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30 novembre What's this, another Porsche-related blog?Dan Trent writes: Maybe we need to re-title this blog 'Inside Track, incorporating Porsche Fanboy Weekly' given the number of related postings of late. Anyway, I think I've finally hit a new low. Yes, I got a press release about some overpriced Porsche merchandise and thought 'Hm, actually that might actually be quite cool'
Not just any old merchandise either. A leather jacket. Oh dear. By my reckoning I'm about 25-30 years off that moment in a man's life when he suddenly seems to think such a garment is the epitome of style and taste. Yet here I am, actually wondering if I can scrape together over £500 for a coat for no other reason than it has a contrived link to the second coolest racing livery ever painted on a Porsche. Second coolest? Well yes, this being part of a new range of clothes and accessories celebrating the long-standing Porsche/Martini sponsorship deal which, after the Gulf-liveried Le Mans and CAN-AM racers, resulted in some of the best looking racing cars ever. How cool? Well, check out the following. Exhibit A being the 1970 'hippy' 917 from Le Mans...
...and exhibit B, the 750hp 935 'Moby Dick' pictured here - for extra geek points - on the Karusell at the Nurburgring.
And that's how it works. Show a nerd a picture of a cool Porsche on the 'ring and a related piece of merchandise and the Pavlovian response is to reach for the credit card. Looks like it'll be a pretty sparse Christmas for everyone else at this rate... Dan Are Porsches all they're cracked up to be?
Porsche alarmRichard Aucock writes: I returned from an event in London this week to an obviously wired office. Have you seen (and here, I paraphrase) Porsche's visually challenging model, they asked me? Intriguing. No I hadn't - but I was confident about seeing their hand, then showing my own. See, coincidentally, I had a winning set of cards, in this:
Yes, an owner had indeed chosen to fit these alloy wheels to his 911. If it looks alarming in the pictures, you should have been in the car park where I snapped them. They were like some sort of 'look at me, I have no shame, or sense of irony' beacon.
Now, I'm all for freedom of choice, and each to his own. It's just that I, personally, find these a teeny bit visually challenging. Mind you, even this wasn't the strong hand I thought. Because then CJ forwarded me the link to the Panamera images...
--- Official: Porsche's Panamera four-door coupe We go crazy in the Aygo Crazy
29 novembre Green motors coming to BluewaterRichard Aucock writes: Quentin Willson is the antithesis of his ex-Top Gear colleagues. Clarkson’s mantra is love speed/hates lentil-eating tree-huggers. Tiff, meanwhile, introduced car TV to sideways, smokey hysteria. But Quentin? His sp is teaching folk, such as that Maureen, to drive well. Or, well, at least drive. How very sensible.
His latest campaign is eco driving. Tomorrow, he’ll be in Kent’s Bluewater shopping centre, teaching shopping widows hot to use less fuel and try to offset some of the cash the missus (or, natch, hubby) is spending. How so? By taking the Green Driving Test on tour. Today, it was at Brierley Hill’s Merry Hill Centre.
Shoppers had a fleet of Ford Focus ECOnetic to take a spin in, over a short 15-minute route. An eco expert sits next to them, pointing out their many bad habits which, in terms of fuel usage, are akin to chucking pound coins out the window. Today, this is just what I did.
I was put on this earth not to use any fuel, so I was confident the drive would be one of demonstration, not education. Ha. Instructor Tim soon put me in my place. A minute in, and good clutch action, for example, was swallowed whole by bad positioning around a sweeping 20mph bend. “By straightening the line, you’re scrubbing less speed off, and maintaining more momentum.” Heavens, this was highline stuff.
“Eco driving is only partly about technique. The main secret is psychological You have to think like a racing driver; conserving momentum, being smooth, planning your lines well ahead and, yes, taking the easiest line through corners. You have a similar goal in mind – to win – but here, your challenge is an eco prize, not a speed one.”
Liking a bit of competition, this changed my drive in a flash. No longer was it just about trying not to stop anywhere, it really was about making that tank of diesel last as long as humanely possible. Angry Alonso focuses on Hamilton with psychotic intensity; me, his Hamilton was my trip computer. My paranoia, obstacles out to get me – such as other cars. Hills. Red blessed traffic lights.
We were quickly back, and I generally got the thumbs up. Tim even taught me how to trick red lights into going green (all to do with the speed you approach them). In answer to his ‘what have you learnt,’ I honestly said ‘plenty’. Not about technique, but about the thought process upstairs. Something’s shifted. You do know, chaps, I’m going to be even worse now. Blame Willson.
