Goodwood Revival has shared the details of the drivers and riders who will be making an appearance at the 2022 event. Goodwood has long brought together competitors from across the spectrum of motorsport and this year is no exception, with almost 30 different racing championships due to be represented at Revival.

From the world of endurance racing, a total of 15 iconic drivers who have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans an astonishing 44 times between them will take to the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit. The Revival will also host drivers from the World Endurance Championship, IMSA Spa 24 Hours, World Sportscar Championship and the European Le Mans Series. Among them are “Mr Le Mans” himself, nine-time winner Tom Kristensen, triple champion André Lotterer, Henri Pescarolo, who holds the record for the most Le Mans starts, and three-time winner and two-time World Endurance champion Brendon Hartley.

Goodwood Revival is delighted to be hosting three Formula 1 World Champions – Jenson Button, Damon Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart – who hold a spectacular five World Drivers’ Championships between them. Also joining Goodwood Revival from the high-octane world of Formula 1 drivers who have raced at the very top, including Max Chilton, who set a new Hill record in the McMurtry Spéirling at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022. Also attending from the world of single-seater racing are Formula E driver Stoffel Vandoorne and two-time Formula E Champion Jean-Éric Vergne.

Joining the Goodwood Revival on two wheels will be iconic riders, winners and champions from the Isle of Man TT, World Superbike Championship, British Superbike Championship and MotoGP. Three renowned Isle of Man TT winners – Peter Hickman, Gary Johnson and John McGuiness will be racing at Revival – who between them boast an incredible total of 34 wins.

Representatives from American motorsport series including IndyCar, NASCAR and IMSA, will also be in attendance. Further to their announcement in May, five former and current IndyCar drivers – Max Chilton, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Jimmie Johnson (who is also a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion), and Simona de Silvestro – are set to join us at the Goodwood Motor Circuit over the weekend; Dixon and Franchitti boast 10 IndyCar Championships and four Indy 500 wins between them.

Making an appearance from Touring Car racing will be, drivers, winners and champions from the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), European Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship, Italian Touring Car, Super Touringwagen Championship, Bathurst 1000 and the DTM. Goodwood Revival will be hosting five BTCC Champions with an impressive nine wins between them, including Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.

Whilst Rolls-Royce has built a reputation for creating the pinnacle of super-luxury motor cars using internal combustion engines, the concept of electrification is long familiar to the brand. Henry Royce began his working life as an electrical engineer and dedicated much of his career to creating internal combustion engines that simulated the characteristics of an electric car – silent running, instant torque and the sensation of one endless gear.

Yet the connection with the marque’s founders is far deeper. When Charles Rolls drove a 1900 electric car named the Columbia, he made a prophecy: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” Spectre is the fulfilment of this prophecy.

Spectre also represents a promise kept. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a fully electric Experimental Phantom concept named 102EX. This was followed by 103EX, a dramatic design study that anticipated a bold electric future for the marque. These experimental cars prompted significant interest from Rolls-Royce clients, who felt that the characteristics of an electric powertrain would fit perfectly with the brand. Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, responded to this with a clear promise: Rolls-Royce will go electric, starting this decade, and by 2030 Rolls-Royce will be a fully electric motor car brand.

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce confirmed that it had commenced testing of the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, Spectre. To ensure Spectre is first and foremost a Rolls-Royce, it will undergo the most demanding testing programme ever conceived by the marque, spanning 2.5 million kilometres, simulating on average more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. It is an extraordinary undertaking.

Earlier this year, at a bespoke testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden – just 55 kilometres from the Arctic Circle – Spectre received the first ‘lessons’ in a finishing school that is custom designed to teach the motor car how to behave and react like a Rolls-Royce. Over the past months, the marque’s test and development engineers have shifted their focus from extreme conditions to more formal scrutiny in a location that reflects the motor car’s everyday use: the French Riviera.

In evoking its spiritual successor, the Phantom Coupé, this Electric Super Coupé will be the first all-electric super-luxury motor car with continental touring central to its proposition. The French Riviera and its roads present a perfect combination of the types of conditions that will be demanded from Spectre’s clients, ranging from technical coastal corniches to faster inland carriageways.

Forming a crucial part of Spectre’s 2.5 million kilometre global testing programme, a total of 625,000 kilometres will be driven on and around the French Côte d’Azur. This phase is split into two parts, beginning at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground, located in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence. Once a circuit that played host to the 1926 Grand Prix, the site is now a state-of-the-art test and development facility, incorporating more than 60 kilometres of closed routes and 20 test track environments that provide a vast number of testing opportunities over its 1,198 acre footprint.

