Month: July 2018

It’s a bit warm, isn’t it? With the current heatwave sending temperatures soaring over 30 degrees in some parts of the country, the shorts are on, the Pimms is out and the freezer sections of supermarkets up and down the country are seeing unprecedented bloodshed.

But the worst place to be during this weather is in the cripplingly hot interior of a car for the ten or so minutes it takes for air-conditioning to start working. If parked in direct sunlight, the interior of a car can reach as high as 60 degrees Celsius – and black surfaces such as the dashboard can reach a terrifying 85 degrees.

That’s hot enough to rustle up a tray of freshly baked cookies, but it could also cause third-degree burns on your skin, and even cause serious heat injury or potentially death to children or pets.

But how do you stop your car from becoming an oven in the summer? These are our top tips…

Park in the shade

It’s direct sunlight, rather than ambient temperature which causes your car to heat up so much. Parking in the shade can alleviate this so look for a tree, building or covered car park if at all possible.

Invest in reflective covers

Reflective windscreen covers are available from every motor retailer for a very low price and can reduce interior temperature by several degrees. They also keep direct sunlight from your dash or steering wheel, so you’re at less risk of burning.

Towels

If you can’t park in the shade, you can create your own. Trap towels in the doors or windows and you’ll block the sun from entering your vehicle. At the very least, drape a hand towel over the steering wheel to make it more comfortable when you set off.

Leave your windows open just a little

Obviously leaving your windows all the way down is an open invitation for would-be thieves, but there’s little danger in cracking them by an inch – and doing so allows air to circulate round your car, keeping it cooler.

Use the doors, Luke

When you get back to your car, don’t just immediately get in and trust the air-conditioning to do its work. Instead, open one rear door, and repeatedly open and close the opposite front door around 10-20 times. This will circulate fresh air around your vehicle quickly.

Turn off stop-start

Stop-start technology is great for saving fuel, but it can reduce the effectiveness of your air-conditioning. You’ll use more petrol or diesel in traffic by switching it off, but you’ll stay cooler.

Put it away

Not strictly a tip to keep your car cool, but definitely something worth remembering. Intense heat can destroy personal possessions, and delicate items such as electronics or CDs will soon be damaged. Keep them out of direct sunlight and in the boot if possible.

Get in-vent-ive

It’s tempting to point every single available air-conditioning vent right at your face. We know, we’ve done it ourselves. But this isn’t actually the most efficient way to cool your car – it’s best to point the vents upwards and cool the entire cabin at once. If you’re lucky enough to have multiple central air vents, though, you might be able to spare one for facial duties.

Prevention is better than cure

Like any component, your car’s air-conditioning system needs regular maintenance. Cabin air filters clog up and review airflow, so you should get them cleaned or replaced at least every year or at every service interval. Systems can leak or run out of gas too, so make sure to get the system checked and re-gassed at regular intervals. After all, the worst time to find out your air-conditioning needs fixing is when it’s already too late.

Electric cars are the future and its one that seems brighter and cleaner than the petrol-driven world we live in now.

Not only are we sold to the idea of electric vehicles (EVs) being much cleaner to run than oil-burning alternatives, but also far cheaper to live with as well.

So, electricity is much, much cheaper than petrol or diesel, but did you know that you can even get it for free? Well, you do now — and here are five ways you can charge your electric car without having to spend a penny to be plugged-in.

Harness the sun

Solar power has long been a go-to method for charging all manners of electric devices cleanly and perhaps most importantly, for next-to-no cost — and many EVs take advantage of the technology.

A number of manufacturers offer solar panels on electrified cars — including Nissan with the Leaf (although that merely keeps the 12V battery ticking over) and Toyota with a solar roof for the Prius.

You could even invest in solar power for your house and charge your car from the mains, effectively giving you a free charge – though it’s worth noting this entails a significant upfront cost.

Catch the wind

Ok, we may not recommend setting up a full-scale wind turbine in your back garden — that might upset the neighbours — but a small, garage-based setup could see a gentle breeze top your EV up.

