Ten things we learned this week: 11 March 2016 Edition

Where in the world would you least expect to see a Rolls-Royce?  The carmaker is a world leader in luxury and exclusivity, so it’d have to be somewhere you wouldn’t necessarily associate with those things...

Did you guess Bognor Regis? Then you are correct! The seaside town is synonymous with yesteryear getaways and fish ‘n chips on the beach (nothing wrong with that, by the way); not exactly the natural habitat of cars which come with the price tag of a house.

That’s all set to change though. The opening of the Bognor Regis North Relief Road has allowed Rolls to open a new Technology and Logistics Centre nearby, reportedly home to around 200 members of staff.

Two Phantoms and a Ghost – pictured above – were used to chauffeur along local VIPs on the new road’s first journey, with many more set to use the £30 million stretch of tarmac.

26 September 1966. That was the date the very first Chevrolet Camaro was unveiled to the world, and half a century later it’s still going strong.

To celebrate this landmark, Chevvy has released images of this special edition version which will go on sale this summer. Available in both coupe and convertible forms, they’re promising “looks and performance that have always set the Camaro apart.”

On the aesthetic front at least, they certainly aren’t kidding. The menacing outer shell has been adorned with subtle, but effective highlights, and the ‘Fifty’ badges make it clear that this is no ordinary Camaro. Like that wasn’t obvious already.

There are no official specs to go on just yet, although confirmed features include 20-inch wheels and unique leather interior “with suede inserts and orange accent stitching”.

Clearly orange is the new black.

Image credit: General Motors

In more traditional Rolls-Royce news, billionaire Stephen Hung has taken delivery of the first of 30 EWB Phantoms ordered specially for The 13 hotel in Macau, China.

The fleet has been commissioned with the intention of transporting guests having made “every possible concession to passenger comfort.”

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Rolls CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: “These remarkable examples of contemporary Rolls-Royce design reaffirm our position as the only marque capable of realising deeply personal commissions.”

The attention to detail really is quite something. The largest ever commission in the history of Rolls-Royce, the Phantoms will be painted with a unique mix of ‘Stephen Red’ – named after the owner – while hand-applied gold and special wood-stained surfaces feature inside the cabin.

All 30 cars are set to be delivered before ‘the world’s most luxurious hotel’ opens this summer. Take us to Bognor Regis any day.

If you’re unfortunate enough to lose your wheels to floodwater, we don’t recommend you attempt to climb back into the aforementioned vehicle.

That’s exactly what happened in Birmingham this week though, as a man launched an ill-advised bid to retrieve tools from a stricken van by bridging the gap to the bank with an extended ladder.

Filmed by onlooker Mick McKinney, the unnamed man eventually makes it onto the roof of the van before dropping into the driver’s seat via an open window.

Image credit: Mick McKinney

While the van in Birmingham looked fairly stable, this BMW wasn’t so lucky.

Footage captured near Putney by 18-year-old student Ted Stones shows the car being picked up by the tide, shortly before sinking completely into the river in west London.

The vehicle had reportedly been left unattended on a slipway near the water’s edge, and although police were in attendance they were unable to do anything before the BMW was swept away.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: parking near water is never a good idea.

Image credit: Ted Stones

Normally the advertising world is a competitive place, but this week Mercedes and Porsche have put competitive motivation to one side to offer praise... to rivals BMW.

The German carmaker celebrated its centenary last week, unveiling the Vision Next 100 in the process.

In response, a Merc ad in a German newspaper reads: “Thanks for 100 years of competition. The previous 30 years were somewhat dull”, a reference to the fact that BMW was founded three decades after Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Porsche’s spread says: “Porsche bows to 100 years of moving automobile history and wholeheartedly congratulates BMW on this jubilee.”

Now get back to one-upping each other.

But sadly, not in the way you were hoping. We’re still waiting for a production model of the Batmobile to hit the showrooms, but until then you can make do with this handy travel case.

Or at least you can if you’re a child: there’s no adult version. Yet.

Based on the latest model set to feature in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the case has four working wheels and the choice of either a handle or tow rope for ease of use at the airport.

It also features replica gun turrets, which may raise some eyebrows as you pass through security.

It’s the bag you deserve, but perhaps not the one you need right now.

Last week Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of Ferrari’s ‘halo’ concept on Instagram with the caption: “Please no! This is the worst looking mod in Formula 1 history. I appreciate the quest for safety but this is Formula 1, and the way it is now is perfectly fine.”

The entry has since been removed without explanation.

However it wasn’t taken down before the rest of the motorsport world had noticed, including 1964 F1 champion John Surtees.

Surtees, who also won several world titles on two wheels, tragically lost his son Henry in 2009 after the teenager was struck by a 28kg wheel during a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch.

"Change comes about and sometimes changes are forced upon one,” said Surtees. “Lewis could perhaps think a little more about the 'halo' and think about the responsibility he does have as a world champion.”

When reporting on major storm damage, there are many things you expect to see: ruined buildings, felled trees, general devastation... You get the idea.

Something you might not expect to come across though is the sight of a dog sat on a lawnmower, seemingly getting ready to begin the clean-up operation.

But that’s exactly what happened to KYTX CBS19 reporter Andrea Martinez whilst on the scene in Malakoff, Texas. The film crew were treading through the debris in the Lone Star State when they chanced upon the peculiar canine, with the clip receiving over three quarters of a million views on Facebook.

That’s one pupular video.

Image credit: Andrea Martinez & KYTX CBS19

The problem with selling performance cars to the general public is that they are very rarely trained for the occasion. Win the lottery in your early twenties and you can feasibly walk into any dealership and buy whichever chariot of speed takes your fancy.

Happily, it’s an issue Ford has noticed, and the US manufacturer has decided that instead of releasing new Mustang owners onto the road with road without a second thought, it’s going to offer them some guidance instead.

“GT350 is a car that needs to be experienced on a closed road course,” says Ford Performance marketing manager Jim Owens. “The program is designed for owners to learn how to get the most out of their car so they can appreciate the unique performance Shelby GT350 delivers, while also gaining driving skills and experience. It’s going to be a ton of fun.”

A one-day package is included in the price of a GT350 or GT350R Mustang from either 2015 or 2016, and while owners don’t need to bring their own car, anything more than the one day on track comes with an additional fee.

Oh, and you have to get yourself to Utah, because that’s where the Ford Performance Racing School is based. A minor detail.