LUXURY car specialist Dick Lovett, which has just opened new Jaguar and Land Rover showrooms in Melksham, has treated service veterans to a taste of life in the fast lane.

The company took a group of armed forces veterans for a blast around a private test track at its Porsche Classic Life centre at Bicester Heritage.

Porsche Classic Life is the only standalone Official Classic Porsche facility in the UK and is a one-stop-shop for everything Porsche Classic; from buying and selling classic models, to parts, servicing and repairs.

Dick Lovett represents Porsche, Ferrari and Maserati in Swindon and has Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW and MINI dealerships close to Cribbs Causeway in Bristol.

It also operates a Jaguar Land-Rover dealership in Commercial Way, Melksham, and showrooms at Porsche Cardiff and Tewkesbury and BMW MINI in Hungerford.

The event was organised in conjunction with Mission Motorsport, a charity which uses motor-based activities to help wounded, sick or recuperating veterans, as well as those who have been medically discharged from the services.

It also included a tour of Porsche Classic Life and the wider Bicester Heritage site, near Oxford, which is a renowned centre of excellence for motoring enthusiasts.

Adam Marchant-Wincott, Head of Employment and Training at the charity, and himself a former Artillery officer, said the Porsche Classic Life visit was one of a number of track days organised by Mission Motorsport to help veterans.

“Giving them access to cars like this and taking them out on the track really brightens their day, it gives them a reason to get out of bed and we’re grateful to the team at Porsche Classic Life for taking the guys out.

“It’s also an opportunity for them to engage with other people and make new contacts.”

Mission Motorsport also helps to upskill veterans and offers training opportunities in engineering and mechanics.

Stephen Brown, who is Classic Manager at Classic Life and Porsche, took the wheel of a Porsche supercar to take a group of veterans on a high-speed spin around the Bicester test track.

Mr Brown said he was honoured to have been able to support the charity and added: “We definitely managed to put a smile on their faces and it was a great opportunity to show the lads the power of these fantastic Porsche sports cars - and the thrill of opening up the throttle!”