Similar to solar panels, you can set up a smaller turbine up at home which will generate clean and totally free electricity for you to use. Perfect for keeping your EV at maximum capacity for longer periods of time.

Head to a supermarket

Combine your shopping time with your charge cycles and you might just never have to pay for a full battery again.

A variety of supermarkets in the UK — including Lidl, Asda and Tesco — offer free electric vehicle charging for customers, meaning you can simply rock up in an EV, plug in and crack on with your shopping to return to a car ready to go right back on the road.

Buy a Tesla

When you buy a brand-new Tesla, you don’t just receive a tech-loaded, cutting-edge electric car — but also free charging for it, too. Well, at least for a small while.

Owners of either a Model S or Model X are entitled to 400kWh of free charge on its Supercharger network annually — which Tesla says can get you up to 1,000 miles. That may not sound like much, but those spare miles could get you from London to Glasgow, then back again at no cost — with plenty to spare too.

Giving back to the grid

Vehicle-to-grid technology is becoming ever closer to a mainstream reality, and one that could thrive in a society full of electric vehicles.

While not strictly free in the sense of there’s no initial cost to use the electricity, any energy that is left spare in your EV — or created by regenerative braking for that matter — can be sold back to the power grid, making it more stable and also allowing consumers to earn cash from power companies.

The amount of money you can earn can vary depending on times — giving back power in peak evening periods could net you more cash than during weekdays, for instance.

Although it’s currently in its infancy, expect vehicle-to-grid tech to take off big time in the future.

A bin lorry has sunk into a hole in a town centre road after the summer heat melted the asphalt.

The vehicle working for West Berkshire Council became stuck after the carriageway gave way in Old Bath Road, Newbury, Berkshire, on Thursday.

Officers on scene making area safe after an HGV sunk into Old Bath Road Newbury. ROAD CLOSED awaiting recovery and road repair #Sgt5595 pic.twitter.com/UvPnAhQZZA

— TVP West Berkshire (@TVP_WestBerks) July 5, 2018

Thames Valley Police West Berkshire posted on Twitter: “Officers on scene making area safe after an HGV sunk into Old Bath Road Newbury. ROAD CLOSED awaiting recovery and road repair.”

A spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council said: “We have excavated half of the site and found solid ground underneath and not ground water so there is no larger hole underneath.

“The road will be closed over the weekend while repairs are carried out.”

Dashcams are growing hugely in popularity. Not long ago they were used just by a few people for the purpose of making some great YouTube compilations showcasing awful drivers.

But more and more people are seeing the benefit of having a dashcam. Not only can it help settle liability disputes with insurance – and be used as evidence to show another driver was in the wrong – but insurance companies are increasingly seeing their worth and offering discounts to those who have one fitted to their car.

Insurance firms such as Swift Cover will offer discounts as much as 12.5 per cent to those who have one installed in their car, while only this week footage shot by a motorist’s dashcam assisted in getting the driver of a Mercedes C-Class Coupe jailed for 11 months after showing him weaving in and out of lanes at speeds of up to 125mph before smashing into a Mini. A PC said the “dash cam footage was invaluable in securing this conviction”.

This week also saw the launch of a database from Nextbase which streamlines the process of sending dashcam footage to police.

Motor retailer Halfords even predicts it will sell more dashcams than portable satellite navigation systems this year and a survey by insurer Aviva of 2,500 motorists found that more than one in four now have a dash cam. Make no mistake, these devices are becoming really commonplace.

But what about when you use them away from the road? While undoubtedly the public highway is where they’re best placed, they also have a use out on the track, too.

This is far more fun than it looks. Skid pans may be my new favourite things pic.twitter.com/t2dExhKXVu

— Ted Welford (@TedWelford) June 29, 2018

To test this theory out, we headed to Thruxton race circuit near Andover, Hampshire, to put Garmin’s latest range of dash cams through their paces.

