Preparation for the gruelling Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is entering its final stages at William Medcalf Vintage Bentley.
The Bentley specialist is preparing all four Vintage Bentleys entering the event, which covers more than 8500 miles over 33 days and over all terrains, including long gravel tracks, dirt roads, the Gobi desert and across Alpine roads making it a real endurance test
Notorious as a nation for being reserved, receiving a hug or a kiss from a loved one is the top ingredient for a perfect day, according to a new study.
The other elements of the perfect day include ‘having a lie-in’, ‘being smiled at’, ‘enjoying good food’ – and all on a ‘sunny day’.
Naturally, there are differences according to age. For 25-44 year olds, a ‘lie-in’ topped the list while 47
So here we are, round 9. I have been racing DMAX Karts once a month since February. The first race seems like a distant memory and there has been a great deal of racing, learning, crashing and losing that has taken place since then. As I have moved my way through this new world of competitive racing I have gained experience, confidence and a certainly a basic awareness of the race craft.
McLaren Automotive has revealed the latest chapter in the history of the iconic ‘Longtail’ name with confirmation of the 675LT Spider. Strictly limited to only 500 examples worldwide, it is only the second model to wear the LT badge. This latest model comes less than a year since the first model in nearly 20 years resurrected the name, and is in response to significant customer demand. The
With just days to go before Black Friday and Cyber Monday – the busiest online shopping days of the Christmas season – Sweden’s Volvo Cars has unveiled a brand-new way to take some of the hassle out of Christmas shopping.
The premium car maker has launched the world’s first commercially available in-car delivery service by teaming up with PostNord, the Nordic region’s leading communication
The Dubai Motor Show is currently up and running and everyone from Ferrari, Rolls Royce, and Toyota have come to show off their latest and greatest. Due to the increasing interest in luxury cars in the country, many companies have decided to unveil their models for the first time here, with eighteen global reveals and sixteen never before seen concepts. Here’s just some of the highlights of what
For those of you who have followed my adventures this year, in what has been the first competitive karting I have ever done, will know I tend to focus on a lesson learned each month. For me this season has been such a huge learning curve that it is hard to focus on the racing itself. It has really been so much more about the experience and knowledge I have gained. Well this post is a little
90% of British drivers say they find road signs confusing, with an alarming third unable to recognise the national speed limit and more than 40% confused by the ‘no vehicles’ sign, new figures have revealed.
The research, which was commissioned by car finance expert, Zuto, marks 60 years since the introduction of standardised road signs in the UK and has shown that
So round 7 of the TW Steel Daytona DMAX Champs actually took place a month or so ago but it took me a while to focus on what I had learned from that round and assimilate everything.
For those of you who don't know I have been taking part in a karting champioship this year with Daytona motorsport. The DMAX champioship is designed for people who do not own thier own karts but want to take part in
As many of you will know, I have been taking part in the Daytona Motorsport TW Steel DMAX Championships this year. With 10 races over as many months, this series of Kart races across the country is one of the best of it’s kind. You don’t need to own a kart, you don’t even need to own a race suit or helmet, you just book up and arrive at each race. There are even rolling discounts the more races
The European Modball rally kicked off in London’s West End with a record breaking crowd, all united in their anticipation of their chance to see the ultimate Holy Trinity 3 supercars; La Ferrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder; the three hypercars Top Gear were famously never able to get together on the show.
In spectacular Avant Garde style famously associated with the Modball rally brand
Daytona TW Steel DMAX Championships - Round 4 So it has been a little while since I took my place on the grid at the Daytona DMAX champs at Ellough Park. The timing of this slightly belated post is intentional. Due to holiday commitments Round 5 eluded me so this round 4 post is to get myself in the mood for the coming race at Rye House.
As many of you will now hopefully be aware, this year I am taking part in the TW Steel Daytona DMAX karting championships. This means once a month I travel to a track in the UK and pit my somewhat modest karting skills against around 20 other drivers in my weight class.
So far I have taken part in 3 races, the 3rd of which is the subject of this very piece. I have learnt to be faster, braver,
People ask me for car shopping advice all the time. One of the biggest questions I get asked is what car a person should purchase. The longer I work in the industry, the more I understand that there are pluses and minuses to any vehicle choice, and they go beyond factors that most people think about upfront.
