Luxury Cars
Luxury Automakers to Resume Production After COVID-19 Closures
Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and other luxury automakers have announced they will resume production at their factories from 4 May onwards following the COVID-19 closures put in place for employee safety.
Having been shuttered since early March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, luxury automakers including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley are now returning to their factories to resume production.
Below is an outline of the details around each manufacturers re-openings:
Bugatti – 4 May 2020
In Molsheim, France, Bugatti are back on track to re-start production of hypercars like the Chiron and Divo from 4 May following suspension of all factory activities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having taken guidance from the French government and international experts, production at the main factory in Alsace will be under strict conditions, and employees that are able to work from home are still encouraged to do so.
In the press release President of Bugatti, Stephan Winklemann explained, “We will do everything necessary to ensure that our employees are able to work safely. Wherever possible, they can still work from home to ensure that the minimum possible number of employees are on-site at any one time. With the help of the safety measures that we have put in place, we are finally making cars by hand again. That’s an important sign for all of our employees and our customers.”
Bugatti employees working at the factory are encouraged to self test their temperature each morning prior to starting work to ensure they are healthy and symptom-free and will receive their own protective face which must be worn at all times.
Production staff are also required to thoroughly clean tools before and after use and where possible, deliveries will be made without contact.
“I am confident that we have implemented the right measures to allow us to resume production in stages, while also providing the maximum possible protection for our employees,” says Stephan Winkelmann.
Ferrari – 4 May 2020 (full production 8 May 2020)
Like other luxury automakers, Ferrari has announced they will return to the production facilities on 4 May and resume full production by Friday 8 May.
As part of Ferrari’s “Back on Track” program launched early April, the Italian luxury automaker had already moved into the “Installation Lap” phase at the end of April and begun safety training sessions with employees to ensure a safe working environment upon the return to the factories, helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
At both the facilities in Maranello and Modena, Ferrari has said they will be providing checks at the entrances of workstations, providing PPE (personal protective equipment) for employees, and also offering voluntary serological tests to workers before going to back to work.
Meanwhile all business activities that can be carried out through remote working will continue as usual in this way.
Koenigsegg
No official statement yet
Lamborghini – 4 May 2020
In a press release from Lamborghini, the Italian company announced they would be resuming car production activities at their Sant’Agata Bolognese location from the 4 May following their closure due to COVID-19 (although certain departments remained open to help manufacture respirators and masks for a local hospital).
Speaking on their current circumstances, Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, said: ”We are ready to restart with great energy, but also with strict protocols for safeguarding what is most precious to us: the safety of our people. This priority is why we were the first Italian automotive company to close and continues to be our guiding principle for a well-reasoned and safe recovery, because we still have not won the battle against COVID-19. We will constantly monitor the contagion’s evolution and be ready to adjust our protocols in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Italian government and the Emilia-Romagna Region, which we would like to thank for their support during this sensitive phase.”
Stefano Domenicali also gave fans a great surprise, revealing that Lamborghini would be launching a new model online on 7 May
“We continue to nurture the dreams of our fans and customers, and on 7 May, through a virtual launch, we will present a new car in order to complete our model range. We closed the first quarter of 2020 despite the situation with very positive results. From these results we want to secure our swift return to a leadership position, delivering our vehicles once again as soon as our dealers around the world reopen for business.”
McLaren
While no official statement has been made yet regarding production at their manufacturing facilities, McLaren Automotive has announced that all Pure McLaren driving experiences will be canceled for the remainder of 2020.
Pagani
No official statement yet
Porsche – 4 May 2020
As of Monday 4 May, Porsche will also resume production at factories in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig under the guidance of the Works Council and Health Management department and will increase production in stages up to full-scale capacity in due course.
“The restart is an important signal – for our employees as well as for our customers. We have monitored and analysed the situation very carefully right from the start and flexibly adapted processes. Now is the right time to look forward with optimism and to resume work – subject to special precautions,” says Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG.
Porsche production employees will be required to observe a minimum distance of 1.5 meters and work with a face mask in defined areas.
Also of great importance to Porsche is the ongoing support of medical institutions and medical personnel and as such Porsche will continue organizing equipment as part of the “Porsche helps” initiative and donate money to hospitals as well as food to food banks with an increased food budget of five million euros.
“It will take a great deal of effort to get the economic and social system moving again. Everyone must make a contribution to this,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “It is important to have a positive fundamental attitude. Every crisis also offers opportunities. And we want to make the most of them.” The company initially stopped production in its two factories on 21 March 2020 for a period of two weeks and announced that it would continuously reassess the situation. Due to bottlenecks in global supply chains, the factories have remained closed for a total of six weeks because orderly production was not possible.
Bentley – 11 May 2020 (full production by 18 May 2020)
Bentley Motors will be resuming production activities slightly later than most with a phased return to company headquarters at Crewe, England scheduled from 11 May with a full return to production expected by 18 May.
