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April 30 Caught by the fuzz
Dan Trent writes: But the guy in the 3 Series wasn't paying as much attention. Either that or the fact he was using the rest of us as a mobile slalom course had gone to his head. Clearly he was an idiot. But I felt almost sorry for him, given that I knew he was going to be pulled long before he did. It was like watching a nature programme as the hapless prey stumbles toward a well hidden predator. You know how it's going to end. You can see the complete failure to realise the impending trap on the victim's face. You can sense the predator's anticipation and feel the voyeuristic guilt at your complicity. And so it went. Mr 3 Series gaily carved up the inside of a car in the outside lane, jinked across to the inside lane and then swung all the way back across three lanes to plonk himself directly in front of the cops. They waited before administering the coup de grace though and I was on tenterhooks as, like a shark, they quietly slipped onto the exit ramp behind their still oblivious victim. Discreetly the 5 Series pulled alongside and all of a sudden lit up like a Christmas tree. I wish I'd been close enough to see the look on the 3 Series driver's face when he realised. There is, of course, nothing more self righteously satisfying than seeing an idiot get his well earned comeuppance. And it's also good to see that in these days of camera enforcement and automated justice that there are still bobbies on the beat able to provide the personal touch. And if you ARE going for a hoon, just be careful who you do it in front of. Dan
April 28 The UK's highest mileage 308* service report(* - well, one of them) Richard Aucock writes:
Peugeot service: how was it, then? Hard to fault. Top receptionist Mary Burrows promised to call me when it was ready, around 2.30pm. She did so, on the button, so off I jogged to pick it up.
Sneakily, I went the back way, and saw it in the car park, gleaming. Great! They’d valeted it. They know how to win my heart.
Inside the service dept (which we entered ‘undercover’ – they didn’t know we were press: hence the lack of photos), Mary saw to me right away, sorted the invoice and gave me a service ‘pack’ with a stamped service book, various receipts – and a tick box health report on the car. Unsurprisingly, all was green and good, rather than amber and borderline, or red and, presumably, deathly dangerous. Front tyres, I now know, have 5mm of tread remaining, and the rears have 6mm. I also know they’ve filled it with 4.75 litres of Castrol GTX Performance semi-synthetic oil, a £30.64 hit that, when added to the £95 service price and VAT load, whacked my credit card for £158.97.
Mary gave me the key and I was on my way. With surprise, that they’d valeted the interior, too. And slight bafflement as to how thoroughly adjusted the seat was – higher, more forward, backrest altered, everything was different. The odometer had also been reset and 2.3 miles added – presumably, resetting the service countdown did this, but it did slightly risk throwing out fuel-brim calculations, until I realised I could just use the overall mileage total. See – it pays to be strict and write down everything in the fuel log book…
The big question was, did it feel any different? Well, I swear it is slightly quieter, smoother and more well-oiled – this is not psychological. The appreciable extra clatter of the HDi has been quietened, so it will be interesting to see if this apparent friction-reduction is reflected in better fuel economy.
In all, while I didn’t demand fresh coffee, croissants, ironed newspapers and a pot plant to sit beneath, I can’t fault the efficient service from Evans Halshaw. In, bosh, out, job done. No hassle and not a massive hit, either.
Oh, and how about this: MSN officially runs one of the highest-mileage 308s in the UK! Mary admitted that it’s probably the first to have its 12,000 mile service. Here’s to us continuing with that record… --- Links: The 308 is in for its first service
April 25 The 308 is in for its first serviceRichard Aucock writes: The French take service very seriously, you know. For the past 1,500 miles, the 308 has politely been telling me, on start-up, that the 12,000 miles service is approaching.
A few days ago, it backed that up by pinging a spanner next to the total mileage (recorded her as our virginal-four-months-ago 308 ticked over to 12,000 miles). Time, I think it’s telling me, to get on the phone and book it in for attention.
First, I tried a Saturday. Next available slot? 24 May. Ah. How about in the week, then? No problem, sir. Give us a few days’ notice, get it here for 8.30am, and it’ll be ready by lunchtime. Bingo. Let’s do that, then. So, today, over to the dealer it is. I’ll leave it there, jog back, work from home and tell all later in the day.
