• Infiniti Middle East recently launched the Infiniti Certified Program — the first for the premium brand in the region aimed at offering pre-owned vehicles with new car benefits. It was launched last May at the AW Rostamani Infiniti Certified Center in Dubai. “While Dubai is the market where we launched this unique program, it is our ambition to further expand this offering to all of our customers across the Middle East,” said Juergen Schmitz, managing director at Infiniti Middle East. As part of the Infiniti Certified Program, each pre-owned vehicle undergoes a 190-point inspection, reconditioning, and a service history check conducted by a team of expert engineers. Vehicles are only awarded a certificate of inspection and authenticity if they meet Infiniti’s quality standards.
• BMW Group sales achieved their best-ever in June, with sales in the month totaling 232,620 cars, a 2.1 percent increase year-on-year. It was also a record first half-year with sales of the BMW Group’s three premium brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, increasing by 5 percent; a total of 1,220,819 vehicles have been delivered to customers around the world so far this year. “June rounds off our best-ever first half-year and the BMW Group remains the world’s leading premium car company,” commented Dr. Ian Robertson, member of the BMW AG board of management for sales and brand. “We’ve already sold more than a million BMW vehicles this year, which is a new first half-year record. June also saw our successful electrification strategy expand still further to include the MINI brand, meaning customers can now choose from nine electrified BMW Group vehicles.”
• Honda, in conjunction with JAS Motorsport, Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Mugen, will offer the NSX GT3 for sale around the world for the 2018 season. Already a multiple-race winner in its inaugural season of the IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championship competition in North America, the Honda NSX GT3 is eligible to race in more than two dozen FIA-sanctioned race events around the world. Orders for the NSX GT3 are now being taken by JAS Motorsport, responsible for sales and customer support in Europe, Asia (including China) and South America; by HPD in North America; and by Mugen in Japan. The NSX GT3 has been designed by Honda R&D in Japan in collaboration with JAS Motorsport in Milan, Italy.
• Bentley has set a new benchmark for the luxury consumer, as it announces the opening of a new, luxury design studio at the iconic London department store, Harrods. The exclusive “Bentley Studio at Harrods” will be open for a limited time throughout August. Visitors to the studio will be immersed in a uniquely Bentley experience, enjoying the opportunity to commission their own new Bentley, as well as a unique access to live displays of the artisan skill and unmatched attention to detail which goes into every Bentley.