These include irrigation units that create standing water, demanding handling circuits with tight corners and adverse cambers, as well as a heavily banked 3.1 mile three-lane high-speed bowl, enabling Spectre to be tested at continuous high speeds.

The second phase of testing in the region occurs in the Provençal countryside surrounding the Autodrome de Miramas. This region is enjoyed by many of the marque’s clients, therefore a significant 55% of testing here has taken place on the very roads that many production Spectres will be driven on following first customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023. This provision for testing under local, real-life conditions is repeated in key markets around the world, as the marque goes to painstaking lengths to ensure that its products meet – and so often exceed – the expectations of its highly discerning customer group.

Spectre is unlike any Rolls-Royce before it. This is not only because of its fully electric powertrain, but also its unprecedented computing power and application of advanced data-processing technologies. Spectre is the most connected Rolls-Royce ever and each of its components are more intelligent than in any previous Rolls-Royce. It features 141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub functions. This is around three times more sender-receiver signals than a typical Rolls-Royce.

The dramatically increased intelligence of Spectre’s electronic and electric powertrain architecture enables a free and direct exchange of detailed information between these functions with minimal centralised processing. To unlock the potential of this technology, Rolls-Royce software engineering specialists developed a decentralised intelligence for Spectre. This is based on data being processed closer to its source rather than being handled in its entirety by a single central processing unit.

By sending more sophisticated data packets – that not only describe a variable but propose a response – the motor car’s reaction time is significantly faster and more detailed. This advanced technology sees much of the development of Spectre pivot from the workshop into the digital space.

Yet developing Spectre is not an exercise in computer science alone. The motor car requires a response to hundreds of thousands of possible scenarios, and therefore it needs the most skilled and experienced specialists to define and finesse an appropriate mechanical reaction. Over the course of the Riviera Testing Programme, the marque’s most experienced engineers are painstakingly creating a dedicated control for each of Spectre’s 25,000-plus functions, incorporating variations of response depending on factors including weather, driver behaviour, vehicle status and road conditions.

In harnessing this new processing power, the marque’s engineers are creating unparalleled levels of detail, refinement and effortlessness for Spectre whilst ensuring continuity in the experience of Rolls-Royce’s internal combustion engine motor cars. These highly experienced specialists describe the result as “Rolls-Royce in high definition”.

Following months of continual testing, a new suspension technology has been approved that ensures Spectre delivers Rolls-Royce’s hallmark ‘magic carpet ride’. This technology is now being refined and perfected at Miramas and on the roads of the French Riviera.

Using a suite of new hardware components and leveraging Spectre’s high-speed processing capabilities, this sophisticated electronic roll stabilisation system uses data from the motor car’s Flagbearer system, which reads the road surface ahead, and satellite navigation system, which alerts Spectre to upcoming corners.

On straight roads, the system can automatically decouple Spectre’s anti-roll bars, allowing each wheel to act independently. This prevents the rocking motion that occurs when one side of a vehicle hits an undulation in the road. This also dramatically improves high-frequency imperfections in ride caused by smaller, more frequent shortcomings in road surface quality.

Once a corner is confirmed as imminent by satellite navigation data and the Flagbearer system, the components are recoupled, the suspension dampers stiffen and the four-wheel steering system prepares for activation to ensure effortless entry and exit. Under cornering, more than 18 sensors are monitored, and steering, braking, power delivery and suspension parameters are adjusted accordingly so that Spectre remains stable. For the driver, this delivers serenity, predictability and, ultimately, greater control in unprecedented high definition.

The unparalleled control of such a generously proportioned motor car that is provided by this new technology is enabled by the marque’s all-aluminium spaceframe architecture. Not only has this platform, which is reserved for the brand’s exclusive use, enabled designers to create a new class of Rolls-Royce – the Electric Super Coupé – but it has also provided Spectre with the most rigid body in the marque’s history.

Spectre’s aluminium architecture is reinforced with steel sections that provide exceptional torsional rigidity. This is combined with aluminium body sections that represent the largest of any Rolls-Royce yet. The one-piece side panel, which extends from the front of the A-pillar to behind the rear tail-lights, is the largest ‘deep draw’ part ever produced by Rolls-Royce – extending nearly four metres in length. Likewise, the pillarless coach doors, which are nearly 1.5 metres in length, are the longest in Rolls-Royce history.

Spectre’s exceptional rigidity, which represents a 30 per cent improvement over all existing Rolls-Royce motor cars, has also been achieved by integrating the extremely rigid structure of the battery itself into Spectre’s aluminium spaceframe architecture. Only through the marque’s architecture has this been made possible.

