Author: Jack Evans

Three classic BMW models owned by Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay are set to go under the hammer at auction.

The sale, which is taking place on May 23, will see the three classic models sold by Silverstone Auctions. The first, a 1972 3.0 CSL E9, is just one of 500 and has 62,000 miles on the clock. Jay Kay originally found the vehicle in storage where it had been parked up for several years, before the singer fully restored it. It arrives with an estimate of between £135,000 and £155,000.

The second car is a 1983 Alpina B9 3.5. Though technically a different brand to BMW – Alpina is seen as a manufacturer in its own right – the basis for the car does come straight from a BMW model. Fitted with a manual gearbox, it’s thought to be one of only 18 made and was purchased by Jay Kay nine years ago. It hits the market with an estimate of between £25,000 and £35,000.

The third and final car is a 1987 E30 M3, which was converted into competition spec and used by the singer to compete in the Rally Isla Mallorca in March. It comes with an estimate of between £48,000 and £56,000.

Harry Whale, Silverstone Auctions Sales Manager, commented: “We are extremely happy with this catalogue and the selection of cars offered. There are several very rare classic and modern cars on offer providing a great opportunity for any discerning collector.”

“We are also very honoured that Jay Kay has entrusted three BMWs to us from his personal collection. These cars are superb examples of the BMW marque and the CSL is quite outstanding.”

The trio goes up alongside other motoring icons such as a 2010 Mercedes-AMG SLS AMG and a 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale.

All cars included in the auction are being held in a single storage location, with one-to-one viewings organised in line with government guidelines. Interested buyers will be able to place bids online, on the phone or via a commission bid.

The congestion charge will be bumped up to £15 a day following the government’s bailout for London’s transport system, which has been hit by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the congestion charge was suspended on March 23 to help key workers to move around safely under lockdown, it is due to be re-introduced on Monday (19) at the pre-lockdown cost.

However, from June 22, drivers will have to pay £15 rather than £11.50 per day including weekends – rather than just on weekdays as current rules stipulate. In addition, its operating hours will be temporarily increased in the evening, extending from 6pm to 10pm.

Transport for London will also be extending the congestion charge reimbursement scheme to help NHS and care home staff.

The ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) will also be re-introduced on Monday, having been suspended alongside the congestion charge. It requires drivers of older, more polluting petrol and diesel cars to pay £12.50 a day.

The increases reflect a recent government bailout of Transport for London (TfL) of £1.6 billion, consisting of a £1.1 billion grant and a £505 million loan.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “We have just reached agreement with the Government on a funding package to allow TfL to run public transport safely in London for the next four and a half months. This was necessary because Covid-19 has had a catastrophic impact on TfL’s finances – as it has on every transport provider in the UK.

“I want to be completely honest and upfront with Londoners – this is not the deal I wanted. But it was the only deal the Government put on the table and I had no choice but to accept it to keep the Tubes and buses running.

“This deal is a sticking plaster. The old model for funding public transport in London simply does not work in this new reality – fares income will not cover the cost of running services while so few people can safely use public transport.”

Chinese car maker BYD has announced that its Han EV saloon will go on sale in Europe.

Following the car’s Chinese debut in June, this latest announcement will see the firm’s flagship electric saloon go head to head with Tesla’s popular Model 3 in the electric car segment.

Packing the firm’s ‘Blade Battery’ technology, the Han EV is claimed to offer more space efficiency compared with rivals, as well as more range and better safety levels.

BYD claims that the Han EV will be capable of 376 miles on a single charge – though this claim is made based on older NEDC tests. A European-rated WLTP figure will be required when the car goes on sale here.

In terms of performance, the Han EV has a claimed 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds, while it also incorporates Bosch’s Intelligent Integrated Brake System – a first for a Chinese mass-market EV – which is said to improve braking performance.

As well as 5G connectivity, the Han EV gets intelligent drive assistance functions similar to the Autopilot system found in Tesla models. The interior of the car uses a similar central display design as found in Tesla cars, too.

