Car of the Year Awards, we’ve rated the best new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles across 13 categories to make it easier for new car buyers to narrow their shortlist. We’ve done the same across eight categories for used buyers, ensuring there is an award-winning vehicle to meet all needs and budgets.”
1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 ‘External Bonnet Lock’ Roadster – the 119th E-Type built
1951 Jaguar XK120 FHC – ‘LT’ Hommage – Alloy Bodied – Offered as part of ‘A Jaguar Sporting Collection’
1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster ‘LT’ Re-Creation – FIA/ HTP Approved – Offered as part of ‘A Jaguar Sporting Collection’
1967 XKSS Re-Creation – Offered as part of ‘A Jaguar Sporting Collection’
1972 Jaguar E-Type (S3) V12 Roadster with Hard Top – Matching-numbers engine
Silverstone Auctions flagship sale is right around the corner on Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August with their dedicated motorcycle sale on Friday 30th July.
The auction house are now encouraging people to bid at least 48 hours before if you’re not able to attend in person. Over the course of the three days, a number of significant classic and competition Jaguars will be offered for sale.
Going under the hammer this weekend is Lot 618, a 1995 Jaguar XJ220. This UK-supplied example is one of just four presented in a rare colour for this model, Daytona Black. This car is well known in XJ220 circles, as it featured in Jeremy Clarkson’s 2004 DVD “Hot Metal” where it beat a Pagani Zonda in a drag race. With an extensive history file, this car is supplied to auction with just 9,600 miles and an MOT valid until February 2022. Silverstone Auctions have guided this car at £340,000 – £380,000.
Also heading to The Classic is Lot 620, the 1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 ‘External Bonnet Lock’ Roadster. This example is offered directly from a UK private collection and has been regularly maintained. Finished in its original livery of Gunmetal Grey complemented by a light blue interior, this is the 119th E-Type built with the flat-floor and outside bonnet lock. This is one of the most coveted of E-Types and still retains many original features. Silverstone Auctions have guided this very well-presented example at £160,000 – £180,000.
Gary Dunne, Sales Controller for Silverstone Auctions added “We are absolutely delighted to be offering these very special Jaguars in our sale this weekend alongside a number of other great examples. There are just a few days to go until our flagship auction so don’t forget to register to bid.”
Offered as part of ‘A Jaguar Sporting Collection’ is Lot 441, the 1951 Jaguar XK120 FHC – ‘LT’ Hommage – Alloy Bodied. This is an exquisite Coupe which was fully rebuilt in 2015 by Tester Engineering in the style of the 1951 factory ‘LT’ cars. Now presented in outstanding condition, fully detailed throughout and ready for use, it is estimated at £75,000 – £90,000. Another from the collection is Lot 442, the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster ‘LT’ Re-Creation – FIA/ HTP Approved. This is a superbly built, lightweight alloy-bodied 120 Roadster with FIA / HTP papers valid until 2031. This example is beautifully detailed throughout and was created as an accurate copy of one of the trio of factory ‘LT’ cars prepared for Le Mans. Estimated at £175,000 – £195,000. The final lot from the Sporting Collection is Lot 443, the 1967 XKSS Re-Creation. This is a hand-crafted, re-creation of the legendary XKSS by a much-respected Jaguar engineer. Superbly finished in gloss black by Normandale of Daventry with 16” Dunlop peg-drive wheels, this hand-built XKSS re-creation offers a rare opportunity for the true Jaguar enthusiast to acquire and is estimated at: £300,000 – £350,000.
The final of the Jaguars to be previewed, with many more live on their website, is Lot 440, the 1972 Jaguar E-Type (S3) V12 Roadster. Finished in its original shade of Silver with fully restored, body-coloured hard top with a contrasting Dark Blue leather interior, this matching-numbers engine example has upgraded brakes and cooling system. In outstanding condition throughout, this example is accompanied by a comprehensive history file and photographic record of the rebuild. Silverstone Auctions believe this E-Type ticks all the boxes and have sensibly guided it at £110,000 – £130,000.