In announcing the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that will sit proudly at the prow of Spectre, Rolls-Royce aerodynamicists predicted that the motor car would have a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created. The dramatic design of this landmark motor car, which itself is only possible using the marque’s spaceframe architecture, has enabled engineers to further improve on this landmark figure.

Following rigorous wind tunnel testing, digital modelling and continuous high-speed testing in Miramas, this figure has been further reduced to just 0.25. This does not just represent a record in the context of Rolls-Royce, but is unprecedented in the luxury sector.

The Spectre global testing programme continues: the Electric Super Coupé will still be tested for a further one million kilometres before the marque’s engineers will consider this undertaking complete. First customer deliveries of Spectre will commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said, “It is no exaggeration to state that Spectre is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce ever. Free from the restrictions connected to the internal combustion engine, our battery-electric vehicle will offer the purest expression of the Rolls-Royce experience in the marque’s 118-year history. This latest testing phase proves a suite of advanced technologies that underpin a symbolic shift for Rolls-Royce as it progresses towards a bright, bold, all-electric future. This will secure the ongoing relevance of our brand for generations to come.”

Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Car commented, “Spectre unlocks the extraordinary potential of integrating a fully electric powertrain into our Architecture of Luxury platform. From this engineering starting point, our testing and refinement processes combine empirical data and human experience, intuition and insights acquired over more than a century to refine the motor car’s driving dynamics and character. In coordinating this orchestra of systems with precisely defined responses to driver inputs and road conditions, made possible by the latest software and hardware developments, Spectre delivers the Rolls-Royce experience in exceptionally high definition.”

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. recorded 1,00,000 bookings for the All-New Scorpio-N within 30 minutes of the booking commencement at 11:00 am yesterday, translating into an ex-showroom value of INR 18,000 crores (USD 2.3 billion). Customers’ enthusiasm for the All-New Scorpio-N has been extraordinary with the Scorpio-N recording 25,000 bookings within one minute of booking commencement.

The deliveries of the All-New Scorpio-N will begin September 26, 2022, onwards. Over 20,000 units of the All-New Scorpio-N are planned for delivery by December 2022 wherein Z8L variant will be prioritised. Mahindra will inform the customers about their delivery date by the end of August 2022.

The booking website handled the huge rush of orders well, but there was a brief glitch with the payment gateway provider. Mahindra would like to assure the customers that their time stamp prior to payment is duly recorded on the booking platform, so each customer will have their rightful place in the order sequence and accordingly the first 25,000 will be considered for introductory prices based on this sequence.

The introductory prices of the All-New Scorpio-N variants are applicable for the first 25,000 bookings. The prices for the subsequent bookings will be as per the prices prevalent at the time of delivery. Bookings for the All-New Scorpio-N will continue to be accepted online and at dealerships.

Volvo Car India’s all-electric offering the XC40 Recharge has received an overwhelming response. The car got booked for the whole year 2022 within two hours of the company opening bookings on their official website. The company plans to deliver 150 XC40 Recharge cars by end of December 2022 after starting the deliveries in October. In India’s luxury electric car segment this is the first time that such bookings have been achieved in such a short span of 2 hours.

The XC40 Recharge can be booked only online on Volvo cars official website supported by the business partner network handling post purchase facilitations and deliveries across India. The company shall continue to take customer orders for further deliveries. The XC40 Recharge is India’s first locally assembled luxury EV and it will be rolled out from the company’s Hoskote plant near Bengaluru, Karnataka.

“The long wait for our customers for the XC40 Recharge is over. The overwhelming response on bookings in just two hours is a reflection of the consumer confidence in Volvo Cars. Our strategy of showcasing the car across our business partner locations and giving the prospective customers in these cities the opportunity to drive the XC40 Recharge has helped them in deciding. The XC40 Recharge can only be booked online on Volvo Cars official website and the pan India customer drive experience resulted in a quick hassle-free ordering process” said Mr Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India

Volvo XC40 Recharge was launched over the futuristic ‘VolvoVerse’ on July 26 with an attractive hassle-free ownership package of Rs 55.90 lakhs (ex-showroom price) including 3 years comprehensive car warranty, 3 years Volvo service package, 3 year RSA, 8 years battery warranty, digital service subscription of 4 years and an 11 Kw wall box charger. The customers of XC40 Recharge would also get the exclusive membership to the company’s ultimate luxury program called ‘Tre Kronor Experience’.

XC40 Recharge pure electric is powered by a twin-motor. The SUV will deliver a power output of 408 bhp and 660Nm of peak torque. The electric motors are powered by a 78 kWh battery pack giving a range of up to 418kms on a single charge, as per international test conditions (WLTP). It can go from 0 to 100 kmph in just 4.9 seconds. The battery can be recharged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in around 28 minutes using a fast charger (150KW).

