The Supercar: Where Next?

Andy Palmer: Vehicle Line Director - Ultimate Series, McLaren

McLaren’s Andy Palmer (not to be confused with the Dr Andy Palmer of another British luxury car company) is responsible for the development of the Ultimate Series of high performance vehicles for McLaren Automotive. He joined the company in 2013 to assist in the development of new product and has since been responsible for the establishment of the Sports Series range of cars — led by the 570S — and for delivery of the McLaren Senna. He was engineering director of Ford’s Joint Venture in Russia, FordSollers, and before that he worked on the global Ford Focus, with responsibility for engineering its interior & exterior. He has a degree in aeronautical engineering, a masters in mechanical engineering and is passionate about all forms of vehicle engineering. He is also an avid collector of classic cars, mainly Porsches.

Julian Thomson: Creative Design Director, Jaguar Land Rover

Julian Thomson is Jaguar’s creative design director, responsible for guiding the direction for Jaguar models more than 10 years into the future. He started at Ford in  but soon joined Lotus, where he stayed 12 years and was responsible for the first Elise sports car (plus many models he still can’t tell us about). He joined Jaguar in 2000 and nowadays leads a team of 40 designers. He has played a major role in finding a new face for the marque, a move that began in earnest with the XF, and has led on through a succession of great-looking cars to Jaguar’s model of the moment, the all-electric I-Pace. Especially relevant this evening is that Thompson played a big role in the conception of the Jaguar C-X75, one of the most beautiful supercar concepts ever designed.

Nick Carpenter: Engineering Director, Delta Motorsport Limited

Nick Carpenter is the engineering director and one of the founders of Delta Engineering, a Silverstone-based company, established in 2005, that specialises in all forms of high performance engineering, from the creation of single-seater racing cars and traditional V8-engined road cars to some of the world’s most powerful hybrid and electric vehicles. He worked at Mayflower, Reynard and Piper before founding his own company with partner Simon Dowson. One of his latest projects is providing key technology and powertrain hardware for the Ariel HIPERCAR, a 1000bhp-plus four-wheel drive electric creation with a revolutionary Delta supplied turbine range extender motor. Delta has expanded fast, finding eager clients all over the world, and late last year Carpenter and Dowson were selected by Grant Thornton as “Faces of a Vibrant Economy”.     

Steve Gooding: Director, RAC Foundation

Steve is Director of the RAC Foundation, an independent charitable think-tank that commissions and disseminates research relating to motoring and roads issues. Steve took over at the Foundation in May 2015 after a civil service career encompassing many transport-related roles, latterly as Director General for Roads, Traffic & Local at the Department for Transports.

Prior to becoming a Director General, Steve was Roads Director and before that worked at the Office of the Rail Regulator and the Cabinet Office.

After graduating from Durham University Steve joined the civil service in 1983, moving to the Department of Transport in 1987.

Steve Cropley: Editor in Chief, Autocar

Steve Cropley has been writing about cars for 45 years, more than half that time as editor-in-chief at London-published Autocar, the world’s oldest car magazine. In 2005 he helped found the world’s first postgraduate course in automotive journalism at Coventry University, where he was made a visiting professor. He also sits on the Trustees’ Advisory Board at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Cropley says he is as much in love with cars as he was on day one.