Binder2

BENTLEY MOTORS

Bentley Motors is the world-famous maker of luxury, hand-crafted high
performance cars.
Our founder, W.O Bentley, set out his ambition 90 years ago: ‘To build a
good car, a fast car, the best in its class’. It is a philosophy the Company
has followed passionately ever since.
30 20
It was in the 1920s that the marque was defined: countless victories at
Le Mans and Brooklands, the Bentley Boys and their glamorous soirees
on the French Riviera. The likes of Woolf Barnato, John Duff and Tim
Birkin created the Bentley legend and it is this colourful heritage and
spirit of excitement that still infuses the brand today.
The story of the Bentley Boys is a fascinating one and is often
chronicled. What is less well known is the Company today. How many
know that Bentley is the world’s biggest luxury car company? That it is
a full automotive producer – designing, developing and manufacturing
all its cars in Britain? That it has over 140 dealerships in 60 countries
world-wide? Or that it is one of the most successful luxury goods
brands, with sales that increased 10-fold over just 10 years?
The renaissance of Bentley began in 1998, when it became part
of Volkswagen Group. This provided access to financial and technical
resources that were not previously available. As a result, more than
£1 billion was invested in Bentley and its Crewe headquarters making
the facility fit for the 21st century.
That investment transformed the fortunes of the Company.
The combination of performance, luxury and craftsmanship were
matched to modern technology and engineering excellence,
strengthening the reputation of the cars and the Company as a whole.
A string of new products were introduced starting first with the
now-iconic Continental GT, broadening the marque’s appeal to new
customers all over the world. More recently it resulted in the new
Mulsanne – the flagship that encompasses everything for which Bentley
stands; a car we believe to be the very pinnacle of British motoring.
Yet while the Pyms Lane factory in Crewe has changed physically,
it remains dependent on the skills and craftsmanship of the people
who work there, some for generations. Today Bentley Motors draws
customers, enthusiasts and many other visitors from around the world.
This publication is designed to give an insight into that experience,
to tell the story of Bentley the Company – the plant, the products, the
people. We remain very proud of our history and heritage as well as
being confident about our future as a global automotive manufacturer.
We hope that the following pages will explain why.
Photography: Nick Dimbleby, Dominic Fraser,
Charlie Magee & David Shepherd
Thank you for your interest.
Bentley Motors
5

BENTLEY
History of Bentley
6

BENTLEY
THE ORIGINS
W.O described his designs as ‘fast, sporting cars that are also comfortable and civilised’.
The ‘Bentley Boys’ helped
drive the company to
success in the 1920s
W.O Bentley
8
Although Bentley famously won the gruelling
Le Mans 24 Hour race five times between
1924 and 1930, in the early days the company
was not in a strong financial position. It was
supported from 1926 to 1931 by the chairman
Woolf Barnato, one of the wealthy ‘Bentley
Boys’ – a group of social celebrities and amateur
racing drivers who drove Bentley to success
in the 1920s. Their new interpretation of the
historic ‘Grand Tour’ developed Bentley’s
reputation for ‘grand touring’, as they travelled
across Europe, relishing the thrill of motoring.
Their endeavours ranged from the Le Mans
24 Hour Race to racing one of the fastest trains
of the day – the Blue Train from the French
Riviera to Calais.
After the heady days of the 1920s, Bentley
went into administration in 1931. The company
was acquired by Rolls-Royce and for the next
70 years Britain’s two most prestigious car
marques were run in parallel.
Kidston and Barnato at Le Mans, 1930

BENTLEY HISTORY
Bentley R-Type Continental
Rolls-Royce and Bentley car production
moved to Crewe in 1946. The site in Pyms
Lane was built in 1938 to produce Rolls-
Royce Merlin engines for military aircraft
and played an important part in equipping
Allied forces in World War II. The first postwar
Bentley, the MkVI, was the first to offer
a standard steel body supplied complete
from the factory; all pre-war Bentleys had
been sold in rolling chassis form and bodied
by independent coachbuilders. The most
significant of the early Bentleys to be built at
Crewe was the R-Type Continental in 1952.