The firm predicts that the Han EV will cost between €45,000 and €55,000 (£39,700 – £48,534). Slated for release in China towards the end of June 2020, it’s likely that the model will be available shortly after in Europe, though no specific date has been announced at this time.

Alfa Romeo has unveiled its refreshed Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models.

The update follows on from tweaks made to the standard Giulia and Stelvio models, which tweaked their appearance while bolstering interior technology levels.

The revisions are much the same for these performance-orientated Quadrifoglio models. A larger 8.8-inch infotainment screen is now the focal point of the cabin, while its revised software includes race-orientated displays and functions.

Inside, new seat designs are available – including carbon-backed buckets – while the overall quality of the cabin has been lifted thanks to higher-end materials and a new leather stitched gear selector.

The exterior has been lifted too thanks to smoked rear lights – on both Giulia and Stevlio models – which now feature a revised design. Several new paint colours have also been introduced – Montreal Green, 6C Villa d’Este Red and a yellow-based shade called GT Junior Ocra – while 21-inch alloy wheels can be optioned on the Stelvio for the first time.

Mopar, the accessories arm incorporated into Alfa Romeo’s parent company Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), will also be supplying a range of additional features for the first time on the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. These include carbon-fibre mirror caps and an Akrapovic titanium exhaust with carbon-fibre tailpipes, among others.

Both the Stelvio and Giulia now benefit from enhanced driver assistance systems, with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring just a few of the included features. Level 2 self-driving ability is also added, though this still requires the driver to keep a hand on the wheel and remain alert.

Both cars retain the same 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo engine with the same outputs of 503bhp and 600Nm of torque.

The new Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio are set to go on sale this summer, with full UK pricing and specifications announced closer to that date.

Drivers of cars with an automatic gearbox are paying close to £100 more to insure their cars compared to manual versions, new figures show.

On average, a motorist looking to cover their automatic car pays an average of £94.07 more than those who are purchasing a policy for their manual vehicle, data from 15 million individual quotes has shown.

Drivers of manual cars will pay an average of £466 per year to insure their cars, while those using an automatic vehicle will have to fork out £560 instead.

Yet despite this increase in cost, the number of people making enquiries for automatic car cover has risen, according to MoneySuperMarket, who analysed quotes provided between January 2018 and February 2020. Automatics now make up 28 per cent of insurance enquiries, rising from 22 per cent just two years ago.

While the average cost of insurance has fallen in recent years, the cost of covering a manual vehicle has dropped by 24 per cent – contrasting the fall of just 14 per cent for automatic cars.

When it comes to location, drivers in London are most likely to get a quote for an automatic car, with 51 per cent of residents choosing an automatic vehicle. In contrast those drivers in Belfast and the Isle of Lewis were the least likely to opt for an auto, with 86 per cent of the quotes in these areas being made for manual cars.

Dave Merrick, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket commented: “There are many factors that can affect the cost of insurance premiums, such as age, driving experience and the car make and model.

“From January 2018 to January 2020 we have seen a huge increase in the price difference between insurance for both automation and manual cars. This has risen from 5 per cent to 21 per cent and has stayed stable for the last six months.

“One reason for this could be a result of increased technology in automatic cars over time for, example, the parts that make up an automatic gearbox are more complex and could cost more to repair. However, due to improvements in technology, an automatic car might help you save money in the long run through better fuel efficiency.

According to MoneySupermarket, the reason for the premium that automatic cars command is simply because they cost more to repair than manual versions. It’s why insurance claims are often higher for automatic cars.

Rolls-Royce is going to be the first British car manufacturer to resume production on May 4.

Bringing back 1,000 workers at its manufacturing site at Goodwood, West Sussex, the company will restart production of its range of cars, as well as continue to produce PPE for the NHS, following its closure in mid-March.

It will start with a phased-in approach to production, operating a one-shift policy instead of the standard two. The number of staff on-site will be around half of that usually working, too.

Rolls-Royce has already been delivering safety equipment to NHS staff during the lockdown, dropping off face visors and gowns in a fleet of its cars.

Now, the company has confirmed that it will resume full production on May 4 – making it the first company to ramp back up to 100 per cent.

