NEWS: Skoda's Giant FREE Ice Cream Van

To celebrate the launch of the 'vRS Treatment' TV ad (see it on the Facebook page) – Skoda is sending a giant ice cream to popular UK beach resorts, to serve up 6,500 servings of (giant, FREE!) ice cream to Brits as it tours the UK over the kid's Summer holidays, starting this bank holiday weekend. 

Literally, cool!
The giant vRS ice cream van was launched at Great Yarmouth today, where local children tucked in to huge ice creams. Members of the public will have a chance to sample free ice creams as the giant ice cream van embarks on a national tour in the coming month.
To celebrate the launch of the Octavia vRS – the fastest ŠKODA ever – the company set a team of engineers the task of bringing the same qualities that go into the car to other everyday objects. The result is every child’s dream - a giant ice cream van complete with 5 foot monster truck wheels and four mega speakers.
The giant ice cream van, which measures over 21 feet, weighs in at a chunky 5.5 tonnes. It took the team of engineers over 3 weeks to create and stars in the new advert for the Octavia vRS, which hits TV screens on Sunday 25 August. The ice cream van features alongsideother souped-up versions of everyday gadgets including a giant toy ‘trike’, lawnmower with multiple exhaust pipes and flaming go-faster stripes, and the vRS Man-Pram.
Heidi Cartledge, Head of Marketing at ŠKODA UK comments: "The Octavia vRS is not your average family car, and so we created an ice cream van that is also far from average! The giant ice cream van will be touring the UK handing out up to 6,500 servings of free ice cream, offering members of the public a fun sense of what you could experience if you vRS’d your life."

The giant ice cream van will be visiting and serving free ice cream at:

• Bournemouth Air Festival - Thursday 29 August to Sunday 1 September
• Various ‘King of the Mountains’ stages at Tour of Britain. Dates TBC. For more information follow @SkodaUKCycling
• Royal County of Berkshire Show at Newbury - Saturday 21 September and Sunday 22 September

The new advert will feature in commercial breaks during the Premier league matches between Manchester United and Chelsea and between Cardiff City and Manchester City on Sky Sports. The advert will also appear on Channel 4 during the return of BAFTA nominated drama Top Boy as well as on Five during the final Ashes test between England and Australia.
ŠKODA are keen to hear from anyone with an everyday item that could benefit from being given the vRS treatment – check out the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/skoda or submit ideas via Twitter @SkodaUK #vRSUP

NEWS: Wales Rally GB Hospitality Packs Are Go!

Wales Rally GB hospitality packages are now on sale – offering four cool packages, at four sensational Wales Rally GB viewing points, with different hospitality locations for each day of the rally (14-17 November), priced from just £129 +VAT. See the only round of the WRC in the UK in style... 

With the event heading back to its roots and having been relocated to North Wales for this year, the hospitality on offer for 2013 is based at all-new in-stage viewing points. On each day of the rally, from the Thursday to the Sunday, the hospitality will be situated in a different stunning location along the rally route.
For qualifying on the Thursday in the middle of Coed Llandegla Forest, hospitality is based at the Llandegla Oneplanet Mountain Bike Centre where the thrilling forest qualifying stage will be watched from a VIP viewing point, before returning to the centre for a full hearty and traditional Welsh lunch.
On the Friday at Sweet Lamb, among some of the most magnificent scenery in the heart of mid-Wales, and with a 270° view, corporate guests will get to watch the WRC cars traverse a deep water splash, jumps and hairpin bends before competitors cross the River Wye and head over the valley. A three course meal is included, as well as access to the RallyFest entertainment area. Benefits also include live commentary and an exhilarating atmosphere from one of the largest crowds expected on any of the special stages of the rally.
Saturday’s hospitality location is the ultimate breathtaking venue – Chirk Castle – a 700-year-old fortress owned by the National Trust, and this has never previously featured as a stage on the event. Hospitality guests can take in castle views of the spectacular surrounding countryside, and after a fitting banquet lunch inside the magnificent castle, the afternoon stage will be used twice in quick succession by the WRC contenders, followed by one running of the National field.
On Sunday, true rally fans will be keen to head to Kinmel Park, which was last part of the Rally GB route in the 1970s. From here there are sensational views of the North Wales coastline, and it’s a fast stage using tracks around the old Victorian house and over rolling parkland. The in-stage experience starts with a champagne brunch at the Kinmel Arms, before guests access the VIP viewing area to see two runs of the WRC and National competitors.
Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of Wales Rally GB event organiser International Motor Sports, said: “Rallying is such an exciting product for client entertainment, and MatchPoint is the perfect partner to help us deliver the very best hospitality packages at Wales Rally GB, in four incredible North Wales forest and countryside locations.
“What’s more, Wales Rally GB hospitality offers not only great value for money, compared to other motor sport events in the UK, but also puts corporate clients right in the middle of the action with our unique ‘in-stage’ experiences at Llandegla Forest, Sweet Lamb, Chirk Castle and Kinmel Park. Being at the heart of it all is just one of the USPs of Wales Rally GB hospitality.
“Where else in the world could you imagine having lunch in a thirteenth century castle, with twenty-first century WRC cars thundering past outside! This is truly a ‘one of a kind’ experience.”
Neil Cunningham, Group Managing Director of MatchPoint, said: “We are delighted to be partnering again with Wales Rally GB. We have developed a range of options to allow our rally clientele to enjoy world class motor sport in a cost effective way. We are looking forward to working with the Wales Rally GB team again, as well as all the local suppliers, with whom we’ve built great relationships over the last three years.”
Prices for official 2013 Wales Rally GB hospitality, from MatchPoint, start at £129 + VAT per person. This is for qualifying hospitality at Llandegla Forest on the Thursday (14 November).
For further information on each of the four 2013 Wales Rally GB hospitality packages available, visitwww.walesrallygb.com/hospitality. To make a booking and secure your place at the heart of the rally, call MatchPoint directly on +44 (0)2920 022 838 or email walesrallygb@matchpoint.co.uk.

