Motoring: Taste of the high life with new Bentley

FOR anyone who’s ever wondered what it must be like to travel like royalty, now’s your chance to find out.

For all those Monarchists hankering after a slice of HRH’s lifestyle, one of her former limousines has gone on the market.

And it can be yours for a cool £200,000.

The limousine in question is a Bentley Mulsanne which was pressed into service for the exclusive use of Her Majesty during a two-year period from 2012 to 2014.

This was quite a significant period in her reign as its coincided with her Diamond Jubilee celebrations and was used for a unique visit to 10 Downing Street where she attended her first-ever cabinet meeting with Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The limousine was first prepared and registered by Bentley in Crewe at its headquarters for exclusive use by the Queen.

The Royal wheels features several upgrades including walnut burr veneered picnic tables, door panels and rear quarter vanity mirrors. There are embroidered Bentley emblems to all seats and the car runs on optional 21-inch classic alloy wheels.

The interior boasts a full leather interior, air conditioning, driver information system and satellite navigation system, which has Windsor set as the home address.

The Mulsanne is powered by a muscular 6.75-litre engine with over 500bhp and is capable of dashing to 60mph in just over five seconds, should you be late for that crucial engagement – or your corgi has been caught short.
 
The Bentley is capable of hitting a top speed of 184mph, although it is unlikely to have achieved such lofty ambitions during its time with the Royal Household.

The car covered less than 5,000 miles during its two-year service with the Queen and is now being offered for sale not in The Sporting Life, but AutoTrader. It is said to be in immaculate condition having covered a total of 5,826 miles.

The car is being offered for sale by a dealership based in Bramley, Surrey.

Land Rover remains Defender of the Faith

STILL capitalising on the popularity of its Defender two months after the vehicle ceased production, Land Rover Classic is underscoring its commitment to providing quality cars, services, parts and experiences to passionate Land Rover customers with the launch of the ‘Reborn’ initiative for the iconic Series I model.

But where is the launch taking place – Solihull, Coventry and muddy field somewhere in the English countryside? No, at the Techno-Classica in Essen, Germany.

Rebornoffers 25 prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectable Land Rover Series I directly from Land Rover Classic.

Land Rover Classic’s team has drawn on decades of experience to hand-pick 25 Series I chassis from Land Rover’s global network. Each model will undergo a complete restoration according to the brand’s original 1948 factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve authenticity. This includes the choice of five period finishes including Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red.

Customers will be able to select their preferred base vehicle with the help and guidance of Land Rover Classic’s experienced restoration team, and they will be able to follow the restoration of their cherished Series I from start to finish at Land Rover’s new Classic workshop located within the original Defender production centre at Solihull.

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “The launch of the Reborn initiative represents a fantastic opportunity for customers to own a valuable and collectable automotive icon. Reborn showcases Land Rover Classic’s expertise in restoring and maintaining our loyal customers’ prized Land Rovers. It also demonstrates the business’ commitment to supporting customers with original and meticulously sourced parts for Land Rover models that have been out for production for longer than 10 years.”

Sky’s the limit for Japfest

GOOD news for Fast and Furious fans, the car made famous by the Playstation Generation has been named the Most Iconic Japanese Car Ever by followers of Japfest, the biggest celebration of Japanese cars and culture in Europe.

The organisers of the show, which will be held for the first time this year at Silverstone, carried out a survey among its social media followers to see which performance car would be identified as the most iconic model in Japanese car culture.

The clear winner was the Nissan Skyline, a car that first came to prominence in the UK in 1997 as the star of the Gran Turismo console game.

Like the game, the Skyline was developed through multiple generations, each one faster and more advanced than its predecessor. The Skyline name has since become synonymous with Japanese performance tuning in the UK and beyond, and a bumper turnout of Skylines is expected at this year’s Japfest events.

Event Manager Katherine Chappell said: “The Nissan Skyline is one of the cars that really kicked off the Japanese tuning craze in the UK, so it’s no surprise to see that it’s been named as the most iconic Japanese performance car of all time. Japfest is a real celebration of the culture that it, in part, created, and we look forward to celebrating its success this year among the event’s festival atmosphere.”

The runner-up in the survey was the Toyota Supra, with the Subaru Impreza WRX in third position.

Japfest has moved to Silverstone after reaching capacity at its previous venue. The event will feature more than 16,000 attendees and 3,500 cars will be either on display or on the circuit. The extra space at the home of British motorsport means more track time and more features than ever before.

The new, more central, venue is a significant part of Japfest’s broader expansion, as the most firmly established series of Japanese car events in the UK.

In 2016, Japfest Rock! – the new name for Japfest 2 – returns to Rockingham Motor Speedway on June 26 and also has track time available, while a brand new, third Japfest event has also been added to the calendar, Japfest Motorsport Heroes.

Taking place at the Hop Farm, near Paddock Wood, Kent, on September 11, Japfest Motorsport Heroes will be a special event celebrating some of the most iconic and significant Japanese cars from the world of motor sport, along with their road going equivalents.