The announcement comes as new car demand in China – one of Rolls-Royce’s largest markets – builds up following the coronavirus crisis.

The company has confirmed that factory workers will be going back to work after consultations with both worker representatives and unions.

All staff will be supplied with PPE, while increased health and safety measures will be implemented. Social distancing will be introduced across the manufacturer’s site.

A robin has found the perfect home for its nest – in the wheel arch of a parked-up Toyota Corolla.

Discovered by Toyota staff at the firm’s press fleet headquarters, the bird’s nest is already populated by six tiny chicks.

Staff were able to carefully place a video camera opposite the nest in order to monitor the progress of the birds, with footage showing the baby robins being fed by their parents.

The Corolla had been returned to the garage following a long-term test and was parked up alongside a 40-strong fleet of cars usually used for press test drives. However, because of coronavirus restrictions, the fleet has been grounded – giving more time for the robins to nest.

Graham Bothamley, Toyota press fleet manager, said: “I noticed a pile of leaves around the base of the rear wheel arch of the Corolla on April 12 and discovered a nest full of eggs balanced on the top of the wheel.

“With a carefully hidden GoPro camera, we’ve been able to watch the parent robins sitting on the eggs and now feeding the baby birds. You’d have thought the birds might have chosen one of our more famous cars, such as the Lexus LFA or Toyota Supra, but instead they chose the world’s best-selling model, the Corolla.

“We saw signs in early April that the robins had tried to build a nest in our car wash area, but that’s usually very noisy, so we think that’s why they relocated to a quieter spot, and with our car test drives on hold owing to the current lockdown, the family have plenty of peace and quiet.”

Everyone is being encouraged to recycle more than ever, such as households looking to reduce the amount of single-use plastics used. It’s a valiant endeavour, too, with the aim of lowering the detrimental impact we have on the environment striking a chord with many.

It’s hitting home with car manufacturers too. In an effort to bring down their environmental impact, not only are vehicle makers turning their attention to lower-emissions vehicles but also recycled interiors. Here are some of the earliest adopters of recycled materials in car interiors that we’ve seen.

BMW i3

Despite being one of the older options in the electric car segment, the i3 pioneered an eco-friendly interior when it was introduced by BMW back in 2013. The interior was as cutting-edge as the materials it used, which means that even today it looks surprisingly up-to-date.

Much of the interior is made from kenaf – a lightweight material taken from the mallow plant – while the seats are crafted from sustainable wool. Even the dashboard is finished in quick-growing eucalyptus.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric

It’s little wonder that another electric vehicle features next on this list. After all, most manufacturers see electrified powertrains as the future, while recycled materials show that they’re environmentally aware of more than just engines alone.

The Ioniq Electric is one such car. Creators Hyundai went for a different tack when using recycled materials inside, lowering the weight of the interior plastics by 20 per cent through the use recycled plastic combined with powdered wood and volcanic stone.

Polestar 2

Polestar is right at the cutting edge of electric car performance, and thanks to its latest ‘2’ model, the Volvo spin-off company is showcasing a wider range of vehicles. As a wholly electric company, it’ll come as no surprise that Polestar is looking into sustainable materials, too.

The 2 uses a natural fibre composite to help reduce plastic content while lowering the overall weight. In addition, the car’s seats are made using recycled plastic bottles, and many of the interior plastics use waste cork products. The carpets are made from recycled fishing nets, too.

Ford EcoSport

As one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, there’s certainly a lot of pressure on Ford to make sure its products are made as sustainably as possible. The Blue Oval is, like most manufacturers, on course to an electrified future, which shows some of its commitment to lowering emissions.

On a more current level, however, are the recycled materials used in the latest EcoSport crossover. The carpets are made from recycled plastic bottles – 470 of them, in fact.

Renault Zoe

Another entry and another electric vehicle. The Renault Zoe has, much like the i3, been around for some time now. However various updates have helped it to stay current ensuring that it remains one of the best choices in the electric segment.

It’s got an environmentally conscious interior, too. In fact, the fabric used in the cabin is made up of recycled seat belts, textile cut-offs and recovered plastic bottles. The creation of this material is better for the environment too, with CO2 emissions down by 60 per cent compared with the production of standard materials.

