Dog parallel parks Vauxhall Corsa

It seems you really can teach an old dog new tricks, as Gerty the Boxer successfully parked a new Corsa.

Vauxhall put its all-new Corsa in the paws of a capable canine to test its latest Advanced Park Assist technology. The star of Vauxhall’s new #ParallelBarking video, which features the daring dog execute a parallel park, with no human assistance, left passers-by on Wimbledon High Street baffled.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the red Vauxhall Corsa SE, Gerty shows off the advanced technology of the new easy parking feature – from how it detects a parking space to automatically computing the perfect manoeuvre into the slot – demonstrating that parallel parking can be a walk in the park.

Advanced Park Assist is now available as an optional extra in the new Corsa, available from £8,995 OTR. Watch Gerty in action here:

Caterham Seven immortalised in LEGO

Caterham’s Seven will be available in LEGO form for the first time when a brand new set is launched later this year.

The set will allow LEGO and car fans alike the chance to build their very own miniature version of the lightweight British sportscar. The concept of a Caterham Seven was submitted to the LEGO ‘Ideas’ system. After receiving 10,000 votes of support from LEGO fans, the ideas are then considered by the LEGO Review team, which selects the best that will make it through to production.

LEGO builder Carl Greatrix submitted the Caterham concept and gained 10,000 votes between May and September last year. Mike McCoy, from the LEGO Ideas team, said: “Carl is known in the LEGO community for his photo-realistic models of cars, trains and aircraft. He’s perfectly captured the classic British sportscar in LEGO bricks and now you’ll be able to own one too.”

Caterham Chief Commercial Officer, David Ridley, said: “The LEGO Company is one of the most iconic toy brands in the world so to have our car recreated in the legendary bricks is an enormous honour. The great thing about LEGO toys is that they are timeless – it certainly isn’t just children who love it; we have a few of our team members who are avid fans despite being well into their 40s. If you know someone who has always wanted a Caterham Seven, you can now tell them you’re getting them one.”

With the product still under development, the exact styling details, retail price and colour scheme of the Caterham Seven LEGO model set is yet to be confirmed. It will be available in toy stores across the UK later this year.

Jaguar team up with skier Graham Bell for Record attempt

Jaguar and Olympic skier Graham Bell have teamed up to try and break a Guinness World Record.

The technical partnership is aimed at setting the World Record for the fastest man on skiis in 2017. Bell, now a TV presenter on the TV show ‘The Jump’, hopes to achieve the record with the support of Jaguar Land Rover engineers, facilities and expertise in aerodynamics.

Working with Jaguar to develop a unique ski suit and harness containing twin micro jets, he hopes to reach speeds of over 160mph – setting a new World Record. He has already begun training for the record by ski-joring behind a Jaguar XE AWD at over 100mph in the Austrian Alps.

Graham Bell said “I approached Jaguar to become my lead technical partner due to their experience in aerodynamics and love of all things involving speed. As lead technical partner in the attempt, Jaguar will provide the aerodynamic expertise to develop the Iron-Man-style suit I need, as well as helping me acclimatise to speed and external forces using high performance vehicles including the Jaguar XE AWD - designed to provide maximum traction in adverse conditions including snow and ice.”

Ian Anderton, thermal and aerodynamics manager, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “As engineering challenges go it doesn’t get more unique than this, so the next few months are going to be very exciting. We kick-started the technical partnership by ski-joring with a Jaguar XE AWD to determine what factors should to be taken into consideration when designing his suit, such as wind, skiing position and chill – especially in minus conditions.”

The Jaguar XE has been optimised for 'ultimate aerodynamic efficiency and stability'. It is the the only car in its class to use an aluminium-intensive body structure, making it the lightest, stiffest and most aerodynamic Jaguar yet. The XE AWD enhances vehicle dynamics and provides greater traction in intense weather conditions.

The record attempt will take place at Jaguar’s cold weather testing facility in Sweden in early 2017. Although there is no comparable record, the current World Downhill Speed Skiing World Record is currently held by Simone Oregone at 156mph.

Minder Terry’s Capri to go under the hammer

Two famous motors from the classic TV series Minder, are set to go under the hammer.

H&H Classics will offer Arthur Daley’s Daimler in a forthcoming sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford alongside Terry McCann’s Ford Capri – the very same one that featured in the opening titles.

The Daimler (often mistaken for a Jaguar) has recently been re-finished in its original livery as part of a recent bodywork restoration and benefited from £5,000 worth of mechanical fettling at the hands of a marque specialist. Its odometer displays just 43,990 miles. In the mid-1980s actor George Cole, who played Daley, wanted to buy the car himself, and came close to doing so before it was given away in a TV Times competition. It is estimated to sell for £35,000 to £45,000.

Alongside the Daimler will be its automotive partner, a two-litre white Ford Capri driven by Terry McCann played by Dennis Waterman. The famous Ford was not only driven by Terry in the opening sequence but also at various times during the series. The Capri is believed to have come close to being crushed, but escaped and now rejuvenated, shows 88,700 miles on the clock. 

Its estimate of £65,000 to £85,000 could set a new world record for a two-litre model, highlighting the power of celebrity and provenance.

The original Minder show ran for ten series between 29 October 1979 and 10 March 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likeable bodyguard (or minder) and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a dodgy used-car salesman and trader of pretty much anything on which a pound was to be made. 

The H&H Classics sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford will take place on Wednesday 20 April.