Month: November 2019

The Lamborghini Urus was unveiled almost two years ago, and this month, one lucky Oracle customer (who would like to remain anonymous, so we’ll call him Mr X!)  had the opportunity to collect his straight from the production line.  We couldn’t resist finding out more about the whole experience.

As the excited new owner tells us, “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Lamborghini is a huge company with a fantastic history, but they’ve still not forgotten that it’s all about the customer experience”.

We caught up with Mr X to get the low down on his trip to Italy.

Why the Lamborghini Urus?

“I first saw the Urus at an anniversary celebration at the factory in Italy and I wish I’d ordered one then.”

As Lamborghini’s first step into the SUV hemisphere, the Urus is “difficult to overstate” according to Bloomberg. It’s the world’s first ‘Super Sport Utility Vehicle’ and has a top speed of 190mph with seven drive modes. The Urus is truly unique, not only to the brand, but the automaking industry. Lamborghini introduces the vehicle as “an authentic Lamborghini with its unmistakable DNA”. But Mr X chose the Urus not just for the top speed and the drive modes. “They hold resale value really well; they’ve got unbelievable performance and are the perfect car for running during the winter”.

Collecting the Lamborghini Urus

If you’re one of the lucky ones approved for a Lamborghini factory collection, you’re set for a trip to the small Italian town of Sant’ Agata Bolognese. According to Digital Trends, “every Lamborghini ever made was built by hand at this factory”.

Before the grand unveiling of your new car, you’re met with several senior individuals for a tour of the factory. “There were four different members of Lamborghini in the delivery suite.  One was the Global Head of After-Sales who had just stepped off a plane from China that morning”. Over a glass of champagne and some locally sourced food, you’re then taken through a personalised presentation of your new car.

Mr X recalls a special moment where the delivery suite screens rolled up ‘Bond movie style’ to reveal the factory, where workers were busy on that morning’s production.

“The whole thing makes you feel like you’re a part of the family.”

During the collection, you get the impression that family means a lot to the brand. Lamborghini even play an active role in the economy of Sant’ Agata Bolognese. “They have a relationship with the local secondary school. This means a lot of the students don’t go onto university or further education as they have the opportunity to gain an apprenticeship through the factory, after starting it during their time at school. It means that a large proportion of staff there are local”.

“The way they manage to still maintain that unbelievable passion that comes with Lamborghini is great,” he says, as he comments on the automaker’s drive to make the customer feel special, despite their success. But being based in Italy, it’s not surprising that you feel the passion radiate when you visit the factory. “The people at Lamborghini don’t fake enthusiasm. They are so proud of what they do, and you can feel that! They continue to wear their branded work uniforms even in their free time when out and about as it’s seen as such a badge of honour in the local community”.

Did the Lamborghini Urus exceed expectations?

The car provides exactly was promised and more.  “It feels like a Lamborghini, but it’s got all the comfort of something like a Range Rover”, could you get any better than that?

“In years to come, you may not remember what the car feels like, but you will always remember the experience.”

Have you ever collected a new car direct from the factory?  We’d love to hear your experiences.

It’s been a busy week in the car news industry, from new cars to advertising announcements. Luckily for you, we’re constantly staying up to date with the latest car news, so we can provide expert knowledge to our customers. As a result, here are our top three favourite car news stories from this week.

“Porsche Will Run a Super Bowl Ad for the first time since 1997”

The automaker will be plugging the all-electric Taycan to “the world’s largest TV audience” at the Super Bowl 2020. So far, they have declined to provide creative details, but if it’s anything like Super Bowl ads that have come before, we’re in for a treat.

“BMW experiments with in-car restaurant ordering”

The car manufacturer teamed up with digital food ordering platform, Olo, to experiment with ordering food on the go. The pilot will be compatible with BMW models from 2015 onwards. The VP of Marketing at Ola has commented on the test: “Ordering lunch from the car with a push of a button – we’re living in the future!”. Do you agree?

