The Extreme E series will cement CUPRA’s position as a pioneer of electrification, sustainability and equality
The ABT CUPRA XE team, including drivers Mattias Ekström and Claudia Hürtgen, will compete against eight other squads
The 544PS (400kW) e-CUPRA ABT XE1 will take on the arid conditions of the Al Ula region, the world’s largest continuous sand desert
CUPRA is preparing to take on one of the most gruelling terrains in the world as it heads to the start line of the inaugural Extreme E season.
Kicking off in Saudi Arabia on the 3rd April, the aim of Extreme E is to not only bring the thrill of racing to as wide an audience as possible, but to highlight the impact of climate change.
The competition for off-road electric SUVs takes teams to the most challenging locations across the globe: deserts, jungles, glaciers and oceans.
CUPRA has been part of Extreme E from the outset. It was the first automotive brand to announce its participation, joining forces with ABT Sportsline as the team’s main partner.
CUPRA is an unconventional challenger brand that wants to contribute to reinventing the future of racing with progressive experiences while bringing a message of electromobility, sustainability and gender balance around the world,” said Wayne Griffiths, President of CUPRA and SEAT. “Extreme E is the best platform to spread this message because it is the first sport to ever be built from a social purpose. It gives us an opportunity to think how we can make a difference but also the chance to look more closely at electric propulsion and how we can transfer it more smoothly into the real world.”
CUPRA’s high performance 544PS (400kW) e-CUPRA ABT XE1 will be pushed to the limit at the first race of the season, held in Saudi Arabia’s Al Ula region, the world’s largest continuous sand desert.
ABT CUPRA teammates Claudia Hürtgen and Mattias Ekström are preparing for the race through the arid desert landscape. Hürtgen has a wealth of experience in endurance racing, while Ekström brings huge talent as Rally Cross and DTM champion.
The team has put the e-CUPRA ABT XE1 through its paces during preparation for the start of the season with testing completed at the Oschersleben circuit in Germany and the MotorLand Aragón track in Spain.
“Only a few days left before the very first Extreme E race start, and Claudia and I cannot wait to be on the starting grid. We’re very excited to be part of this competition with a very innovative format: 100% electric, racing the most astonishing locations in the world and driven by gender-balanced teams,” said Rally Cross and DTM champion Mattias Ekström. “If you consider all the elements and you add the car’s heavy weight, its low-grip tyres and a good amount of power, the whole combination will be very interesting, and we’re ready for it!”.
Nine teams will be on the start line, all vying for position and the contest is split over two days. Qualifying 1, 2, 3 and 4 will take place on Saturday, while the Semi-Final, the Crazy Race and the Final take place on Sunday. Each race is two laps – one lap driven by the female driver and the other by the male driver in each team.
Extreme E’s inaugural season takes it to five unique world stages, and the global voyage will utilise its international entertainment platform to promote electrification, sustainability, and equality.
After the chequered flag drops in Saudi Arabia the race series moves to Lac Rose in Senegal, Kangerlussaq in Greenland, Pará in Brazil and finally Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina.
The Extreme E series is the next chapter of CUPRA in racing. The brand’s identity is heavily linked with the racetrack and it is a master at developing vehicles that can compete at the highest level.
Bidding opens on Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s 14-vehicle heritage fleet
Specialist platform Auto Auction is hosting auction on its specialist platform autoauction.co.uk
The auction starts today and ends on the last day of April with staggered end times for each vehicle
A large selection of distinctive private number plates are also being offered for sale via autoauction.co.uk
The highly-anticipated auction of the Mitsubishi Motors in the UK heritage fleet begins today, 1 April 2021, on the specialist online platform Auto Auction.
All 14 of the brand’s classic and iconic vehicles are available to buy with detailed descriptions and a comprehensive array of images and videos to ensure bidders have a comprehensive understanding of the condition and history of each vehicle.
The fleet comprises some of the first UK Mitsubishis from the 70s; an array of 4X4 vehicles from the ground-breaking Shogun to the pioneering Outlander PHEV; the brand’s various performance flagships from the Starion Turbo to the most powerful official Lancer Evolution ever produced, the FQ-440 MR as well as a British Rally Championship-winning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX rally car.
Every vehicle on the heritage fleet is being offered with no reserve and the auction will run for the month of April with a staggered end to each lot throughout the final day, April 30th. Full details are available at www.autoauction.co.uk.
Ford is introducing a “Smart Mirror” – a high-definition screen that displays a panoramic rear view for the driver of Transit and Transit Custom vans.
The Full Display Interior Mirror helps drivers to spot cyclists, pedestrians and other vehicles that may be behind them, even when windowless rear doors or partitions are in the way.