Thing is, I didn’t need the car to tell me it was due for service. I knew. I could feel it. The engine, it’s slightly less free-revving than before. It’s noisier on start-up, and the tickover is clatterier. It even, dammit, sounds ‘dieselier’ at a cruise on the motorway, with more tickety rumble than a couple of thousand miles ago. That’s how well I’ve got to know this car: I can tell when she (sorry, it) needs attention. Here’s to seeing whether it’s all in my head when I get ‘er back, freshly-oiled and smelling rosy. Sorry: I said at the start, service. I meant, servicing. In a few hours, I’ll discover what the servicing service is actually like… --- Links: Longterm Peugeot 308: monthly update Maserati reliability (or lack thereof) We take a break with Cadillac's backseat boardroom
April 24 Maserati reliability (or lack thereof)Ian writes... The first time I drove a Maserati it broke down four times in two days. It was a Quattroporte and had a semi-automatic paddleshift gearbox, which sporadically would fail to engage a gear and so it became a rather large but very beautiful obstruction on HM's Highway. Eventually, with a bit of patience, swearing and revving of engine, first gear would engage and off I would go like I had just stolen it. Shortly after, one of the paddles started to come loose from its housing... These reliability woes became very frustrating very quickly, not helped by the fact that I was food poisoned from eating a wild boar pizza (not recommended) and my girlfriend sat on my Ray Ban sunglasses (flattened). All in all, it was a weekend I wouldn't want to repeat. So it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I went down to supercar club Marque 2 on the south side of the Thames in London, who kindly loaned us the new Maserati Gran Turismo for our twin test with the Audi R8. Would I be struck down with the same run of bad luck again?
Well, it's just as well I have a sense of humour, because the Maser GT I was due to collect had a 'check engine' light burning on the dash when I arrived. The guys at Marque 2 assured me it would be fine, and it was, but when stationary the car had a curious off-beat rumble to it, the kind of thing you might experience after a bad curry. And this car only had 5,000 miles on the clock. So it's an improvement at least, since I wasn't stranded at the side of the road, but niggles do persist in the world of Maserati ownership.
Which is a huge shame, because the GT is a stunning looking car, sounds really meaty and, while not overly quick, rides and handles sublimely. Of course, my Maserati trials and tribulations could just be a coincidence, because Henry's dad owns a 2002-reg 3200 GT coupé and he assures me it is completely problem free.
April 23 Three F1 circuits in two days!Dan Trent writes: Having visited Spa and the Nurburgring yesterday and seeing that Hockenheim was on today's route to Munich we couldn't resist a further slight detour. And so to our third track in two days... Right next to the motorway, the current Hockenheim is very much of the modern motorsport business. But traces of the older, more charismatic circuit remain. And in the true spirit of adventure we sneaked through an opened gate in search of what remains.
The answer is surprisingly little. The famous long straight into the woods has been reforested and although it was only closed in 2002 is already totally overgrown. You can still see the path of the track though, flanked by the taller trees either side.
We also chanced across a memorial to Lotus star Jim Clark, killed here 40 years ago in an F2 race. Proof that these old racing circuits have their fair share of darker moments too.
Further round we found some of the old tarmac remains, this heading up to the hairpin bend on the new circuit that has become the favoured F1 overtaking spot in recent years. You can see the grandstands in the distance behind. Now in Munich, the keys to the M3 have been handed back to BMW for another group of journos to drive the cars back to the UK over the next couple of days. Full report coming soon! Dan
M3 Race track tour - Euro style!
Dan Trent writes: Last year we took an M3 on a tour of UK race circuits and our trip to Munich in the cabrio version seems to have turned into an impromptu European version of the same.
Here's the M3 at Spa Francorchamps - the famous La Source hairpin just 20 metres or so beyond that gate and the formidable Eau Rouge visible in the background.
And of course just over the border there's another circuit you may have heard me talk about once or twice here before... And what's more it was open for a couple of slithery laps in the rain. Like good boys we rang our man from BMW first to check if this was OK and he nervously said 'Well, let me put it this way. It's a long way to Munich if you stuff it...' We didn't of course, although the DSC stability control had a full work out and sadly the roof had to stay raised. No matter, we've got a full day to reach Munich today on a route that includes some derestricted autbahn, or so the talk at the bar went...