“Ferrari wants to tap into a new customer base with Roma”

The Roma has been branded the ‘less intimidating car’ for the luxury SUV generation. The new model has, quite nicely, been described as “a Formula One car in evening dress” with its simplistic shape. The Roma is Ferrari’s fifth new model of 2019, and is aimed at SUV drivers, because, according to the company’s chief marketing officer Enrico Galliera, “those who drive SUVs just don’t know how fun it is to drive a Ferrari”. Will you be putting an order in?

Other articles you might like:

Oracle Finance’s top 8 favourite classic cars

Electric vehicles: the shape of things to come

Forget Christmas adverts! Check out our top 8 car ads of all time

This month, we’re celebrating!  We have now funded over £1 billion of cars for our customers.  Although a significant landmark to reach, it’s not all about the money for us. For us, the customer experience always comes first. We receive, on average, five reviews rated 5-star on TrustPilot every single day, which really gives the team tremendous job satisfaction.

To mark the occasion, we’re looking back on thirteen years of Oracle Car Finance with our managing director, Peter Brook.

“When we set off we never thought we’d have a business of this scale.”

What began with two guys meeting each other and combining their skills to find a different way of delivering car finance, became the UK’s number one funder for prestige, sports and classic cars. “Oracle has always had an absolute key focus on customer service from day one. It’s all about longevity, not just trying to get an agreement for today. With that attitude, we still deal with customers from that first year”.  Peter says, as he talks about the importance of the customer, and how they’ve contributed to this momentous milestone.

“£1 billion is just one of the milestones along the way that defines how successful we’ve been, but, more importantly, it represents the significant number of happy customers we have. We now have a loyal client base that wouldn’t even think about getting finance elsewhere. That to me is a much bigger milestone”.

“It’s not only a sign of our success but a sign that we’re delivering the ethos of the business”

It’s hard to imagine this success without the passion and dedication of the Oracle team.  With over 80,000 clients now on our database, we ensure that every customer is treated like a VIP. On average, we fund around three Land Rover/Range Rovers a day, and nine Porsches a week*, as a result of the commitment from the Oracle Finance staff. “The team we have here are very special.  They have a fantastic bond with our customers who have so much trust in them. Customers see our team as their right hand-arm for buying cars, with expertise ensuring we will always have the right answer”.

What does the future hold for us?

The obvious next step for Oracle would be the second billion, which we are well on our way to. But, for Peter, his priority is to ensure that potential customers know we are the best place to go for car finance. “We would like to be known as THE people to talk to when looking to buy a prestige vehicle”.

By getting our name into the marketplace with customer service and referrals we plan to grow our client base. In a recent customer satisfaction survey**, 97% of our customers said they would recommend us to friends and family and we have a world-class Net Promoter Score.  “Reputation is invaluable. If you prioritise your reputation by working with integrity, you’ve got a solid business.”

At Oracle Finance, we stay up to date with the latest car news stories so that we can provide expert knowledge to our customers.

We’ve pulled together a few of our favourite news stories from the week, for you to catch up on over the weekend! For daily updates make sure you’re following our Facebook, LinkedIn & Instagram pages to keep up to date with the world of car finance.

Aston Martin Launches First Ever SUV

This week Aston Martin launched its first-ever SUV to “signal a new era” in its 106-year history. The new model is set to have a speed of 181mph, going from 0 to 62mph in 4.5 seconds. The President and Group Chief Executive of the British automaker described the move into SUVs as “a real landmark for this great British brand, and I promise that DBX will reward all who experience it in their everyday lives”.

Cars: Accelerating the Modern World

This weekend will see the opening of the exhibition, Cars: Accelerating the Modern World at the V&A to mark the “most important 20th-century object”. For just £18.00 a ticket, you can see an autonomous flying car, a converted low-rider & even a sculpture of a human with the bodily features that might be present if we had evolved to survive car crashes.

Karma’s SC2 Concept Car Promises 10,500 lb-ft of Wheel Torque & 1.9s to 60 MPH

This weekend, Karma Automotive will be previewing their new SC2 concept car at the LA Auto Show. The vehicle can go from 0 to 62mph in 1.9s! It’s been described as a “hypercar by all means” for its carbon-ceramic brakes, a pushrod racing suspension system, and the manufacturer’s torque-vectoring gearbox. Let us know what you think of the car! Is it fast enough for you?

