JAGUAR FORMULA E CAR TO MAKE PUBLIC UK DEBUT AT SHELSLEY WALSH

JAGUAR FORMULA E CAR TO MAKE PUBLIC UK DEBUT AT SHELSLEY WALSH Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb looks forward to welcoming Formula E to the world famous Worcestershire race track as GKN Driveline is bringing the Panasonic Jaguar Racing ABB FIA Formula E Championship team’s race car, the Jaguar I-TYPE 2, to the historic venue for its public UK debut on August 12. The UK debut coincides with the 113th anniversary of the first hill climb at Shelsley Walsh, combining the ultimate in modern electric vehicle technology with the famous motor racing course.    The race car will be driven at Shelsley by Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Mitch Evans, who is currently sitting 8th in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship Drivers Standing. Panasonic Jaguar Racing is currently 5th in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.  New Zealander Evans will be hoping to add his name to the Shelsley history books alongside Rudolf Caracciola, Malcolm Campbell, Hans Stuck, Stirling Moss, Derek Bell, John Surtees, Kenny Brack and Andy Priaulx. Andrew Lytheer, GKN Driveline Team & Partnership Director, said: “We’re excited to bring the Jaguar I-TYPE 2, containing some of the world’s most sophisticated electric driveline technology, to Shelsley Walsh, the world’s oldest motorsport venue. Panasonic Jaguar Racing is coming to the end of a successful second season in Formula E, so bringing the car to the UK, where it was developed and manufactured, will be a special way to end the season.” Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver, said: “I am looking forward to driving the Jaguar I-TYPE 2 up the famous Shelsley Walsh hill climb.  We have a lot of hill climbs back home in New Zealand but this is the most famous and historic. My all-electric race car should be well suited to the challenge and I’m intrigued to see what my time will be. I look forward to seeing our friends from GKN Driveline and meeting some UK fans.” Antony Harper, Chairman Midland Automobile Club, said “To have technologically advanced cars at Shelsley is something we’re used to, but this is going to be something unique and very special to see come to the start line even in the 113-year history of the hill. Hill climbing has naturally had many innovative cars racing in the sport but the Jaguar I-TYPE 2 Formula E car is something no one has ever seen against the clock so there will be a huge amount of interest following Mitch up the hill. To have the ongoing support from GKN Driveline and a 2018 works team present on the very 113th birthday of the hill climb is something we’re all looking forward to here." The event strengthens GKN Driveline’s historic links with both Shelsley Walsh and Jaguar. GKN Driveline has been a supporter of the venue for a number of years and many of the vehicles that have claimed records at the site have contained GKN Driveline technology.  The August 11th and 12th see the British Hill Climb Championship visit the famous hill for the high point of the season as the fastest accelerating hill climb cars in Europe go head to head for maximum points twice on Sunday in the all-important Top 12 Run-Offs. Celebrating the twelve decades of history, there will be a snapshot of cars related to the history of Shelsley that started 113 years earlier to the day. Those cars will include a team car to the Daimler that set Best Time of Day in 1905, the fantastic 1920s and 30s Shelsley Specials, ERA R4D that held the record before and after the war plus cars that held the record into the 60s such as the Marsh Special, and Pilbeams from the 80s. Drivers who have been 'Kings of Shelsley' will be there too plus some faces and cars not seen for some while - to be revealed soon. ABOUT GKN DRIVELINE Formula E continues the long-running partnership between GKN Driveline and Jaguar, dating back to 1935 when GKN Driveline supplied driveline technology to the first SS Jaguar saloon. Today, GKN Driveline supplies every Jaguar model on the market with a range of driveline technologies, including high-performance CV Joints and intelligent all-wheel-drive systems. In motorsport and Jaguar’s performance cars, GKN Driveline driveshafts have featured on almost everything, from the Le Mans-winning C-Type in 1951 to the XJ200. GKN Driveline is in the first of a multi-year partnership with Panasonic Jaguar Racing, which will see the global engineering group provide design, manufacturing and consultancy services to the British Formula E team.  Expertise from across GKN Driveline will provide technical consultancy and new technology, from driveshafts and differentials to the use of additive manufacturing, for the team’s Formula E race car. GKN Driveline’s considerable experience in delivering state-of-the-art electric vehicle systems means it will also advise on the development of the racer’s all-electric powertrain. GKN Driveline is the world’s leading supplier of automotive driveline technology and systems. As a global company serving the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, GKN Driveline develops, builds and supplies an extensive range of automotive driveline technologies – for use in the smallest ultra low-cost car to the most sophisticated premium vehicle demanding the most complex driving dynamics. GKN Driveline is a leading global producer of Driveshafts and All-wheel Drive and eDrive Systems. The company operates in 23 countries at 49 locations, employing approximately 31,000 people. ABOUT PANASONIC JAGUAR RACING Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first premium manufacturer to join the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. Jaguar’s Formula E programme will create tangible R&D benefits for the electrification of future Jaguar Land Rover road cars and is designed around the team’s founding principle, ‘Race to Innovate’.  Manufacturers can design their own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter and rear suspension. Common components across all teams to control costs include the carbon fibre chassis and battery. The focus is on developing electric vehicle powertrains. Beyond its all-electric concept, Formula E is unique in the world of motorsport for its choice of venues.  With the exception of the Mexico City E-Prix, every round of the championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world’s major cities. All track action including practice, qualifying and racing takes place in a single day. The 2017/18 calendar includes 12 races in 10 cities, including double-header races in Hong Kong and the finale in New York.     Buy your advance tickets here