Bullet supercar is an engineering showcase
This is the car the Black Country could build – but it will never appear in a motor salesroom, because the Black Country Bullet is a virtual car, created to show the huge range of engineering capability the area has to offer.
The computer-generated car was one of the star attraction's at the Advanced Engineering Show at the NEC in Birmingham today to showcase the Black Country's world class enginering supply chain.
In a joint venture Invest Black Country, part of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (BCLEP) and Business Birmimingham have presented the Bullet to the world as a virtual high performance car made entirely of precision component from more than 500 automotive suppliers across Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.
In total the Black Country has 2,407 automotive suppliers employing 12,500 people and generating an estimated £400 million contribution to the local economy.
The Bullet underlines the message that the area's expertise and technology now extend throughout the world via luxury brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, as well as mass market auto makers such as Honda, Nissan, Toyota, BMW, Vauxhall and Ford.
Black Country Bullet from Black Country Bullet on Vimeo.
At the launch event in front of a packed crowd Stewart Towe, of the BCLEP, said: "Tour area is becoming the supply chain capital of the UK."
Touring car champion Matt Neal, marketing director at West Bromwich wheelmakers Rimstock, said: "The Black Country Bullet is our shop window to the world. It's a great new marketing initiative."
Wayne Langford, of Black Country Investment, said the project was both a shop window for the companies taking part and for the Black Country as a whole as a centre for automotive component manufacturing.
The potential of the Black Country's auto component companies represents global sales of £1.2 billion and the further opportunities for those companies around the world are estimated to be worth another £3 billion.
Stewart Towe, chairman of the Black Country LEP said: "The Black Country Bullet clearly demonstrates that advanced manufacturing is going from strength to strength in the Black Country.
With the Black Country Bullet we can demonstrate the global strength of our automotive supply chain already supplying prestigious manufacturers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, BMW, Bentley and Aston Martin. The Black Country is clearly a great placed to do business."
Wayne Langford, head of investment at Invest Black Country, said: "The creation of the Black Country Bullet shows that almost an entire car can be built with components, expertise and technology found solely in the Black Country,"
"We have double the number of advanced manufacturing companies than the national average, so our supply chain offers a complete solution to any automotive firm looking to set up shop here. This is a vibrant, diverse and geographically well-connected place to do business."
The Black Country Bullet was launched today at Advanced Engineering UK, highlighting the global Black Country Advanced Engineering Sector, by Stewart Towe and Matt Neal, marketing director at Rimstock and three times British Touring car Champion. Rimstock, based in West Bromwich, is a leading manufacturer of alloy wheels.
Visitors to the show can find out more about the Black Country Bullet by visiting Invest Black Country and Business Birmingham on stand G121 in Hall 5.
For further information visit the websites at blackcountrybullet.co.uk or investblackcountry.com.