Other articles you might like:

Electric vehicles: the shape of things to come

Oracle Finance’s top 8 favourite classic cars

Forget Christmas adverts! Check out our top 8 car ads of all time

It is estimated that there are more than half a million classic or historic vehicles in the UK, about three quarters of them roadworthy and licensed. Whether many are genuine ‘classics’ or just old cars isn’t certain, but here at Oracle Finance we talk to classic car enthusiasts daily.

What do people love about classic cars? Well, the truth is, everyone views them differently. Oracle Account Manager, Lucas, who owns a couple himself, talks about what makes them so special: “I think people love classics because of their cultural status and not just in terms of the iconic film cars. Also, because of what they represent in terms of landmarks of engineering”. So, with that is mind, we asked the Oracle Team to tell us what their favourite classics are, and why.

Ferrari 550 Maranello

The front-engine, V12-powered Ferrari 550 Maranello was voted for by Senior Account Manager, Luke.

As voted for by Oracle Account Manager, Edward Williams – the 300SL Gullwing is “a real trendsetter”. Edward described easily why the Gullwing was his favourite classic: “It’s such a cool looking, innovative car!”

According to Auto Express, 3000SL Gullwing came to life “in wake of the company’s Le Mans and Carrera Panamericana victories” in 1952. Its top speed was “around twice that of the typical contemporary family saloon” and was the world’s first production car with fuel injection.

Ferrari 250 SWB

Have you ever seen something so good looking? Nominated by our sister company, Lawton Brook’s General Manager, Phil, who branded it “one of the best looking cars ever produced.”

Lamborghini Muira

Another vote from Lawton Brook GM, Phil and Oracle Account Manager Arjan Deol who simply said, “that Italian Job scene…”. Need we say more? Produced by the Italian automaker between 1966 to 1973 as the first supercar with a rear mid-engine two-seat layout, no wonder it’s loved by many.

Triumph Spitfire

Introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962, the Triumph Spitfire is a pure nostalgia piece. The classic motor was put forward by Oracle Head of Finance, Anton: “my mum used to take me to school in one.  I can still remember the registration!”. Some things you just don’t forget!

Aston Martin DB5

The luxury GT is best known for as the ultimate 007 car and was described as a  “British icon” by Oracle Compliance Officer, Emma.

Volvo P1800

“It’s still a great looking car that’s ahead of its time” – Senior Account Manager, Dale Radford

Ferrari 275 GTB 4 Cam

The 275 GTB was voted for by Account Manager, Lucas who, as we’ve previously mentioned, knows a few things about the classics. “It’s an incredibly beautiful car that was made even better with the Quad Overhead Cam 3.3 Litre Colombo V12.” Even Steve McQueen had one, which sold for more than $10 million in 2014.

Other nominations from the Oracle team included: Jaguar XJ220, Ferrari F40, 1968 Mercedes SL 250 Pagoda, McLaren F1, Porsche Speedster

Get in touch and let us know your favourite classic cars!

Here at Oracle, we’re constantly staying up to date with the latest car news, so we can provide expert knowledge to our customers.

According to a recent customer satisfaction survey,* 97% of our customers said they would recommend us to friends and family as a result of our knowledge and passion for the industry.

This week, we’ve sharing a selection of news articles that we think you may find interesting.

Ford v Ferrari

In Le Mans ’66 the endurance race is about to hit our screens once more. Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, the “blockbuster biopic” follows the true story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles in their journey to build Ford a race car to challenge the Ferrari at 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Sunday Times driving moments in the film that “will cause many racing enthusiasts’ jaws to drop”. So, if that’s not a good enough excuse to go and see it, we don’t know what is.

