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30 luglio A tale of two trip (computers)Richard Aucock writes: We had a Honda Insight in on test this week. Great! Ideal meat to compare alongside my eco long-term Volvo C30 DRIVe. They cost similar money, are similarly-sized, produce the same combined 64.2mpg economy; yes, the Honda has five door practicality, but Volvo can beat this with the same-economy Volvo V50 alternative to my car. So, day 1: 104-mile journey in the Honda. Whatya got, Insight?
Hmm. Was somehow expecting a bit more, considering how genteelly I was driving. Never mind – it’s the comparison I sought, not the actual figure. To the Volvo, then. Day 2: identical 104-mile journey, similar average speed, taking an identical amount of time. Up for it, C30?
It sure was – that’s more than 7mpg better! Diesel beats petrol, eco Volvo beats eco Insight; game over. Let’s not mention the fact I much preferred driving the Volvo, rather than the noisy, jittery Honda. I know trip computers often bend the truth, but surely they never under-read? That’s why I’m now perhaps a little unconvinced of the hype Honda has for the Insight. Particularly as, flicking through the trip computer, I came across another screen:
What would it be like in ‘ECON OFF’ mode..? --- Links
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You wait for one Exige… Dan Trent writes: Yes, and then three come along at once! Early shots from yesterday’s exploits at Spa-Francorchamps helping RSR Nurburg run in its new fleet of Exiges ready for tuition and rentals at Spa and the Nurburgring. Quite a sight they made too, all of them fresh on delivery mileage and under strict instructions from RSR boss Ron not to exceed 6,000rpm while they’re being run in!
‘My’ blue car got a run round too, though sadly we weren’t allowed to give it full beans. That’ll have to wait until this afternoon at the Nurburgring GP track. Of which more to follow… Dan --- Links: (Old) ladies love a man in a Lotus --- Schumacher returnscj hubbard writes: It was a terrible, unfortunate thing that happened to Felipe Massa during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. We all wish him the speediest possible recovery, and our hearts go out to him and his family.
However. Michael Schumacher is returning to Formula 1 to fill Massa’s seat for the remainder of the season. And the prospect of this has got us all a tingle. One of the most exciting seasons in Formula 1 for years has just been dialled up another notch. This is going to be epic. When the deal was still in the ‘will he, won’t he - probably not’ stage yesterday, everyone was saying Schumacher had nothing to gain and everything to lose by returning to Formula 1. He’s old, he’s out of it, there’s too much young talent on the grid – and anyway, the current Ferrari is a bit of a dog…
Don’t be so hasty. This guy is one of the most calculating professionals motor racing has ever seen. I seriously doubt he’s doing this just to help out – and he certainly wouldn’t be doing it if he thought it was going to damage his reputation. If anyone’s feeling under pressure right now, it’s more likely to be Kimi Raikkonen. Not convinced? Then click here for a reminder of a little incident back in November 2007. And yes, that was over 18 months ago, but don’t doubt for a minute that Schumacher has been thoroughly involved in the development of the current Ferrari F1 car. In between development duties for the brand new Ferrari 458 Italia road car, of course. The 2009 F1 season re-starts after its summer break 21-23 August at Valencia in Spain. Our sofas will be primed and ready, and our televisions thoroughly warmed up. Bring it on. --- Links: Schumacher WILL make F1 return in Spain Official: stunning new Ferrari 458 Italia Pikes Peak video goodness: “‘Fiesta’ Spanish for ‘Crash’” ---
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Formula 1, F1, Ferrari, Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, 458 Italia, Motorsport, Inside Track --- Share It:
29 luglio The Exige sets sail Dan Trent writes: After an early start and a boring hack around the M25 I’m here at Dover and, after the essential greasy spoon breakfast…
