30 Apr 2013
Motorcycle ploughs into cyclists. Looks horrible but no-one injured
This looks absolutely horrible, but amazingly no-one was hurt aside from acquiring some bruises that no doubt will look like huge purple dinner plates afterwards.
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Speedmonkey listed in Temp Cover's top ten car bloggers
The good folk at www.tempcover.com, purveyors of temporary motor insurance, have produced a top ten car bloggers - and we're in it!
Temp Cover say:
As you may have guessed, here at tempcover.com we’re pretty passionate about the car industry. Thankfully the internet provides us with the perfect platform to write about our passion and to provide customers with useful advice and tips when it comes to all things car and car insurance- related.
We also like to keep a close eye on the latest gossip and news happening inside the industry. This proves quite difficult especially as the car industry is so massive: there’s simply too much going on at once. So to help, we follow a collection of car blogs and websites run by freelance journalists and good old fashioned car enthusiasts. These people are proper petrol heads, guys and gals who know their MOT’s better than their ABC’s.
These are our favourite car bloggers:
Matthew Hubbard
Matthew runs Speedmonkey.com, a magazine style blog jam-packed full of news, advice and – unsurprisingly – fast cars. It’s a fantastic site, filled with the latest stories and information on the hottest cars.
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Temp Cover say:
As you may have guessed, here at tempcover.com we’re pretty passionate about the car industry. Thankfully the internet provides us with the perfect platform to write about our passion and to provide customers with useful advice and tips when it comes to all things car and car insurance- related.
We also like to keep a close eye on the latest gossip and news happening inside the industry. This proves quite difficult especially as the car industry is so massive: there’s simply too much going on at once. So to help, we follow a collection of car blogs and websites run by freelance journalists and good old fashioned car enthusiasts. These people are proper petrol heads, guys and gals who know their MOT’s better than their ABC’s.
These are our favourite car bloggers:
Matthew Hubbard
Matthew runs Speedmonkey.com, a magazine style blog jam-packed full of news, advice and – unsurprisingly – fast cars. It’s a fantastic site, filled with the latest stories and information on the hottest cars.
Thank you Temp Cover. Here's a link to their top ten car bloggers article
We design a rural car for rural types - because car manufacturers aren't
The car industry is obsessed with cities. You know, big horrible dirty places where the residents are packaged cheek by jowl and everyone has to use public transport because the roads are massively congested - and full of traffic lights, speed bumps, mini-roundabouts, yellow box junctions, traffic wardens, double yellow lines, double red lines and cider-filled mouth-breathers lurching around in the middle of them.
Yet manufacturers constantly bring out cars described as 'urban' or for 'young city dwellers'. The most recent case in point is the Renault Captur, which is described as "The Urban Crossover with Renault style." 'Urban' cars are for people who don't actually like cars but just occasionally have to go somewhere the public transport system won't reach.
No car manufacturer, as far as I can remember, has brought out a car for "Young Rural Dwellers." Don't mention Land Rover Defenders, which are for farmers, not accountants, postmen or mechanics.
Why? There are millions of young rural dwellers. Most love and desire cars. They want to buy a new car yet car manufacturers churn out thousands of shiny little boxes for urban dwellers - and here's the point, a young rural dweller will NEVER buy a car that's been specifically designed for urban dwellers.
A village domiciled 20-something wouldn't be seen dead in a Volkswagen Up! He or she would much rather buy a battered old Golf GTi - which has much more credibility. If car manufacturers want to sell new cars to rural types then they've got to make cars for them.
Young rural dwellers have a very different set of specifications to their urban counterparts. Let's go through the list.
First off we need manual gearboxes, not automatics which are for ponces who don't like driving. It's got to have a decent, petrol (diesel is for tractors, vans, HGVs and Land Rovers), naturally aspirated engine that sounds good. 4 cylinders is OK as long as the exhaust is designed so it makes a decent racket. And no Stop/Start system either. What's the point of having a car that sounds good, if it cuts out whenever you stop?
It's got to have 4 seats. Not 5, or 2+2, or 7. 4 means the driver can take his mates out on a Friday night. Any more and the car gets too big, any less and it's not practical. It's got to be a coupe. If possible it should look a lot like a Ford Capri (THE car of choice for rural types in the 70s and 80s) with a nice long bonnet and sloping back window. The engine should be under the bonnet - not in the back.
And it needs to be a coupe with a hatchback, with a decent boot. You can put your dog in a hatchback boot, but not a saloon boot. Rural shops are few and far between so weekly shops are the norm and you need to fit 10 Sainsburys bags in it.
The sound system has to be good so you can impress or annoy your neighbours depending on whether you like them or not. Radio 1 is for stupid people and the target audience is too young for Radio 2 so it needs a DAB radio. The interior must be good looking, but hard wearing and dog proof. No piano black because it shows fingerprints and, besides, it'll be out of fashion in 12 months time.
Our rural car will be driven hard. It'll be chucked between the hedges of rural lanes and thrashed down the odd stretch of A-road. The seats must be supportive and the steering sharp. But the suspension must be soft enough to cope with unmade roads and potholes. The wheels must be no larger than 16" or it'll rattle your fillings out, and a spare set of steelies with winter tyres must be supplied.
And it must be rear wheel drive or four wheel drive. Front wheel drive is for hatches. This is a coupe so RWD is the norm - and 4WD is desirable but probably too expensive.
Finally, the mechanicals must be simple. If something falls off or breaks then the owner, or local mechanic, with a half-decent set of tools should be able to fix or replace anything - without using a computer.
At this point you might think the car I'm designing is the Toyota GT86 - but you'd be wrong. That costs £25,000, which is too much. Our rural car needs to be simpler and cheaper.
City folk with their fancy second homes and long commutes have pushed rural house prices up, and rural jobs don't pay much. The maximum price must be £15,000.
This shouldn't be difficult for someone like Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, Vauxhall or any other mainstream manufacturer. It just requires some forethought, a designer with common sense, and an ability to understand what the target market wants rather than what you think the market wants.
Go to it car manufacturers of the world! Give us your best rural car!
Matt
Note - parts of this article might be ever so slightly tongue in cheek in order to illustrate the point - but the point is still valid.
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Yet manufacturers constantly bring out cars described as 'urban' or for 'young city dwellers'. The most recent case in point is the Renault Captur, which is described as "The Urban Crossover with Renault style." 'Urban' cars are for people who don't actually like cars but just occasionally have to go somewhere the public transport system won't reach.
No car manufacturer, as far as I can remember, has brought out a car for "Young Rural Dwellers." Don't mention Land Rover Defenders, which are for farmers, not accountants, postmen or mechanics.
Why? There are millions of young rural dwellers. Most love and desire cars. They want to buy a new car yet car manufacturers churn out thousands of shiny little boxes for urban dwellers - and here's the point, a young rural dweller will NEVER buy a car that's been specifically designed for urban dwellers.
A village domiciled 20-something wouldn't be seen dead in a Volkswagen Up! He or she would much rather buy a battered old Golf GTi - which has much more credibility. If car manufacturers want to sell new cars to rural types then they've got to make cars for them.
Young rural dwellers have a very different set of specifications to their urban counterparts. Let's go through the list.
