NEWS: Land Rover Sponsor Bowler's 2014 Defender Challenge

This looks like so much fun – Land Rover has revealed its sponsorship of the 2014 Defender Challenge by Bowler. This superb fun one-make rally series is operated by Bowler Motorsport designed to act as a feeder series to the annual Dakar rally and other global rally-raid competitions.
Continuing the strategic partnership announced in 2012 between Land Rover and Bowler Motorsport, the Defender Challenge will see competition-prepared Land Rover Defenders being used in a one-make, seven round, rally series taking place across the UK. The series will be regulated by the MSA (Motor Sports Association) and each Defender Challenge car will be FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) compliant enabling competitors to compete internationally.
The Defender Challenge will provide both experienced competitors, and those with no prior competition experience, a platform to gain the experience required to compete in world-class rally-raid events. For those with no or little experience, the series will offer a complete solution for gaining a licence, training and development and ultimately, competition experience.
The Defender Challenge car is a modified Defender 90 Hard Top utilising the factory-standard 2.2 litre diesel engine which has been uprated to 170 bhp by Bowler Motorsport. All Defender Challenge cars will run the standard 6-speed manual gearbox, controlled Kuhmo tyres and full MSA-approved roll cage and fire extinguisher system. Further aiding the accessibility of the series, all cars will remain road-legal and can be driven to events if required.
The provisional rounds outlined for the series will provide a mix of geographical accessibility together with exciting and demanding racing. To be confirmed in January 2014, the provisional list of rounds are:

2nd March	Mid Wales Stages	Newtown, Wales
20th April	Somerset Stages	Minehead, Somerset
7th June	Dukeries Rally	Southwell, Nottinghamshire
19th / 20th July	Welsh Hill Rally	Walters Arena, Swansea
30th August	Woodpecker Stages	Ludlow, Shropshire
24th/ 25th October	Sunseeker Rallye	Poole, Dorset
Mid November	Scottish Hill Rally	Dumfries, Scotland

Additionally, the Defender Challenge will provide a training and test day in February, as well as the option to compete in desert events in North Africa and the Middle East.
Mark Cameron, Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director said: “Land Rover is delighted to be supporting Bowler with the Defender Challenge in what is the next step in our long-term strategic partnership.
“The Defender Challenge by Bowler rally series will push the iconic Defender’s breadth of capability beyond established boundaries – it is the ideal accessible platform to provide customers with an entry-level rally series and for those who are considering entering world-stage rally-raids such as the Dakar.”
Drew Bowler, Managing Director, Bowler Motorsport said: “Rally customers coming to Bowler have changed – they're not all experienced racers, but people looking for excitement and adventure, and an achievable path towards world-class events.
“We're delighted to be offering this path in partnership with Land Rover and the MSA, and believe the format offers a new way to experience different rally disciplines in the UK and overseas, and prepare entrants for the rigours and realities of Rally Raid. We've really enjoyed developing the Defender Challenge car – it'll be a really fun championship.
Xavier Gavory, Head of Competitors department – Sporting Coordinator for the ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), the governing body for the annual Dakar rally said: “One of the major obstacles for people from the UK wishing to enter the Dakar has always been obtaining the necessary competition experience and a race licence. With the Defender Challenge by Bowler, there is at last a turnkey solution to that problem.
“Thanks to Bowler’s huge experience of competing on the Dakar and their widely recognised professionalism, we are confident we will be welcoming the first graduates of the Defender Challenge on our rally in the very near future.”
The Defender Challenge car will retail at £50,000 plus VAT and be supplied exclusively through Bowler Motorsport. Entry into the Defender Challenge will range between £10,000 and £14,000 depending on package selected.
See pics of the awesome Defenders here.
We want one!!!

Bowler Defender Challenge Car Specification
Based on a Land Rover Defender 90 Hard Top

Engine:	2.2 Litre Diesel
Gearbox	Standard 6-speed manual
Power:	modified to 170 bhp by Bowler Motorsport
Torque:	450Nm

Additional Features

• Full MSA-approved roll cage
• MSA-compliant fire extinguisher system
• Bowler Motorsport suspension system – including new dampers, springs roll bars and bushes
• Bowler Motorsport lightweight 18” wheels with controlled Kuhmo tyres
• Racing seats and six-point harness
• Bowler Motorsport lightweight front bumper and sill protectors
• Intercom system
• Upgraded mud flaps and mounting system
• Bowler Motorsport revised door casings
• Full Defender Challenge livery
• Optional Bowler brake package
• Optional service package providing access to Bowler Works mechanics, logistic support plus vehicle storage between events

NEWS: Cool New British Auto Legend Stamp Collection

Check out these new 'British Auto Legnds' stamps, released by Royal Mail this week – featuring six iconic British sports cars and four retro classics (Catalogue code: AQ199), priced at £4.95 inc. VAT.
The Royal mails says: "All ten of these glorious Special Stamps, plus the Miniature Sheet, have been reproduced at postcard size from the original stamp artwork. This enables you to enjoy every wonderful detail of these legendary vehicles, and also creates a wonderful gift idea for every car enthusiast in your life." 

