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Old cars, new cars, borrowed cars & blue cars. If it steers it's here!

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Contributors

Flooded roads? Proceed with great care – or preferably avoid them altogether!

18th November 2023

Kim Henson advises on staying safe and at the same time preventing wrecking your car in floodwater… I first published this feature on Wheels-Alive in 2016, but in view of the huge amounts of rainfall we’ve seen lately (as I write, it’s late-November 2023), I feel that it is worth revisiting/updating now. It seems that many drivers don’t appreciate the potential dangers of driving through floods … [Read more...]

For Your Bookshelf – “What happened to the class of 1955?”

15th November 2023

The story of the 1955 British Grand Prix and participating teams... Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Tony Bagnall Published by: Douglas Loveridge Publications: https://www.facebook.com/automobiliaauctions/ 152 pages (hardback) UK Price: £30 ISBN: 978-1-900113-21-2 The starting point for this book is 1946 and the fresh basis for Grand Prix racing (known ever since as ‘Formula One’) … [Read more...]

For Your Bookshelf – “The Automotive Alchemist”

14th November 2023

'The Automotive Alchemist'... Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Andy Saunders Published by: Dalton Watson Fine Books; www.daltonwatson.com 463 pages (hardback; 290 x 219 mm) UK Price: £90 including UK delivery, details via: andysaunderskustoms@hotmail.com Availability from Andy as above, or from Hortons Books, Marlborough: https://www.hortonsbooks.co.uk/ ISBN: … [Read more...]

Audi Q8 e-tron S Line 55 quattro – Road Test

13th November 2023

Audi’s flagship all-electric model is on course to make waves in the luxury sector, writes Robin Roberts; © WheelsWithinWales The Q8 e-tron is available in both SUV and Sportback coupé bodystyles with different battery sizes, charging and range potential but all get 4WD. There are four trim levels beginning with Sport, moving onto S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. All versions can be … [Read more...]

Grumpy Old Mechanic – Beware using very old fuel and ‘E10’ petrol in your classic

9th November 2023

Fuel – be careful what you use in your classic... Our motor technician has had many decades of motor car experience and always tries to help car owners keep their vehicles on the road and running well… This time he offers a few words of advice about petrol… He writes: "I have always advised my classic car customers to use the best quality fuel they can find, and ideally these days to avoid … [Read more...]

Mazda MX-30 E-EV Crossover – News and First Impressions

6th November 2023

News and brief Views about the new Mazda MX-30 R-EV Crossover. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). News Mazda is never afraid to be different and it shows in their latest MX-30 R-EV Crossover launched to the UK’s motoring media recently. Keeping its quirky ‘suicide’ rear passenger doors for easy access to the back seats the real change is up front under the bonnet in the … [Read more...]

Latest Vauxhall Astra GSe hybrid – First Impressions

30th October 2023

The new Vauxhall Astra GSe brief first drive by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency).  As it slips into middle-age, the latest generation Vauxhall Astra has been given a modern make-over. Originally launched in 1980, the Astra has been the bedrock of the company’s offering in the small family car sector as it moved through eight generations. This year it was given a mechanical … [Read more...]

Peugeot 508SW – First Impressions

25th October 2023

Chris Adamson reports after test driving this hybrid conventional estate car… (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Chris Adamson). Large bulk carrying sports utilities are gradually coming to dominate the UK new car market; most makers have quietly begun to abandon traditional saloons, hatchbacks and estate cars in favour of the versatility and appeal of the SUV. Consequently, a … [Read more...]

Honda e:Ny1 – First Impressions

23rd October 2023

First brief test drive of the Honda e:Ny1 by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency).  Honda is revamping its range of offerings as the new era in electric mobility approaches, but it’s also keeping some tried and tested models. With 13 of the top 20 UK new model registrations now SUVs, in a sector that has grown to almost 56% of annual registrations, Honda could not ignore what buyers … [Read more...]

“Plan for Drivers” – This is it!

20th October 2023

New Government plan for drivers is officially launched - by Dave Moss. Early in October, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced a "Plan for Drivers" - a bold and in places already controversial 30-point agenda, which Mr Harper headlined as a "plan to support people’s freedom to use their cars, and curb over-zealous enforcement measures." He went on to say: "We’re backing drivers, and our new … [Read more...]