First off we need manual gearboxes, not automatics which are for ponces who don't like driving. It's got to have a decent, petrol (diesel is for tractors, vans, HGVs and Land Rovers), naturally aspirated engine that sounds good. 4 cylinders is OK as long as the exhaust is designed so it makes a decent racket. And no Stop/Start system either. What's the point of having a car that sounds good, if it cuts out whenever you stop?
It's got to have 4 seats. Not 5, or 2+2, or 7. 4 means the driver can take his mates out on a Friday night. Any more and the car gets too big, any less and it's not practical. It's got to be a coupe. If possible it should look a lot like a Ford Capri (THE car of choice for rural types in the 70s and 80s) with a nice long bonnet and sloping back window. The engine should be under the bonnet - not in the back.
And it needs to be a coupe with a hatchback, with a decent boot. You can put your dog in a hatchback boot, but not a saloon boot. Rural shops are few and far between so weekly shops are the norm and you need to fit 10 Sainsburys bags in it.
The sound system has to be good so you can impress or annoy your neighbours depending on whether you like them or not. Radio 1 is for stupid people and the target audience is too young for Radio 2 so it needs a DAB radio. The interior must be good looking, but hard wearing and dog proof. No piano black because it shows fingerprints and, besides, it'll be out of fashion in 12 months time.
Our rural car will be driven hard. It'll be chucked between the hedges of rural lanes and thrashed down the odd stretch of A-road. The seats must be supportive and the steering sharp. But the suspension must be soft enough to cope with unmade roads and potholes. The wheels must be no larger than 16" or it'll rattle your fillings out, and a spare set of steelies with winter tyres must be supplied.
And it must be rear wheel drive or four wheel drive. Front wheel drive is for hatches. This is a coupe so RWD is the norm - and 4WD is desirable but probably too expensive.
Finally, the mechanicals must be simple. If something falls off or breaks then the owner, or local mechanic, with a half-decent set of tools should be able to fix or replace anything - without using a computer.
At this point you might think the car I'm designing is the Toyota GT86 - but you'd be wrong. That costs £25,000, which is too much. Our rural car needs to be simpler and cheaper.
City folk with their fancy second homes and long commutes have pushed rural house prices up, and rural jobs don't pay much. The maximum price must be £15,000.
This shouldn't be difficult for someone like Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, Vauxhall or any other mainstream manufacturer. It just requires some forethought, a designer with common sense, and an ability to understand what the target market wants rather than what you think the market wants.
Go to it car manufacturers of the world! Give us your best rural car!
Matt
Note - parts of this article might be ever so slightly tongue in cheek in order to illustrate the point - but the point is still valid.
29 Apr 2013
An epic weekend with a Maserati GranTurismo Sport and a Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster
For my birthday weekend Sarah, my wife, hired us a Jaguar E-type for 24 hours, and booked us a hotel in the Cotswolds. The plan was that we'd drive up to Great Escape Cars in Redditch to pick up the E-type, wend our way down to Tetbury, stay at the Hare and Hounds, then wend our way back to Redditch the next day.
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Then Maserati said they had a GranTurismo Sport free for a few days and did I want to test it. Yes I bloody well did and thank you very much Maserati press office. By coincidence the four days I'd have the GranTurismo wrapped neatly around the 24 hours we'd have the E-type.
Petrolhead nirvana.
The Maserati turned up at 10am on the Friday of last weekend. I'd seen photos of the GranTurismo but never seen one in the flesh. I was dumbstruck. It is an exquisite car.
Like any work of art you need to spend time observing it, casting your eye over the nuances of the bodywork and the fine detail in the design, to appreciate it's beauty - which it has in spades.
The GranTurismo Sport is also a big car. It only just squeezes into our drive, whereas my Audi S4 Avant (which had been despatched to the neighbours drive for the duration) fits in with ease.
The car was painted Blu Mediterraneo and the interior was Bianco Pregiato - white to you and me. The combination of colours looked mighty fine but that white interior would get dirty very quickly if it was used as a daily driver. I'd go for something a little more dark.
Sarah and I left home in Berkshire at 2pm, only to find the A34 was at a standstill, so we did a U-turn and decided, instead of using the A34 and M40, to head to the Great Escape base (situated at the very northern tip of the Cotswolds) via Moreton-in-theMarsh, Evesham and Stratford-upon-Avon.
The journey was the better for it. The Maserati is incredibly refined, comfortable and fast. The Ferrari-built 4.7 litre, 460bhp, V8 also sounds the business. Journalists often come up with superlatives to describe the sound of particular engines. This needs none. It just sounds like a superbly constructed, free-revving, large capacity, V8 with a 7500rpm redline.
We arrived at Great Escape late. We were meant to be there at 4pm but turned up just after 5pm. They were nonplussed. Graham Eason, the owner, is a lovely chap who obviously dotes on the cars in his care.
The E-type was waiting for us at the entrance to their unit. I've seen plenty of E-types before but up-close the incredible beauty of the car was mesmerising. E-types just have an aura. The feminine lines draw observers towards it, to inspect it at close quarters. It is a treat to appreciate the detail and shape of the roadster. It makes you smile.
Sarah is not a petrolhead but she had fallen head over heels for the Maserati, and she fell head over heels again, for the E-type.
Graham talked us through the car. The procedure required to start it, how to unfold and fold the roof, how to find reverse (give it a good shove left and down at the same time). He didn't nanny us but gave us practical advice and trusted us to respect the 41 year old machine.
We left the GranTurismo with Great Escape (note to Maserati - it was locked up inside an alarmed, security-patroled industrial unit!) and set off for Tetbury.
It took me about an hour to adjust to driving the E-type. I often hop from one car to another but this required a whole new shift in thinking and perception. The steering is oily-smooth perfection, the 4 speed manual gearbox is precise but requires a thunk to get it in gear, the handling was precise, the 5.3 litre, V12 engine was the very essence of smooth, powerful delivery.
The rest of the experience is a little more rough round the edges though. An E-type's interior is pretty basic. The heating is either OFF or FURNACE. The sun visors just obscure your vision if pulled down. The windscreen wipers, windscreen washers, exterior lights and interior lights are operated by big switches on the dash.
The seats are neither supportive nor particularly comfortable, there is little legroom (due to the enormous transmission tunnel and gearbox bell-housing) and the interior is cramped.
But what the hell. We LOVED it. We were living the dream.
We checked into the Hare and Hounds, Tetbury over an hour late for dinner - which was haute cuisine at it's most haute. Then we drank ourselves silly on champagne and retired to our enormous suite. It had a separate lounge, which is pretty rare, and a huge bathroom. Well, it is rare in the expenses limited hotels I normally stay in.
On the Saturday morning we breakfasted at the hotel then headed north through the Cotswolds back to Redditch. We got lost on purpose and took in as many decent roads as we could. Sarah drove the E-type for an hour and enjoyed it immensely. It's such a characterful car. By-passers stop and stare at it as you drive by.
We dropped the E-type off just after 2pm and hopped back in the GranTurismo. The difference was spectacular but, with 41 years difference in their construction and a few more in design, so it should be. Both are grand tourers at their finest - and possibly the best in breed of their respective eras. Both attract so much warm-hearted attention and sheer goggle-eyed staring from strangers. None attracted any negative attention at all.
We arrived back home at 4.30pm and collapsed. Although I took the Maserati out for another spin in the evening.
