Kahn RS300 Cosworth Range Rover

Range Rover Kahn RS300 Cosworth

How has Afzal Kahn succeeded in making you think this vehicle came from the original manufacturer?

Well, the answer is pretty straight forward, this fugi white range rover, essentially an 8 piece pace car, can only be described as a head turner. Edge-bound in bespoke composite, akin to a rare treasure; it retains the original Range Rover's decorum and also accommodates Cosworth's heritage.

Featuring the kind of treatment that makes A Kahn Design's bespoke vehicles a favourite amongst celebrities, the 2012 RS300 edition boasts an exceptional Cosworth aerodynamic styling package.

On the outside, it looks immaculate. The body kit makes the Range Rover's already flawless lines continue: the Cosworth vented front and rear wheel arch spats with integrated air dams, led daytime running lights in front air dams, Cosworth front grille with 3D mesh and exhaust side vents all curb the wilder excesses associated with aftermarket SUV dressers.

Additional trinkets include diamond gear selector, RS300 rev counter, Cosworth speedo, Cosworth time clock facia insert, Cosworth stainless steel door entry sill plates, Cosworth machined aluminum vented foot pedals, Cosworth quad diagonal exhaust system, calipers (painted in special heat resistant paint and available in a choice of colours) and Kahn branding - all of which are positively addictive and demonstrate improved interaction coupled with a sense of motor supremacy, performance and style.

Inside is the 'bespoke touch', and although this particular vehicle has an ivory interior - we always provide our customers with the opportunity to express one's individuality, and they can have whatever they want. Afzal Kahn could, for example, design for you a vehicle with an exterior the colour of your jeans and an interior with seats the same shade of lets say, a grey T-shirt. Customers could change the colour of the clock, or ask for anything else, the world is their oyster, so to speak.

Kahn wheels sit perfectly, on any vehicle, conveying the essence of the vehicle's identity. Created using state-of-the art manufacturing and materials technology, the Kahn RS/R wheels are available in 9.5 x 22 and 10.5 x 22. With simple clean lines, soft organic surfaces on the edge of the spoke and a purposeful mechanical centre, the RS-R wheels are synonymous with elegance and innovation.

This vehicle is available for £65,875.

Toby Silverton, the Managing Director of Bristol Cars, is stepping down

It has been announced today that Toby Silverton, the Managing Director of Bristol Cars, is stepping down in order to concentrate on his aviation businesses.

William Chia, Director of Bristol Automotive Group and Group Director of Operations of Frazer-Nash, said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank Toby for helping us during the crucial transition period since we became guardians of the Bristol Cars marque in April and we’re delighted that we will still have access to his input should the need arise. This is an exciting chapter in the company’s history in which we are investing in the development of new Bristol cars adopting Frazer-Nash’s green technology as well as in the Kensington showroom, which will continue to sell the best selection of cars from Bristol’s magnificent 65 year history.”

Mr Silverton added: "I am profoundly optimistic about Bristol’s future. The next-generation technology, engineering resource and investment that Bristol now has access to will ensure that the new cars live up to their high tech heritage. I am looking forward to returning full-time to head up my interests in the aviation industry and will be pleased to assist Bristol Cars in whatever way I can."

The appointment of a new General Manager of Bristol Cars will be announced soon. In the meantime, it is very much business as usual.

ESP is now Compulsory on New Cars

ESP Installation Rates

From 1st November 2011, all new car and light commercial vehicle models in the EU must be equipped with the anti-skid system ESP® (Electronic Stability Program). The corresponding EU regulation applies to all vehicles with type approvals issued after this date. ESP® will subsequently become compulsory in all new EU vehicles from 31st October 2014.

Making ESP® compulsory is part of a comprehensive European Commission strategy to improve road safety. "ESP® can prevent up to 80 percent of all skidding accidents. It is the most important vehicle safety system after the seat belt”, says Dr. Werner Struth, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division. Bosch developed ESP® and in 1995, it was the first company worldwide to start series production. By 2010, 41 percent of all cars and light commercial vehicles weighing less than six metric tons that rolled off the world's production lines were equipped with the system. And some 63 percent of all cars and commercial vehicles manufactured in Europe had ESP®.

Since 1995, Bosch has played a key role in ensuring the widespread use of ESP® by delivering more than 50 million systems worldwide. It is expected that every second new car across the globe will have ESP® by 2013.

The global success of ESP® supports the goal of the United Nations (UN) initiative ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020’, which aims to help halve the number of road deaths by 2020. According to recent surveys, around 1.3 million people are killed on the world's roads each year. To make sure that breakthroughs such as ESP® become a global safety standard, Bosch never lets up in its development efforts. The objective is to boost the systems’ performance while also making them ever smaller and more cost-effective. Encouraging widespread market use of such systems will help keep everyone safe. Equipping all new vehicle models with ESP® as standard in Europe also paves the way for increased use of driver assistance systems based on intelligent networking between ESP® and sensors that monitor vehicle surroundings, such as radars or cameras.

The Electronic Stability Program uses intelligent sensors to check 25 times per second whether the driver's steering input matches the vehicle's actual direction of travel. If the system detects some discrepancy and identifies that the vehicle is likely to become unstable, ESP® intervenes by reducing the engine torque in order to restore stability. If that is not sufficient, then it additionally brakes individual wheels. ESP® also incorporates the functions of the antilock braking system (ABS) and traction control.