At the time, its top speed of 120mph made
it the world’s fastest four-seat production car.
Its elegant, flowing, two-door body was the
inspiration for the first new model produced
under Volkswagen’s ownership.
The first Bentley with unitary construction
(body and chassis as one piece) was the
T-series of 1965, sister model of the
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. At the time,
Bentley lived in the shadow of Rolls-Royce;
T-series sales amounted to less than 10 per
cent of the Shadow’s.
Bentley flowered once again as a sporting
marque with the introduction of the 140mph
Mulsanne Turbo in 1982. The stalwart
6.75 litre V8 engine, which had been introduced
in 1959, was boosted to 300 horsepower by
fitting a turbocharger. The name referred
to Bentley’s former glories; Mulsanne is the
village near Le Mans at the end of the circuit’s
5.5km Hunaudières straight.
Bentley Mark VI
9

NEWS DIGEST
> LATEST PRODUCT NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM ACROSS THE MEDIA ISSUE 02 | OCTOBER 2016
WELCOME
Dear colleague,
I am delighted to present Issue 2 of
the DNA News Digest.
This newsletter provides an overview
of what the media have written about
Honda in the last month.
It’s also interactive. When you see the
play symbol in the digest, click it to
watch video reviews.
I’d be interested to hear your feedback
on this newsletter
karen.parry@honda-eu.com
Kind regards,
Karen Parry
Manager, Corporate Affairs
HONDA CIVIC
PUNCHY AND ROOMY
“The new Honda Civic makes its debut,
sporting 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbocharged
engines, and an all-new platform,” writes
Anthony Ingram for Evo.
“Styled by Daisuke Tsutamori, the latest
Civic’s shape was penned with European
tastes specifically in mind. It’s betterproportioned
than before, thanks to a 30mm
wider, 130mm longer body, while it’s also
20mm lower. LED daytime running lights
are of course present and correct, and
higher-spec versions will have full LED
headlights too.”
The new shape “liberates more interior
volume, and despite the new rear suspension
setup boot space has barely decreased, from
487 to 478 litres.
“The entry-level unit is a 1.0-litre, threecylinder
unit producing a healthy 130hp at
5,500rpm. For the time being, a 1.5-litre,
four-cylinder turbocharged VTEC unit will top
the range. With 180hp, it offers significantly
greater punch than the old 1.8-litre naturally
aspirated petrol model.
“Suspension – for the first time since the
seventh-generation Civic – is once again fully
independent all-round, with struts at the front
and a multi-link setup at the rear. Adaptive
damping will also be available on some
models.” (Link: Evo, 19 September)

HONDA HR-V - AUTO TRADER
> Issue 02
Views: 9,062 108 7 9 Sep
HONDA NSX
A SPORTS CAR OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
“The NSX returns to the sports car elite – and
magnificently,” says Matt Prior of Autocar, in
the mag’s comparison of the “hard-hitting”
NSX, the McLaren 570S, and the BMW i8.
Boasting a total output of 560hp, “the car’s
mid-mounted twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 accounts
for 500bhp of its total, while a 50hp electric
motor assists at the rear, and two 40hp
motors help out at the front.
“If you ask questions of the NSX, then it
delivers. Honda’s development team had
surprisingly little experience of developing
sports cars – limited to the three engineers
who had worked on the previous NSX – but
even so, they’ve done a magnificent job here.
As you get towards the NSX’s 7,500rpm
redline, it’s eye-poppingly fast. Neither
suspension mode is too harsh for the road,
but the softer setting is better on British back
roads. Body control is terrific and because
there is torque going to both front and rear,
traction is magnificent. The NSX reacts in a
more overtly sporting manner than the i8.”
There’s a “good level of feel” to the
steering, “and handling never strays beyond
engaging and gripping.”