--- Take your green driving test and save fuel! Richard's trip computer readout display of the week MPG Marathon
27 novembre Bolt plays the fieldDan Trent writes:
*Ping* went my inbox earlier. Ooh, an email from BMW. “The world’s fastest man becomes even faster” it said, complete with a picture of triple Olympic gold medal winning sprinter Usain Bolt caught in a rather compromising clinch with a BMW M3. In the following press release Bolt describes his first encounter with the M3 as “love at first sight”, the marketing puff going on to say how Bolt’s dream of owning an M3 has been realised thanks to sponsor Puma. Lucky Bolt.
But hang on, what’s this? Another email, this time from Ferrari: “Olympic champion Usain Bolt behind the wheel of F430 Spider” it proclaims. Look – it even ended up in my inbox alongside the one from BMW!
Cue pictures of Bolt with said Ferrari, this time looking a little shifty as the press release boasted of him “fulfilling his dream”, this time driving the F430. So what’s it to be Usain, Ferrari or BMW? And who’s next on the list? “Usain Bolt fulfils lifetime ambition to get behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cruze!” I’m not betting against it…
Dan --- Links: TCoH: Like the Cayenne wasn't ugly enough as it was... First Drive: Ferrari 430 Scuderia ---
Take your green driving test and save fuel!Dan Trent writes:
With our very own ‘Eco Stig’ Richard we’ve got an in-house expert on how to drive in such a way even supercars become fuel-sipping green champions. This is, after all, the chap who managed to get 36mpg out of a Porsche 911. He’s also managed to prove how reducing your average speed can improve fuel consumption by an amazing 20%. There are, of course, two main attractions to driving economically. One, you get to feel all warm and fuzzy knowing you’ve reduced your environmental impact. And two, you save a heap of cash. And if you want to learn how to drive like this yourself you can take a ‘green driving test’ this weekend with the BP Ultimate Green Driving Tour. Hosted by TV presenter Quentin Wilson, the roadshow visits two major shopping malls this weekend, arriving at Merry Hill in Birmingham on Saturday before heading over to Bluewater in Kent on Sunday. The idea of a major oil company promoting ways of reducing your consumption of its product might seem a little odd but BP is throwing its full weight behind the initiative. And on the stand you’ll be able to learn about green driving, practise the techniques on a simulator and then take a ten-minute practical lesson in a Ford Focus Econetic. BP reckons by applying the techniques taught in the session motorists can cut their fuel consumption by a quarter and reduce annual CO2 emissions by an amazing 1.2 tonnes, using a typical family car as an example. Dan --- Links: BP Ultimate Green Driving Tour Richard's trip computer readout display of the week Improve your fuel economy by 20% ---
26 novembre Looking forward to F1 2009 already…Dan Trent writes:
Michael Schumacher’s retirement was the best thing to happen to F1 in the last few years. I don’t have anything against him, it’s just that the combination of his cool, tactical (and very effective) approach to motor racing coincided perfectly with one of the most boring periods in the sport’s history. Great for his victory tally but god it made for dull viewing. But just look at the last two seasons for how the sport has changed. And that comes despite the concerted efforts of the FIA to the mess it all up. So I’m looking forward to 2009, and one of the most potentially open and competitive seasons yet. Even more exciting is the official confirmation of the BBC presenter line up. It’s bye-bye James Allen’s often bizarre proclamations. And farewell to Mark Blundell’s unique approach to punditry that seemed to involve little more than looking baffled and then repeating the question just put to him and claiming it as valid insight.
Brundle stays though, and this is a good thing. Now he’s got over the need to constantly remind us he too was an F1 driver a few years back he’s matured into a real authority, and an entertaining one at that. Plus he seems to really get up the nose of Max Mosley, which can’t be a bad thing. He’ll be partnered in the commentary box by Jonathan Legard, an experienced sports broadcaster and official BBC safe pair of hands and anchor Jake Humphrey. But it’s the drafting in of David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan as pundits I’m most looking forward to. Post-McLaren era ‘Crazy Dave’ Coulthard has reinvented himself and isn’t shy of the odd bitchy comment against his fellow drivers. And Jordan is a sly old dog with, no doubt, a few axes to grind. I’ve got in mind The Muppet’s Statler and Waldorf, flinging sarcastic comments from the commentary box and sparing nobody in the process. Tempering this cynicism the ever keen Ted Kravitz makes the transition from ITV and will be partnered by Lee McKenzie, sparing us the slightly queasy spectacle of mumsy Louise Goodman’s ‘ooh, young man’ flirtations with the drivers and stating the bleedin’ obvious interview technique: “Driver X, you’ve just crashed out and lost the race, how do you feel?” Driver X: “Um, pretty annoyed actually.” Really? All I need now is confirmation Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain will return as the theme tune and I’ll be in F1 heaven.
