Following the successful launch of the new MINI family, a range of additions and optional extras are set to further enhance the MINI offering from Spring 2025. Increasing personalisation across the MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Countryman, customers now have a wider choice of exterior colours and trim combinations, alongside new digital features and improved practicality. Improved exterior colour range Giving customers increased options to personalise their new MINI, an improved selection of optional exterior paint colours are now available on petrol powered MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Countryman models, regardless of customer choice between Classic,…

Kia is marking National Apprenticeship Week’s ‘Celebration Friday’ with inspiring apprentice stories and showcasing the talent, success, and accomplishments possible with a Kia Apprenticeship. The Kia Academy Kia opened the doors of its brand-new training centre, the Kia Academy, just over one year ago to usher in a new generation of apprenticeships through its partnership with Skillnet, the UK’s largest provider of apprenticeships to the automotive industry. Kia has developed a bespoke apprenticeship programme with a focus on education in electrification, including apprenticeships for Light Vehicle Technician, Service Advisor and Combined Service and Parts Advisor. Kia Apprenticeships Kia Apprenticeships begin…

The directors of a city business where cockroaches contaminated surfaces and equipment have been successfully prosecuted by City of Wolverhampton Council. Acting on a complaint, the council’s environmental health officers visited The Millions Kitchen, in Showell Road, and discovered the infestation. Food preparation surfaces, equipment and food packaging were all found to be contaminated by contact with cockroaches when officers made their inspection during August 2023. Chris Onohwano Igomuaye and Sikiru Owolewa, directors of The Millions Kitchen, each pleaded guilty to a breach of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 during a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on…

Goldilock, the network segmentation and isolation specialist backed by NATO, has announced the expansion of its West Midlands headquarters to support its rapid growth trajectory. The company behind network isolation tool, FireBreak, has expanded its manufacturing and testing facilities in the University of Wolverhampton Science Park to help deliver on increasing numbers of large orders coming in from its growing global customer base. Goldilock is a UK based cyber security scaleup which has developed a unique network isolation and segmentation device that ringfences networks away from the internet to make them inaccessible to hackers. Over the past year, FireBreak has…

Installing a dashcam is an investment in road safety, says breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist. According to GEM, a dashcam can provide crucial evidence in case of collisions or incidents, helping to determine fault and protect against false claims. That’s why a number of insurers offer discounts for drivers who use them. GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: “If you’re a safe, conscientious driver, a dashcam helps protect your no-claims bonus, as well as allowing you to play your part in reporting offences, road rage incidents and ‘crash-for-cash’ scams.” Price drops in recent years have made dashcams much…

During this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, Volkswagen Group UK is not only celebrating with a visit to the Houses of Parliament to showcase network skills, but also launching a number of new head office apprenticeship roles. On Monday, our National Learning Centre apprenticeship team and seven learners took part in a Society of Manufacturers and Traders event at the Houses of Parliament. They had the chance to showcase their learnings and share their passion for working in the automotive industry with sector leaders and politicians, as well as to undertake an unforgettable guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. Volkswagen…

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is offering grants of between 20,000 and £14.642 million to not-for-profit organisations for projects that take surplus food off farms and into the redistribution system with the aim of helping to fight hunger in communities in England. Proposals need to: Build stronger collaborations with farmers to access surplus food. Expand logistical capacity to transport and distribute rescued produce efficiently. Invest in critical infrastructure such as refrigeration, storage facilities, and transport vehicles to keep food fresh and safe for redistribution. Procure packaging and labelling equipment to streamline the handling of surplus goods.…

JLR’s Barbara Bergmeier has been named the overall winner at the inaugural Autocar Drivers of Change awards. Held and judged in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Ennis & Co, Autocar Drivers of Change is a new initiative championing diverse talent in the automotive industry. A sibling event to Autocar Great Women, these awards celebrate the automotive industry as a place that welcomes everybody. The 40 Autocar Drivers of Change winners are individuals who are driving change and promoting diversity in their business in whichever role they perform. They were named at an awards ceremony at…

Top employers in the UK automotive sector are investing in a major skills drive to grow apprenticeship numbers by almost a sixth in 2025, according to a new survey by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as manufacturers embark on a ‘green growth decade’. With the UK celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16 February), there are few more exciting places for apprentices to be than automotive, as the sector innovates to deliver a new generation of zero emission vehicles. More than £20 billion of investment has been committed to Britain’s EV transition in the past two years alone1 –…

Bentley owner’s love of the marque begins in childhood, and the owner of the third of twelve Speed Six Continuation Series is no exception. In his case, it was a ‘Models of Yesteryear’ scale model Blower Bentley, given to him by his uncle, that sparked a lifelong fascination with the pre-war Bentley racing cars. The owner and his wife enjoy a stable of Crewe-built Bentleys, including a first-generation Continental GT, a motorsports-inspired Continental GT3R, second-generation Continental Supersports and First Edition Bentayga. Pride of place however goes to his Continuation Series ‘Blower’ 4½ Litre Supercharged and the latest addition, a Continuation…