UKMotorTalk

Automobilia at Bonhams "December Sale"

2012-01-05T14:33:00.001Z

Useful Links:

Bonhams Auctioneers	www.Bonhams.com
Wings For Life UK	www.WingsForLife.com
Mercedes Benz World	www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk
Brooklands Museum	www.BrooklandsMuseum.com

Bologna Motor Show – December 2011

2011-12-12T13:05:00.000Z

Think of Bologna and you’ll most likely think of a certain pasta dish regularly seen on dinner tables across the country. But, aside from being famous for its wide ranging food and drink supplies, this city also plays host to pretty much every supercar manufacturer worthy of note. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Pagani can all call the city if not home, at least a significant neighbour. Whilst run of the mill car production from the likes of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia (and now Chrysler) is spread throughout Italy, Bologna is a city that lives and breathes the automotive exotic.

It’s apparent when you arrive at the airport. Amongst the usual sight of bag shops, tourist tat stalls and purveyors of overpriced liquor, you will find a Ferrari store, opposite a Ducati store. The beautiful city centre once featured the original Maserati factory, and the statue of Neptune in Piazza Maggiore, reminds us of this with his trident being held aloft – that same trident now featuring so proudly on the bootlid of every new Maserati car to come out of the Modena factory, up the road.

So it’s not surprising to learn that Italy’s national motor show is held every year in the Bologna Fiere district, to the north of the old city. Whilst it’s not on the scale of the likes of Frankfurt, Geneva or Paris, the exhibition centre spans a very large area and, for this year, features an open air arena in the centre, with banks of stands filled with spectators viewing rallycross demonstrations.

In truth, this is not the reason for my attendance. Previous trips to Bologna in search of some kind of romantic supercar ideal, have borne fruit – tours of the Lamborghini factory and museum, a one to one tour of the Pagani workshops with Mrs Pagani herself, along with a chance encounter with a certain Valentino Balboni out on a test drive in a Murcielago workhorse – these things have all convinced me that this region is the promised land when it comes to automotive excellence.

I’m here for the Italian supercars that still occupy a place in my heart, if no longer poster space on my bedroom wall. I’m also armed with VIP passes, gained through a contact in London, for the Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati stands. As far as I am concerned, the rest of the assembled motoring offerings are nothing more than window dressing.

It’s the 150th anniversary of Italy’s formal unification into something like the country we recognise today. To celebrate, Maserati have starting producing a run of only 12 GranTurismo S ‘Limited Edition’ models. The first of these is rotating slowly on the centre of the stand. Finished in a beautiful shade of blue, with black wheels, these cars will only be sold in Italy. It’s a beautiful car, although modifications barely go skin deep as the engine and transmission are unchanged. It’s hard to get good photos in the low lighting conditions, but much harder to get a look inside. With this beautiful car, comes a beautiful model.

Maserati GranTurismo S 'Limited Edition'

I’ve been to many motor shows, and the presence of a leggy model on press days is normal, but I’m here well into the show’s run. This car, and every other car on the stand has a woman draped over it, and another sat inside it. A request to move seems out of the question, as it seems every red blooded Italian male is expressing just as much interest in the girls as the cars. I’m fortunate enough to be allowed onto the stand, whilst paying punters queue four of five deep to just photograph the cars, so I suppose it’s a privilege to be this close. But, if I’m considered worthy enough to come through the barrier, surely it wouldn’t be too much to expect to get in, close the door and make car noises without an Italian girl staring at me?

No matter, I move on to snaffle some free cakes before taking a look at the Quattroporte on the stand. This one, finished in Mafia staff car black, is hiding at the back of the display. For most of the time, it doesn’t have a girl draped over it. This is because, it’s likely to be the last show for this car, which is due to be replaced with two separate models next year. It’s always been a favourite of mine, and to this day I consider it pretty much the best looking car on sale today. It’s also been a great success for Maserati, and has had much to do with the company’s incredible ride from being an also ran on the cusp of death, to a manufacturer of significant renown. Just take a trip around central London these days, and you’ll see Quattroportes everywhere.

Maserati Quattroporte

The GranTurismo is based on the Quattroporte – take a close look at one and you will see just how large they are. Aside from the limited edition car still spinning in front of the starry-eyed locals, there’s also an example of a lightened racing version, the MC Stradale alongside more down to earth variants of the coupe and convertible. To me, this car doesn’t work as a lightened, track day special – it seems to contradict the nature of this car, which is defined by it’s own moniker – and my attention wanders back to the delicious snacks on offer at the bar.

I go off in search of Ferrari. I’m pleased to find a selection of Ferrari racing biased cars. The latest Formula One car is proudly displayed, alongside trackday versions of the Enzo and 599. These are nicely set out, in a large number of small ‘pens’ which enable circulation of the general populace, allowing them to pay homage to the local speciality. It’s nice to see a breaking down of the normal barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’ at this show, as Ferrari stands generally occupy a rarified space where it is usual to look, but forbidden, except for the chosen few, to touch.

My democratic feelings soon fade away when I discover that Ferrari has no formal display of road cars at this show. I’ve travelled a long way for this spectacle and I’m quite shocked to find this out. I’m not sure if I’m more disappointed about missing the chance to see the 458 Spyder, or another opportunity for snacks. The quality of the latter is normally second to none. I find a solitary 458 Coupe on show in a hall dedicated to posh cars with unofficial origins, which seems to have been installed as a sort of apology to those, like me, expecting the big supercar maufacturers, and the more exotic specialists, to have a presence here today.

It’s here that I realise that not only are Ferrari road cars missing, but so too are Lamborghini, and Pagani. There’s a current model Aventador getting a lot of attention in one corner, opposite a middle aged Zonda C12S, but the sorry collection of cars presented here is no real consolation. The situation is made worse by the presence of a toxic waste yellow coloured Bentley Continental Flying Spur in the same small hall. I figure it means Bentley’s stand, normally well worth a look even for one so keen on Italian supercars, is not here either. I am correct in my assumption. Rolls Royce are missing too.

I take my pass to the information desk in the centre of the show to make sure I’ve not missed something obvious. A brief conversation comprising shouty English and hand gestures, along with some name dropping brings forth a moment of joy – I’m told I will find Lamborghini upstairs, at the top of an escalator up which only those with a pass are allowed. I’m presented with the pass and I ascend to find a display of Lamborghini branded furniture and carpets. There are some free snacks here and, having duly abused my pass, I go back down to see if it’s possible to recover the day.

Things don’t improve rapidly. It’s clear that not all of the major manufacturers consider this show worth their effort. A conversation with a member of staff on the Audi stand leads me to understand that the last couple of years have seen fewer brands being on show. Ferrari and Lamborghini, I am told, have not attended since 2009. As I wander, I find that Toyota, the world’s largest and most profitable car company, do not have a display. They’re not the only ones.

At the Frankfurt motor show this year, Mercedes Benz built a multi storey temple to the three pointed star. It was more showpiece than showcase and the experience of a fifteen minute shuffle, shoulder to shoulder with sweaty Northern Europeans, left a lot to be desired. I didn’t actually look at any cars, as I just wanted to get out into the fresh air. At Bologna however, the stand was much more conventional. On show were a couple of SLS’s, and the A-Class concept car that has been doing the rounds recently. We were too early for the new SL, but in the more traditional setting of this show, it was nice to have a chance to try out the new SLK and ML Class. The previous models had their gestation in the profit obsessed, troubled times following the ill-fated DaimlerChrysler merger experience, and these new models seem to be imbued with a feeling of quality that was never quite there with the previous models.

Current Benz cars are doing much to invoke the glory days of the likes of the W124 E-Class, when drivers had the impression that their cars were hewn from solid rock and would last as long. It’s clear in the design both externally and internally, that curves are out and bold, straight lines are back in, harking back to those days. It makes me smile to see a G-Class being displayed on this stand. If there is any model in the marque’s history which better sums up the principle of longevity better than this mother of all SUV’s, then I’m yet to see it.

This car is kept locked shut, but a flash of my special pass gets me in, or rather up. I have to climb up on the running board to get in behind the wheel, before closing the driver’s door to revel in the experience. Mercedes have done a lot to bring this car up to modern standards. This model is a G500, a 5 litre V8 petrol with automatic transmission, satellite navigation, beautiful nappa leather and the latest multi function steering wheel. But it’s clear the moment I close the door, that this car has history. When the door is pulled shut, it emits a sound akin to the closing of an antique safe. There’s none of the sound design of modern equivalents here – the door shut sounds good, because for all I know, these doors are actually fit to be used on a safe.

It should smell of musty leather and petrol in here, but it doesn’t. It feels like the comfy pair of shoes you never want to throw away, but without the holes that let in water – it’s wonderfully familiar and gives me the feeling that this is a car that would last forever and survive anything that was thrown at it. More than any other car today, I want one. But then I realise that it’s on sale for Maserati money, and I head over to Land Rover to compare notes with the Defender, which must surely be the only other contender for the G-Class crown. It too is locked, but nobody lets me in. I peer through the window and only get to consider how these two compare for a few moments before moving on.

There’s not that much in the way of new product launches, or vehicles which haven’t already grabbed headlines. I look with interest at some of the Chinese and Indian manufacturers on display, the former with brands I neither recognise nor care about. No doubt this will change, but for now, I’ll pass on anything more than a cursory inspection of the RAV4/Vitara clones on show today. VW are pushing their new up! at this event. There are posters all over town for this new city car, and it’s the first chance I get to take a decent look at it. I’ll assume they won’t be selling the ‘black up!’ version in the UK, nor the ‘white up!’ for fairly obvious reasons, but aside from these basic errors in nomenclature, the car passes muster. It’s light years ahead of the sickly Fox and tinny Lupo models it succeeds, and had a great deal of the spirit that small cars should have apparent, just from sitting in the cabin. It shouts ‘drive me hard’ at whilst I grip the lovely three spoke steering wheel. I make a mental note to have a go in one when they go on sale in the UK, to compare to my own Fiat 500.

For old time’s sake, and to get my money’s worth before the show ends, I head over to the Fiat/Lancia/Alfa Romeo area to go and prod the switches on the new Panda. For Italians, this is a car which can not be ignored. More often than not, this car is the choice of the cash strapped Italian, to be used as a dodgem around city streets and as a grand tourer, come the August holidays. This new model doesn’t differ much visually from the model it replaces. Some refinements in the design, particularly internally, bring it up to 2011 standards but the major change is under the bonnet. It’s the second Fiat car to get the innovative TwinAir parallel twin motor, and the first without a turbocharger attached to it.

This engine is likely to feature heavily in the Fiat group product lineup over the next few years , and that’s no bad thing. The environmental credentials of the parallel twin petrol engine are second to none, and it also makes the cars attached to it, fun to drive. It’s full of character, and makes a great sound. There’s a display area outside, where I watch various Fiat group cars so equipped get punted around. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the 875cc engine, and can almost imagine being in any Italian city in the 1960’s.

It’s funny how my journey through the show has gone from one extreme to another. I note that I have gone from eating posh cakes and dodging catwalk models on the Maserati stand, to eating a KitKat, leaning against a barrier, watching Fiat Pandas drive around a small section of tarmac. But this fairly sums up how things are right now. Money is tight. Italy is a country in financial straights, like much of the rest of Europe. This sort of thing is more relevant than any supercar at the present time.

I decide not to go back in to the show as the sun sets. I’ve seen what I need to, and I can’t stand another moment of the God awful hard house music being incessantly pumped out of every stand by a legion of Eurotrash DJ’s. I’ve tired of the models draped over every car, from Maserati to Megane and the free cakes have run out. I know that I should have researched before coming out here, but had I done that, I would have missed out on an experience that comparatively few of my countrymen and women get to see.

Any remaining doubts about the need for the trip dispel after a short taxi ride into the centre of Bologna. Piazza Maggiore, complete with that statue of Neptune holding his trident, has been transformed into a warm coloured, winter wonderland. I wander around the magnificent covered arcades and find a shop devoted to selling Fiat branded chocolates. I ask you, where else in the world would such a thing be possible?

Alex Wakefield

Wales Rally GB Video Highlights

2011-11-13T22:44:00.000Z

Dan Wheldon. RIP

2011-10-17T10:17:00.001+01:00

Tragic news this morning of the death of Dan Wheldon in a horrendous 15 car crash at the Las Vegas 300 Indy Car race.

The young Brit had chosen to pursue a career in the USA in Indy Cars and had won the prestigious Indy 500 twice, including this year.

He came to Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and charmed everyone who met him, a very likeable young man and a supremely talented racer, all in motor sport will miss him.

Our thoughts are with his family at this sorrowful time.

Graham Benge

Video selection from the Goodwood Revival

2011-09-22T21:35:00.004+01:00

National MicroCar Rally 2011 Gallery

2011-09-21T12:57:00.001+01:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Thanks to Phil Bradfield for the photos... You obviously had a really good day!

For more details of the rally, visit http://www.national-microcar-rally.co.uk/

Goodwood Revival 2011 Gallery

2011-09-21T12:55:00.002+01:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Thanks to First Take Media's Staff Photographer Mike Jones for his efforts.

Spitfires in the skies of Goodwood....

2011-09-18T15:00:00.001+01:00

Much awaited Spitfire display sends shivers down the spines of our team.... :-)

More from the Revival...

2011-09-18T09:53:00.002+01:00

A glorious end to an amazing day of action on and off the Goodwood track...

2011-09-17T19:22:00.001+01:00

Around the Revival - more sights from day two.

2011-09-17T15:39:00.006+01:00

All photos by Mike Jones.

One of the numerous Spitfires at the Revival

2011-09-17T14:50:00.001+01:00

Some sights from Friday at the Goodwood Revival 2011

2011-09-17T08:26:00.003+01:00

First Take Media's intrepid snapper Mike Jones is well-known for sneaking his lens into the places others' cannot reach and as ever we kept him busy on the first day of the Revival weekend.

End of Friday at the Goodwood Revival

2011-09-16T18:42:00.002+01:00

A few snaps from the Revival...

2011-09-16T12:06:00.005+01:00

Good Morning From Goodwood!

2011-09-16T09:02:00.000+01:00

Well, the weather gods are certainly smiling on us here at Goodwood this morning... Bright sunny weather currently gracing the circuit...

Our day has already begun with our first live radio pieces broadcast and several coffees drunk!

For those here early enough, there has already been a motocross parade and MG parade, and preparations are currently being made for the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy's "free practice"... 25 minutes of noise!!

Coverage of Goodwood Revival 2011

2011-09-09T12:30:00.001+01:00

UKMotorTalk's coverage of the Goodwood Revival 2011 can be found right here over the long weekend of 16th - 18th September 2011.

Join us for some of the sights and sounds of this truly spectacular event... Over 100,000 people will attend over the three days, many dressing in the style of the era the event is based... The 1940s, 50s and 60s...

UKMotorTalk and the team from First Take Media will be on site from the early hours of Friday morning, until the sun goes down on Sunday evening.... providing radio coverage and bringing you closer to all the action...

For further information about coverage for YOUR radio station or website: contact@firsttakemedia.co.uk

The Next Generation Award

2011-08-18T12:22:00.002+01:00

Are you a student in the UK...? Enjoying your nice long summer break..?

Perhaps your thoughts are turning to the end of your University education and the world of careers....? You know you've always fantasized about working in F1...!

Well perhaps now you can and with no less than the very best, McLaren F1.

But hurry there's only 10 more days!!!

McLaren are encouraging the next generation of F1 and automotive engineers by offering as a competition prize a period of work experience at their HQ.

McLaren Automotive is encouraging students to enter this "money can’t buy" competition and get their hands on priceless work experience within the car industry, as well as a £7,500 cash prize. The Next Generation Award is run and managed by Autocar and Courland Automotive Practice and McLaren Automotive has offered the unique opportunity for the winner to spend an exciting month at McLaren working with designers and engineers.

Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive’s Research Director, and previously Technical Director for the groundbreaking new high performance sports car the MP4-12C, will be sitting on the judging panel and said: “I’m really looking forward to judging the awards and am interested in seeing how students with a desire to work in the car industry adapt the brief to best suit their area of expertise. McLaren is a technologically advanced company so I will be looking for applicants who really think about pushing the boundaries of the automotive business. Manufacturing is key to the economic structure in the UK, and I am proud that McLaren is supporting this award.”

The Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award is a national competition to identify, support and develop top automotive talent of the future. Entrants from UK universities are invited to answer in 500 words a brief set by Autocar's Editor-in-chief, Steve Cropley, who commented: “We are delighted that McLaren is involved in the Autocar Courland Next Generation Award this year. Our lucky winner will have an amazing experience as part of the world of McLaren; it’s the stuff of dreams. For students, work experience is nowadays a vital step in the process of building a career. The McLaren opportunity will undoubtedly widen our winner's horizons."

Martin Bohling, Global Managing Partner, Courland Automotive Practice said: “We are encouraging all students from numerous courses to look to the automotive industry for their first step into the world of employment. The industry offers numerous and wide ranging opportunities for enthusiastic graduates – it’s innovative, inspiring and challenging. The industry is most definitely not just for the petrol head.”

