Coveted tickets to the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival are a great way to spoil dads on Father’s Day, fast approaching on Sunday 19 June.

Moreover, as this summer’s Silverstone Classic (29-31 July) offers unrivalled entertainment for all ages – and a new Family Ticket option – the entire family can join in the high-speed thrills and spills, making what is already an unforgettable Father’s Day gift all the more special.

No matter what his particular interest, any action-loving dad will be blown away by a visit to the dazzling Silverstone Classic for an amazing flat-out trip down memory lane. Across three full days of non-stop entertainment, there will be a glittering array of attractions and activities, headed by a glorious line-up of unmissable races on the famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. These feature many of the world’s rarest, most spectacular and valuable racing cars from past golden eras.

Ranging from the evocative racers of the 1930s to the high-tech machines from the 1990s, the stellar race card will deliver some of the most eye-catching grids ever seen in Great Britain covering the history of Formula 1, Le Mans, sports, touring and GT cars.

This year’s line-up includes two thundering showdowns for mighty Can-Am cars plus a major tribute to mark the 40^th anniversary of James Hunt’s F1 world championship-winning campaign in 1976. There will be famous faces, too, with bike heroes Wayne Gardner, ‘Fast’ Freddie Spencer and multiple sidecar world champ Steve Webster joining a host of legendary riders and drivers from past generations all revving up and adding to the superb nostalgia at Silverstone.

As if that isn’t enough to put a huge smile on every dad’s face, there will be more than 10,000 classic cars lovingly exhibited on the infield, ranging from awe-inspiring Ferraris and Maseratis to lovable Morgans and MGs. What’s more this summer several iconic marques including Lamborghini, Porsche and Viper will be putting on huge displays to celebrate important milestones in their histories.

As has become customary, live music will also be a popular feature over the weekend, with crowd-pleasing concerts on the evenings of both Friday (29 July) and Saturday (30 July) maintaining the fabulous event’s ‘Rocking and Racing’ tradition. Chart-toppers The Boomtown Rats will strut their stuff on Friday, while Saturday’s performances are headlined by Reef and The Stranglers. Entry to all these rock concerts is included within the general circuit admission price.

But the entertainment doesn’t stop there. A vintage funfair, aerial displays, three auctions, hot air balloon display, helicopter flights, streetcar shoot-outs, 4×4 passenger experiences, spitfire demonstrations, crazy golf, a huge shopping village, an adrenaline ride zone, Car Clinic shows with Mike Brewer and a live Range Rover restoration, both presented by eBay, as well as giant TV screens showing all the on-track action are all part of the most remarkable show of the year.

“The Silverstone Classic is the biggest and best classic motor racing festival in the world as well as one of Europe’s most entertaining and action-packed car-themed events,” said Nick Wigley, CEO of organisers, Goose Live Events. “There really is something for everyone – that’s why a family day out at the Silverstone Classic is the perfect Father’s Day gift for any dad with even the smallest drop of high-octane fuel in his veins.”

In keeping with the event’s widely acclaimed ‘access all areas’ policy, all tickets include free entrance to both racing paddocks and pit complexes, trackside grandstands and live music concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings. Adult admission is from just £42 and considerable savings are on offer for those festival-goers spending the full weekend at Silverstone. This year there’s also a special Family Ticket.

Full details can be found on the official www.silverstoneclassic.com website.

SsangYong has announced the new Tivoli XLV, an extended body model of its already popular Tivoli compact SUV.

“Following rapid growth in the compact SUV market, SsangYong responded in 2015 by launching Tivoli, its first small SUV, and already the company’s most successful new car.  Some 64,000 cars were manufactured and sold around the world last year,” said Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK.

“Tivoli has been praised universally for meeting a number of customer requirements, not least its ability to carry five adults in comfort and with one of the largest boot capacities, while many other cars in the sector are regarded as being a ‘down-size’ too far.

“Now SsangYong has gone a step further by launching an extended car to provide even more carrying capacity and practicality.  This was shown as the XLV Air concept at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt last year, and from the extremely favourable feedback received, took the decision to put the car into production.

“Following its international debut at Geneva, the Tivoli XLV is now being launched in Europe, and arrives in the UK this summer.  Annual sales from the Tivoli platform including XLV are forecast to exceed 100,000 cars this year,” he added.