On the Sunday we took our 10 year old son, Eddie, up to see his big sister who is at University in Nottingham. A 2 hour (each way) trip to take a 20 year old out for lunch might seem excessive but when you've a Maserati GranTurismo Sport on the drive you will find such excuses. It is a moreish car. So pleasantly able and capable it makes even motorway miles a delight.
By this time Sarah was relishing the attention the car generated. She's so taken with it she doesn't want Maserati to take it back. I'll write more about it in a full review but suffice to say I'm smitten too.
We got back from Nottingham late afternoon and I still found time to take it for a couple more drives. It goes back at 10am Monday - 3 hours after this article publishes - and we'll all be sad to see it go.
Many thanks to Great Escape Classic Car Hire. We paid for the E-type so can, without prejudice, state that it and the service received from the Great Escape team were second to none. Both Sarah and I would unreservedly recommend you hire one of their cars. Tell them Speedmonkey sent you and you'll get a 10% discount. Many thanks also to Maserati UK for loaning me the GranTurismo Sport.
I'll publish full reviews of both the Jaguar E-type V12 Roadster and Maserati GranTurismo Sport in the coming days.
Matt
The Jaguar E-type cruising through the Cotswolds
The Maserati GranTurismo Sport drive-past
Living With - An Alfa Romeo 159 Ti
Geoff Maxted reviews his Alfa Romeo 159 Ti - a loveable, pretty car that ate tyres for breakfast
It is said that a man cannot be a true petrol head until he has owned an Alfa Romeo. I have had two. Don’t ask me why. Oh all right then, but it’s not a pretty story. It culminated in my wife suggesting that ‘petrol’ was not quite the right word to precede ‘head’.
I once owned an Alfa that, when the mood took me, I could watch rust away in real time, It was true love - whilst it lasted; but love is a fleeting thing and my head was turned by a shiny harlot beckoning to me from a car showroom. That’s all in the past now. Best forgotten.
Moving on, I actually sold a Porsche Cayman to get the Alfa 159. That’s how crazy and mixed up I was. I thought I needed a motorway express to tote stuff around the country although that’s not how things worked out as it happens. There is no doubt however that the recently defunct 159 is a seriously beautiful car. Even the door handles are sculptural delights. More ardent admirers have been known to experience - how to put this delicately - strong emotions in the trousering department.
I selected a Ti because it had lowered suspension and 19” wheels - more on that later - and a 2.4L diesel for economy. The colour was flecked ‘Carbonio Black’. It changed with the light. For leather fetishists the interior was like their favourite club. Black leather throughout embellished with brushed aluminium trim. That’s it in the picture. The number plate is obscured to protect the new owner, poor bloke.
Best of all was starting the thing. It had a slot-in key and a real, actual, genuine start button with ‘Start’ engraved on it. It just doesn’t get any better than that. The pleasure I got from saying “Gentlemen, starrrrt yurrrrr engines” in what, I felt, was a very accurate American drawl was beyond measure and remained so until my wife said, “For heaven’s sake will you stop doing that!”. She didn’t say “for heaven’s sake”.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that Alfa, at that point at least, had not really sorted the reliability issues that plagued the brand: they just thought they had. Electrical gremlins began creeping in within the year. Batteries were exchanged and excuses were made but the worse thing was the aforementioned wheels. Nineteen inch wheels need big tyres. Big tyres are expensive; especially when the Alfa did for a set of front hoops in just over six thousand miles.
The car was delivered with an amount of negative camber to make the driver believe he was better at cornering than he really was. This was adjusted. Zero camber did not solve the issue. The fact is, a stonking great diesel engine suspended over the front driving wheels of what is a heavy, powerful car equals tyre wear and that’s all there is to it.
The problems became too much. The Alfa had to go. Since a mile-muncher was no longer required I selected a hot hatch. Boy, what a mistake that was….
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It is said that a man cannot be a true petrol head until he has owned an Alfa Romeo. I have had two. Don’t ask me why. Oh all right then, but it’s not a pretty story. It culminated in my wife suggesting that ‘petrol’ was not quite the right word to precede ‘head’.
I once owned an Alfa that, when the mood took me, I could watch rust away in real time, It was true love - whilst it lasted; but love is a fleeting thing and my head was turned by a shiny harlot beckoning to me from a car showroom. That’s all in the past now. Best forgotten.
Moving on, I actually sold a Porsche Cayman to get the Alfa 159. That’s how crazy and mixed up I was. I thought I needed a motorway express to tote stuff around the country although that’s not how things worked out as it happens. There is no doubt however that the recently defunct 159 is a seriously beautiful car. Even the door handles are sculptural delights. More ardent admirers have been known to experience - how to put this delicately - strong emotions in the trousering department.
I selected a Ti because it had lowered suspension and 19” wheels - more on that later - and a 2.4L diesel for economy. The colour was flecked ‘Carbonio Black’. It changed with the light. For leather fetishists the interior was like their favourite club. Black leather throughout embellished with brushed aluminium trim. That’s it in the picture. The number plate is obscured to protect the new owner, poor bloke.
Best of all was starting the thing. It had a slot-in key and a real, actual, genuine start button with ‘Start’ engraved on it. It just doesn’t get any better than that. The pleasure I got from saying “Gentlemen, starrrrt yurrrrr engines” in what, I felt, was a very accurate American drawl was beyond measure and remained so until my wife said, “For heaven’s sake will you stop doing that!”. She didn’t say “for heaven’s sake”.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that Alfa, at that point at least, had not really sorted the reliability issues that plagued the brand: they just thought they had. Electrical gremlins began creeping in within the year. Batteries were exchanged and excuses were made but the worse thing was the aforementioned wheels. Nineteen inch wheels need big tyres. Big tyres are expensive; especially when the Alfa did for a set of front hoops in just over six thousand miles.
The car was delivered with an amount of negative camber to make the driver believe he was better at cornering than he really was. This was adjusted. Zero camber did not solve the issue. The fact is, a stonking great diesel engine suspended over the front driving wheels of what is a heavy, powerful car equals tyre wear and that’s all there is to it.
The problems became too much. The Alfa had to go. Since a mile-muncher was no longer required I selected a hot hatch. Boy, what a mistake that was….
27 Apr 2013
Maserati Ghibli premiers at Shanghai Motor Show
The Maserati Ghibli has launched at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show, and for the first time in Maserati's history one of the powerplants available will be a diesel.
The Ghibli, a four door saloon that sits under the Quattroporte in terms of size and price, is a direct competitor for the Jaguar XF, Mercedes-Benz E-class and BMW 5-series. It's also a beautiful machine that is only matched by the Jaguar for sheer flair.
The engines available in the Ghibli are all 3 litre V6s. The most powerful is the twin-turbo Ghibli S, with 410hp, which can reach 0-62mph in 5 seconds flat.
Next in the range is the Ghibli - also with a 3 litre, twin-turbo but with 330hp and 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. Both petrol engines were developed by Maserati Powertrain in partnership with Ferrari, and will be built by Ferrari in Maranello.
The diesel engine is a supercharged, 3 litre V6 which develops 275hp, and 600Nm of torque. 0-62mph takes 6.3 seconds. Crucially for a diesel it delivers 47mpg and 160g/km of CO2.
Maserati have taken care to make their first diesel sounds as good as possible by way of sound actuators, fitted near the tail pipes, which accentuate the engine's most distinctive tones. It will be interesting to see if Maserati can pull it off and make an oil-burner sound desirable.