Exterior design and interior quality draw
praise from Prior: “With composite bodywork
over an aluminium chassis, the NSX looks
as contemporary as its technical makeup.
The NSX also has conventional doors, rather
than the dihedral ones like the other two
cars. The NSX also has the widest, most
accommodating seats of the three. The
driving position is sound and visibility is
spot on.
“The Honda is a sports car of the highest
order. There are times when you’d have
a strop on a back road, a long cruise on a
motorway, and get out at the end and know
you’d driven one of the most interesting,
engaging, and capable sports cars of modern
times. The ‘land of the rising sun’ has a
supercar to be proud of here. No question, the
NSX is back.” (Source: Autocar, 28 September)
CIVIC TYPE R A BLISTERING SUCCESS
Summary: The HR-V is spacious practical,
and very easy to live with.
Positive: Chunky tires and low suspension
make for a comfortable drive on rough
roads. The HR-V is “pretty well-tied down
in corners, and doesn’t roll around too
much.” An elevated driving position and
wide windscreen “give you excellent
visibility.” The driving position s incredibly
comfortable. Interior quality is “high, it’s
very stylish”. The HR-V’s “trump card is its
load space, offering more versatility than all
other SUVs.”
Negative: “Initial acceleration is very
sluggish, and the engine feels a bit flat.”
(Link: YouTube, 9 September)
“After nine months with the Honda Civic Type R, it’s time for the hot Honda to leave the
Auto Express fleet, so what better way to say sayonara than with a top speed run”, writes
Jonathan Burn for Auto Express.
“Carrying monumental speed through tight corners is something the Type R excels at,
thanks to its huge level of mechanical grip and an effective limited-slip differential to help
put the power down. The super-precise and grippy front end means you can really lean
into corners.
Overall, Burn rates the Civic Type R as “one of the finest hot hatches to drive. It’s
ludicrously fast and has race car reflexes, and while it’s not a car I fell head over heels for
immediately, the Type R has truly shone.” (Source: Auto Express, 7 September)

MICHAELMAS, 2016
TOIA MAGAZINE # 77
THE OXFORD
ITALIAN
ASSOCIATION
SEA-CROSSINGS,
SURVIVAL, STORIES
THE CLARA FLORIO COOPER MEMORIAL LECTURE
BY PROFESSOR DAME MARINA WARNER
Italians have long experience of diaspora,
and Italy has also been the point of
arrival for many thousands of refugees in
the recent and current tragic dislocations
of peoples. Marina Warner will reflect
on the present situation in Sicily, where
she has been working with the University
of Palermo on a project for encouraging
story telling in refugee communities.
Can deep memory of migrations help
build new bonds? Is literature strong
enough to help? What can traditions of
narrative performance - puppetry, mime,
cantastorie - contribute to societies in
extremes of need?
Marina Warner
Novelist, critic and renowned cultural
historian Marina Warner was born in
London. Her mother was Italian, from
Puglia; her father was a bookseller.
Educated in Cairo, Brussels and
England, she read French and Italian
at Lady Margaret Hall, where she is an
Honorary Fellow. Currently Professor of
English and Creative Writing at Birkbeck,
University of London, Marina Warner is
also a Professorial Research Fellow, SOAS,
and has been Quondam Fellow at All Souls,
University of Oxford, since 2015.
Author of both fiction and non-fiction,
she is concerned with an analysis of the
mythology, folklore and archetypes
surrounding the feminine throughout
history, as expressed in art, literary texts
and fables. Among her non-fiction is Alone
of All Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the
Virgin Mary (1976) and Monuments and
Maidens: The Allegory of the Female Form
(1985). In 1994 she became only the second
woman to deliver the BBC’s Reith Lectures.
Her novels include The Leto Bundle (2000)
and The Lost Father (1988), an ironised
romance about the dream of America in
Southern Italy during the Fascist era, seen
through the eyes of a young Englishwoman.
It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and
won the Commonwealth Writers Prize.
