McLaren expands further, this time, a new dealership in Bangkok.

McLaren Automotive continues to grow and strengthen the global retailer network with the appointment of the latest retail partner in Thailand. McLaren Bangkok is the eighth location in Asia for the British high performance sports car brand, and marks the 30th market worldwide.

McLaren Bangkok will be operated by Niche Cars Co. Ltd., which boasts extensive market experience, and are leaders in the sourcing and sale of luxury and performance cars throughout Thailand. The latest location to be added to the McLaren Automotive retail portfolio will be located in the Siam Paragon luxury shopping mall in the country’s capital, which is one of the largest shopping centres in Asia.

Commenting on the appointment, Mirko Bordiga McLaren Automotive Regional Director for Asia-Pacific explains: ‘We are extremely pleased to announce our latest retail partner in the region, which will bring the McLaren brand to Thailand. The Asia-Pacific region has seen rapid growth recently with the significant expansion of our retailer network, and further strengthens our brand presence globally.’

Vittawat Chinabarramee, Managing Director of Niche Cars Co., Ltd added: "We are delighted to be appointed the representative for McLaren in Thailand. The McLaren brand has been making history on the track for 50 years, and the cutting-edge Formula 1 expertise and technologies now feature on a stunning range of high performance sports cars. It is with great pleasure that Niche Cars Co., Ltd can bring the  12C and, most notably, the limited edition McLaren P1™ to all car enthusiasts who are most eager of the brand’s presence here in Thailand."

FORMULA ONE - James Hunt to be inducted into Motor Sport Hall of Fame (AT LAST)

• 1976 world champion one of four new inductees for 2014
• Hunt family out in force to receive prestigious accolade
• James Hunt will be one of four racing legends to be inducted into the coveted Motor Sport Hall of Fame later this month.

While breaking with tradition, the announcement in advance whets the appetite for a star-studded evening at the Royal Opera House on Wednesday 29 January.

Hunt, who sadly passed away in 1993, will always be remembered as one of the sport’s biggest personalities – more so now that his ultimately successful title duel with arch-rival Niki Lauda in 1976 has been immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster Rush. The Austrian legend, though, did beat his British nemesis into the Hall of Fame – he is one of motor sport’s 25 greatest names already inducted.

“James Hunt belongs in rarified company as a great British sporting hero who transcended the arena that made him famous to become a genuine national – if not global – icon. During the 1970s you didn’t need to be a motor racing fan to know who James Hunt was,” said Damien Smith, editor of Motor Sport magazine.

“Clearly, he was a natural star, but the force of his personality sometimes means his ability and achievements as a truly exceptional racing driver are overlooked. That is why we feel it is important that James is made a member of the Motor Sport Hall of Fame. It was his competitive instinct, bravery and sheer speed that carried him to the 1976 F1® World Championship, and he fully deserves to join former rivals such as Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter and Mario Andretti in our exclusive club of legends.”

No fewer than 15 members of the Hunt family will be present in London to see the accolade presented to James’ eldest son, Tom Hunt.

While the star-studded Motor Sport Hall of Fame evening is strictly ‘by-invitation-only’, highlights while be broadcast in an F1®Show Special aired on Sky Sports F1® at 20:30hrs on Friday 31 January 2014 and again throughout the following week.

Caterham rebrands to spearhead its continued expansion plans.

Caterham today unveils its fresh new branding, designed to spearhead the Caterham Group’s continuing international expansion and diversification into new sectors.

The new corporate identity features a bold new selection of green tones and a coloured Union Flag emblem, all reflecting Caterham’s proud British heritage.

Since Malaysian entrepreneurs Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun purchased the Caterham brand in 2011, the original sportscar company has been joined in the Group by Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI), Caterham Composites, Caterham Bikes, Caterham Moto Racing Team, Caterham Challenge and the F1 and GP2 race teams.

The rebrand will be applied across all arms of the Group and has been designed to mirror the brand’s commitment to deliver ‘accessible fun’ across its whole spectrum of businesses.

Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Co-Chairman said: “The Caterham coloured Union Flag emblem is our celebration of Caterham’s British heritage. The Caterham brand has been in existence for over 40 years and, in simple terms, is a brand that puts smiles on people’s faces. It is a proud British brand, one that celebrates Britain’s engineering prowess and we, in turn, are proud to showcase our British heritage.

“This is an exciting time for Caterham across all our interests; our F1 team is embarking on its fifth season with everything in place to make serious progress this year. On the roads, Caterham Cars goes from strength to strength, winning universal praise for launching its fastest ever road car, the 620R and the same acclaim for our lowest-priced model, the 160. We also have our roadcar partnership with Renault, which started in F1, and that is now firmly into the development phase of our first product, which will be on the roads in early 2016.

“In late 2013, we launched Caterham’s first two-wheeled ventures, while CTI is involved in a number of fascinating projects. Many of these we cannot talk about for confidentiality reasons, but there is a team in Hingham, working very closely with Caterham Cars and Renault on our new road car, bringing their skill set to bear alongside a major international car manufacturer.

“Caterham Composites, our specialist composite design and manufacturing consultancy in Germany, is also working on a range of concepts, including a project with Airbus Group on new, lightweight aircraft seats. The benefits of that project are obvious, and they are a good example of how we are creating innovation and revenue across the Group.

“Overall, this is an incredibly exciting time to be part of Caterham in all its guises. I am very pleased to see that companies of the stature of GE, Airbus Group and Dell / Intel continue to share our vision and I am excited about seeing how much further we can grow in 2014. I firmly believe that we will look back on 2014 as the year the Caterham story really began.”

Caterham cars breaks export sales record for 2013

Caterham Cars has sold more vehicles to overseas buyers in 2013 than in any other year in the firm’s history. Its export sales now represent over 61 percent of all units sold.

Thanks to its expanding export team, the British sportscar marque has notched up over 300 export sales of its famous two-seater Seven model in 2013, outstripping last year’s total by 25 per cent.

Outside of the UK, Caterham Cars’ largest market is France accounting for almost a third of its overseas sales in 2013.  Japan follows closely, almost doubling its sales year on year. More progress is expected in the Japanese market, thanks to the introduction of the new Seven 130*.

Meanwhile Swiss dealer Kumschick Sports Cars cemented its 30-year relationship with the iconic British sports car with the most successful sales year in over a decade; the best-selling model being the Seven 485.

Caterham’s profile also continues to rise across the Atlantic, thanks to the success of its partnership with Dyson Racing which imports the SP/300.R racer. Caterham recently announced Superformance as its sole new North American importer for its Seven products and the appointment has already seen a positive impact on sales. Caterham intends to see USA sales volumes rise over the next three years as it further develops the local market.

Overseas expansion continues further afield with new dealers already appointed in South American markets Chile, Peru and Colombia.

David Ridley, Chief Commercial Officer of Caterham Cars, said: “Caterham’s ethos - to deliver accessible fun – is well-known by the motoring public in the UK, but we are now applying that philosophy across Europe and beyond. It’s satisfying to see consistent demand in our established markets like France, Japan and the USA, and it’s also very encouraging to see a growing demand from our new territories. Our on-going participation in Formula One is, in part, to thank for our growing global brand awareness”

“Caterham is the sort of brand which attracts genuine fans who are passionate about its heritage and potential. These unique qualities and a growing demand for genuine British products have helped us to steadily expand sales overseas. Several new models at the top and entry point of the range have also attracted new customers to the brand.”

Contributing to the strong export performance are new models which conform to strict EU6 regulations, including the powerful, 240ps Seven 485 and the innovative entry-level Seven 165. Caterham’s one-make racing championships also continue to develop strongly in markets outside of the UK.

Known for its extreme performance, handling finesse and low weight, the Seven range starts at £14,995** in the UK and €19,995 in mainland Europe (+ local taxes).

The Caterham Group – formed by a team led by Tony Fernandes – incorporates Caterham Cars, Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Technology & Innovation, Caterham Composites and the recently-announced Caterham Bikes division.