The chassis of the Ghibli sounds promising, with double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension with the option of an active Skyhook system, part time four wheel drive (in LHD markets) and a mechanical limited slip differential on all models.
Prices have yet to be released but expect the Ghibli to start at around £50,000 in the UK and $60,000 in the US.
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The Ghibli, a four door saloon that sits under the Quattroporte in terms of size and price, is a direct competitor for the Jaguar XF, Mercedes-Benz E-class and BMW 5-series. It's also a beautiful machine that is only matched by the Jaguar for sheer flair.
The engines available in the Ghibli are all 3 litre V6s. The most powerful is the twin-turbo Ghibli S, with 410hp, which can reach 0-62mph in 5 seconds flat.
Next in the range is the Ghibli - also with a 3 litre, twin-turbo but with 330hp and 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. Both petrol engines were developed by Maserati Powertrain in partnership with Ferrari, and will be built by Ferrari in Maranello.
The diesel engine is a supercharged, 3 litre V6 which develops 275hp, and 600Nm of torque. 0-62mph takes 6.3 seconds. Crucially for a diesel it delivers 47mpg and 160g/km of CO2.
Maserati have taken care to make their first diesel sounds as good as possible by way of sound actuators, fitted near the tail pipes, which accentuate the engine's most distinctive tones. It will be interesting to see if Maserati can pull it off and make an oil-burner sound desirable.
The chassis of the Ghibli sounds promising, with double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension with the option of an active Skyhook system, part time four wheel drive (in LHD markets) and a mechanical limited slip differential on all models.
Prices have yet to be released but expect the Ghibli to start at around £50,000 in the UK and $60,000 in the US.
26 Apr 2013
Audi TT Ultra quattro concept - Why tease us, Audi? We know you won't make it
The Audi TT Ultra quattro concept is a lightweight TT with 306bhp and lots of cutting edge, lightweight tech. It yields 275bhp per tonne and has a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds. It weighs 1,111kg - 300kg lighter than the nearest equivalent production TT.
It is a statement of intent, designed for an annual VW/Audi festival in Worthersee, Germany. Every year some branch of the VW Group produces a special for Worthersee.
The engine is a breathed on version of the 2.0 TFSI that's 25kg lighter than the standard unit, and produces more power by crankcase, crankshaft, balancer shafts, flywheel, sump and ancillary unit modifications.
The bodyshell in the standard TT weighs 206kg. The Ultra quattro's bodyshell weighs just 163kg. This is achieved by using carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) in major areas such as the transmission tunnel and roof. The wing mirrors have been removed and replaced with cameras and a monitor in place of the rear view mirror in order to reduce drag and weight.
The front brake discs are ceramic whilst the calipers are aluminium. The exhaust is made from titanium and even the wheels are CFRP and aluminium. This lot sheds another 20 kg.
The most amazing use of materials is in the springs. The springs in the Ultra quattro are made from Fibreglass Reinforced Polymer, which makes them 40% lighter than steel. FRP is also the material used in the seats - which are taken straight from the R8.
It's a pretty amazing car. Despite the high-tec materials it's a lightweight, simple, fast car - which is what we all want. As well as increasing performance the lighter weight improves economy. Which makes it all the more shame Audi won't actually build it. Car manufacturers are obsessed with selling us cars packed with more and more technologically advanced kit, not less.
Modern cars are big, heavy lumps full of tech we don't want or need. The TT Ultra quattro has electric windows and air-conditioning which, along with a stereo, is about all the tech required. It even has a manual gearbox. Brilliant.
The one disappointment about the Ultra quattro concept? It has that stupid electric parking brake. Even Audi's brilliant engineers couldn't bring themselves to give us a proper handbrake.
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It is a statement of intent, designed for an annual VW/Audi festival in Worthersee, Germany. Every year some branch of the VW Group produces a special for Worthersee.
The engine is a breathed on version of the 2.0 TFSI that's 25kg lighter than the standard unit, and produces more power by crankcase, crankshaft, balancer shafts, flywheel, sump and ancillary unit modifications.
The bodyshell in the standard TT weighs 206kg. The Ultra quattro's bodyshell weighs just 163kg. This is achieved by using carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) in major areas such as the transmission tunnel and roof. The wing mirrors have been removed and replaced with cameras and a monitor in place of the rear view mirror in order to reduce drag and weight.
The front brake discs are ceramic whilst the calipers are aluminium. The exhaust is made from titanium and even the wheels are CFRP and aluminium. This lot sheds another 20 kg.
The most amazing use of materials is in the springs. The springs in the Ultra quattro are made from Fibreglass Reinforced Polymer, which makes them 40% lighter than steel. FRP is also the material used in the seats - which are taken straight from the R8.
It's a pretty amazing car. Despite the high-tec materials it's a lightweight, simple, fast car - which is what we all want. As well as increasing performance the lighter weight improves economy. Which makes it all the more shame Audi won't actually build it. Car manufacturers are obsessed with selling us cars packed with more and more technologically advanced kit, not less.
Modern cars are big, heavy lumps full of tech we don't want or need. The TT Ultra quattro has electric windows and air-conditioning which, along with a stereo, is about all the tech required. It even has a manual gearbox. Brilliant.
The one disappointment about the Ultra quattro concept? It has that stupid electric parking brake. Even Audi's brilliant engineers couldn't bring themselves to give us a proper handbrake.
Because they can - Why car manufacturers give us too much choice
Geoff Maxted believes car manufacturers are giving us too much of everything, and we don't need it
Once, in far-off days, people were satisfied with what they had when it came to material things. They expected things to last. They purchased a car and kept it pretty much until it had reverted to its original organic state. The thought never occurred to those thrifty folk of yore to even consider buying one of those bright baubles of the automotive future. Even the weak of will who may have been swayed to the dark side soon realised that selling a car just for the sake of getting another one was akin to buying a novelty sweater. It seems like a good idea at the time.
These days however there is simply too much stuff. The temptations are too great. Man cannot live by 3G alone, apparently. A fellow who insists that the pair of Noddy Holder flares he bought in 1973 still have plenty of wear left in them would be looked at askance. The driver battling to keep a Triumph Dolomite on the road in the 21st Century would be thought mad. After all, a new car is announced by car makers almost on a daily basis. The mantra now is ‘change is good for you’; whether you want it or not.
Once there was just The Motor Show at Earl’s Court where serious looking men with pipes and leather patches on the elbows of their jackets would discuss cars in a serious manner. There may have been motor shows elsewhere in the world but they were of no consequence to our stoic British buyers.
Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, manufacturers flaunt their wares at shows around the world. A day cannot pass without some new development or other. Speedmonkey pointed out recently that the cars on show at Shanghai were, in some cases, beautiful, but mostly they were mad, crazy or daft. There’s a reason for this.
In terms of manufacture, when companies see a bandwagon these days they feel obliged to jump on it. Thus the car has become a lifestyle accessory to be changed as often as individuals change their smart phones. Take the Citroen DS3 or the Vauxhall Adam. Unlike a Ford Model-T you can have these in any colour combination that takes your fancy. The car as trinket. The car as personal ornament.
To have a choice is fine, to have too much choice is dangerous. What is going to happen when these cars come onto the used car market? What is a delicious beef lasagne to one person is just an old nag to another. Mark these words - if a car is too heavily personalised it will lose value not gain it. In the same way that magnolia paint is supposed to give maximum appeal to the majority of house buyers precisely because it is so neutral, so a silver car will always have the most mass appeal when it comes to resale time.