Visiting Fellow of All Souls’ College,
Oxford, in 2001 Marina Warner gave the
prestigious Clarendon Lectures on the
subject of ‘Fantastic Metamorphoses and
other Worlds: Ways of Telling the Self’.
Her recent publications include
Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the
Arabian Nights (2011), awarded a Sheykh
Zayed Prize in 2012, and Once Upon
a Time - A Short History of Fairy Tale
(Oxford University Press, 2014).
She is currently working on the
theme of sanctuary and culture in times
of dislocation and diaspora, as well as
on a memoir-novel about her childhood
in Cairo.
i The Clara Florio Cooper Memorial
Lecture, Main Hall, Taylor Institution,
St. Giles, Oxford 5.00 p.m.
on Tuesday, 22nd November, 2016.
Admission is free. All welcome.
For further information go to www.toia.co.uk
www.fcagroup.com
www.cnhindustrial.com

TOIA MAGAZINE # 77
MARINA
WARNER,
IN HER OWN
WORDS
I liked reading first and then writing;
and inside stories was the place I wanted
to be, especially stories that went beyond
any experience I could live myself at first
hand. The very first stories I heard were
saints’ lives: the joyful, sorrowful, and
glorious mysteries of the Virgin Mary, the
terrible gory violence of the martyrs’ ends.
I learned from my Catholic childhood
how to visualise when praying and how
to examine my conscience: both excellent
disciplines if you want to write.
Then I discovered myths, wonder tales
and fairy lore: ordinary life went on but I
was diving to the bottom of the sea with
weights on my feet to pick the flower of
immortal life and then losing the magic
elixir to a passing snake – for ever; I was
dipping my finger in dragon’s blood and
tasting it and then finding I could listen
in on the conversation of the birds and
hear what animals were saying; I was
saving my numerous brothers who had
been turned into swans by knitting them
shirts made from nettles which I’d spun
into thread with blistered, burning fingers;
with Electra I was helping murder her
father – I could go on, but these are the
kinds of stories that kept me reading under
the covers with a torch, stories that every
culture created long before print or even,
perhaps, writing itself.
When I first encountered myths and
fairy tales, the wonder I felt was pure
wonder. But as I have grown older, wonder
has taken on its double aspect, and become
questioning too. In all my writing, fiction
and other, I wonder what the work of the
imagination means, and what it does and
can do. Using a historical perspective, I
try to explore the way imagination leads
understanding, how fantasy shapes goals
and values for individuals as well as
societies. I look for mythic material now
in other places besides the covers of fairy
books: my work explores the interactions
of imagination and reality in art and
literature and the effects they have both
on individuals and societies: how ideas
about the middle east, for example, are
imbued with fantasies from Salome’s dance
to Aladdin pantomimes. The literature
of the imagination isn’t separate from
ethical and political issues and facts; it
develops in active dialogue with them,
illuminates experience in history and now,
and I believe its effects are overlooked and
misunderstood, with sometimes dangerous
consequences.
My critical and historical books and
essays explore different figures in myth and
fairy tale and the art and literature they
have inspired, from my early studies of the
Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc to more recent
work on the Arabian Nights. My fiction runs
parallel to this, as I often draw on mythic or
other imaginary predecessors to translate
them into contemporary significance – to
re-vision them. Stories come from the
past but speak to the present (if you taste
the dragon’s blood and can hear what
they say). I need to write stories as well as
deconstruct and analyse them because I
don’t want to damage the mysterious flight
of imagination at the core of storytelling,
the part that escapes what is called rational
understanding.
I hope, I believe that literature can be
‘strong enough to help’, to borrow Seamus
Heaney’s wonderful comment about poetry.
