Month: November 2018

Jaguar has created two F-Type Convertible rally cars to celebrate the brand’s sports car heritage.

The vehicles were put through their paces at the Walters Arena rally stage in the Vale of Neath, paying homage to the original Jaguar XK120 of 1948, which completed three consecutive Alpine Rallies in the early 1950s.

The pair of rally-spec cars are powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that features in the production vehicle, but have been upgraded to full FIA specifications.

This means they benefit from higher-spec brakes and suspension, along with race seats boasting six-point harnesses, bonnet-mounted light pods and a fire extinguisher. A protective roll cage has also been fitted.

Hand-built competition dampers allow the traditionally road-based sports cars to tackle gravel tracks and jumps, while motorsport-specification wheels and tyres give a better grip on loose surfaces.

Both cars take their design inspiration from the new F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Edition vehicle.

Ian Callum, Jaguar director of design, said: “The opportunity to design a rally car doesn’t come along very often, so I was fascinated to see how we could take our modern-day sports car to a similar character.

“These models are a fitting tribute to the XK120 and all the great Jaguar sports cars since its reveal 70 years ago, including the latest F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Edition.”

Cleaning windows is something that we all think we can do, but particularly when it comes to car windows, it’s important that you have the right products to avoid smears and marks being left on your glass – both of which could potentially limit visibility.

Particularly with the darker nights drawing in, it’s more crucial than ever to have perfect clarity in your glass, as a low sun and a smeared windscreen don’t work very well in tandem.

We’ve all been there when the early morning sun is glaring at your windscreen and all you can see are smear marks from the last time you haphazardly tried to de-mist your screen with the back of your hand. It’s not pleasant and can be dangerous as well, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

By following these top tips you can have your glass looking perfect in no time.

Washing exterior glass first

If you’re dealing with exterior glass first, it’s a good idea to wash your car to help rid the surface of any dirt and built up grime. Once all glass is dried, we recommend using two cloths – ideally dedicated towels just for glass cleaning. Cleaning glass in damp or sunny conditions is a big no-no, too, because the liquid can often evaporate before you even have time to start cleaning the glass.

Choosing the right product

Choose your glass cleaner carefully, and don’t use a household cleaner that’s been lying around in your cupboard for years.  Car and household glass are made differently and don’t necessary work with the same products, soit’s best to buy a specialist glass cleaner for vehicles.

Using a specialist cloth

Cloth choice is also important, and a general cloth might not work as well, so it is definitely worth using a dedicated glass cloth instead. These cloths tend to have shorter piles, and make it easier to clean than if you were using a thick towel.

Two cloths is best

Spray the glass cleaner onto the windows and use one cloth to wipe the product around the glass, always work in straight lines, whether that being up and down, or side to side. Don’t work in circles, as this is when smears are more likely to occur.

Keep the second cloth dry

Next take the second cloth, which will remain the dry towel, and wipe off any residue left. Again, don’t do this with circular motions.

Check the car in the sun to ensure Once you’ve done this, it’s a good idea to pull the car into sunlight to check that you’re cleaned the glass properly. This is what’s imaginatively known as a ‘sun check’ in car valeting circles. If there’s any areas you’ve missed, or perhaps look a bit smeary, repeat the process again.

Think about protecting your exterior glass

For exterior glass, if you want to try and make it easier to clean next time, glass sealants can be used (think Rain X). These products can also improve visibility when driving in the rain, as their hydrophobic features allows the water to bead off the windows at higher speeds, and reduces the need to use your vehicle’s wipers.

 

In September 2015, the world of diesel changed forever when news broke that Volkswagen had been covering up illegally high emissions of nitrogen oxides from its diesel vehicles. Since then, diesel’s come under a lot of pressure – with various groups calling for it to be heavily taxed or even banned altogether.

Many say that diesel was mis-sold to buyers, promising low emissions and high fuel economy when in reality it was totally unsuitable for the journeys they do.

But diesel isn’t necessarily the bad guy all the time. For some buyers, it still makes an awful lot of sense. But are you one of those buyers? Read on to find out…

What’s your mileage?

Diesel cars make a lot of sense for high-mileage drivers. Those doing over 20,000 miles a year will soon benefit from the increased fuel economy a diesel engine provides – and over time, they’ll save money.

This is because diesel fuel contains more energy than petrol, meaning that even though it’s slightly more expensive it offers more miles per gallon. However, in most cases, diesel variants of cars cost more to buy than their petrol equivalents, so depending on the price gap you’ll need to do more miles to break even.