Manufacturers do these things because they can and consumers of the world are falling for it left, right and centre. The ideal car for this humble scribe has rear-wheel drive, a V8 engine and the desirability of Uma Thurman (but with lower running costs obviously). When I’m driving I really don’t need to be connected to the world. I just need to be connected to the road.
Geoff Maxted is a freelance writer and photographer whose works have been published in various print and online sources
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Once, in far-off days, people were satisfied with what they had when it came to material things. They expected things to last. They purchased a car and kept it pretty much until it had reverted to its original organic state. The thought never occurred to those thrifty folk of yore to even consider buying one of those bright baubles of the automotive future. Even the weak of will who may have been swayed to the dark side soon realised that selling a car just for the sake of getting another one was akin to buying a novelty sweater. It seems like a good idea at the time.
These days however there is simply too much stuff. The temptations are too great. Man cannot live by 3G alone, apparently. A fellow who insists that the pair of Noddy Holder flares he bought in 1973 still have plenty of wear left in them would be looked at askance. The driver battling to keep a Triumph Dolomite on the road in the 21st Century would be thought mad. After all, a new car is announced by car makers almost on a daily basis. The mantra now is ‘change is good for you’; whether you want it or not.
Once there was just The Motor Show at Earl’s Court where serious looking men with pipes and leather patches on the elbows of their jackets would discuss cars in a serious manner. There may have been motor shows elsewhere in the world but they were of no consequence to our stoic British buyers.
Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, manufacturers flaunt their wares at shows around the world. A day cannot pass without some new development or other. Speedmonkey pointed out recently that the cars on show at Shanghai were, in some cases, beautiful, but mostly they were mad, crazy or daft. There’s a reason for this.
In terms of manufacture, when companies see a bandwagon these days they feel obliged to jump on it. Thus the car has become a lifestyle accessory to be changed as often as individuals change their smart phones. Take the Citroen DS3 or the Vauxhall Adam. Unlike a Ford Model-T you can have these in any colour combination that takes your fancy. The car as trinket. The car as personal ornament.
To have a choice is fine, to have too much choice is dangerous. What is going to happen when these cars come onto the used car market? What is a delicious beef lasagne to one person is just an old nag to another. Mark these words - if a car is too heavily personalised it will lose value not gain it. In the same way that magnolia paint is supposed to give maximum appeal to the majority of house buyers precisely because it is so neutral, so a silver car will always have the most mass appeal when it comes to resale time.
Manufacturers do these things because they can and consumers of the world are falling for it left, right and centre. The ideal car for this humble scribe has rear-wheel drive, a V8 engine and the desirability of Uma Thurman (but with lower running costs obviously). When I’m driving I really don’t need to be connected to the world. I just need to be connected to the road.
Geoff Maxted is a freelance writer and photographer whose works have been published in various print and online sources
Living With - The Extraordinary Adventures Of A Citroen C1
Geoff Maxted reviews his Citroen C1, a city car for petrolheads?
France has given the world many wonderful things; great art, magnificent cuisine, Juliette Binoche and many iconic automobiles of which the Citroen C1 is definitely not one. It’s a city car for goodness sake; a hockey puck on wheels. City cars are weedy environmental goodie-goodies for green town dwelling types who eat a lot of quiche and spend their holidays in a yurt. Aren’t they?
Well, yes, they can be that way and no, they are much more than they appear to be. Certainly, cars like the C1 are ideal for the town, being cheap to run and easy to park yet I, a driving enthusiast and all-round red-blooded male, have one. I bought it new. No aberration this; I knew what I was doing.
For a start, there are some cracking deals around as retailers desperately try to shift product in a stagnant market. Those cash-starved motorists with a mind for economy in these desperate financial times are buying into the small car market to save money. In short, there are times when common sense must prevail.
So how has the C1 been? In a word - brilliant. It was built at a factory in the Czech Republic alongside its siblings, the Peugeot 107 and the posh Toyota Aygo. Apart from some identifying bodywork and trim differences they are the same. Build quality has never been an issue - it’s very well screwed together.
Reader - I have put this car through hell. I have even taken it to North Yorkshire. You would think that this would have a tiny car with a tiny engine reaching for the diazepam and having a bit of a lie-down, but it is not so. When asked to deliver it has shrugged its Gallic shoulders, said merde, and got on with the job.
Amazingly, this car is a fun drive. I don’t think it is meant to do this, but if you really wind up the elastic band and hustle it along it can be hugely entertaining. If you think back to olden times, cars were basic with none of the bells and whistles of today’s automotive extravagances and, it can be argued, all the better for it. The C1 has a five-speed ‘box and a one litre three cylinder engine. It shouldn’t go, but it does.
My car has basic air-con, alloys, a halfway decent stereo and electric front windows and that’s it. I have produced this mathematical equation where C + L + S = F. In other words - car, lightness and simplicity equals FUN.
Because the car is so light it makes the most of the tiny engine, especially now that it is fully run-in. It can hold its own on the motorway at 70-80 all day and will track anything on four wheels through the twisting lanes and byways of Britain. Its skinny little wheels and tyres have terrific grip and - although many reviewers didn’t like it - the rather stiff suspension makes for much better handling.
This car has been driven all over the country, up steep hills, through muddy fords and along country tracks and all without objection. It has carried loads and served as a car boot platform. It has performed faultlessly. If a parent is looking for a first time car for their kids they could do worse than one of these. The Citroen C1 is the cheapest, smallest car I’ve owned. Other cars will come and go, all of them bigger and more powerful, but this one’s a keeper.
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France has given the world many wonderful things; great art, magnificent cuisine, Juliette Binoche and many iconic automobiles of which the Citroen C1 is definitely not one. It’s a city car for goodness sake; a hockey puck on wheels. City cars are weedy environmental goodie-goodies for green town dwelling types who eat a lot of quiche and spend their holidays in a yurt. Aren’t they?
Well, yes, they can be that way and no, they are much more than they appear to be. Certainly, cars like the C1 are ideal for the town, being cheap to run and easy to park yet I, a driving enthusiast and all-round red-blooded male, have one. I bought it new. No aberration this; I knew what I was doing.
For a start, there are some cracking deals around as retailers desperately try to shift product in a stagnant market. Those cash-starved motorists with a mind for economy in these desperate financial times are buying into the small car market to save money. In short, there are times when common sense must prevail.
So how has the C1 been? In a word - brilliant. It was built at a factory in the Czech Republic alongside its siblings, the Peugeot 107 and the posh Toyota Aygo. Apart from some identifying bodywork and trim differences they are the same. Build quality has never been an issue - it’s very well screwed together.
Reader - I have put this car through hell. I have even taken it to North Yorkshire. You would think that this would have a tiny car with a tiny engine reaching for the diazepam and having a bit of a lie-down, but it is not so. When asked to deliver it has shrugged its Gallic shoulders, said merde, and got on with the job.
Amazingly, this car is a fun drive. I don’t think it is meant to do this, but if you really wind up the elastic band and hustle it along it can be hugely entertaining. If you think back to olden times, cars were basic with none of the bells and whistles of today’s automotive extravagances and, it can be argued, all the better for it. The C1 has a five-speed ‘box and a one litre three cylinder engine. It shouldn’t go, but it does.