Infiniti to launch Q50 design "Eau Rouge" concept at Detroit

• Q50 Eau Rouge represents design vision for high-performance products
• Design of Q50 Eau Rouge features dramatic aerodynamic styling influenced by Infiniti’s involvement in Formula One
• Q50 Eau Rouge features complex carbon composite bodywork

Hong Kong – Infiniti has revealed the first image of the Q50 Eau Rouge concept which will have its world premiere at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13.

The Q50 Eau Rouge, a high-performance design concept based on Infiniti’s Q50 premium sports saloon, draws inspiration for aerodynamic design from the technical collaboration between Infiniti and four-time Formula One World Champions Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

Major bodywork components have been redesigned with aerodynamics in mind and manufactured carbon fibre, Q50 Eau Rouge is lower and wider – only the roof and door profiles remain unchanged from the production Q50. This striking design is inspired by muscularity, refinement, and understated performance intent.

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge highlights include deep and detailed carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser and side sill skirts; carbon fibre roof and door mirror casings; 21-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels and a dual-exit exhaust sports system below a large integrated rear spoiler.

The Infiniti design team, led by Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, was influenced by the aerodynamic styling approach taken by their colleagues at Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

“From our shared passion for performance with Infiniti Red Bull Racing grew a collective desire to produce a vision of what a high-performance Infiniti Q50 could look like,” said Albaisa.

“The design has a number of distinctive Formula One inspired touches.  In particular, the sculpted front wing assembly and the rear aerodynamic packaging take their cues from the RB9 race car,” added Albaisa.

Infiniti is also empowering social fans to unveil the all-new Q50 Eau Rouge concept car ahead of the official launch at the Detroit Motor Show on January 13. Starting from today, online advocates can drive the reveal of Infiniti’s latest concept car.  By sharing their views and comments through social media channels like Twitter (hashtag #F1Q50), Facebook and Weibo, fans will build the image of the concept in a virtual garage. Each ‘share’ will help build individual Q50 components and as more fans share, the quicker the car will be ‘built’.

Caterham to wow the crowds with its most exciting stand ever, at 2014 Autosport show

Caterham is set to showcase its most exciting line-up to date at the 2014 Autosport International Show on 9th – 12th January 2014 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

The British sportscar maker has enjoyed a landmark year and will display a whole host of products from across the entire Caterham Group; headlined by the AeroSeven concept car which was revealed at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this year.

In addition to the concept, the 2013 CT03 Caterham F1 car will be on the stand, alongside the SP/300.R racing and trackday car, the new Superlight R300 championship race car, the Seven 485 SV  and the Caterham Kart.

In Hall 4, the ever-popular Caterham Experience will be running for the duration of the 4-day-long show. Visitors can experience a thrilling passenger ride in a Seven alongside Caterham’s team of professional drivers on a bespoke indoor drift course. In addition, a limited number of lucky visitors will also have the chance to get behind the wheel and master the art of donutting for themselves with Caterham’s team of expert tyre screechers. Spaces on the Caterham Donut School are limited and are a firm favourite with show goers; book early to avoid disappointment.

The AeroSeven concept, which will go on sale next year, was designed with significant input from all of the Caterham Group divisions and draws heavily on methods and technologies used by the F1 team. The AeroSeven will be the very first Caterham to be fitted with traction control, thanks to a newly-developed Caterham Engine Management System. The concept features styling that hints strongly towards the future of Caterham design.

In October, Caterham launched its most accessible model to date – the Caterham Seven 160 – which is powered by a three-cylinder 80hp Suzuki engine and is priced from just £14,995 in component form. A special, handmade cut-away model of the entry-level car will be on show alongside Caterham’s most powerful Seven ever, the 620R. At the opposite end of the performance spectrum to the 160, the 620R boasts 310bhp and achieves 0-60 mph in just 2.79 seconds.

At last year’s Autosport International Show, the firm revealed the brand new Caterham Kart - which will form the basis of a new, accessible karting championship in the UK.