Links:
April 22 Tales from the road to MunichDan Trent writes: Off on the launch for the new M3 cabrio and the beginning of our drive to Munich is ... humble. Yup, public transport even. The horror! I'm on the train to Sevenoaks to meet with co-driver Richard before heading off to the Eurotunnel.
Motoring hack in public transport shocker! The train is alright and everything. But if I'm honest I'm looking forward to the M3 showing up.
Aggro taxi driver just out of shot. And here it is, in the glamorous surroundings of Sevenoaks station. Repositioned after a spectacularly unfriendly taxi driver parked his Chrysler 300C in front of me while I was trying to take the shot. I guess expecting a sympathetic response in an M3 cabrio is probably expecting a bit much but all the same... Dan Waiting to board at Eurotunnel...
We take a break with Cadillac’s backseat boardroomcj hubbard writes:Is your office stressing you out? Too many emails, too many chatty colleagues, too many distracting websites… What you need is a bit of alone time. What you need – apparently – is a Cadillac SRX.
Call up Cadillac during the next two weeks, and it will send out a chauffeur driven SRX with the specific intention of whisking you away from it all. There’s no agenda – well apart from the obvious publicity stunting one – no catch, and amazingly, no fee. Simply the chance to grab a laptop and get some work done in the peace and quiet of your own personal mobile “think space”. Billed as the Cadillac “Backseat Boardroom” initiative the service is open to individuals as well as those looking for a secluded meeting spot. Clearly we had to try it.
Super serviceYou enquire about these things, and expect someone to get back to you…eventually. However, literally within about two minutes of hitting the send button we received a phone call saying we were on; it wasn’t a case of what day we wanted the car, but in fact what time this afternoon.
Admittedly, today is the debut of the two-week trial, so later attempts might not be as immediately successful. But impressing a bunch of jaded hacks takes some doing, and we put the phone down looking stunned. Sure enough, 2pm rolled around and there outside was “our” SRX, smart looking chauffer at the ready. Now, in case you are expecting some sort of hyper-flash mobile office to turn up, we should point out that these are just ordinary SRXs. The whole point is to get you away from everyday office distractions. So outfitting the Caddies with internet access would be missing the point.
Don’t let this put you off. As a seven-seat crossover the SRX offers plenty of passenger room (assuming you stick to the middle row), 12v power supplies galore, and backseat controls for the air-conditioning. Just be glad you’re not paying for the petrol. With a 3.7-litre V6 they are certainly thirsty… There is easily enough space to get on with using a laptop, anyway. The full leather seats we sat in were very comfy, and a set of dark tints kept prying eyes at bay. And although there must be limits, chauffeur Matt was happy to take us wherever we wanted.
As it turns out, all we needed was a quick trip around the block to shake the cobwebs out. It can get awfully tiresome having car companies phoning every five minutes to see if we want to drive their latest supercar. Well, all right. The latest Hyundai estate, at least. But why?You might be wondering what the point is. It seems Cadillac has been doing some research. Based on evidence gathered from over 1,000 UK business people, it reckons office distractions mean the ‘real’ working day is just 3 hours and 50 minutes. A situation costing UK businesses over £140billon a year.
The top five office distractions are: unnecessary emails; non-work related internet surfing (oh dear); office gossip; malfunctioning computers, and; pointless internal phone calls. Worse, apparently “71 percent of office workers believe we have now reached a ‘tipping point’ where people are shunning face-to-face, human communication in favour of hiding behind email”. By getting bodies out of the office and into its cars, the American luxury brand is hoping to help increase the UK’s productivity. Not to mention attract some extra Cadillac sales by luring potential customers into to some extensive face-to-face (or is that arse-to-seat?) time with its products.