My car has basic air-con, alloys, a halfway decent stereo and electric front windows and that’s it. I have produced this mathematical equation where C + L + S = F. In other words - car, lightness and simplicity equals FUN.
Because the car is so light it makes the most of the tiny engine, especially now that it is fully run-in. It can hold its own on the motorway at 70-80 all day and will track anything on four wheels through the twisting lanes and byways of Britain. Its skinny little wheels and tyres have terrific grip and - although many reviewers didn’t like it - the rather stiff suspension makes for much better handling.
This car has been driven all over the country, up steep hills, through muddy fords and along country tracks and all without objection. It has carried loads and served as a car boot platform. It has performed faultlessly. If a parent is looking for a first time car for their kids they could do worse than one of these. The Citroen C1 is the cheapest, smallest car I’ve owned. Other cars will come and go, all of them bigger and more powerful, but this one’s a keeper.
The saddest looking car ever
Cars are designed by people. Sometimes people feel sad and their emotions spill over into their work. The Suzuki designer who created the Ionis concept must have done so on a grey day in mid-winter, after a funeral, after his dog died, when his Prozac ran out and because he was listening to The Smiths.
Can you come up with a sadder looking car than the Suzuki Ionis concept?
We've some pictures of more sad cars under the very sad Ionis.
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Can you come up with a sadder looking car than the Suzuki Ionis concept?
We've some pictures of more sad cars under the very sad Ionis.
Oh dear. Here are some more sad cars who look like they might burst in to tears at any moment.
25 Apr 2013
Volvo crash 4 cars per week at their crash test facility in Gothenburg
Volvo was the first manufacturer to fit 3-point seatbelts as standard to it's cars and they continue to innovate in matters of safety. Indeed Volvo obsess about safety. Their aim is that by 2020 no person, or animal, should be killed or injured in a collision with a Volvo.
A pretty amazing statement of intent. This video shows what Volvo are up to at their crash test facility in Gothenburg. Some stats: every year Volvo crash 200 cars in the name of research. Every day Volvo crash and analyse 80 virtual cars in their simulator.
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A pretty amazing statement of intent. This video shows what Volvo are up to at their crash test facility in Gothenburg. Some stats: every year Volvo crash 200 cars in the name of research. Every day Volvo crash and analyse 80 virtual cars in their simulator.
Here's what the established car manufacturers are doing to capture the Chinese market
Car manufacturers are falling over themselves to please the Chinese, and it's no wonder. The population of China is 1.35 billion, 240 million Chinese were born in the 80s and annual economic growth has hovered around 10% for years.
The middle classes in China have grown to 100 million and there are 1 million UK equivalent millionaires. And 130 US dollar billionaires. In 2011 18,900,000 cars were sold in China compared to 12,778,171 in the US and 1,941,253 in the UK.
Which means they are buying more cars. The Chinese home-grown (and often state owned) manufacturers can supply a certain amount of the Chinese growth in car ownership, but not all. And with more money and freedom of choice, in what is still a communist country, Western manufacturers can satisfy an increasing demand for individuality - and beauty - from Chinese consumers.
So we see the familiar (to us in the west) car manufacturers pushing their product like hell at the Shanghai Motor Show. We are seeing joint ventures with Chinese companies and we are seeing China specific models.
Jaguar Land Rover saw sales in China increase by 60% over the course of 2011, and by more than 80% in 2012. JLR will be opening a manufacturing plant in China in conjunction with Chery, a state owned Chinese manufacturer.
The Ford Focus, recently announced as the world's bestselling car, was helped to that title by a 50% increase in sales in China. Ford are one of many manufacturers introducing models specific to the Chinese market. In Ford's case that model is the new Ford Escort - an iconic name in the UK and, as it turns out, in China which loves the old model so much Ford deigned to revive the name for a new saloon that sits between the Focus and Fiesta.
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The middle classes in China have grown to 100 million and there are 1 million UK equivalent millionaires. And 130 US dollar billionaires. In 2011 18,900,000 cars were sold in China compared to 12,778,171 in the US and 1,941,253 in the UK.
Which means they are buying more cars. The Chinese home-grown (and often state owned) manufacturers can supply a certain amount of the Chinese growth in car ownership, but not all. And with more money and freedom of choice, in what is still a communist country, Western manufacturers can satisfy an increasing demand for individuality - and beauty - from Chinese consumers.
So we see the familiar (to us in the west) car manufacturers pushing their product like hell at the Shanghai Motor Show. We are seeing joint ventures with Chinese companies and we are seeing China specific models.
Jaguar Land Rover saw sales in China increase by 60% over the course of 2011, and by more than 80% in 2012. JLR will be opening a manufacturing plant in China in conjunction with Chery, a state owned Chinese manufacturer.
The Ford Focus, recently announced as the world's bestselling car, was helped to that title by a 50% increase in sales in China. Ford are one of many manufacturers introducing models specific to the Chinese market. In Ford's case that model is the new Ford Escort - an iconic name in the UK and, as it turns out, in China which loves the old model so much Ford deigned to revive the name for a new saloon that sits between the Focus and Fiesta.
Nissan's attempt to capture the Chinese market is the Friend-me which, if it were a film, would be the ultimate high-concept movie. According to Nissan, Chinese in their 20s (the target market) have no siblings so like to be with their friends but also to have their own individual space. So they've designed a car with room for four but that gives each occupant their own space. Maybe by accident they've also designed the best looking Nissan ever made - strange for a market normally so conservative.
Amongst the many manufacturers on display in Shanghai is MG who's MG CS concept (known as the MG3 in the UK) is hugely important for the resurgent British br, now in Chinese hands. The MG6 hasn't really been the success many hoped for, despite being a good car, and, with the premium mini-SUV sector chasing after the market share created by the Range Rover Evoque, MG have high hopes for it's first brand new car in two years.
The Moscow Rules - How to ride at 60mph everywhere
Years ago I read something in a car magazine by one of those advanced driving gurus, who said the ultimate goal should be to average 60 mph everywhere without attracting attention. This is a philosophy I can live with. This is also a hell of a lot harder than you think, even on a motorcycle. A few criteria need to be observed.
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You’ll see all sorts of “riding advice” all over forums, websites and the corporate motorcycle media (in which, often-as-not, it actually comes across as a form of arse-covering enjoyment-suppression and H&S-derived responsibility-denial), but you won’t have seen anything like this:
These are the Moscow Rules - the possibly apocryphal, informal code of conduct for Western spies operating behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, which is as equally-applicable to riding bikes as anything I’ve read (with a couple of minor adjustments):
These are the Moscow Rules - the possibly apocryphal, informal code of conduct for Western spies operating behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, which is as equally-applicable to riding bikes as anything I’ve read (with a couple of minor adjustments):
- Assume nothing [or assume everything]
- Murphy is right.
- Never go against your gut; it is your operational antenna.
- Don't look back; you are never completely alone [should say always look back: lifesavers]
- Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
- Go with the flow, blend in [don’t let the scameras see you]
- Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.
- Any operation can be aborted. If it feels wrong, it is wrong [2nd-gear mingers past a police station, like Cal Crutchlow in the Thundersprint the other year]
- Maintain a natural pace [making progress!]
- Lull them into a sense of complacency [yes officer]
- Build in opportunity, but use it sparingly.
- Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee [??]
- Don't harass the opposition [cagers]
- There is no limit to a human being's ability to rationalize the truth [yes officer]
- Technology will always let you down [esp. if it’s Italian]
- Pick the time and place for action.
- Keep your options open.
- Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action [yes officer]
24 Apr 2013
Volkswagen Group release financial stats. We work out how much profit they make per car
Volkswagen Group is pretty much the most respected automobile manufacturer in the business. They have a brand for every niche and market, they integrated Porsche AG (following Porsche's attempted takeover of VW) and make a decent profit.
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How much profit do you think a car manufacturer makes per car sold? Think about it and we'll come back to that later.
Volkswagen Group sold 2,375,000 cars and vans (units) in 2012 - 4.8% up on 2011. The group has 552,425 employees.
If you read Top Gear Magazine you'll have seen Paul Horrell's recent column about VW's policy of vertical integration. They make almost everything that goes into their cars - and their employees. VW even make the bratwursts that are sold in the subsidised staff canteens. Whilst some manufacturers outsource entire components such as engines, front sections, electrical components and seats (the Jaguar F-type's seats are made by Lear) Volkswagen make all of these in-house.
The sales revenue on those 2,375,000 units was €46,565,000,000. That's €46.5billion. The operating profit was €2,344,000,000 (€2.34billion), which is 26% down on 2011. The reduction in profit was largely due to 'remeasurement of options related to Porsche' which broadly means the 2011 figure was over-inflated following the acquisition of Porsche.
Dividing the revenue by units sold means the average price of a car and van across the VW Group in 2012 was €19,606. Dividing the profit by units sold means the average profit per car or van was €987.
So, the average car and van manufactured by VW Group was sold for €19,606, and from each sale VW Group makes a €987 profit. The profit margin per car and van sold is 5%.
Is that in line with the figure you imagined?
VW is in a healthy state. They have €10.6billion of net liquidity which means they could ride out a severe downturn in sales, or upturn in costs. But these figures prove that for a manufacturer to make a good profit they have to sell a lot of cars - and even then the margins are comparatively low.
I want to love modern BMWs but can't bring myself to do so
I want to love BMWs. I've owned several but I'd never buy a modern one because, whilst a BMW satisfies from a dynamic perspective, they fail in the looks department. Modern BMWs are almost entirely pig ugly. And that pains a true petrolhead.
This, for me, is the most beautiful BMW ever made. The 6-series. Not only the overall shape of the thing but the grille is the embodiment of Bavarian engineering writ large in a form that reduces middle-aged men (and women) to quivering wrecks.
This is, for me, the second best looking BMW and the best looking saloon they've produced - the E28 5-series. The design, similar in concept to the 6-series, is executed wonderfully. The forward facing grille in particular is easy on the eye and has been spoilt on modern BMWs.
Now look at this, the new Z4. The grille is wide and gormless, the headlights narrow and peevish. The shape of the car is OK if nothing special. BMW's new designer, Karim Habib, has failed to move the company on one iota.
This is the 3-series in one shot. Which one would you say makes your heart pump and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? If it's not the E30 then perhaps you don't agree with my argument that BMW design has got a lot worse over the years.
The 3-series is actually the BMW most unmolested by Bangle and his successors, so the latest iteration isn't too bad. It's just not that great looking, even if it is dynamically superior to it's predecessors.
Take a look around the rest of the BMW range. The 5-series GT is a pigdog, the X4 concept a poorly conceived lemon. It makes me sad. I want to love BMWs but they continue to bring out miserable looking machines, like the 1-series with those awful droopy lines on it's flanks and that dreadful face with it's wraparound, teardrop headlights.
Please BMW. Sack designers who wear turtle-neck jumpers and employ some people who are at least enthusiastic about how your cars look. You make great handling cars, with lovely interiors but you can't design the outside of them for toffee.
Matt
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This, for me, is the most beautiful BMW ever made. The 6-series. Not only the overall shape of the thing but the grille is the embodiment of Bavarian engineering writ large in a form that reduces middle-aged men (and women) to quivering wrecks.
Now look at this, the new Z4. The grille is wide and gormless, the headlights narrow and peevish. The shape of the car is OK if nothing special. BMW's new designer, Karim Habib, has failed to move the company on one iota.
This is the 3-series in one shot. Which one would you say makes your heart pump and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? If it's not the E30 then perhaps you don't agree with my argument that BMW design has got a lot worse over the years.
Take a look around the rest of the BMW range. The 5-series GT is a pigdog, the X4 concept a poorly conceived lemon. It makes me sad. I want to love BMWs but they continue to bring out miserable looking machines, like the 1-series with those awful droopy lines on it's flanks and that dreadful face with it's wraparound, teardrop headlights.
Matt
The 1500hp, 269mph Lamborghini Gallardo that taste forgot
Canadian tuning house ZR Auto has modified this Lamborghini Gallardo not just by applying a chrome wrap but with some tasty engine enhancements.
The 5 litre V10 has been built by ZR and twin turbos have been added to increase the performance from the Gallardo's standard 550hp to 1500hp. The factory Gallardo's top speed is 198mph whereas the ZR Gallardo tops out at 269mph.
The quarter mile sprint takes 8.7 seconds at a speed of 170mph.
The chrome Gallardo will be displayed at the Calgary Motor Show. Afterwards it'll become part of the ZR Auto Driving Experience Fleet, which also includes a Ferrari ZXX, Ferrari F430 and a Ferrari F40. You can't actually drive any of these. $750 buys a half hour passenger ride around Calgary and asking the driver to break the speed limit ends your ride immediately. Spoilsports.
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The 5 litre V10 has been built by ZR and twin turbos have been added to increase the performance from the Gallardo's standard 550hp to 1500hp. The factory Gallardo's top speed is 198mph whereas the ZR Gallardo tops out at 269mph.
The quarter mile sprint takes 8.7 seconds at a speed of 170mph.
The chrome Gallardo will be displayed at the Calgary Motor Show. Afterwards it'll become part of the ZR Auto Driving Experience Fleet, which also includes a Ferrari ZXX, Ferrari F430 and a Ferrari F40. You can't actually drive any of these. $750 buys a half hour passenger ride around Calgary and asking the driver to break the speed limit ends your ride immediately. Spoilsports.
Jaguar has released a load of F-type videos - Here they all are
Here are all of Jaguar's F-type videos in one place. The first is the best - despite the cheesy music you can hear the supercharged V6 and V8 engines at full chat. Marvellous.
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23 Apr 2013
Thank you to the person who flashed their lights to warn me of a speed trap
The police. Meant to serve and protect the public? Not when they set up mobile speed cameras in locations that can only serve as revenue raisers rather than protecting the public's interest.
I had a meeting today, one hour from home. An hour of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire's finest back roads. So I took the bike - a Triumph Street Triple. It might only pack 675cc but it'll outrun a Porsche 911 Turbo. Motorcycles are proper, stupidly fast.
I had some fun on the national speed limit sections and slowed down through villages where the speed limit drops to 30mph. Bikers generally follow this rule. Focussed as we are on the road, the ride and our safety we are generally law abiding sorts in built up areas. If the limit is 30 a motorcyclist will usually do 30 - unlike a lot of car drivers.
