For most of us, the month of June usually signals that summer is here, or not, as the case may be in the UK. For the members of the Southern Group, the arrival of warmer weather and longer days usually means a greater array of car launches and media events.
Kick-starting the month was the news that the new Alfa Romeo Junior (formerly the Milano) starts at £33,895 – making it slightly cheaper than the 2024 SGMW Car of the Year winner, the Jeep Avenger. BMW also had a very busy June with the reveal of the new X3 SUV, an update to the 2 Series Coupe and the M2, and the reveal of the all-new M5 saloon. With the latter packing a 717bhp V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain while also tipping the scales at a hefty 2,435 kg, a figure that means the latest M5 is nearly as heavy as a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Southern Group News: 2023 SGMW Heritage Drive Day
Of course, there was one new car reveal last month that grabbed most of the headlines: the Bugatti Tourbillion. A new hyper-GT that’s powered by a radical 8.3-litre V16 engine complete with a plug-in hybrid setup. The total power output, as you’d expect, is significant at 1775bhp, which is enough for 0-62mph in 2.0 seconds and a top speed of 276mph. Crikey, as they say.
Lastly, there was one final piece of good news in automotive: the Volvo V60 and V90 estates are to return to UK showrooms, after being withdrawn from sale last summer. A decision that will be met with approval by many SGMW members who are fans of long-roof Volvos.
SGMW members triumph with award wins and nominations
Elsewhere in automotive, the winners of the Newspress Awards 2024 were announced. Several SGMW members featured amongst the nominations, with Natalie Middleton winning the gong for Automotive Business Journalist for her brilliantly informative work across no less than five websites.
Notably, long-standing member Richard Gooding was also nominated for several awards for his work on technology, commercial vehicles, and road tests, among others, while Shazhad Sheikh was one of five nominees for the Automotive News Journalist of the Year award.
A mention also has to go to Sarah Bradley, who won the Unsung Hero award at the 2024 British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards. Beating strong competition from some of the biggest names in the industry to take the award, Sarah received high praise from the judges for her work, saying, “A one-woman subs desk, editing all the copy for Magneto and for its sister titles in a range of different media. Writing sells and spinning plates. And she’s freelance!”
The SGMW committee and members would like to offer their congratulations to all of the nominees and winners.
Honda UK Press Drive Day
The last week of June saw the SGMW pay a visit to the Honda UK press garage in Bracknell to drive an array of the brand’s newest models, along with a handful of modern classics from the heritage fleet.
You can read the full report on the day here.
SGMW digital watch:
The 12Cilindri – Drawn To The Future – Chris Rees
Chris Rees runs through how the design of the new flagship Ferrari 12Cilindri was created and how the new model fits in the iconic line-up of V12 front-mid-engined two-seaters.
Read the Ferrari Magazine article here
Aston Martin DBX707 2024 review: The ‘supercar of SUVs’ – Tim Pitt
Upon climbing into the facelifted Aston Martin DBX707 complete with ‘Spicy Red’ interior trim, Tim Pitt rightly questions if he’s “stumbled upon the aftermath of a chainsaw massacre,” before putting it to the test for City A.M.
Toyota Long Term Outlook Positive As Critics Gather – Neil Winton
Neil Winton takes a look at Toyota’s long-term plans to electrify its range and how it’s determined to go its own way to gradually eliminate carbon dioxide emissions in spite of ever-tightening regulations.
My friend asked for buying advice. We got a £1000 Range Rover with 250,000 miles, and he’s never been happier – Matt Richardson
In his latest video for his Furious Driving channel, Matt Richardson helps a friend who asked him for car buying advice by recommending that he buy a 2004 Range Rover with 250,000 miles on the clock for £1,000. A decision that we think is very brave.
SGMW magazine watch:
Diesel & Eco Car issue 452: July 2024
The latest edition of Diesel & Eco Car magazine features contributions from a number of SGMW members including Ian Robertson, Tyler Heatley, Maxine Ashford, and Martin Gurdon. Here’s the full preview:
It’s the biggest issue of the year, with a mighty 148 pages, as we count down the Top 50 Best Electrified Cars of 2024. All of the top electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are included, and you can see what we crowned number one as our Car of the Year 2024.
On the cover we proudly expose the Kia EV3, with the Alpine A290, Fiat Grande Panda, facelifted BMW 1 Series and 3 Series, updated Kia EV6, Jeep Avenger 4xe, and updated SEAT Leon revealed alongside with full details.
The Skoda Kodiaq diesel gets tested in right-hand drive guise for the first time, with our testers also getting behind the wheel of its stablemate, the Superb diesel hatchback. Maxine Ashford had a grin planted across her face for days after driving the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and also tested the affordable Citroën Ë-C3 and Renault Scenic E-Tech. Other reports included the Lexus LBX and UX 300h hybrids, and the BMW X5 xDrive30d, Range Rover Evoque P300e Autobiography and Kia EV6 Horizon.
Go here to buy a copy of issue 452 of Diesel & Eco Car magazine
Werke Issue 04
In the latest edition of the dedicated BMW culture magazine, Werke, Richard Gooding takes a deep dive into the history of the iconic BMW 2002 Turbo, the cover car for issue 04.
Go here to buy a copy of issue 04 of Werke magazine
SGMW social watch:
Has anyone ever completed 1,000 miles in a Mazda MX-5 in three days? Well, we can confirm that Trinity Francis has achieved this feat by driving an array of MX-5’s the length of the United Kingdom.
During the SGMW’s recent visit to the Honda press garage, Stu Bird mysteriously went missing. Thankfully, we can report that he was found safe and well a few hours later, admiring the immaculate underside of a rather lovely Honda S800.
Meanwhile, at the Lotus Emeya launch, Tim Pitt spots one of the most iconic and fastest cars from the 1980s, the Opel Lotus Omega, or the Lotus Carlton, as it’s also known.
Small-car enthusiast Chris Rees happily reports that driving the Ferves Ranger was a lot of fun, despite being a bit slow. We think that Chris looks very much at home driving it.
Lastly, Tyler Heatley revealed that he is now a Jaguar owner. There is no confirmation yet on whether Tyler has conveniently forgotten his wallet in the Jag to avoid paying for dinner