The Brief: Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award entries should be no more than 500 words long and written in English. They should also include images or illustrations, if relevant, to answer the following brief:

"Using your area of expertise, write a 500-word proposal suggesting some improvement (be it an invention, a legislative change, a change to corporate policy or the adoption of a new convention) which you believe would be a worthwhile benefit to the automotive business, on a small or large scale."

Applicants ideas will be assessed on the following criteria:

The concept presented must be an original idea. We are ideally looking for something that is new or that builds on existing ideas. The concept might demonstrate lateral thinking, creativity and "thinking outside the box", bringing new approaches to old problems.

The winner will be able to communicate their idea in a clear manner, both verbally and via their written application (use of diagrams is encouraged). We are looking for individuals who are able to simplify complex problems, who can be concise and who are able to inspire their audience. Accuracy and clarity are key.

Each of 12 candidates who make the 'longlist' will be given the opportunity to attend one of three assessment days before the shortlist is produced. This stage is considered as part of the assessment process and allows each candidate to present their idea in person to a panel of assessment day judges - providing valuable interview experience and feedback.

No entries will be accepted after midnight on the 28th August 2011.

For further information on the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award 2011 please visit http://nextgen.autocar.co.uk

Good Luck.

Arm-wrestling with Bernie

2011-07-31T00:32:00.004+01:00

The truth is we'll never know the truth.

In the same way as we'll never know the complete hacking story we'll only ever hear part of why (and how) the Beeb lost/pulled out of/gave up F1, either fully or partly to share with Marvellous Murdoch's media empire, BSkyB.

I suspect the BBC decided that a cost cutting spectacular was needed to deflect attention from other more sensitive cuts taking place, reasoning that they were spending a lot of money on a small and predominantly male sport, they tried to get out of the contract 2 years early and then the wrath of Bernie fell upon them, prompting a plague of threatened litigation for breach of contract, and just when it seemed to the Beeb that they had more excrement colliding with more fans than anyone could ever want, Bernie threw them a lifeline - a compromise, a face-saver, and, throwing principles and good sense away they jumped at it..

As ever the losers are the fans, many - or indeed most of us - do not have, nay do not want Sky and all of its offerings.

Perhaps we should ask for a licence fee refund for a lesser service!

I guess the compromise reduces costs by covering the European races only and thus gives Sky time to gear up for a full takeover and cut us all out of F1 coverage.

Following the old adage, would you buy a used car from this man?

Here's a tip: never try arm wrestling with Bernie - you'll always lose (and probably your arm too).

Graham Benge

Notwork Rail.

2011-07-21T09:21:00.012+01:00

If you caught the most recent episode of The Nation's Favourite Motoring Programme, you'll have seen Clarkson, Hammond & May attempt to re-write the rules of rail travel with their own..unique approach to public transport.

Richard & James' approach was to string together a collection of caravans (what else?) as a bijou set of carriages towed behind an ageing Audi S8 'loco' shod with rail wheels.

Jeremy on the other hand - and somewhat predictably - set off down the high-speed route by hitching a cutdown caravan body to a V12-engined Jaaaag XJS and treating Rail Express' Editor Murray Brown to a rail journey he's probably unlikely to forget in a hurry in the somewhat-optimistically named TGV12, the poor sod..

Anyway, we're based not a million miles away from the Top Gear track & occasionally we'll spot cars from the show being filmed around the locale or the production crew enjoying lunch in one of the awfully pleasant local boozers near Dunsfold, Surrey; and this morning, as we blearily trundled through the village of Compton on the way to the A3, we found ourselves behind a low-loader sporting a rather familiar red XJS convertible & a somewhat-modified & equally red caravan..

With a big spoiler on the back..

Whilst we'll never make the ranks of Hans Lehmann & his prototype-bagging cohorts we did manage to grab this snap as the latest addition to the TG range of glorious failures headed off to parts unknown, although judging from the direction it was heading it could be on its way to the Top Gear exhibition at Beaulieu, so keep your eyes peeled if you're planning a visit to the excellent National Motor Museum during the Summer holidays.

If you're in the UK (or can spoof IP addresses), you can still catch the latest edition of Top Gear on the BBC's iPlayer until the weekend, but be warned, it'll probably put you off rail travel for the foreseeable future..

Dave Wakefield

Photos of Goodwood Festival of Speed

2011-07-18T00:00:00.005+01:00

A small selection of the photographs captured by Mike Jones and Gary Ledden at the Goodwood Festival of Speed has been added to our flickr photostream...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ukmotortalk/

Quite a bit of naming to be done, but feel free to add your own comments!

Goodwood from the air added as a taster.. ;-)

Onboard the Ferrari FF up the hill at Goodwood

2011-07-15T15:14:00.001+01:00

FREE Le Mans Guide from Michelin

2011-06-10T10:33:00.004+01:00

With Le Mans 24 hour race coming up this weekend, there are some of us who can go, and some of us who can't! However, a FREE guide to the spectacle from tyre manufacturer Michelin is available to ALL...

With interesting facts and figures, a handy track guide and historic highlights of the event, as well as some really great tips for both first timers and seasoned Le Mans visitors alike, I have just spent far too long flicking through its pages!!

To download the guide go to www.michelin.co.uk/lemansguide

Senna.

2011-06-08T09:48:00.021+01:00

Even before the birth of my son & heir we weren't really big cinema-goers in our household & since his arrival on the scene 3 & a bit years ago neither his mother or I have crossed the threshold of a multiplex once.

With the cinematic release of the much-feted 'Senna' this month though, the balance was very much ready to be redressed and yesterday evening saw four of the UKMT team pile into the cosy confines of the Odeon in Richmond to pay tribute to the much-lamented Brazilian.

It can be assumed that anyone with even a passing interest in current(ish) Formula 1 will be aware of Ayrton Senna Da Silva as, whether or not they're old enough to have watched him race at the time - either in person or on television - his domination of the sport and his subsequent legacy have left an indelible mark on motor racing's premier league & his untimely departure from the ranks arguably still casts a long shadow seventeen years on.

So, I think it's true to say that we all approached this movie with mixed emotions.

Undoubtedly, as confirmed F1 fans of long-standing we were looking forward to re-living one of the most exciting eras for the sport, an era which seemed less bound up in the glossy & hugely stage-managed global entertainment package produced and ruthlessly administered by one Bernard Ecclestone Esq than it does today..

However, whilst looking forward to re-acquainting ourselves with the F1 of old - the wide wheels & big wings, the long departed names and venues (and in Ron Dennis & Adrian Newey's cases, hair) - there existed a leavening thought, a dread feeling that we all knew that this story could only have one ultimate conclusion, the tragic and violent death of its protagonist.

No IMDB plot-spoiler warnings required here..

Knowing that the film was building towards its inevitable finale though perhaps made us focus more on the 'here and now' elements of the movie; letting us linger on the youthful Ayrton Senna as he helped his father assemble the engine of his all-conquering go-kart in footage from one of many painstakingly-sourced home movies, or making us smile at the way he treated an awe-struck Japanese fan as if she was the only girl in the world that mattered to him as he kissed her goodbye.

These peeks around the curtain were liberally dotted throughout the film, revealing the very human, caring, God-fearing person that Ayrton (pronounced predominantly "Eye-airton" by most of the interviewees incidentally) undoubtedly was & they sat uncomfortably - and quite deliberately - with footage of Senna's other, darker, ruthless, driven persona.

As we watched his relationship with erstwhile team mate, and latterly Ferrari rival, Alain Prost turn from mutual respect to outright hostility via two major crashes in Suzuka & all points inbetween we were left wondering whether he genuinely believed that his God-given talent bestowed upon him a God-given right to force his way to the tops of the timesheets, regardless of who might be in his way..

Judging from the remarkable footage obtained from a couple of drivers' safety briefings of the time you could be forgiven for thinking that Jean-Marie Balestre, the controversial 'Grandee' FIA head honcho at the time of Senna's career, was certainly more in favour of the view from the Prost camp that Ayrton was a danger to himself & others as he professed a belief that God was helping with the driving.

The fact that both Prost & Balestre shared a nationality and not just a thick and at times inpenetrable accent was not lost on the film makers as they (archly, maybe?) presented footage of the head of the FIA playfully carousing with the French driver in a pit garage - one thing Jean-Marie's successor could probably quite safely not be accused of..

The film told of how Senna's third title & his patriotic celebration of his country had afforded him a legendary, fanatical following in Brazil - a country which at the time took very little pride in itself & was beset (as indeed it still is today) with searing poverty & deprivation.

His countrymen were starting to take pride in themselves as Senna traditionally celebrated his wins with a Brazilian flag held aloft on his slowing down laps.

Behind the scenes, Senna was making sizeable charitable donations to needy causes in his country & was beginning to put in place more formal arrangements in order to help more of the people who adored him.

Then came Imola.

Of course, the whole weekend had been a disaster from the outset when Rubens Barrichello's Jordan speared off the circuit in the Friday practice session, leaving him unconscious and requiring evacuation to the medical centre to where Senna fled to check on the condition of his countryman & protege. Barrichello fortunately escaped with a broken nose & injured arm but would take no further part in the fateful weekend's activities.

Then, as if Formula 1 - and Senna in particular - wasn't shaken up enough by Rubens' lucky escape, Simtek's (remember them?) likeable rookie driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed when his front wing failed at high speed at Villeneuve and he smashed into bare concrete, fracturing his skull.

Professor Sid Watkins, the long time FIA medical expert and Neurosurgeon recalled how he had taken Senna to one side as they stood near to where Ratzenberger had perished and tried to convince his friend - who was obviously in great distress - to give up Formula 1 & to join the Prof in retirement, fishing - a pastime of which both were fond.

Senna though, despite it all, said he couldn't & the regret in Prof. Watkins' disembodied voice was evident for all to hear..

The crash, when it came, made use of most of the footage we've all seen countless times.

The long-distance shot looking back from Villeneuve to Tamburello, the on-board footage from Senna's Williams & Schumacher's pursuing Bennetton all grimly familiar as they depicted the violent end of the life of one of, if not the most naturally-talented Grand Prix drivers of the modern era.

British F1 viewers were actually spared some of the more unpleasant & intrusive helicopter footage of the aftermath in 1994 as, coincidentally, the BBC were using their new Outside Broadcast truck at San Marino for the first time, so were able to cut away to something somewhat more palatable. In the film however, the unfolding disaster as medics raced to reach the lifeless body in what remained of his car was played out in excrutiating detail as we watched the ultimately futile attempts to resuscitate Senna.

Sid Watkins - who performed an emergency trachaeotomy at the trackside to get Senna breathing - recalled how even though he's a confirmed agnostic, he sensed his friend's soul leave his body with a sigh..

In case anybody watching this film was left in any doubt whatsoever as to the reverence & adulation that Brazil felt for Senna, footage of the return of his body to his homeland & scenes of his funeral should have soon helped convince them of his almost regal status in the troubled nation.

Hysterical outpourings of grief as Ayrton's body was conveyed first by fire engine and then by the strength of his family & F1 drivers past & present to his final resting place only served to show that the world had suffered a devastating loss with the nation of Brazil feeling the passing of their favourite son most keenly of all.

You're reminded at the end of the film that whilst Senna may have died at such a tragically young age, his legacy is still very important - in particular through the work of the Ayrton Senna Institute which, administered by Senna's sister Viviane, continues to help the underprivileged in Brazil.

As a footnote to this caption, it's noted that Alain Prost is one of the Foundation's trustees..

I believe that the one overwhelming feeling that one comes away with after watching 'Senna' is a feeling of regret, a deep sadness that someone so talented & charismatic was taken long before his time.

Whilst, perhaps, he was starting to reach the latter years of his career, Senna was evidently still on top of his game - witness his pole position in his final race in what were very trying conditions for him personally.

Had Williams managed to get to grips with the deficiencies of the FW16 sooner, what sort of a battle might we have seen between the old stager & the young pretender to his throne?

Obviously we'll never know.

One positive we can draw from Senna's death though is the fact that safety in Grand Prix racing is now a world away from how it was in that torrid 1994 season. Drivers today stand a far greater chance of walking away from crashes which, back in the days of low cockpit sides & truncated nose cones, would almost certainly have killed them or at best crippled them for life.

Whilst Senna's accident was freakish - as one commentator put it: 'his luck just ran out' - we have thankfully been spared a repeat of a driver fatality for 17 years.

And for that, we must be grateful.

'Senna' is in cinemas nationwide now, rated 12A (UK)

David Wakefield

UKMT's Graham Benge talks to SMMT's Paul Everitt

2011-06-03T13:40:00.002+01:00

During the annual SMMT test day at the Millbrook proving ground, we caught up with the SMMT Chief Executive, Paul Everitt, and talked about the current state of the car industry and safety features fitted to new cars.

This is the full unedited interview from which more "radio friendly" pieces were cut for our broadcast clients.

Nick and Sam's Ireland Road Trip - The Highlights!

2011-06-02T13:48:00.000+01:00

The end of the road - well, the Ireland 'Road' Trip..!

2011-05-31T10:15:00.005+01:00

I think it is fair to say that holidays always go really quickly... though on this occasion it was someone else's!!

If you've missed any of their fantastic drive around Ireland, video, photos, and the full story is still online on the Discover Ireland website... http://bit.ly/jdcqQ9

I think it is fair to say that they had a "good" time..!!!

Throughout their trip we (and fellow twitterers) have been offering them tips about driving on holiday, and most are just as true wherever you are....

Always observe local speed limits, and note the kmph/mph changes!
Take the driving nice and easy. Enjoy the beautiful scenery.
SatNav really can be the holiday driver's best friend. Explore new places but don't get lost!
When you pick up hire car, put the location in SatNav so it is easy to return at end of holiday.!
Make the most of any road trip, get out of your car! Talk to people! The Irish particularly friendly...
"Watch out for the sheep!" Not a trivial matter in some places...
When in Ireland make sure to take time to stop & take in some of the most amazing views in the world.
Stop at some of the golf courses.......best in the world!

Hidden in plain sight

2011-05-22T20:24:00.004+01:00

Whilst filming for a future project at what is soon to be a peaceful backwater rather than the current bottleneck at Hindhead (watch this space) we chanced upon a mildly-disguised Land Rover Evoque coming the other way.

Its swirly -patterned camouflage paint job was in stark contrast to the shiny, almost production-spec red model we chanced upon a couple of weeks back a few miles up the road in Milford.

Best guess is that shakedown tests are continuing somewhere around here (Chobham's not too far away) as the official release date isn't too far off now.

Anyone else clocked any of Land Rover's new babies tootling around in the South East at all..?

Nick and Sam's Ireland Road Trip

2011-05-20T12:36:00.002+01:00

Samantha and Nick Brown from Bath have put their holiday under the control of the British public who can vote on what they get up to on their Irish adventure via Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter them @GoToIrelandGB

www.facebook.com/DiscoverIrelandGB

It all started today, Friday 20th May 2011, and they are coming home next Friday, 27th May, so now is your chance to help them see the very best Ireland has to offer...

Follow their every move at DiscoverIreland.com/roadtrip

But it is not just about them having a good time... By joining in on twitter or facebook, you too could win your very own Irish road trip for two from Tourism Ireland... as well as other Irish classics such as Barry's Tea and Tayto crisps in daily prize draws...

AND on top of all that, if you offer some helpful motoring related advice (using the hashtag #ukmt_tips ) you could also walk away with a special hamper full of Irish goodies!

So, get your thinking caps on... Relive some of your own Irish holidays of the past... and make sure Sam and Nick have a holiday to remember!

For UKMT competition details, visit www.ukmotortalk.co.uk

Hindhead Tunnel Walk - 14th May 2011

2011-05-15T13:30:00.003+01:00

Never let it be said that we only ever cover fast cars and motor racing... Yesterday, we enjoyed a very civilised walk... yes, WALK... through the brand new, and not due to open until July 2011, Hindhead Tunnel which has been built to bypass the infamous A3 bottle-neck at the Devil's Punchbowl and Hindhead traffic lights...

You will also find some photos on our Flickr album...:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ukmotortalk/sets/72157626720315114/

Heikki Kovalainen, Team Lotus & Caterham at Duxford

2011-04-28T18:23:00.001+01:00

Team Lotus Enterprise purchases Caterham Cars

2011-04-28T09:28:00.005+01:00

Announced at Duxford, Team Lotus has purchased the sportscar company Caterham, presumably to replace the relationship that Tony Fernandes, the charismatic owner of the Team, had hoped to foster with Group Lotus.

Keen to enter the sportscar market, Fernandes is quick to defend the tradition behind the Caterham (and the "Seven") brand pointing out that "Caterham Cars has remained wholly faithful to Colin Chapman's philosophy that 'less is more', and the DNA of the original Seven can still be traced to the newest additions to Caterham's product offering."

Mirror, mirror on the door..

2011-04-28T08:55:00.006+01:00

A quick tip for anyone experiencing 'Wobbly Mirror Syndrome" - double-sided carpet tape.

Yes, this miracle adhesive came to my rescue this week when the drivers' side door mirror glass decided to do its best to impersonate a jelly at any speed above walking pace.

Being something of a glass half-empty (if not indeed fully-drained) sort of chap,my first thoughts upon discovering my visual aid's new party trick involved the thought that lots of my pounds were going to have to be handed over to my friendly local Skoda dealer for a new mirror.