Sharing the same platform and 2,600mm wheelbase as the Tivoli, the XLV features a lengthened body from behind the C pillar, an increase of 238mm over the standard car, expanding the load capacity to a 720 cubic litres of space.  Meanwhile, the styling cues that distinguish Tivoli are retained, including its harmoniously fused SUV body design, sports coupé look and floating roofline.

Designed to offer a multi-role, multi-function solution to a wide range of customers, Tivoli XLV provides just the versatility needed to meet individual lifestyles: family car for lugging baby buggies and cots for small children, bikes and golf clubs for the sports-minded, and materials or business equipment during the working week.

Passenger safety has been a top priority for this car, and comes with seven airbags including front, side and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag, multi-function ESP (Electronic Stability Program), Active Rollover Protection, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), a tyre pressure monitoring system and a warning reminder on all five seat belt positions.

Tivoli XLV is offered with a Euro 6 compliant 1.6 litre diesel engine, and matched with the option of a 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed Aisin automatic, two-wheel drive or 4×4.

SEAT is now able to confirm pricing and specification for its new Ateca First Edition.

Created purely as a one-off launch trim level, exclusivity for the extremely well-specified and striking First Edition is assured, with just 200 examples destined for UK retail buyers.

SEAT has taken its time with its first-ever SUV. So, in an effort to match Ateca to the needs of British buyers as closely as possible, it ran an online ‘lifestyle configurator’ on its website, to seek crowd-sourced information upon which to base an ideal specification.

Smashing its internal forecasts and no doubt testament to the growing buzz surrounding Ateca, over the course of six weeks  close to 13,000 Brits took part in the competition, which included a top prize of an all-expenses paid family trip to Barcelona, SEAT’s home city.

Responding to a series of seven questions about their lifestyles and character, with 192 possible outcomes, the online system then generated an Ateca version to suit their specific needs. The most popular proved to be ‘Horizon Chaser’. Translating it into a UK production car has led to the following items of standard equipment being included: 18-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, satellite-navigation system with an eight-inch touchscreen, Keyless entry (KESSY), electric tailgate with virtual pedal, rear parking sensors with rear view camera, dark-tinted rear windows, black roof rails and window surrounds.

Slotting into the Ateca range above SE and below the flagship XCELLENCE, the high-spec new First Edition offers more than £3,500 of additional equipment over the former, saving customers over £1,100.

The First Edition is available in two engines,1.0 TSI 115PS and 1.6 TDI 115 PS,  and is competitively priced at £21,995 and £24,305 respectively. It comes in a choice of three colours, Nevada White, Rodium Grey and Samoa Orange.

Priced from £17,990, the Ateca range will be available to pre-order from 1^st June 2016, ahead of official showroom launch on 9th September.

Full First Edition details are available at http://www.seat.co.uk/new-cars/new-ateca/first-edition.html.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has revealed the first images of its new Amarok on the move, as well as the interior which offers customers a number of new features. These include an attractive cockpit, with a colour multi-function display for the Aventura launch model and state-of-the-art radio/navigation systems. For the driver and front-seat passenger, the Amarok also provides 14-way adjustable ergoComfort seats, which have already won awards for their back-friendliness.

Superior and robust: at home both on and off the road, the Amarok, with its new 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine achieves 550 Newton metres of torque and 165 kW / 224 PS at his highest power output level. It can reach a top speed of 193 kilometres per hour (120 mph) and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds.

The pick-up is an attractive alternative thanks to its high seat position, good all-round visibility and high-quality interior, making for a comfortable ride both on- and off-road. And, despite its impressive size, getting into the Amarok is easy, with doors that swing open wide and – depending on the design variant – grab handles on the A and B-pillars to help you climb into the cab.

Prices for the new Amarok in Germany start at €25,720 net for the rear-wheel drive Trendline version with double cab, the V6 TDI and 120 kW (EU6, available from the second quarter of 2017), making them just €940 more expensive than the previous entry-level model with a with double cab and 103 kW TDI four-cylinder engine. The top-of-the-range Amarok Aventura with the V6 TDI and 165 kW engine, 4Motion all-wheel drive and 8-speed automatic transmission comes to €46,525 net and will be launched at the end of September 2016.

New Amarok sales in the UK will begin before the end of the year. There are currently no plans to sell the launch Aventura model in the UK. Full pricing and specification details will be released closer to launch.

Land Rover Experience Eastnor has announced its formation of a new partnership with the Malvern Rotary Club to give access to less able members of the community to the summit of the Malvern Hills.

