Welcome!

Neil’s Say......
    Wow, it is already 6 weeks since I last wrote something for the newsletter and I can not believe how quickly the time has passed. As I look back we have been to Speed on Wheels, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Arden Automotives open day, the new Peterborough Kit Car Show and are now getting ready for our next outing at Llandow next Saturday (30th August).

    In among racing around the country to attend all of these shows we have finished the build on several factory built Murtaya, completed a Marlin 5EXI build, delivered kits to customers in Canada, the Netherlands and the UK, opened the paint shop and even found time for a Sunday morning blast along the North Coast in the demo cars!

    One of the most exciting things for me is seeing our customers getting on with their builds and it is fascinating to see the way the Murtaya is customised by the individuals depending on their personal taste and the intended final use of the car. We have everything from a polished and understated (relatively!) sportscar from Complete Kit Car magazine to bright and vibrant in your face colours with fancy in car entertainment (‘pimped’ by Bruce!) to a stripped out track day special built with only speed in mind (Chris). Each car is lovingly prepared with many hours being spent over every detail. Bart the Perfectionist is building what must be one of the most detailed and beautifully executed cars we will ever see while Paul is up against a strict deadline having promised his blushing bride that they will Honeymoon in their Murtaya next summer (no pressure there then Paul!). This is the wonderful thing that our industry allows - you end up with a car which is exactly what you want, personalised and an extension of your own personality.

    Thank you all, enthusiasts, petrol heads, customers and friends. I look forward to seeing all of your creations out and about on the roads and racetracks all over the world.

    As ever there is lots of news so read on, until next time enjoy the summer (!) and your cars.

Neil.

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News.

More Praise
    The Murtaya was recently test driven by freelance automotive journalist Chris Pickering who submits to many of the mainstream motoring publications - some of his comments....“Adrenaline describe the Murtaya as ‘an every day supercar’ and it certainly lives up to that, thanks to GT3-humbling pace combined with ecent practicality and reliable Subaru under-pinnings. There are few cars which can match its all round capability. What’s truly addictive is the way in which that performance is delivered- the Murtaya is cata-pulted down the road with ferocious pace. The well-telegraphed steering feed back makes the Murtaya a very exploitable and devastatingly rapid point-to-point machine. It has to be about the most practical and reliable way to chase Zondas for £25k” Verdict: 5/5. Don’t think that we could have said it better ourselves! If you are yet to experience the Murtaya from behind the wheel then book your test drive now or come along to Llandow on the 30th August.

Speed on Wheels
    Well this event promised much and had all the ingredients to be a fantastic spectacle. Sally (the event organiser) listened to manufacturers and members of the public about what they wanted from a show and put together a format that answered all of the wishes put forward to her. This has been extensively commented on already in the press so I’ll not go on for too long about it here but in reality the show was full of promise but nobody turned up! I think that we all missed a trick here as whether it was the weather, the British GP, Wimbledon or any other reason that people stayed away the simple truth is that show promoters will now be very nervous about trying anything new. Sometimes when you wish for something and get it you have to show your appreciation – that didn’t happen here!

Goodwood Festival of Speed
    Well we all know that Lord March can throw a party and once again he did not disappoint. We had a wonderful time and the Murtaya received a great reception from many people who were not aware of it. If you have never been to Goodwood get yourself there next year, an amazing event and a must for any petrol head.

Arden Open Day
    John and Russ put on a good show at the open day with several Murtaya on hand (our own hard worked blue car, a rally version, and their own part completed build), a Toniq R, Fireblade, and a range of cars from the Top Gear Technology Centre! The weather was wonderful (yes there has been one day of sunshine this year) and those that came along were offered free food and drink. If you are ever on the M4 or based anywhere near Oxfordshire get yourselves along to Didcot to meet the guys and take a look at their operation.

Peterborough Show
    Another show new to the calendar, this time organised by John Cooke the man behind the established Detling and Exeter shows. Lots of manufacturers, lots of parts suppliers and a good turn out in total contrast to Speed on Wheels. We showed one of our customers car on the stand (thanks Geoff!) and to say that the Kawasaki Green paint grabbed the attention of those who got within 100ft of it is an understatement. The car even got a special mention on several websites!

OMEX Trackday At Llandow.
    Next Saturday (30th) is the date for the next live action display of both the Murtaya and Toniq R. We are back at Llandow, this time as guests of OMEX. We will have demo cars there to offer free rides to anyone who fancies a high speed experience. There are still places available for the general track day which is taking place and this is tremendous value for money at just £95 per car including free lunch. Additional drivers are just £20 and any car is allowed. Get yourselves along for a play on a great fun circuit which is run by people who want you to have a brilliant day out - and everyone should attend at least one of China Johns briefings in their life!

Toniq R Demo Car For Sale
    We are selling the ‘Stealth Blade’ 07 registered demo car to make way for a new for 2009 demo car. The car is in superb condition having been well maintained by ourselves, fully serviced in the last couple of weeks including a new clutch, and having some very nice extras fitted. The car has covered very little mileage since build and is brilliant fun to drive. Sensible offers based on £13k are invited. The car is available to view at the workshops and will also be at Llandow next weekend (unless it has sold beforehand!).

New Chassis For Toniq R
    The new round tube chassis for the Toniq R is now available to order. This superb structure has been developed using the latest CAD software and is truly a work of art. We are just finalising the pricing structure for the new car and there will be little change from the previous costs. It looks like demand for this new package is going to be huge so get in touch now to reserve your winter kits/factory built cars to avoid having to wait!

MSA Approval
    The Motorsports Association have confirmed that the Murtaya meets all criteria under their definition of a low volume production vehicle which means that not only can you use the car in special stage rallying but also that you can enter the production class in speed events. This means that those of you who fancy competing in hill climbs and sprints will be up against the Impreza, Evo, Elise etc instead of running in the Kit Car classes. Who will be the first to bag some trophies then (Swift Nick from Basingstoke will be going for it I am sure!). We also have the first serious circuit racing testing happening at Castle Combe circuit in August with factory driver James Harrison undertaking the evaluation and development driving ahead of a racing debut late this year.

More Cars For Sale
    We are selling two cars on behalf of clients at the moment - a Ferrari 355 TS and an Ultima GTR. Both are beautiful vehicles and details can be found in our E-bay shop. Says something for the Murtaya that people are prepared to part with these wonderful cars to replace them with our four wheel drive tarmac terrorist.

And Finally Goodbye to Tim.............
    Tim Ashcroft is one of the technicians here at AMS and I am sure that many of you will have met Tim during your visits to the workshop. Tim has been with us pretty much from the start and has been an absolute star helping with the development of the Murtaya from an idea through to proven supercar slayer. During his time here he has also supervised the build of many factory built vehicles, both Murtaya and kits from other manufacturers. For some reason Tim feels that living on the Gold Coast in Australia is a better bet that staying in Blighty—can’t think why! Thank you for everything Tim and the very best of luck in Australia.