The new Suzuki Swift supermini has been awarded five stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests. It managed a superb 94 percent score for the adult occupant protection element of the test, which makes it one of Europe's safest cars.

Also tested were the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupé, the Hyundai ix35 and the Citroen C4. All achieved five-star ratings, each with excellent results for adult and child occupant protection.

The current Euro NCAP assessment tests four areas: adult...

Continue reading ...

In an effort to prompt car companies into making more environmentally friendly cars, and us into buying them, the Government decided it would levy Vehicle Excise Duty (or road tax, as it once was) based on CO₂ emissions, split into 13 groups labelled A to M.

The lower a car's emissions, the less the owner pays, ranging from an absolutely free tax disc for a car with 100g/km or less of CO₂ (Band A), up to £435 per year for those emitting over 255g/km (Band M). However, there's a disti...

Continue reading ...

Toyota Japan has developed a surreal loudspeaker system for the Prius that makes it sound like a spaceship from a science fiction movie.

The 12,600 Yen (£100) option is called the Approaching Vehicle Audible System, and it's designed to warn pedestrians that the car is approaching.

It uses a loudspeaker placed behind the front grill and operates when the Prius is travelling in electric only mode and the petrol engine is not in use.

The technology is a solution to fears that electric c...

Continue reading ...

Ten Ferrari 458 Italia supercars have been crashed or wrecked by fire within the last three months. Four of them were ruined by fire and six were written off in accidents.

Ferrari won't comment on the bizarre series of events, but the Italian company has confirmed it is investigating three of the fires. A spokesman said it is taking them "very seriously".

The fourth 458 was destroyed because the car was parked in a warehouse that burned down.

The 458 Italia's unusually high accident ra...

Continue reading ...

The world's first production diesel hybrid passenger car will go on sale in the UK in spring 2011.

The Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 is a crossover powered by a 163bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine linked to a 37bhp electric motor.

Its vital statistics aren't groundbreaking, as 74.4mpg and 99g/km of CO₂ are unable to rival the Toyota Prius nor a good few diesel hatchbacks. However, the clever hybrid uses its electric motor and diesel engine combination to good effect.

For a start, has a four-wheel driv...

Continue reading ...

An undercover investigation by consumer watchdog Which? has found that a shocking number of vehicle service centres are making mistakes - some of which are life-threatening.

What's more, a number of unscrupulous garages are ripping off customers by charging for work that doesn't need to be carried out.

Which? monitored 62 cars that were taken to a variety of independent and franchised dealer service centres. Each car was 'rigged' with a number of faults, some of which were major issu...

Continue reading ...

Bugatti has pulled the wraps off the final version of the Veyron supercar - the 16.4 Super Sport.

The Super Sport hit 267.91mph at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessein test track in June, but the production model will be capped at 258mph to protect the tyres.

That's still enough to give it the title of the world's fastest production car, though.

Apart from the limited top speed, Bugatti promises that the rest of the production model will be identical to the record-breaking car.

The original Bugatti...

Continue reading ...

An American engineer has developed a car that can run purely on people power and reach speeds of up to 60mph.

Known as the HumanCar Imagine PS, the vehicle is operated by hand cranks. The driver and passengers crank levers back and forth to generate power that propels the car. It can reach 60mph on flat ground and 30mph on hills.

The Imagine PS can accommodate up to four passengers and it's a case of the more the merrier, as more bodies mean more power. There's also a back up electric b...

Continue reading ...

Congratulations to Gemma for passing yesterday at Brislington Test Centre.  Gemma passed first time with just 3 minors!  Well done, see you on the road.

Continue reading ...

Margaret Malpas, British Dyslexia Association Chair, has written an article about independent driving and people with dyslexia.

The forthcoming change to all practical driving tests to include a section of independent driving has led to a useful and constructive collaboration between the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the British Dyslexia Association to try and find reasonable adjustments for this element of the test for those people who have dyslexi...

Continue reading ...

Jaguar has revealed an armoured version of its XJ luxury saloon ahead of its world debut at the Moscow International Motor Show.

Known as the XJ Sentinel, it's barely distinguishable from the standard long-wheelbase model but actually features an armoured inner cell constructed from high-strength steels with Kevlar backing.

The car is strong enough to protect passengers from a blast with the force of 15kg of TNT at close proximity, while under floor strengthening provides protection fro...

Continue reading ...

You don't say vacuum cleaner, you say Hoover. You don't say pen, you say Biro. You don't say van, you say Transit. Ford's evergreen van has just celebrated its 45th birthday and it's more popular than ever.