Marina Warner, London, April 2010

TOIA MAGAZINE # 77
IN CONVERSATION …
Sergio
Pierattini
The tradition of the Palio dates back to the
mid XIII century. Races take place in a
number of Italian cities (for example, Asti
and Legnano); the most famous by far,
however, is the Siena Palio, still bound by
rules first laid down in 1632. It’s generally
held twice a year in July and August. Out of
the 17 contrade, 10 compete, each represented
by one jockey, riding bareback. Preceded by
the spectacular sbandierata (a display of flag
waving), the race consists of three rounds
of Piazza del Campo and the winning horse
is the one crossing the finishing line first …
even without a rider on its back.
Dante Ceruolo talks to Sergio Pierattini,
Siena born and bred, about the Palio and he
shares an insider’s view with us.
Sergio is an acclaimed and awardwinning
Italian actor and playwright. He
has written many stage and radio plays
(including for RAI) and has recently starred
in La trattativa, a documentary film
focusing on the State-Mafia pact.
Tell us what the Palio means for a Sienese
DOC?
The Palio is an elixir of life, a wonderful
game. It helps you remain forever youthful.
I cannot stress it enough, the Palio and the
contrada are with you from birth to death
and beyond. After the race, the victorious
contrada take the drappellone (the banner)
together with the winning horse to pay
a visit to the contradaioli who are dead
and buried in cemeteries: there’s a strong
link between the past and the present, from
which I draw much comfort.
So the tie between you and your contrada
never leaves you. There are two “careers”, as
it were, marking the life of a Sienese. The
contrada, its territory, and its people are
inside you even if you happen to live on the
other side of the world. Knowing that you
belong to it warms your heart and helps you
to overcome all of life’s trials and tribulations.
Winning or losing … how important is it?
The Palio teaches you a lesson: if you lose
there’s always a chance to try again. You need
to learn to wait and when you do win the joy
is proportionate to the amount of time you
have patiently waited!
Signor Remigio, who owns the place
where my mother now lives, is from La Lupa
(The She-Wolf). Very recently he made it to
the venerable age of 100. He confessed to my
mum, “What worries me and gets me down is
that I might die without seeing my contrada
victorious once more”. In fact, the last time
La Lupa won was almost 20 years ago in
1989. You can only imagine how thrilled he
was when this year on the 2nd July La Lupa
triumphed with flying colours. He was so
ecstatic to be there, to witness them win with
his own eyes and he shared in the immense
joy of the victory.
And which is your contrada? Can you tell
me a bit more about it?
I belong to L’Onda (The Wave). What
outsiders need to understand is that when
it comes to your contrada it’s not a question
of being a mere supporter, it’s something in
your blood, in your DNA. Each contrada has
its own distinctive colour; mine is white and
sky blue and its stemma (emblem) consists
of a Baroque dolphin.
L’Onda has got a rich history behind
its shoulders: the name stems back to the
time of the Republic of Siena, when the old
military companies would man the port of
Talamone, in the Tuscan Maremma.

TOIA MAGAZINE # 77
And more recently?
I first witnessed my contrada win in 1969,
aged 11. The jockey was Giuseppe Gentili, a
legend. Although he was rather advanced in
years, he was L’Onda’s choice of rider after
La Torre’s (The Tower’s) victory in 1961.
In that memorable Palio, won by La Torre,
Gentili was riding for L’Oca (The Goose),
the sworn and bitter rival of La Torre. Some
of his contradaioli were suspicious that he
had struck a deal with their enemies, so he
was beaten to the point that the poor wretch
ended up in hospital. Once his wounds had
healed, he didn’t dare to show his face in the
streets of Siena for many years.
However, in 1969 Gentili was fully
vindicated: L’Onda tasted victory once more
after a barren patch since time immemorial
- 1954! The contrada’s celebrations lasted
all summer long and in our main street we
built a gigantic fountain out of bricks and
crowned by four monumental dolphins. As
you can imagine, this has stayed with me
ever since and is one of my most treasured
memories.
L’Onda
fountain
Luigi Bruschelli
winning the
July 2012 Palio
What other cherished memories stay with
you?
The July 2012 Palio. In June I had just
baptized my daughter into the contrada and
in July we won: it couldn’t get any better
than that!