…pictured above now writing from the Club Lounge of the Pride Of Calais (thanks to P&O for the upgrade!), en route to a date at Spa with the boys from RSR Nürburg to help them test their driver training progamme there. They’ve just taken delivery of some Exiges too and these will be added to their rental fleet of Clio 197s and Megane R26.Rs. At the moment though the Exige has been acting as something of a mobile office. Slightly lacking in creature comforts – or any comforts to be fair – but at least I’ve got an iPod plug in and air con. Positively decadent for a Lotus, it has to be said! But the ferry is a welcome taste of luxury (I’ve passed on the offer of champagne and stuck to coffee instead!) ahead of three hours of French and Belgian motorway, the latter inevitably likely to be rain sodden and rather scary on the Exige’s Yokohama track tyres… Dan --- Links: (Old) ladies love a man in a Lotus England vs. Germany: flat out in a Lotus Exige Pikes Peak video goodness: "'Fiesta' Spanish for 'Crash'" Share It:
Ten-tenths – in the KTM X-BowTom Evans writes: The X-Bow (pronounced ‘crossbow’) is an extraordinary car. Black and orange, covered in carbon-fibre, it looks like nothing else on the road: it looks like a car straight out of Mad Max – or Bladerunner – a go-kart that is somehow street-legal. Costing around £50,000, it may only have 240hp - but this little machine only weighs 700kg. As Ian says below, it attracts attention like nothing else on the road. Driving it home this evening, I got high-fives, waves, “nice car mate” and lots of smiles and cameras pointed in my direction. It improved my mood no end – it is totally mad and bad – and accelerates with amazing verve. When I got home I was greeted with a “what on earth is that?” exclamation from Jon, my neighbour. I had to give him and his sons the usual spin around the block, with them howling with pleasure at the astonishing acceleration, the sound of the turbo whooshing away. The brakes squeak and there various vaguely odd sounds from the suspension and engine, but perhaps this is just part of the X-Bow schtick. Still, it’s made in Austria, which is nearly Germany, so I’m reasonably confident this rich boy’s track day weapon will stay the course. The X-Bow is very much an uncompromising ten-tenths car – a full on driving machine which takes no prisoners and is resolutely uninterested in niceties like heaters, radios and indeed windscreens... Share It
28 luglio The attention-seeking KTM X-BowBy Ian Dickson Pictures by Ricky O’Bannon Londoners were treated to a shocking start to a Tuesday morning with the sight of our KTM X-Bow grumbling and squealing its way through town. Everyone, from depressed pin-striped bankers to mums pushing prams, stared at the X-Bow – and the tourists' cameras were diverted away from London’s landmarks for a few moments while the X-Bow zoomed by.
If you are a self-conscious type, you will loathe this car but you do get used to the attention and it is actually quite flattering; a few friendly types even wound their windows down to chat motors. That’s about as crazy as talking to someone on the Tube. So the X-Bow unites Londoners, and quite rightly because it is fantastically brilliant and uniquely bizarre. With a 240hp 2.0-litre turbocharged Audi engine, lashings of carbonfibre and the sort of acceleration that could peel your face back, this is the mother of all Sunday-back-road-blast cars. Discreet it is not!
It doesn’t have a roof or, crucially, a windscreen so it looks absolutely barmy; on fast roads I wear a helmet as your head will be blown off at anything more than 50mph though this isn't a legal requirement. Even more bizarrely it is finished in a kind of skeletal orange-on-black carbon/metal/plastic mash-up, and so looks like the personal transport of those little green guys who crashed in Roswell in 1947. Is it little wonder the people of London stopped and stared? Stay tuned to MSN Cars for our first drive and video road-test coming very soon. Share It
(Old) ladies love a man in a Lotus Dan Trent writes: You'll be hearing a fair bit about this little blue Lotus Exige S over the coming days. Suffice to say it involves a return to a certain German race track (and a certain Belgian one too, as it happens) but for now it's sitting pretty in the car park. It's definitely a head turner though, not least for that non-too-shy rear wing included in the 2010 model year revisions. And it gets plenty of attention as a result, including - somewhat unexpectedly - from the rather frail looking old lady in the passenger seat of a car I was sitting beside in traffic yesterday. Having looked the Lotus up and down, without a change of expression a wizened, shaky hand appeared in the window, thumb upturned. Yes, that was the thumbs up from someone's gran. Brilliant!  