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.”

David Brown Automotive, a new brand for classic British motoring.

An all-new, British luxury automotive brand is to be launched in April 2014, promising to refresh the classic British sports car, for the 21st Century.

Successful British businessman and car enthusiast, David Brown, has created a brand in his own name – David Brown Automotive – to deliver his vision for a new take on the British sports car.

David has sought out key industry talent to create the new car.  An experienced design team is led by Alan Mobberley, who was Chief Designer at Land Rover for 19 years, until 2005, while automotive engineering experts, Envisage Group, have developed the car, for production.

David has not settled for an update of any existing model. He has commissioned a completely original exterior and interior design, sourced bespoke British suppliers for interior trim and materials and the car has been thoroughly engineered for low-volume production, combining the latest manufacturing techniques with traditional craftsmanship.

David explained: “I wanted all the impact and style of a classic sports car, but with modern capabilities and conveniences. This is what I want in a car, but it’s not something anyone really offers. So, I’ve created it myself.”

The result – codenamed “Project Judi” – will be revealed in April 2014 and will be made available for sale, in strictly limited numbers. It will combine a classically-inspired exterior design, with the latest in performance, dynamics, technology, comfort and refinement.

“I thought that if I’m looking for this, others might be too,” commented David.

More details on the new car, including its name, will be announced closer to the car’s launch date. In the meantime, anyone can register their interest to receive more information at: www.davidbrownautomotive.com.

Aston Martin: 100 Years of Sports Car Excellence

• Millions witness exceptional centenary events around the world
• New models celebrate brand’s success; a concept car looks to its future
• The most valuable collection of Aston Martins ever assembled is created for one day only in London
• The Aston Martin Yearbook is available at www.astonmartinyearbook.com  

The Aston Martin centenary celebrations throughout 2013 were a glamorous global showcase of all that makes the luxury British sports car maker one of the world’s most admired, and desired, brands.

As the centenary year draws to a close, the exclusive band of owners past and present, along with many of the brand’s enthusiasts worldwide can look back on an unrivalled 12 months of activity.

The marque has compiled a digest of its centenary year highlights and is creating a special section on its website: www.astonmartin.com/100 – that acts as a digital store for its centenary memories.

Events to celebrate the brand’s 100th birthday started in London’s Henniker Mews on 15 January 2013. A ceremony was held outside the premises in Chelsea where Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford took the momentous decision to found what was to become one of the world’s most renowned sports car companies. A plaque now hangs at the site of the firm’s first premises in Chelsea.

Just a few days later the centenary focus moved to Dubai where the ultimate GT, the Vanquish, made history by becoming the first car to be airlifted onto the helipad of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. The sports car was placed precisely 1,000ft above the ground, in front of some of the region’s most important dignitaries, media and enthusiasts. The video of that exceptional feat has since gone on to receive more than half a million views on YouTube.

In March, came celebrations in Switzerland as the brand unveiled perhaps the most tangible, and exclusive, of its centenary activities: the Centenary Edition sports cars at the Geneva International Motor Show. Limited to just 100 of each model – Vantage, DB9, Rapide S and Vanquish, these cars feature details carefully created to honour Aston Martin’s 100 years of craftsmanship.

At the Nürburgring 24 Hours in Germany in May, the 200,000-strong crowd of spectators at what is one of the most gruelling races in the world witnessed a number of centenary-themed occasions.

First came the global public debut of the exceptional CC100 Speedster Concept. Created as a stunning celebration of 100 years of sports car excellence, the CC100 looks both to the past and the DBR1 – Aston Martin’s 1959 Le Mans and World Sportscar Championship winning car – and to the future with its teasing glimpses of potential future design direction.

Just ahead of the start of the 41st Nürburgring 24 Hours, a cavalcade of more than 100 Aston Martins took to the infamous road circuit for a celebratory parade lap.

Led by the CC100, the parade comprised cars from the marque’s glittering past and stylish present with numerous VIP drivers and scores of enthusiast owners who had travelled across Europe to take part in the iconic gathering.

Among the 100 models making the 22 km lap were the DB5 used in the James Bond film, Skyfall, a One-77, the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 km-winning DBR1 with its original driver Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel, and a Centenary Edition Vanquish bearing the number plate ‘100 YRS’.