Whatever, we found the experience thoroughly revitalising. If you want a go, call Cadillac on 0207 841 6668. The backseat boardrooms are only available weekdays nine to five, but are not apparently limited to London. If the two-week trial goes well, the service might even become a permanent fixture. And if nothing else, it could save you the cost of a taxi…
Official: New Labour thinks I am an evil capitalistTom Evans writes: I have just spent an enjoyable few days with a couple of supercars kindly lent to us by a newish car club called Marque 2. They very kindly lent us two of their flashiest models – the regal Maserati Gran Turismo and the totally awesome Audi R8. I had the R8 for the weekend, and apart from making you feel very self-conscious indeed (it does look mighty good), it also can make you something of a taxi service – since everyone wants a go in it: my neighbour, my neighbour’s 2 sons, my friends, my niece & nephew, guys from the sailing club in Essex (where I spent an eventful weekend – more on that soon) and even soldiers:
When photographing our twin test down on Salisbury Plain on Monday – the plain is basically one big military training area with a few roads criss-crossing it - at one point we got shooed away by a soldier in a Land Rover, but he was placated by a blast up the road in the R8 which seemed to cheer him up no end. It was great seeing tanks roaring about at 50mph, their diesel engines screaming:
It’s good driving country, with mercifully few cars around : the primary enemy of any good photo or video shoot. My verdict: the R8 is totally awesome – even better than I thought when I drove it last time – and the Maser is a bit soft and wallowy. But look for the twin test to come.
New Labour, old prejudice Ian and I swapped cars and I drove back in the Maser. After I arrived home, I left my front door open while I went out to clean out the inside of the car. I noticed a hairy man coming up my street delivering May 1 election leaflets, and on closer inspection he was wearing a Labour rosette. He spotted me and more importantly the car and delivered a disdainful look, and when it came to my house instead of delivering a leaflet, just walked on by. I think he concluded that I was a filthy capitalist oppressor of the people if I owned such a car and as such, I was not even worth wasting a leaflet on. Little does he know that I am in fact a virtually penniless father-of-two and my family could even be classed as one of those hard-working varieties his boss drones on about. I always love the fact that people who would be proud to be called progressive are often the most prejudiced people on earth; even if it was my Maserati, might I not have wanted to vote Labour? New Labour likes money now doesn’t it, what with Blair’s holidays with billionaire Berlusconi types and handy tax-exile status for the super-rich of the world to come and live in London? But no – New Labour have discriminated against me (in the wonderful victim-orientated argot of today, very much encouraged by the Labour regime), and I am now thinking of suing them for at least £1m for my hurt feelings. After which I shall buy a Maserati – or more probably an Audi R8… Tom
April 21 Just the job for the school run
Dan Trent writes: Now school run congestion IS a nightmare. And efforts to do something about it should be welcomed. Unless they are utter nonsense, as this appears to be. It's just so flawed at so many levels as to be laughable. If only it weren't true. Council chap said they want to encourage car pooling to reduce the number of cars turning up at the school gate. Good idea. But if people carriers and seven-seat SUVs are going to be charged £75 a year for being 'gas guzzlers' how does that help? And having penalised those daring to have cars big enough to carry lots of kids the next flaw appears - if you're part of a group of car-pooling parents you're ALL going to need permits anyway, whether you're on the school run for one day a week or five. Which thereby destroys the incentive to share. And then there's the fact that the charges only apply to those parents actually park up, get out of the car and walk their children to the gate. Those who simply pause by the side of the road, eject the kids and drive off won't be affected. And in many cases these are the people causing the biggest problems in terms of blocking roads, stopping on double yellows and generally causing a nuisance. So the measures won't even address that side of the problem. Anyway, to all those parents in Richmond wondering what on earth to do next don't worry. I have the answer. The BMW X5 3.0sd. Seating for seven. Looks guaranteed to annoy the misguided fools at Richmond council. And a sub-225g/km CO2 level, escaping the £75 penalty for gas guzzling 4x4s. OK, the savings in permits won't offset the £42K asking price. But the satisfaction would more than make up for that. Dan Links:
April 18 Lost in heaven – on a Mercedes launch - Jesse Jackson for PresidentTom Evans writes: Lost in an SLK 350I am gloriously lost somewhere in that part of the middle of England where you could quite easily be in any number of counties: Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and perhaps many more – let’s just say near Daventry.I am on multi car launch for Mercedes where they are showing off the re-skinned SL, SLK and CLS models:
