THINK OF MAKING EXHAUST SYSTEMS T and you probably imagine basic metalworking with the sound of hammering and the crackle of welding. Yet while there's still a place and a need for skilled metalworkers and artisan welders, today the requirement for modern technology to be used in the design, development and manufacture of an exhaust system is greater than ever. For specialist Milltek Sport it's meant the need to invest £2.5million to deliver significant changes to its business (this was during Covid, incidentally), ones that have improved quality, shortened production times and significantly reduced material waste.
During the lockdown period Milltek also spotted an opportunity to capitalise on its investment. The first was an uptick in sales of systems for current cars, which it put down to the interruption in the supply of new cars. "When people realised they couldn't get new cars, they decided to maintain or tune what they'd got, make it better, says Milltek's Phil Woodward. The second trend was for 'classic' systems, says MD Steve Pound. A lot of people who had cars hidden away now had lots of time on their hands and that really reinvigorated that market. In the first year of Covid, sales of systems for the VW Corrado VR6 and G60 were more than the previous four years put together.'
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo - The latest, V6-powered GranTurismo is now available in open-top form. Is its combination of performance, comfort and style a winning one?
How appropriate for a car that includes a variant called 'Folgore' ('Lightning' in Italian) in its line-up that giant forks of the stuff are straddling the road ahead. It's almost as if Maserati has a direct line to the big man upstairs. Then again, giant hailstones are clattering against the fabric roof as well, and then turn to a deluge of water so heavy that to top 15mph feels reckless. Possibly not the environment the Italian firm had in mind when they chose to launch the new GranCabrio Trofeo around the Italian Lakes. Still, if nothing else it's a stern test of the canvas above my head and one that it passes with ease: there are no puddles forming inside, as you would expect of a £169,585 convertible, and it feels as quiet and snug as if I was driving the GranTurismo coupe.
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It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
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This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
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HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
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The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
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From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
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You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...