Bicester Heritage has today unveiled its full proposed masterplan and strategic vision to create a unique and immersive automotive resort named Bicester Motion

Bicester Heritage has today unveiled ‘Bicester Motion’, its masterplan for the creation of the UK’s first automotive resort. Above all, its ambition is to become one of the country’s top 20 tourist and leisure destinations.

Already a centre for excellence, experience and community for the historic automotive sector, Bicester Heritage wants to expand. It will now become a component of a larger landmark development named Bicester Motion. This expansion will ensure its historic airfield location fulfills its original purpose as a focal point for cutting edge technology.

Bicester Motion

The new resort hopes to offer leisure, culture and tourism experiences within one destination. Consisting of multiple zones, the Bicester Motion concept comprises of the recently announced 344 room hotel and conference development. In addition, there are 770,000 feet of operational business and leisure accommodation sitewide.

Bicester Motion seeks to become a UK top 20 attraction for one million tourists and 30+ businesses in the area. It will provide world class leisure facilities, employment and business opportunities at a leading automotive-focused development unlike any other.

Bicester Motion aims to be the first experiential automotive resort where visitors can become fully immersed in our automotive culture. This planned low-density development will be dedicated to driving experience and the demonstration of high-tech engineering as well as health, wellbeing, events, accommodation and aviation.

Bicester Motion aspires to include a brand experience centre offering experiences with on/off-road courses, with also restaurants and cafes. Close to the brand centre, the aim is to transform the quarry and industrial areas into the Bicester Reserve. This ecology-led health and wellbeing zone utilises the site’s currently inaccessible natural areas. It also offers access to a country park with footpaths, cycle paths and lakeside lodges ideal for family breaks.

Motor Vaults

Motor Vaults aims to be a community of private gallery-style garages for car storage with accommodation. This will allow owners to use and maintain their vehicles in a beautifully designed and discreet location. Nestled in to the WW2 airfield’s boundary, these car storage structures will sit adjacent to the current Bomb Stores. A fitting tribute to an area built as a storage solution, but also close to the current supportive campus of over 40 industry specialists.

Land abutting the Bicester ring road is earmarked for Bicester Motion’s Future Automotive Speed Technology hub, or F.A.S.T. Zone. This planned new centre of excellence will be a thriving home for automotive ‘tech’ development, demonstration and education.

Providing an introduction to the future of the automotive movement is central to Bicester Motion’s concept. Where else in the UK is it possible to experience future vehicles in conjunction with our motoring history? The existing perimeter circuit, The Radial, once refurbished will offer visitors the chance to experience these vehicles in a controlled environment as well as learn skills.

Bicester Expo, an aspiring cutting-edge exhibition centre based in the former WW2 C Type Hangars will provide significant venues for conferencing, automotive events and leisure opportunities.

Partnering with blue-chip and also cutting-edge businesses, the financial contribution to the local and wider economy benefit the area immensely. Furthermore, this development hopes to ensure cohesive links to Bicester town centre, Bicester Village and the Ox-Cam ‘technology corridor’.

Dan Geoghegan, Chief Executive of Bicester Motion

“The automotive industry is in a fascinating state of flux owing to changing customer habits and requirements, alongside the technology shift in drivetrains and autonomy.  Bicester Motion will enable both new and existing manufacturers to interact more effectively with their clientele.  It will help build those relationships in a revolutionary way by providing an immersive environment that offers a lifestyle experience beyond just cars on tracks or visiting a showroom.  The automotive world is changing, and we plan to offer a first-of-its-kind resort that will have multi-generational appeal.”

“Being around 90 minutes from 50% of the UK population makes the Bicester Motion location second to none, furthermore Oxfordshire receives 27.6 million visitors per annum.  Of those, 7 million visitors head to Bicester Village a stone’s throw away, with arguably the most desirable national and international demographic to the automotive industry.”