I based this prognosis on a number of factors -

1) Nothing cheap & easily fixable ever happens to me.

2) We're dealing with a complex VW Group part which is electrically manipulated, heated & incorporates an indicator-repeater assembly - ie, EXPENSIVE.

3) Sod's Law WILL apply.

So, after a drive up the A3 which involved a lot more over-the-shoulder checks (probably a good thing) than usual and the application at journey's end of a generous amount of gaffer tape I set about trying to minimise what seemed to be an inevitable outlay which would probably involve writing a cheque to 'Skoda GB Ltd' or, at least, one of their approved agents.

A quick phone around only deepened my gloom as it revealed that a complete replacement mirror assembly would set me back at least £80 & well over a hundred if painted.

Not ideal..

So, with worst-case scenario in place (well, it's best to know what to expect) I headed over to the ever-friendly & unceasingly-helpful forums at www.Briskoda.net

A quick search through the forums turned up the magic phrase "wobbly wing-mirror"

Bingo..

And, as I scrolled down and read through the post I felt my rounded shoulders become straightened once more, my bowed head regained something of an upward tilt and my wallet started to breathe a sigh of relief as I discovered that my worst fears were unfounded - VW Group were not after all going to be relieving me (or at least MINT/RBS Financial Services, initially) of a hefty wad of cash because all was going to be ok.

All I needed was a roll of carpet tape.

Heavy-duty, double-sided carpet tape.

Yes, according to the author of the post on the Skoda-owners' message boards it seems that oscillating door glass is quite a common problem amongst owners of cars made by VW or their subsidiaries (although one would hope that those lucky & incredibly well-heeled enough to have shelled out for a Veyron might be spared this inconvenience).

The problem arises due to the fact that the sticky pad used to mount the actual reflective glass onto the electrically-adjustable mechanism isn't, er, sticky enough.

After a couple of years the glass bit loses its grip - first becoming wobbly before falling off, leaving you with just a large expanse of white (formerly) sticky pad in your rear view and a bill for £14 plus to replace the bit of glass which is now in a thousand pieces in the outside lane a couple of hundred metres behind you..

However, with just the application of a few strips of the aforementioned carpet tape - available in most big DIY stores, carpet suppliers (natch) and Amazon (where mine came from) - you can restore your rearward view of the world in just a couple of minutes & proceed on your way, safe in the knowledge that you're less likely to pull into the path of a Hungarian-registered artic.

I have to admit to a bit of trepidation as I gently levered the mirror out of the housing the morning the postman brought the (very) sticky tape.

As I gingerly pulled and manouvered the glass & plastic backing plate off its motorised mounting I fully-expected to hear a loud and costly crack as the mirror shattered into a billion pieces - but no, as advised by my new best friend on the forum, it came off with the minimum of fuss and after carefully removing the two spade connectors which supply power to heat the glass I finally had in my hands the business end of a Skoda Octavia II door mirror.

Upon inspection on the dining table it became very evident why the thing had been flapping around so much as only a 2mm wide strip of mirror was still attached to the upper edge of the (no longer very) sticky pad.

"Probably a good thing I had the gaffer tape with me a couple of days ago" I nodded to myself in what I like to think of as a sage-like manner..

Anyway, sage or no (no, actually) I gave all the surfaces a good clean and reattached the glass using the mightily-sticky double-sided tape.

Upon applying this stuff, any lingering doubts I'd been harbouring about its ability to hold onto a piece of glass whilst being buffeted at motorway speeds were soon allayed as it grabbed onto the mirror like a limpet & I'm pretty confident it's not going to come off again in a hurry.

A quick reversal of the removal procedure & voila, one rock-solid rearward-facing police car/juggernaut/speeding Audi spotting device.

So far, 4 days after surgery the patient is seemingly fully-recovered and all vital signs are good.

Well, it hasn't started flapping around or fallen off..

And the moral of this informative if not exactly awe-inspiring tale of DIY automotive-fixery..?

Well, it's probably this - don't always assume it'll cost you an arm & a leg.

Whilst it's often a reasonable assumption in today's disposable culture that things will wear out and require expensive replacement there is still scope for fixing it yourself so long as you do your homework.

In my case, a bit of digging in the right place turned up an invaluable piece of information from a fellow temporarily-visually-impared Skodarist & also served to remind me what a helpful & friendly place a web forum can be, especially when you need help & advice.

So, if you find that your rearwards view of the world isn't quite as steady as you remember, it might just be worth your while getting hold of some miracle-cure carpet tape soonish before you end up decorating the dual carriageway with expensive silvered-glass..

Dave Wakefield

Can we fix it..?

2011-03-28T14:09:00.008+01:00

..yes we can.. (to coin a phrase) Well, that's the idea if a new online service launched today is the success its creators hope it'll be.

Whilst we don't normally do too much in the way of plugging, this idea seemed a little different so we thought we'd bend the rules a bit.

Whocanfixmycar is the brainchild of the team behind makeandmodel.co.uk & will allow motorists to track down the ideal mechanic or service centre in their local area.

By posting their particular requirements online, customers will be able to get quotes from technicians and garages who have previously registered with the service & narrow down the search for their perfect spanner-wielding car doctor at the click of a mouse.

Once the customer has had the work carried out by their selected business, they leave the all important feedback - much as one might when ordering goods and services from say, Amazon or Ebay - which tells other potential clients just who's worth entrusting their precious wheels to and to whom they should possibly give a wide berth..

North East-based Ian Griffiths who's behind the new venture hopes to have the service available nationwide soon & believes that that it'll prove to be a great facility for both motorists and mechanics alike.

For more information, visit www.whocanfixmycar.com and see if you can find a perfect match for you and your motor.

David Wakefield

F1 Update on Robert Kubica

2011-02-07T13:23:00.003Z

Slightly better news from Italy... Robert's general condition is much better today...

After spending the night under constant observation, he was briefly woken up by the doctors of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) this morning. The Lotus Renault GP driver was then able to talk to his relatives. He was also able to move his fingers, which is encouraging for the rest of his recovery process.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, did not notice any swelling or infection on his right forearm, and this is another good sign, although it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100% successful.

In order to avoid any physical stress, Robert will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. Meanwhile, the doctors will decide how they will treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Robert may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.

Sometime soon, an accident investigation will try to establish how the car floor was pierced by a crash barrier.

Graham Benge

What now for Robert Kubica?

2011-02-07T08:53:00.011Z

As we've previously reported, Lotus-Renault's likeable number one driver Robert Kubica is currently recovering in an Italian hospital following an horrific rallying accident yesterday when his Skoda Fabia left the road en route to a stage of the Ronde di Andora event.

Graham has already extended our best wishes to Robert & his family on behalf of us all at UKMT and I know that these sentiments are heartfelt as we all have a lot of time for the quietly-spoken Pole.

Whilst the reports following the extensive operation to stabilise Robert's condition are encouraging, and these are of course very early days, we do wonder whether he will ever again be fit for duty in the demanding world of Formula One, given the nature & extent of the injuries he sustained in his Super 2000 Fabia.

The top tier of open-wheeled motorsport is notoriously demanding on body & mind with even the comparatively-limited power and grip levels permitted under the current FIA regulations failing to slow the current crop of F1 cars by any huge margin. This may well prove to be problematic for Robert if he has been unfortunate enough to suffer a permanent impairment to his mobility levels, not to mention the requirement for drivers to be able to exit the cockpit of a stricken car within an FIA-mandated time in order to qualify for their Super Licence.

On the positive side though, F1 cars today do make life for their pilots somewhat less physically-demanding than those of even a few years ago with, for example, the standard fitment of paddle-operated gearshift & clutch as well as powered steering helping to alleviate some of the more arduous tasks drivers of yore had to contend with.

Add to this the example set by other drivers who have suffered terrible injuries in the past yet have been able to return to motor racing in the (helpfully modified) cockpit of a racing car & the outlook might not look quite so bleak..

Former F1 driver & Thoroughly Decent Chap (in our humble opinion) Alex Zanardi was amost killed whilst driving in CART in 2001 and lost both his lower legs following a huge accident at the Lausitzring in the September of that year.

Yet, whilst unable to resume his career in open-wheeled racing, following a long & painful period of rehabilitation Alex was able to return with no little success in Touring Cars before retiring from the sport in 2009.

Fellow Italian Sandro Nannini was another promising Formula One prospect whose career in the category was sadly ended following a helicopter crash which left him with a severed right arm in 1990. Encouragingly for Kubica who has also suffered partial severment of his right hand, surgery was successful enough to give Nannini back use of the arm and he went on to compete in both Touring Cars and the FIA GT Series as well as having an outing in the short-lived Grand Prix Masters as recently as 2007.

So, maybe some encouragement there for Robert and his team but of course the prime concern is that he makes as full and thorough a recovery from his devastating injuries as possible before even contemplating a return to any form of motorsport.

We shall of course be following his road to recovery with interest and will keep you posted with any further developments & thoughts that reach us here, especially in the short term regarding Robert's replacement for some, if not all of the 2011 F1 season - the name Senna on the side of a Lotus again..?

hmm..

Anyway, in the meantime, here's to a speedy recovery and many more years of doing what he does best for one of the sport's nicer characters, Robert Kubica.

Dave Wakefield

F1 - Robert Kubica out for the season after massive rally crash

2011-02-07T06:09:00.004Z

Robert Kubica underwent a seven-hour operation at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure this afternoon.

The Lotus Renault GP driver had been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm and leg following a high-speed accident at the Ronda de Andora rally this morning. He also suffered severe cuts to his forearm, which could have an impact on his right hand mobility. Doctors are reasonably satisfied with the way the operation went.

Tonight, Robert's condition remains stable but serious. He has been placed into an induced coma and could be woken up in the morning.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona: "It has been a very important and difficult operation. Robert Kubica's right forearm was cut in two places, with significant lesions to the bones and the tendons. We did our best to rebuild the functions of the forearm. It took seven doctors, split into two teams and a total of seven hours to complete the operation. One team was the emergency task force from the hospital of San Paolo (Savona) that is normally appointed to treat this sort of injury, while the other team came from the orthopaedic department of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure). At the end of the operation, Robert's hand was well vascularised and warm, which is encouraging. Following the surgery, Robert Kubica will remain under permanent monitoring overnight because his condition remains serious."

Graham Benge

F1 Award for Tony Fernandes

2011-02-06T15:22:00.003Z

Tony Fernandes has been awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 6th February 2011

Tony Fernandes, Team Lotus Team Principal, AirAsia Group CEO and Malaysia's iconic entrepreneur, has been awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The citation says the award was conferred "for services to promote commercial and educational links" between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Congrats from all at UKMT!!

Graham Benge

F1 -Robert Kubica injured in rally car

2011-02-06T15:09:00.003Z

UPDATE ON ROBERT KUBICA'S CONDITION

After undergoing extensive medical checks this morning, Robert Kubica has been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand. He is currently undergoing surgery at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure. Robert suffered a high-speed accident this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally. All at UKMT wish the popular Robert a speedy recovery.

Graham Benge

F1 - wheels within wheels

2011-02-04T14:12:00.003Z

So the launches and the first round of testing in less than sunny Valencia are ended and next week the circus gets down to more serious set up work in Jerez, the sunnier end of Spain. With the new McLaren the very last to appear - today - what do we know so far. The new cars are all longer - due to the need to add the packaging for the new KERS systems, taller due to the need to improve the airflow to the new driver adjustable rear wing and have more complex aerodynamics everywhere for the same reason, especially the "up periscope" sides on the McLaren.

Aside from the usual set up niggles for most of the teams, hydraulic failures, overheating, etc etc the new Pirelli tyres have so far been a major talking point the consensus view is that changes to the compounds may still be necessary, the super softs are barely lasting one lap, the softs are graining rapidly whereas the medium compound is both quick and durable and a useful baseline for the engineers and drivers.

The other major discussion - nay, grumble - among the drivers is how busy they are in the cockpit and how the new steering wheels are just too complex, take last years £30-40,000 wheel and add at least two more constantly monitored buttons for KERS and the rear wing and you hugely increase the drivers work rate. Some team bosses seem to be saying tough, get on with it, that's what we pay you for, some smarter managers might already realise the 2011 championship could just be won or lost on the ergonomics of the steering wheel.

Graham Benge

Further driving tips...

2010-12-24T18:00:00.002Z

And here are a few more tips to help us all cope with the cold weather...

Clearing ice/frost off windows before you move off:- The Motor factors across the country would want you to spend thousands of pounds clearing all of your glass with their spray de-icers... Get a good quality ice scraper and a thick pair of gloves to scrape off the majority ice/frost. Use sparingly the De-icer and spray it over your wiper blades and make sure they lift off the windscreen before you move off and on the rear wiper if you have one. This saves burning-out expensive wiper motors, blowing wiper motor fuses and/or damaging wiper blades. Use again (sparingly) the De-icer spray it into the very top of your drivers and passengers side windows, should you need to open either of these windows you will again save on burning out expensive electric window motors and fuses. Also, spray some of that De-Icer onto your washer jets.

DO NOT pour hot water on any glass with ice or frost, the rapid change in temperature could cause the glass to crack.

On the move keeping the windscreen free of ice/frost/salt:- Whilst on the move and the first few miles behind another vehicle the screen has salt on it.......... the temptation is to operate the windscreen washers, but because the water in the bottle or at the jets has frozen to ice nothing happens... Well something does happen and the little item that protects all electrical circuits on the vehicle, i.e. the washer motor fuse, blows. It is worth identifying where this fuse is fitted on your vehicle, checking your handbook and purchasing a few spare fuses for the cold weather.

Expensive prestige vehicles have small heater elements in their washer bottles and quickly turn the ice back to water then switch off again when the water temp reaches a given point.

Less expensive vehicles have nothing but you can purchase these heater element kits and fit them yourself should you be that way inclined.

Another way to help prevent the water from freezing is to use a higher concentration of washer fluid with an antifreeze content but in extreme cold not even this works. Go to your local garden centre and purchase one of those pump action spray gun bottles, fill it with a high concentration of washer fluid, you will have to stop when you screen is covered with too much salt but at least you can spray it on the screen to see and be safe. Sadly until the water defrosts in your washer bottle you may have to stop a few times especially on a long journey but again you will be safe. The same spray gun can be used to clean off the salt from your rear and front lights and number plates, so that you stay safe and legal..!

Winter Driving Tips from UKMT's technical chaps....

2010-12-24T13:57:00.004Z

We catch up with our technical chaps to see if they have any thoughts about driving in the current snow and ice..... and here's what they said!

Auto Transmissions:- Some have a Snow button function, in short the Autobox ECU forces the box to shift-up to a higher gear and will not allow a low gear like 1st or second to be selected when the "Snow Button" is pressed. The philosophy being that if you gradually move off by tickling the throttle in a high gear there will be less chance of wheel spinning and losing traction, more importantly you will begin to move forward slowly and safely.

ESP:- If your transmission does not have this function or you may have a manual transmission the "Traction Control" function of your ABS/ESP should kick in. What is this then..................modern vehicles have a number of ways of providing you with traction control "Wheel spin prevention in low traction conditions" How do you know it's working, when traction control kicks in the ESP light will flash on the dash board, you can press the throttle as hard as you want the system reduces engine power. There are many ways by which the transmission, ABS and engine ECU's prevent wheel spin, the most common are:- Cutting the fuel delivery to the injectors, ABS braking the wheels or a combination of these in very quick succession.

Diesel engines:- Modern HDI (High Pressure Direct injection) still have heater plugs but rarely use them due to their high combustion efficiency and ability to start in cold conditions. In recent years manufacturers have removed the heater plug light from the dash board therefore in very cold conditions like we are currently experiencing you will need the heater plugs but will not necessarily have an indication on the dashboard of their run or heat duration. Advice is with HDi engines in very cold weather switch on ignition for a few seconds before cranking the engine to allow heater plugs to run a cycle.

Old Diesel engines Direct or Indirect injection:- Will all have heater plugs and a dash light to indicate their run cycle, when the weather is very cold let them run for three cycles, i.e switch on ignition, let the plugs run a cycle, watch light on dash go out then repeat another two times. Do not use ether type sprays into the induction system, they wash critical oil off the piston rings for first time start and rapidly increase cylinder bore wear. This is like pouring salt in wound, the engine is already a poor starter due to piston ring & bore wear, diesel engines rely on the heat generated on the compression stroke to start. Spraying these ether aid starters into the induction system accelerates the wear process, which is why motorists say that an old diesel engine becomes addicted to these ether spray starting aids.

BBC News - De-icing cars taken outside Banstead and Caterham homes

2010-11-29T22:16:00.001Z

Just spotted this article on Surrey pages of BBC website....BBC News - De-icing cars taken outside Banstead and Caterham homesI imagine other car thieves around the country are no less imaginative...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Blindingly simple - or so you'd think.

2010-11-16T08:45:00.006Z

Well, once again the "season of mists of mellow fruitfulness...blah, blah.." lines are being trotted out as the mercury plummets below effing cold degrees C here in the UK and we road users find ourselves faced once more with that hardy old perennial; namely, foglight abuse.