The team from Eastnor took nine less able members of the local community in Land Rover Discoverys to the 1395 ft summit of the Malvern Hills, The Worcestershire Beacon. Until now the opportunity to go up the Malvern Hills had been a lifelong dream for these nine guests.

The Malvern Rotary Club approached Land Rover to support its programme of giving access to the hills due to the all-terrain capability of its vehicles and the off-road expertise of the Land Rover Experience Instructors based at Eastnor Castle. The trip provides easy access to seven seats and a 40 minute comfortable ride on challenging terrain to the summit. The Discoverys’ panoramic roofs allow guests to take in the magnificent views of The Malvern Hills on their journey up to the summit.

David Griffiths, Venue Manager at Land Rover Experience Eastnor said: “Land Rover has a proud heritage of using its vehicles to get people in and out of inaccessible environments.

Land Rover has used the Eastnor Estate on the eastern end of the Malvern Hills for over 50 years and to be able to use our Discoverys for this project is very much what Land Rover Experience is all about.”

Liz Armstrong who attended with her daughter who is confined to a wheelchair said: “Jannah is realising her dreams one by one and today, with the help of Land Rover she’s reaching the top of Malvern Hills; a dream she’s had since childhood. When teams get together it’s amazing what can be achieved.

“Jannah, her sister Rosie and I are achieving goals together, it’s amazing.” 

The programme contributes to Land Rover’s Global CSR Programme which will make a positive impact on the lives of 12 million people by 2020 through initiatives supporting education and talent, health and well-being, and design and technology for social good.  Land Rover Experience, Eastnor and the Malvern Hills Conservators have succeeded in creating a bespoke off-road trail that is not damaging to the iconic Malvern Hills.

Following this inaugural trip, Malvern Rotary Club will be inviting applications from suitable candidates to join one of two outings later in the year.

For more details, terms and conditions and an application form see www.malvernrotaryevents.org

http://www.eastnor.landroverexperience.co.uk

Knowing what lies on the road ahead – when you can’t see beyond the next corner – can be a serious problem for drivers. That’s why TomTom is announcing a solution to the issue. TomTom Jam Ahead Warningsⁱ are now available on the freeⁱⁱ TomTom Speed Cameras app for Android™.

TomTom Jam Ahead Warnings visually and audibly alert drivers to rapidly slowing, or stationary, traffic on the highway ahead, giving the driver the opportunity to brake smoothly, and in time.

Corinne Vigreux, co-founder and managing director, TomTom, said: “We’re constantly striving to make the driving experience safer and more relaxed. TomTom Jam Ahead Warnings is a powerful example of this approach.”

Drivers will especially welcome the average speed check feature, as Average Speed Cameras are becoming increasingly popular with road authorities around the world.

The locations of fixed cameras are provided by TomTom’s highly accurate database, and verified by a TomTom moderation team, while mobile speed cameras are reported and verified by a community of over 5 million drivers.

The TomTom Speed Camera app for Android is available as a free download on the Google Play™ store.

The new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in September. It brings new technology and a unique driving experience to the popular C-segment SUV market.  The PEUGEOT 3008 SUV will be available to order in the UK from November with first deliveries due in January 2017.

The latest Volkswagen Touareg is gaining that bit more luxury with the arrival of the new range-topping trim level: R-Line Plus.

The Touareg R-Line Plus naturally uses the well-equipped R-Line as a starting point, and builds in valuable and stylish additions inside and out.

Externally, the five-seat SUV’s alloy wheels are upgraded from 20 inches to the striking 21-inch ‘Mallory’ design.  Meanwhile, the R-Line Plus comes equipped with Volkswagen’s impressive Area View technology as standard.  This utilises front, rear and side wide-angle cameras (mounted within the door mirrors) to provide a 360-degree bird’s-eye exterior view of the SUV that is displayed on the Touareg’s infotainment display screen.

Area View allows the driver to see the immediate surroundings of the car from a new perspective, and the technology enhances the safety of occupants and those outside the vehicle.  For example, Area View allows the driver to ‘see around corners’.  When driving forwards from a parking space the Touareg driver can, via the system, see pedestrians and cyclists approaching from the side.

Inside, the new Touareg features a generous roster of standard equipment.  The centre console, dash and air vent surrounds are finished in stylish ‘Piano Black’, and the cabin features luxurious ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery.  The front comfort seats are 14-way electronically adjustable, and the front head restraints include four-way adjustment.