For example, the Volkswagen Golf 1.6-litre diesel costs around £1600 more than the equivalently powered petrol. According to the official fuel economy, a driver would break even after around 75,000 miles – so for an average driver, that’s over six years. But for a motorway mile-muncher doing 30,000 miles a year, they’d break even in less than three years.

What type of journeys do you usually do?

Diesels are very efficient – when they’re warm. However, they take a while to heat up, which means during the first 10 miles or so of any journey they’ll be inefficient and polluting.

That’s not really good news if you regularly undertake lots of journeys shorter than that, and it gets worse, too. You see, modern pollution control systems need the engines to be running at a certain rpm to function. This is easily achievable on the motorway, but if your car starts a regeneration cycle while you’re idling on the school run, you risk clogging up expensive and complex systems such as exhaust gas recirculation or diesel particular filters.

How heavily loaded are you?

If there’s one thing diesels have over a petrol in abundance, it’s torque. This sheer pulling power means that for heavily loaded vehicles such as people carriers, vans, or trucks, there really isn’t much substitute for a diesel.

That’s especially true of people who often tow heavy items like caravans or horse boxes – they’ll find that a petrol, unless it’s a super-powerful one, really tends to struggle in these situations.

A diesel is more pleasant to use when loaded to capacity, and won’t suffer as much strain as a petrol would. You won’t need to ride the clutch so often, nor will you need to row through the gears at such a rate.

Which cars are you looking at?

Of course, this all assumes you have an option. However, several cars simply don’t offer a viable alternative to diesel, leaving you with the choice of sticking with the oil-burner or choosing a different car.

Let’s take pickup trucks, for example – there’s currently not a single petrol-powered crew-cab pickup on the UK market. The same is often true of people carriers, and even some executive or family cars have this issue, too.

Move into the more luxurious end of the market and you may find the diesel is the ‘sensible’ option. Sure, there’s a petrol available – but it’s a monstrous V8 with a daft amount of horsepower and a fuel economy figure in the teens. In these situations, you may just have to work around a diesel – taking regular long journeys and making sure it’s impeccably serviced to keep the emission control systems running as they should.

There’s no doubt many drivers of diesel cars today would be better off in a petrol, or even an equivalent hybrid or electric model. Yet the fuel has its uses, for high-mileage, heavily-laden or penny-pinching buyers. As always, just shop carefully and consider all of your options before you buy.

For car enthusiasts, joining a club of like-minded individuals makes a lot of sense. You get to make new friends, take part in meet-ups and talk about your car without restraint – and there’s no risk of being left behind at the bar as a result.

But some cars – and, indeed, some drivers – demand something special from their car clubs.

Here are eight of the greatest membership cards in motoring.

Goodwood Road Racing Club

While events such as the Breakfast Club meets are open to all, there are plenty of perks to being a member of the Goodwood Road Racing Club, aka the GRRC.

For one, there are several incentives built around the Festival of Speed and the Revival, plus there’s exclusive access to the season-opening Members’ Meeting, which sees cars from more recent times take to the famed Goodwood circuit.

There are also many exciting opportunities for visits to other motoring locales, as well as access to club track days and events.

Ascari Club

Run by Dutch billionaire and championship-winning racing driver Klaas Zwart, the Ascari Race Resort is a bespoke complex of villas set in the heart of rural Malaga.

As an added extra, there’s even a fully fledged racing circuit in the back garden!

The layout is inspired by Zwart’s favourite circuits and built for the most powerful cars on the planet. The Dutchman owns a fleet of racing cars, some of which are available for members of the Ascari Club to drive.

Whether you want to drive something of your own in anger, borrow from the fleet or just soak in the sun, this resort ticks all the boxes.

Ferrari XX Programme

Part of the globe-trotting Corse Clienti tour, Ferrari’s XX Programme is the opportunity for the super-rich owners of the FXX, 599 XX and FXXK to take to numerous world-class Formula One-level circuits.

Ferrari looks after the fleet of track-only hypercars, and regularly implements updates, ensuring that its clients are treated to the very apex of performance.

Ferrari F1 Clienti

Running alongside the XX Programme, the F1 Clienti scheme allows the world’s elite to buy Ferrari Formula One cars from across the decades.

Much like its sibling setup, the owners don’t have to worry about upkeep or preparation. They also receive the benefit of coaching from a variety of Ferrari-contracted professional racing drivers, who make sure they can handle their fire-breathing beasts.

Classic Car Club Manhattan

Deep in the hustle and bustle of New York, you’ll find Classic Car Club Manhattan.

