Luxury Cars
Luxury Automakers to Resume Production After COVID-19 Closures
Published
9 months agoon
By
Sommer MelseLamborghini, 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.
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Luxury Cars
Ares Design Reveals New Porsche 911 964 Turbo Restomod
Published
5 days agoon
January 13, 2021By
Brenon MelseLuxury coachbuilder ARES Design Modena has revealed their latest project – a one-off restomod based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
Coming off the back of a big year that saw ARES Design Modena release their first-ever wholly designed supercars (the S1 Project and S1 Project Spyder), ARES has started 2021 strong with the reveal of a new one-off restomod project based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
Launched in 1991, the Porsche 964 Turbo took some time to fans over (thanks in part to the 930 that bore the Turbo badge before it) but eventually found a place in the hearts of enthusiasts largely thanks to the unmissable whale-tail spoiler.
For this one-off design project, ARES Design Modena has refined the exterior of the 911 964 Turbo by modifying the ducktail spoiler and added new Fuchs-inspired alloy wheels (made famous by the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of the 1970s) for a retro feel. Meanwhile, under the hood, the Italian luxury coachbuilder has modified the 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with a more powerful turbine and intercooler to produce an upgraded 425Hp.
Inside, the cabin has been refitted with new leather and tartan houndstooth upholstery (inspired by historic Porsche race cars) along with new gauges and a PCCM infotainment system specially designed for classic Porsches.
As a one-off project, no price has been released for the Porsche 911 964 by ARES, but interested Porsche owners are welcome to contact ARES Design Modena for their own custom restomod quote.
Luxury Cars
First US Deliveries of the McLaren Sabre Revealed
Published
6 days agoon
January 11, 2021The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun with a papaya orange, blue and Malboro-themed model making an appearance.
The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun, with a few already having been captured on camera recently like this one revealed by MRJWW.
With a twin-turbo V8 engine producing 824bhp and 590lt ft and a top speed of 218mph, the twin-turbo V8 McLaren Sabre is the fastest and most powerful non-hybrid two-seater production car to date and has been homologated especially for US federal standards.
Developed under the code name “BC-03”, the new bespoke hypercar is a special 1 of 15 model that was created purely for a small group of West-Coast North American McLaren clients who desired a “show car made for the road” or as Neil Underwood Global Sales Manager of McLaren Special Operations describes the client’s request “ a car that has an enormous presence on the road but also wouldn’t look out of place on the concept lawn at Pebble Beach.”
Collaborating directly with the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) team for just under two years, the owners took an active part in developing the McLaren Sabre and were even given the opportunity to drive the test mule to ensure the owners were able to fully customize every aspect of the vehicle to their liking, before final delivery.
With the McLaren Sabre explicitly designed for the US market, the designers at MSO did not have to adhere to the lengthy specifications for global registration and were afforded a few more freedoms in design. Many aspects of motorsport racing have also been incorporated into the McLaren Saber design, with features like the central dorsal fin and a prominent front splitter included and, for the first time on a McLaren, a large active rear diffuser.
The first deliveries to make an appearance have included a Malboro themed McLaren Sabre at the McLaren Beverly Hills showroom, supercar collectors @sparky18888/@VTM_theking_4 bright papaya orange Sabre and @thetriplefcollection’s carbon modica blue edition as seen below.
Luxury Cars
Singer Vehicle Design Collaborates With Richard Tuthill On ACS Rally Porsche 964
Published
2 weeks agoon
January 6, 2021By
Brenon MelseSinger Vehicle Design and rally specialist Richard Tuthill have joined forces to create two exceptional ACS rally Type 964 Porsche 911’s at the request of a client.
Californian-based Singer Vehicle Design is known for some of the most unique and tasteful Porsche re-mods, and their latest ACS rally-style Porsche restorations created at the request of a long-term client are no different.
Partnering with UK based off-road competition specialist Richard Tuthill who has been rallying for decades and most recently won the 5000km 2019 East African Safari classic, Singer looked to the golden era of the 1980’s rally racing for inspiration to create their first-ever “motorsport-specification” restoration on a client’s 1990’s Type 964 Porsche 911s.
Led by Singer’s Design Office in California, a unique “All-terrain Competition Study” was undertaken as a collaboration between Singer Vehicle Design and Tuthill Porsche to ensure the client’s modified vehicles would be able capable of competing in off-road racing as well being able to demonstrate extensive all-terrain exploration capabilities.
With assembly of the vehicles occurring at Tuthill’s UK facility in Oxfordshire, the result was two different vehicles – the “Parallax White” version, which focuses on high-speed desert rallying, and the “Corsica Red” version, which has been configured for high-speed, high-grip tarmac events.
“So much of what we’ve done for the last decade has been inspired by Porsche’s competition success and the All-terrain Competition Study provides us the opportunity to showcase that idea literally and vividly,” shared Rob Dickinson, Founder and Executive Chairman of Singer Group.
“We at Singer are motorsport nerds in our hearts and demonstrating our understanding of the discipline required our off-road vision to display deeply legitimate competition credentials from the structural engineering, to the bodywork ethos, to the mechanical package. We’ve taken particular inspiration from the iconic Rothmans-sponsored 911 SC/RSs and 959s that conquered events like the Qatar International Rally and Paris-Dakar in the mid-‘80s and, at the request of our client, have reimagined these all-terrain 911’s in their honor while utilizing fresh perspectives and state of the art know-how.
As is our habit, we chose to tackle our subject thoroughly, and we are proud to have found the best in the world -always our ambition –to help us reach our goals. Like Williams Advanced Engineering before them with the Dynamics & Lightweighting Study, Richard Tuthill and his incredible team have allowed us to bring our vision for the All-terrain Competition Study to life in the most spectacular way. We feel confident this machine can appeal to off-roading enthusiasm of all kinds, whether it be in the pursuit of professional competition at the highest level of adventure and exploration. ACS advances Singer’s capabilities in forced-induction, all-wheel-drive, off-road ability and dynamic response -all of which will support our ongoing mission. This pursuit of focused competition studies is something you will see more of from us in the future.”
Both Singer Vehicle resto-mods have dramatically increased the ride height, suspension travel, and overall strength. Carbon fiber body paneling has also been incorporated to ensure quick replacement can be achieved under rallying conditions, and the addition of a long-range fuel tank, an FIA approved roll cage, and two full-sized spare wheels guarantee’s the rally-specific vehicle means serious business.
In terms of engine power, the Singer Vehicle ACS Porsche 911 features a twin-turbo 3.6-liter “Mezger” engine capable of producing 450hp and 420lb-ft torque and combines with a flat-shifting five-speed sequential gearbox.
While most of Singer Vehicles restoration’s are one-off designs, the commissioning owner of the two ACS restorations has kindly agreed to share the results of the “All-terrain Competition Study” with other clients who would like a Singer off-road design of their own.
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