F1 Announces Net Zero Carbon 2030 Ambition

 

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A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) on Nov 11, 2019 at 11:20pm PST

Formula 1 pledged their plan for all events to be sustainable by 2025 and by 2030 F1 to be net-zero carbon in one of this week’s breaking news stories. Not only will this include their carbon-efficiency on the tracks, they also plan to bring this into road and air transport of staff and equipment for the events. As their first steps, F1 begin carbon-reduction projects immediately.

Breathalysers must be available in all new cars from 2022

Following a “landmark decision” by the European Council, “breathalysers must be able to be fitted into all new cars from 2022”. The technology could prevent drink-drivers from even starting their engines. The decision has been labelled the “biggest leap forward for road safety this century”. According to the RAC, “The UK’s position is yet to be confirmed, but the current Government has previously said it will mirror European road safety rules post-Brexit”.

Other articles you might like:

Electric vehicles: the shape of things to come

Forget Christmas adverts! Check out our top 8 car ads of all time

Over 140,000 types of electric vehicles (BEV, PHEV, HEV) were registered in 2019 in the UK up to October.  As more manufacturers join the electric vehicle industry, we consider what it could mean for the future of the motoring world. We spoke with our managing director, Peter Brook, about how a mass-adoption of electric cars will change the shape of the industry as we know it.

Every luxury car manufacturer is developing or already has an electric vehicle including the likes of BMW and Mercedes. This year, Porsche joined the line-up with the fully-electric Porsche Taycan. Described by Porsche as “all-new, innovative and ready for the future”, the Taycan is a force to be reckoned with.

But, it was famously Tesla who were first to market.  “I think Tesla has got a hard time of it,” Peter says on the exclusively-electric manufacturer and the competition.

“They were the very first to develop an electric vehicle, and that’s always difficult.”

“You must get far enough ahead of the market that by the time competitors release their products, you’ve already got your name as the market leader”. Peter elaborates further, explaining the difficulties Tesla could be facing. “It’s not just about the power train or the battery pack, it’s about how they drive. The likes of Porsche have 80 years of history designing cars and are already absolute experts on how to make a car feel great. It won’t take them long to catch up with Tesla on the power train”.

The Future of Electric Vehicles

However, Porsche may not always be direct competition for Tesla. Peter predicts a future where they compliment each other. “The main manufacturers already understand the dynamics of how to make a great car and are now coming to the EV market. I think that will drive the Teslas of this world to focus more on battery development”. Similarly, Dyson withdrew its EV project from the market this year, despite being set to secure “£174 million of investment”. “That’s quite a strong message, especially after already investing millions in the project,” Peter says as he predicts two distinct areas of specialism in the industry.

Financing Electric Vehicles

When it comes to financing electric vehicles, there’s another potential challenge. “The battery pack has a finite lifespan attached to it” Peter explains.  After a certain number of charges down the line, the battery will need to be replaced. That may mean a client might purchase what looks like a perfectly good vehicle, but then having to spend a large sum replacing the battery.

“There are two levels of depreciation going on within an electric car, and nobody has quite worked out how to measure this for valuation purposes.”

Not yet anyway. “Maybe we’ll see a time when people lease the battery pack on used EVs. In other words, you’ll pay a service charge on the battery pack monthly to remove battery depreciation as an issue for lenders. Then only the vehicle itself is financed. Meaning that whether the owner has had the vehicle for a month or two years when the battery pack needs replacing, the cost is already covered by the separate lease agreement”.

However, for this plan to come to life, lenders will have to catch up. “Lenders are cautious. Our market is incredibly competitive and can catch cold very quickly when dealing with new technology. Technology is moving at a pace that finance agreements can’t keep up with”.

Government Legislation

Following a period of economic difficulty in the UK, when the issue of climate change was less in focus, discussions about an emission-free country are firmly back on the table.  But for real change, there will need to be some stronger legislation put in place.

The 2008 Climate Change Act has set a target for 2050 “that the net UK carbon account is at least 100% lower than the 1990 baseline”.  Peter says,  “The simplest way we can support that is by making electric vehicles as accessible as possible, but the dilemma regarding depreciation on the battery needs resolving first”.

What does the future hold for petrol and diesel powered vehicles?