The company has sold an incredible six million Transits, built in 22 factories around the world since the original version appeared in 1965. Two million have found owners in Britain alone. What's even more amazing is that the Transit became the most popular van in the UK as soon as...

Continue reading ...

Kia has released the first official pictures of a futuristic electric-powered concept car - the POP.

The Korean firm is remaining tight-lipped about the details for now, but the POP will be officially unveiled in all its glory at the Paris Motor Show on September 30.

What we do know is that it will run on electric power only and has zero emissions. It's also only three metres long, which suggests that Kia is targeting the city car crowd.

The POP will be a three-seater, with two permanent ...

Continue reading ...

According to the Used Car Price Index published by CAP, the average values of used cars are lower than 2009's figures for the first time this year. This signifies that it is becoming more affordable to buy a second-hand car.

Smaller cars have experienced the biggest year-on-year reductions, with both city cars and superminis now 9.3 percent cheaper than the exact equivalent vehicle was in August 2009. Cars in these classes include the likes of the Ford Fiesta, SEAT Ibiza, Fiat 500 and...

Continue reading ...

An email accidentally sent by Lotus PR department yesterday afternoon (August 16) appears to have revealed part of the company's plans for the Paris Motor Show. They include two new versions of the Evora and at least one surprise debut.

The jury is out on whether the leak was a genuine blunder or a clever PR stunt, but by the time Lotus requested that all recipients delete the email it was too late, as the news had already appeared on internet forums around the world.

The email appears...

Continue reading ...

• Couple in ‘family business’
• Shopping list of tests covered
• Four candidates also in court

A brother and sister who ran their own ‘family business’ of arranging theory tests for candidates received prison sentences when they appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Vishal Aggarwal, aged 35, from West Drayton, London was sentenced to 30 months in prison and his sister Vanita Aggarwal, aged 33, also from West Drayton, received nine months imprisonment.

They appeared in...

Continue reading ...

Westbury Village will be closed to motorists on the 25th of August for a few days according to the road signs.  Not sure what is going on here, but I'd practice in and around the little side roads of Westbury if you have a test there in the next week or so.

Continue reading ...

East Hill is closed.  I would hope that the examiners know this and simply aren't using the test routes that use this road as the diversion is very tricky.  The roads used for the diversion are full of meeting situations, so be careful, look far ahead and make a plan on going or staying.  Don;t wait too long, other road users will take advantage of you, but don't slow them down. 



Continue reading ...

According to the DVLA the cost of uninsured drivers is an additional £30 a year to every motorist's premium. That tots up to more than £400 million in additional premiums. With around 160 people killed and 23,000 people injured by uninsured drivers each year it's a massive problem in the UK.

There's some good news though, as Motor Insurers' Bureau figures suggest that between 2005 and 2009 the number of uninsured drivers on our roads actually dropped - from 1.8 to 1.5 million.

There...

Continue reading ...

DSA is getting increasing numbers of complaints from candidates whose test didn’t go ahead because of problems with car tyres.

It’s become a common feature of modern cars to be fitted with a spare tyre or space-saver tyre which is a different size in order to save room and weight

DSA would like to remind driving instructors that any vehicle presented for test must be fitted with:

• the same size tyre on the same axle
• tyres that are not subject t...

Continue reading ...

A 39-year-old Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been used instead of a train to shunt 40-metre, 60-tonne freight wagons through a tunnel in Switzerland.

The Unimog is a large, heavy duty, 4x4 truck built by the German firm. Mercedes claims that it was the only vehicle capable of moving the wagons - which were laden with construction equipment - up the Cassanawald Tunnel and into the Rheinwald Valley.

Built in 1971, the Unimog used for the job is an ex-Swiss military vehicle. It has been convert...

Continue reading ...

Wheel clamping on private land is to be banned in England and Wales. The ban, which will be introduced in the new Freedom Bill in November, will impose tough penalties on anyone who clamps a vehicle or tows it away on private land.

Wheel clamping on private land

Once the ban comes into force it will be illegal to clamp, tow away or in any way immobilise a vehicle on private land.

Anyone who clamps, immobilises or tows away a vehicle on private land ...

Continue reading ...

Some temporary traffic lights are in place at this T-junction and every student I've taken down there in the past two days hasnt seen them and I've had to use the emergency brake.  No signs on approach at all and the traffic lights are very low to the ground, which makes them look very odd indeed.



Continue reading ...