Harnessing its world-class manufacturing capabilities in India, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has announced the exports of its 125cc motorcycle SP125, to Australia and New Zealand. The motorcycle is exported via the CBU route and will be sold as ‘CB125F’ in these markets.

Shipment carrying around 250 units of SP125 have been dispatched to Australia & New Zealand from July’22 onwards. SP125 is currently being manufactured at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Tapukara Plant in Alwar (Rajasthan).

Speaking on this achievement Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, “This development marks a step towards HMSI’s long term plans to expand production capabilities in India that serve globally. As HMSI’s reliable quality continues to delight customers across 38 countries around the world, we are moving ahead as per plan to expand exports footprint in the global markets.”

Its noteworthy that SP125 was the first BSVI motorcycle launched by HMSI in India. Powered by 19 new patent applications, the SP125 has a 125cc HET engine with eSP technology. The SP125 offers many segment-first technology features which includes including full digital meter, distance to empty, average fuel efficiency, real-time fuel efficiency, LED DC headlamp, engine start/stop switch, integrated headlamp beam/passing switch, eco indicator, and gear position indicator.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India started exports from India in 2001 with its debut model Activa. Currently, Honda delights more than 30 lakh customers with its export portfolio of 19 two-wheeler models in 38 diverse export markets led by Asia & Oceania, Middle East and Latin America.

Volvo Car India has launched its much-awaited pure electric XC40 Recharge at an ex-showroom price of INR 55.90 lakh. Volvo XC40 Recharge will be the first locally assembled luxury electric vehicle in India.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge is a pure electric car powered by a twin-motor. The SUV will deliver a power output of 408 bhp and 660 Nm of peak torque. The electric motors are powered by a 78 kWh battery pack giving a range of up to 418 kilometres on a single charge, as per international test conditions (WLTP). The CX40 Recharge can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 4.9 seconds and attain a top speed of 180 kmph. It boasts of a front storage (frunk) space of 31 litres and rear storage (boot space) of 419 litres.

Other features include Harmon Kardon premium sound system (600W, 13 speakers), Volvo On Call, advanced air purifier system with PM 2.5 sensor, 360-degree camera, blind spot information system with cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, pilot assist, lane keeping aid, collision mitigation support (front & rear), parking assistance sensors (front, side & rear), six airbags and wireless charging for smartphones.

“The launch of the XC40 Recharge and its assembly at our Bangalore plant further reinforces Volvo Car’s long term vision and commitment to India and the Indian consumer. We are happy that the wait is over for our loyal consumers who have long wanted an EV with the hallmark quality and safety that Volvo is globally known for. Range upto four hundred plus kilometer of the XC40 Recharge, on a single charge is an added attraction. Also, the direct online sales by the company demonstrates our commitment towards building direct relationship with our customers and offer them a hassle-free buying experience.” said Mr. Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India

The company has announced the launch of hassle-free ownership package for the XC40 Recharge in India. The package includes 3 years comprehensive car warranty, 3 years Volvo service package, 3 years road side assistance, 8 years battery warranty, 4 years subscription to digital services and 1 wall box charger (11 kW) through third party.

Volvo Car India has also announced that the XC40 Recharge will only be sold online directly by the company. Customers would be able to place orders and make payments online directly on Volvo Car India website from July 27, 2022.

The website will take customer orders and customers would be able to pay the refundable deposit of Rs 50,000 on the Volvo Car India website to pre-book their orders.

Volvo Car India business partners who are present across India would continue to support customers towards sales delivery by providing on ground support.

With this the company will be able to make the entire purchase experience hassle-free for its customers with one uniform ex-showroom pricing offered directly by the company in a simplified and transparent manner.

There shall be no change in customer service and after-sales service operation businesses which continue to operate as it is.

The company also announced the introduction of an exclusive program for XC40 Recharge customers called as ‘Tre Kronor Experience’. Tre-Kronor denotes the three crowns of Swedish luxury and will offer a host of unique luxury and personalised experiences.

Citroën India has launched the much-awaited New C3 at a special introductory price of INR 5,70,500 (ex-showroom Delhi). With over 90% localisation, this Made-In-India model is the first product from the C-Cubed family of vehicles and is built at its manufacturing facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. New C3 deliveries to customers will start immediately at all the La Maison Citroën phygital showrooms across the country.