New Vauxhall Astra GSe – First Impressions

19th October 2023

Chris Adamson test drives this newcomer in the Astra line-up from Vauxhall… (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Chris Adamson). One of the longest established names to be found in British showrooms is the Vauxhall Astra, a venerable and big-selling model that has been at the heart of the Vauxhall product line for eight generations since 1980 with many of them being built at Ellesmere … [Read more...]

Subaru Outback 2.5ES – Road Test

16th October 2023

Robin Roberts joins the country set test driving the Subaru Outback 2.5ES Touring. Here Robin (and Miles Better News Agency) reports from autumnal leafy, mud-covered lanes… Subaru is a bit of a lone-wolf in the car world. It’s part of Fuji Heavy Industries and founded 70 years ago. The brand celebrates its golden anniversary in Britain next year after it launched with a compact and capable … [Read more...]

New Nissan X-Trail and smart #1 – First Impressions

9th October 2023

LITTLE AND LARGE NEW MODELS PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES AT A RECENT INDUSTRY SMMT TEST DAY – By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency).  More and more new names are appearing in the UK new car market as it evolves into the electric age, but at the recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders annual southern test day for writers near Basingstoke it was two familiar names which caught my … [Read more...]

MG100 at Beaulieu – Celebrating a century of MG motoring

6th October 2023

MG100 at Beaulieu – Celebrating a century of MG motoring Report by Chris Adamson – Area Secretary Bournemouth & Poole MG Owners’ Club (MGOC) Photos by Chris Adamson (CA) and Steve Favell (SF). Steve is Area Secretary at Winchester MGOC  On 30th September 2023 MG enthusiasts from across the South of England gathered in the parkland surroundings of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu to … [Read more...]

The UK government aims to help hard-(op)pressed drivers…

4th October 2023

Government announces new long-term plans to support drivers – and put the brakes on anti-car measures – by Dave Moss In a joint statement Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have recently set out plans intended to help protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement, which is said to be part of long-term government plans to "back drivers". With 50 million … [Read more...]

Ford Focus Estate – Road Test

2nd October 2023

The latest Ford Focus Active X Estate test driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). If you are selling Britain’s most popular family car it is difficult to improve on it, unless you offer an estate version like the Ford Focus Active X. There has been a groundswell of sales lift towards MPV or SUV bodystyle across Europe but in Britain there is still strong demand for estates … [Read more...]

Test-driving recent new models at the SMMT Test Day South 2023

29th September 2023

Kim Henson reports from this annual event that he rates as 'invaluable'… For many years the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders or SMMT (the U.K.’s industry body representing the automotive sector) has provided annual opportunities for motoring writers to attend regional events, in the north and south of England respectively, primarily to assess a wide variety of models showcased by the … [Read more...]

Honda Jazz e-Hybrid – Road Test

25th September 2023

The latest Honda Jazz e-Hybrid Advance Sport test driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency).  A lot of airtime and column centimetres/inches have been taken up with the new Wales’ default 20 mph urban limit, but I’ll let you into a little secret, you can do 100 in a Honda Jazz Advance Sport, and it’s perfectly legal. The fact is I am not talking about the sporty Jazz’s speed, … [Read more...]

Lords seek clarity out of confusion regarding EVs plus petrol and diesel models…

22nd September 2023

Robin Roberts (Wheels Within Wales) reports on attempts to find clarity amidst apparent chaos... In response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s net zero statement on Wednesday, Baroness Parminter, Chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, has written to Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Transport. In the letter, Baroness Parminter, on behalf … [Read more...]

Latest KIA Proceed GT-Line S – First impressions

18th September 2023

The KIA Proceed GT-Line S in its newest form tried for size by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Having a finger in every pie is very satisfying for KIA with a huge range of models consistently leading to more UK sales. Getting his slice of that pie was our road tester Robin Roberts who last week attended a media test driving day held at the famous Manor House Hotel in Britain’s … [Read more...]

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Contributors

contributors

Our well-respected contributors live and breathe motor cars; aren’t we lucky?

Contributors to the site include talented, highly-respected people (so they tell me) on the hallowed membership list of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and from the similarly well thought-of Western Group of Motoring Writers. In addition there are valued contributions from other knowledgeable and capable motoring writers who have something useful to say about all aspects of driving and running vehicles in the 21st Century. All of our team are passionate about motor cars!


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