The first test was driving at speed around the circuit itself. The weapon of choice? A Porsche Cayman – one of the best drivers’ cars around. While not up to Ferrari pace, if there was a car to test a dashcam around a track, it’s this – particularly when Thruxton is often regarded as the “fastest circuit in the UK” thanks to its long corners and free-flowing layout.

Up first we tested the 65W, which shot in high quality 1080P video and was fantastic for track use thanks to its wide-angle 180-degree field of view – almost like a fisheye lens. It allows you to clearly see any errors in your driving but also is fantastic when assessing overtakes and any missed opportunities.

It’s also incredibly stable even when the Cayman is being thrashed at speeds of over 100mph. Granted, our mediocre track driving ability meant the car’s ability was rarely being stretched, but it still showed the quality of the footage. Particularly when you see the grainy footage of some dashcams, the 65W is clear enough to see number plates – useful in the event of any dangerous driving or crashes.

As we returned to the pits, it gave us a chance to test out the cam’s voice command feature. As anyone who has ever used voice control knows, one whiff of anything other than perfect spoken English can lead to the function having an utter meltdown. Thankfully the Garmin’s seems to work largely well. Operated through the words “OK Garmin”, this can then carry out a variety of functions but importantly a “save video” function – useful both on and off track.

Detailed timing and location information was also a key asset in helping to determine our lap times, too – which admittedly made for less than impressive reading.

The event also saw the reveal of the 55 Plus, which will exclusively be sold at Halfords. This is a particularly tech-heavy camera and to test it out we headed to the circuit’s skid pan. If you don’t know what a skid pan, it’s a polished concrete circuit covered in constantly running sprinklers to create conditions as slippery as sheet ice.

We tried both a Mini Cooper and Toyota GT86 to get the feel of a front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive car on the surface – capturing our footage from the Toyota.

While the footage makes it look rather placid, behind the wheel it’s the most exhilarating way to enjoy yourself at 15mph as you scramble for grip. While largely trouble-free, at one point when we skidded off the pan itself and onto the tarmac – bringing the car to a sudden stop – the dashcam detected a crash. You might think this is oversensitive, but it shows the camera’s ability to detect an impact. After all, it’s to be oversensitive and capture an incident than risk missing a minor shunt. It handily also saves the video upon detecting a crash, too.

While we couldn’t test the camera’s full breadth of abilities, other impressive functions it can carry out are detecting forward collisions and lane departures, checking for red light cameras and speed cameras and the ability to work in low light, with low glare – perhaps its standout feature.

Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales said: “The rise of dash cams has allowed us to align our new model with the needs of our customer base. With the Dash Cam 55 Plus, customers can ensure the best possible recording no matter the level of light.”

Dashcams are undoubtedly growing at a rate that even their manufacturers probably didn’t even predict, and while they are clearly tailored towards road use, putting them through their paces at Thruxton showed their range of abilities. Our experience proved that dashcams can be so much more than a device that simply records your driving.

Over in America, everything is bigger, louder and more flamboyant than most places around the world — and there’s no exception to the rule for its cars.

It’s home of the brash V8, the huge pick-up truck and some of the most rugged machinery ever made — and we’ve picked out some of the coolest ever made in the States.

Dodge Viper

Think V10 sports car and you’re likely to imagine an elegant, exotic European machine — but perhaps the best ten-cylinder brute comes from across the pond.

The Dodge Viper ticks all the boxes of Americana — huge engine, big power and a brutal presence on the roads, but has managed to gain global appeal thanks to being downright crazy.

Early models sent around 400bhp through the Viper’s rear wheels without the aid of traction control, and there weren’t any anti-lock brakes to help you stop it either. The recipe never really changed over the Viper’s 16-year run — only gaining more power. That said, ABS did eventually come to the car, but only because the American government said so…

Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1

The ZR1 nameplate was first attached to the iconic Chevrolet Corvette in 1969, becoming a symbol of high-performance machinery — and the latest incarnation looks set to be the best yet.