Also in May the focus returned to the UK, and to the historic home of the marque at Newport Pagnell, where Aston Martin Works hosted the Aston Martin Centenary Sale. The annual Bonhams auction of Aston Martin and Lagonda cars, the 14th to be held at Works, celebrated 100 years of the marque and saw the unique Bertone Jet DB4GT achieve a world record price of £3,249,500, the highest price ever paid at auction for an Aston Martin.

June witnessed Aston Martin’s annual pilgrimage to the world’s most famous 24 hour race at Le Mans, with Aston Martin Racing fielding a strong team for the endurance classic.

On Friday prior to the race, members of the Aston Martin Owners Club from around the world journeyed to the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, their traditional pre-event meeting spot and home to numerous Aston Martin racers over the years including the race-winning team of 1959. On race day itself a selection of rare and historic Aston Martin sports cars from across the years paraded around the circuit ahead of the start in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators.

It was back to the track in July as the Aston Martin Centenary Festival brought race cars ranging from classics such as the DB4 Lightweight up to the DBR9 and the latest Vantage GT3 onto the Brands Hatch GP circuit. In the same month the brand took the starring role at the Silverstone Classic, a long-weekend of amazing motorsport memories billed as “the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival”.

Meanwhile, the exceptional CC100 Speedster Concept was running demonstration laps throughout the quintessentially British Goodwood Festival of Speed. The 6.0-litre V12-powered concept car made its UK dynamic debut in West Sussex as a special centenary treat for the fans of the famous event.

Completing the British brand’s participation at Goodwood was Aston Martin Racing’s World Endurance Championship car – the Vantage GTE – piloted by AMR Works drivers, Darren Turner and Bruno Senna.

July also witnessed what was, perhaps, the highest profile activity in its centenary year with a public celebration in Kensington Palace Gardens, London.

The ambitious event, jointly organised by Aston Martin, the Aston Martin Owners Club and the Aston Martin Heritage Trust – and staged in partnership with The Royal Parks and The Royal Household – saw rare and historic cars exhibited, together worth more than £1 billion.

A Centenary Timeline display took visitors to the event on a 100-year journey from the origins of the marque in Henniker Mews, Chelsea, to the current global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Every iconic Aston Martin road car was represented from ‘A3’, the oldest surviving car, to the most current models.

A Centenary Selection display comprised a diverse collection of cars rarely seen outside private collections including a brace of bespoke Zagatos and the trio of Bertone Jets. Aston Martin’s 50-year ‘love affair’ with James Bond was celebrated in fine style as seven of the movie cars were on display, including the iconic DB5 from Skyfall.

Aston Martin owners from across Europe got their chance to participate in the centenary festivities by joining an epic 1,000-mile rally. Travelling through seven countries in just five days the route took in some of the most scenic drives in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France before arriving at July's Aston Martin centenary celebrations in London.

July also saw a special Centenary Week of activities at the brand’s global headquarters in Gaydon. Conceived for owners and enthusiasts to be involved as never before, events included factory visits, design master classes, exhibitions and an unprecedented “Dine on the Line” pop-up restaurant delivering Michelin star-standard cuisine at the very heart of the production line.

In August, the brand’s American fans had their chance to witness centenary celebrations at the 2013 Pebble Beach Automotive Week, where Aston Martin had the honour of being a featured marque.

CC100 made its North American debut and shared the limelight in California with two of Aston Martin’s newest models – the extreme V12 Vantage S and luxurious Vanquish Volante.

Also that month, the brand’s Chinese dealers offered their own take on 100 years of sports car success. China’s first Aston Martin rally set off for Hong Kong from the marque’s impressive showroom in Pudong, Shanghai.

Participants travelled through nine cities over the course of nine days finishing in Hong Kong with a dramatic closing ceremony held with the amazing view of Victoria Harbour as its backdrop.

Into September, and the centenary focus once again turned to Europe, with the eyes of the automotive world on the Frankfurt Motor Show. Aston Martin chose to emphasise both the historic, and the modern, with the DBR1-inspired CC100 Speedster Concept sitting alongside examples of the Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S in Germany.

Meanwhile, back in Britain and back on the track, the marque was stealing the show at the Goodwood Revival where the Aston Martin Project 212 car was driven to victory in the Revival’s blue riband event, the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy Celebration race.