The location certainly plays up to the club element of its name, with a full food menu, happy hour sessions at the bar and even a racing simulator said to be the most sophisticated in the United States.

That’s not to say the fleet of cars available to members isn’t the main attraction, though. Among the modern supercar elite such as the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Aston Martin Vantage, you’ll also find classics such as the BMW M3 E30, the original Acura NSX and its younger sibling, a 1966 Ford GT40 in Gulf colours, as well as a Porsche 550 Spyder.

A 3,200 sq ft clubhouse overlooking the Hudson River is currently being built for members.

Pure McLaren

Serving as McLaren’s answer to the Ferrari Corse Clienti package, Pure McLaren is an opportunity for owners to drive their cars in anger on leading race circuits.

As well as track sessions for road cars and track monsters like the P1 GTR, the Pure events also host the McLaren-GT Series, which sees drivers go head to head in identical McLaren 570S GT4s.

The Pure McLaren package is good for those who don’t want dented egos. Unlike the Ferrari equivalent, the public aren’t granted entry when McLaren is in town.

106 Drivers Club

Before there was Pure McLaren, there was the McLaren F1 Owners’ Club, operated and founded by racer Ray Bellm, who achieved much of his success behind the wheel of an F1 GTR.

In an accidental homage to a small Peugeot, the collective has now been rebranded the 106 Drivers Club, signifying the number of F1 road cars produced and the expected production number of the upcoming Speedtail.

With the rebranding, the club has opened itself up to McLaren’s modern Super Series line-up and often organises continental tours for its members.

Global Endurance Legends

The Global Endurance Legends package is run by classic car specialist Jarrah Venables, catering for owners of Le Mans cars from the ’90s through to the early 2010s.

The club visits tracks such as Le Mans and Spa and is often at capacity, with the number of cars exceeding 60 on some occasions.

With numerous owners of historic racing cars not wanting to take part in proper races, the non-racing format operated by Global Endurance Legends suits many. As such, the events often see some of the most valuable, significant cars of the era joining the fray rather than sitting dormant in private collections.

Car sickness is a common problem many of us face. If you’re prone to feeling unwell in a car, there’s little more daunting than a long journey where you’re inevitably going to want to spend most of it performing a ‘technicolour yawn’ all over the backseat.

According to the RAC, one in five people experience symptoms of car sickness. If you’re one of those, there are some ways you can counter it — here’s our advice for keeping a queasy stomach at bay while on the road.

Pick the right seat

One way to avoid car sickness before even setting off can simply come down to picking the right seat. Minimising perceived motion can be super effective in countering symptoms, and there’s no better place to do that than in the front.

It’s believed sitting in the back of a car and staring at a stationary seat in front can trick your brain to think you’re not moving, but the sound coming to your ears will cause confusion — resulting in the feeling of sickness. Sitting in the middle seat if you must be in the back can help counter this, too.

Fix your eyes on this

This is aimed more at passengers than drivers but looking outside the car on a fixed point is another easy way to help counter the effects of motion sickness. Looking at passing objects or cars travelling the other way will enhance the effects — so instead, look to fix your eyes on one constant thing. Prominent scenery or the horizon line are usually good go-to options.

Take a break

No matter how hard you try to avoid motion sickness, the best cure is ultimately to be stationary. On longer journeys, taking frequent breaks can minimise the chances of symptoms worsening — and also gives you a chance to take in some fresh air. Use this chance to grab a drink or a light bite to eat, too.

Fresh air and good ventilation

Just like any kind of sickness, breathing fresh air will do wonders to help. Open a window to let it circulate around the car, and have the air conditioning on to keep the cabin well-ventilated and well-cooled.

Close your eyes, and take deep breaths

Sometimes, it’s easier to just pretend you’re not travelling. Closing your eyes can shut off the visual cues of motion that can freak your brain out, while focusing on your breathing will distract your mind from everything else.

Distract yourself

Similar to our previous tip of closing your eyes, distracting yourself by other means can help with reducing the symptoms of car sickness. Listening to music, chatting to other people in the car or playing a game like ‘spot the yellow Mini’ could help focus your attention away from your ill feelings.

Think about your food choice

If you’re prone to car sickness, eating a heavy meal or drinking alcohol before getting into the passenger’s seat, or even while there, could heighten your discomfort. Eat and drink well in advance of your journey, and pack light snacks for the trip if you’re in need of something to eat.

Put the book or phone down

While distracting yourself can help with motion sickness, some ‘distractions’ will only serve to make it worse. As mentioned before, fixing on a static object in the car can mess with your senses — and as a result, reading a book or playing on your phone while on the move can only worsen things.