Heavy traffic in both directions around St. Phillips causeway is causing massive issues around rush hour.  The brand spanking new lights that took about 13 weeks to put in pace have been dug up.  Great!  no information on approach about the closed roads so cars are changing direction very late, be careful and aware of what is going on here.

Also on this stretch heading down the hil away from the test centre the road markigs here have been taken away.  The left hand lane is a bus lane, so stay ...
Continue reading ...

Jaguar has unveiled a one-off concept car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.

Known as the XJ75 Platinum Concept, the car was built to show the customisation potential of the existing XJ saloon, so it's loaded with neat styling features.

The black and white paintwork is designed to mimic the look of platinum and the big Jag wears huge, 22-inch black alloy wheels. It sits lower than the standard XJ saloon and features new ...

Continue reading ...

Researchers at eco-friendly development firm Fraunhofer have developed the AutoTram - a cross between a bus and a tram.

It runs purely on electricity, but, unlike a tram, doesn't require overhead rails, so it has the go-anywhere ability and tight turning circle of a conventional bus. Researchers are proposing that the vehicle would follow a plain, white line on the road if it were to reach full-scale production.

The AutoTram was conceived as part of Fraunhofer's electric-powered mobility...

Continue reading ...

A new-look vehicle registration document - or V5C - will be introduced by the DVLA on Sunday August 15.

The latest certificate (pictured) is now red and will be issued with all newly registered vehicles.

The new document is supposedly easier to understand than the current item and has been introduced to help combat fraud.

It states that a registration certificate is not necessarily proof of ownership and contains details of where consumers can find information about buying a used car.

Exis...

Continue reading ...

Cars are quite accomplished at spending your money for you, but they're not usually much good when it comes to generating cash. Buying the thing, road tax, insurance, an MOT and fuel aren't exactly kind to your bank account, but it's possible to recoup the costs and make a little extra on the side while you're at it.

We've scoured the web and found four novel ways of making your car rack up some notes for you. Some require more effort than others, but they're all worth a look if you c...

Continue reading ...

A Swedish man has been handed a £650,000 speeding fine - believed to be the world's largest ever - while driving Switzerland.

Traffic police pulled the 37-year-old driver over on the A12 highway between Bern and Lausanne, when he was seen travelling at two and half times the speed limit in his £140,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS.

The speed limit on Switzerland's motorways is 74.5mph (120km/h). The Mercedes-Benz SLS supercar in which the Swedish driver was caught is capable of a 197mph maximum ...

Continue reading ...

A Cornish pensioner has blamed the Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson after his three-wheeled Reliant Robin was rolled over twice in two days.

Barry Cloughton, 78, from St Austell found his car on its side on two consecutive days after vandals had rolled it over.

Cloughton's Robin is one of the final cars produced by the British company, the 78-year old having driven various Reliants since the 1970s.

The door handle and wing mirror were damaged on his car, while petrol was left pouring ...

Continue reading ...

Norfolk-based sports car firm Lotus has pulled the wraps off a special new, Formula One-style track day car.

Known as the 125, the racer is strictly for circuit use only and is powered by a 640bhp Cosworth V8 engine.

Performance figures have yet to be announced, but it weighs only 560kg, so it's bound to be blisteringly quick.

The 125 is aimed at wealthy enthusiasts who are keen to live out the Formula One dream for themselves.

Only 25 cars will be built and each owner will be able to join...

Continue reading ...

A study by the RAC has revealed that up to 30 percent of roadside breakdowns could be avoided if motorists paid more attention to basic car maintenance - particularly during the summer holidays.

Warm weather and long journeys can play havoc with a car and broken air conditioning, overheated engines and flat tyres are just some of the results.

Automotive consumer body Motor Codes advises drivers to get a 'health check' for their car before embarking on a summer holiday drive.

Motor Code...

Continue reading ...

Lane closures less than a two minutes away from the test centre are causing congestion issues.  Falcondale road is the large, two lane road connectig Bristol with Cribbs causeway and the M5.  Right by the corssroads with Henbury Road a lot of digging is going on and the left hand lane heading down the hill towards Bristol has been closed.  You'll need to use your mirrors, signal, get another mirror check in before creeping over into the right lane to proceed through the junction.



Continue reading ...

Top Gear fans can now get up close and personal with three recent challenge cars from the series at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum.

Clarkson's Citroen CX, Hammond's Land Rover 110 and May's Lotus Excel - all of which were converted into botched motorhomes - can now be seen at the museum in Hampshire.

The 'gondola' that James May used for his caravan airship is also on display near the 'motorhomes'.

The vehicles are part of a wider exhibit at Beaulieu called World of Top Gear.