The display shows a live feed from a camera on the rear of the van and features automatic brightness control for optimum visibility in daylight and at night. The system offers a field of view that is twice the width of a conventional rear-view mirror. This helps drivers to be more aware of their surroundings, for example, when approaching roundabouts, changing lanes or checking before merging or turning into side streets.
“Providing our drivers with maximum visibility – especially in urban areas where there is so much to look out for – increases their confidence and is a key part of making journeys safer for them, and for other road users as well”, said Owen Gregory, director, Commercial Vehicle Aftersales, Ford of Europe.
Ford’s new mirror could be particularly beneficial for delivery drivers making frequent drop-offs in cities, where they are more likely to encounter those on bikes, e-scooters or on foot; vulnerable road users accounted for 70 per cent of road accident fatalities in Europe’s urban areas in 2019. 1
Fitting the system may also improve uptime – the time when commercial vehicles are working on the road – by reducing the need for costly accident damage repairs. Ford last week announced FORDLiive – a new connected uptime system designed to help maximise vehicle uptime.
The mirror, which will cost close to £675, is available for Ford Transit and Transit Custom vans fitted with windowless rear doors. Any Ford dealer can order and fit the system, which is compatible with Transit vans built from 2014 and Transit Custom models built from 2012.
Intelligent electrical architecture features 5G connectivity
These are the first images of MG’s vision of the future – the Cyberster concept car.
Set to debut at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show later this month, the Cyberster – developed by the team at the MG Advanced Design Centre in London – is a two-door, two-seater sports car recalling the brand’s tradition, drawing a number of styling cues from the classic MGB Roadster.
It features classic round MG headlights, coupled with a slim grille design, along with interactive ‘Magic Eye’ headlights that open when switched on.
Other striking details of the MG Cyberster are the ‘laser belt’ LED strip down the side of the car and the outline of the door, which follows the direction of the LED strip.
Its powerful sports car profile has a distinct two-stage shoulder line, with a flattened ‘kamm tail’ rear. The tail lamps are of LED construction and are integrated flat into the rear of the car, projecting a digital image that echoes MG’s British heritage.
Carl Gotham, Director of SAIC Design Advanced London, said: “The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but more importantly building on our cutting edge technology and advanced design.
“Sports cars are the lifeblood of the MG DNA and Cyberster is a hugely exciting concept for us.”
The Cyberster’s intelligent all-electric architecture will enable an EV range of 800km (500 miles) and deliver a 0-100km/h time (0-62mph) of less than three seconds. It will also feature 5G interconnectivity.
More information on the Cyberster will be revealed when the model is shown at the Shanghai Motor Show (April 21-28, 2021).
MG currently offers three plug-in models in the UK – the established MG ZS EV, the game-changing All New MG5 EV and MG HS Plug-in, all backed up by MG’s incredible 7 year warranty and fast-developing dealer network. Its UK Advanced Design HQ employs over 40 designers.
To find your local dealer, or to discover the high-tech, value-for-money range of cars on offer, please visit MG.CO.UK.
Frank Stephenson Design is pleased to unveil the first project in the Creative Partnership with Praga Cars.
Frank Stephenson has designed a bespoke racing livery for the R1 competing in the 2021 Britcar Endurance Championship.
For this unique livery, inspiration has come from working closely with the Praga engineering team to delve deep under the skin and over the body of the R1. Frank Stephenson saw Praga’s rich history as the perfect canvas for a race car livery. Combining the brand’s heritage with the R1’s aerodynamics, Frank’s goal was to create a unique modern livery that demonstrates Praga’s flowing development throughout its past, present, and future. Incorporated into the design of the livery are flowing white lines that sweep rearwards to mimic the air’s path over the R1’s surface.
The livery also features a few distinct aspects that mark it as uniquely Praga, such as the gold lion on the nose cone, the Genius of Victory graphic of Praga’s historic bonnet ornament on the central fin, and their brand motto, #winninginstinct, located on the rear wing’s lower surface.
The colour scheme of the livery has also been carefully thought out to pay homage to Praga’s historical home, the Czech Republic. Combining blue, white, and red with the gold and carbon areas reflects the Czech Republic’s national colours and the high-class materials used in the production of the R1.
Also incorporated into the bespoke livery are subtle hints that signify who the car’s Britcar pilots will be, reflecting their respective brands. The driving pair will be confirmed in April before the opening race of the 2021 Britcar Endurance Championship at Silverstone on April 24th.
Frank Stephenson, Founder, Frank Stephenson Design, added: “I’m delighted to finally share the livery for this R1 with the world. It’s been great fun working on this graphic as I got to get a real feel for the race car whilst picking the brains of the Engineering team. I feel like the design of this livery pays tribute to all the aspects that make the R1 such a great car to drive, from its full carbon body to aerodynamics, I’ve paid tribute to it in the design whilst also creating a nod to the driving pair who will get behind the wheel for the 2021 Britcar Endurance Championship.”