Just released, the C7 ZR1 boasts a mighty 745bhp from its supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine, propelling it from 0-60mph in just three seconds before hitting a top speed of 212mph.

It’s got looks to match the go as well, with an aggressive body kit on an already angry-looking base, along with a table-like rear wing to help keep the car stuck to the road.

Cadillac V-16

The V8 engine? Commonplace. The V10? Positively pedestrian. V12? Yaaaawn. But a V16? That’s the sort of cylinder count a real car needs – and Cadillac was the first to pioneer this many-cylindered layout way back in the 1930s.

The V-16 reflected Cadillac’s status as one of the world’s foremost luxury brands – easily the equal of Rolls-Royce in this pre-war era. As such, the cars majored on quality, smoothness, dignified progress and sheer class. They command pretty high prices today, easily reaching over half a million pounds at auction.

Ford GT40

As with all great things, the Ford GT40 was born from a disagreement. It began when Ford was on the verge of buying Italian legend Ferrari before Enzo Ferrari pulled out of a deal at the last minute.

Angered, Henry Ford II, grandson of the firm’s founder, decided to hit Ferrari where it hurt — on the racetrack.

Thus the Ford GT40 was created to challenge the Italians at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It struggled during its first two years, but then 1966 saw a 1-2-3 finish for the Americans, which would kick off a streak of four wins at the iconic endurance race for the GT40 in various guises.

The machine became so legendary that Ford itself later made two road-going homages to the race car — the GTs of 2005 and 2017, respectively.

Cord 810/812

The Cord summed up the art-deco era with its gorgeous styling, which saw a streamlined body, and pop-up headlights mix with some seriously advanced technology – for the 1930s, that is. The Cord was the first mainstream American car to offer front-wheel drive, making it completely different from anything that had come before.

Supercharged models are the most desirable, with their V8 engines supplemented by a Cummins supercharger and marked out by gorgeous chrome exhaust pipes. Reliability issues and some dodgy design decisions meant Cords weren’t perfect, but they look so cool it’s hard to care.

Willys Jeep

The Willys MB started life as a lightweight military off-roader, built to mobilise Allied forces during the Second World War. And very capable it was too – exactly fitting the need for a super-lightweight, low-cost and standardised transport.

Nobody could have predicted the impact that the Jeep would have though, and the original is truly one of the most iconic vehicles in the world. It’s since spawned an entire road-going brand producing thoroughly modern SUVs – though it hasn’t forgotten its roots, and the contemporary Wrangler preserves the spirit of the original Jeep.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

We may get the latest Ford Mustang in the UK — but its most fruitful version is a forbidden gem for us.

The American-only Shelby GT350R builds on the already impressive Mustang GT, gaining a whopping 116bhp more to take it to 526bhp — making it the most powerful naturally-aspirated Ford ever built.

It’s not all just extra power here though, with the Shelby gaining magnetic dampers, improved suspensions coils and beefier roll bars to better it around the corners. We’re still holding out for the day it arrives in UK showrooms.

Shelby Cobra

The Shelby Cobra – or AC Cobra as we in Blighty knew it as – started life as a modest sports car called the AC Ace. But American legend Carroll Shelby decided the Ace needed a bit more shove, and wrote to AC asking if they’d fit in a Ford-sourced V8.

Eventually, Ford’s Windsor unit was squeezed into the AC, and so began one of the best examples of trans-Atlantic cooperation ever. The Cobra is a beloved classic car and has spawned myriad kit cars and replicas, plus glorious modern continuation models.

Saleen S7

You may have never heard of Saleen — and you could be forgiven if you’re in the UK, as it’s an American specialist in Mustang tuning — but the S7 is one of the finest machines to ever come from the States.

This sleek supercar borrows quite a few Ford parts — most crucially the V8 engine from a Mustang — and turns them into a package capable of rivalling the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini in the exotic stakes.