Alternatively, for general admittance, Wales Rally GB adult tickets to individual forest stages on the day have been reduced to £15* (from £20 in 2012) while Day Passes have been re-introduced providing multiple stage access for just £33* including the Qualifying Stage at Llandegla on Thursday morning. Moreover all adult tickets include a free programme priced at £7.50. The popular ‘Kids for a Quid’ scheme has been extended providing those aged between 9-15 years old with a four-day ticket giving access to all 22 stages for just £1*. Those aged eight and under are admitted free. Though included in Day Passes, individual tickets for RallyFest Stages are also available priced at £25* with significant discounts available for families. The price for two adults and two children, for example, is £42* (when booked in advance) with an extra £1* for each additional child. The World Rally Pass is available for just £99 (down from £130 in 2012). Full details can be found on the official www.walesrallygb.com websites, now with a dedicated version optimised for mobile phones via www.walesrallygb.com/mobile/home.php.

And for further updates follow Wales Rally GB on Twitter @walesrallygb, join the conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walesrallygb or visit the website www.walesrallygb.com.

Action images - Les Kolczak - www.worldrallypics.com

PROJECT CARS: Meet Our New Cool Cat Project XFR "Jaaaaag!"

"My foot slipped" says Road Magazine pal, Andy Robinson – as he gets to grips with his new car and our new Project car, a super cool cat, 503bhp supercharged V8 Jaguar XFR.
Good old Andy has already taken the fast feline up the drag strip too, just days after picking it up (top man!) and you can read the first of many instalments on the new Project XFR – which will feature a fair number of tuning enhancements – on our Project Car section of the Road website here.
And see a whole bank of images on our Facebook page too.
Do let Andy and Team Road know what you think as the project progresses... and keep your eyes peeled for more rapid project cars coming later this Summer...

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: Red Bull Soapbox Race 2013 Attracts 20,000+ Crowds

