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News & Views

Our take on what’s been happening in the world of motoring

We appreciate that these days there are vast quantities of motoring news items freely available to all, from huge numbers of global sources. It would be impossible to bring them all to you through these pages – so we are not even going to try!

Instead, we will include selected motoring-related stories which we feel will be of interest. Depending on the item, we hope that they will also inform, encourage, entertain and provoke further thought!

Each item will be dated, and as new stories arrive, older posts will be archived chronologically.

Inconsiderate acts that make British drivers SO upset…

16th July 2019

TOP TEN ACTS THAT MAKE DRIVERS SEE RED? Tailgating, using a mobile phone and not indicating irritate drivers the most. A quarter said they associate BMW as the brand of car most likely to be poorly driven. UK drivers are an irritated bunch according to a new survey on what makes drivers see red when they are on the road. Over 1900 UK drivers told InsuretheGap.com, a specialist … [Read more...]

‘New’ MoT test failure rate…

11th July 2019

Green Flag has uncovered the pass and fail rates of motorists under the new MOT tests; Robin Roberts reports... The new tests were brought in a year ago in May 2018 and the research by the breakdown assistance company has established where the most dangerous vehicles are in the UK. Under new MOT regulations, there are new failure and fault categories, as well as stricter limits for … [Read more...]

New Forest McLaren dealership opens – and McLaren GT unveiled

9th July 2019

Opening of New Forest McLaren dealership and unveiling of McLaren GT… Chris Adamson reports. (Photographs by Chris and McLaren). Affluent south coast motorists are the target audience for the ninth McLaren dealership to open in Britain as the British sportscar brand heads towards its target of 6,000 world-wide sales by 2024 – last year they sold 4,816 units. McLaren New Forest is located … [Read more...]

Bridgestone looks to the future….

4th July 2019

Bridgestone prepares for the future with €36 million commitment to smart factory project. ·  Investment will further digitise Bridgestone EMEA’s manufacturing processes ·  Eight European plants across Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy and France will be transformed ·  Four-year project will be rolled-out from 2019 onwards All this is said to support Bridgestone EMEA’s … [Read more...]

Summer activities at the British Motor Museum

2nd July 2019

Plenty of fun this summer at the British Motor Museum! The British Motor Museum is laying on plenty of fun for all the family this summer from 20 July – 2 September, and they say... Explore the new exhibition entitled ‘The Car. The Future. Me.’ and take part in a number of futuristic themed activities including family tours and trails, Summer Science Shows and STEM Activities with MOD … [Read more...]

New low emissions Bridgestone tyre

19th June 2019

Bridgestone introduces Enliten, a new lightweight tyre technology that requires less materials and cuts CO2 emissions... Bridgstone Enliten is said to reduce the rolling resistance of a tyre by up to 20% to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The technology enables tyres to be reduced in weight by 10%, with no trade-off on wear life. Enliten is also said to improve … [Read more...]

Latest Suzuki Jimny – Road Test

18th June 2019

A joyful, straightforward and very capable machine… …test-driven by Kim Henson. Deliberately and uncompromisingly ‘square’ in profile, and immediately recognisable as a Jimny, Suzuki’s latest incarnation of their popular compact all wheel drive machine has already become regarded as a classic design in its own time. Just like its predecessors (dating back to 1970, when the LJ10 or original … [Read more...]

New Firestone Multiseason touring tyre

14th June 2019

Firestone range grows... Firestone is an iconic tyre brand and rightly claims to be renowned for its heritage of strength and reliability. It has been reinforcing its presence on the European market in recent years, which is now further strengthened with the launch of its new all-season touring tyre. Designed to raise performance and value, the second generation of Multiseason is the latest … [Read more...]

Suzuki – ‘Miles Better’ latest updates and driving impressions.

13th June 2019

A SWIFT DAY OF DRIVING WITH SUZUKI… …By David Miles (News Miles Better News Agency). (Kim says, "You may already have seen/read on this website my impressions of yesterday's 'Swift Day Out' (12th June 2019); you may also be interested in a personal view from David Miles, who also attended this event; the following words are all David's, with photos courtesy Suzuki..."). Keeping a positive … [Read more...]