The new championship is open to 13 – 16 year olds and entry into the series is priced at just £5,994. True to Caterham’s ethos of making performance accessible, the championship intends to revive karting as a sport in its own right and will commence in 2015.

Visitors to the show will find Caterham on stand 2540 in Hall 20 and the Caterham Drive Experience can be found in hall 4. Any Caterham driver who brings their Seven key to the stand will also be entitled to a complimentary beverage in the exclusive customer area.

The safetst car on UK's roads..... that will be an Infiniti Q50

According to the latest tests carried out by Thatcham, the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, the Infiniti Q50 has proved itself to have one of the most advanced standard fit collision avoidance systems that the Centre has ever tested. Together with its recently announced five star Euro NCAP rating the Infiniti Q50 is easily one of the safest cars on the road.

Thatcham’s Chief Executive Peter Shaw explains: “The majority of accidents on our roads are caused by driver distraction often at junctions. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems can warn the driver of the potential danger ahead and then automatically slow the vehicle down or even bring it to a complete halt if necessary. Here at Thatcham we assess these systems in the Insurance Group Rating “City” test on behalf of UK insurers to evaluate their performance in the most common type of crash: the front-to-rear shunt”.

“In the test we drive the car under robot control at speeds of up to 50km/h towards a unique soft target representing another vehicle, and we measure how well the car performs at avoiding a crash or reducing the impact speed. The Q50 not only avoided the crash at the maximum 50km/h test speed, the Infiniti engineers were confident that it could also do the same at 60km/h, and so it proved. This is a remarkable achievement and as such the Q50 is one of the best performers we’ve seen to date.”

Fintan Knight, Vice President for Infiniti Europe, Middle East and Africa added: “Today’s drivers need all the help they can get to stay relaxed, comfortable and safe behind the wheel which is why the Q50 is available with many innovative new safety systems.”

By using a highly specified radar system along with several cameras located around the vehicle to constantly monitor the vehicles surrounding area, many systems are able to combine together and reduce the risk of an accident ever taking place. Forward Emergency Braking is only one of many other features included in the optional Safety Pack -

• Reversing (Back-up Collision Intervention). Detects moving vehicles and objects behind the car when reverse gear is selected, warning the driver with visual and audible alerts. If necessary the system can autonomously engage the brakes to avoid a collision.
• Drifting out of lane (Lane Departure Warning and Lane Departure Prevention). Industry-first system senses unintended lane drift and assists the driver in guiding the vehicle back to the centre of its lane.
• Moving into the path of another vehicle (Blind Spot Intervention and Blind Spot Warning). World-first technology aids the driver in avoiding vehicles concealed in the blind-spot area during lane-change manoeuvres.
• Motorway hold-ups (Predictive Forward Collision Warning). Another world-first for Infiniti, PFCW warns the driver of hazards which lie beyond the driver’s field of view – seeing past not just the car in front but two cars ahead.
• Low-speed manoeuvring in busy areas (Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection). Infiniti’s world-first real-time camera system provides a virtual 360 degree view of the environment around the car, with visual and audible warnings of hazards.

As well as the availability of the most advanced safety systems, every Infiniti Q50 includes safety-oriented features such as:

• Seat belt reminder system for all seats
• Speed limiter
• Active pop-up bonnet for pedestrian safety
• Electronic Stability Control with Active Trace Control
• LED fog lights front and rear
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• Hill start assist
• Six airbags
• Rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors

Fintan Knight added: “Infiniti leads the way in introducing new safety technologies and the Q50 is available with more of them than ever before. As our new-generation standard bearer the Q50 shows just how committed we are to road safety and to keeping the brand in the forefront of safety in the future.”

Infiniti will reveal a Formula One inspired concept car based on the Q50 at Detroit

Infiniti will reveal a Formula One inspired concept car based on the Q50 premium sports saloon at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The concept will be unveiled during Infiniti’s press conference, on January 13.

