When it rains it pours and as we enter the Autumnal season it’s certainly pouring with news from the motoring industry. The Paris Motor Show has sprung upon us and has an impressive line up of new models, announcements and stories that got all of us at Luxury Lifestyle Magazine head-over-heels with excitement. So, without teasing you anymore here’s a round up of some of the key stories from Paris and also the rest of the world.
Highly anticipated Aston Martin DB11 model goes into production
Aston Martin has commenced production of the highly anticipated DB11 for UK customers, the first core car launched under the luxury carmaker’s six year ‘Second Century Plan’. With the first DB11 coming off the Gaydon production line today, first deliveries to customers will take place during October.
Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, who will personally assure the quality by inspecting the first 1,000 cars, said: “It’s an exciting moment for the entire company when the first car of a new model goes into production. The DB11 is a special car and it heralds the start of a new and exciting era for Aston Martin.”
Land Rover accompany the debut of the new Discovery with a Guinness World Record
Land Rover revealed the New Discovery seven-seat SUV by breaking a Guinness World Record for the largest LEGO structure ever built. Long-term Land Rover Discovery owners Bear Grylls, Sir Ben Ainslie and Zara Phillips took part in the dynamic live reveal of Land Rover’s most versatile model around a 13-metre high LEGO version of London’s Tower Bridge.
The New Discovery embodies Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond, combining British desirability with an unstoppable spirit of adventure. It is highly desirable with unrivalled capability and technology like no other. The new Land Rover Discovery was then sent on it’s way to headline Jaguar Land Rover’s stand at the Paris Motor Show.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announce South Korea and Japan developments
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, began a busy week of visits for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, starting with South Korea. He opened only the second permanent Studio for the marque worldwide after the ‘Atelier’ at the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Goodwood, England.
The new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Studio, which opens on 1 November, is the first of its kind in Asia and the only Rolls-Royce facility in the world to offer closed-course test drives. As a unique brand experience centre, it will offer guests an insight into the world of the iconic marque in a relaxed atmosphere in the most effortless of manners.
Later in the week it was off to Japan for Torsten Müller-Ötvös who announced plans for further network expansion in the region. In the first half of 2017, a new dealership in Hiroshima will become the sixth dealership in the country.
The Rolls-Royce dealer network has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2013, the Osaka showroom joined Tokyo and Yokohama as the third home for Rolls-Royce in Japan. In July 2016, the marque’s first Central Japan dealership opened its doors in the business powerhouse of Nagoya, followed soon after by the first Kyushu dealership in the thriving city of Fukuoka, which opened to customers in an interim capacity in September 2016. Hiroshima will be the first location for Rolls‑Royce in the Chugoku region.
Paris Motor Show 2016
Paris is the place to be in October as all of the big names in Motoring descend on the French capital to tease us with news of whats remaining for 2016 and will hit the market in 2017 and the future.
Ferrari unveil 70th anniversary plans and two new models : The GTC4Lusso T and LaFerrari Aperta
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the marque’s foundation, Ferrari will announce series of special initiatives including a celebratory anniversary logo which will be used exclusively on a small number of iconic cars. It will appear for the first time on the LaFerrari Aperta, the Prancing Horse’s latest limited-edition special series and a unique model in terms of both its technology and styling, making it perfect to celebrate this important anniversary.
Another important initiative is the announcement of 70 different individual liveries created by the Tailor Made atelier and inspired by iconic models from Ferrari history. These 70 different configurations will be used to create a maximum of 350 unique cars with a number of these new liveries on display in Paris.
- The F12berlinetta: “The Stirling”, inspired by the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, winner of the 1961 Tourist Trophy with Stirling Moss
- 488 GTB: “The Schumacher”, an homage to the F2003-GA single-seater, winner of the F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in 2003, in which the legendary German driver took no fewer than six grand prix victories.
- California T: “The Steve McQueen”, inspired by the 1963 250 GT Berlinetta lusso, one of the most elegant Ferraris ever built, which was a gift to the American actor from his first wife, Neile Adams. It features brown body paintwork and a cabin in camel leather with elegant stitching.