As part of their COVID-19 employee program called “Come Back Stronger”, a set of 250 hygiene and social distancing measures have been put in place to protect the 4000 staff that work at Bentley and cover seven key areas – prior to leaving home, travel, entry, preparing for work, work stations, breaks, and exiting the site.
The “Come Back Stronger” plan marks the biggest change to daily working life in the company’s 100-year history and will require significant changes like redesigning areas of the manufacturing facility to ensure a 2 meter distance at all times between staff and one-way movement paths and traffic flows and introducing a new shift-pattern to minimize the population density on-site at any one time.
Facemasks and protective equipment supplied by Bentley will also be compulsory in all factory and office areas and where possible, staff that can work from home are encouraged to do so.
Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO, Bentley Motors, said: “Throughout this unprecedented crisis, the health and safety of our colleagues has, and will continue to be, paramount. These extensive new working measures will allow both our people and Bentley to come back stronger than ever and even more focused.
“The time is now right for Bentley to begin a gradual and controlled return to production, while ensuring our sites are the safest place any of us can be. Everybody will be able to play their part to ensure we can continue Bentley’s extraordinary journey into the future of luxury, sustainable mobility.”
Full production is anticipated to resume on 18 May with a later, staggered return to work for office-based colleagues and those able to work from home.
Ferrari has announced the XX Program is back on track for a July start after the cancellation of earlier events at Monza, Shanghai and Suzuka this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Formula 1 being canceled this year and only a lone Charles Leclerc driving the streets of Monaco in a Ferrari SF90 Stradale in recent days, both race fans and Ferrari owners alike have been starved of race action this year but for a few very lucky Ferrari owners it has been announced that the Ferrari XX Program will be back on track to begin from July.
What exactly is the Ferrari XX Program?
Ferrari’s XX Program is one of the most exclusive invite-only driver programs in the world, with a tiny membership of only around 30 individuals. It evolved out of the idea of involving a special group of customers in the development of the Ferraris of the future and in return, owners can own and use a very limited edition Ferrari FXX car developed exclusively for the track and supply feedback to the Corse Clienti engineers.
Designed for the track but NOT for professional competition use, the research and development team do not have to meet the regular homologation requirements required for racing and are given a lot more to play, offering certain benefits to owners who really want to see what their cars can do.
Owners in the XX Program are able to take part in both the Corsa Clienti events and various technical test sessions held over the year at 8 or 9 tracks around the world and are closely monitored by Ferrari experts as well as get the chance to meet Maranello’s engineers and professional testers. Another perk for owners is that Ferrari will take care of every single detail regarding maintenance, logistics, and optimization of the vehicles.
To date four models are part of the program: the FXX, the 599X, the FXX K, and the FXX K Evo from 2018 equipped with the brand new Evo kit.
The Ferrari FXX: The First One
The first laboratory-car, the Ferrari FXX, was launched in 2006 and is equipped with a 12-cylinder 6.3-liter engine that makes it capable of electrifying performance. According to the engineers, it is the most “straightforward” in its reactions but also the most difficult model to push to the limit. A development kit (EVO) for the FXX, which incorporates information gleaned from customers, has since improved the car’s already outstanding performance.
The Ferrari 599 XX: The Next One
The second model in the Ferrari XX evolution is based on the Ferrari 599 and appeared in 2009. The Ferrari 599XX is a 700 horsepower vehicle packed with technology and equipped with very sophisticated systems including fans that, by sucking air from the faired bottom of the car and expelling through two rear pipes, make the vehicle stick to the asphalt, creating a perfect ground effect. Once again, performance is thrilling and has been further improved by adopting the EVO kit, which incorporates the suggestions made by tutors and customers, for an extreme car that is even more tailored to its drivers.
The Ferrari FXX K: 1000 HP Plus Hybrid
The Ferrari FXX K was officially presented at the Finali Mondiali in Abu Dhabi in December 2014. The letter K stands for “KERS” kinetic energy recovery technology that is used to maximize track performance. The FXX K is equipped with technological innovations that make for an unprecedented driving experience with the huge potential of the car summed up in a few significant figures: 1050 total horsepower, 860 of which come from the 6,262 cubic centimeter V12 heat engine, and 190 from the electric engine with over 900 Nm of maximum torque.
The Ferrari FXX K Evo: The Upgrade
The FXX-K Evo was unveiled at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali 2017 in Florence during the Ferrari 70th Anniversary celebration. It is an added aerodynamic package available for the existing Ferrari FXX-K that allows the car to produce 23% more downforce than the standard FXX-K and 75% more than the road-legal LaFerrari due to a modified front fascia, a large rear wing and underbody diffusers.
While recent FXX Program events had to be canceled earlier this year due to travel restrictions and local authority protocols concerning COVID-19, the remainder of the 2020 season will continue as planned beginning with Corse Clienti activities held at Barcelona on 21 and 22 July, followed by the Ferrari Racing Days at Mugello from 28 to 30 August, and at Spa-Francorchamps from 11 to 13 September.