Also brilliant is the way this car rides. On my way to work there's a really treacherous compression just at the turn-in for a well sighted right-hand kink. I try and hit it at 60mph in each car I take along there and compare the results and it's an illuminating comparison for the quality of suspension set up. Quite a few cars thump down into the dip and then rear up on their springs on the crest, the worst corkscrewing alarmingly and feeling totally unsettled. The apparently stiffly sprung Lotus? Literally, I didn't feel a thing. It just rode it like it wasn't there. Very impressive indeed, and proof that a 'sporty' set up needn't be bone shakingly hard and compromised on the sort of bumpy B-roads many of us drive on. No surprise that the roads around the Lotus factory near Norwich are very similar to this. And, as Jag owners will also tell you, if you want a car that can handle our broken roads with both comfort and composure there's no doubt that British is best. Stands to reason! Dan --- Links: England v. Germany in a Lotus Exige Megane R26.R to Spa -- Share It
24 luglio Mad Merc side project Dan Trent writes: More fruits of my visit to Stuttgart on Monday, namely a wild after-hours side project by the boys who build the concept cars that go on Mercedes show stands. And, yes, it is a 20-year-old Merc 190. But one with a pretty mighty engine under the bonnet – the new twin sequential turbodiesel as seen in the E250 CDI. The official line from Mercedes is that it’s a synergy of old and new and a demonstration of how diesel technology has progressed in the 27 years since the 190 launched. And not some ‘skunk works’ bit of fun for the engineers to make an old car go way faster than originally intended and go out baiting 3 Series drivers on the local derestricted Autobahn.  The first 190 diesel had 72hp, 91lb ft of torque and hit 0-62mph in 18.1 seconds. This one has 204hp, a staggering 369lb ft of torque and at 6.1 seconds 0-62 is the fastest accelerating 190 Mercedes has ever built – mad looking Evo II version included.  We weren’t allowed to drive it – it can be a bit of a handful according to the engineer who built it – but we did get a ride and to say it’s rapid is an understatement, even four-up. With a six-speed manual gearbox it’s even 0.8 seconds quicker to 62mph than the C250 CDI BlueEfficiency Prime Edition this engine made its debut in.  Further 190-based geekery arrived this morning too in the form of an email from Merc PR-man Rob Halloway, proudly displaying the odometer of the £700 190E 2.0 he bought a couple of years back passing the 200,000-mile mark.  Originally acquired to pair up with the new C-Class and demonstrate how Mercedes safety innovation has come on since the 190 launched, Rob is so attached to the old bus he can’t bear to get rid of it and regularly eschews the temptations of the many modern Mercs at his disposal for a taste of the simple life.  A 1991 car with just three original options – a fire extinguisher, exterior temperature gauge and cruise control – this is one old car definitely not about to be traded in for the scrappage scheme. Dan --- Links: Mercedes C250 CDI Prime Edition The best Merc you can’t buy? Maestro scrappage car brings out the geeks Dan’s got a favourite new Merc Mercedes B-Class F-Cell first drive --- Share It
23 luglio Another MSN Cars man on his bike, againRichard Aucock writes: This time last week, I cycled my little legs off. All in the name of insanity. ‘We’re doing a little warm-up, before the London Triathlon,’ my pals in Team Mazda UK said. ‘Fancy cycling for us?’ Naturally, I said ‘absolutely – I’ll be there!’, inserted a few smiley emoticons, then thought about the wisdom of this a few weeks later.
Too late then. As the day neared, it turned out I was teamed up with the famously competitive head of Mazda PR. A man who gets up at 4am to go swimming, just so’s it leaves enough time to cycle 40k. And, for all I know, run a marathon over hot coals.
I was thus apprehensive. Would I do us/him proud, or fall off the bike in a weak heap? The event was at Dorney Lake, Eton, which is going to be part of the London Olympics rowing events. Today, I had to cycle 6 laps around said lake – 30k in all. How long? ‘About 50 minutes,’ said Mazda’s Graeme. G-ulp… The other entrants and I met up before the event – fellow journo Gaynor, Mazda’s Sam, and London Triathlon regular Hayzel. Her fine husband took the images here – thanks, Fais.
I’m getting a bit too used to competitive running-type events now (thanks to Mazda, I’ve quite got the bug. Don’t even drink beer anymore, for ‘training purposes’). So, when Graeme dashed off for the swimming bit, I was well versed with what I had to do. Pace around for quarter of an hour, mainly. Then, meet Graeme, get a timing chip velcro’d to my leg, and run off with my bike. Mount it after the white line, and pedal my heart out.