Yes - as if they needed another excuse to push every single button with the wiggly-line headlight icon stamped on it, the Great British Public now has another tool in the box marked 'guaranteed to wind up my fellow motorist' - the box which of course contains such helpful, blood-pressure-raising delights as the badly-adjusted, retina-searing headlight, the billion-watt 'in-car' stereo system (see most 'enhanced' Saxo VTRs) & of course the magnetic front bumper (Audi/BMW).

It seems increasingly likely that there is some kind of national epidemic triggered by the arrival of the first fog of autumn - the symptoms being an itchy fog-light finger that feels compelled to operate the auxilliary lamps mounted at front & rear of the victim's vehicle upon the detection of even the slightest gentle mist wafting from a meadow or playing field to within, say a couple of feet of the road. These symptoms manifest themselves quickly, regardless of the severity of the mist/fog cloud & regardless too of the proximity of other road users who then find themselves afflicted with a burning sensation in the eyes caused by bright red or white lights in their field of vision. And, unfortunately, due to the apparent aberration within the sufferer's brain which causes the activation of what might be mistaken for a mobile tribute to Blackpool at Christmas time, he or she is apparently unable to switch these lights back off with the same haste when the fog recedes or another vehicle is clearly visible within say oh, half a mile.

Takes a breath, slurp of tea and one of those little pink pills the nice doctor said would reduce that twitching vein on the temple.

Suffice it to say then that the misuse of foglights is normally guaranteed to elicit a certain consternation here at Motortalk Towers - this particular outpuring of ire being triggered by the usual commute into West London this morning from the leafy Surrey/Hants countryside where many of the team are based.

The signs weren't good as the temperature fell like a stone last night and the mist started rolling in to the valley where we live early in the evening - and as I chiselled the ice off the car this morning with the temperature gauge bleating a bracing -2 deg C I just knew that we were in for a dazzling display of motoring ignorance all the way up the A3 & beyond..

And, we weren't to be disappointed as, joining a busy but flowing A3 south of Guildford there were more than a few vehicles within plain sight of each other with their foglights on front and rear for no apparent reason other than at some point their drivers had experienced fog and had switched them on.
Yes, it was quite foggy in places - particularly in & around the country lanes which link home to the main roads but honestly, not one of the people I found myself driving alongside on the roads this morning could justifiably have claimed that having these extra lights aglow on their vehicle was neccessary - apart, perhaps from the bloke in a Fiesta whose offside headlight had failed; we'll give him the benefit of the doubt..

Now, don't get us wrong. Used correctly, foglights are a very effective and worthwhile fitment in a country such as ours with its, er, changeable weather patterns, and an extra bright rear lamp can be a real confidence boost when stopped in fog on a blind bend or travelling slowly on a misty & poorly-lit dual carriageway where distance judgement can be tricky as visibility is dramatically reduced.

In fact, there's a growing acceptance of the use of - in particular - rear fog lamps in territories where they are not manadatory as they are here in the EU, indeed Mini owners in the 'States successfully lobbied BMW USA to make them optional on cars sold over there and web forums relating to other models not fitted with the feature as standard regularly feature 'how to' instructional posts for those keen to add the functionality to their vehicles.

So, on the whole then, they would seem to be A Good Thing if used correctly & not as an additional piece of posing equipment chosen from the options list (BMW 1 Series owners, you know who we're talking about here) or as a light-emitting cloak of invincibility which renders the user impervious to danger in foggy conditions.

To that end, perhaps it bears repeating that, according to none other an authority than The Highway Code (last read by approx 99% of drivers the day before they passed their driving test):

"You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves."

And 'seriously reduced' is usually taken to mean less than 100 metres, or 328 feet if you can't get to grips with that new-fangled decimal nonsense.

So, to all those who press every single lighting button on the dashboard, a plea.

Why not take the time to read two quite important pieces of literature?

1) Your vehicle handbook - it'll be that tatty thing stuffed under the seat, in the glove box or propping up the leg of the dining table which has never been the same since that incident with the gin & the hacksaw.

It'll tell you all about what those buttons which look like they switch the headlights on actually do & what the lights they're actually connected to are for.

2) The Highway Code - No. No, we've no idea either - probably long gone and unlikely it's ever been looked at since you ripped up the L plates - well, here you go, here's the bit you need:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859

pretty much the first line on the page..

You're welcome.

Dave Wakefield

Drooling in Paris.

2010-10-11T11:30:00.018+01:00

Paris Motor Show – Mondial De L’Automobile 2010

What better way to aquaint ourselves with the latest offerings from the World's car makers than a trip to Paris in a Maserati..?

Alex Wakefield reports..

This very nearly didn’t happen.

Three hours after leaving our hotel, a theoretical ten minute drive from the Paris Expo centre at Porte De Versailles, we are still circling the showground, desperately hunting for a parking space. It had made sense to travel by Maserati GranSport the night before, sailing down the empty Autoroutes into Paris but as we inched forward towards the already full car parks, the heat from the exhaust system started to find its way into the cabin and the CambioCorsa gearbox began to complain. A smell of clutch filled the air in our locale.

But then a break – a shortcut out of the city passing the very last car park and a quick word with the parking attendant revealed that there were four spaces left in the whole park. We got the last one and, revelling in our good fortune made our way into the show. Another five minutes and you would be reading about the Eiffel Tower.

It’s clear that the Parisians love their motor show. A bi-annual event, it draws crowds from far and wide including ourselves. Basically, it’s now our local motor show. It’s very hard to think of somewhere, in London certainly that has the space to host this size of event. That it can be done so close to the heart of Paris is quite remarkable. There are people everywhere.

This is the second weekend of the show and coming on a day like this was always going to be a bit of a mistake. It was a warm, sunny day too – adding to the crowds no doubt.

We made our way to Lamborghini’s stand first. These days, the only way you can do this is with an invite. For those lucky enough to have one, it’s fantastic. For those without, on a busy Saturday you will be lucky if you manage even to be able to take a decent photo of what’s there. From the stand, we have a fantastic opportunity to see what has been presented. There are two Gallardos, but the focus is the amazing Sesto Elemento concept.

About the same size as the Gallardo, there is a clear family resemblance but this car is all about future direction for Lamborghini. It also explains why there is no Murcielago present. Production stopped months ago, to clear the decks for an almost entirely new factory concentrating on the carbon fibre replacement for the old 12 cylinder, range-topping monster. Lamborghini have invested tens of millions of Euros into the future of their supercar and the Sesto Elemento hints at what is to come.

A carbon fibre tub and cladding reduce weight, the core of the car being very evident on squinting though the window. The potential of the car is mouth-watering but alas, this must remain a product for the show stands. At Geneva 2011, you can expect to see some of the features of this car on the long awaited Murcielago successor, which will share the concept’s weight reduction almost certainly to a significant advantage in performance, and manoeuvrability.

Expect to see the double bubble roof and certain stylistic features too. We are assured the new model will feature an enormous integral rear wing, something in the region of 700BHP and a superfast paddle shift gearbox as standard equipment. The new architecture will make the cabin a less claustrophobic place to be, although purists will be pleased to hear that the trademark scissor doors remain.

A short walk round to the Bentley stand and the environment changes from the intense to the serene. We are shown around by the company’s representative who tells us about the new Continental Coupe.

It is the first in a revised Continental line that will see convertible and Flying Spur models eventually revamped and at first it is difficult to see the difference. But a few rotations of the display model show the car to have a wider, lower and meaner stance. Attention has been paid to the front and rear lighting area to maintain the family appearance which has recently been bolstered by the presence in the range of the new Mulsanne. The interior features a new TFT screen and navigation system but retains the charm of the original without feeling overly retro. It’s an appealing place to spend time, very much like the car it replaces and it’s clear that the people at Bentley have thought long and hard about what their customers want. The outgoing car has been with us for about seven years now, which is the extent of the typical model cycle in 21st century Europe. The small amount of meddling with what has been an enormously successful model for Bentley makes it clear that if it isn’t broken, it shouldn’t be fixed.

Model cycles are something Bentley never used to be too concerned about - the now defunct Arnage being a case in point. That car could trace its ancestry back decades, beyond the Vickers era of combined Rolls Royce and Bentley ownership, and although it had a loyal following, all good things have to come to an end. It has been replaced by the Mulsanne, a four door saloon in the same mould but which manages to be even more imposing than even the mighty Arnage could manage. The car is enormous, pointing to its function as a car to be driven in but not forgetting that on some occasions, it will be driven by its owner. The ‘six and three quarter’ turbocharged petrol V8 remains, and this is a good thing as torque and effortless performance was never a problem for this powerhouse. In heavily-revised form, it now has cylinder deactivation and the ability to run on bio ethanol to decrease the car’s impact on the environment. A bit..

The biggest crowds are to be found around the Ferrari stand. This is nothing new at motor shows as Ferrari never disappoint with what they bring & at the Paris show they remain true to form. It’s a blessed relief to be admitted onto the stand to take a closer look at the 599 SA Aperta – the soft top version of the 599 Coupe which has been with us a few years now. It’s probably the only time we will see one, only eighty cars are to be made and all of them are sold. Featuring a light soft top roof, the car maintains the same distinctive appearance without managing to appear awkward as can often happen when decapitation is carried out some way into a car’s life.

A few changes have been made to reduce weight and ensure the driving experience is preserved. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to try the car out and see if they had met their objectives here, but we will assume that the way the car drives will be adequate to those lucky eighty.

Enjoying a drink and canapé in the behind the scenes bar, there are opportunities to review the rest of the range on the stand, including a beautiful black 458 Italia. It’s always exciting to see something like this in a colour other than the ubiquitous red.

The options for personalisation of your Ferrari are incredible and hidden away at the back of the stand is the Atelier section where examples of exterior body colours, leather options and bespoke trim are on display. Nevertheless, if it isn’t red, it won’t hold value as well, despite the theory that those in other colours are actually better looked after by owners who put more time and thought into their dream car. And dream cars are what this stand is all about, no manufacturer better expressed this desire than Ferrari and this is reflected in the number of people standing on each other’s shoulders, pushing and shoving just to get a shot of something on their phone camera.

A trip to Ferrari cannot be considered complete these days without stopping off at Maserati for a look. Clearly the crowds agree, as it takes some time to make our way onto the stand with Maserati key in hand as a way to ensure admission is granted. And surely it is. Maserati’s fortunes really changed with the launch of the 3200GT over ten years ago and this essentially reinvented what was an almost completely dead builder of cars with a fantastic heritage, but no future.

The Maserati brand clearly held its head above the doldrums of the 1980s and 1990s as many people old and young are flocking to the manufacturer despite a great many of them possibly not really understanding what the trident badge was all about, in the same way they might with Ferrari for example.

The beauty of these cars speaks for itself. The range comprises the Gran Turismo, a four seater coupe of staggering prettiness that has recently spawned a 2+2 convertible version, the Gran Cabrio.

These cars themselves owe a great deal to the Quattroporte saloon, surely the most attractive four door car currently (or possibly ever) on sale. Maserati launched a stripped out, super sports version of the Gran Turismo at Paris, the MC Stradale, with a more powerful version of the Ferrari-sourced V8 engine ensuring that performance is boosted in tandem with the low weight. This particular car has a more responsive gearchange and looks fit for the track, a remarkable achievement for what is actually a very large car of some considerable luxury.

Of the marques considered here, Bentley and Maserati have enjoyed a turnaround from neglected, borderline bankrupt companies to some of the most highly sought after brands on this earth. It’s something Aston Martin has also managed to achieve, and if their stand is anything to go by, something Lotus have extreme confidence in doing also. Taking up a massive section of one of the several halls used at the show, Lotus chose to unveil some new cars..

For any manufacturer to unveil more than one new model at a show is remarkable, but for Lotus, even more so. That the cars shown appear so close to being production realities, whilst at the same time being jaw droppingly, staggeringly good looking, leads to the strange feeling that we’ve just walked into a dream. The new Esprit, Elan, Elite, Eterne and Elise all share a common design language which takes the cars way beyond the current range.

Just the name Esprit manages to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but seeing the car in the flesh is like seeing a long lost friend. There are so many references to the previous car whilst at the same time a new confident appearance is sported.

This is backed up by the powertrain on display, a V8 petrol engine sourced from Lexus which has the potential for supercharging and some limited hybrid capabilities, which will be bolted into the carbon fibre tub. This is a game-changing car for Lotus because it takes the fight squarely to Ferrari and McLaren. If the way the car drives is as good as it looks then this will be a genuine alternative to the 458 and MP4-12C and will give both competitors something to worry about.

The new Elan shares nothing with the previous, troubled model from 20 years ago. This will be a car to take on the likes of Porsche’s 911, using Lexus power and sharing other technologies with the Esprit. Again, if the engineering is right this is a car that will race out of showrooms on looks alone. Close up, like the Esprit, it is desperately pretty, perfectly proportioned and screams at you to drive it. It’s parked next to the Elite, a four seater coupe of different intention to the mid engine sports cars on the stand.

Again, it has nothing in common with its 1970s namesake and Lotus will be striving hard to make sure that the ownership experience is without equal, because this model and the Eterne four door are cars to move Lotus from manufacturer of relatively expensive track day sports cars of niche interest, to a company that can see eye to eye with the other companies whose stands we paid pilgrimage to. Clearly, this strategy is working because in all honesty, without these developments we would not have paid more than a cursory glance to Lotus at Paris two years previously.

The show is crowded and our access passes are not of much use on the mass market stands which are free for all. Our cameras are not of much use here either, the sheer number of people present makes it very difficult to get any decent photos but for old times sake we can’t help but spend a large amount of time at Fiat’s beautiful stand.

The star of the show for Fiat is the new Twin Air engine in the 500. It’s the first time since the demise of the old 126 and Citroen’s 2CV 20 years ago that a two cylinder engine has been offered by a major manufacturer. This particular motor features the Multiair technology now being rolled out across the petrol engine range with turbocharging and balance shafts to overcome the inherent lack of refinement a 900cc two cylinder engine will produce.

This is not a problem for the Abarth 500. Paris was the first opportunity we have had to inspect the Abarth 500 convertible, available with semi automatic paddle actuated gearshift. The show car is striking in flat grey with two tone contrasts and quad exhausts and appeals to me in a way I can’t describe, other than it being akin to the feeling I used to get opening Christmas presents. Abarth also had an ‘EsseEsse’ version of the Punto Abarth, again in flat grey and sporting white, rally style wheels.

Whilst the inevitable focus at a French show is on the expertise of Renault, Peugeot and Citroen in making the best hot hatches, Abarth should not be overlooked. It’s refreshing to see how this sports brand is developing , particularly by contrast to Renault whose Gordini range is seemingly nothing more than a paint job and stripes..

You would expect us to talk about other important cars at the show, and there were many. Mercedes’ new CLS, Peugeot’s 508, the Citroen C4 and DS4, new VW Passat, Nissan’s Leaf

and Honda’s Jazz Hybrid. They are all there and all worthy of note. However, we ran out of time and wanted to concentrate on the cars that really deserve the headlines.

A blast through the tunnels of the Peripherique in much faster moving traffic than on the way in and we’re soon on our way back to the Channel Tunnel, this time with no clutch smell.
For those missing the UK’s motor shows, attending Paris is something definitely worth considering. The crossing through the tunnel was only £60 return and if you are determined you can make it there and back in one day, although it’s no hardship to spend the night in a nearby hotel. You might be advised to stay within walking distance of the show however, or consider booking a parking space or (ironically) let the train take the strain.

Otherwise you might find yourself visiting the Eiffel Tower instead..

Alex Wakefield

Sir Stirling Moss - 'Mister Goodwood'

2010-09-18T12:07:00.004+01:00

A man who's life & career has been inextricably linked with Goodwood over the years, Sir Stirling Moss is as much a fixture at the Festival of Speed & Revival events as the cars themselves.

He took time out of his traditionally hectic schedule to talk with Graham in the plush Drivers' Club here at Goodwood.

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Comrade Stig

2010-09-17T16:17:00.003+01:00

Following the controversy surrounding the BBC's white-suited tame racing driver, Graham encountered his Soviet -era cousin, 'The Mig'..

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Martin Brundle and a 1950s classic (and an Austin A35)

2010-09-17T15:58:00.007+01:00

Hopefully making as much of an impression on the competition as he does whilst usurping foreign TV reporters during his infamous grid walks, Martin Brundle took time to talk to Graham about his transport for the weekend, a race-prepared Austin A35.

Catching up with Christian Horner

2010-09-17T13:46:00.003+01:00

It's a regular appointment for Graham at both Goodwood events - he'll head over to the Drivers' Club for a catch up with Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner.

With the climax of the 2010 F1 season rapidly approaching, we quizzed him on the current state of the field, his view of the new teams & how he put together the successful RBR team after Jaguar quit Formula 1 at the end of 2004.

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Revival time again.

2010-09-17T11:33:00.006+01:00

Is it really 12 months since we were last sat here in our tweeds & listening to the sounds of historic machinery going about its business?

Well, we're back in our traditional home just along from the assembly area and adjacent to Captain Mainwaring and his motley crew.

The sun's even out so our team are already at large capturing the sights, sounds & smells of this unique event on the historic motoring calendar.

Graham's just come back brandishing an interview with Red Bull's Christian Horner so we'll get that edited & uploaded - watch this space..

Breaking up is hard to do..? Not with this charity.

