Now into the third year of its multi-year partnership with Silverstone Festival (formally the Silverstone Classic), Motul took an expanded presence to the home of British Motorsport in in 2023, using the event to make a plethora of announcements, including the launch of Motul NGEN.
The brand placed itself prominently around the Silverstone circuit, with a large presence on the Copse runway, home to all retail stalls and some other vehicular displays. It was here where the lubricants company was offering fans the chance to buy its products, have their own oil tested, and where the company was championing its new ranges.
Just outside this stand was the Lotus 23 sports racer that German motorsport influencer and Motul Ambassador Tim Schrick brought to the Silverstone Festival. Paddock Speedshop’s Motul-liveried 1961 Tartan Mini Cooper was also be on display at the Motul enclosure.
Also outside on the Copse runway was the Motul Classic Bus mobile lab, where visitors to the event could get a free health check of their car engine or gearbox lubricants on any sample provided. Over the last couple of years, the free oil analysis service has given critical advance warning of potential catastrophic failures on several race cars at the festival, saving their owners from both a potentially dangerous situation on track, and thousands of pounds for damaged engine repairs.
Sustainability at the heart of Motul
Awareness of the climate emergency has grown exponentially in recent years, and a more sustainable way of life is being adopted by many. For Motul, the need to embrace this sustainable way of life is clear, and has led to a number of product decisions.
“There is a lot of pressure everywhere now on sustainability and the impact that we have on our planet,” commented Andy Wait, Sales and Marketing Manger for Motul UK and Ireland. “Motul is no different to that. I would say where we are different is that we are actively doing something about it. We are an innovation company at heart. We like to try and test new areas and then continually improve.
The company used its presence at Silverstone Festival to highlight its work on developing sustainable products, launching BioRefill, which helps to remove aerosol sprays out of workshops, removing harmful gases from the use of everyday products. It uses dedicated fluids that can be refilled and pressurised to deliver the same performance as aerosol cans, but without the environmental impact.
Motul NGEN range launched
But when it comes to sustainability, it is the new oil range that the company has produced which will likely lead discussions.
Motul NGEN consists of high-quality regenerated oils, or contains a high-proportion of raw materials from renewable sources, without removing performance. The regenerated base oil comes from waste, meaning a more circular product, helping achieve an increased level of sustainability.
“What we did not want to do was to offset, to say that for every drop of oil we would go and plant trees,” continued Wait. “Instead we have innovated with regeneration. A key point to make is that there is a big difference between a recycled oil and a regenerated oil. Regeneration, or regenerating things, is something that we are already doing as a human species. We are drinking regenerated water over and repeatedly, for example. So Motul is doing something similar with oil for your engine.
“We are taking high yield, high quality, used oil from sources and then using the same refining process as if we took crude oil out the ground. And what we end up with at the end is base stock oil. Because we have distilled it, we have removed the impurities, taken the coolant metals, the carbon deposits, everything out that we do not want. And then we take the yield of that, add that back to the base stocks.”
Motul NGEN Hybrid has been developed for drivers of hybrid cars. The lubricant contains up to 25% oil from renewable raw materials and supports better fuel efficiency as well as improved response and starting behaviour.
In the motorbike sector, Motul NGEN 5 is a high-performance, reliable engine oil for everyday use – tackling the challenges of both urban and rural environments. Motul NGEN 7 is the first choice for all motorcyclists for the demands of sporty driving behaviour. The high-performance oil offers improved response for powerful engines as well as high temperature resistance and strong clutch grip.
Oil here for the long haul
While the UK is (for now) banning the sale of new petrol and diesel models from 2030, and hybrids from 2035, the oil industry will be here for some time yet. As evidenced at Silverstone Festival, hundreds of thousands of classic and performance cars at least will remain in existence long after the ban comes into effect.
There is also the issue of the UK car parc. Currently it consists of over 35 million passenger cars, the vast majority of these feature some form of internal-combustion engine.
“These vehicles are not going to disappear overnight,” added Wait. There is probably 20-30 years left of servicing life left in these vehicles to go. We can still make those as sustainable for that duration and reduce our impact going forward as well.”
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