To register to bid (for in person, online, phone or commission), the Silverstone Auctions expert team can be contacted on 01926 691141, by emailing bid@silverstoneauctions.com or via their website.
For high resolution copies of the images please get in touch with the PR contact below
2021 AUCTIONS The Classic Sale at Silverstone: 30th July – 1st August The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale: 12th – 14th November
ABOUT SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS Formed in 2011, Silverstone Auctions is a world-class, specialist auction house for the sale of classic cars, modern supercars, all types of competition cars, modern and historic motorcycles as well as automotive memorabilia.
We hold the exclusive automotive auction rights for Silverstone circuit and host sales as stand-alone events as well as an integrated element of some of Europe’s biggest motorsport events such as the Silverstone Classic Festival.
In addition to our sales at the circuit, we also host a number of auctions each year at other major classic car events including the NEC Classic Motor Show and Race Retro.
At Silverstone Auctions we take pride in selecting the very best of breed vehicles for our sales which not only attracts buyers from around the world, but has already helped us achieve a number of record-breaking auction prices on behalf of our vendors.
We are committed to providing the best possible service for both buyers and vendors alike, so if you’d like to know more about buying or selling a classic vehicle with Silverstone Auctions, call us today on +44(0)1926 691141.
A one lady owner from new ‘86’ achieves highest UK recorded price at auction, £46,250, and beats US record price of $40,000 (£29,004*) set in March this year
The 1987 AE86 Toyota Corolla GT sold by Car & Classic is rare in its own right and being entirely original example with no modifications is scarcely seen on the market
It was originally bought by the vendor to cheer herself up after a relationship break up and saved from being broken up after being written off after minor paint damage
This special AE86 was a highlight in the week that Car & Classic celebrated one year of running its successful auction platform
A 1987 AE86 Toyota Corolla GT originally bought to cheer the owner up after separating from her partner has achieved a record price of £46,250 on Car & Classic’s online auction platform.
Known to be the highest UK recorded price for a car of this type sold at auction, this rare 1987 AE86 beat the US record price of $40,000 (£29,004*) achieved in March this year. Ordered new from Hallens Toyota in Cambridge, the time-warp survivor, complete with period Nokia phone cradle, Toyota mudflaps and dealer-badged registration plates underlines the continuing demand for original, usable modern classics from the 1980s and 90s.
Originally costing the lady owner £12,500 in 1987, the now 92,000-mile GT was ordered without any factory fit extras, but the generous standard specification meant the owner could enjoy the sunroof, radio-cassette player and alloy wheels. Carefully serviced every year (at a Toyota dealer for the first nine times of its life), it was loved by its first and only owner. So much so, that even when vandals ‘keyed’ the paint in 2006 and it was deemed uneconomic to repair, the car was bought back from the insurers and repaired to an ‘as new’ standard. She simply couldn’t contemplate her beloved car being unjustly sent to the crusher.
Reluctantly selling the car after 34 years, the owner, who kept all the paperwork and even the brochure she was given to choose the Wine Red colour, only decided to sell via Car & Classic’s online auction platform after a recent injury made the non-power steering car less than ideal as a daily.
“We talk a lot about survivor cars, but this is the true definition of one,” says Chris Pollitt, head of editorial at Car & Classic. “So many of these ended up as drift or track cars or just rotting away. Only the true adoration of this ‘86’ prevented the insurance company from obliterating it after incurring paint damage. The frantic bidding in the dying minutes confirmed the demand for a car that is now rightly cast as a legend in its homeland.”
Coinciding with its first anniversary, the record sale was further proof of the success of Car & Classic’s online auction as a place to buy and sell enthusiast-owned vehicles. “Our emphasis will continue to be on focussing on interesting and special cars and motorcycles,” adds Pollitt. “With escrow providing security to buyers and sellers alike and a hammer price that is what you actually pay, we are delighted to have sold over 1,500 cars over the past 12 months.”