I did this. Boy, it was painful for the first two laps. Especially ‘downwind’, which was like pedalling through quicksand. But, with lungs amost bleeding, I made it back after 6 laps, in what seemed like a few minutes.
Not quite. 56 of them, more like. But that did leave me 24th in the cycling group, 3 minutes behind the Team Eurosport lot. All the Lycra their annoyingly athletic rider wore was probably worth that alone.
Overall, sterling work by Graeme on the run saw us end up 26th overall – quite a nice result, and a pleasant surprise. But, as I drove away, however knackered I was feeling, it wouldn’t be a patch on how I’d be in two weeks’ time. That, see, is when the Mazda London Triathlon kicks off. How many journos will it finish off? Hopefully I’ll be around to tell you after the event…
--- Technorati Tags: triathlon
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Pikes Peak video goodness: “‘Fiesta’ Spanish for ‘Crash’”cj hubbard writes:
You may have seen this 1,150hp RS200 on the main site. Here it’s pictured during its actual record attempt run at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday.
An amazing car. Sadly, the team only managed to set a 12 minute time this year. That extra special engine ate a valve during practice, damaging a piston and the head; parts were overnighted from the UK and the RS200 rebuilt, but on race day it turned out the brakes weren’t up to the challenge, requiring driver Mark Rennison to nurse it to the summit. So the overall event was won once again by Monster Tajima in a Suzuki – although with a 10 minute 15 he was slightly outside of his 2007 10:01 record. Wanna see the car? Click play: Slotting in between the two, however, was the new rallycross Ford Fiesta. We’ve talked about this 800hp supermini before, and driven by Marcus Grönholm/Timo Alanne it managed an 11:28. Here’s some video of the Pikes Peak press launch of the car… Parking lot donuts anyone? And here are some shots of Grönholm’s car in practice, and the man himself at the end, talking about the challenge. However, things did not go quite so well for the other Fiesta on the event, piloted by Andrea Eriksson/Per Ola Svensson. You only need to watch about five seconds of the following video to find out why – it is an awesomely opportune piece of footage. Lucky lucky lucky. That drop could have been so much further. There’s a second part to this where you can see the Fiesta just drives away. Tough cars, these. But that is also a great title for a video. --- Links: Revealed: 1,150hp Ford RS racer 800hp Ford Fiesta racing to the clouds So long then F1, it’s been fun 2.2 seconds to 62mph – in a Fiesta I do not care that this is an advertisement --- Technorati Tags: Pikes Peak, International Hill Climb, Ford, RS200, Fiesta, Suzuki, Grönholm, Tajima, Motorsport, Inside Track --- Share It:
22 luglio The best Merc you can’t buy?
Dan Trent writes: Couldn’t resist a quick go with the Mercedes GLK 220 CDI BlueEfficiency there yesterday at the eco tech day I attended in Stuttgart. After all, it’s not a model we can get here in the UK and nor are we likely to any time soon. Seems strange, especially when you consider BMW, Volvo Audi and VW all have direct rivals on sale here. All to do with the GLK being based on the running gear of the four-wheel drive C-Class 4Matic, which is too expensive to engineer into RHD it seems.
So I’d not really given it a second thought. And it didn’t look too hot in the pics either. But in the flesh it actually looks pretty cool, in a shrunken GL kind of way. And then I realised why I liked it – it reminded me of one of my favourite cars, the previous shape Subaru Forester.
My brother bought one of these recently and it’s brilliant. 03 plate, 60-something thousand on the clock, one (Surrey) lady owner, full history and only four and half grand. And the GLK has a similar no-nonsense, ruggedness about it. And a decent interior and a frugal diesel engine – two things absent in the Subaru.