The New Citroën C3: Introductory prices (ex-showroom Delhi)

1.2P Live	₹ 5,70,500
1.2P Feel	₹ 6,62,500
1.2P Feel VIBE PACK	₹ 6,77,500
1.2P Feel DUAL TONE	₹ 6,77,500
1.2P Feel DUAL TONE VIBE PACK	₹ 6,92,500
1.2P Turbo Feel DUAL TONE VIBE PACK	₹ 8,05,500

The new Citroën C3 is now available for retail at La Maison Citroën phygital showrooms in 19 cities, namely, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Surat, Nagpur, Vizag, Calicut, and Coimbatore.

Citroën will also extend its 100% direct online buying – BUY ONLINE – for the New C3. Customers in over 90 Indian cities, including those outside the dealer network, will be covered through this direct online initiative and can order directly from the factory.

Customers can seamlessly experience the high-definition 3D configurator online and at the La Maison Citroën phygital showrooms to configure and customise their New C3.

For the aftersales network named the L’Atelier Citroën, the company will offer unique services like remote diagnostics and 100% parts availability to assure New C3 customers of a stress-fee ownership experience. Citroën Service on Wheels will enhance reach and availability for customers covering most common repairs at customer’s doorstep. This represents the Citroën Service Promise that extends “Comfort at Your Fingertips” for customers.

As a part of the New C3’s Warranty Programme, Citroën has services like a standard vehicle warranty for two years or 40,000 km (whichever is earlier), a warranty on spare parts &accessories for 12 Months or 10,000 km (whichever is earlier), and 24/7 Roadside Assistance for maximum comfort and mobility. Extended warranty and maintenance packages are also available across the network.

To make the Citroën ownership experience more comfortable, the company will also offer Citroën Future Sure for New C3 customers. This comprehensive package allows customers to own a Citroën with an easy monthly payment starting from INR 11,999* (T&C apply). The package also includes Routine Maintenance, Extended Warranty, Roadside Assistance and an on-road financing for upto five years.

Roland Bouchara, CEO & Managing Director, Stellantis India, said, “The India launch of the New Citroën C3 is a very proud moment for all of us at Stellantis.With this launch, Citroën enters the mainstream B-hatch segment in India and we are confident the New C3’s Customised Comfort USP will make it attractive and unique for consumers. This is our first model from the C-Cubed family of vehicles that is designed and engineered in India, for Indians. With over 90% localised parts in the New C3, we are leveraging our strong supplier base, our R&D Center in Chennai, the Vehicle Assembly Plant at Thiruvallur and the Powertrain Plant at Hosur in the state of Tamil Nadu.”  

Saurabh Vatsa, Brand Head, Citroën India, remarked, “We are excited to launch the New C3 for the young and progressive customers who will experience the Citroën Advanced Comfort® with its 4 themes: LIVE ELEVATED with SUV-styling, HAPPY SPACE with driving comfort for flying carpet effect, tropicalised air-conditioning and interior roominess with panoramic exterior view,INFO10MENT with 26 cm Infotainment touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apply Carplay® connectivity with mirror screen technology, CUSTOMISED COMFORT with 10 exterior colour combinations, 3 packs, 56 customisation options and over 70 accessories available at launch . FUN TO DRIVE with award winning and fuel efficient powertrains: 1.2 NA Puretech 82 with 5-speed MT & 1.2 Turbo Puretech 110 with 6-speed MT. The New C3 will truly be the new style icon for the young and progressive customers. #EXPRESSYOURSTYLE”

Indian racer Jehan Daruvala scored his sixth podium of the season in the French round of the Formula 2 championship, as he left the Paul Ricard track with yet another strong points-scoring weekend.

Jehan started Saturday’s Sprint race from pole position and after a lightning start led into the first corner. He was comfortably holding his own at the front when an incident involving three cars brought out the safety car.

Jehan timed the restart to perfection, allowing him to open up a small gap to second-placed Liam Lawson. But the latter’s superior straight-line speed allowed him to close in.

It looked like it would only be a matter of time before Lawson used his car’s superior speed down the straights to get past Jehan and sure enough the Kiwi swept around the outside into Turn 1.

Jehan held his line but the pair touched which opened up a tear on Jehan’s front tyre. But he fortunately didn’t suffer a puncture.

A few laps later Marcus Armstrong attempted to pass Jehan for second at the same corner but on the inside. They made contact but Jehan, forced wide across the chicane, kept his position.

He had to slow down significantly, however, to give up any advantage he may have gained, which allowed Lawson to pull clear at the front.

Armstrong was handed a five-second penalty for forcing Jehan off the track

On Sunday, Jehan started the Feature race from 10th on the grid. But he fought his way up to seventh as a combination of strategy, which put Jehan in the lead before his stops, and blistering speed after his late switch to fresh tyres, saw him climb up the order.