Having already driven the new SL in California in March, I avoided this car and am doing a First Drive of the CLS – to follow early next week. In the meantime, I decided to become re-acquainted with the SLK. I choose the 350 first up, using the excellent new free-revving 3.5 V6 Mercedes petrol engine:
I am driving on my own at the moment – usually on a car launch you have a partner, who helps you by calling out the route-directions spelled out by the car company.However, when you’re on your own it’s quite hard and sometimes – sometimes – you just want to drive. So I managed to get lost within a mile or 2 from the start – but there are worse things in life than being lost when the sun’s out, you have someone else’s sports convertible to play with – and mercifully a bunch of back B-roads which don’t seem to go anywhere in particular and thus have no traffic on them.So I spot one of those ‘national speed limit’ signs which we all love so much, an even better “not suitable for heavy vehicles” sign and decide that I will have some of that.Traction control?The road surface isn’t what it could be but good enough, though it does get the yellow traction-control light blinking like crazy as yet another – but still quite pleasing in an open-top & B-road kind of way – remix of Utah Saints’ “Something Else” blasts through unexpectedly on the radio and I dart down with wide smile on my face, screaming the engine all the way to its 7,000 rpm redline.The SLK 350 is a cracking little car, made better by its old school, old fashioned 6-speed manual shifter:They really did their homework, since the steering wheel is lovely, notchy and grippy and perfectly balanced since of course on these tortuous twists & turns, you spend a lot of time with only one hand on the wheel as you shift with the other.Having enjoyed being lost, I decide to switch on the handy sat-nav to find home again. Except after much prodding and pressing I discover this £40-grand motor doesn't, er... actually have one. I use the force to find my way back to basecamp at a rather nice stately home hotel off the A361 called Fawsley Hall.Less is more?That was Thursday. This morning I decided to have a go on the considerably less powerful but, at £29k, still quite pricey SLK 200, which only has 2-litres but does at least have a supercharger giving plenty of oomph.At first the lack of pace grated compared to the 350, but I quickly learned to appreciate the qualitatively different way you have to drive – i.e. preserve more momentum, and take advantage of the fact that the car may be less powerful – but has much less weight.It reminded me very much of my old much-loved MX-5, another rear-driving b-road specialist – and a quite a lot cheaper one at that.The funny thing is that although I had a whale of a time, nearly all of it was within the speed limit. I think this is because the combination of being low down and having the roof off – combined with some challenging corners – means you feel you’re going much faster than you are: it is the visceral open-top experience which I personally think is the essence of motoring.And given the usual misery of speed cameras and congestion that is driving in this country these days, it was a delight to rediscover. I have written before that you can’t have much fun driving in this country any more, but the past couple of days have changed my mind. Hurrah for driving in the UK! I love you really.Jesse Jackson for PresidentOut and about on the roads today test driving the new CLS 320CDI and very tasty but very thirsty CLS 500, I find myself behind this wonderful old camper van in a traffic queue - check out his sticker - "Jesse Jackson '88":
As America comes ever closer to electing its first ever Black president - Jesse not having even made it to the Democratic candidacy back in '88 - I couldn't resist a chuckle at this very old school US campaign sticker on a very old school Volkswagen, as it rattled its way through very middle-England...Tom
Fake exit bluescj hubbard writes: We’ve just waved goodbye to the brand new Lexus IS F. It is a fantastically fast, very Japanese, very awesome piece of machinery. Great engine, amazing gearbox, something like 25 percent better fuel economy than an M3 or a C 63. Well, officially at least.
Fair to say I loved it. In fact, since Lexus only plans to import 150 of them this year, and given its high-tech nature was always going to appeal to me, I’m almost sure I’d take one over the available-new opposition (the discontinuing Audi RS4 might just be cause for pause, however…). Just one thing. These super cool stacked exhaust exit pipes?
Photo by Dan They’re fake. You can see the real pipes finishing way before the chrome, and at a much smaller diameter. In fact, from some angles you can even see daylight between the two.
Photo by Dan And what’s more, although they still look super cool now, like Audi’s LED eye-liner headlights, Dan reckons: coming soon to a Citroen Saxo near you.
Of course, on the Saxo they stand a chance of actually being attached to the rest of the exhaust system, but never mind… IS F video road test and first drive are on their way. --- Links: First drive: BMW M3 Saloon (2008 onwards model) First drive: Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG (2008 onwards model)
Curry-on driving?Richard Aucock writes:
Talk about puzzled. There I was, sitting in a curry house, cracking poppadoms and talking about the Villa. Only, with journos. Indeed, surrounded by journos. And PRs. No, this wasn’t a Friday. I wasn’t out with the lads. I was on a car launch. What?