2010-08-17T09:34:00.004+01:00

We've recently become Twitter friends with an innovative charity called Giveacar and they asked us if we'd mind passing on some information about what they do.

Only too glad we said.

So, over to Hardeep Grewal from Giveacar to tell you how you can offload your beloved/knackered pride&joy/rusty heap gratis and know that you're helping others into the bargain..

It may be the car you have faithfully driven for a decade at a particular speed to conserve petrol - a tool to get from A to B.

You don’t speed up before red lights.

Maybe it is the type of car you walk back to after a stop at the supermarket to find a young couple taking turns to pose with it.

It might be the car Lewis Hamilton drove to success at F1.

One day it will become a scrap car, sad but true. That is where Giveacar come in to make the difficult (sniff) process easier to handle. They have a positive spin for you...donate your scrap car to charity and have 85% of the weight of the car recycled.

How? Just call Giveacar who will arrange the scrapping of your car at an Authorised Treatment Facility, provide you with a Certificate of Destruction, donate the scrap or auction value to a charity of your choice and that will cost you...nothing.

And, it’s completely free.

The scheme is innovative and regulated by the Fundraising Standards Board. If you search ‘Giveacar’ in Google you will get a long list of recommendations from newspapers, councils, radios and charities.

This is a firm with two goals: dispose of cars correctly and donate the proceeds. Car donation is already a million dollar industry in the US and it is heading that way in the UK. Giveacar have processed over 1000 cars and last month alone raised over £30,000 for charity.

They pick up any car anywhere in the UK.

Don’t let your car be cherry-picked for parts or become a problem for the environment. It is classed ‘hazardous waste’ for a reason.

Donate your car today or bear the scheme in mind for when you, or a friend, need to scrap a car.

Take a look at our website at http://www.giveacar.co.uk/ or call us on 0200 011 1664.

Hardeep Grewal - Marketing Executive, Giveacar Ltd

Swift by name, swift by nature.

2010-08-12T08:33:00.012+01:00

Between bouts of highly-skilled automotive lunacy at the recent Ford Fair event, Paul Swift took time to chat with UKMotorTalk's Alex Wakefield about his career and following in the footsteps of his dad, Russ.

Whilst he took a well-earned break from entertaining the assembled Ford devotees, UKMT were able to catch up with Paul Swift, stunt driver without equal in a more relaxed atmosphere to the one he is used to – the Ford Press Centre.

Paul told us how he had become involved in motorsports and stunt driving. His father, Russ (a regular sight on British TV over the past couple of decades) was interested in rallying and Autotest and as a result, Paul grew up emulating him.

“I started aged seven on a garden lawnmower” says Paul, and it wasn’t long before he moved into full size cars.
“By sixteen, I was competing competitively in Autotest in the Durham area in a classic Mini...and I won the championship in my second year of competition.”

Paul won the BTRDA British Championship for the first time in 1998 and won the national title seven times in total, making a reputation that has now earned him a place as the nation’s foremost precision driver.
After retiring from competitive motor sport, Paul embarked upon his new career path. He can be seen doing what he does best around not just the UK but the whole world at live events for clients such as Ford.

You may also have seen him at Top Gear Live, wowing motoring fans by the thousands at enormous venues on every continent. At Ford Fair however, he was restricted to a 60 metre long arena. Paul confesses he prefers the more intimate venues.

“At the bigger displays, there is a void between the car and the crowd. Here, people can get much closer to the action – it’s more exciting!”

It certainly is that – we watched as Paul flung around a Ford Fiesta, Focus RS and Kuga diesel with equal aplomb.
“The smaller cars are more nimble” Paul admits “but the Focus RS is by far the best car I’ve ever driven.”

Paul is lucky enough to have one of these rally bred beasts as his daily driver although will own up to the fact that his wife prefers the charms of the Kuga – particularly with a new baby on the way.

As Paul signs another autograph in the Press Centre, he tells us about his passion – The Paul Swift Precision Driving Experience. This gives those previously able only to admire Paul’s skills from the sidelines the opportunity to experience his skills first-hand from the passenger and driver’s seat. Paul himself can be available to give direct tuition to everyone from young drivers to corporate clients, coaching in roadcraft or the experience of driving on two wheels as required..

The short time we have with Paul indeed passed very Swiftly.

Despite being able to demonstrate his often alarming skills in a haze of noise and smoke, he is a charming, relaxed and confident character – a behaviour exhibited both in and out of the car. We look forward to having an opportunity to enjoy his company and talent again some time in the not too distant future.

You can watch Paul Swift in Action yourself and find out about his driving experiences at:

http://www.paulswift.com/
http://www.precisiondrivingexperience.com/
http://www.youtube.com/paulswiftstunts

Alex Wakefield & Frances Lumm

Meeting the Ford Faithful - Ford Fair at Silverstone 2010

2010-08-10T13:24:00.029+01:00

Sunday August the 8th 2010 saw the 25th Anniversary of the annual Ford Fair event at Silverstone circuit, and UKMT were very pleased to be in attendance as guests of Ford UK.

For anyone familiar with car club shows and events, this one beats the rest into the shade for sheer scale alone. Local roads were nose to tail with Fords of every variety in the run up to the 9am opening of the main gates and scenes were reminiscent of those before the Silverstone GP.

We were due to meet our hosts before the gates opened and were stunned to find gridlock after leaving our hotel. Our decision to come in a Honda paid off though, as we were able to push in to several queues, justifying our rudeness by suggesting to other users that we were in fact, NOT attending the event and on our way somewhere else..

We started our day over at the Ford Live Action Arena. Throughout the day, stunt driver Paul Swift entertained the crowds with breathtaking displays in various Ford models.

Our first task for the day was to complete a seemingly simple Autotest type course, weaving between cones and negotiating parking bays in a timed run. It looked straightforward from a standing position, but getting into the Ford Kuga for a practice run was actually pretty nerve-wracking. The turns were tight and our timed run was marred by a delayed start and by a stall. Still, we managed a respectable third place from the assembled bloggers (and no cones were damaged).

Despite the stall, it was quite remarkable as to just how manoeuvrable the Kuga was. Somehow, despite being a familiar sight on our roads for the last couple of years since launch, this car has managed to pass us by and this brief stint in the arena was enough to convince that it is worthy of further consideration. It was a bold move by Ford to use what is perceived as an SUV on a course perhaps more suited to their nimbler Fiesta model. At the hands of amateurs such as ourselves, it managed the course with ease – albeit in a time pretty much twice that of (professional) stunt driver Paul Swift.

The arena’s focus changed as the morning progressed, and hourly choreographed shows began. Paul treated us to demonstrations of alternative methods of parallel parking, using his ultra-impressive Ford Focus RS. For those not familiar with this extreme version of Ford’s popular hatchback, it bears little relation to the common or garden 1.6 Style..

Under the bonnet, Ford have squeezed in a 2.5 litre, 300BHP in-line 5 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, borrowed from former stablemate Volvo. You’d imagine that this would be a handful with only front wheel drive, but the car danced around obstacles without difficulty.
In fact, the car literally danced – in a set-piece choreographed to music, the crowd was amazed as Paul treated one of the Ford PR girls to a sort of petrol-fuelled Swan Lake, complete with an atmospheric array of special effects provided solely by unburned hydrocarbons and tortured Pirellis.

Somewhat tellingly, three sets of tyres had been provided by the manufacturer to assist with the display. .

Just as our eyes had finished goggling from the skill shown by Paul, it became apparent that our services were required with the finale of the show. A diesel Fiesta was chosen for this piece, and although the final drive was as a much more sedate pace than before, we should point out that it was completed on two wheels, & additionally that whilst one of the UKMT team was sat next to Paul Swift, the other was in the boot..

Consequently, our account of this grand finale is somewhat mixed. From the front seat, the experience was likened to being on a roller coaster. From the boot, it was best described as being akin to having been inserted into a washing machine as the spin cycle came to an end. Your boot-bound correspondent nearly managed to bite his tongue off as the car came to earth, but this did not detract from the realisation that it was the supreme ability of this very experienced stunt driver that prevented anything worse from happening. And it’s not everyone who can boast of having been in the boot in such circumstances.

Probably a good one for one of those awful corporate ice breaker questions in future though – ‘so tell everyone your strangest experience...’

After a fish and chip lunch (note – nothing eaten prior to the arena experience) we made our way around the event to look at the club stands and watch some of the other entertainment on offer. A section of the circuit was dedicated to a display of drifting during the afternoon. This form of motorsport originated in Japan more than 30 years ago and has transplanted itself well into the British Motorsport scene. It’s not surprising as you could argue that it is the most spectacular form of circuit racing. We watched as a collection of rear wheel drive Escorts, Sierras (and a Ford powered Toyota Starlet of all things) kicked up huge clouds of blue smoke from their tyres, their drivers oversteering furiously around the Brooklands part of the circuit.

To the uninitiated, choosing what to look at next was a pretty daunting experience. The club stands extended acres from the circuit to the huge car parks and encompassed almost every type of Ford imaginable.

Many of them had been modified by their owners – including the selection of obsessively well-

prepared concours vehicles. Our favourite of these was a truly immaculate Mk1 Ford Capri 3000GT, finished in a period metallic green.

It became so very easy to get lost in a sea of Escorts, Mondeos and other more modern kit that it was the classic cars that really stood out on the day. Perhaps the most startling reminder of how things used to be, was brought to mind via the nostrils – as hundreds of uncatalysed, carburettered petrol engines burbled their way around the site, bringing back memories of crowded cities past. It may also have accounted for the headaches both of us went home with.

There are a great many car shows and events throughout the British Summer and Ford Fair has to be the biggest. Whether or not it is the best will depend on your taste in cars, but if you love things automotive (and if you are reading this, let’s assume you do) this is a show not to be missed. Whether you are a fan of Ford or not, you – and everyone you know – will be able to tell you a story about something that happened in a Ford. It’s an inevitable consequence of being ubiquitous.

It might be a description of your first drive home from hospital after you were born, or your first car aged 17, or indeed the first time you ended up on your head in a ditch after the Orion your mate borrowed off his Dad skidded on black ice.

Walking around a show like this encourages memories and tale-telling and that’s not something you get everywhere.

Ford Fair – perhaps this is the most democratic motoring event of the year?

A very big thank you should go to Ford UK and the very friendly, welcoming and inspiring team from Wunderman who invited us along.

We're all very much looking forward to another massive day out with the Blue Oval next Summer.

Ford UK have their very own YouTube channel where amongst other clips you can find UKMT's finest being flung around by the aforementioned Paul Swift as well as other movies from the day.

You can also join Ford Kuga on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fordkugauk where you'll find them to be a most amiable bunch.

Alex Wakefield & Frances Lumm

Grand Tourismo Omologato.

2010-07-13T11:49:00.011+01:00

As one of only a handful of lucky passengers in Ferrari's amazing 599 GTO at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, UKMotorTalk's Graham Benge was quite simply awe-struck by the sheer pace it displayed as it hurtled to the top of the hill.

This evolution of the standard vehicle is the fastest road-going Ferrari ever produced by the legendary Italian manufacturer and builds on the already hugely-impressive 599 GTB to become only the third Ferrari ever to bear the evocative initials GTO.

Lightened, stiffened and with more power, this thinly-disguised racer will accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100 km/h) in a barely-credible 3.3 seconds & tops out at 208 mph or, if you prefer your measurements metrically, 335 km/h - which, let's face it, is FAST ENOUGH.

There will only ever be 599 of these cars made, unless of course Ferrari decide to take a leaf out of their own (F40 order) book and produce a few more to satisfy the almost certain demands of the super-rich.

It's a safe bet then they're not likely to be a common sight on the roads.

Graham is already saving up but even with a whip round in the UKMT office he's still a good few hundred thousand pounds short of being able to make Luca Di Montezemolo an offer..

So, in lieu of a sudden lottery win, turn up your speakers and relive a truly amazing sprint to the top of Lord March's driveway in the Sussex sunshine..

David W.

Lewis & Jenson's boss chats to Graham

2010-07-04T14:20:00.000+01:00

Dressed in civvies for a change rather than his usual corporate colours, Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal at Mclaren, had a chat with UKMotorTalk's Graham Benge on a sunny Sunday lunchtime.

XH558

2010-07-04T13:26:00.001+01:00

Piloted by the man who dropped bombs on Port Stanley back in 1982 - XH558, the sole flying example of Avro's awesome Vulcan bomber graces the skies over Goodwood.

The Lotus Position

2010-07-04T11:47:00.002+01:00

Discussing Lotus and "that" crash at Valencia, Lotus F1's Heikki Kovalainen takes time out of a hectic schedule to chat with our very own Richard Newman.

Heikki Kovalainen

2010-07-04T11:22:00.001+01:00

Another F1 driver joins us in the media centre, veteran of Renault and Mclaren teams and now driving the iconic green and yellow cars of a revitalised Lotus, Heikki Kovalainen chats with Tony Jardine.

On air with Spirit FM.

2010-07-03T16:26:00.001+01:00

Graham Benge chats with Spirit FM's Richard Newman as they discuss the current state of the art in Formula One.

Jarno Trulli talks to UkMotortalk's Graham Benge

2010-07-03T11:22:00.004+01:00

In the sunny Media Centre garden, Lotus F1 driver Jarno Trulli took time out to chat with UkMotortalk's Graham Benge.

Jarno is here for the first time and is due to drive a 1972 Lotus Grand Prix car.

Jarno Trulli

2010-07-03T11:11:00.000+01:00

Chatting to Tony Jardine in the Media Centre, Lotus driver and top chap, Jarno Trulli.

Back in the saddle.

2010-07-02T17:43:00.004+01:00

Whilst he might currently be travelling slightly more slowly than usual on his four wheels, Sir Stirling Moss looked remarkably hale & hearty as he chatted to Graham Benge & Spirit FM's Ian Crouch.

Less than four months since his horrific accident at his home in London Sir Stirling was itching to swap his current transport for something with a bit more go and amazingly, given the extent of his injuries is in fact due to be driving a supercar up Goodwood Hill at some point over the weekend.

They really did make them of sterner stuff in those days..

Roger Black

2010-07-02T15:03:00.001+01:00

As an Alfa-sponsored athletics mentor to up and coming sports stars, Roger Black is at Goodwood and took time to chat to Richard Newman from Spirit FM.

Goodwood

2010-07-02T13:19:00.001+01:00

Goodwood's Alfa Tribute

2010-07-02T11:12:00.002+01:00

Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2010

2010-07-02T10:16:00.004+01:00

Well, there's a little bit of blue sky trying to peek through the clouds and the multitudes are beginning to populate Lord March's front garden for another weekend of petrolhead nirvana.

Already the sound of multi-cylindered machinery is invading the calm of the Sussex estate and the heady tang of high octane fuel and vapourised rubber is beginning to drift into the awfully-posh tent which is the Media Centre.

Our team is already accosting the great & the good.

Graham has bagged interviews with such luminaries as the man who puts the show on - Lord March, as well as Clive Chapman, son of the legendary & sadly-lamented Lotus boss, Colin.

Richard has also been busy, having chatted with Pink Floyd drummer & owner/driver of some of the most exquisite motor cars on Earth, Nick Mason.

We're looking forward to catching up with many more of the automotive and showbiz legends who unfailingly make the Festival the the awesome event it is.

Check back later for more sights and sounds from this year's celebration of automotive excess..

Dave

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010

2010-07-02T10:09:00.002+01:00

Hello from Goodwood!

Another year has passed and more engine noise and smell of oil and exhaust fill the Sussex air...

Meanwhile, in the slightly, but bit much, quieter surroundings of the Media Centre garden, a more environmentally friendly car greets us.....

Auto Italia at Brooklands Museum - May 1st 2010

2010-05-06T09:07:00.019+01:00

An annual fixture on the automotive show scene, Auto Italia is a major draw for all those with Agip coursing through their veins.

Alex Henry made his annual pilgrimage to Brooklands to take in the sights, sounds and smells.

This year’s Auto Italia at Brooklands was not blessed with such wonderful weather as last year’s event, which saw record attendance, but this did not stop the show from being another memorable one.

Despite leaden skies, another huge turnout of the nation’s Italian car collection made its way to the historic circuit, where it was greeted by an equally impressive gathering of car fans. The threatened rain did not last for long and a mouth-watering selection of cars helped to brighten up the periods where the sun hid behind clouds.

Mercifully (for some of the lower powered machinery) the runs up the infamous test hill remained dry, with a superb Iso Grifo leading the way, its massive V8 engine setting expectations for those that followed. All contenders made it to the top, with the biggest cheers from the crowd reserved for the plucky two cylinder Fiat 500s.

Another 500, this time of the modern, turbocharged variety was also piloted up the hill by Vicki Butler-Henderson of Fifth Gear fame, who was a guest of the event and her sponsor, dealer group Glyn Hopkin who had brought with them a stand and vehicles of their own.

Vicki spent much of the day signing autographs for fans in between test hill runs.

It was difficult to choose a star of the show but memorable cars included a spectacular period metallic green DeTomaso Mangusta,

an immaculate Fiat 500 convertible of 1960s vintage

and the first UK sighting of the new Ferrari 458 Italia.