Jehan said, “It’s good to be back on the podium after what happened in Silverstone and Austria. We were struggling with pace down the straights but had some good battles to finish 2nd. We would have finished even higher in the Feature race with our strategy to run a long first stint but we gambled on a safety car and stayed out a bit longer than ideal. Other than that, it was a solid weekend for us. We still have some areas to work on and I’m confident we’ll come back stronger next weekend in Hungary.”

Jehan’s second-place finish in France was his fifth this season. The 23-year-old, who races for Italian team Prema, was robbed of a potential fourth F2 victory by a post-race penalty in the last round in Austria.

The Red Bull-backed racer, who earlier this week completed a second Formula One test with McLaren, now heads to Hungary, the last round of a busy month of racing before the annual summer break.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic BMW M GmbH, BMW India has launched an exclusive ‘50 Jahre M Edition’ of the BMW 5 Series in India at an ex-showroom price of INR 67,50,000. Locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the exclusive edition comes in a petrol variant – the BMW 530i M Sport. Available in limited numbers only, this bespoke model can be booked exclusively online.

BMW India had recently announced that it will launch 10 exclusive ‘50 Jahre M Editions’ to celebrate the M sub-brand that stands for high-performance adrenaline gushing cars.

The BMW 5 Series is an individualist within the premium executive segment. The BMW 5 Series strengthens its leading position with numerous style updates. Complementing its sporting appeal is the most powerful performance in the segment.

BMW 5 Series is headlined by immense presence and exquisite sporting style with large, clean and tautly drawn surfaces. Sitting proudly above the BMW Kidney Grille is the iconic M Emblem along with ‘50 Years of M’ door projector inspired by the classic ‘BMW Motorsport’ logo. Visually distinct from the conventional BMW emblem, it signals passion for racing and for the roots of the BMW M brand. The M emblem adorns the front and rear logo as well as the wheel hub caps. BMW Laserlight, unique in this vehicle segment, distributes light perfectly up to 650 metres and is accentuated by the M Lights Shadowline which offers a dark tint around the headlamps. The bold impression is also underlined by the BMW Individual high gloss shadow line which includes the BMW Kidney grille in black high gloss along with window surrounds and tailpipe finishers in black high gloss. Dynamic character is emphasised by aerodynamically optimised bodywork elements of the M Sport package. Distinct wheel arches give a luxurious and dynamic appearance to the car’s side profile. At the rear, the real eye-catcher is the brand-new L shape light graphic that emerges from the taillight in a three-dimensional form.

Another exclusive feature that enhances the sporting appeal is the 18-inch 662M jet black alloys wheels with Red M Sport Brake Callipers. The car is available in striking paint finishes including M Carbon Black, Bernina Grey Amber Effect, Phytonic Blue and Alpine White, paired with Sensatec Perforated upholstery in Cognac finish with contrast stitching.

Customers can add sporting character to every detail with an optional M Accessories Package. Racer’s Package gives an exterior upgrade that includes side skirt transfers in black, rear spoiler in matt black and key fob. The Motorsport Package takes one step further and offers exterior mirror caps in carbon fibre to give a sportier look. Carbon Package is for the enthusiast who wants to turn heads when on the road. It can further enhance the sporty character of the car as all the accessories are in carbon fibre material such as kidney grille, rear spoiler pro, mirror caps etc.

Interior of the BMW 5 Series blends contemporary elegance with driver-focused cockpit design. It provides the ideal environment for driving pleasure and comfortable ride over long distances. Sports seats with leather covers, seat belts with stitching in M colours, sports leather steering wheel and specific trim strips augment the sporty feel. Ergonomically optimised lumbar support enables vertical and lateral seat adjustment for a relaxed journey. The centre console’s unique design is underscored by BMW Individual interior trim finishers in Piano Black finish and black ceramic surround for controls. Perforated sensatec upholstery in Cognac creates a luxurious impression with contrast stitching and fine quilting. Ambient lighting with six dimmable designs creates an atmosphere for every mood. The car has four-zone automatic climate control with extended features. Luggage compartment has a capacity of up to 600 litres, extending to 1,800 litres thanks to the 40/20/40 split.

Thanks to unrivalled BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, the petrol engine melds maximum power with exemplary efficiency and offers spontaneous responsiveness even at low engine speeds, with acceleration figures. The 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine of the BMW 530i generates maximum output of 252 hp and peak torque of 350 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in just 6.1 seconds.

The eight speed steptronic sport automatic transmission performs smooth gearshifts. For even greater driving pleasure, it comes with steering wheel paddle shifters and cruise control with braking function. Adaptive suspension with its individual electronically controlled dampers offers exceptional precision and improves the drive and handling dynamics. The damper response settings vary according to the mode selected with the Driving Experience Control switch, that allows driver to choose between different modes to suit the driving conditions – Comfort, Sport, ECO PRO and Adaptive, with an extra Sport+ mode for a sportier driving experience.