More than 20,000 spectators turned out in the glorious sunshine at Alexandra Palace on Sunday – for the surreal, fun Red Bull Soapbox Racing Derby. Back after a nine-year break, the wacky gravity racing event attracted some stella soapboxes – with the winners Team Spit-Phya from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with their 'Phya-Bird' soapbox, not that winning matters here at all of course!
Seventy teams competed for the ultimate accolade of the UK’s best soapboxers – creators and drivers of vehicles powered by nothing but gravity. They zoomed down a specially constructed 420m course at speeds of up to 52 kilometres per hour, attempting to avoid falling foul of obstacles including tricky steps Apples and Pears and huge jump Big Air – designed to give the teams as tough a ride as possible and ensure crashes galore.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing Principal Christian Horner said of the racing: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic day; the effort from all the participants, the enthusiasm of all the 20,000 people here, a stunning day weather wise… it’s been a perfect afternoon. (It was) an event that only Red Bull could put on!”
The judges, Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner; Chief Designer at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Rob Marshall; street trials pro-rider, Danny MacAskill and Downhill Mountain Biker, Gee Atherton; were looking out for creativity and showmanship as well as speed – and the entrants did not disappoint.
Team Spit-Phya from Newcastle, made up of motorbike engineers; Team Captain Mark Wells, Ian Wride, Greg Seed and Rory Norton, stormed to victory with their soapbox which was inspired by Great British land speed record vehicles.
Team Captain, Mark Wells, said: “The team has worked incredibly hard and we’re all amazed…Genuinely I’m just elated… We were inspired by the old Great British land speed record racers Donald Campbell and John Cobb and we just wanted to celebrate that. I am amazingly proud of this team.”
Judge Gee Atherton said: “The winners were very impressive, the car was absolutely spot on. They had the style and they managed to put a bit of a show on for the crowd at the start. Definitely one of my favourites… and they managed to survive the track as well which is a bonus!”
As if the honour of taking the top spot wasn’t enough, the winners will be given a once-in-a-lifetime tour of the Inifiniti Red Bull Racing Factory. They’ll also get the chance to show off their driving skills on a high-performance racing track.
In second place were London’s The Coffin Dodgers, who have won a day of action-packed fun at a high-performance racing track. The team was made up of ex-undertaker Russell Wynn, David Townsend, Phil Selvey and Arthur Finch. Gee Atherton had particular fondness for the team, saying: “They had a good show, it wasn’t the fastest but they entertained the crowd. It was wild watching them go all the way down – really exciting – I was on the edge of my seat for that one!”
In third place came Minis Rugby coaches from Barnet, Herts: Does My Scrum Look Big in This? The prize for Shuan Fabian, Adrian Heeson, Mike Todd and “Big” Phil Aspinall who coach at Barnet Elizabethan Rugby Football Club is a day’s go-kart racing for 10 people.
Honorable mentions must go to Two Peas in a Cod, who got back in their soapbox and finished even after crashing halfway through the race, and The Bolt Mobile – an incredibly lifelike giant Usain Bolt who was carried over the finishing line by his team.

The Results: Top Ten
1. Team Spit-Phya: The Phya-Bird (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne)
2. Coffin Dodgers (London)
3. Does My Scrum Look Big in This (Barnet, Herts)
4. Bangers and Smash (London)
5. Blue Suede Shoe (Derbyshire)
6. The Runaway Bakers (York)
7. Chariots of Fire (Cobham, Surrey)
8. Get Them to Ze Chopper (London)
9. Millie the Moth (Ashford, Kent)
10. A Piece of Cake (Exeter, Devon)

The 20,000 spectators who flocked to Alexandra Palace were duly rewarded for sticking out the incredibly high trackside temperature as they witnessed a stellar group of adrenaline junkies with nerves of steel complete (if you've never done it, try it - it takes balls!) the downhill course. Other soapboxes taking part in the event included a dung beetle, bunch of asparagus, waterskiing Queen and London tube train.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing entertained the crowds by sending down a replica F1 soapbox down the track, with Team Principal Christian Horner at the wheel. Clearly nervous before starting the race, he said: “No-one told me there were jumps… I might need to change my underwear!”Upon completing his run, during which the soapbox lost both back wheels, Christian concluded: “That was the most scary thing I have ever done in my life!”
Full results and photos can be found at: www.redbullsoapboxrace.co.uk

And you can see a load of ace images on our Facebook page here.

PHOTOS: 69 Hot Images of 20th Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2013

Festival of Speed: Every year you think 'it can't possibly get any bigger or better' and every year – it does. Sun hats off to the gregarious Goodwood, they nailed it good and proper again this year, their 20th stella event – hooray and what what! As per, there was way too much to report on, from the record breaking Mercedes-Benz W196R racer that sold in the Bonhams Auction for a cool £19.6m on Friday, to Peugeot's Pikes Peak slaying 208T16 blitzing the hill on Sunday, with the 405 T16 in hot pursuit – not to mention the various cars that were launched at the event that's rapidly becoming the UK's major manufacturer car show. There's just too much to talk about, so I'm not going to bother! Instead, why not just scan through 69 amazing images of the event by snapper Kevin Bennett (Twitter: @bennett_kevin) on our Facebook page here!
Roll on their 21st party! It's going to get messy!

Oh, and here's one of our highlight moments: Peugeot 406 T16 flame spitting the hill. Even driven gently, it's super aggressive!

See more great videos from the event here.

