RAY MASSEY: It’s a jobs jamboree in Britain’s motor industry

The UK car industry is busy recruiting talented people to help build the increasingly sophisticated cars of the future.

As an antidote to the prevailing economic doom and gloom, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover are among those seeking a range of skilled personnel – from engineers and software programmers to craftsmen and support staff – as well as eager apprentices to be trained to fill the skills gap.

ROLL UP FOR BENTLEY

Bentley has launched a recruitment drive for 200 job openings, seeking electrical engineers, technical project managers, problem solvers and digital innovators ‘from all walks of life’ (bentleycareers.com).

The Crewe-based company is already recruiting 117 trainees – with internship vacancies online from February 2023.

As part of its Beyond100 strategy, Bentley aims to fully electrify its product offering within seven years.

RACE TO ROLLS-ROYCE

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of Goodwood, West Sussex is inviting applications for its 2023 Apprenticeship Programme.

It also offers internships in partnership with nearby universities (rolls-royce motorcars.com).

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is inviting applications for its 2023 Apprenticeship Program

As it prepares to launch its next generation of luxury sports cars, Aston Martin is creating more than 100 permanent jobs

Bentley has launched a recruitment campaign for 200 job openings, seeking electrical engineers, technical project managers, problem solvers and digital innovators

SPORTY REGISTRATIONS

As it prepares to launch its next generation of luxury sports cars, Aston Martin is creating more than 100 permanent jobs at its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Chief recruitment officer Simon Smith said: ‘No one builds their own Aston Martin and this is a fantastic opportunity for experienced automotive engineers.’

JAGUAR ROARS

Jaguar Land Rover is recruiting people to close the gap in high-tech skills in areas such as electrification, artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. JLR says it has hired 500 digital and tech workers but still needs more.

Upgrade at Polestar

Polestar has upgraded its first all-electric model, the Polestar 2. Aside from some minor exterior tweaks, major upgrades include new engines, increased performance, refined handling, faster charging, and increased range of up to 390 miles (635 km).

The more powerful single-engine two-wheel version switches from front to rear-wheel drive with 0-100 km/h acceleration in 6.2 seconds, 1.2 seconds less than the previous figure. The revised Dual Motor version does it in 4.3 seconds.

Upgrade: Apart from some minor appearance changes, major upgrades include new engines, stronger performance

Dubbed the ‘Model Year 2024’ car, it is now available to order ahead of the first deliveries in the autumn, priced from £44,950 for the Single Motor to £57,950 for the Long Range Dual Motor with Performance Package.

Polestar has opened its new UK headquarters at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire. Details and opening times at: polestar.com/uk/spaces/bicester/

Porsche 911 the world’s most eye-catching car

Porsche’s sleek 911 is the world’s most eye-catching car, according to a survey by AutoTrader using eye-tracking technology.

Participants looked at 40 images of the world’s best-selling car models on a screen while their eye movements were tracked to find out which vehicles captured and held our gaze the longest.

Note: Porsche’s streamlined 911 is the world’s most eye-catching car, AutoTrader research finds

The Porsche 911 held the eyes of the participants for 2.51 seconds and achieved a ‘remarkable score’ of 91 percent. The highest-scoring electric car is the fourth-placed Porsche Taycan (86 percent) that held the gaze of participants the longest, with an average viewing time of 5.63 seconds.

The most eye-catching ‘everyday’ car is the BMW 3 Series (84 percent), just ahead of the Tesla Model 3.

The car that catches our attention the fastest is the Toyota Yaris at 1.89 seconds.