- 488 Spider: “The Green Jewel”, sports the signature green livery of the 365 P2 fielded by the British David Piper Racing team. Piper was a regular and very well-known Ferrari privateer and drove the car to victory in the Nine Hours of Kyalami in both 1965 and 1966 and, in 1966, in the prestigious Trophée d’Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand.
- A second example of a 488 Spider is displayed in the Tailor Made area. Inspired by the 1953 375 MM bodied by Pinin Farina, it features an elegant three-layer Bianco Italia exterior colour.
2017 will also bring the start of a world tour spanning more than 60 different countries to underscore the Prancing Horse’s global reach. A year-long series of events in Italy and worldwide will see classic Ferraris and modern cars side by side and the celebrations will conclude with an exclusive event in Maranello.
GTC4Lusso T
Following on from the success of GTC4Lusso, which raised the performance bar for Ferrari’s traditional four-seater V12 GTs, the Prancing Horse announces the arrival of the new GTC4Lusso T, the first four-seater to be powered by a V8 engine. Ushering in a whole new Ferrari Grand Touring concept, the car is aimed at drivers seeking a car that is sporty and versatile, as well as perfect for driving on a daily basis.
LaFerrari Aperta
Technological excellence, performance, style, exclusivity. These are Ferrari’s unique core values which are perfectly represented by the car launched to mark the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the company. Designed for Ferrari’s most passionate clients, the LaFerrari Aperta is the new limited-edition special series, an open-top version of the acclaimed LaFerrari supercar.
Available with both a carbon-fibre hard top (optional) and soft top, the LaFerrari Aperta boasts the same specification and characteristics as the LaFerrari, combining extraordinary performance with the unique exhilaration of open-top driving.
MINI to preview the Lifestyle Collection
At the Paris Motor Show, MINI will give an exclusive preview of the MINI Lifestyle Collection 2016-2018 due to be unveiled in November. Featuring over 50 products, the new collection ranges from articles of clothing to bags, cases and ingenious items for everyday use. A special product range for children rounds off the collection, along with alternative ways to get around on two and four wheels for young and old MINI enthusiasts alike.
The collection embodies MINI’s new identity, which was revealed as part of the brand’s refocus in June last year. With its clean and timeless stylistic idiom, distinctive design and high-quality materials, the collection conveys MINI’s design expertise and image of itself as a brand in ways that go beyond its cars.
Audi unveil Q5 Successor
The Audi Q5 is to be replaced by an all-new successor that is set to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. Its ground-up rework brings with it an intense focus on connectivity, driver assistance, aeroacoustics and driving dynamics. True to form, it sets new standards in its segment and steps up the game yet again.
“The first Audi Q5 was for many years the world’s best-selling SUV in its class. It was no easy task to design its successor, but that is precisely why it is so very exciting,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG. “With the new Q5 we are setting the bar a notch higher. Among the great innovations are the quattro drive system with ultra technology, highly efficient engines, the air suspension with damper control and a comprehensive line-up of infotainment and assistance systems.”
The new SUV from Audi takes a defined and taut stance. A sculpturally flared Singleframe grille with a solid frame dominates its aerodynamically flat front end. It is available with Xenon headlights as standard and either LED or high-resolution Matrix LED with dynamic indicators as options.
Mercedes give Generation EQ its world premiere in Paris
With “Generation EQ”, Mercedes-Benz shows how electric cars can soon move into the fast lane: the concept vehicle, with the appearance of a sporty SUV coupé, gives a preview of a new generation of vehicles with battery-electric drives. The dynamic exterior design with its new electro-look underlines the focus on the powerful electric drive system: two electric motors, with a system output that can be increased to up to 300 kW thanks to scalable battery components, and permanent all-wheel drive deliver the guarantee of dynamic high-level performance. Also on the inside, the vehicle offers innovative solutions, including a completely new interior concept.
Celebrating its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show, “Generation EQ” is the forerunner of Mercedes-Benz’s new product brand for electric mobility, EQ. The name EQ stands for “Electric Intelligence” and is derived from the Mercedes-Benz brand values of “Emotion and Intelligence”.
“The mobility of the future at Mercedes-Benz will stand on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared und Electric. ‘Generation EQ’ is the logical fusion of all four pillars,” says Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The emission-free automobile is the future. And our new EQ brand goes far beyond electric vehicles. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services, technologies and innovations.”