*At current exchange rate from USD to GBP at time of writing: 26th July
Vantage GT3 represented in three classes by Garage 59 at Spa 24 Hours
Pro car to be driven by FIA GT world champions Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and IMSA GTD points leader Ross Gunn
Garage 59 seeking first 24 Hours class victory with Aston Martin
Aston Martin hunting first overall victory in Belgian endurance classic
Spa-Francorchamps. The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will fight for honours in three classes of this weekend’s TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, as the luxury sportscar brand and its partner team Garage 59 bid to record an outright victory in the famous Belgian endurance event for the first time.
The Spa 24 Hours is a special race. Among the most gruelling of all the prestigious 24-hour endurance contests, it is unique in that it is only open to FIA-homologated GT3 specification racing cars. Add to that a huge 60-car field, the unpredictable nature of the Ardennes weather and the fact that Spa-Francorchamps is one of the toughest examinations of a drivers’ skill anywhere, and you have perhaps the most coveted GT prize in motorsport.
Garage 59 come to the event as the reigning GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Pro-Am Team and Drivers’ champions and have added a brand new 4-litre V8 turbo-charged Aston Martin Vantage GT3 to their regular two-car squad, having worked closely with the Aston Martin Racing factory to optimise all three cars and crew in the build-up to the blue riband event.
The familiar #95 race number returns to a top-level Aston Martin ‘Pro’ entry for the first time in 2021, and heralds the return of the ‘Dane Train’ – FIA GT world champions Nicki Thiim (DEN) and Marco Sørensen (DEN) – who will spearhead the challenge for overall honours alongside IMSA GTD championship leader Ross Gunn (GBR), who has won twice already this season in the U.S. This will mark Sørensen’s debut in the Spa 24 Hours, but for Thiim it is a return to the scene of his famous Pro-Am victory with TF Sport in 2019.
“Competing in the Spa 24 Hours is a big tick on the bucket list, and one I have wanted to do for a long time,” said Sørensen. “To be re-joining Nicki in the car will almost feel like there hasn’t been a break since Bahrain when we won the world championship. I know Ross will get the job done, so this feels like a really strong team. I would like to thank Garage 59 for the opportunity, and after the recent test I am sure this is a team that is capable of giving us a car that can go for the win!”
Alongside the ‘Pro’ car, the reigning Pro-Am champions in the #188 Vantage, Alexander West (SWE), Chris Goodwin (GBR) will be joined by another 2019 Spa 24 Hour Pro-Am winner, Charlie Eastwood (IRL). The #188 entry has been in contention for the past two seasons and recorded Garage 59’s first podium in the race last year with third in Pro-Am. The team’s other regular works driver Jonny Adam has been forced to withdraw from the event having tested positive for Covid-19. His place will be taken by Marvin Kirchhöfer (DEU).
The Silver #159 entry is comprised of AMR Academy graduate Valentin Hasse-Clot (FRA) as well as two of the 2021 Academy’s candidates Nicolai Kjærgaard (DEN) and Tuomas Tujula (FIN). The crew is completed by the experienced GT racer and team regular Alex MacDowall (GBR).
Garage 59 team principal and co-owner Andrew Kirkaldy said: “The 24 Hours of Spa is the hardest race of the season, on the people and the cars, but I’m very happy to be running the extra car in the Pro class this year. The support we are receiving from Aston Martin Racing began at the official Spa test a few weeks ago and the full team gelled very quickly so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together as one team in the race.”
AMR President, David King, said: “Ever since the current Vantage GT3 was introduced in 2019 it has been a competitive force in high profile GT events around the world and Garage 59 has been at the forefront of its success. I am confident that the step up to a Pro class entry for the Spa 24 hours will demonstrate the combined expertise of Garage 59 and Aston Martin Racing, and further advance the reputation of the Vantage as the car of choice for success in international GT3 racing.”
Practice and Qualifying for the TotalEnergies Spa 24 Hours begins on Thursday 29 July while the race itself starts on Saturday 31 July at 1630 (CET).