In November Aston Martin was once again in the news, this time courtesy of its place at the historic pageant, the Lord Mayor’s Show. No fewer than six of the brand’s sports cars – including a unique Vanquish dressed in the livery of the British Government’s ‘GREAT’ campaign – made their way through the city’s streets as tens of thousands of admiring spectators looked on.

Aston Martin’s centenary artist-in-residence, James Hart Dyke, encapsulated the spirit of the centenary by unveiling the exceptional works he created over the course of the year to record the celebrations for posterity.

Hart Dyke’s works were previewed by luminaries from the world of art in W-One, the exclusive Aston Martin brand centre in London’s Mayfair.

Of course there have been a myriad of other celebration activities around the world during 2013 as owners, enthusiasts and dealer partners have taken every opportunity to display their affection for this great British luxury sports car maker.

Summarising the highlights, Aston Martin Global Brand Communications Director, Janette Green, said: “Condensing 100 years of achievement into 12 months of celebration brought many planning and logistical challenges as we organised a multitude of events and activities around the globe. However as the centenary year draws to a close everyone associated with the brand can reflect proudly on the fun, commitment and passion displayed by Aston Martin staff, owners and enthusiasts worldwide.”

The Aston Martin Yearbook includes exclusive content of some of the most iconic Aston Martins from the past 100 years, as well as full pictorial coverage of the celebrations throughout 2013. The centenary souvenir is available to order at www.astonmartinyearbook.com

Kia to launch new concept at Detroit.

• First image of new concept car
• Designed by Kia team in Irvine, California
• 2+2 sports concept to star at NAIAS

Kia is set to unveil a stunning sports car concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Conceived and designed by Kia’s California-based team at Irvine, the 2+2 sports car is aimed at delivering head-turning looks whilst providing superb driving enjoyment whether on the road or at the track.

The concept will be unveiled at Kia’s stand at the NAIAS on Monday 13 January.

Honda previews two new models at Tokyo, the Vezel and S660

Honda has unveiled the new Urban SUV production model on the first day of the Tokyo Motor Show. The new model will be named Vezel for the Japanese market. Strengthening its sports car activity, Honda also revealed the S660 Concept mid-engined sports model.

The new Urban SUV will be launched in Europe during 2015, with the name of the European model being confirmed nearer to launch.

The exterior design of the new model is close to a SUV, with coupe-like styling in its upper body. The sharp character lines create an inspiring and emotional exterior design. The interior is designed to create a high-quality space for the driver and front passenger, and comfort and functionality for those in the rear.

In Japan, Honda will launch both a hybrid and petrol model of the Vezel. The hybrid model will be equipped with Sport Hybrid i-DCD* that combines a 1.5 litre direct injection engine with a high-output motor, and the petrol model will be equipped with a 1.5 litre direct injection engine. Adopting new-generation powertrain technologies, the Vezel delivers both a dynamic driving character and excellent fuel economy for both models.

The Japanese model will be launched on 20th December 2013.

Honda also unveiled the S660 Concept which aims to deliver nimble and dynamic driving, outstanding stability and a dynamic design that are only possible with a mid-ship layout.

Speaking at the Honda Press Conference, Takanobu Ito, CEO and President of Honda Motor Co., said, “This model embodies the freewheeling thinking of young Honda engineers, who want to make a cool car that is unique to Honda. Our engineers are devoting their passion and technologies to the development of this model.”

Designed for the Japanese kei-car market, the model is being developed towards mass production in 2015.

2014 Nissan GT-R, refined, relaxed and re-imagined

• Recalibrated suspension for more sophisticated ride and better road-holding
• Enhanced exterior with LED lamp technology and distinctive front and rear design
• Added premium cabin interior with improved quality and trim options

Evolution never stops for the Nissan GT-R.  Nissan's iconic sports car brings a refreshed vision of "innovation that excites" with the introduction of the 2014 model offering a new level of sophistication, yet with no compromise in performance.

The sales of 2014 Nissan GT-R begin in Japan on December 2, to be followed by sales at Nissan dealerships in other markets worldwide.

The 2014 Nissan GT-R offers smoother ride comfort, more refinement and benchmark fit and finish, in the spirit of a great "GT", while delivering breathtaking performance and road-holding. Its "multi-dimensional performance" means the driver can enjoy the full depth of the GT-R's capabilities, whether navigating corners of a winding mountain road, cruising on the highway or even in an urban environment.