Better still, a ‘competition package’ for the twin-turbocharged version of the S7 was offered, and would up power to over 1,000bhp. Crikey.

Hummer H1

If you’re after a rugged American military vehicle, you could opt for a Jeep – or you could jump forward a few decades and go for the Hummer H1 instead. It’s based on the military Humvee, which means it’s wide enough to drive through tank tracks and powered by a 6-litre-plus diesel engine.

The favourite of ‘Governator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger, the H1 is one of the most capable off-road vehicles around, and though it’s totally inappropriate for modern traffic, its burly beefiness has an appeal nothing else can quite match.

Like any beloved best-selling car, the Fiat Panda has a fiercely loyal fanbase. Launched in 1980, the boxy and utilitarian Panda is a true Italian icon.

Though it’s now been around for nearly 40 years, the Panda is only in its third generation. Compare that with the Volkswagen Golf, which has gone through seven iterations in the same period, and you’ll get some idea of how enduring the Panda is.

So Panda owners clearly love their cars, and what better way to celebrate that than with the world’s largest gathering? We joined Panda people from across Europe in the aptly named town of Pandino, just outside Milan, to see why these cars are loved so much.

Today I'm driving a Panda to the world's biggest Panda gathering. Wish we could pick up this survivor on the way! #PandaToPandino pic.twitter.com/53pHoBZ4kJ

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) June 24, 2018

Our own chariot, kindly provided by Fiat, was a new Panda Cross – rather more modern than the ’80s and ’90s cars that made up most of the gathering. It marks a major upgrade to the Panda, which can now be fitted with a smartphone dock and connectivity to the social navigation app Waze – which Fiat says makes it ‘the most connected city car of all time’. Though this is available through Android Auto on larger cars, the Panda is the first city car in the world to have it built in – and it made short work of Milan’s roads. In a populated area, Waze is definitely the app to have.

We’d be joining the Pandino rally for two main fixtures. In the afternoon, we’d lead a grand procession of Pandas through Pandino and the surrounding villages, but first we had to set a record…

We pulled in front of the 14th-century Castello di Pandino and parked up carefully, adding to the roster of almost 400 cars – 200 of which, including ours, made up the word ‘Panda’. With the previous record of 277 soundly thrashed, we headed towards the other letters and started exploring.

The majority of cars were first-generation models of all shapes and colours, with 4×4 models some of the most desirable – an unlikely marriage of the Panda’s tiny body to a surprisingly rugged and capable four-wheel-drive system.

We were particularly enthralled by the Italia 90 special edition – a World Cup special with football-styled wheel covers and a wonderful interior with the mascot lovingly stitched on to each seat.

The entire event was as stereotypically European as it gets. A modified Panda covered in lights sat in the middle of the second ‘A’, blasting out Eurobeat at around four billion decibels, while all around us owners and fans baked in the heat. Parked up around the side of the castle was a Panda ambulance, next to a jacked-up 4×4 with a full-sized roof tent – next door to stalls selling all kinds of Panda-related merchandise.

And of course, there were droves of standard Pandas – from basic and early ‘30’ and ‘45’ models to special ‘Young’ editions and Panda vans. There were modified Pandas and concours-level Pandas, old Pandas and virtually new Pandas, though sadly no giant Pandas – nobody had seen fit to turn one into a limousine.

Found some Pandas. #PandaToPandino pic.twitter.com/aX0KkjzKKM

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) June 24, 2018

As we strolled through the crowds, a couple of English accents broke through the chatter and we quickly accosted the owners – Ian Fearn and his partner Sue. They were part of a three-strong contingent of Brits who’d joined forces for the Panda to Pandino run.

“We adore the Panda,” they told us, though that much was obvious, as we saw that ‘JuJu’ – a white 1994 1.0 CLX – was immaculate. “We had one as a hire car in Croatia and fell in love with it. Before we got back, we’d got on the internet and bought our ’95, sight unseen.”