Mark Harrison, Head of Commercial Operations, Praga Cars, said: “It’s great to be working with Frank again and we have really enjoyed creating this amazing graphic for the R1. It suits the car and the car’s drivers and will stand out at race weekends and on display at various supercar and racing events that we will attend this year. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Rallye Design and our design teams in the Czech Republic who worked with Frank to produce and apply the livery in time to get the car to the UK for pre-season testing in April. It was a real team effort that has provided the palette for Frank’s brilliant creativity.”
The all-new Praga R1 race car features carbon fibre and zylon body panels, improved aerodynamics and driver aids, as well as a larger fuel cell to support longer endurance races. At just 634kgs and with 365hp on tap in race mode, the prototype-style car, that can compete in GT classes, is a dramatic and unique design that appealed to FSD as soon as Stephenson laid eyes on the car in the flesh in late-2020.
The second project in the Frank Stephenson Design and Praga Cars Creative Partnership will be unveiled later this year.
Frank Stephenson Design works with world-class dynamic talent open to changing reality with clients from all over the world, stretching the boundaries of design wherever possible.
The London Concours will have a class entirely dedicated to Iconic British Designs, as well as the Brits behind them.
The curated collection forms one of three special London Concours features for 2021, sitting alongside a further seven classes for a total of nearly 100 rare and exotic vehicles on display.
The collection begins with two vehicles that transcend their status as British icons and into the realm of global legend. Sir Alec Issigonis’ Mini – a timeless and ingenious design – is joined by the ever-green lines of Malcolm Sayer’s Jaguar E-type Series I, penned with the eye of a man with a history in aviation design and a rigorous scientific method for aerodynamics.
From there, the class takes in some of the lesser known work of South African-born British designer, Gordon Murray. Famed for the McLaren F1 – appearing elsewhere at London Concours – Murray also worked on the little known Light Car Company Rocket. Weighing in at 340kg, the two-seater Rocket is powered by a 1.0-litre Yamaha engine with less than 150hp – enough to launch it from 0-60mph in around four seconds.
Murray’s co-designer for the McLaren F1, Peter Stevens, will also feature at the London Concours for his work with the Jaguar XJR-15. The world’s first road car with a carbon fibre chassis and body, the one-of-53 XJR-15 borrows extensively from the Le Mans-winning XJR-9, fitted with a 6.0-litre V12 producing around 450hp.
For essentially creating the luxury SUV, London Concours will also pay homage to the Range Rover and its designer Charles Spencer King. On display at the event will be a one-of-200 Range Rover CSK, a tribute to ‘Spen’ King that was – in 1990 – the fastest Range Rover yet built. The V8 was tweaked to produce 185hp, handling was sharpened with changes to the suspension and dampers, and the CSK was finished in Beluga Black, silver pinstripes and chrome bumpers.
Also joining the British Design Icons class will be a 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, penned by Ian Cameron, as part of the rebirth of Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. Assertive, timeless and elegant it was, even at a glance, everything a Rolls-Royce should be. Alongside it, London Concours welcomes the Aston Martin One-77, designed by Marek Reichman as the ultimate expression of Aston Martin; a completely bespoke hand-crafted showcase of British design and engineering, limited to just 77 units worldwide.
Completing the class is the Morgan Aeromax, a design by Matthew Humphries, and the McLaren 12C – the car to rebirth McLaren’s roadgoing range, and designed by Frank Stephenson.
The Iconic British Designs is one of eleven classes and features that will grace this year’s London Concours, hosted 8-10 June at the Honourable Artillery Company HQ. Visitors will also find classes dedicated to 200mph supercars, a celebration of Porsche, the most beautiful Italian Berlinettas of the ‘60s and ‘The Youngtimers’, focused on the most powerful German saloon cars of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said: “On the global stage, Great Britain has always punched above its weight when it comes to automotive design and innovation. What we really wanted to do with the Iconic British Designs class was shine a light not just on the cars themselves but on some of the people responsible for these achievements – without them the UK automotive scene wouldn’t be quite the same.”
Previously held over two days, the London Concours 2021 shifts to a three-day event to capitalise on visitor demand for more luxury brand content – from jewellery to bespoke suits – and modern supercars. The three days will be a VIP Preview Day, Style Edition and Supercar Day. At the heart of each day will remain the collection of nearly 100 rare and iconic luxury cars of all ages that has quickly cemented London Concours as one of the UK’s top motoring events.
The London Concours takes place from 8-10 June 2021, as one of the first major events of 2021 to run. Tickets are available from londonconcours.co.uk/tickets