“I do think there will always be a place for them but maybe not as the mainstay”. He predicts the possibility of driving petrol or diesel cars for fun and electric for everything else. “A petrol car is an amazing piece of kit. You’ve got something that can carry up to five people with £6 worth of fuel for 70 miles and yet do 100mph. That’s a tiny level of emissions off that one gallon of fuel.”

He also speculates about self-driving cars: “Why would anyone want to drive if you can avoid it? Unless you want to drive for the thrill of driving”. Peter envisages a future where driving is for fun and any other travel is in something like a “self-driving Uber”.

This year, Mercedes-Benz debuted the all-electric, self-driving Smart Vision EQ which is described by the manufacturer as “the most radical car sharing concept car of all”. Mercedes-Benz has developed the car to “demonstrate how autonomous driving could make future car sharing even more convenient, simple and economically efficient”.

Going forward

“I think the move from diesel/petrol into EVs will be a slow transition. Maybe in twenty years, (circa seven change cycles) we will see a full transition. Car sharing in towns and cities will also become more relevant. Imagine a more grown-up version of the ‘Boris Bike’. Vehicle autonomy and connectivity will lead to a door to door, maximum efficiency, inner-city transport solution.

What do you think?  Are we moving quickly enough to deal with climate change?  Get in touch and let us know your prediction for the future of transport.

It’s that time of year again! This morning, the John Lewis Christmas advert hit our screens once more. Just in case you’re not quite ready to get into the Christmas Adverts spirit, we asked the Oracle Team about the adverts they’ll never forget. From innovative concepts to nostalgic classics, here are some of our favourite car-related adverts from over the years.

Mercedes-Benz “Chicken”, 2013

In a bid to show off their Magic Body Control, a feature exclusive to the S-class, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated automatic suspension with a chicken. Yes, it’s a bit mad – but it worked. The advert skyrocketed online with over 220k Facebook shares in less than four days.

Audi “The Godfather Super Bowl Commercial”, 2008

“Old luxury has been put on hold. Audi and the R8 are here.”

Consider that a threat. The 2008 Audi advert pays homage to the classic Francis Ford Coppola blockbuster, The Godfather. The manufacturer recreates the iconic scene where Mr Waltz wakes up in his lavish mansion with a horse’s head in his bed. But, in this case – the rich man wakes to his old car bumper and grill at his feet as an R8 flees the scene.

Land Rover Discovery 4 “Dry Cleaner”, 2012

Been anywhere interesting lately?

The Discovery can literally take you anywhere, and that’s exactly what Land Rover want you to know. The slightly humorous and completely charming ad follows a couple “drop off their dirt-covered adventure clothes to the dry-cleaner to the bemusement of the owner until he sees their Discovery 4 outside”.

Honda “The Cog”. 2003

Isn’t it nice when things just, work?

This iconic ad takes a different approach to adverts. The one-shot advert shows approximately 140 working pieces of the car! According to The Guardian, this was “one of the century’s most creative commercials” and was filmed in only 60 takes over three days.

Audi “The Comeback” 2016

“While the world worried about robots, we worried about someone else: The T-rex.”

The heart-warming campaign won “the best use of social media by an auto brand” at the Shorty Awards 2017 and we can see why. Amid a vehicle automation debate, the producers of the advert, SapientRazorfish explained their concept. “Once the most feared animals on the planet, social media made him a laughingstock – and the perfect protagonist for our story”.

Honda “Impossible Dream” 2005

The ad follows actor, Simon Paisley Day on a journey of Honda vehicles to support their ‘Power of Dreams’ mantra. According to AutoTrader,  it took almost £5 million to make. It’s no secret that Honda are miracle-makers in the advertising industry. But this particular one was voted top eight by our Account Manager, David for being “so memorable and really touching”.

Volkswagen “The Force”, 2011

The Volkswagen advert follows a boy trying to “emulate the powers of Darth Vader” by bringing a VW Passat to life (with the help of his father’s keys). The ad has since been described by AdWeek as the “dark lord of Super Bowl ads”.