Car finance is a commonly-used option when buying a car today. It allows people to get behind the wheel of a new motor and pay in monthly instalments, spreading out the cost of ownership while giving you that fresh-car feeling.

And though many people use finance as a way of getting into a regular car, plenty see it as an option through which they can own some of the world’s most expensive and high-performance cars. We’ve been given a sneak peek at the most expensive cars ever financed by new finance brokerage Elev8 Finance – and it’s quite a list.

LaFerrari Aperta – £3.5m

The LaFerrari Aperta is a drop-top version of the Italian’s firm’s powerhouse hypercar. Utilising a V12 hybrid setup, the Aperta was limited to just 200 cars initially – though an additional nine were sold shortly after. It makes this one of the most sought-after hypercars of its type.

It’s little wonder why it’s accompanied by such as hefty price tag – £3.5m – putting this at the top of most-expensive financed cars.

Maserati MC12 – £2.75m

The Maserati MC12 was the firm’s own entry into the ultra-high-performance segment, and though it was based on the Ferrari Enzo – which we’ll get to shortly – its lack of Prancing Horse seemed to only elevate its prestige.

In fact, just 50 were made – which is why this car’s £2.75 price tag sneaks in just above that of its Ferrari stablemate.

Ferrari Enzo – £2.25m

Ferrari has a history of making the most powerful, precise and exceptional supercars ever. The Enzo followed in the footsteps of cars like the F40 and F50 and, of course, featured the name of the firm’s famous owner.

It certainly fits the bill, with a howling V12 engine and excellent dynamics making it one of the greatest cars of its time. That prestige is reflected in its price tag – a considerable £2.25m.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – £2m

The Bugatti Veyron is a car known by most, largely for its near-otherworldly performance and ferocious top speed. Bugatti wasn’t nearly satisfied with what the standard Veyron produced, however, which is why it turned up the wick with the Grand Sport Vitesse.

With 1,184bhp on tap and a drop-top design, the Grand Sport Vitesse was the ultimate Veyron – and it comes with an ultimate price tag of £2m, too.

Ferrari F50 – £1.75m

We’ve already hinted at the iconic F50, and now it’s here in full. The successor to the F40, the F50 did struggle to emerge from its forebear’s shadow owing to its heavier weight and slightly more blunted performance.

However, that hasn’t stopped it from going down in supercar history as one of the most sought-after. A current price of £1.75m apiece is testament to this.

Pagani Huayra – £1.75m

You might know Pagani for its iconic Zonda – the supercar which seemed to never go away. However, when the Italian supercar manufacturer did need to replace its much-loved Zonda, it did so in typically exuberant fashion with the Huayra.

Using a turbocharged engine for the first time in Pagani history, the Huayra was a flamboyant example of what Pagani could do. It comes with a flamboyant price of £1.75 too.

McLaren P1 – £1.2m

McLaren’s P1 was the Woking-based company’s halo model. Taking everything the firm had learnt from road cars and F1 too, the P1 arrived as a V8-powered, tyre-shredding and track-devouring monster.

Arguably one of the best-handling cars of all time the P1 gained a lot of fame – and its £1.2m price tag is pretty famous too.

Porsche 918 Spyder – £1.1m

The Porsche 918 Spyder was the final entry into what was to become ‘The Holy Trinity’, which saw it, the LaFerrari and McLaren’s P1 pitched together in high-performance battle. The Porsche went around its business in typically efficient fashion, with plenty of hybrid performance on offer.

It has remained one of the Stuttgart-based company’s most iconic models, while its £1.1m price tag shows it is still very much in demand.

Ferrari F40 – £1m

The Ferrari F40 broke the mould when it came to supercars. Lighter, faster and sharper than any of the competition, it’s still seen as one of the very best-handling cars ever made. A turbocharged V8 engine means it’s got the performance to match elegant handling, too.

The chance to own one is something people dream of, which is probably why good examples still command up to £1 million.