Dan --- Links: ---
We go crazy in the Aygo CrazyDan Trent writes:
Having just about thawed out from filming it alongside Nissan’s bonkers 350Z-engined Micra yesterday, CJ and I decided the Aygo Crazy we’ve got on loan from Toyota needed to meet its public. So we decided to gatecrash a regular modded car meet held every week outside Halfords in Hemel Hempstead.
I got there before CJ and so got to witness the heads whip round at sound of the Aygo’s somewhat raucous approach, all popping exhausts and chuffing wastegates. I also overheard sniggers that someone would do that to an Aygo, rapidly silenced when the car pulled up and the full extent of the mods were revealed. Yes, it’s got an MR2 engine in the back. Yes, it’s got a turbo. Yes, it’s fast and, yes, it’s the only one in existence.
Minor celebrity status in Halfords' carpark was ensured for one night only, CJ and I shamelessly milking it for all it was worth. Well, why not. And the Aygo Crazy departing in a flurry of wheelspin and turbocharged frenzy? Um, that must have been someone else…
Dan --- Links: Mad 200bhp Aygo for the British Motor Show Efficient dynamics? In your dreams... Found: the Impreza's lost mojo ---
24 novembre Pre-Budget reportIan writes... Alistair Darling has just delivered his pre-Budget report and the measures spell good news for hard-hit motorists: Car tax: next year it will rise by no more than £5. The year after it will rise by no more than £30 for the most polluting cars (it was £90 for some) and lower-polluting cars will see reductions of up to £30. Fuel duty to rise to offset the increase in VAT. VAT cut to 15% from 17.5% for 13 months, Darling says – by which time “we expect recovery to be underway”. This is an instant 2.5% saving for anyone buying a new car. Click here to see MSN Money's full coverage of the pre-Budget report 2008 and what it means for you Share It
Efficient dynamics? In your dreams…Dan Trent writes:
It comes to something when even Top Gear broadcasts a feature about eco driving but last night’s show did just that. The only surprise was that our very own Richard wasn’t called in as an expert. This, after all, the man who got 36mpg out of a Carrera S! I think I hail more from the Clarkson school of fuel usage. Especially after my weekend in the X6 diesel. EfficientDynamics? It’ll take more than brake regeneration to transform this beast into a darling of the green brigade. Just check out the trip computer reading, following a trip to Wales and back to explore the X6’s official role as a ‘sports activity coupé’. Cruise control the whole way and STILL just over 25mpg. And yes, it really is a diesel. Ouch.
I’ll have to hand the keys to our tame green motoring specialist to see what he can do. Like some sort of Eco Stig, Richard is the man with the magic touch when it comes to maximising mpg.
Dan --- Links: Richard's trip computer readout display of the week ---
23 novembre A SEAT at the VillaRichard Aucock writes:
I’d have to watch through a gap in the turnstile wall. Or, more likely, listen to it on 5Live. Then, SEAT called. Don’t fancy coming along to the Villa Man U game, do you? In the executive box we’ve got for the game? Ooh, I was all of a flutter when I put the phone down.
A week later, there I am. Peach of a view in a (freezing) Villa Park, box to ourselves, even a bit of nosh for good measure. It was a barely believable dream, and all courtesy, explained Jean and Scott from SEAT, of a sponsorship deal the brand has with Aston Villa.
More of that later. First, we all sat down for a pre-dinner feast. Normally, it’s chips for me at the Villa. It was today, too – just a bit posher.
Free programmes meant my collection would not go malnourished, either. SEAT gets a badge on the front cover of the programme, and snares a slot on the Villa’s official letterhead, as well.
The game? Oh, we were magnificent, of course. It was surprisingly close, seeing as Man U seem to beat us with depressing frequency. We were dodgy in the first half, but came alive in the second, had a few seat-edge chances and, of course, a stone-wall penalty shout.