No weedy crossover nonsense here. A square, hard edged interior hewn from finest quality Teutonic plastics and metals. A defiantly upright windscreen, unabashed about its SUV pretensions. Forget metrosexual crossover pretenders like the XC60, Q5, X3 and Tiguan too – if you’re going to drive a 4x4 it may as well look like one. Hm, I’m wondering if I perhaps spent a bit too long hanging round that Unimog… Dan --- Links: --- 21 luglio Tragic accident at Brands Hatch
Ian Dickson writes Last Sunday had all the makings for a great day of motorsport at Brands Hatch. The weather was holding up and there was a good crowd at the Kent circuit to watch the WTCC and F2 races. I was camping there as a guest of Chevrolet. The atmosphere at the hospitality area was jovial because of the Chevvy one-two finish in the first WTCC race and everyone was in good spirits ahead of what promised to be an exciting day of racing. However, later on, the atmosphere went from up-beat to sombre, when on the second F2 race of the day tragedy struck. Lap nine of 19, a car left the track, hit the barrier and lost a wheel. A typical racing incident. However, in a freak accident, 18-year-old Henry Surtees was struck on the head by the wheel as it travelled across the track, knocking him unconscious. He died later that day in hospital.
F1 ace John Surtees - Image © PA Henry was the son of legendary F1 and motorcycling World Champ John Surtees – the only man to ever win the title on two wheels and four. By all accounts Henry was a competitive racing driver and looked set to follow in his dad’s footsteps. He managed the first podium of any Brit in the 2009 season with a third at Brands on the first race of that ill-fated weekend.
John Surtees at Brands Hatch, F1, 1965 – Image © PA His father John said: “Despite bad luck in his motorsport, he had shown himself to be one with the possibilities of reaching the very top. Despite his young age, he had shown maturity, technical understanding and speed. "Most importantly he was a nice person and a loving son and brother. He will be deeply missed." RIP Henry. Pictures of Henry Surtees from Bing
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No need for denial Update 23/7/09: It seems - as ever with insurance - it pays to read the small print and an important clarification needs to be made: This new insurance policy does not cover you for third party damage to other vehicles or any resulting injury claims. Legal opinion would suggest this will be provided by your insurance company as a bare minimum, regardless of 'exclusions' but it remains a grey area. Dan Trent writes: So, you want to go the 'ring. But are you insured? General consensus has it on public days the Nordschleife is, legally speaking, like any other stretch of German road and therefore your normal road insurance covers you. But UK insurers are getting wise and many (Admiral and subsidiaries like Elephant among them) are excluding the Nordschleife from their policies. A big enough problem if you wreck your own car but if you were to run into a Porsche GT3 (easy enough, given the number of them there), cause a track closure by dropping oil or - god forbid - injure a motorcyclist you could be facing a bill for hundreds of thousands of euros and an unpleasant chat with the Polizei.  But it seems the only thing protecting many UK drivers is denial about the possible consequences of having an off-track excursion. Put it this way, it's more expensive than it is in Forza Motorsport. Good news then that locally based Nurburg Motorsport, part-run by Brit ex-pat Ken Harris, has come up with a specific policy to cover 'tourist' drives on public days at the 'ring. Peace of mind is yours for £99, although there are limitations and it will only cover you for eight laps. Added to the €22 it costs for a single trip round that makes it just over £30 a lap. Pricey, but when you see how easily it can go wrong it could be a price worth paying. Just watch the following if you were in any doubt... A very expensive day out for that unlucky Maserati driver and proof - were it ever needed - that the 'ring is ready to bite the unwary. Dan --- Links: Why Brits love the Nurburgring Nurburg Motorsport Nurburg Motorsport's insurance - details Nurburgring 2009 - the redevelopment --- Share It
20 luglio Apollo 11 Owners’ Workshop Manual, a small reviewcj hubbard writes:
Today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing – although technically Neil Armstrong’s small step didn’t actually occur until 02:56 21 July our time, the Lunar Module “Eagle” was on the surface at 20:17 GMT 20 July. This is incredible stuff even now. In the context of 1969 it was truly and justifiably mind blowing – to the extent which you can almost understand the obstinate reluctance of some parties to let go of their insistent hoax theories. If you really want to know how NASA did it, the book pictured above is an excellent place to start. It’s called the Apollo 11 Owners’ Workshop Manual. Written by Dr Christopher Riley and Phil Dolling, it’s published by Haynes, the same people who print the Workshop Manual for your Ford Fiesta. Now, since there aren’t all that many people in possession of an Apollo spacecraft – which is actually several different individual spacecraft as it turns out – and precisely none of those that do still exist are in any condition to be flying around, you won’t be surprised to learn that this book won’t tell you how to change the sparkplugs. What it will do is give you a brilliantly concise insight into the men and most particularly the machines that enabled NASA to make that historic moonshot 40 years ago. Including what went into making it all possible and the challenges faced by the various component, rocket and spacecraft manufacturers. I won’t pretend to know the first relevant thing about this topic. But the Apollo 11 manual appears to me to be a fantastic introduction. Sympathetically written for the casual space student it is nonetheless packed with detailed information on everything from the various types of rocket engines employed to the construction and miniaturisation of the formative computer guidance systems that had to be invented to take astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins on their way. And it’s the details that stick out when it comes to mankind’s most amazing journey. The Saturn V rocket lifted away from its launch pad through the combined force of five F1 rocket engines producing the equivalent of 180 million horsepower. The main display consol in the housed around 400 instruments. The computer memory was constructed of “ropes” of copper wire. The prototype guidance computer was the size of four large refrigerators, yet the final version occupied just one square foot and did the job perfectly. Each of the three parachutes required to safely land the returning Command Module on the sea contained over an acre of fabric and 2 million stitches. I could go on… But I won’t. Because if you want a proper introduction to the technology that made the moon landing possible you should go ahead and buy this book. The recommend retail price is £17.99, available from all good bookshops or direct via the Haynes’ website. It’s fabulous. Enjoy. --- Links: Apollo 11 40th Anniversary @ NASA NASA partially restored Apollo 11 videos Apollo 11 Owners’ Workshop Manual @ Haynes ---
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Apollo 11, moon landing, NASA, Haynes, Workshop Manual, reviews, Gadgets and Gizmos, Books, Inside Track
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Dan’s got a favourite new Merc Dan Trent writes: A quick hello from the Mercedes eco tech day on an airfield outside Stuttgart. Why then, you may ask, am I posing with a Unimog that looks equipped for any eventuality, nuclear apocalypse included. Well, this one’s equipped with Mercedes BlueTec emissions reduction gear. Frankly, I don’t care. It just looks so damned cool. This is no nonsense taken to extremes. Examples? The dashboard isn’t made of namby pamby plastic for instance. No, it’s metal. Riveted metal. Grrr, etc.
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18 luglio Key drama...Richard Aucock writes: Look at this:
Yes, it's a lovely Volvo key. For my princely long-termer, which is fitted with Volvo's brilliant keyless-go system. However, also take a look at this:
Yes, it's a Suzuki Alto. On the driveway. 105 miles from work, which I've got for a feature I'm writing. And for which, I also have the key. Bit of a problem, that. See, a car that we thought would be in over the weekend was collected early. Leaving a gap in the office roster. And, who's coming back from holiday today? With his wife? And loads of luggage? Yes, Peter. Who needs a car. Was going to take the Volvo. Is now not. Because of this:
Keyless-go is brilliant, right up until you forget the key's in your pocket, and leave the office for the weekend (it was only by chance that I decided the coat it was in needed washing - if I hadn't checked the pockets, I'd have been none the wiser...). CJ and Dan have played some more car chess, to ensure everyone still has a car - much to my relief - but it's still something I'll be very aware of in the future. Technology. Great, until you bring humans in on the act... --- Share It
17 luglio Maestro trade-in timeRichard Aucock writes: So, earlier in the week came the swap. Like many a scrappage scheme buyer, I traded in my old Maestro banger for a nice shiny brand-new Hyundai i20. Thousands of Hyundai customers have already done this so far – 25 percent of the Korean brand’s sales are thanks to scrappage.
With the two sitting side by side, it’s not hard to see why. While it’s not as tidy a looker as the current Ford Fiesta or Peugeot 207, the i20 is still a very competent supermini indeed. It impressed me when I first drove it back in January; nothing’s changed that. So, pretending I was a scrappage customer, what would have happened? Well, I’d have given the Maestro to the dealer, and they’d have chopped £2k off the price of the i20. Simple. It means I could be in one for around £6500 – with, remember, a five-year warranty, three years’ MOT exemption, decent finance rates, cheap road tax, dependable reliability and, yes, a full tank of fuel.
