Jeep 80th Anniversary
A list of 12 of the most important moments for the Jeep® brand from those eight memorable decades.
John Lennon drove one, Peter Sellers roared through his detective comedies in one, and even the Queen was chauffeured through the park of Windsor Castle in one. Countless celebrities succumbed to the charm of the classic Mini, which was first presented to the public 60 years ago. The car’s distinctive design, surprisingly generous space and agile driving characteristics were all major factors in the revolutionary small car being accepted into the circles of high society at an early stage – especially in its home country of Great Britain. Exclusive photographs show numerous stars from the world of music, film and fashion choosing the classic Mini as their preferred means of transport, making it an icon of its time. To mark the brand's 60th anniversary furthermore, MINI is commemorating those glorious early years with some exceptional special vehicles. Following the successful market launch of the MINI 60 Years Edition for the current MINI 3-door and MINI 5-door, the classic Mini will once again be at the forefront. A unique, elaborately restored one-off in the colourful striped design of the current MINI 60 Years Lifestyle Collection revives the fashionable panache and lifestyle of the wild sixties.
A list of 12 of the most important moments for the Jeep® brand from those eight memorable decades.
The New Range Rover Sport has made its global premiere with a dramatic world-first climb up a flooded dam spillway in Iceland. The epic ascent saw New Range Rover Sport resist the surging torrent of water flowing down the ramp of the Karahnjukar Dam – the biggest of its kind in the world – at a rate of 750 tonnes per minute. A loss of traction risked plunging down the perilous 90m drop at the base of the spillway to the valley floor below. The successful spillway ascent was screened for the first time at an exclusive launch event at Jaguar Land Rover’s Advanced Product Creation Centre at Gaydon, UK. Official James Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins was behind the wheel as the New Range Rover Sport demonstrated its grip, traction, performance and composure, completing the latest in a series of challenges for Land Rover’s luxury performance SUV. Previous feats include a record-setting hill-climb at Pikes Peak, a first recorded crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in the Arabian Peninsula and a first ascent of the 999 steps to Heaven’s Gate in China, in 2018.
The Giulia GTA is instantly recognizable courtesy of an exclusive characterization that is both aesthetic and functional, confirming it is not an exercise in style but instead a high-performance vehicle derived from a mass-produced car, the exceptional Giulia Quadrifoglio. With the widespread use of ultralight materials, the Giulia GTA’s weight is reduced by up to 100 kg compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and is powered by an upgraded version of the 540-hp Alfa Romeo 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo engine with a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio of 187 hp/L. It also delivers extraordinary performance, in terms of both its lap times on the track and its acceleration. With the Launch Mode system, it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds. Alfa Romeo engineers have worked to improve its aerodynamics and handling, but above all to reduce the weight, following the same guidelines as for the 1965 Giulia GTA. To achieve these objectives, widespread use has been made of components in carbon fiber and composite materials. The aerodynamics have been specially designed to increase downforce. These solutions embody technical expertise that comes straight from Formula 1, courtesy of the synergy with Sauber Engineering. They were entrusted with the aerodynamic appendages, the new rear spoiler – adjustable to 4 positions in the GTAm, and the active front splitter, which can be extended for use on the track by up to 40 mm on the GTAm. Other features developed include the Akrapovič central exhaust system in titanium, built into the rear diffuser in carbon fiber, and the 20-inch wheel rims with single locking nut, seen for the first time in a sedan, paired with specially selected Pilot Sport Cup 2 Michelin tires. The aerodynamic research in the wind tunnel was not limited to the aerodynamic appendages, it also focused on the specially developed fully faired underbody. The GTA and GTAm also benefit from a special new air extractor capable of increasing the car’s ground effect, thus guaranteeing excellent road holding at high speeds. More specifically, on the Giulia GTAm the most intense aerodynamic configuration mounts triple the increase compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, previously the benchmark in its class.
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