But there was even more excitement as I floated past the player’s car park. So, SEAT supplies cars, aye? Well, yeah, there was the odd Leon in the car park… completely outnumbered by all the Bentleys/Audis/X6s/Range Rover Sports. Footballer’s cars? It’s no cliche.
This, I think, is England’s Gareth Barry’s RRS. Next to, yep, a Bentley Flying Spur.
That’s a Bentley Conti GT. In white. With what look like a set of 23”s. And an optional boot spoiler. Could only be a footballer. Oh, there’s a Leon there, too.
This is an Audi R8. But, hold on, who’s that at the front? Yes, it’s Villa’s Marlon Harewood!
Just to prove it, here he is, signing a few autographs. Your writer may have been holding a programme in his hand at the time. He couldn’t possibly say.
Marlon has good taste: black, with black carbon-fibre panels, and a sensible set of alloys. I also liked the way he let it warm a little before driving, anything but show-boatey, away. Top man.
That, on the left, is an Audi S8. Next to the security man with the hi-vis is Nigel Reo-Coker, and on the right, NR-C’s family. Hence him choosing the family wagon. He was blocked in a little by a pesky flying Spur but, as with Ronaldo on the pitch, he expertly disarmed the threat. Ahem.
Really, as Scott explained, I shouldn’t have been surprised not to see that many SEATs. The company, in all, provides 30-odd cars – for Villa officials, who use them in supporting the club’s community work. A positive tie-in for both parties, he said. ‘Of course, one football chief does drive a Leon,’ he added. Oh yes? ‘Karren Brady.’ MD of no other, but Villa arch-rivals, Birmingham City.
Don’t worry, I have forgiven him… ---
22 novembre Superb ride? It should be…Richard Aucock writes: Why, why, why. I despair, I really do. Why can I not get a test car that rides with the ethereal beauty I know is possible? Thought I had just the thing to offset the long-term SEAT’s jiggle-joggle. A Skoda Superb. And not just because you really can buy one modesty called Superb Elegance.
No, because Skoda knows how to make cars ride well. A Fabia is immeasurably cannier than a Polo, while an Octavia shows even the Golf a thing or two for damping quality. Apparently, Czech roads mimic ours in their broken, pot-marked nature. Skoda prides itself on smoothing them away for locals; the flip-side is them working equally well here.
The Superb, exemplary in so many ways, thus has delicious damping. It has an almost hydraulic quality to its cushioned, controlled absorbency. The ride is also quiet, and high-speed composure is very impressive. And this is all completely thrown into the bin with an idiotically ill-advised choice of wheels.
Really. 18-inches. 40-profile tyres. What were they thinking? Since when did a supposed luxury saloon need rubber band tyres of dimensions even hot hatch buyers would think, ‘ooh, that’s a bit extreme’?
The result is, you’ve guessed it, constant irritability. Stiffness over minor irritations. Thumping bumps to road scars. The general impression that the cake is spot-on, apart from the quart-pot of chili sauce someone accidentally threw into the mix. I just know the boggo Superb S, with sensible 16-inch wheels, offers a more genuine ‘luxury’ drive than its posh £4500-dearer sibling.
But will that stop marketing people insisting on such nonsensical tyres? Probably not: the standard car clearly looks so under-wheel’d, they can’t even bring themselves to show a picture of it in the brochure…
--- Long-term SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive
21 novembre My car wins SEAT a prize
Richard Aucock writes: My long-term Ibiza Ecomotive is a prize-winner, of sorts. A few months ago, the DVLA started a campaign, showing off how easy it is to tax cars online. The carrot to get people interested? A monthly prize of an Ibiza Ecomotive. Not bad.
And now, SEAT’s been rewarded for the ‘mould-breaking’ campaign, with victory in the 2008 National Business Awards. The BBC’s Andrew Marr presented the award at, apparently, a ‘glitzy awards ceremony’ at London’s Grosvernor House. Who else was there, hob-nobbing with the victorious SEAT crew? Well, senior business leaders. Academics. Peter Mandleson. HRH the Earl of Wessex. It’s big stuff.
Apparently, the DVLA chose the prize car on emissions – it had to be in Band A or B for vehicle excise duty. My long-termer best matched the qualifying criteria and, since then, 18 have been given away. The competition is still open, too. And SEAT’s so impressed with how it’s all gone, it’s upgrading the prize – to a Leon Ecomotive.