Modern cockpit concept BMW Live Cockpit Professional with BMW Operating System 7.0 includes 3D Navigation, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument display behind the steering wheel and a bigger 12.3-inch Control Display. The occupants can operate several functions simply by speaking to their BMW Virtual Assistant. Hands do the talking with BMW Gesture Control that recognises six pre-defined hand movements for control of a number of functions. The smartphone holder integrated into the centre console allows inductive, Wireless Charging for mobile phones. Wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto ensures seamless smartphone connection with the car to access several functions. Harman Kardon Surround Sound System conjures an engrossing treat for the ears. High-end 16 speaker system with woofers generates an impressive audio experience in all seats. BMW Display Key allows drivers to keep in contact with their car round the clock.

Driver assistance systems with Parking Assistant makes parking in tight spots easier. Reversing Assistant provides support in reversing out of a parking spot or through narrow driveways. It keeps a record of the last 50 metres driven and assists by taking over the steering. The Comfort Access System makes it possible to open all four vehicle doors without using the key.

BMW EfficientDynamics includes features such as 8-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission, Auto Start-Stop, Brake-Energy Regeneration, Electronic Power Steering, 50:50 Weight Distribution and ECO PRO mode in Driving Experience Control. BMW Safety technologies include six airbags, Attentiveness Assistance, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobiliser and crash sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounting and emergency spare wheel.

The Concours of Elegance is delighted to reveal that this September’s automotive extravaganza will feature a selection of the very finest pre-war British motor cars. The glamorous line-up – handpicked from the world’s leading car collections – will chart the progression of Britain’s innovative, resourceful marques during this fascinating era. The selection will star as part of a wider Concours display featuring 70 of the world’s rarest, most spectacular vehicles, assembled in the immaculate grounds of Hampton Court Palace from the 2nd to 4th September.

The line-up of British machinery will include not one but two examples of the most famous Rolls-Royce of all, the remarkable Silver Ghost; an emblem of Edwardian engineering excellence, from a time when’s Britain led the automotive world. The ‘Ghost’, when launched to the world was a real engineering tour de force, renowned for its exceptional mechanical refinement and effortless power. From 1910 onwards the Ghost was equipped with a smooth, near silent – hence the ‘Ghost; name – 7.4-litre 50 hp straight-six, giving imperious performance and that left contemporary rivals firmly in its dust. The first Ghost that will be on show emerged from the factory on the 30th of August 1912; this grand, stately automobile will appear at Hampton Court Palace days after its 110th birthday. Chassis 2092 was a particularly lavish example, specified with a seven-passenger cabriolet body, its fittings in gleaming brass, rather than the usual nickel. It lived in the UK until the late 1940s, when it travelled by ship from Blackpool to Boston. It remained in the USA for some time, its enthusiast owners including Alex E. Ullman, founder of the famed Sebring 12 Hours race. It returned to the UK in 2001 when it was treated to a full restoration and fitted with an original Arthur Mulliner body – tracked down in Sweden. This wonderful Ghost has since competed with success at concours competitions including Pebble Beach and Amelia Island, whilst also touring extensively, covering 40,000 miles across the US and throughout Europe in recent years; a great car used as intended.

The second Ghost that will grace Hampton Court later this year also left the factory in late 1912, fitted with a Tourer body by Arthur Mulliner of Northampton. It was a particularly special example – an exact duplicate of Chassis 1710, the famous Ghost that won the London to Edinburgh rally in 1911. The Ghost had such effortless power from the gargantuan 7-4-litre engine, that it was able to complete the entire 400-mile journey in top gear. The car that will be on show this September spent much of its early life north of the border, before also crossing the Atlantic in the mid 1950s. It was owned by a prominent member of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club, who replaced the Mulliner coachwork with a ‘Hooper Tourer’ body. It returned to the UK in 1989 and starred as part of marque experts P&A Wood’s Silver Ghost centenary celebrations. This September’s event will offer an excellent chance to examine this splendid brace of richly detailed Silver Ghosts up close – united 110 years after they rolled out of the factory – motor cars that rank among Britain’s greatest of all.