As always however, there was an enormous collection of the more down to earth (and more affordable) cars that make this event such a leveller – everything from Max Power style Fiat Puntos to impossibly well-preserved 1970s and 1980s machinery that just doesn’t get seen anywhere else these days.

One of the unique features of the event at Brooklands is the setting amongst the sheds, hangars and aircraft displays of the museum, giving an opportunity for visitors to take a few minutes out of the world of wheels and tyres and spend some time in the world of wings and ash clouds, something that is included within the admission price.

The site is enormous and a great location for car spotting, people spotting and photography opportunities amongst the historic collection of aircraft and cars.

Further AutoItalia events are planned for 2010 and we hope to bring reports of these in due course.

Alex Henry - May 1st 2010

Immediate reaction to Malaysian Grand Prix

2010-04-04T12:55:00.006+01:00

Graham, Dave and Andrew have a brief chat about the Malaysian Grand Prix....

Download the MP3 HERE

Melbourne Grand Prix - Immediate reaction

2010-03-28T10:30:00.008+01:00

Graham, Dave and Andrew talk through the thrills and spills of a fantastic Melbourne Grand Prix....

Download MP3 HERE

Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival Press Launch 2010

2010-03-21T13:35:00.003Z

Immediate reaction to the Bahrain GP....

2010-03-14T15:16:00.001Z

Graham Benge, David Wakefield and Andrew Denyer give their immediate reactions the first race of the 2010 Formula One season... the Bahrain GP...

Download the MP3 HERE

Extra UKMotorTalk Programme!

2010-03-14T11:41:00.000Z

A short extra edition of UKMotorTalk as Graham Benge, Andrew Denyer and Mike Turner get together to talk about Stirling Moss' unfortunate accident, and then discuss the price of new cars!

Download MP3 HERE

Get Well Soon Sir Stirling

2010-03-08T12:00:00.001Z

We have just heard that Grand Prix legend Sir Stirling Moss suffered a serious accident at his Mayfair home over the weekend when some sort of mechanical failure in his indoor lift resulted in the doors opening at the wrong place and Sir Stirling apparently fell 3 floors suffering two broken ankles and other injuries to both feet.

He was admitted to the London Hospital and then moved yesterday to the Princess Grace Hospital following the intervention of former F1 safety advisor and doctor Professor Sid Watkins. He has since been operated upon and is currently in intensive care.

I have known Sir Stirling Moss for the best part of two decades and interviewed him many times. Last year we were employed by him to add numerous videos to his new website which were filmed in his home. As ever, he and Lady Moss were charming and delightful to work with and simply be around.

Sir Stirling is widely regarded as probably the best F1 driver never to win the World Championship, winning many hundreds of races in F1 cars, sports cars and saloons until his career was cut short by a near fatal crash at Goodwood in 1962. He was knighted for his services to motor sport in the New Years' Honours list in 2000.

We wish him well and hope for good speed in his recovery from this bizarre incident. In his life he has come back from many accidents, showing amazing powers of recovery and even at 80 he has an extraordinarily strong will. We hope to see him, quite literally, back on his feet as soon as possible.

Our Very Best Wishes for a speedy recovery to Sir Stirling and our thoughts are with Lady Moss.

Graham Benge

UKMT Podcast - From the Mini Countryman to the Plug In Car Grant!

2010-03-01T17:16:00.001Z

UKMT's Graham Benge, Andrew Denyer and Mike Turner get together at the Goodwood Motor Circuit to discuss:

The New Mini Countryman
The New Porsche Cayenne
Car "recalls"
Car Theft
The £5000 "Plug In Car Grant"

The Toyota Recall Saga

2010-02-10T14:29:00.000Z

UKMT's Graham Benge is a regular contributor to BBC Sussex programmes and yesterday he was giving Breakfast show listeners some advice on what to do if your Toyota is one of the models affected by the recent spate of recalls.

The Internet monkeys are currently working on embedding the audio here but for the next 6 days you can visit the BBC iPlayer page here:

http://bit.ly/9OlQ6H

and scroll to approximately 1 hour and 18 minutes into the show to hear Graham's wise words..

If you are concerned about your Toyota & whether it might be affected, either visit

http://www.toyota.co.uk/recall/

or call

0800 1388744

Opening Hours:

Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm,

Sat: 8am-4pm, Sun: 10am-4pm

Alternatively contact your local Toyota dealership - details in the phone book or online at http://www.toyota.co.uk/.

It's what you've been waiting for...! - UKMT's F1 briefing for 2010...

2010-02-04T15:31:00.002Z

Just when you thought we'd forgotten... ;-)

Graham Benge, Andrew Denyer and Dave Wakefield discuss the forthcoming 2010 F1 season...:

New Cars
New Teams
New Driver line-ups
Who will be Champion?

For more, visit http://www.ukmotortalk.co.uk/

UKMotorTalk - First podcast of 2010

2010-01-29T16:35:00.002Z

In this edition, the team:

Discuss the world car market with Toyota, SAAB, Spyker, Ford and Volvo under the microscope
Remind listeners about claiming for pothole damage to their cars
Get excited about the new F1 cars!

Sold (subject to contract)

2010-01-27T13:21:00.002Z

Well, with a flourish akin to a stage magician pulling a rabbit from a top hat, Spyker have achieved a similar trick with SAAB - yanking them from the dark silkiness of oblivion and back into the harsh limelight of the automotive world's attention.

To be honest, when we wrote yesterday of our hopes that the Swedish firm would be rescued at the last minute we weren't overly optimistic to put it mildly; but the fact that the Dutch have pulled it off - for now at least - has left us feeling just a little bit happier that one of the world's more interesting marques will continue to be around for a while longer.

It's still early days and there are (900)i's to be dotted and T's crossed but barring any major mishap (he says, checking the calendar and making sure it's not April 1st) Spyker have increased their payroll by quite a substantial order of magnitude.

It's fair to say that there are many out there who are questioning the viability of this arrangement, asking quite rightly how teeny-tiny Spyker will be able to manage ownership of a comparatively vast operation such as SAAB, let alone turn around their ailing fortunes.

Others point to SAAB's relatively paltry sales figures and limited model range (no lead-in model along the lines of the ubiquitous Golf being the main criticism) and state that the brand is irrevocably damaged by the recent uncertainty surrounding the company and its fortunes.

We do indeed share these concerns and will be watching developments with a keen eye; however, one should consider that logically-speaking, no-one in their right mind is going to commit the rather large sums of money such as have been invested by Spyker and the European Investment Bank (a loan, incidentally underwritten by the Swedish Government) without the belief - particularly at the moment as we scour the financial landscape for any signs of the elusive Green Shoots Of Recovery - that they are going to make a return on their investment.

For the time being then, we wait with interest and hopeful anticipation to see what Victor Muller, Spyker's Chief Executive and Jan-Åke Jonsson, his opposite number at SAAB (soon to be re-titled SAAB Spyker Automobiles) have up their sleeves.

Whatever they're planning to do though, there's little doubt that they are going to have to work fast if they are to rebuild SAAB's image and establish themselves as a credible brand with a strong and successful future ahead of them.

If they hang about, they could well just be delaying the inevitable..

Dave Wakefield

Spyk'd - SAAB to be saved at the last minute or consigned to Valhalla?

2010-01-26T09:54:00.004Z

As one of the three main major markets for SAAB worldwide, we in the UK might be forgiven for taking more than a passing interest in the tempestuous fortunes of Sweden's 'other' car manufacturer.

We've commented before here at UkMotorTalk on the travails of the company and have made no secret of the fact that we would be very sorry indeed to see this once innovative marque disappear for good into the acrid smoke of General Motors' financial implosion.

With yesterday's hints that the tiny Dutch sports car company Spyker was close to finalising its protracted purchase of SAAB and a huge 70-something percent leap in their share price on Euronext Amsterdam it appeared to us that perhaps this unlikely purchase was indeed about to come to fruition.

This news came as Luxembourg investors Genii Capital - who had also tabled a last minute bid in conjunction with none other than one Bernard Ecclestone (aka "The King of F1 © ® TM") - looked to have fallen out of the running to take over the company, leaving Spyker as the sole remaining suitor asking for the Swede's hand in marriage.

So - deal done then or will The General still be of the opinion that the Dutch bid wasn't serious enough?

Well, later on in the day, a much anticipated press conference (partly responsible it seems for fuelling the rumours of a successful deal with its attendant skyrocketing of Spyker's share price) in Detroit appeared to pour a liberal dose of cold water on the story with GM's Head Honcho Ed Whitacre stating bluntly that no deal had yet been done and the winding down of SAAB would continue as planned.

To those of us following this saga with interest and, it has to be said, crossed fingers this came as just another opportunity to exhale resignedly and slump the shoulders that little bit more as the old 'one step forward, one step back' dance routine played itself out yet again.

Ever since Spyker, a diminutive manufacturer of bespoke and, dare we say, slighly mad motor cars for the well-heeled individual threw its hat into the ring we've been somewhat confused as to just where the Hell they were going to get the money from, let alone how a tiny little operation such as they are was going to take on the running of the operation which in 2008 produced approximately 90,000 vehicles. (Spyker's projected output from its new Midlands facility - 50 cars per year).

The Dutch company has investment from both Russian and Middle Eastern sources and doesn't appear to be suffering unduly in the teeth of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s but all the same, given that Koenigsegg (another relatively well-funded potential owner and producer of slightly less mainstream automobiles) got cold feet and bailed out of the deal earlier on, a Dutch/Swedish tie-up still looks as tenuous as it ever did.

From a more optimistic point of view, were Spyker and General Motors to come to a 12th-hour style arrangement, what could we expect from this new outfit?

The general feeling by those in the industry is that SAAB have for quite some time now been a shadow of their former quirky, innovative selves, getting by with creaky, re-hashed versions of cars that originally saw the light of day - in the case of the venerable 9-5 at least - as long ago as 1997. And whilst a bold replacement for the aforementioned midsize exec is still being readied for production despite the continuing shutting down of the company it remains to be seen whether this much-needed car will ever see the dim light of a Scandinavian Spring or be offered to the Chinese to go with the rest of SAAB's ageing line-up to which they have purchased the rights, further complicating Spyker's task of rebuilding the brand.

For what it's worth, we believe that there is much that the two companies could learn from one another.

Spyker has expertise in constructing its own chassis and major components whilst buying in engines and transmissions from such manufacturers as Audi (in the case of its bonkers C8).

Couple this with SAAB's undoubted underlying innovation; they were first with direct ignition, turbo-charged mass-production engines, active safety systems and so on - honed perhaps through neccessity as GM pulled the purse-strings ever tighter - and the two companies would seem to have the making of an unlikely yet complementary relationship as a lean yet innovative producer of safe & thoughtful (SAAB) yet well-built and enjoyable (Spyker) sporting saloons and coupes.

Appealing perhaps to those who look for quality, innovation, quirkiness and sporting characteristics in their motor but are dissuaded from maybe buying an Alfa Romeo due to (partly unfair) concerns over quality, SAAB might well find that they flourish under the reins of a company who know how to build fun and excitement into their products whilst they bring a dose of Scandinavian practicality and real-world pricing to the party.

All this may well come to nought, and given the ominous noises coming from Motor City this is sadly looking more likely by the day, but we here at UkMotorTalk are still holding out some hope for what we at least believe could be the making of a beautiful relationship..

Dave Wakefield

Flav and Pat win against bans

2010-01-06T14:05:00.001Z

So the the French Court of Grand Instance has ruled and found that the punishments handed out to Flav and Pat were outside of the FIA's authority to act and the punishments - a lifetime and a 5 year ban respectively on any involvement with F1 - must therefore be rescinded.

Pat is keeping his head down - wisely - Flav is overjoyed and claims that the whole action was personal, well we all knew that!

However the FIA say the original guilty findings are indisputable and the French court does not disagree so the FIA is considering a further appeal claiming it does and did have the right to mete out such punishments as it sees fit. This will run and run no doubt and all the lawyers will get fatter on it.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the facts are Flav and Pat both conspired to cause a crash to change the result of race, neither claims this not to be true. So we shall probably see both back in F1 in the fullness of time, Pat I welcome back, I think he was probably led astray by Flav.

Flav himself I am not so sure, doubtless he probably regrets what was a hurried and morally wrong decision.

Was the judgement correct and did the punishment fit the crime? Will he be employable again? Will he be trusted? Is he perhaps part of an anachronistic old timer playboy version of F1 inconsistant with the corporate big business it has become?

Flav may have won a victory today but will it get him a job, I'm not so sure....

Graham Benge

A new year & some old friends.

2010-01-05T14:00:00.008Z

Well, what better way to see in the New Year than a trip to Brooklands for their annual gathering of classic and vintage cars?

UKMotorTalk's Alex Henry and Dave Wakefield braved the freezing weather and headed over to Weybridge for a cold but sunny day at the historic circuit...

Billed as the largest New Year's gathering for classics in the South East, Brooklands Museum's celebration of pre-1973 motors certainly seemed to be living up to the hyperbole.

Even as we walked onto the site a stream of mouth-watering machinery was arriving via the Campbell gate joining an already bustling collection of vehicles spread all over the famous grounds of the UK's first ever purpose-built racing circuit.

Evocative marques such as Frazer-Nash, Triumph, Alfa Romeo and Sunbeam were well represented with clubs from all over the country proudly displaying their treasured cars.

Whilst vintage and classics were the main feature on this cold but sunny Friday, moderns were well-represented too with Jaguar XKs lining the legendary banking

whilst Lamborghini Gallardos nestled alongside their somewhat more superannuated Alfa cousins..

As well as being able to dawdle through the ever-changing displays of humble and exotic metal on show, visitors could also take the opportunity to explore the museum itself which houses such iconic automotive and aviation exhibits as the recently-returned replica of the WW1 era Vickers Vimy bomber which shares hangar space with the sole remaining Brooklands-built Wellington bomber 'R for Robert' which was rescued from Loch Ness in 1985.

In the Jackson Shed, budding F1 drivers could try their luck at hurtling around a digitally-recreated Brooklands circuit in a genuine McLaren simulator whilst more junior Jenson Button wannabes could live out their racing driver fantasies in a 1991 Mclaren F1 showcar - nigh on identical to the one piloted with such success by none other than Ayrton Senna in the early 1990s.

Probably one of the biggest draws at Brooklands these days is the beautifully-restored Concorde airliner G-BDDG which stands proudly next to the Wellington hangar and offers visitors a glimpse of the now sadly historic world of the supersonic traveller. Many who'd turned up to see a wonderful collection of vehicles of yesteryear were sufficiently entranced with the delta-winged pin-up to part with another £4 for a tour of this icon of aviation glory.

Brooklands is a place with such a palpable sense of history, both in terms of its motor racing and aircraft-related heritage, and therefore a fitting venue for a well-attended event such as this. The museum hosts many other gatherings and themed events throughout the year and UKMotorTalk will be getting along to as many as possible in 2010..

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

Review of the 2009 F1 Season - Thrills and Spills!!!

2009-12-22T16:48:00.002Z

In this edition we look back at the thrills and spills of the last year's Formula One.

Jenson and Ross's highs
Flav, Pat and Nelson's lows
Max's goodbyes

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Add the UKMotorTalk Podcast feed to your reader

The demise of SAAB?

2009-12-19T23:37:00.000Z

The team discuss the possible demise of SAAB...:

Listen....:

2010 F1 Calendar

2009-12-17T18:17:00.002Z

Next year's F1 dates have been formalised by the FIA... Assuming no last minute changes, they are...:

14/3 Bahrain

28/3 Australia

4/4 Malaysia

18/4 China

9/5 Spain

16/5 Monaco

30/5 Turkey

13/6 Canada

27/6 Europe (Valencia)

11/7 Great Britain

25/7 Germany

1/8 Hungary

29/8 Belgium

12/9 Italy

26/9 Singapore

10/10 Japan

24/10 Korea

7/11 Brazil

14/11 Abu Dhabi

With 19 races, new teams, and new drivers, it's going to be a busy year....!

Ice & snow? Mind how you go..

2009-12-16T10:25:00.010Z

As the first major cold snap of the Winter descends upon us here in the South of England UKMotortalk's Graham Benge gives us all some timely advice on how to make safe progress on icy roads.

The second freezing morning in a row, it's obviously very cold everywhere as not only do I have to scrape my car's windows - it's minus 3 where I live - but also, while doing so, I get yet another radio request to do a piece on driving in bad conditions.

Interesting that my piece over the mobile phone while parked up, was preceded by a man from the county council on the gritting and salting they would be doing, yes they had plenty of everything, including, by the sound of it, complacency.

This wasn't so in February when we had a lot of snow, local authorities are still smarting from the drubbing they took for that error of judgement..

Fact is there has been no gritting yet on any of the roads I travel involving an A and B road transit across 3 counties, so are they holding off until the weather is worse? Didn't do much for the several areas of black ice I encountered this morning, remember the shinier the road the more dangerous it is!

There's plenty more bad weather driving advice on our website -

but the most important things to remember in driving in adverse conditions are:

1:leave earlier,

2:leave enough time that you can go slower than usual, and

3: drive more smoothly than you would normally, most accidents on ice and snow are caused by excessive speed, coarse steering and too agressive braking and accelerating - gently does it!