The 60 x 21mm sports car collection includes:
* Jaguar E-Type — 1961
Arguably the most beautiful car in history, the Jaguar E-Type’s stunning looks and 150mph performance created a worldwide sensation when it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961.
* MG MGB — 1962
Blending sleek good looks with affordability, the MGB quickly became the world’s most popular roadster, leading to overall sales of more than 500,000 cars before its sad demise in 1980.
* Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow — 1965
The epitome of automotive elegance, the Silver Shadow combined traditional charm with modern technology to create a car offering quite unsurpassable standards of refinement and comfort.
* Morgan Plus 8 — 1968
With looks that were considered retro even when it was launched, the wooden framed Plus 8 nevertheless enjoyed worldwide popularity, thanks largely to the exciting driving experience it offered.
* Aston Martin DB5 — 1963
The archetypal Grand Tourer, the Aston Martin DB5 was capable of 150mph, and quickly gained iconic status following its role as Sean Connery’s lethal co-star in the James Bond classic Goldfinger.
* Lotus Esprit — 1976
With the Esprit, Colin Chapman created a mid-engined machine more than capable of challenging the old guard of supercars. It also famously transformed into a submarine for The Spy Who Loved Me. 

And the 180 x 74mm retro classics includes: 

* Morris Minor Van PostEurop entry 2013
Launched in 1953, five years after the original Morris Minor saloon, the Light Commercial Vehicle range proved hugely popular with firms large and small thanks to its ease of use and sizable carrying capacity. The Royal Mail Morris Minor in particular became something of a British institution thanks in part to its length of service, with bright red vans being used to pick up and deliver mail into the late 1970s.
* Austin FX4
Designed by Austin’s Eric Bailey and introduced in 1958, the manufacture of this much-loved ‘black cab’ stretched for 39 years. With a separate body and chassis, and initially powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder engine, the FX4 was a rugged workhorse where practicality and ease of maintenance were key considerations as six-figure mileages were the norm. Production of this iconic design was later taken over by LTI (London Taxis International).
* Ford Anglia 105E
When the term ‘panda car’ was first coined in the mid 1960s, it denoted a small saloon such as the Ford Anglia 105E where sections of bodywork were finished in contrasting colours. The Anglia was one of a number of different vehicles used to meet the growing need for motorised patrol cars in police forces across the UK. In addition to being modestly priced, it was reliable, economical to run and easy to manoeuvre.
* Land Rover Defender 110
The original Land Rover entered production in 1948 and since then countless variations have followed with different wheelbases and body styles. The vehicle has long been favoured by the British Army and by farmers because of its agility off road, while emergency services such as Her Majesty’s Coastguard were also quick to adopt the model for its resilience and ability to carry life-saving equipment to the remotest areas.

Very cool collection for car buffs, even if you're not a stamp collecting type. But what six iconic British sports cars and four classics would you chose if you were doing this?

NEWS: Goodwood FOS Update

It's Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend this weekend – set for glorious weather too.
If you need to be reminded why this event is so mega, see our last two reports here and here.
There's an unreal amount going on in this ever-expanding superb event, which you can catch up on here.
One that sticks out is the all-New Range Rover Sport taking on the heroic Vickers Supermarine Spitfire in a challenge organised by FortyOneSix.com, in an event taking place prior to the event as an appetiser – as the two British legends of land and sky engage for the first time in a unique off-road race.
See the video here:


Mike Cross, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Vehicle Integrity Engineer, was at the wheel of the All-New Range Rover Sport, a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 model with 510 hp on tap. Even though grass is one of the most challenging terrains on which to gain traction, for both acceleration and breaking, Cross still managed to clock a top speed of 130 mph before braking for the mid-race turn.

The turn manoeuvre was helped by the Range Rover Sport’s new Torque Vectoring technology, which contributes to stable and secure cornering by applying appropriate braking to the inside wheels.
Cross explained that Land Rover was pleased to take up the challenge: “The team couldn’t resist the challenge laid down by FortyOneSix.com and to race such a British icon. It’s always difficult to find traction from a standing start on grass, but the Range Rover Sport made a great launch off the line. I was surprised by how bumpy the course was as I accelerated up to 130mph, and of course the other extreme challenge is to brake in time for the turn-around, but the car felt composed throughout the whole run.”
See our Goodwood FOS image gallery here.