The Concours of Elegance will also welcome the most revered Vauxhall of all this September, the 1925 30/98 Wensum Tourer. When new the high-performance, sporting car – known as the “King of Thoroughbreds” – was locked in fierce competition with the Bentley 4.5-litre. Launched back in 1913 as the 30/98 Velox, the model was upgraded in 1922 to become the ‘OE’, with a cutting-edge overhead valve engine. Performance was highly impressive, with over 100 mph possible. The car that will be on show at Hampton Court is the most special 30/98 variant, one of just 12 cars supplied with the ‘ultra-sporting’ Wensum body, the light weight of which gave them even more sprightly performance. With its dramatic V-shaped windshield, head-turning ‘boattail’ coachwork – inspiration for which was taken from contemporary speedboat design – the Wensum was among the most stylish cars of its day. Chassis OE259 is particularly striking with its gleaming chrome finish. It is believed to be one of just six surviving cars, and likely the most original of all, its interior largely unchanged since it left the Vauxhall factory nigh on 100 years ago. One of the last cars produced by the marque before its takeover by General Motors in 1926, the Vauxhall 30/98s retains a particular significance in British automotive history. These fine Edwardian motor cars are, particularly in ultra-rare Wensum Tourer form are highly coveted by collectors.

Also lining up in the Palace grounds will be the 30/98’s aforementioned rival: the 4.5-litre W.O. Bentley. Bentley, founded in 1919, quickly developed a reputation for producing distinguished sporting cars, offering both 3-litre and 6 ½ litre machines to the moneyed elite. The 4 ½ litre was first introduced in 1927, effectively replacing the 3-litre car which had become outdated by the late ‘20s. The new model was more powerful than the 70 bhp 3-litre car, packing 110 bhp in ‘touring’ form, and 130 bhp in race trim. The 4 ½ litre – a powerful, sporting road car, was also highly effective as a competition machine, winning at the famous 24 hours of Le Mans on its debut in 1928. The example on show in under two months’ time will be a 1929 Vanden Plas Tourer model, formerly owned by Johnnie Green founder of the Bentley Drivers’ Club. Chassis DS3575 sat in storage for decades, before being sent for restoration at R.C. Moss in recent years. Great effort was made to ensure that it emerged from this process looking just as it did when it left the factory in 1929 – the restoration firm going so far as to track down and restore one of the original Rexine machines used for finishing the Bentley’s bodywork in period. This exceptional British motor car presents superbly, even retaining its original tool kit and owner’s handbook. Another fine example of British engineering, and one not to be missed.

The fantastic array of pre-war British machinery will be capped off by a superb Lagonda V12 Rapide ‘Drop Head Coupe’, which was launched to the world in 1938 as conflict loomed over Europe. The Rapide V12 was introduced by Lagonda as a high-performance luxury grand-tourer, pitted against the dominant Alfa Romeo 2900, with the aim of setting new standards for the class. The ‘DHC’ – built on a shortened chassis – was a rakish de-facto two-seater, with only a small, removable rear bench behind the driver and passenger. Designed by Lagonda’s in-house designer, Frank Feely – who went on to work for Aston Martin – the Rapide DHC remains a strikingly beautiful car, offering an understated British take on the 1930s streamliner look. The elegant, reserved coachwork belied significant performance, with a fabulously smooth 180 bhp 4.5-litre V12 – designed by a certain W.O. Bentley – under the long bonnet; the Rapide V12 was as match for anything on the open roads of Europe. Such was the performance potential, that modified versions with lighter bodies competed at Le Mans, securing 3rd and 4th place in 1939. The Rapide V12 was also something of a technological tour de force, with independent front suspension and synchromesh for 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears. Unfortunately, production was short-lived; just 17 Rapide V12 DHCs were built before the disruption of war halted play in 1940. This particular car was completed in the September of 1939, just weeks after war broke out, and was soon exported to the United States, where it remained until 1989. On its return to the UK it was restored, and its V12 upgraded to effective Le Mans spec, with four carburettors and modified heads. September’s event will offer an opportunity to savour this stunning and exceptionally rare motor car from the very end of the pre-war era.

These superb British motor cars and many more besides will be on show at this September’s glamourous event, assembled in the immaculate Palace grounds, with further star cars set to be announced in the coming weeks. Outside the main display of vehicles, the Concours of Elegance will assemble around 1,000 further cars in a series of special features and displays, as well as a live collector car auction by Gooding & Co.

James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said: “we’re delighted to reveal the fabulous array of highly significant, pre-war British motor cars that will star at Hampton Court Palace in under two months’ time, adding to our already sensational line-up. The hand-picked selection will highlight the ingenuity, flair and irrepressible spirit that underpinned Britain’s automotive industry during the pre-war period.

“The Concours of Elegance is renowned internationally for assembling the finest automobiles in existence, in the most spectacular of settings, and our tenth anniversary show will raise the bar once again; it really is going to be the ultimate automotive extravaganza.”

Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance will once again be an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Presenting Partner A. Lange & Sohne will once again showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.