Graham Benge

Brighter, Better Headlight bulbs...

2009-12-11T15:37:00.002Z

A few weeks ago, I was driving home from my regular pub quiz night... You can picture it... Wind, rain and dark, country roads.... I thought the road just looked a bit, well, dull!

When I got home, I confirmed that the dipped headlight bulb had blown.... So, the next day, once the rain had stopped, I replaced it with a spare bulb I had bought some time ago for this exact purpose...

Job done, I thought as I switched the lights on and did a full bulb test to make sure all was ok....

And, yes, the job was done... The car was legal again... All lights showing as they should....

But then I drove in the dark again... And I didn't think the road looked any brighter than it did before! So I checked the lights again.... Yes, all working...

It was now I began to wonder if I had got used to all of those bulbs that come with great claims for extra brightness that most of us would find hard to quantify....! 40% extra... 50% extra... And with price tags that are possibly exponentially inflated with the claims!!!

A little internet research, and a few tweets later, I had decided that I wouldn't mess about... Osram Nightbreakers claim an extra 90% at the same 55W.... That'd do me!

But, hang on a minute... The Passat takes 4x H7 bulbs for its dipped and highbeam headlights... This could get expensive! A quick (made all the briefer by the pain in the wallet!) search of the internet suggested more than £30 a pair.... Did I really want to spend £60 just to make the road a little brighter?

One more journey in the dark gave me the answer... YES!

So, I then dared to dive into ebay... and suddenly the prices didn't seem as extreme! In fact, roughly half as extreme!!!

I decided to buy from ebay seller wattbulb07 .... You can't generally argue with a 100% feedback rating...

The next day a package appeared......

So, £35 and a couple of damaged knuckles from the fitting, (that's a different story!), and the road ahead is, once more, a brighter place...

I guess this kind of thing may well sound trivial, certainly not as thrilling as driving the new Bentley or Aston, but in terms of road safety, and saving your eyes whilst driving at night, I find it money very well spent...

Of course, a lot of cars have clever headlight arrangements these days... HID, projector lenses, DLR, LED.... the technology and acronyms are endless... But if you go and put a "dull" bulb behind them, they might as well have candles!

Andrew Denyer

Every Cloud Has A Silver(stone) Lining.

2009-12-07T14:09:00.004Z

There were those who said back in the Summer of 2008 that Donington's surprise award of the British Grand Prix would never come to pass.

Too ambitious they said, too little time to turn the appealingly quaint circuit next to the East Midlands Airport into a venue fit for the premier tier of four-wheeled motorsport.

Well, as it transpired, they were correct, although the major global recession probably contributed more than anything to the demise of Donington's dream of once more hosting Formula One racing.

Whilst we were sorry to be saying goodbye to Silverstone, F1's traditional permanent home in the UK since 1987, we did want Donington to succeed as they seemed to be putting so much time, effort and funding into a project which they assured us would result in state of the art facilities and an exciting circuit for Bernie's circus to come and play at in the Summer.

Alas, as we all now know, the aforementioned recession did for Donington's plans what it had done for Lehman Brothers, Woolworths and the entire Icelandic banking system and after some to-ing and fro-ing between the British Racing Drivers Club and Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Administration it was looking likely that an insurmountable impasse was the end result of the tentative negotiations.

With the two sides entrenched, motor racing fans started to fear the worst as deadlines were mentioned and alternative venues around the world lined up to fill Britain's gap in the F1 calendar. One enterprising 'Tweeter' even went so far as to start a #savethebritishgrandprix 'hashtag' to spread the word of the potential end of Britain's unbroken run of hosting Grands Prix.

Well, today after much muttering and leaked internet rumours on forums, Twitter and various other social networking websites, a delighted UK motorsport community got the news that they so desperately wanted - Silverstone would, after all, be hosting the British Grand Prix in 2010 and for the next 16 years after that.

It seems that after much hard bargaining and promises to comprehensively update the circuit and its facilities, common sense has prevailed and the race is to remain at its spiritual home for the forseeable future.
In awarding a contract for such a relatively long period, Ecclestone has finally given the BRDC the stability it needs to raise the neccessary funds to update and enhance Silverstone - something even the most diehard fan of the Northampton circuit would admit is a well-overdue requirement.

So, with one piece of the jigsaw well and truly in place for next year, we can finally look forward to the mouthwatering prospect of two consecutive Formula One World Champions racing one another in equal machinery at their home circuit - a circuit they both love and enjoy the challenge of and one which has regularly seen history made since its first appearance on the F1 calendar way back in 1948.

And, whilst we spare a thought for those behind the ultimately unsuccessful bid to re-introduce Grand Prix racing to the other Midlands circuit, and in particular Tom Wheatcroft who sadly passed away as Donington's plans were unravelling, we congratulate Damon Hill and the BRDC and look forward to what will undoubtedly be an amazing 2010 and beyond for the British Grand Prix.

David Wakefield

Astra La Vista.

2009-12-04T09:39:00.005Z

As the fifth iteration of Vauxhall's ubiquitous Astra makes its way off the end of the production line to be replaced by its shiny new progeny, Alex Henry takes a parting look at a car whose replacement may well be the product of fashion rather than neccessity.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Mk5 Astra was launched.

Actually, it wasn’t that long ago – 5 years.

Back in 2004 GM gave us the first Astra that for once someone might actually want to buy, rather than choose off an unimaginative fleet list. Nicely styled inside and out, convincingly well made and with a staggering variety of trim, engine and specification it really made a case for itself.

It was even good to drive.

Fast forward to 2009 and the Mk6 is just about now landing in Vauxhall showrooms. It’s a car that has a lot of weight resting on its shoulders, but fortunately, reviews to date have been very positive. Certainly the larger Insignia model, the Vectra replacement which bears more than a few similarities to the new Astra, has been well received and an undoubted success.

Model cycles these days are really very short and this is made clear on reacquainting myself with the Mk5. This particular car, a 3 door sport hatch, has remained basically unchanged since launch nearly 5 years ago. As nearly always seems to be the case, promises of a more sporty, sexy looking version of the plain old 5 door hatch didn’t quite come to fruition when this body shape was revealed but it would be hard to argue that this car looks staid. Yes, it’s got a bit of a fat arse and is slightly ill proportioned, particularly on the smaller wheels of this SXi version, but the design has stood the test of time.

The same applies to the interior design. The dashboard mouldings, door cards and instrumentation have not overly dated due to their restrained, functional style and decent quality rubberised materials, which are in stark contrast to the nasty, shiny effort of the Mk4. The only thing these two cars have in common is the rather old-hat orange dot matrix display of the radio and trip computer.

During this model’s lifecycle I’ve had the opportunity to try a variety of engines, from smaller petrols right up to the 2.0 turbo petrol and full fat 150BHP 1.9 Fiat sourced turbodiesel, and none of them have disappointed. This 1.6 litre petrol probably best illustrates the car in typical trim although it’s interesting to note that naturally aspirated petrol engines will not feature in the Mk6 Astra at launch.

This engine delivers 115BHP smoothly and despite some resonance, enjoys being revved hard. This is a good thing because the only way the car can be coaxed along at a decent pace is to work it hard through the five speed gearbox. This too is nice to use, a light, precise action with a short throw across the gate and a positive feeling clutch. The only real fly in the ointment is the detectable hesitation on the electronic throttle – a delayed response which always seems to catch you out and which makes its presence felt in stop start traffic. It’s easy to make yourself look like an amateur even after familiarisation with it, the car sometimes still jerking along even after convincing you that you had mastered the use of it.

Ride, steering and handling are all good. These days it would be hard to imagine anything else, so high has the standard become on even the cheapest of cars. Even on sports suspension, ride is firm but well damped, steering action is fast and feedback plentiful and large reserves of grip are on offer. As is usual, an emphasis on safe understeer is apparent when really pushing but this is not something most people will even begin to approach. It’s a good drive.

There are some niggles. Some of the interior plastics are poor. The dashboard interfaces are not as simple as their looks would suggest and it’s easy to mistake the stereo volume control for the heater and vice versa. Navigating the stereo and dash menus takes plenty of patience and no reason can be found for some of the buttons being so small. The air conditioning button is a good example, being on the wrong side of the gearlever for right hand drive and really tiny. GM never seem to be able to get these sorts of things right - despite first appearances they always manage to make you feel that the accountants were in control inside rather than the designers. Little things like the cheap feeling mirror control buttons, the semi-flexible front seats and the awful, awful indicator and wiper controls with their electronic cancellation. Much was made of these at launch but they are noticeably AWOL on the new model. They cause misery. The speakers on the stereo are very tinny. Little things like these make a big difference.

What’s most remarkable about this outgoing car is that it doesn’t feel like its time is up. When the Rover 800 was replaced by the 75, it was quite clear that this was long overdue. Likewise the Mk4 Ford Fiesta and so many other tired cars. It’s a bit like when a new version of the iPod comes out less than a year after the previous version. As cars increasingly become part of the throw-away world, earning their owners scrap payments whilst still being serviceable, this sort of thing is inevitable and increasingly common. It hardly seems five minutes ago since the last generation Renault Scenic was launched and now there is a new one. The Ford C-Max too. The Fiat Grande Punto is on a major facelift after just over three years, and there was nothing wrong with the way it looked in the first place.

The new Astra will no doubt move things on a little further, with some new technology and better environmental credentials but I get the impression that new model launches, although important for the manufacturer, just aren’t as significant as they used to be. With every year lopped off model cycles in the name of fashion, the anticipation of the replacement decreases. Perhaps it would be worth bypassing the Mk6 Astra altogether, and waiting for the Mk7 generation for real excitement. By then we are promised much in the way of propulsion system changes and superefficient motors, not just a new badge design and traditionally cancelling indicators.

Alexander Henry

Stuttgart's dream team (HQ, Brackley, Northants)

2009-11-22T11:50:00.009Z

With the ever persistent rumours this week that Michael Schumacher may yet be coming out of retirement to join forces with his former associates Mercedes and Ross Brawn, Graham Benge asseses the potential of a Mercedes 'Dream Team'.

Schumacher to Mercedes?

Dream team or stopgap?

Will the seven times champion return and join forces with former mentor Ross again, neck permitting?

Surely, for the German paymasters the avuncular Sebastian Vettel is the prize?

The rising star?

One bonus should Schumi's neck hold out is that it brings Lewis' dream to fruition, the opportunity he thought he'd never have to rate himself alongside Michael Schumacher - the one living great who still potentially has the ability to grab a World Championship.

Could this be the real 2010 highlight and relegate Lewis vs Jenson to a ho hum B movie..?

Graham Benge

Mercedes musical chairs as Jenson heads for Woking

2009-11-18T22:52:00.010Z

As the dust settles on the news that Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button is Mclaren bound for 2010 and beyond, UKMotortalk's Graham Benge takes a look at what he can expect as he takes the coveted number 1 to Woking and speculates on the bigger picture which might well have helped engineer his move.

"Don't mention the war" they used to say in Fawlty Towers but now we have two moustachioed RAF types flying red white and blue Spitfires yet powered by Messerschmitt engines!

How times change, & despite knowing that Lewis and Jenson get on really well I never thought they would both be signed by McLaren at the same time.
Will Martin Whitmarsh be able to hold the two of them in check, to prevent a major ego clash? Will McLaren, as they have always done, field identical cars and show no garage bias, or will it degenerate into the Senna/Prost rivalry of the early 1990s?

Even if it did that rivalry produced one of McLaren's most successful eras, winning - between the two drivers - 15 races out of the 16 in the 1988 season despite their drivers coming to blows very publicly at least twice!

But to see what's really going on one needs to step a lot further back.

Only with sufficient perspective do we realise that both Lewis and Jenson are just very well paid and very talented pawns in a much bigger and longer game. The driver moves and their inflated salaries are really but a nickel and dime side show.

McLaren will doubtless become a major player in the sports car market within the next two or three years, probably rivalling Ferrari and Porsche and seriously hurting Mercedes sports car sales, especially at the premium end of that particular market niche.
The 722 SM we talked about recently is the last of the supercar collaborations between Mclaren & Mercedes and has only a few weeks left to run before they have all been completed. This expensive “niche of a niche” has shown no decline whatsoever, indeed those with the financial wherewithal to spend a million euros a pop on a car can still afford those sums of money.

The great game seems to be one of major power shifts in the car industry at its most expensive. Mclaren have no desire to be a volume car producer, they will be a high tech, high cost, high profit constructor, and want to go their own way in car making; therefore Ron Dennis and the other investors certainly don’t want to sell out completely to Mercedes Benz.

Indeed they are probably very glad to be able to buy back the 40% Mercedes currently own, I’m sure that opportunity came as a very pleasant surprise to Ron and Mansour Ojjeh.

At the same time Mercedes found that they could do a deal with Mclaren where they continue to provide engines to the F1 team at a price, dramatically reduce their financial input into the Woking squad yet keep their name on the car and still have spare change left over to buy the 2009 World Championship winning F1 team, repaint the car as the legendary Silver Arrows, hire two very capable German drivers – Rosberg and Heidfeld – retain the services of master tactician Ross Brawn to work alongside Norbert Haug, (putting a substantial profit into Ross’s pocket as he capitalises 70% of a team he paid just a £1 for - in addition to a substantial dowry from Honda) and achieve all of this at what would seem to be bargain basement prices in global terms.

The end result is that Mclaren get the best drivers and the best engines while they still want them, and in addition get to design and build their own road cars whilst Mercedes get to own their own F1 team with their own name on it, their choice of drivers at lower outlay than they expected and get to strengthen their brand image against Mclaren’s road car division into the bargain.

As Ron said last week “for all parties it’s a win-win scenario”.

I think we are going to see a lot of wins for McLaren in 2010!

Graham Benge

Chic & Cheerful - Fiat's Nuova Cinquecento finds a fan..

2009-10-27T16:44:00.005Z

Unless you're registered blind or housebound, you cannot have failed to have noticed the steady influx of the cuddly new Fiat 500 onto the nation's roads.

This unashamedly-nostalgic reworking of Fiat's classic from the 50s has stolen the hearts of thousands of style-savvy motorists not just here in the UK but throughout Europe and even further afield.

Even BSM have chopped in their fleet of staid Vauxhall Corsas as they rush to embrace the cheap running costs and undoubted stylistic attaction of the little Italian bambino.

Everyone it seems is anxious to get into one of these fun-filled retromobiles, and contributor Alexander Henry is no exception..

Unlike many people, I was never a fan of the original Mini. Perhaps it was memories of being driven to school in musty smelling British Leyland era versions in awful colours with plastic seats, bouncing along on rusted out subframes, or perhaps something else. But I didn’t like them. The reinvented BMW version when it came along in 2001 didn’t stand a chance then. Although I wasn’t keen on Issignosis’ original I was at least able to recognise its place in motoring history, an important brick in the wall of car development – clever use of space, suspension, drivetrain and value for money making it accessible to most. The new one to me missed the mark totally. It was none of these things. It had room for the driver and front passenger and nobody else. Or their stuff. It was bloody expensive. It wasn’t really British even. And worst of all, it rapidly became adopted by legions of estate agents. The MINI (as it is now known) could do nothing more to make me hate it, despite reports of it being good to drive.

This whole retro thing, started with the Beetle, taken over by the MINI didn’t float my boat. Both of these attempts to recapture the youthful, swinging spirit of the original cars seemed to be excessively cynical. The Beetle, built for pennies on an outdated Golf platform in Mexico, and powered by a VW Transporter engine in the wrong place was never going to last surely? And then came the reports of Citroen reinventing the 2CV and FIAT the 500. Citroen’s claims arrived in the form of the lumpen C3, but FIAT came good on their word, previewing the Trepiuno concept which was clearly on the verge of crawling down a production line. This new 500 confused me. I wanted one.

The fuss died down, I still hated the MINI and its estate agent clients, the Beetle continued to look more and more ridiculous, and occasional reports of nuova 500 progress appeared in the motoring press. I rediscovered my love for small Italian cars at about the same time FIAT was doing this themselves, purchasing one of the first of the excellent Grande Punto models – the first decent small Fiat since the Panda a few years beforehand, itself the first decent small Fiat since the original Punto was launched. FIAT had discovered their mojo again. Finally, the nuova 500 was a reality. The press had their cars, James May test drove one on Top Gear and pronounced it a joy, and not being able to wait, I set to work on the Italian language car configurator, forming my ideal car. All of a sudden this made sense. I was transported back to my childhood – seemingly infinite variations of colour, trim, specification, stickers, brightwork, engines. No limits. Every engine could be had in every trim, every colour, every option. I ordered the teaser brochure. This in itself was a marvel – a glossy A5 sized ring bound funpad, with stickers to move about and reposition, overlays and colour swatches.

When they announced it was only going to cost £7,900 in the UK, it was clear that my relationship with the Punto was coming to an end. Not so my outstanding finance on that car however, so it had to wait. A trip to the dealer managed to assuage any fears of it being too small to consider but a test drive had to be put off until February 2009. With my girlfriend in tow (actually, she was just as keen as I and drove it first) we set off in a posh Lounge specification car, powered by the 1.3 diesel engine. The ability of the car was remarkable. It felt solid, grown up, well made and put an enormous grin on my face as it was thrashed out of creepy Crawley on a test route. I always say that the worth of a car is always clear once you’ve had it up on two wheels and this demonstrator did not escape. It showed it was a proper FIAT, responding to every demand in the way I would expect.