NEWS: 310bhp Caterham Seven 620R Launches @ Goodwood FOS

Caterham is all set to unleash its "most powerful Seven" – the 310bhp 620R – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The supercharged, superlight, sequential-gearbox, open top sportscar will nail 0-60mph in under 2.8s, crack on to 155mph and will act as the new range-topper, seeing off the cult legend that is the R500. Quite a way for the brand to celebrate 40 years of the iconic Seven eh? The car is claimed to "set a new benchmark in outrageous performance" – thanks to its newly-engineered, two-litre supercharged Ford Duratec engine pumping out 310bhp... which is going to be a phenomenal power to weight ratio in a car expected to weigh around 500-550Kg, if its anything like the Superlights Caterham have done before.

Performance will be brisk - especially with the sequential in tow!

And, compared to other new-breed track day toys and weekend warriors, like the £100K+ BAC Mono and the Ariel Atoms, it's pretty good value too – at £49,995 (inc.VAT), for a fully built model, capable of 155mph.

To celebrate the car;s launch at the ace Goodwood Festival of Speed, Caterham F1 Team driver, Charles Pic will blast the 620R up the famous Goodwood hill at the Festival of Speed, as will Caterham F1 Team reserve driver and Caterham Racing GP2 driver, Alexander Rossi.

And a static display of the new car will also feature on Caterham’s Festival of Speed stand, along with other performance vehicles from across the Caterham Group.
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “The 620R is the most hardcore production Seven ever built for the road. The R500 claimed its place in motoring history as a benchmark for lightweight sportscar performance but this new vehicle pushes the boundaries even further. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this car for those inexperienced in driving Caterhams, we always ensure that even our fastest cars retain the manageable delivery of power that makes them accessible, despite the daunting statistics.”
The 620R is diametrically opposed to the new ultra-efficient, affordable entry-level Seven that will sit at the opposite end of the range when Caterham unveils it in Autumn this year.
Like all Sevens, the 620R adheres to Caterham’s brand mantra of delivering ‘accessible fun’ and the traditional Caterham minimalistic, lightweight approach to the engineering of the car is ever-present.
As well as producing more horsepower and torque than any previous incarnation of the Seven, the 620R also benefits from several other new enhancements.
The car features a unique gunmetal chassis, an air-flow optimised nose cone and a race-developed cooling package. De Dion rear suspension and wide track front suspension units are complemented by high-performance dampers all round, while the car sits on lightweight, 13” alloy wheels fitted with track-inspired Avon ZZR tyres.
In the cockpit, there are more noticeable improvements, with features including performance-focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear.
Meanwhile, carbon fibre interior panels and dash plus carbon fibre race seats and a Q/R race steering wheel complete the sports feel to the interior.
“The Seven 620R is an extreme piece of kit,” concludes Macdonald. “We know there is demand for cars that re-write the rules of performance and, if you’re brave enough to take it on, the 620R will be an enormously rewarding, fun car to pilot.”
While the launch edition of the Seven 620 features the sportier ‘R’ pack, a slightly less hardcore ‘S’ pack, which harnesses all the power of the original but offers a little more accessibility will be launched later this year.
Orders are now being taken for the Caterham Seven 620R, with first deliveries expected later this year.
Please visit http://www.caterham.co.uk or call 01883 333 700 for more information.

And see a whole load of images here.

Want one? We certainly fancy a go! There's life in the very old dog yet then! ;-) 

Caterham Seven 620R

Engine                                     2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
Max Power (bhp/rpm)                311bhp @ 7,700rpm
Max Torque (lbs ft/rpm)             219lbsft @ 7,350rpm 
Weight                                      TBC
0-60mph                                   2.79 seconds
Power-to-weight                        TBC
Top Speed                                155mph

 

 

Caterham Seven 620R Specification

Standard equipment

• 2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
• 6-speed sequential transmission with flat-shift
• Limited slip differential
• Unique gunmetal chassis
• Carbon-fibre wings
• Air flow optimized nose cone
• Race developed cooling package
• De-Dion rear suspension with high performance dampers
• Wide track front suspension with high performance dampers
• Ventilated front discs and quad piston calipers
• Carbon-fibre interior panels and dash
• Carbon-fibre race seats
• Lightweight 13” alloy wheels with Avon ZZR tyres; 185/55R13 front and 215/55R13 rear
• 4 point race harness
• Q/R Race steering wheel
• High performance focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear
• Toggle switch ignition
• Immobiliser
• Sequential shift lights
• Carbon aero screen
• Black pack

Suspension
Front:   Adjustable double wishbone with roll bar
Rear:    De Dion axle located by lower A-frame and Watts linkage

Brakes
Twin circuit split front/rear with low level warning system. Discs front and rear

Steering
Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock to lock

Wheels and Tyres
Front 6J x 13” AVON ZZR
Rear 8J x 13” AVON ZZR