McLaren Senna – £900,000

It’s a sign of this list that the cheapest model available here chimes in at a snick under £1m – and it falls to the McLaren Senna to hold this title. A car built in the spirit of the P1, the Senna moved the game forward for McLaren with more performance and in-car tech.

It’s still, at heart, a proper drivers’ car, mind you, and remains most at home on the circuit.

For more information on Elev8 Finance, visit https://www.elev8finance.co.uk/

Sometimes car manufacturers aren’t happy with a new model. Particularly when it comes to performance cars, engineers are always looking at ways to tweak, fettle and enhance what their go-faster models offer. On occasion, this falls to tuner companies, but often it’s the manufacturers who break out the spanners and laptops to turn the wick up on their cars.

So let’s take a look at some of the cars which were dialled up to 11 by their own manufacturers.

BMW M5 Competition

The standard M5 arrived and dealt its competition a serious hammer-blow, with all-wheel-drive and a powerful turbocharged V8 engine giving it plenty of prowess. But BMW wasn’t happy just there and decided to sort a Competition version.

It gained more power, and was lower and firmer too. It tweaked the regular M5 just enough to sharpen it without ruining its road-going performance.

Mercedes-AMG C63 Black Series

The Mercedes-AMG C63 isn’t a car known for its shy and retiring nature, but the company decided that the standard model wasn’t hardcore enough, bringing in a Black Series edition to remedy this.

With its 6.2-litre V8 engine tuned even further and motorsport suspension fitted underneath, the Black Series was a serious bit of kit.

Audi R8 V10 LMX

The LMX version of Audi’s iconic first-generation R8 V10 was a last-hurrah for the supercar, bettering the car’s original performance figures thanks to a healthy 562bhp.

It also debuted Audi’s new Laserlight headlights – a regular feature on many of the firm’s current cars – which helped the R8 to stand out even more.

Ferrari 488 Pista

Ferrari’s 488 GTB was hardly a slouch when it hit the streets, but Ferrari felt that a little bit of the car had been left unexplored, leading to the harder and meaner Pista version.

More downforce and an incredible 710bhp made the Pista a truly formidable machine and one which certainly kept rivals on their toes.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante

One of those rivals, in fact, was the Lamborghini Huracan Performante. A more focused and more powerful version of the firm’s entry-level supercar, the Performante achieved great success – not least by setting a production car lap record at the Nurburgring.

The Performante, in classic Lamborghini fashion, was all about theatre and drama, yet it was incredibly accomplished on both circuit and road, too.

Mini John Cooper Works GP

We arrive at the other, slightly more compact, end of the scale with the Mini John Cooper Works GP. Mini took to enhancing the regular car’s key attributes such as neat handling and incredible adjustability through more mechanical upgrades.

It also ditched the rear seats to help in the strive for lightness, which only highlighted the car’s commitment to going faster.

Aston Martin DBS

Aston’s DB9 showcased the very best of what the British manufacturer could do when it came to GT cars. The DBS, meanwhile, only served to highlight the firm’s thirst for performance.

In what is a common theme in this list, the DBS was lighter, sharper and more powerful than the standard DB9, and it featured some subtle styling differences too.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

It’s not often that manufacturers put the magnifying glass over their SUV models in the hunt for performance, but that was certainly the case with the Jaguar F-Pace. Though a punchy V6-powered model already existed, this wasn’t quite enough for Jag – and that’s where the SVR came in.

Utilising a supercharged V8 engine, the SVR monsters its way along the road. It has the performance to outshine many a sports car, in fact.

Nissan Nismo GT-R

The Nissan GT-R is a car which is well-known by motoring enthusiasts for its razor-edged performance and passenger-shocking launch control. It’s not often seen as a car which requires more power, but Nissan certainly felt that way with its Nismo version.

A special aerodynamics package was fitted, while the engine put out close to 600bhp. Lashings of carbon-fibre made sure that everyone knew that this wasn’t just ‘any old’ GT-R, too.

Audi RS6 Performance

Audi’s RS6 is a muscle car wrapped up in a conventional estate body, matching effortless practicality with performance that can monster even the most powerful of supercars.

Audi turned up the wick on the RS6 with its Performance model, which tuned up the super-estate even further.