I’ve also got a vivid childhood memory of
Lazzaro, the jockey who managed to lose a
race that was practically in the bag in the Palio
of 1965. Again, he didn’t go unpunished!
He barricaded himself in the Sacristy of the
contrada’s church as a swelling throng of
women were hell bent on beating him. I saw
him crying and swearing that he hadn’t sold
out. But, by and large, the jockeys are liars;
the truth about that controversial race, lost
at the last bend, has never come to light.
You’ve just mentioned your daughter
has been baptised into your contrada.
How does this work? Can you describe it?
The “baptism” is the official seal of your
belonging to the contrada. It’s carried out by
Il Priore, the highest authority. Children are
brought to the contrada’s baptismal fount
and, once baptised, are bestowed with a scarf
or fazzoletto in the colours of the contrada.
Destiny allots it to you; it’s not something
you exercise any choice over. Once, by the
very fact that you were born in a particular
district of the city, your lifelong connection
to that contrada began; but nowadays
you’re more likely to be born in the ‘neutral
territory’ of a hospital. This is why, perhaps,
the contradaiolo baptism has come to mean
so much. From the day of your battesimo
contradaiolo you belong to that contrada
and that is that. Hopefully it also puts an
end to the disputes that arise between
parents from different factions over which
contrada the child is destined to belong to!
There are two Palios. Isn’t one enough
for you! How do they differ one from
the other?
The Palio is run twice a year, on the 2nd
July and the 16th August. The one in July is
in honour of the Madonna di Provenzano,
whereas the August Palio celebrates the
Assumption of Mary and dates back to the
mid-Settecento. Anyway, once the terra
in piazza is laid, for the Sienese there’s no
difference between the two. The fervent
expectation and the emotions are exactly
the same.
Given that it is a close-knit civic tradition,
how can a visitor best integrate and feel
part of it?
A visitor can feel Sienese and to belong to
a contrada as long as they understand the
game and they show respect for it. I recall
a rather curious character from the Siena
of the second half of the 20th century, Roy
Moskowitz. A New York Professor, during
the Second World War he spent time in
Siena and would come back every year
for his beloved contrada, Il Bruco (The
Caterpillar). On his death, he left it a large
sum of money in his will.
Are there any secrets cloaking the Palio
that you would like to disclose to us?
Tell all!
The Palio is a rigged competition, loosely
speaking; ‘bargains’ with rival jockeys have
their place and bribes – often considerable
sums of money – change hands. Each of
the contrada’s ‘directors’ try to strategize
but at the end of the day it is the jockeys
who go “alla mossa” (the starting line in
the piazza cordoned by two long pieces of
thick rope).
In the words of the old song, the “ten
assassins” keep their closely guarded
secrets to themselves. Their malpractices
provide the stuff of conversation during
the long winter, while the Sienese wait
impatiently for la terra to be spread once
again across the Piazza del Campo.
For further information go to www.toia.co.uk

Vauxhall Media Watch
ISSUE 49 JUNE 2016
Given the wide critical acclaim for
the Astra, it’s encouraging to see
that the media has noticed the
similarities with the new Zafira
Tourer, which has been immediately
described as ‘cool’ and ‘stylish’.
The Astra itself has been called
‘endlessly remarkable’ by Autocar after
proving its tech credentials to be
class-leading. Meanwhile, the Corsa
is the perfect “sporty but affordable”
supermini for young enthusiasts.
Denis Chick,
Director, Communications
Wraps come off new Zafira Tourer
The new Vauxhall Zafira Tourer has been unveiled with “Astra-inspired looks” and a host of new
technology options, Auto Express reports.
“At the front, the MPV gets new headlamps with Vauxhall’s ‘double wing’ daytime running lights.
There’s an updated grille, plus more muscular wheelarches” so that the car looks “wider and squatter”.