Following on, the Ferrari XX Program will run at the French Paul Ricard track before the final event in the Middle East that coincides with the Finali Mondiali at Abu Dhabi from 4 to 7 November.
Barcelona, 21-22 July
Mugello, 28-30 August
Spa-Francorchamps, 11-13 September
Paul Ricard, 26-27 September
Abu Dhabi (Finali Mondiali), 4-7 November
To ensure the safety of all participants and crew members, special protocols will be put in place as per the individual local authorities and all events will take place behind closed doors until further notice.
For more information on the Ferrari XX Programme visit the website.
The LEGO Lamborghini Sián FKP37 in lime green with gold rims is a miniature version of Lamborghini’s first-ever hybrid electric model production car.
Lego and Lamborghini have teamed up to create the latest technic creation and delivered the futuristic LEGO Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 in a 1:8 scale model complete with 3,696 pieces for supercar fans to build.
First presented at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019, the Lamborghini Sián (which means “flash” or “lightning” in the Italian Bolognese dialect) is Lamborghini’s first hybrid electric model production car and will only be produced in 63 limited editions.
Staying true to the design of the full-size version, the LEGO version features a technic replica of the V12 engine; a moveable rear spoiler; front and rear suspension; and a steering wheel complete with the tiniest Automobili Lamborghini badge you’ll ever find on a Lamborghini.
Speaking on the collaboration, Lamborghini CEO Stephano Domenicaly commented, “The LEGO brick is an icon in the same way as a Lamborghini super sports car. They both embody the pursuit of design perfection through constant research and development, create different emotions with every interaction, and are valued by generations. Each Lamborghini super sports car can be unique thanks to our Ad Personam personalization program and the specific driving style of each owner, just as LEGO bricks provide builders of all ages with endless possibilities for creation. This outstanding replica of the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 from the LEGO Group presents a brilliant new building experience for both super sports car fans and LEGO enthusiasts, and Lamborghini is privileged to share this opportunity with the LEGO Group.”
Based on the color configuration of the original full-sized version presented at Frankfurt (exterior paint in “Verde Gea” and details in “Oro Electrum”), the bright lime green LEGO Lamborghini Sián with gold rims also comes with the signature scissor doors, which open to reveal the intricately recreated cockpit, with a fully-functioning eight-speed sequential gearbox controlled by a movable paddle gearshift.
Made up of 3,696 pieces, the build instructions include special QR codes that can be scanned to reveal 13 special videos from Lamborghini and LEGO experts explaining the inspiration behind each stage of the design. Once completely built, it will measure over 5” (13 cm) high, 23” (60 cm) long and 9” (25 cm) wide.
Oh, and if you “pop the hood” you’ll also find an overnight bag along with a unique serial number that offers access to additional special content.
The LEGO Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 will be available directly from LEGO stores, online at LEGO.com starting June 1 and from retailers globally starting August 1, 2020.
Supercar manufacturer and Formula 1 team McLaren have announced they will be cutting 1,200 jobs under a proposed restructuring program as it handles the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and impending F1 cost cap.
British supercar maker McLaren currently employs around 4,000 staff although in a sign of the times, are looking to cut almost a quarter of their workforce as they navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to their business.
In a statement made by the company McLaren chairman Paul Walsh, he noted they had been “severely affected” by the crisis and had worked hard to cut costs and avoid layoffs but unfortunately “we now have no other choice but to reduce the size of our workforce.”
“We deeply regret the impact that this restructure will have on all our people, but especially those whose jobs may be affected. It is a course of action we have worked hard to avoid, having already undertaken dramatic cost-saving measures across all areas of the business.
“But we now have no other choice but to reduce the size of our workforce. This is undoubtedly a challenging time for our company, and particularly our people, but we plan to emerge as an efficient, sustainable business with a clear course for returning to growth.
“This is undoubtedly a challenging time for our company, and particularly our people, but we plan to emerge as an efficient, sustainable business with a clear course for returning to growth” he continued.
Both the British automaker operations at Woking Surrey, and the group’s Formula 1 team will be impacted with layoffs affecting the applied technologies, automotive and racing divisions. Temporary factory closures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with empty showrooms due to “stay at home” instructions and canceled events, have all contributed to the squeeze McLaren has been feeling.
McLaren’s Formula 1 operations are also expected to lose around 70 staff out of the current 800 strong work-force although this decision is said to be affected more so by the new Formula 1 cost cap reductions that will come into play for the 2021 season.
The McLaren group had previously requested a £150m loan from the UK government and also tried to raise emergency funds by mortgaging its headquarters and historic car collection but were unsuccessful at the time due to a disagreement with shareholders over the bond collateral.
McLaren’s existing shareholders have however rallied and raised an additional £300m equity to support the long-term strategy of the brand.
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