It is yet to be confirmed whether MSN Cars will enjoy a similar upgrade... --- Long-term SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive UK's most economical cars
TCoH: Like the Cayenne wasn’t ugly enough as it was…Dan Trent writes:
Welcome to the first in an occasional series here on the MSN Cars Blog named, after a period of consultation (well, CJ and I chatted about it for a bit): Tuner Chamber Of Horrors.
Fairly self explanatory. Every now and then we get press releases, usually from German tuning companies, detailing the latest frightful ‘enhancements’ for all manner of cars.
For our first instalment step up JE Design, who proudly boast of being specialists in souping up Seats. Which inspired them to tackle the Porsche Cayenne…how? Anyway, taking the already fairly hideous Cayenne GTS as their foundation they’ve succeeded in making it even uglier. Which is an impressive effort in itself. The package includes allegedly aerodynamic new bumpers, and ‘timelessly elegant’ five-spoke 22-inch wheels. Step back and feel the horror…
Dan --- Links: Mein Gott! And, the answer is: yes. Notes from the road: a tale of two GTS ---
19 novembre Richard’s trip computer readout display of the weekRichard Aucock writes: In the office, they think I’m an eco nut. Not in the sense of wearing hemp corduroys or making my own algae smoothies. But in often being able to eek the fuel computer readout higher than anyone else. Thought my crown was slipping last week, when I got a meagre 33mpg from a Lexus GS 450h. But, today, the boy is back.
I swear, this wasn’t me crawling down the M1, in Porsche’s latest 911 Carrera S PDK. It was just driving as I do, day in, day out. It is pretty staggering, though, don’t you agree? And to think, this is perceived as a ‘thirsty’ sports car – not like that ‘green’ Lexus. Pft. Give me strength… --- Improve your fuel economy by 20% Diesel v petrol: which is best? 911 drives us to drink
C-Class fan (again)Richard Aucock writes: I had an early drive of the current Mercedes C-Class, back last summer. I was very impressed. It was a car transformed. Imagine my surprise, then, when I drove it back in the UK. Good, I thought, but no cigar. What was going on? Had I succumbed to the curse of the motoring hack – where seemingly great cars seem to scatter rating stars in the English Channel as they make their way over here?
This week, thankfully, I proved my initial judgement right. It was simple, really. The cars I first drove here were standard SE ones, like the car on the right. This brings squidgy standard suspension, tall-profile tyres and, well, an old, not very dynamics Merc feel. And the one on the left?
That is a Sport. You get the cool front end, bigger wheels and, significantly, sportier suspension. Result? A peach on the road. The steering’s great, dynamic feel much-improved, body control better, it pitches and squidges less, grips more, is an altogether much nicer car. Even the ride quality barely suffers from those large wheels. Better still, you get one of the best dial packs in the business.
How cool are they? It's almost worth a bad pun, along the lines of 'see, told you it was class'. Geddit? Ahem. --- Mercedes C-Class estate first drive
The girl loves an Aston MartinTom Evans writes: A weekend with the in-laws is not always something that excites any married man – happily however, this one had a twist: my colleague Peter kindly offered to lend me the lovely facing green Aston Martin DB9 he had in turn been lent by Aston – and he lives quite near my in-laws in Aylesbury. For various complex reasons I have driven every other current-ish Aston (Vanquish S, V8, V8 Roadster) but never the DB9 or indeed its sibling the DBS. So I was pleased to put this right. My little girl is something of car expert now, aged 3.5 years. She can name a car from half a mile away, especially if we have ever had one in. She is especially obsessed with Minis, Audis, Skodas, and Hondas. I fear however she is going to grow up thinking that cars can be exchanged every few months for brand new models, and indeed nice cars can be summoned at the click of one’s fingers. She didn’t know what an Aston Martin was – but she does now. She is turning into a budding petrolhead indeed:
The DB9 - what a car! It sparks up with that signature V12 sound: a purring refined roar that gives just a hint – but a very big hint – of its capability. Peter drives me back to his place and as we head onto the motorway a tap of the right foot bullets the machine forward – luvverly. The interior is special too – although for such a vast car, it is very odd there is so little space inside and that the boot is miserable – perhaps a bit too miserable for a Grand Tourer car. People are always very rude about the “rear seats” in cars like this and the Jaguar XK et al- but I reckon they’re absolutely perfect if you happen to have a 3-year-old:
...and shortly after went straight to sleep. You feel like a rockstar driving this thing around – though when driving back to London I got caught in a horrendous traffic jam outside Watford on the A41 – a road was closed due to a major fire in an office building – I had cause to note that the clapped out Micra full of yoofs ogling the Aston next to me was going just as fast as my £120k rocketship... Tom
18 novembre Filming the Audi Q5 in GranadaPeter Burgess writes from the Audi Q5 launch:
I am out in Granada with Audi to drive the Q5. These are the first right-hand-drive cars and Audi has shipped them out by the transporter load for us to try out on the very smooth roads up in the mountains. It’s a great opportunity to get some traffic-free miles under the belt, though not everyone has escaped the clutches of the Spanish police.
