Welsh Motoring Writers has welcomed a new member for 2017 following the successful application of Automotive World’s Xavier Boucherat, a previous winner of the group’s John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize.

His membership was confirmed on Friday (February 17) as the group met for a milestone annual business meeting at Welshpool (Y Trallwng), where plans were mapped out for Welsh Motoring Writers’ 25th anniversary year.
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The group takes particular pride in the fact that Xavier won the inaugural WMW John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize in 2015. On completion of his post-graduate degree at Cardiff University School of Journalism & Media, he was offered a position at Automotive World, Penarth, and is rapidly building a reputation as a motoring and motor industry journalist. Membership of the Group overall now stands at 22.

The Circuit of Wales and The Extreme Sports Company have announced plans to develop a world-leading sports, leisure and entertainment destination at the Circuit of Wales, the £425m, 336 hectare multi-purpose infrastructure project located in South Wales, north of Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent.

Extreme’s offering, which includes a collection of indoor and outdoor action and adventure sports, leisure facilities, a variety of food and beverage offerings alongside retail outlets and themed accommodation is hoped to breathe life, regenerate and create new jobs in the area.
 
This combined offer is the largest privately-funded infrastructure project in Wales and is the most significant capital investment program in automotive, motorsport and extreme sport infrastructure in the UK within the last 50 years. 

It was a double whammy for Elfyn Evans last weekend, as he was awarded the prestigious Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy just weeks after winning the 2016 British Rally Championship.

It's the second time an Evans family member has scored a double victory in the same year - his father Gwyndaf was awarded WMW’s inaugural Tom Pryce Trophy in 1996 having won the BRC that year, with Elfyn replicating the feat exactly 20 years later.

The Automotive Achievement Award went to Riversimple of Llandrindod Wells for the radically innovative Rasa lightweight hydrogen-powered prototype car. Road-legal and built for full European Type Approval, it can cover 300 miles on 1.5kg of Hydrogen and has the lowest 'well-to-wheel' carbon emissions of any vehicle. The awards were presented by HM Lord-Lieutenant for Gwynedd, Edmund S Bailey.

​A journalism student has won a £1,000 prize, a driving experience at Silverstone, and work experience at some of the UK’s top automotive publications for a video produced on her course.

Emily Brown, who graduated from Cardiff university this summer, took the automotive journalism module on her course, and created the video, which was eligible for the John Arfon Edwards Memorial.

The report examined the impact of diesel emissions rules on modern agricultural vehicles, and was presented with a cheque on Friday (September 23) at the university.

TVR has announced today that its new production facility will be located in the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone in South Wales.

The Welsh Government will also invest in the car maker, further enhancing this manufacturing project which represents more than £30 million of capital expenditure over the next five years.

The contracts to locate the new TVR factory in Wales were signed on March 18, and the deal was officially announced by Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales, during a press conference this morning.

Aston Martin has chosen St Athan, in Glamorgan, as the sole manufacturing facility to build its first crossover/SUV, with around 750 local jobs expected to be created.

It also confirmed additional capacity at its factory at Gaydon, Warwickshire, to produce its all-electric RapidE, with production starting in 2018
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St Athan will be the only factory for the new Aston Martin crossover. A concept crossover named DBX was first shown in early 2015 and signalled the company’s intention and direction for this fast-growing segment of the luxury market. With growing demand for these types of vehicles in markets such as China and the United States, it is expected that more than of the production from St Athan will be exported outside of the United Kingdom.

A vital emergency service in Wales was given a boost to start 2016 with a £500 donation from Welsh Motoring Writers.

Established on St David’s Day 2001, Wales Air Ambulance has launched almost 23,000 emergency flights and one of its three helicopters can reach any part of Wales in 20 minutes – vitally important in capitalising on the crucial window for treatment and recovery.

The Welshpool-based aircraft covers central Wales and Marcher Country undertaking a considerable amount of cross-border work. The helicopter can be in the air within three minutes of a call at a cost of £1,500 each time.

​Welsh Motoring Writers continues to register progress this year with a further new member and prestigious media award to a veteran of the group.

We are very pleased to announce that Simon McBride has joined Welsh Motoring Writers. Simon is a well-known motoring journalist, editor and author working across print, digital and television titles.

Originally from County Antrim, Simon is now based in Marple, Cheshire.
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A graduate of the University of East London he has a range of journalism qualifications and a CV which includes top flight monthly and weekly publications. His expertise includes radio work and his first book (on Kris Meeke) was published by Veloce in 2010.

One of Wales's most successful car dealers was honoured with the Welsh Motoring Writers Automotive Achievement Award this month, while the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy was won by double Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas MBE.

Steve Lloyd, managing director of Pembroke Dock's WP Lewis & Son, received the Automotive Achievement Award at a prize-giving ceremony held at Lamphey Court Hotel and Spa, near Tenby, while Mr Thomas, who was unable to attend, will receive the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy at a later date.

A journalism graduate has an exciting summer ahead after winning the first John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize.

Xavier Boucherat, a student on the MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, was one of 10 students in the automotive journalism module and eligible for the prize.

It was set up by Welsh Motoring Writers in memory of one of the group’s founder members, and its first treasurer, John Arfon Edwards, who died in 2014.