There are few vehicles I would tell people to flat out stay away from. Most have enough redeeming qualities to make them good contenders that they should at least be considered, because the final decision usually comes down to personal preferences.
One of the vehicles I make an exception on is the Mazda5. People try to push the model as a great alternative to the "over-bloated" minivans on the market today, which supposedly take up too much space. As a minivan owner, I have to disagree, considering that my vehicle economizes space much better than any crossover or SUV out there. While the Mazda5 is smaller, it does feel pretty big inside, considering its more compact footprint. Even though it's too small for my family, I can see where the attraction comes from.
There is one huge blind spot that I can't believe more family-oriented car shoppers don't check out when it comes to the Mazda5: safety. Namely, the vehicle performed poorly in IIHS' small overlap crash test. The test is designed to simulate what would happen if a vehicle struck a small obstacle such as a tree or pole with its front driver's-side corner. The Honda Odyssey aced the test and the Toyota Sienna did well on it, but the Mazda5 bombed out. You need to see the results for yourself:
Notice that the front of the Mazda5 looks like a tiny bomb went off inside it. The driver's door is seriously damaged and left hanging open, which is a risky business in an after-crash, or a secondary crash that involves another vehicle striking the Mazda5 after it initially wrecks out. You can even see rippling in the rear door on the driver's side, showing that crash forces are continuing well through the occupant area of the vehicle. On top of that, the interior camera shows that the dummy's head hit the airbag, slid off and struck the A-pillar. I'm not a medical expert, but I'm pretty sure that would result in a pretty serious injury. Most modern cars have side curtain airbags that would've deployed, helping prevent such a thing from happening.
Considering that minivans are typically purchased by parents who need to transport around their children, this kind of a crash test is even more shocking and disturbing than most. All parents should have the safety of their children at the top of their vehicle priority list, with their own safety and well-being not too far below. Simply put, the Mazda5 is not a suitable mode of transportation for anyone, really, but especially not for people who have young children depending on them for support.
As a side note, the small overlap crash test results for the Nissan Quest, Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan are also not pretty, so keep that in mind as you shop for a family vehicle. You should always check out the safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA before settling on a new vehicle, just in case.
Many of you will know that once a month I take part in the traveling spectacle that is the TW Steel DMAX Championship. Much like F1, or so I like to imagine, the event moves to a different track in a different part of the country each month. Around 100 karters, marshals and spectators arrive to take their part in what is known for being the fastest "arrive-and-drive" championship in the UK. Now
The all-new Jaguar XF has been revealed during a dramatic ‘high-wire’ water crossing in the heart of London’s business district.
Expert British stunt man Jim Dowdall, veteran of Hollywood movies including Bond, Bourne and Indiana Jones, drove the all-new Jaguar XF 240 metres across a high-wire to demonstrate the new XF’s lightweight aluminium-intensive construction. The new XF is 80kgs
New Ford Tech Can Automatically Prevent Drivers Exceeding Limits Breaking the speed limit can be costly in terms of fines, and driving bans, as well as playing a significant role in many road accidents. Ford Motor Company is now launching a new technology that could help prevent drivers from exceeding speed limits – both when driving in their own country and abroad.
It's always a buzz to unveil a car which has been restored by Car S.O.S.
Car S.O.S. presenter Fuzz Townshend announced the new series (Season 3) of the popular TV programme at the international media launch hosted by the National Geographic Channel at the London Transport Museum. The new series will be shown from April 9, at 8pm, on Thursdays.
“We are putting everything we know about classic cars into this show – and as a result it’ll be a must-attend event." More than 300 of the world’s rarest, most desirable and valuable classic cars will descend on one of London’s most dramatic and famous venues this autumn thanks to an all-new, must-attend historic motoring event: Classic & Sports Car – The London Show.
My first experience of racing in the TW Steel DMAX Championships Some readers may be aware that for some time now I have loved going karting. Normally in the sort of format most people do; the arrive and drive sessions offered by many tracks. I have also raced in some charity events with some very experienced racing drivers like Damon Hill. I had never actually entered into a championship though
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