Adding premium appeal to the exterior and interior design, the 2014 Nissan GT-R delivers sophisticated driving pleasure and is the ultimate embodiment of Nissan's brand philosophy: "innovation that excites."

2014 Nissan GT-R Overview

Outstanding performance meets a new level of sophistication

Mechanical Updates

Chassis

With outstanding adhesion from its tyres, the GT-R is capable of stunning confident acceleration and braking performance

• The suspension was fine-tuned to reduced load fluctuation between the four wheels, giving better stability and more consistent grip.
• More constant tyre contact is achieved by optimized electronic control of the shock-absorber valves, as well as modified front stabiliser spring rates and updated bush link. The tuning of these parts, which makes best use of the suspension strokes and enhances road-holding capability, gives a poised, confident ride and outstanding traction on rough roads.
• With minute vibrations and road noise reduced, a relaxing, comfortable ride is assured. An additional benefit is improved straight-line stability, with fewer small steering corrections needed to maintain the correct trajectory during highway driving.
• The upgraded GT-R is now fitted as standard with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT tyres, for outstanding road-holding and precise response in all conditions thanks to stiffer sidewalls which reduce deformation, improving steering response under hard cornering. At the front, their specification is: 255/40ZRF20(97Y) and at the rear: 285/35ZRF20(100Y)
• The braking calibration has been retuned for a more firm, linear response at everyday speeds, making smooth braking more intuitive, generating greater confidence, particularly in wet conditions.
• The GT-R's steering has been fine-tuned to reduce the effort required for in-town manoeuvers, while maintaining its exceptional feedback during high-speed driving. The combination of retuned suspension and exceptional steering feel give outstanding confidence at high speed.

Exterior design

Dazzling motion when standing still 

• The 2014 Nissan GT-R maintains its position as one of the most striking supercars in the market. Significant updates to the Nissan GT-R's lights both enhance the visual impact of the car. Customers looking for added visual impact now have a wider color palette to choose from.The 2014 Nissan GT-R sports new efficient, high-intensity, multi-LED headlights that create a distinctive "lightning" motif, generating a striking exterior visual signature. With such a unique visual reference, the GT-R's road presence is enhanced, particularly in low-light and at night - while the fitment of the new headlights gives the driver increased visibility.
• The new headlights feature AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System*) that automatically adapts the angle of the light beam according to the speed of the car. At highway speeds, actuators in the headlight unit adjust the angle of the projectors to project the light further. The four LED units are configured with new intensive LED hi-beam and three different LED low-beams including long-distance-illumination and wide-illumination.
• At the rear, the GT-R's distinctive four-ring tail light signature now forms coherent circles of illumination, giving the GT-R an equally distinctive appearance, making it easily recognisable to fellow owners and enthusiasts.
• Upon start up, the full new lighting signature is illuminated, creating a dramatic start-up procedure.
• Visual appeal is reinforced with the addition of a new body colour called Gold Flake Red Pearl. As its name suggests, there are microscopic gold-tinted glass flakes infused into the red paint, creating a spectacular effect in the deep, lustrous paint as the light catches the finish.

Interior

Upscale cabin appointments

• Choice of three interior colour schemes includes a new pale ivory trim option.
• The steering wheel is trimmed in leather, for premium tactility, while the part-aniline leather seats are further embellished with stitched accents, giving the ambience of a genuine GT designed for cross-continental, first-class travel.
• Body construction

Advanced body construction

• To achieve the project's ambitious targets for high-speed handling and ride comfort, Nissan enhanced the level of precision-constructed body elements and advanced assembly methods to create the 2014 Nissan GT-R.
• Each part is made of materials selected for optimum performance: Precision-constructed, multi-material hybrid body combines steel, carbon fibre and die-cast aluminum to achieve high stiffness and light weight.
• Thanks to the rigidity of the GT-R's body construction, suspension precision is guaranteed while refinement is enhanced, resulting in exceptional cabin refinement even at high speeds and under hard cornering.
• Thanks to optimised insulation and acoustic tuning, even at high speeds, the occupants are able to enjoy the sporty engine sound.
• An optional carbon rear wing is offered, which is attached to a carbon boot lid, giving a weight saving of half compared with the standard boot lid.

*Adapative Front lighting System is unavailable in some regions.