Aside ...

Continue reading ...

Petrol prices could rise by as much as eight percent in the next six months according to predictions by the Retail Motor Industry Independent Petrol Retailers Association (RMI Petrol).

Oil price hikes and currency movements have been blamed for the impending rise.

RMI Petrol reckons that average petrol prices could reach 125.9 pence in early 2011, blitzing the current record of 121.6 pence. That figure includes the rise in VAT and the Government's planned fuel duty hike.

The organisation...

Continue reading ...

DSA is urging all approved driving instructors (ADIs) to log on to businesslink.gov.uk/manageadi to update their contact details.
 
You can also use the online service to tell DSA if you:

• would like your details to be published on the recently launched ‘Find your nearest driving instructor’ service on Directgov
   
• are committed to a minimum of one day per year continuing professional development (CPD) and abiding by the voluntary ADI code of practice
  

‘Find your nea...
Continue reading ...

Supercar track days have always been strictly adults only, but one company is now enabling children to get behind the wheel of high performance cars.

The 6th Gear Experience is allowing kids the chance to drive a selection of ultra powerful cars.

Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches are among the cars available for pint-sized wannabe Stigs to try out. The only requirement is that children are four-foot 10 inches or taller and they can reach the pedals.

All of the cars avai...

Continue reading ...

A Ferrari 250 GTO just like the car Chris Evans reportedly paid £12m is expected to fetch just £240,000 at auction.

The car is a genuine Ferrari and was crafted by Ferrari experts, first in Italy, then in the UK. But there's a twist, because it's actually a replica.

Based on a Ferrari 330 GT, which came after the 250 GT, the car's chassis was shortened to GTO specification and a hand built body was constructed for it in Italy. It was later shipped to the UK for fitting.

A number of ...

Continue reading ...

This is the Bugatti Veyron Lineo Vincero d'Oro, a one-off carbon and gold version of the ultimate supercar for someone with a very good credit rating.

It's been created by Mansory, the company most famous for the garish blue and gold Rolls-Royce Ghost that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show this year.

The Veyron is based on the Veyron Vincero that Mansory unveiled in July 2009. Only three of those were made, with a whopping price tag of $1m (£620,000) on top of the standard Veyron's £1...

Continue reading ...

Vauxhall has announced it will offer a lifetime warranty on all its new cars in the UK.

The groundbreaking move won't please Kia, which has been the market leader with a seven-year warranty on all of its new cars for several years. Most new cars come with a three-year warranty, though some companies offer five.

Every new Vauxhall registered from August 1st 2010 will be covered. However, the warranty is limited to 100,000 miles (the same limit as Kia's) and at present is only valid for...

Continue reading ...

Tom Hanks has turned his back on the supercar lifestyle for a greener way of driving.

The Toy Story 3 star has been snapped in a boxy, and rather dubious-looking, Scion MPV. But his is no ordinary people carrier: it's been converted to electric power, so it has no emissions at all.

American company AC Propulsion debuted the 'eBox' back in 2006. It's based on a Scion xB, has a range of up to 180 miles on one charge, can hit 60mph in under seven seconds and will go on to 90mph. It takes a...

Continue reading ...

A recycling company has modified a Volkswagen Beetle to run on human waste. Called the Bio-Bug, it's powered by methane gas generated during sewage treatment.

The remarkable car drives and performs exactly the same as the standard Beetle, except it can achieve a year's average mileage - 10,000 miles - from the toilet waste of 70 homes.

Created by GENeco in Bristol, the Bio-Bug does not use any new technology - in fact, China and India have been using compressed natural gas (CNG) to p...

Continue reading ...

Most learner drivers don't fear taking the wheel until it comes to the dreaded manoeuvre; the thought of a parallel park can send even the most confident learner into a tizzy.

So we've asked Martyn Jones, an AA Driving School ambassador and instructor of 26 years' experience, to give us his tips on each of the five manoeuvres. A typical driving test will require two of them to be performed confidently and correctly, though sometimes three.

According to Martyn, experience is vital: "th...

Continue reading ...

Chinese designers have come up with an innovative cost-effective public transport system: the tunnel bus.

The remarkable bus straddles two lanes of traffic, allowing cars to drive underneath while it carries up to 1,200 passengers.

It's environmentally sound too because it runs on electricity, using a state-of-the-art charging system. Called relay charging, the roof of the bus conducts electricity and contacts special charging posts as it moves along.

It's cost-effective because there are...

Continue reading ...

The stunning Peugeot RCZ has been handed the Best Design gong at the annual Auto Express New Car Honours ceremony.

