Entries from November 2007

November 30, 2007

Lamborghini, Leona Lewis and the Life on Mars sequel: the week in brief

 Lamborghini special this week – the famed Italian carmaker pitted its simply stunning Reventon against a jet fighter in a bid to showcase the supercar’s aerospace-inspired credentials.
Credentials which also earned it the award of the World’s Most Beautiful Car.

November 29, 2007

Claims to fame

The days of ’cat’s eyes’ on UK roads may be numbered, as new high-tech SolarLite light-emitting diodes have been installed on more than 100 stretches of road in the UK.

Years ago I worked with a woman who claimed to be a relative of Percy Shaw, the man who invented the reflective safety devices in 1933.
Then [...]

November 28, 2007

Mock test miseries

Trying to pull away when the car is still in neutral isn’t the brightest move to make during a mock test.

All the ‘under the bonnet’ questions went well, but stalling on a double mini-roundabout meant the rest of my mock test didn’t. Especially when it’s the dreaded Wilson’s Corner in Brentwood (which I have already [...]

November 27, 2007

Ford Focus ST: Hot or not?

Few arguments in the Auto Trader offices get as heated as the question over which is the top hot hatch.
Stuart is a big fan of the Ford Focus ST, but I’m not convinced. I always thought that the second generation Focus sapped all the style from the original, and the pumped-up ST looks like mutton [...]

November 27, 2007

Heavy Metal Thunder

Carrying on our music theme from yesterday’s post on singing in our cars, I received a CD in the post from Chevrolet, boasting ‘some all-time classic driving tunes’.
Now I like a bit of rock – Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix and Cream all make regular appearances on my in-car playlist – but the marketing [...]

November 27, 2007

Ashes to Ashes - best cars of the ’80s

Filming for the hotly anticipated series of Ashes to Ashes – follow up to the multi-award winning Life on Mars – has begun, with the first episode scheduled to air in early 2008.
As with Life on Mars, the cars driving the stars will be as much a part of the show as the actors [...]

November 26, 2007

Taxi for Javier!

My visit to the inaugural Cancer Research UK Race for Life had an amusing epilogue.
After watching 20 year-old GP2 star Javier Villa race to victory it was my turn to show the Spaniard some driving skills.
He was marooned in Hertfordshire and needed a lift to Luton Airport so I offer my Mondeo as a taxi. [...]

November 26, 2007

Sing when you’re winning?

A new survey from Vauxhall has found 87 per cent of drivers admit to singing behind the wheel.
However – Simon Cowell take note – more than half of those questioned confessed to having poor singing voices.

November 26, 2007

Lamborghini Reventon – the most beautiful?

An Italian panel has named the Lamborghini Reventon as the World’s Most Beautiful Automobile 2007.
The super-exclusive Lambo won the award for its sharp, angular looks and aerospace inspired ethos.

November 23, 2007

The Fiat 500, Alfa ‘Furiosa’ and a Ferrari 575: the week in brief

The Fiat 500 has been named as the European Car of the Year – we looked back at some of the competition’s previous winners.
Elsewhere in Europe, Alfa Romeo has announced the winner of its naming competition – the new B-segment hatch will be called ‘Furiosa’. Though don’t hold your breath – reports are now circulating [...]