With a motoring history averaging one car a year over 13 years, surprisingly only two of them were brand new. Choosing a new Clio in 1998 and even the Grande Punto in 2006, was fairly easy if underwhelming. Set the budget, choose the colour and that’s about it. When sat opposite the dealer having completed the test drive and committing to purchase, actually choosing a 500 is really rather difficult. Much was made of the MINI’s umpteen million spec combination and the 500 is much the same. Start with a blank canvas and make your own choice. To be honest, this could have been very difficult for me. As most around me will attest, I suffer from a form of selection anxiety. I find it distressing choosing breakfast cereal in Sainsbury’s and often linger here for several hours. Choosing a multipack of crisps has much the same effect on me. It’s one of the reasons my local supermarkets recently started opening 24 hours. And to the best of my knowledge there are only 83 kinds of cereal and 52 types of crisps. I had 500,000 Fiat 500 specifications to choose from.

Fortunately I had been practising for nearly two years already, since the car was launched in Italy. Many an evening definitely NOT wasted, spent configuring, saving, naming and recolouring – all in the name of research and an eventual aim. So where best to start? Number one consideration was budget. I’m not wealthy. I work in Insurance. I have a company car already which is quite posh. It was always going to be the Pop version, the entry level car. Not only this but the Lounge model which is the next one up has horrid seats and a glass roof which robs headroom. I didn’t like the wheels on the Sport version. These concerns and a firm belief that a small Fiat is always at its best in basic, solid paint and wheel trim form started me off. When it comes to cars, I believe in a law of diminishing returns – the basic car is always worth paying for if it’s good. You drive the chassis, the engine, the brakes, not the trinkets. Trinkets break and fall off, get tarnished and don’t pay you back what you forked out for them in the first place. With a basic version you get most of what the car means, for the least outlay.

You also get nicer seats.

The 1.2 petrol engine was chosen. This was the same motor as in my Punto, which was quite a lot bigger. It did the small FIAT petrol thing perfectly – loved to rev, sounded great, provided pace that belied its miniscule power rating and rewarded being driven HARD. In the 500 it’s a revelation. This engine is actually really old, but here it is clean, refined yet fizzy and economical. It’s the only motor to emit under 120 grams of CO2 and thus place it into £35 a year tax country, unless you include the diesel. A diesel in cars this size is always a false economy so this was rejected. It was always going to have the black ambience – steering wheel, seat belts, dash trim and inserts and seat tops and despite worries about stains, the red seats.

What colour outside? White. The only free colour. And the colour that works best. Everyone else seems to agree, literally every other one I see is finished in this colour. The car was ordered 14th February and duly Christened Valentino. I’ve never named a car before. I don’t think I have ever admitted in public that I have now done so either.

Valentino was delivered the day after my 30th birthday and we celebrated together with a tour of the South coast – Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Everywhere we went, the road ahead was scanned for other 500’s. Every one we spotted was flashed and (nearly) everyone waved back. This is a game I play over 6 months later and I never tire of it. It seems the 500 makes people smile. A Spring outing to the AutoItalia festival at Brooklands brought an enormous amount of pleasure with Valentino being parked with dozens of other cars, driving through the crowd thronged event on a beautiful sunny day sandwiched between Ferraris and Lamborghinis is something I will never forget.

The funny thing was that this modern interpretation of the original 500, a car which has a passionate following, was never questioned. Many an Issignonis Mini can be spotted wearing a ‘100% BMW FREE’ sticker. I’ve never heard nor seen any unpleasant comment from the original 500 brigade, despite the new one’s engine being in the wrong place, Beetle style. In fact, at Brooklands, new and old were parked up together like boys and girls at a primary school barn dance, only voluntarily.

The new 500 is a marvel. It’s £3000 less than the cheapest MINI. It’s smaller, yet has more space inside. It’s cleaner, more accessible and isn’t identified with hateful estate agents. OK, it’s not perfect – the ride is a little bouncy, the steering has no feel to speak of and some of the components feel a bit cheap but the return on the investment is staggering. And confidence must be high – BSM recently agreed to replace their entire Vauxhall fleet with the little FIAT and this can only be a good thing for residuals, with demand for used examples surely being pushed up by new drivers with wealthy parents looking to buy their offspring something they feel comfortable in. I’ve only seen girls learning in them though, which makes me wonder – how come I never feel at all.... metrosexual driving this car? How come I see so many blokes driving them and how come so many blokes seem to be driving powder blue examples? This is something I can never explain, although I did note that every original 500 I see is being piloted by a man, generally with a large beard.

Alexander Henry

All change!

2009-10-23T16:02:00.002+01:00

There is an ancient Chinese proverb - or is it a curse? - "may you live in interesting times".

The old order changing as Moseley leaves....? Jean Todt, has been voted in as President of the FIA.... the protector of the current regime.... rather than the candidate for change...

Meanwhile, back at FOM/FOA, Bernie, the owner of all other three letter corporate acronyms, has a bit of a problem....

Simon Gillet at Donington seems to have blown it in a very big way and clearly cannot raise the money to prepare Donington for the 2010 British GP. Bernie will probably reluctantly go back to Silverstone who will surely hold out for a multi-year deal, their recent improving financial position suggests they can afford to play a tougher game of poker with Bernie this time around.

Is it the end of the British GP? I doubt it, even Bernie recognises what a PR disaster that would be for him and for the FIA.

Other gossip suggests Jenson Button may go to McLaren for 2010 and not stay at Brawn after all.

I doubt it, somehow, for many reasons.... Money is not his prime motivator, but loyalty is important to him. McLaren, I think, will not want two recent world champions at the same time and maybe could not even afford them!

Toyota's last minute bid for the McLaren bound Raikkonen is, according to Toyota team boss John Howet very cash limited and I am convinced Ross will reach a deal with Button although Ruben's position is perhaps more fluid....

Looks like we shall have lots to talk about in Abu Dhabi!!

Graham Benge

Jenson Button - F1 World Champion 2009

2009-10-20T17:17:00.002+01:00

The champagne has all been drunk, after a few hours fitful sleep the hangover is easing and for Jenson Button realisation dawns that he is, indeed, the

2009 F1 World Champion

.... even if he will never win a Karaoke competition.

After 21 years in karts and working his way up through the lower formulae, Jenson reached F1 with a surprise - to him - call from Williams to join them for 2000. Frank and Patrick recognised that there was some great talent buried deep inside Jenson but they probably never really drew it out.

As Jenson started to earn some very good money he didn’t always spend it wisely quickly earning him a reputation as a bit of a playboy driver, a reputation that has dogged him throughout his F1 career.

During the last fifteen years I have met and interviewed Jenson many times and never found him to be the sort of arrogant wastrel he is often portrayed as by the red tops. On the contrary I always found him to be charming, friendly and likeable. I have also never found anyone inside F1 with a bad word to say about him, he is, unusually, both liked and respected up and down the pitlane.

Yet in many ways the last 9 years in F1 have been bit like his earlier career with flashes of brilliance interspersed with long periods of being just a journeyman driver. Even some of his staunchest allies have had their doubts that he had the talent to really go all the way to the very top. The podiums were slow to come, until this season only 1 win - in Hungary – was on his score sheet.

I often thought in the last couple of years that in many ways Jenson’s career could be compared with that of Sir Stirling Moss, indeed, they have great respect for each other. Stirling could probably have won even more races and even been a worthy F1 champion if he had not always preferred to drive British cars rather than any other even when they were clearly the worst cars on the grid.

Similarly, many have felt Jenson stayed loyal to Honda too long. Accepted they looked after him very well but they never gave him a car he could really shine in and then pulled the plug when it suited them leaving him and the rest of the team with a bleak – or no - future at the end of 2008.

But the collection of people that had been Honda F1 had one ace in their pack, Ross Brawn. Persuaded to return from a sabbatical and already having guided Benetton and Ferrari to 6 World Championships, Ross, when we met him early in 2008, clearly had massive belief that the team and its drivers, could deliver. In the absence of anyone else coming in to buy the team Ross put his money behind that belief and his name over the door.

For Brawn GP 2009 has been a fairytale season. The new car was immediately quick. They won the first 7 races. And despite having a lower scoring mid-season they have now captured both the Drivers and Constructors titles in their first year of existence. Truly remarkable.

Congratulations to Jenson and to all at Brawn … everything they have achieved is much deserved, determination, talent and hard work proving to be an unbeatable combination.

Graham Benge

Jenson Button & Brawn - 2009 F1 World Champions

2009-10-18T20:35:00.003+01:00

An initial reaction to the great race in Sao Paulo...

F1 - Brazil Qualifying

2009-10-17T21:54:00.004+01:00

Brazil... Samba, sun, carnival.... Wrong!

With a soundtrack by Wet Wet Wet and even the weatherman struck by lightning, Saturday Qualifying in Sao Paulo was a 3 hr marathon of torrential rain, huge accidents and, for very nearly 2009 Champion, Jenson Button, massive disappointment.

With Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel failing to reach Q2 all seemed in favour of an all Brawn front row, but seemingly with the wrong tyres at the wrong time, Jenson slumped to 14th.

But worse was still to come for Jenson... Team mate and rival Rubens Barrichello got through to Q3 and as the weather improved, so did Barrichello, the local crowd going wild as the Brasilian took pole in the frenetic closing seconds.

The title could still be settled tomorrow with Button too far back to see much of the action... Or, as we suspect Bernie would prefer, it will go down to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi?

It is tomorrow's weather that may decide the 2009 champion... An unmissable race is in prospect!

Graham Benge

Daytime Running Lights - A Bright Idea?

2009-10-12T15:00:00.002+01:00

Car manufacturers are fond of their acronyms - even the most basic of cars on the market these days sports ABS, AC and quite possibly EBD..

The majority of the sytems or features to which this cacophony of capital letters refer evolve as the result of legislation - airbags (or SRS in Acrospeak) being pretty much a standard legal fitment to cars and vans these days for example - and on the whole are accepted by the motoring public - enthusiast or not - as A Good Thing, so long, in the eyes of the aforementioned keener driver at least, they don't impinge on the act of driving.

Indeed, it's hard to remember a time when the wearing of seatbelts wasn't a compulsory part of the whole driving experience and one would probably have to go to some lengths to track down a hardcore non-wearer these days as the vast majority of drivers and passengers quite rightly understand the benefits of buckling up.

I think it is safe to say then that we here at Motortalk Towers are keen proponents of non-invasive safety ideas but certainly do not adhere to the nannying approach which some would have us follow (I'm thinking here of the ever-threatened speed limiters which groups such as Brake believe all cars should be fitted) and eye with interest any new ideas which may find their way onto the roads in the name of 'safety'.

Which brings me onto our Acronym Of The Day:

DRL.

For those not familiar with this latest collection of capitals, DRL stands for 'Daytime Running Lights' and while not by any means a new idea, they are seemingly becoming a more regular sight on our roads.

Here in the UK we are probably pretty familiar with Volvos and Saabs driving around with their sidelights & more recently headlights on during the day.

This is as a result of the law in Scandinavian countries requiring all cars to display their lights as soon as the engine is running - a sensible idea on the face of it given the short days and limited amount of ambient light available for a good part of the year at such relative proximity to the Arctic Circle.

Other countries are following suit too - since as long ago as 1990 Canada has required all vehicles registered for use on her roads to feature DRLs and more recently Italy, Hungary and the majority of the European Union's recently-admitted former Eastern Bloc countries have passed legislation requiring their use.

Whilst it is not yet a UK or even EU-wide law that cars have their lights on during the day, it would seem that the feature is likely to become a standard fixture on new cars as they are replaced or even facelifted by the manufacturers as the economies of scale make it simpler to include the functionality on all cars built for that particular market.

And this then, coupled with the explosion in popularity of LED lighting in the automotive world, is why we are seeing more and more cars driving around with what appear to be very bright sidelights during daylight hours - ostensibly glowing as a warning to other road users and pedestrians that the vehicle has its engine running and is thus presenting a potential hazard, but also increasingly I suspect as automotive jewellery; the equivalent of motoring 'bling'.

Probably the most dedicated follower of this particular fashion is Audi whose offerings from A3 right up to the range-topping R8 feature some form of DRLs - whether it be the humble incandescent filament on the family A4 or, more overtly, the oh so glitzy swoop of light-emitting diodes which hug the headlights on the aforementioned R8 & are most certainly attention-grabbers, which, ultimately I suppose is the point..

Opinion is seemingly divided on DRLs - whether as safety equipment or as sparkly addenda - with some seeing them as nothing more than a legitimate way for the fog-light brigade to tool around with the equivalent of a tackily-festooned Christmas tree on the front of their cars (aftermarket LED kits are already on sale in Halfords - expect to see them hastily attached to a Saxo near you sometime very soon) whilst others think that they are a waste of energy and only serve to increase fuel consumption at a time when filling up is already almost prohibitively expensive.

Motorcyclists particularly are concerned about the increasing use of these lights, believing that their own particular safety margin of riding with headlights on in daytime will be negated as they disappear into the glare of light from every other road user.

Those on the pro side say though that having some form of light showing at the front of the car can only be a good thing and point to studies which show that accidents in countries where DRLs have been used for some time are reduced - particularly in territories such as Scandinavia where daylight is at more of a premium.

Whatever your view though, it seems that manufacturers are keen to equip their designs with the latest must-have technology and with everyone from Audi through to Vauxhall fitting DRLs to their cars, whether they be there purely for safety reasons or increasingly as aesthetic features with which designers can enhance the 'face' of their brand it seems that daytime running lights have a bright future..

..sorry, couldn't resist..

Dave Wakefield.

Land Rover Rally - Rural Life Centre, Tilford, Surrey

2009-10-11T16:16:00.009+01:00

Can anyone think of a better way to spend a few hours on a Sunday than walking round a collection of Land Rovers, new and old?

OK, I can hear some sarcastic comments so don't answer that....

As regular followers of UKMotorTalk will know, 4x4s, and specifically Land Rovers, have long been my particular area of interest in the motor world... A Ferrari just doesn't have the same appeal to me as a Series 1 Land Rover!

So, a slight drizzle in the air as we arrived at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford in Surrey was not going to dampen my spirits...

Set in the fascinating surroundings of the museum, (well worth a visit any other day!) this fine collection of Land Rovers came from near and far... But, of course, it is not only the cars that we came to see, their owners were also on hand to chat to and share their own stories...

Amongst the early examples was this fine 1948 Series 1 which, as it says, was the second off the production line.

On a purely practical note, having information sheets, such as this one, on each and every Land Rover on display, was great for the casual observer... I realise that to some a 1948 Series 1 will not differ in any great way with a modern Defender (can I hear those sarcastic comments again?), and to have a concise note of age, model and any interesting historical points was really useful.

It wasn't all 60 year old nostalgia of course... We also spent many happy minutes talking to owners of much newer craft.... Freelanders, Range Rovers and Discoverys also being included.

On a very anoraky note, I was pleased to see a Discovery that was probably registered just minutes after my own... Its registration number only differing by a few numbers... Why does this give me a warm feeling??? Answers on a postcard!

All in all a really enjoyable few hours... Even of interest to the most junior member of the UKMT team... Though I will have to encourage him (and his father!) to not refer to all Land Rovers as 'tractors'! The owner of the Overfinch Range Rover would probably NOT be impressed! ;-)

Sites of interest:
http://www.rurallife.plus.com/rlc/
http://csvac.com/

Japan GP Report

2009-10-05T15:02:00.001+01:00

Red Bull and Vettel arrived at Suzuka ready to go for broke. They knew that the constructors' and drivers' titles were just still within their reach but only if they scored a big haul of points.

Unfortunately “go for broke” also applied to Mark Webber who did just that in a big way in final practice, so did not even take part in qualifying.

But Vettel was peerless all weekend, his pole was by a huge margin and his early race laps were more like qualifying laps as he built a very substantial margin over the rest of the field to take a very impressive race win on this most tricky of circuits.

The double Championship leaders Brawn had a rather more torrid weekend, team boss Ross Brawn admitting the cars were simply not at their best. They lacked speed, downforce and favourable tyres. They also suffered from the safety car period after Alguersuari’s massive accident – his second car-destroying crash in 48 hours! – and were lucky to bring the cars home with Barrichello 7th and Button 8th, Button’s drivers' championship lead cut to just 14 points from his team mate, Vettel in with a slim chance to win the driver’s title if he scores heavily in the final two races.

In front of their home crowd Toyota’s second with Trulli was very welcome, especially at a circuit owned by Honda, and Lewis Hamilton’s third could so easily have been second but for the first KERS failure.

Worthy of a mention is Heikki Kovalainen’s cheeky move on Fizzy in the Ferrari as both exited the pits. He caught the old timer napping and undertook him, best move of the race by far and one of the best of the season!

The Brawn points might have been improved as the Stewards investigated Nico Rosberg’s pace into the pits under the safety car but they, after several hours’ consideration, allowed the results to stand.

So, onwards to Brazil where the championship might well be decided although conspiracy theorists will explain the title will go down to the last race, it being the first race at Abu Dhabi. Only time will tell....

Graham Benge