The concept car represents Infiniti’s design vision of a high performance variant of Q50. Called ‘Q50 Eau Rouge’, the car is named after the world-famous corner at the Formula One track in Spa-Francorchamps, a corner which requires extraordinary strength, courage and commitment; it has seen some of the most incredible driving feats in Formula One history.  For Infiniti, the Q50 Eau Rouge concept blends road car technology and a thoroughbred motorsport vision.

The Q50 Eau Rouge features aerodynamic styling treatments and design elements which are influenced by Infiniti’s partnership with Formula One world championship-winning team Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

“Performance is a key pillar of Infiniti’s DNA and this car expresses a deepened design interpretation of that.  The Q50, with an abundance of technologies, provides a great basis for an extreme performance version, embodied in the design of Q50 Eau Rouge,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti’s Executive Design Director.

Yamaha and Gordon Murray design a compact microcar.

In the current era of urban traffic and environmental problems there is increasing demand for downsizing and fuel efficient cars.  MOTIV.e satisfies these demands by utilising ground breaking manufacturing and materials technology while delivering a new level of driver experience which emanates from the Yamaha Motor Company DNA.

The MOTIV.e is created from Yamaha Motor's multi-wheel history and experience (2 wheel - 3 wheel and 4 wheel technology).  Yamaha Motor Company has always been dedicated to craftsmanship with a focus on 'quality mobility'.  The MOTIV.e builds on this philosophy and incorporates Formula One heritage, inspiration from motorcycle design and the latest technology to deliver an exciting and high quality driving experience.  The MOTIV.e delivers a new level of personal mobility.

Yamaha Motor Company chose Gordon Murray Design to cooperate in the design and development of the MOTIV.e which utilises Gordon Murray Design's revolutionary iStream® manufacturing technology.  Yamaha Motor Company and Gordon Murray Design are a perfect fit as a partnership with both company's Formula One and technology backgrounds.

The iStream® manufacturing system which incorporates Formula One composite technology delivers new levels of lightweight, safety, vehicle dynamics and manufacturing flexibility alongside low environmental impact.

The MOTIV.e design reflects Yamaha's rich heritage in high quality lifestyle products while introducing a technical and dynamic shape which is inspired by Yamaha Motor's Motorcycle products.  The iStream® design is centred on a steel frame incorporating bonded composite monocoque panels to produce a lightweight, rigid safety cell.  All independent suspension and low unsprung weight delivers new levels of ride and handling.  The all-new electric powertrain has been designed using 'state of the art' materials and technology.

The MOTIV.e represents a new starting point for urban mobility vehicles and sets new standards in the ultra compact 4 wheeler segment.

Editors Notes:

• Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company.  Yamaha Motor Company (headquarters is located in Iwata, Shizuoka) is a sister company of Yamaha Corporation who shares its brands and corporate philosophy.  Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized vehicles on July 1, 1955. The company's intensive research into metal alloys for use in acoustic pianos had given Yamaha wide knowledge of the making of lightweight, yet sturdy and reliable metal constructions. This knowledge was easily applied to the making of metal frames and motor parts for motorcycles. Yamaha Motor produces motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, marine engines including outboards, automobile engines, personal watercraft and snowmobiles.  For more information please visit www.yamaha-motor.eu/eu/index.aspx.

• Gordon Murray Design Limited is a British company operating from Shalford in Surrey. The Company is recognised as a world leader in automotive design and reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and development. The Company is compact and focused and undertakes automotive and other engineering programmes in an efficient and innovative way. For more information please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com.

• The iStream® assembly process is a complete rethink and redesign of the traditional automotive manufacturing process and could potentially be the biggest revolution in high volume manufacture since the Model T. Development of the process began over 15 years ago and it has already won the prestigious ‘Idea of the Year’ award from Autocar who were given privileged access in order to make their assessment. The simplified assembly process means that the manufacturing plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%. Yet the flexibility of this assembly process means that the same factory could be used to manufacture different variants. The iStream® design process is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and will lead to a significant reduction in full lifecycle CO2. For more information please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com.