I am here primarily to pull together a road test video of the Q5, which means a finding out about the car at the same time as filming it. Fortunately there are 24 hours in which to do this, but it still means some multi-tasking where Paul shoots the statics while I sit in the sun with the laptop putting the script together. Paul and I made the stupid error of driving off in search of great roads only to discover that the 3km driveway to the Hotel Bobadilla was as almost as good as anywhere we found in the next two hours. But it was eventually worth it for we found the most superb mountain roads and a typical Spanish hillside town to put down the necessary tape.
Also there was MSN Cars’ Ian Dickson, who with the rest of the journalists, enjoyed Audi’s stupendous chartered 737 jet which, instead of the EasyJet 140 seat profile we are normally used to, was fitted out with just 40 seats. Better than first class, it must be said, and just the sort of image Audi hopes will rub off on its expensive new SUV. Peter --- Links: Seeing the Forester from the trees On the road: of Astons and Accords ---
17 novembre eBay: saved againcj hubbard writes (with some relief): As the occasional post I make about random old cars on eBay may have already given away, I find myself on the perpetual hunt for some sort of vaguely classic banger. This weapon of choice ranges from early BMW 3 Series through to early Mazda MX-5s, but all sorts of stuff catches my attention. Unlike a colleague I could mention - *cough* Richard *cough* - I haven't yet 'accidentally' bought anything on the 'Bay. Although, as my girlfriend will no doubt be quick to be point out, it has been close. I was - phew - outbid on a very nice looking E21 at the last minute...
This time, however, things were looking really bad after I stumbled across this Mini. See, not only is the girlf a Mini freak, but the car in question has a half cage and buckets seats in it already, and seemed to be going for a song. And with my car about to get hit with a serious tax hike (see the SportKa entry here - I mean jeeez, I pay only just more than that for insurance), an old, high-pollutin' mobile might just be the answer. Fortunately - just as I was about to make arrangements to view the car - someone went and Bought It Now, and Beat Me To It. Thank God. --- Links: Let's go 70s: of Opels and Vauxhalls on eBay New VED bands: winners and losers ---
911 drives us to drinkDan Trent writes:
Now I’m not suggesting Porsche advocates drink driving or anything so irresponsible. But with a rapidly dwindling supply of petrol in the 911’s tank on Saturday (must’ve been the, um, atmospheric conditions affecting the fuel consumption or something…) I was paying close attention to the nav to see where the nearest filling station might be. In the middle of nowhere and with an indicated range of 14 miles (see above) things were looking a bit dicey. There were no filling station icons on the screen but the 911 came up with the next best thing – directions to the nearest pub with a graphical representation of a foaming glass of beer! Now that’s the kind of attention to detail I appreciate.
Oh, and my post about saying the MX-5 I had last week was more fun than the 911? I may have been a bit hasty… Dan --- Links: Porsche? Nah, I'll take the MX-5 thanks ---
Cheesy press photo of the daycj hubbard writes:
The blonde guy is Nick Hughes, apparently a guitarist in the band The Crane Brothers; the guy with the trendy haircut making shapes is Neil Whitcher, marketing manager for Fender Musical Instruments; the guy standing at the back looking slightly uncomfortable is Tony Dittli, managing director of Fiat Marylebone. The occasion? Presentation of Mr Hughes with a Fender guitar with custom Fiat artwork, which came as part of the package when The Crane Brothers were chosen to headline Fiat's 500 PicNic event in London's Alexandra Park earlier in the year. You might wanna plug the thing in before you start playing though, huh? Almost as daft as the last Fiat related item we blogged about... --- Links: Hawaii Five-0, Yeaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! You've done *what* to your car? ---
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