It’s Mazda’s fault. And Mazda’s slice of genius. Naturally, to mark the launch of the latest 6, you don’t give writers a stock meal at a hotel. No, you take over a room in the hotel, take a week to redecorate, and turn it into… an Indian restaurant. Of course you do. But why?
Well, maybe this will give it away.
Yes, we were eating in the New Sikhs curry house. And that, you have to agree, is Einstein-level brilliance of a pun.
I chose a nice Daal, after going heavy on the lime pickle, while the others bizarrely chose madras-style kormas. No, I couldn’t understand it, either. Suffice to say, though, a great night was had by all. The problem will be getting everyone out of bed this morning. After all, it’s a post-curry, Saturday morning lie in with the papers now, isn’t it?
--- Links: First Drive: 2008 Mazda6 on track Image of the week: Ibiza is go!
April 17 Backseat writercj hubbard writes:
A short post, but, I think, an interesting one. I'm actually writing this from the back of a chauffeur-driven Cadillac SRX. All will be revealed very shortly... --- Links: First Drive: Cadillac SRX 3.6 V6
Lamborghini launches new media modelcj hubbard writes:
Ok, so if you are one of the lucky few who can actually afford a Lamborghini, congratulations. Seriously, good for you. As for the rest of us… the Sant’Agata firm has apparently taken pity, and introduced “The World of Lamborghini” podcast… Five episodes are available to download for free right now. Three of them are a little pointless, but the one on the Reventón is pretty good. You know where to go… --- Links:
April 16 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso: the ‘yeah but no but’ carMatt Ball, MSN UK editor-in-chief writes: I took a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso for a week-long test, driving my wife and one-year old daughter to the Lake District at Easter. It works very well as a transporter for your family and all their gear. It is competitively priced but whether to buy one comes down to how fussy you are about details.
The version we drove – the 2.0 Exclusive - came with the usual range of optional extras that you tend to get on the cars given to journalists and that was in addition to all the ones it already has. But whenever I found a feature I liked I always found something else about it that detracted from my enjoyment, only then to find another new feature that I liked. This has led me to call it the ‘Yeah but no but’ car. Here are some examples: Alerts Yeah, I liked the feature that alerts you if you’re wandering out of your lane on the motorway. But no, I didn’t like what it does which is set off a vibration in the seat that makes you feel like you’ve broken wind. But the heated seats are good. Gadgetry
Yeah, I liked all gadgetry around the steering wheel. But no, I never used it. But I loved the door mirrors that automatically fold inwards when you lock the door. DVD player
Yeah, the DVD player kept my young daughter occupied. But no, she’s too young to wear the headphones so the Teletubbies DVD was a silent movie. But she slept a lot, which she has not done in every car we have driven. Sat nav
Yeah, I liked the in-built sat nav. But no, I didn’t like it when it tried to send us up a street we were not allowed to use. But it did give us the latest traffic info which was more up to date than those annoying big signs on the motorways. Storage
Yeah, I liked the dashboard mounted lidded storage compartments. But no, the shape it is moulded into does not allow CDs to fit in well. But I liked the in-built sunblinds – one less thing for over-laden parents to have to remember. Windscreen
Yeah, I liked the super wide panoramic windscreen. But no, I hated the automatic rain sensitive wipers. They had a mind of their own: at times instantly wiping away one tiny raindrop and at other times waiting til the windscreen was almost opaque with rainwater before kicking into action. But the front and rear parking sensors were excellent. Seats
Yeah, you could move your seat forward and back very easily. But no, there was not much leg room in the passenger seat once we had installed our daughter’s car seat behind it. But the luggage space with the back row of seats folded down more than coped with our entire holiday clobber (I’ve never taken so much stuff on holiday). Conclusion I agree with MSN Cars’ roadtest of the Grand C4: I found moving through the gears in automatic mode too jerky, particularly when leaving a service station to rejoin the motorway – a time when you need to get from a low gear to a high gear quickly. But after driving it up and down the M6 and around the Lake District for a week I started to get used to all these quirks. My ‘Yeah but no but’ conclusion is thus: In the unlikely event that I decide to buy a car in the near term (I have never owned a car – see my article about that) will I now include the Grand C4 on my short list? Yeah I would, but no, I admit a seven-seater for a family of three is probably overkill. But more interestingly for me, it was the first Citroen I have ever driven – it is a brand that is absent from my local rental company’s fleet. So would I now consider other Citroen cars? Yes I would. See? Travel does broaden the mind. Useful links Two places of interest to motorists that I visited on my trip in the Grand C4 to the Lake District:
eBay is awesomecj hubbard writes: Auto Trader may well currently be advertising the fastest road going car on earth, but only on eBay will find stuff like this: Unfinished project custom VW van with V8 engine Why on earth would you want to do that? I was also going to point out a 1.0-litre Polo with custom flame paint job (must have cost much more than the car is worth), but the seller has pre-empted my fun poking and removed the listing. Either that, or someone has actually bought it... Instead, try this: 1991 Volvo 940 S Green 2.3 Turbo drift project Quote: "This auction is for my boyfriend's abandoned project..." Kind of tells its own story, doesn't it? --- Links: World's fastest car on Auto Trader
Image of the week: Ibiza is go!Exclusive! cj hubbard writes:
Seat is about to launch the all-new version of its Ibiza supermini - you know, the one designed by ex-Lamborghini man, Luc Donckerwolke. Which is quite exciting.
Seriously - it is. The Bocanegra concept that previewed the new design at Geneva (above and below) looked absolutely fantastic. We can't wait to see the production version outside of the official press photography.
We won't get to do so until the launch in May. Which actually puts us rather behind quite a few members of the general public... Embarrassing we know, but in order to publicise the new car's arrival, a single, solitary example has just finished touring the country. In the back of a specially built Perspex-sided transporter.
Looks super Gerry Anderson-esque, doesn't it? We can just imagine Thunderbird 2 descending through the skies above London, and plucking the case off the back of the truck. Whisking it away from the prying eyes of the press, and preventing us from getting an early glimpse of the car. Not that we're bitter or anything. Actually, we're not. Since Seat kindly sent us this exclusive - yes, we did say exclusive - extra picture of the car-truck combo, cruising past the Millennium Wheel.
Cheers Seat! --- Links: Official: sleek new Seat Ibiza Golf GTI Pirelli set for UK release - UPDATED
April 15 BMW's 28-page 'Ring guideIan writes... For anyone who's genuinely into cars, one pilgrimage we all must make is a visit to the legendary Nurburgring. Essentially a toll road, you turn up in whatever car you like, bung a few Euros (less than 20 for a lap) into a machine and lap until you get bored. But if only it was that simple, because the German track also happens to be one of the most lethal in the world, and anyone using it should at least be aware of what they're getting themselves in for. I.e. an expensive collision with the barrier, painful injury, death... Well, the nice chaps at BMW have produced this handy guide to the 'Ring, a whopping 28 pages of corner-by-corner analysis to help those who aren't as familiar with the track as they are. This is my bed-time reading sorted tonight...
Everybody wants to be German!
Dan Trent writes from the Honda Accord launch in Austria: First Citroen, now Honda: it seems no car manufacturer can resist the temptation to state its number one goal as beating the German competition. And while it's impossible to avoid the Teutonic stranglehold on the Accord's market sector it seems a pity proud firms like Honda feel it necessary to say things like the new car has 'involving chassis dynamics benchmarked against BMW 3 Series.'
Why? If I want a car that rides like a 3 Series ... I'll buy a 3 Series. And if I choose a Honda - and all the engineering pedigree that represents - I want it to drive like a Honda, not a wannabe BMW. But the design team behind the Accord are blatant in their attempts to ape the European competition, saying 'when a premium German brand has a full model change they always retain consistency. They apply an evolutionary approach - not revolutionary.' They then go on to say 'it is important for Honda to develop a stronger brand image.' Exactly! But not by trying to out German the Germans.
Still, for my money, and despite the claims, Honda has actually managed to make the Accord more distinctive, and more distinctively Japanese with it, albeit with a slight transatlantic twist. Which comes as no surprise, given that the US market is a very important one for the Accord. It's not what you'd call pretty, but it definitely has more presence than the outgoing model. Honda should be proud to be making Hondas, and the Accord is certainly a worthy contender. Dan Links:
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