The RCZ also took the prestigious Best Coupé prize, beating the Audi TT and affirming the car's reputation as Peugeot's most impressive product for years.

Skoda was the biggest winner overall though, taking away an amazing five prizes, including Best New Car and Best Crossover for the Yeti and two prizes for the Superb Estate.

The company will be most proud of its Driver ...

Continue reading ...

It's amazing how far technology has brought us and how relatively cheap it has become. The first in-car navigation system cost a quarter of the car's list price, and involved placing transparent printed maps into a box on the dashboard. It's laughable now, but who knows, in 30 years' time we might baulk at the idea of having to stick a little box on the windscreen with a suction cup to follow the arrows.

Here's a quick look at some of the things in our cars that we take for granted, an...

Continue reading ...

Hundreds of miles of roads in London will be affected by a plan to get Olympic athletes, officials, media and 'marketing partners' to the 2012 games.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has published a report outlining how it plans to ease travel to and from the games for around 82,000 specially designated people.

The Olympic Road Network (ORN) will affect 100 miles of road in London and 170 around the city. Measures include closing side roads, banning right turns, moving or suspendi...

Continue reading ...

A one-off Delahaye Type 175 Roadster is expected to sell for around £4m at auction. It once belonged to British film star and sex symbol Diana Dors, who bought it for around £5,000 in 1954.

Dors, known as the English Marilyn Monroe, bought the extravagant car from Sir John Gaul when she was just 17. The English actress couldn't even drive at the time, but was clearly a car enthusiast - three years later she became the UK's youngest Rolls-Royce owner.

The Delahaye was built in 1949,...

Continue reading ...

Congratulations to Owen for passing first time yesterday over at Southmead with 6 minors.  Owen managed to pass with only 15 hours of tuition from start to finish, a great achievement!

Continue reading ...

Ford has released images of the next generation Focus during high altitude testing in the Alps.

The gruelling test schedule is taking place on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria, which is 2,504 metres high at its peak and 48km (30 miles) long.

Ford engineers are currently in the middle of a two-week stint, driving the car 124 miles up and down Grossglockner every day using a variety of petrol and diesel models.

It's the latest of a series of tests in extreme conditions, whic...

Continue reading ...

Designing and building your own car is costly, time consuming and very difficult. So for the individualist driver, the common solution is a bit of cost-effective car customisation. That’s fine, but here are ten things you should never do. At best they’ll make other road users giggle; at worst they’ll completely ruin your pride and joy.http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/14072010/36/ten-ways-ruin-car-0.html

Continue reading ...

BMW will launch a sensational new coupé-styled SUV next year known as the X4, rumours suggest. As the name indicates, it will be pitched between the X3 and X5 SUVs in size and price, taking styling inspiration from the controversial X6.

New car niches are springing up regularly at the moment, the latest in the form of the Audi A7 luxury five-door coupé. Before that, there was the Nissan Juke, which mixes the practicality of a bigger crossover (itself a niche) with dimensions closer ...

Continue reading ...

The forthcoming Nissan Leaf will feature an air conditioning system that moisturises the skin. The technology blows out air enriched with vitamin C, which, according to Nissan, keeps skin moisturised.

The in-car skincare system is one of a variety of safety and convenience innovations that will soon appear in new Nissans. The company calls it a Health and Well-Being concept.

As well as spraying vitamin C into the cabin, the new air conditioning system will detect bad odours and neutra...

Continue reading ...

When William O'Driscoll saw his car being lifted onto a tow truck, unfairly in his opinion, he took matters into his own hands by jumping into the car and refusing to budge.

Mr O'Driscoll's car was parked outside his flat "around two or three feet over a yellow line" when a private clamping firm began to tow it away.

He was so incensed that he ran out of his house, opened the passenger side door and got in - while the car was in the air. "I asked the driver not to lift the car any fu...

Continue reading ...

Government Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has announced that grants of up to £5,000 will be given to electric car buyers from January 2011.

The 'plug-in car grant' was instigated by the outgoing Labour Government, but it was expected to be scrapped as part of the current budget cuts. It will now run until at least March 2012.

The move has found favour with car manufacturers and car industry body the SMMT, which called it "a significant commitment by the new Government to create ...

Continue reading ...

Government departments have published their responses to comments made by the public on the coalition’s Programme for Government. More than 9,500 comments from the public have been published online, and the government has set out its response.

The Coalition: Our Programme for Government

The Programme for Government is the result of discussions between the two parties that form the government – the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats.

T...

Continue reading ...