Glen Smale delivers an innovative eBook treat for Porsche 911 enthusiasts... Performance Car Publishing, an all-Welsh team in South West Wales, has published the first in a series of new enhanced eBooks. Believed to be a first in the field of automotive publishing, this eBook will cover the design and development of the iconic Porsche Carrera RS 2.7, originally unveiled in 1972. The … [Read more...]
Contributors
Getting More Enjoyment and Information from ‘Wheels-Alive’
Kim Henson advises... If you have just discovered ‘Wheels-Alive’, you may be interested to know that there is a wealth of information within the site, in addition to the most recent features, which are listed on the ‘Home’ page. While of course this website does cover in-depth analysis and driving of new cars, that's only one aspect of it, since the site also incorporates so much more – … [Read more...]
Honda HR-V SUV Road Test
HONDA RETURNS TO THE COMPACT SUV MARKET WITH THEIR LATEST HR-V RANGE by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Honda first put a toe in the compact SUV sector in 1999 with the original HR-V in both three and five door body styles. Recently they have re-entered this fast growing sector with the latest HR-V available with petrol and diesel engines options but only as a five door and only with … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi ASX Road Test
LATEST MITSUBISHI ASX COMPACT CROSSOVER ADDS TO SALES GROWTH By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Since 1983 Mitsubishi have been well known for their off-roaders, starting with the tough and durable Shogun three and five door range, winner of the Dakar rally for numerous years. But times change as customer’s buying requirements alter due to the higher rates of tax imposed to force down … [Read more...]
Renault Kadjar SUV Road Test
THE RENAULT KADJAR – ANOTHER IMPORTANT NEW MID-SIZED SUV CROSSOVER by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Before you scour the words in this new model test drive for what the word Kadjar means, it doesn’t seem to mean anything – it’s just a name hatched up by those creative marketing types. You know - the people who came up with oddball names for other Renault new cars such as Twizy, Zoe, … [Read more...]
DS 4 First Impressions
THE NEW DS 4, ONE MODEL WITH TWO BODY STYLE OPTIONS First drive by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) DS, the standalone premium brand under the parentage of Citroën, is introducing their latest DS 4 range in November 2015 with two distinct and stylish five door body styles, the DS 4 Hatchback and the DS Crossback; all are front wheel drive. The latter version in terms of styling and a 30mm … [Read more...]
Testing Times – Brief Impressions from the SMMT Test Day South 2015
BRIEF FIRST IMPRESSIONS – CARS DRIVEN AT THE SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS’ 2015 TEST DAY SOUTH Kim Henson was there… The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) hosts an annual driving day specifically for motoring writers from the southern part of Britain. Without exception I find this a very useful occasion for driving a variety of vehicles from different … [Read more...]
Why Austin’s Smallest Car Hails from the Welsh Valleys
Some 66 years on, Dave Moss remembers the disabled Welsh miners who produced 30,000 cars... Pengam, on the outskirts of Bargoed in south Wales, is a pretty unlikely place for a car factory - but its product was a pretty unusual car. Deep in the Rhymney Valley, landlocked by hills, eighteen tortuous miles north of Cardiff and almost as far from Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil, for years the … [Read more...]
Early Discoverys in the South West
Dave Moss reflects on the introduction of Land Rover's first Discovery, in 1989. Looking down the time tunnel to the Plymouth-based UK launch of the Land-Rover Discovery in October 1989, 26 years now feels like several lifetimes in automotive history. The launch was masterminded by the marque's new owner, British Aerospace, which had somehow recently been persuaded by the government to buy … [Read more...]
Fiat 500X First Impressions
Kim Henson test-drives Fiat’s new ‘crossover’ model in deepest Wiltshire… Through automotive history Fiat has rightly been highly praised for its expertise and flair in producing highly effective ‘compact’ vehicles, and the huge popularity of the ‘new’ 500 (in fact introduced eight years ago now) is testament to this. To give some idea of the public’s love for this car, U.K. sales in 2008 were … [Read more...]
