Motoring: The Jaguar experience; The Italian Job; Toyota GT86

FOR many Land Rover owners the closest they may ever get to offroading is taking their 4×4 over a kerb – which could go some way towards explaining the success of the Land Rover Experience events.

These are held at various locations around the country and offer drivers the opportunity, if only for an hour or so, to experience the iconic marque’s true capabilities. I’ve been lucky enough to do it twice and believe me, driving a £90,000 automobile through a swamp is an experience which should be on every motoring enthusiast’s bucket list.

The same is true of track day experiences. This is where ordinary mortals can get behind the wheel of a race-ready Ferrari or Aston Martin and for a few minutes indulge their inner-Hamilton as they go on a three-lap blast around circuits such as Silverstone or Brands Hatch.

So, if racing thoroughbreds such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, McLaren etc do all this just think how great it would be if you were able to get behind the wheel of say, a Jaguar C-Type or a Le Mans winning D-Type, maybe even the one-of-a-kind XJ13.

Well, wish no longer.

For the first time, Jaguar fans from all over the world will soon have the opportunity to drive these classics, along with many others from a unique collection of historic Jaguar cars.

The Jaguar Heritage Driving Experience launches in November at the Fen End test facility, near the historic home of Jaguar Land Rover in the West Midlands.

A variety of experiences will be available, from one-hour drives to half-day Le Mans 24 Hours race-themed specials and a full-hospitality ‘Grace and Pace’ driving programme.

The move has been made possible following the launch earlier this year of the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations division.

So far, the division has been responsible for the production of six new lightweight E-Types, which have reportedly all been snapped up for seven-figure price tags. It is also going to produce the 250-limited edition Project 7 F-Type, a five litre supercar which promises to be the fastest Jaguar ever to hit the road.

It also has responsibility for the marque’s sporting heritage and looks after a collection of cars unrivalled in the eyes of many.

The new experiences will offer drivers the unique opportunity to take the wheel of cars including a Le Mans-version D-type, the legendary E-Type and Jaguar’s new F-Type R Coupé.

To enable drivers to experience fully the thrill of driving such a car, the SVO has purchased an established 200-acre testing facility at Fen End, in Warwickshire.

Many of the vehicles in the collection will be driven by members of the public for the very first time, having been prepared for high octane test action following Jaguar’s recent purchase of over 500 outstanding British heritage cars from a private collector.

John Edwards, managing director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: “This is the first experiential offering from our new division and is the first time in Jaguar’s history that we have made a collection of vehicles of this calibre available for ‘arrive and drive’ experiences. It’s an extremely exciting new project that underscores the very essence of what Special Operations is all about – celebrating heritage with our eyes firmly on the future.”  

Italian Job for MTC Minis

CONTINUING the nostalgia theme, a team of graduates and apprentices from the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry are set to recreate scenes from the classic Michael Caine film ‘The Italian Job’ after restoring three classic Minis and taking them across Italy on a 16-day trek.

The team took on the daunting task of restoring three original Minis – one of which is 1965 vintage – and making them sufficiently roadworthy to get to and from Italy. The Minis, christened ‘Mike’, ‘Tango’ and ‘Charlie’ (M,T and C) will be driven from Turin to Trento, taking in the testing mountain roads of Piedmont and Trentino, plus a drive on the famous Monza circuit.

The trek is to celebrate the 25th year of The Italian Job Mini Car Rally, in which hundreds of Minis are making the drive across Italy, recreating scenes from the famous 1969 film. The rally is raising money for Variety, the children’s charity which aims to raise the quality of life of deprived children.

The six-strong MTC driving team, plus two support staff have renovated and repaired all three cars themselves to get them roadworthy. They are being sponsored by MTC members Sandvik Coromant, DMG Mori-Seiki, Blaser, IMechE and Hexagon Metrology and Siemens. Rugby Borough Council provided the team with their initial sponsorship.

MTC chief executive Dr Clive Hickman said the trainees had taken on a big challenge but were more than capable of rising to it.

“This is a great experience for the trainees, and is also developing valuable skills in engineering, problem-solving and fundraising. I am very proud of them,” he said.

Toyota GT86 revamp makes models more affordable

TOYOTA’S acclaimed GT86 is undergoing its most significant series of changes since launch in 2012 in an effort to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

The Japanese company has created a new UK model line-up, with a lower entry price and more choice.

The new GT86 Primo reduces the entry-point of the range by more than £2,000 to £22,995, while an introductory incentive is offering a further discount of £500.

The four-model range will also comprise the new Aero and special edition Giallo. The Aero is equipped with full body kit, including large rear spoiler, while the Giallo is finished in exclusive yellow metallic paintwork. New features include shark fin antenna, carbon-effect dashboard trim and tyre pressure warning system.

Toyota said all the versions retained the original’s winning combination of a front-mounted normally aspirated 2.0-litre ‘boxer’ engine with rear wheel drive, mounted on a well-balanced chassis with a low centre of gravity.

The official on-the-road price for GT86 Primo is £22,995, cutting the cost of getting behind the wheel of a new GT86 by £2,115.

The classic GT86 remains at the heart of the range. Additional features (compared to the Primo specification) include a rear spoiler, keyless entry, push-button start, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, dusk-sensing HID headlights, LED daytime running lights and the option of automatic transmission. Prices for the manual version are £24,995 (automatic £25,995).