Volkswagen Golf “Changes”, 1988

“If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen”

Who remembers this one? The advert shows Paula Hamilton gradually discard her luxury belongings. Her pearls are thrown in the bin, and her fur coat is left in the road as she makes her way to her trusty Volkswagen Golf. The fur coat didn’t go to waste though – a member of the public wrote to Volkswagen asking if she could keep the coat, and the manufacturer happily obliged, which only enhanced the positive PR from this campaign.

What’s one advert you’ll always remember? These are only eight of hundreds!

Get in touch for a free quote if one of these iconic ads has influenced your decision…

We measure how successful we are through several methods, but the most public one is Trustpilot.  We’re incredibly proud of our Trustscore of 4.9 out of 5. Here at Oracle, it’s all about you and providing the best possible experience for our customers.  Our team are on hand 6 days a week to provide service excellence on every single transaction. If you have some feedback, we’d love to hear from you; it only takes a minute!  Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to let us know how we’re doing. This week, these five reviews caught our eye…

You can read all of our reviews here

If you’d like to understand how Trustpilot calculate their ratings, you can read about the TrustScore

Other articles you might like:

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7 of the most iconic horror movie cars

What’s your favourite podcast? In 2019, there’s a podcast for everything. Whether you like a chatty conversation for the commute or something to get you thinking. According to Ofcom, one in eight people listen to podcasts each week, and 14% of those listeners, listen in the car. If you’re one of the 14% here are our three favourite car podcasts, because we couldn’t just choose one.

The Collecting Cars Podcast with Chris Harris

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Hosted by founder of Collecting Cars Edward Lovett and automotive journalist Chris Harris, The Collecting Cars Podcast is an “often funny, always frank show”. The pair chat all things cars with a range of industry names.  The episodes range from forty minutes to two hours and there are 13 whole episodes for you to catch up on!

My First Car

“Yes, it’s a car podcast with excellent guests but you’ll love the conversation too!” one review said amongst other five-star reviews for My First Car. If some light conversation and a hint of nostalgia is your thing, this is the podcast for you. My First Car is presented by Dan and Geoff, two men “who just love cars”. The pair use the car podcast as a platform to share stories of first cars because “to car people, the first car is always a dream car”. Do you agree?

Car Chat

Car Chat is a weekly catch up of everything you might have missed in the motoring world that week. The podcast includes sportscar reviews, industry interviews and more. The presenter, Sam Moore, is also a commercial photographer by day – so for some bonus content, head to his Instagram for snaps of cars in some stunning locations.

Get in touch and let us know your favourite car podcasts.

Other articles you might like:

What’s the most fun car you’ve ever driven?

7 of the most iconic horror movie cars

What does the FCA car finance “crackdown” really mean?

We’ve gathered the top three need-to-know stories on our radar this week, so you don’t have to.

“The Porsche-designed 135-foot just hit the market”

Business Insider gives us a peek into what took Porsche designers a whole decade to make. It can accommodate up to ten guests with five guest rooms and a master suite with a private deck. The catamaran, named Royal Falcon One, has been described as “a spaceship on water.”

“How The ‘Tesla Effect’ Is Crushing Used Luxury Car Values”

It’s been reported that “skyrocketing sales” of the Tesla Model 3 is “affecting the resale values of European-brand luxury cars”. Forbes.com have suggested that “the Tesla effect” could be good news if you’re in the market for Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

“Ferrari Wants to Teach You How to Drive Classic Cars on Its Private Track”

Would you retake your driving lessons if they were in a classic Ferrari? It certainly sounds more appealing. The two-day course at the Ferrari Classiche Academy “aims to teach drivers both about the history of the brand as well as ‘techniques used to drive cars produced before electronics had entered the automotive world’”. Sign us up!

Get in touch and share the news stories that you’ve been following this week.

See our last round-up here

Other articles you might like:

What’s the most fun car you’ve ever driven?

7 of the most iconic horror movie cars

What does the FCA car finance “crackdown” really mean?

Trustpilot: Customer Service is Our Top Priority

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