Suzuki Celerio First Impressions
Kim Henson takes to the wheel of Suzuki’s diminutive but internally spacious city car; he's impressed by the whole package, particularly the Celerio’s three cylinder Dualjet engine… but is he (at last) lost for words? SUZUKI’S SUCCESS STORY Before describing the Celerio, it is worth briefly mentioning the success story of its manufacturer. In recent times Suzuki has been doing … [Read more...]
Porsche 924/928/944/968 the Complete Story
Author: Glen Smale Published by: Crowood Press [www.crowood.com] 264 pages UK Price: £25.00 ISBN: 978-1-78500-39-3 Twenty years after the last one rolled off the production line, the transaxle cars are almost the forgotten Porsches. Indeed some of the more ‘lifestyle’ of the Porsche magazines never refer to them. Yet for over a decade, the 924 and the 944 in particular were … [Read more...]
AC/Shelby Cobra, 1962-68: Owner’s Workshop Manual
Author: Glen Smale Published by: Haynes Publishing 156 pages Price: £22.99 ISBN: 987-0-85733-786-3 One of the greatest sports cars of all time, the AC Cobra was a sensation in a way that is simply unimaginable today. Such was the demand for this Anglo-American hybrid that it was not until November 1965 that the Autocar was able to get its hands on one. “Few readers,” it wrote in … [Read more...]
Kias Galore – Model Round-up – First Impressions
Kim Henson drives a selection of Kias, and is enthusiastic about the cars, also the company’s dynamic approach as it looks ahead. Justifiably, Kia’s reputation has been growing, with increasing respect being gained among potential purchasers for the firm’s model line-up, the boldness of its adventurous designs, and the leading edge technology incorporated into its vehicles. Within just the … [Read more...]
Ford Model T – Classic Driving Impressions
‘T’ TIME! CLASSIC DRIVING IMPRESSIONS – FORD MODEL T Given the lucky opportunity to drive a 101 year old Ford Model T, Kim Henson grabbed the chance (and the wheel) with both hands… The Ford Model T. It’s one of the most memorable automobiles ever conceived, and in the history of motoring is certainly one of the most important. While this article is primarily about driving a Model T, before … [Read more...]
Emissions Mission?
Emissions Mission? Robin Roberts reports. British politicians are discussing a possible major shake up of our vehicle emissions testing. After the Volkswagen emissions scandal, MPs are looking into current testing and its relationship to other parts of Europe. It could result in a much tougher test, possibly based around the strict United States system which one leading international … [Read more...]
Suzuki Vitara First Impressions
Kim Henson assesses the latest Vitaras from Suzuki... The UK launch of the first Suzuki Vitara took place in the autumn of 1988, and it could justifiably be said that the Vitara was the original compact ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ (SUV). (In fact the early models have now attained something approaching cult status, and are highly valued by enthusiasts today). However, in fact the origins of the … [Read more...]
Seat Leon X-PERIENCE First Impressions
Kim Henson tries Seat’s new ‘soft roader’, on tarmac and in the forest… The Seat company was established in 1950 (in a partnership which included the Italian firm of Fiat) and produced its first model – the rear wheel drive 1400 saloon – from late 1953, at it’s Zona Franca base in Barcelona. Initially that vehicle was built primarily for chauffeur duties for Spanish government … [Read more...]
Assault and Battery? – Grumpy Old Mechanic
In our workshop, we often ask ourselves, ‘Why?’ when considering the reasons for manufacturers to make what should be a simple operation, far more complicated, time-consuming and annoying than it needs to be. The amount of time we waste, and for which we feel that we cannot reasonably charge our customers, due to such difficulties beyond our control, is quite staggering. Going back to our … [Read more...]
Audi TT Roadster and TTS Coupé First Impressions
Kim Henson drives Audi’s suave TT models… Audi’s line-up goes from strength to strength, and joining the range in the spring of 2015 were a new, third generation two seater TT Roadster (complementing the TT Coupé) plus a powerful TTS Coupé – representing the second generation of this model, priced from £31,955 to £37,555 (‘On The ‘Road’); in each case the prices are £2,185 more than … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- …
- 83
- Next Page »