Sadly, one of the UK cars didn’t make it – stranded in the Netherlands with a faulty alternator – but the other two vehicles were present and correct: a third-generation 1.2 Easy in white and a French-registered ’95 model.

We are on our way to Pandino ?? from the UK ?? ….. first stop Epernay!!!#FiatPanda #Fiat #Panda #PandastoPandino18 #PandaaPandino18 pic.twitter.com/uK2k5m0D0J

— Pandas to Pandino (@PandinoPanda) June 22, 2018

It was the latter that had the most gruelling trip with Geoff Kershaw, the owner, taking it from Normandy to Stockport in Greater Manchester to collect his partner Penny before heading to Italy. Despite this 1,500-mile journey, the car – nicknamed Ginette – never missed a beat.

“They’re old cars, but if you look after them they’re bulletproof,” he told us. “Other than a respray to tidy her up, Ginette hasn’t had any major mechanical work.”

Ginette is of course a rarity. Geoff bought her three years ago as a one-owner car, serviced from new by the same garage in northern France – and with just 70,000km on the clock. He’s since pushed that up to 90,000km, with regular trips between Normandy and his partner’s home in Stockport.

The final car was the most modern – a 2015 Easy model, nicknamed Kevin and piloted by David, Tracey and George Storey, who’d set up the ‘Pandas to Pandino’ Facebook page that united the cars.

Next it was time for the Panda Parade, which we’d be leading as guests of Fiat. We stepped back into our new Panda (somewhat wishing it were 30 years older, as the classic models had full-on stolen our hearts) and set off. This latest model is actually fairly close in spirit to the original – ours was fitted with a two-cylinder TwinAir engine, aping the air-cooled two-cylinder of the original, and even had four-wheel drive.

Perhaps more importantly, the modern Panda is still a charming car. It’s not as refined as a Volkswagen up!, nor is it as cheap to run as a Suzuki Celerio – but with the metallic rasp of the two-cylinder engine and the adorable ‘squircle’ motif everywhere you look, it’s packed with personality.

Creature comforts were of course vastly improved over the original cars. While the owners of ’80s and ’90s models baked in 30-degree heat behind us, we were cocooned in air conditioning – though of course we had to keep the windows down to wave at the crowds.

Everyone we passed – even the poor drivers held up by sharply dressed Italian police so we could drive through – seemed delighted to see the Fiat convoy. People in Italy are clearly besotted with the Panda – it’s the best-selling car in the country, the best-selling city car in Europe and has shifted 7.5 million units across its three generations. Though the addition of Waze may have connected the Panda to more than 100 million users worldwide, the Panda doesn’t need to leave Italy to be instantly connected to the hearts of 60 million Italians.

A woman was pulled over by police on the M25 after reports of erratic driving – and officers got quite a surprise when they opened the doors.

The elderly driver, who was failing to wear her glasses, was pulled over by Surrey Police on June 28 near junction eight at Reigate, Surrey, and officers discovered the car was littered with her possessions.

A tweet by the Surrey Road’s Policing Unit said: “Public reported erratic driving. Vehicle located and stopped, elderly driver failing to wear glasses as required and vehicle, well, untidy…”

#M25 #Reigate J8 Public reported erratic driving. Vehicle located and stopped, elderly driver failing to wear glasses as required and vehicle, well, untidy…. ? pic.twitter.com/DHdnS4HVvy

— RPU – Surrey Police (@SurreyRoadCops) June 28, 2018

The accompanying picture showed the vehicle’s passenger seat and foot-well was full of items spilling over into the driver’s seat.

After a number of Twitter users jumped to conclusions, Surrey Police added: “The lady told officers she was attempting to move home in one journey and had lodged the car up as much as possible to make it in one trip. There is no information or evidence to suggest they were living in the car.

“We would always ensure that a vulnerable person is notified to the relevant and appropriate authorities and provide them with any immediate assistance they may need.”

As of Friday evening, the tweet had been shared more than 193 times and liked by 341 Twitter users.