Fuss-free motoring for £2k less than it would otherwise have cost – and a shiny new car to boot. Not hard to see the appeal, is it? Particularly as the i20 is so much easier… the steering’s lighter, it’s got air con, the seats are supportive, the handling is assured, ride is comfortable, it feels solid, it has airbags and ABS, the exhaust emissions mean you don’t feel guilty driving past schools and small dogs… stepping from ancient into this really is quite a shock. It’s made me realise just how good modern cars are. I quickly tuned into the charms of the Maestro, but realise that old-school motoring is a hobby for me, rather than an everyday passion. Give me modern any day – simply because today’s cars are so damn good. Yes, your old Pentium 386 computer may be quaint, but wouldn’t you prefer to be using the machine you’re on now?
Because, you may say, I should get real. I’ve got a mortgage. I’ve bills to pay. Kids to feed. I can’t just go out and buy new cars at will. And, yes, I admit that’s an inescapable fact. What scrappage has done, though, is bring the entry point down to a level where more people may, just, be able to afford the switch. And benefit from warranties, no breakdowns (and the unexpected repair bills they bring), lower fuel bills, new tyres, cheaper road tax and lower insurance bills. New cars are still not for all (who was that, mentioning character? Who was that loving the Maestro? Oh yeah. Me...). But, with this scheme, many more will be able to enjoy the experience I sampled courtesy of Hyundai. And that has to be a good thing - no? Let me know what you think...
--- Links Maestro's arrival unearths previously suppressed geekery Share It
A5 Sportback debuts new "Audi driver replace"cj hubbard writes: Audi is notorious for its over-processed press pictures. So when I was sorting out the images for the brand new A5 Sportback yesterday it was no surprise to come across this:
Hello, I thought. That would appear to be an A5 Sportback motoring along without a driver. Photoshop ahoy. Dan, however, came up with a much funnier suggestion: the new “Audi driver replace” system. This would be a natural follow on from the existing “Audi drive select”, which gives you control over suspension, steering, throttle and gearshift settings. Cars are getting so boringly efficient now that removing the last messy, unpredictable, unrefined element of the experience – the driver – is surely only a matter of moments away. The next evolutionary step in the development of the electronically enhanced automobile is to have them going about their business on their own, leaving the stupid humans out of it altogether. At which point I’m reminded of Hitchhiker’s Guide, and Ford’s mistake about the predominant life form on Earth leading him to choose the name Ford Prefect as “nicely inconspicuous”. This probably means I could do with some fresh air. Not to worry about the Audi, though. Upon enlarging – and enhancing – the A5 Sportback above we find this:
There is somebody at the wheel after all. Audi’s merely put plenty of work into making the photo look like a pchopped studio image. Well done. --- Links: Ford Prefect @ BBC guide to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy ---
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Audi, A5 Sportback, drive select, Hitchhiker's Guide, Ford Prefect, PR Humour, Gadgets and Gizmos, Inside Track --- Share It:
Workout while you wax…?cj hubbard writes: Oh please. Press release arrives today from Turtle Wax entitled: “Wax your way to a weenie waist”. Can they be serious?
Apparently, yes. Turtle Wax has gotten involved with some geezer called Scott Wright – who “famously” helped Kerry Katona drop a dress size or several earlier this year, so it says – and he’s developed not only a series of fat burning exercises you can perform while washing your car, but also a complete nutrition guide to go with it. This is all in order to promote Turtle Wax’s new Ice range of cleaning products. Should you really want to do “turtle squats”, “window presses” or – and I’m not making this up - “bucket curls” you can download a guide for men or women from the dedicated website now. Just don’t blame me if your neighbours start treating you a with a lack of polish. --- Links: From the sublime to the ridiculous Adrian Flux confirms UFO insurance ---
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So Elle, is it Jag or Fiat? Dan Trent writes: Elle MacPherson's been getting about a bit of late. Car-wise, I mean. Last week she was there at the launch for the new Jaguar XJ, all legs and posh frock in keeping with the Jag's glamorous image. But, like Usain Bolt, it seems when another publicity stunt presents itself she just can't say no, a bunch of pictures of her supposedly 'off duty' out and about in the Fiat 500C arriving with a press release just days after the Jag event.  So what's it to be Elle? Back to the Jag event and a picture I just couldn't resist posting up. Yes, it's The Hoff, gangster pose and all. What was he thinking, etc...  Dan --- Links: Usain Bolt plays the field Jaguar XJ revealed Fiat 500C first drive --- Share It
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