But the “biggest changes” are inside. “There’s a new dash with a neat integrated screen replacing the
old top-mounted system. It loses the plethora of buttons, too, cleaning up the facia to make it easier to
use on the move. The Tourer gets Vauxhall’s latest IntelliLink infotainment with Apple CarPlay, Android
Auto and OnStar – the brand’s innovative concierge system that can download destinations to the
satnav, and even call the emergency services after an accident. There’s a 4G WiFi hotspot, too.
“A front camera system helps with safety, allowing for forward collision alert, lane departure warning
and adaptive cruise control. Vauxhall will be hoping for a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
“The facelifted Zafira Tourer retains Flex7 seating, plus practical solutions like the Flex-Fix bicycle
carrier and FlexRide adaptive damping. As before, the boot has a 710-litre capacity with the third row
of seats folded flat. That can expand to 1,860 litres with the second row folded – trumping the Citroen
Grand C4 Picasso.” (Link: Auto Express, 31 May)
Astra proves endurance as quality refuses to slip
Fleet News’ long-term Astra has passed the
7,000-mile mark, “and it has done little to
dent the positive impression it made in its first
couple of months with us”, writes Andrew Ryan.
“Its interior build quality has continued to meet our
initial high expectations, with no squeaks or rattles
developing, while the materials used continue to
appear durable.
“Since my last report, our web producer
Christopher Smith has borrowed the car for a
week, and his impressions backed mine up: it’s a
vastly improved car in every aspect compared to its
predecessor.
“Christopher used the OnStar call centre facility to
have a couple of destinations sent remotely to the
car’s satnav, which he said worked well.
“I’ve preferred to use the My Vauxhall app which
means I can find a location on my smartphone and
send this directly to the car wherever I am, so it is
ready to begin navigation when I get in it.
“Either way is effective, while it is also
straightforward to programme a destination directly
into the satnav system.” (Link: Fleet News, 7 June)
ZAFIRA TOURER DRAWS ON
ASTRA’S COOL INSPIRATION
The Astra served as the “inspiration”
for the Zafira Tourer’s midlife
makeover, and that makes for “a cool
look”, says the Manchester Evening
News.
“Inside it’s as big as ever, and really
can take seven occupants. Fold down
the second row of seats and you now
have 1,860 litres of stowage space. This
remains a large and adaptable space.
It also gains the company’s OnStar
connectivity services so all seven
occupants can use the WiFi hotspot.
Add in two versions of the IntelliLink
infotainment software for the seveninch
screen and you have enough
flexibility for all the family and friends.
“There are more systems for both
safety and comfort, including lane
departure warning and traffic sign
recognition as well as the option
of FlexRide adaptive dampers and
adaptive cruise control.”
With prices starting at around £18,500,
the Zafira Tourer is “very competitive
against other seven-seater MPVs like
the Ford S-Max and Citroën Grand
C4 Picasso, both of which cost over
£20,000”. (Link: Manchester Evening
News, 3 June)

Astra Sports Tourer makes huge leap forward
“The estate version of Vauxhall’s latest Astra –
the 2016 European Car of the Year – offers sleek
looks, a competitive load bay and a range of new
engines,” says the Telegraph.
“As with the hatchback, rigorous weight-saving
means that the Sports Tourer is an average of
130kg – or almost two average adults – lighter
than the previous model.
“Although the new one is similar in overall
size, there’s greater room for front and rear
passengers.
“There are now slimmer windscreen pillars,
which helps the view out no end, while the new
centre console has undergone some serious
decluttering. It’s more intuitive to use, with fewer
buttons, and the infotainment system is placed at
the same level as the main instrument dials for
comfort and safety.
“Not only does it look sharp, it feels good in
terms of construction and quality, with a host of
soft-touch surfaces including the tops of
the doors.
“There’s plenty of room in the rear seats, too,
which split and fold 40/20/40 to enable longer
loads as well as rear-seat passengers.”
Testing the new 1.0-litre, three-cylinder
turbocharged petrol engine, “the whole car has
a general feeling of sharpness lacking in its
predecessor, especially the steering. The engine
is smooth and pulls respectably from low revs”.