I was slowing as I prepared to enter a 30mph section. I knew the gateway signs designating 30mph would be around the next bend - a blind bend - so I slowed appropriately. This particular 30mph zone starts half a mile before the village.
In the UK many historic 30mph zones are placed not straight after the village's houses end but some distance after that - where the Parish boundary ends. So it is tempting to enter the 30mph zone at 60mph and slow down as you approach the village and it's buildings. In this case I didn't.
I was doing about 40mph (in the 60mph limit) when a van came around the corner and the driver flashed his lights at me. I immediately knew why when I went round the corner and saw a Thames Valley Police mobile speed trap.
I was doing 30mph and didn't get caught. I would have been doing 30mph anyway but I'm glad that van driver flashed his lights at me. He risked prosecution (it's illegal to warn oncoming drivers of a speed trap in the UK) by a peevish police force who do not like drivers warning each other of approaching speed traps - because it reduces their revenues in fines.
The police might talk a load of rubbish about mobile camera units saving lives but to place the speed trap within the half mile after the village's last house and the end of the 30mph zone, and before a blind bend, has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with trying to catch unwary drivers (and riders) out and pocketing their money.
The police lose the confidence of the public every time we see them pulling this kind of confidence trick. Thames Valley Police should be ashamed of themselves.
Matt
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I had a meeting today, one hour from home. An hour of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire's finest back roads. So I took the bike - a Triumph Street Triple. It might only pack 675cc but it'll outrun a Porsche 911 Turbo. Motorcycles are proper, stupidly fast.
I had some fun on the national speed limit sections and slowed down through villages where the speed limit drops to 30mph. Bikers generally follow this rule. Focussed as we are on the road, the ride and our safety we are generally law abiding sorts in built up areas. If the limit is 30 a motorcyclist will usually do 30 - unlike a lot of car drivers.
I was slowing as I prepared to enter a 30mph section. I knew the gateway signs designating 30mph would be around the next bend - a blind bend - so I slowed appropriately. This particular 30mph zone starts half a mile before the village.
In the UK many historic 30mph zones are placed not straight after the village's houses end but some distance after that - where the Parish boundary ends. So it is tempting to enter the 30mph zone at 60mph and slow down as you approach the village and it's buildings. In this case I didn't.
I was doing about 40mph (in the 60mph limit) when a van came around the corner and the driver flashed his lights at me. I immediately knew why when I went round the corner and saw a Thames Valley Police mobile speed trap.
I was doing 30mph and didn't get caught. I would have been doing 30mph anyway but I'm glad that van driver flashed his lights at me. He risked prosecution (it's illegal to warn oncoming drivers of a speed trap in the UK) by a peevish police force who do not like drivers warning each other of approaching speed traps - because it reduces their revenues in fines.
The police might talk a load of rubbish about mobile camera units saving lives but to place the speed trap within the half mile after the village's last house and the end of the 30mph zone, and before a blind bend, has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with trying to catch unwary drivers (and riders) out and pocketing their money.
The police lose the confidence of the public every time we see them pulling this kind of confidence trick. Thames Valley Police should be ashamed of themselves.
Matt
Life inside the Red Bull Media team - Josh Bloom column
Hi! My name is Josh Bloom, and I'm a motorsport producer from the Red Bull Media House - and this column / occasional spewing of nonsense, is a brief account of what working in motorsport media is like and some of the crazy things we get to do, which amazingly is classified as work.
The Media House motorsport team have a far ranging brief on two and four wheels - F1, Moto GP, WRC, Hard Enduro and a bunch of other special projects we are let loose on from time to time. The last few months have been particularly busy for us. Our big project was to celebrate Mark Webber's 200th GP in Bahrain.
It was lovely to see so many people willing to contribute to the piece, even away from the Red Bull family, such is Mark's popularity. We interviewed the ever charismatic Paul Stoddart, who brilliantly re-told the story of Mark's first race in 2002, and after popping into the see the RB guys, we saw Sir Frank Williams, which was an absolute pleasure. He's very witty and verbose still, and admitted he and Mark rip the piss out of each other all the time, which was lovely to hear!
Sadly the race didn't go quite the way Mark wanted it, but were so pleased for him to join the 200 club. Here's the final edit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_YGSHcPAk
No rest for the wicked though, we went off to a secret location in France to watch Sebastien Loeb try out his Pikes Peak Peugeot 208 for the first time.
It is an absolute beast.
I can't say too much about it right now, but boy is it quick. With the black carbon fibre body it also looks (and sounds!) like a monster. We picked up some awesome footage too. Look out for that edit in May.
Next for us? We are shooting the Red Bull Junior team soon. Who are they? People you need to watch for the future. Sebastien Vettel, Daniel Riccardio and Jean-Eric Vergne all came through the programme. We are talking some seriously talented young drivers - check them out.
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Red-Bull-Junior-Team-2013---Home/001243182345888
After that? The Iron Giant - Red Hare Scramble at Erzberg. One of the most anticipated events of the Hard Enduro season.
For updates on motorsport things/ general babblings about other sports, follow me on Twitter @Bloomers87
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The Media House motorsport team have a far ranging brief on two and four wheels - F1, Moto GP, WRC, Hard Enduro and a bunch of other special projects we are let loose on from time to time. The last few months have been particularly busy for us. Our big project was to celebrate Mark Webber's 200th GP in Bahrain.
It was lovely to see so many people willing to contribute to the piece, even away from the Red Bull family, such is Mark's popularity. We interviewed the ever charismatic Paul Stoddart, who brilliantly re-told the story of Mark's first race in 2002, and after popping into the see the RB guys, we saw Sir Frank Williams, which was an absolute pleasure. He's very witty and verbose still, and admitted he and Mark rip the piss out of each other all the time, which was lovely to hear!
Sadly the race didn't go quite the way Mark wanted it, but were so pleased for him to join the 200 club. Here's the final edit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_YGSHcPAk
No rest for the wicked though, we went off to a secret location in France to watch Sebastien Loeb try out his Pikes Peak Peugeot 208 for the first time.
It is an absolute beast.
I can't say too much about it right now, but boy is it quick. With the black carbon fibre body it also looks (and sounds!) like a monster. We picked up some awesome footage too. Look out for that edit in May.
Next for us? We are shooting the Red Bull Junior team soon. Who are they? People you need to watch for the future. Sebastien Vettel, Daniel Riccardio and Jean-Eric Vergne all came through the programme. We are talking some seriously talented young drivers - check them out.
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Red-Bull-Junior-Team-2013---Home/001243182345888
After that? The Iron Giant - Red Hare Scramble at Erzberg. One of the most anticipated events of the Hard Enduro season.
For updates on motorsport things/ general babblings about other sports, follow me on Twitter @Bloomers87
Shanghai Motor Show Gallery - mad, crazy and daft (and the occasional beauty)
The Shanghai Motor Show is underway. The Brit, Japanese, German and US manufacturers are displaying their wares alongside some homegrown Chinese cars.
The likes of Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Honda and Rolls Royce are seeing huge growth from the Chinese market but they struggle to compete on sheer whackiness (and sometimes incredible dullness) with the Chinese manufacturers. Here's our gallery of Chinese cars from the show.
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The likes of Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Honda and Rolls Royce are seeing huge growth from the Chinese market but they struggle to compete on sheer whackiness (and sometimes incredible dullness) with the Chinese manufacturers. Here's our gallery of Chinese cars from the show.
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