The extra equipment has a value of £3,255 if specified separately, but the premium over the Touareg R-Line is a mere £1,160.  That figure applies whether the customer chooses the 204 PS 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine or the 262 PS 3.0-litre V6 TDI.

The Volkswagen Touareg is now available in four trim levels: SE; Escape; R-Line; and R-Line Plus.  All feature Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, which distributes engine power, as required, to all four wheels helping to ensure optimum traction and propulsion.

www.volkswagen.co.uk

1989 Volkswagen T3 Doka Ex-Ferdinand Butzi Porsche interior

An unusual Volkswagen pick-up truck, which belonged to a member of the world famous Porsche family and designer of the iconic 911, will be auctioned by Silverstone Auctions at The Classic Race Aarhus motorsport festival in Denmark, on 28^th and 29^th May.

This 1989 Volkswagen T3 double cab pick-up truck was owned by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, also known as “Butzi”, the son of “Ferry”, and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of Porsche and Volkswagen and creator of the VW Beetle.

After it was decided to change the Porsche legal structure and to keep the family out of its management, Ferdinand Alexander went on to found his own company, the Porsche Design Studio in 1972. Initially based in Stuttgart, the company was later moved to Zell am See, Austria, close to the Porsche family estate, Schüttgut. It was for use at this company that “Butzi” bought the T3 Doka pick-up. Purchased on 12th December 1989, the truck was used on the estate for various purposes in the daily running of the business.

The truck was purchased by the current vendor, a Porsche racing driver with long-standing links with the Porsche family, in 2014. After a bare metal restoration process of over 700 hours carried out at his Porsche racing garage, the truck presents today in superb condition. With a total of 141,000 kilometres recorded, and supporting paperwork clearly listing Ferdinand Alexander Porsche as the first owner, the truck will be offered at auction with an estimate of between €60,000 and €80,000.

Speaking ahead of the sale, Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, commented, “The Porsche family is automotive royalty and it’s an honour to have a vehicle in our auction with the distinction of being one of the few cars registered privately in the Porsche family name. This is a superb opportunity to add a quirky and historically significant vehicle to an ultimate Porsche collection.”

The youngest in the lineage of Porsche family engineers, Ferdinand Alexander, affectionately nicknamed “Butzi”, meaning ‘baby’ in German, was chief designer of the styling department at Porsche. He played a fundamental roll in the design of the iconic Porsche 911, as well as the 904 and 914, establishing a design culture that continues to shape the manufacturers sports cars to this very day.

Nick Whale added, “This is a very special addition to our first international sale in Denmark, and though pick-up trucks do not come into our sales often, we feel this is a very special exception.”

To find out more about the 1989 Volkswagen T3 double cab pick-up truck and the Classic Race Aarhus Auction please visit http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1989-volkswagen-t3-doka-ex-ferdinand-butzi-porsche.

Testing the limits of the MG GS

Do you know what a new car goes through just to make sure it’s right for every eventuality? Rigorous testing, worldwide travel, freezing temperatures and strong winds are just some of them.

Next month, the new MG GS goes on sale in the UK. To mark such a momentous occasion, MG has been keen to share the stages of the SUV’s growth; from the design brief and early sketches through to what it’s gone through to ensure it performs at its best.

All new models are put through their paces, and the MG GS is no exception to this thorough testing. The GS has travelled over 750,000 miles as part of its testing and it has braved the 46°C heat of Australia’s Alice Springs and -30° chills of Arjeplog in Sweden. Testing in such extreme temperatures guarantee that wherever you take your GS for adventures, it will stand up to the challenge.

To make sure the GS is as streamlined and fuel efficient as possible, it was also put through more than 200 hours of wind tunnel testing to develop its highly-efficient aerodynamics.

Testing has also covered the ‘wet dog in car’ scenario. By placing wet cloths in the GS, tests were able to determine how quickly the car can demist when moisture is present inside. Carrying out tests like this allow engineers to fine tune systems to ensure the GS runs at its optimum performance.

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “When you look into what a new car endures prior to going on sale, it’s fascinating and demonstrates the effort that goes into ensuring the car is the best it can possibly be.

“With the imminent arrival of the GS, we’re excited to share facts and figures and nuggets of information people may have not been privy to before. By sharing these, we’re showing customers that when they step into the GS they know it can stand up to all challenges and adventures they put it through.”

www.mg.co.uk/gs.