“The ride is less harsh than that of the previous
Astra, too. It flows through a succession of bends
well – it’s more involving than a Golf and you won’t
be disappointed. It’s a refined cruiser, too.
“Brisk A-road driving delivered 52mpg, not a
bad real-world figure when compared with the
official EU Combined consumption of 62.8mpg.
“The Astra Sports Tourer is a huge leap forward
over the previous version in all areas, while its
large and practical load bay makes it a strong
contender for families who need to shift large
loads or a mountain of paraphernalia.”
(Link: Telegraph, 7 June)
Astra Sports Tourer boasts long-legged quality
“With almost 3,000 miles on the clock, the Astra’s fuel economy is settling down to more than
55mpg, with almost 60mpg on a long run at the speed limit,” writes the Telegraph’s
Andrew English, who is a fan of the “classy blue” colour of his car.
“I’m really liking the refinement and long-legged quality of the estate. The seats are comfortable and the
ride is plush, but not at the cost of handling, which feels sharp.
“The engine develops 134bhp at 3,500rpm, with a useful 236lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm. That gives
a top speed of 127mph and 0-62mph in 9.5sec. With CO 2 emissions of 104g/km, it’s in Band B for VED
purposes. This is a potentially excellent business car.” (Link: Telegraph, 31 May)
Technology test
Jim Holder decided to give his long-term Astra
a “technology test” after the car’s ability to
interpret a dictated text message at 70mph
proved to be a revelation.
“The words that came out of my mouth went
into my phone and emerged on the other side
of the satellite just as I’d said them,” he writes
in Autocar. “Maybe it’s my age showing, but I’m
used to voice recognition systems being utterly
hopeless. Repeated use of the system has proved
that it works no matter how much cabin noise
there is.
“My success has prompted me to investigate
Vauxhall’s unique Onstar system, which offers
wi-fi, a concierge service and a system that
contacts the emergency services automatically if
you have an accident.
“Turns out dictating text messages is just the
start of what the endlessly remarkable Astra can
do – but more on that next time.”
(Link: Autocar, 29 May)
ROONEY WINS
VAUXHALL PRIZE
Wayne Rooney has won the Vauxhall
England Player of the Year Award for the
second consecutive year, Mail Online
reports.
The England captain received the prize
at from Vauxhall Head of Sponsorship &
Events Andrew Curley.
Some 37 per cent of England supporters
club members voted for Rooney, who
surpassed Bobby Charlton’s record of 49 this
season to became the country’s greatest
ever goalscorer. (Link: Mail Online, 1 June)
SHARP, SPACIOUS, GREAT
In June’s What Car?, the mag
describes the Vauxhall Astra 1.6 200
SRi as part of “a breed of hatchback
that’s mildly sporty to drive and look
at but doesn’t cost the earth to run.
Welcome, everyone, to the ‘warm’
hatch.”
The 200bhp turbocharged Astra
“combines all the things we like
about the company’s strong-selling
hatchback – sharp looks, a spacious
interior and a great price – with
seriously gutsy performance”.
The engine impresses the What Car?
team: “Vauxhall has done a fantastic job
with the Astra’s 1.6-litre petrol engine”.
The engine “feels eager over a wide
enough range of revs” and proved itself
to be “impressively strong against the
stopwatch, too, recording a 6.8 second
0-60 time”. The only indication of this
happening, the magazine notes, is
a small light that illuminates on the
dashboard; “there’s no change in
engine noise or vibration”.
The engine is “hushed” at motorway
speeds, and “there’s very little wind
and road noise in the cabin”. Comfort
is another strong point for the Astra:
“Even tall adults should be able to find
a comfortable driving position in the
Astra, thanks to a good range of seat
and steering wheel adjustment.”
(Source: What Car?, June)

Bentley Motors Limited, Pyms Lane, Crewe, Cheshire, CWI 3PL, England.
www.bentleymotors.com