Suzuki Swift Attitude, Swift 4×4 hybrid and a Suzuki-powered RIB – First Impressions

12th June 2019

Suzuki Swift Attitude, Swift 4x4 hybrid and a Suzuki-powered RIB – First Impressions. ‘A Swift Day Out’… Suzuki’s latest Swifts, in ‘Attitude’ and SZ5 4x4 hybrid form – plus the firm’s marine engines – assessed by Kim Henson. ‘A Swift Day Out’ is how Suzuki heralded a driving day for motoring writers to sample their Swift Attitude on road, the Swift 4x4 hybrid in off-road conditions, and the … [Read more...]

Kia Driving Day – Brief Impressions

10th June 2019

Kim Henson briefly test drives a selection of current Kia models… (All words and photographs by Kim). At the moment it is the exception rather then the rule for a motor manufacturer to be doing well in terms of vehicle sales in the UK. However, bucking the general trend, Kia is doing very well indeed, increasing sales while for most of the firms all around them the figures are in reverse… At … [Read more...]

Reasons put forward by Ford for closing the Bridgend engine plant… and what will happen next at the site?

7th June 2019

Ford face triple dilemma at Bridgend... ...By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Global demand for the Ford triple-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine is lower than expected and has driven the decision to close its production line in Bridgend next February. Stuart Rowley (pictured left), president, Ford of Europe, in a conference call said the employees and management at Bridgend … [Read more...]

Kia e-Niro – First Impressions

6th June 2019

KIA’S ROAD TO GREENER MOTORING WITH THE e-NIRO… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) takes a test drive. Alternatively fuelled vehicles, pure electric, petrol-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids saw a 21% increase in UK new car sales last year to 141,270 units, but only 15,474 of those vehicles were pure electric models. So far this year only around 2,000 battery electric cars were sold in … [Read more...]

Ford’s Bridgend engine factory to close

6th June 2019

End of the Road for Ford engine production in Bridgend... Today, 6th June 2019, it has been confirmed that Ford is to close the company's engine factory at Bridgend, after nearly 40 years of building motors there. In a statement, the firm said, "After detailed consideration, Ford today confirmed the start of a consultation with its unions concerning the potential closure of the Ford Bridgend … [Read more...]

Autogem at Automechanika

30th May 2019

Autogem, with its tyre-related trade products, is set to make first impressions last at Automechanika... Autogem is promising to make first impressions last with retailers and garage networks at Automechanika, when it showcases its latest aftermarket solutions including revolutionary TPMS equipment and tyre tread reading technology. The company’s eye-catching stand at the NEC (location K121) … [Read more...]

Ford Kuga – Road Test

21st May 2019

FORD KUGA MID-SIZED SUV STILL HOLDING ITS OWN FOR POPULARITY. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The Ford Kuga five door mid-sized SUV was introduced in 2008, the second edition in 2016  and the third generation is due from 2020 with Mild Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid and Full-Hybrid powertrains plus petrol and diesel engine options. But before the all-new Kuga appears with its new global C2 … [Read more...]

Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble celebrates 25 years…

20th May 2019

Beaulieu’s 2019 Spring Autojumble is just the job to start the summer… Kim Henson and Chris Adamson were both there. (Photos by Kim, Chris, and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu – all as individually credited). This year Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble, which took place on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May, celebrated 25 years of this event, which is very comprehensive but a little less huge … [Read more...]

Would you buy a car without actually seeing it ‘in the metal’? Many do, it seems…

16th May 2019

SIGHT UNSEEN CAR PURCHASES ROCKET AS CONSUMERS PLACE FAITH IN ONLINE DEALERSHIPS. The number of drivers paying for used cars they haven’t seen first now stands at more than one in 10 (11%) as online dealerships rocket in popularity For those who haven’t bought sight unseen before, more than half (52%) of people would be likely to do so if a pre-sale inspection was carried … [Read more...]

Can you read a road map or do you trust your sat nav?

15th May 2019

Is our sense of direction taking a turn for the worse with too much trust in sat navs? Most of us are dependent on sat navs, but with news stories about drivers ending up on train tracks, in rivers, or hundreds of miles from their destination, it seems we aren’t very capable of using them correctly. In any event there are many other reasons (including keeping our brains active!) still to learn … [Read more...]

Bridgestone breaks new ground with OE releases

8th May 2019

More BMW models equipped as standard with Bridgestone tyres... Bridgestone, the number-one tyre supplier to BMW, has pushed the boundaries of regular supply and demand through the latest tyre technology, as exemplified in its new X5, 8 Series and 3 Series partnerships, where the company’s premium products are featured as original equipment. Covering the range with … [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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