Seek medical assistance

No matter how hard some try, car sickness just won’t go away. In this case, it’s worth speaking to your doctor or a pharmacist, who may prescribe you with appropriate medication to ease the symptoms.

When searching for a car,  we all look for different things — be that engine type, gearbox, colour or even something as trivial as whether it has Bluetooth. But one thing most buyers have in common, no matter the type of car, is a desire for good boot space.

Wondering which car offers the most boot for your buck? We’ve done the research for you…

 

Large SUV

Land Rover Discovery – 1,137 litres

The Land Rover Discovery has always been a go-anywhere type of vehicle that’s capable of carrying a whole family, plus a set of luggage and a couple of dogs too. The latest model is no different – with a class leading 1,137 litres of boot space (with the third row of seats folded down). But don’t mistake this Discovery for just a one-trick pony. The quality of this SUV, especially this time around, is for undoubtedly on par with the luxurious offerings from Land Rover’s high-end Range Rover models.

MPV

Ssangyong Turismo – 875 litres

You may not have heard of the Ssangyong Turismo or maybe even Ssangyong as a manufacturer — but if practicality is your game, then it’s one you should look consider. The South Korean firm has built a name on good-value machinery that offers more car for the money than just about anyone else can. With a class-leading 875 litres of space, the Turismo is no exception.

Estate

Mercedes E-Class Estate – 670 litres

The latest Mercedes E-Class has been praised heavily ever since it hit showroom floors — the estate version even more so due to its extra practicality. The boot is a massive 670 litres, meaning it’ll take just about anything you could throw at it. It also offers a squared-off boot opening, making it easy to get things into and out of.

Hatchback

Skoda Octavia – 590 litres

The Skoda Octavia may stretch the definition of a hatchback, but its almost saloon-like shape means it boasts more space than any of its rivals — coming in at 590 litres. The Octavia is a good-all-round car, especially if you go for the sporty vRS version.

Supermini

Seat Ibiza– 355 litres

The Seat Ibiza is another good all-rounder, that excels in the practicality game. The Ibiza offers an unparalleled boot compared with any of its key rivals such as the Skoda Fabia or Ford Fiesta. To be specific, it has 355 litres of space even with the rear seats up. This combined with a stylish exterior and generous amount of features means you really can’t go wrong with the Ibiza.

City Car

Suzuki Ignis – 267 litres

City cars usually take a hit on boot space as a result of their compact nature.  Suzuki hasn’t had to make that much of a sacrifice with the Ignis though, totalling a respectable 267 litres out back. This makes this funky, great-to-drive city car small, yet practical. And because it’s a city car, it’s affordable too.

by Oliver Young

A car battery may be a small piece of the puzzle under the bonnet, but it’s up there with the most crucial components.

Without a properly functioning battery, the car will struggle, or even fail, to start. While they can stay in good health for a long time, they will eventually deteriorate — meaning it’s vital to keep an eye on the unit and knowing when to replace it.

How does a car battery work?

A car battery functions in a pretty similar way to any conventional cell — it’s wired up to provide power to electronic components.

In this case, the electronic component is the starter motor, which gets the car’s engine running. The engine then turns the alternator, which takes the load off the battery by powering most of the vehicle’s internal components — while also recharging the battery itself.

Why do they go flat?

Just like any battery, the one found in your car has a limited energy capacity — which will eventually run out.

If the battery is left to provide power to the car for too long without any energy return from the engine’s alternator, it will eventually go flat. Its ability to hold charge also diminishes over time — meaning it could be time for a new one if it goes flat often.

How can I check my car’s battery?

Unlike say your fuel levels and fluid temperatures, which are easy to see on a car’s instrument cluster, not many machines show a reading of the battery’s condition — so you’ll have to invest in a bit of extra equipment.

A multimeter will be able to tell you the DC voltage of the battery. As a general rule, a car battery should read no lower than 12.6V to be considered in good health — anything lower and it might be time to switch it out.

Which battery should I put in my car?

Batteries vary between cars, so don’t expect a one-rule-for-all here.

The easiest solution would be to head to an online retailer, with many offering tools to find the right battery for your car by simply entering the registration of your car.

Alternatively, you could look for an identical battery to the existing unit by its serial number.

Can I change a car battery myself?

Although we’d always recommend seeking specialist help before undertaking any mechanical task yourself, changing a battery is a fairly simple task.

Park the car on a level surface and secure it with the handbrake first, before opening the bonnet. Once the battery has been located, disconnect the negative terminal first before then unclipping the positive. The battery should then be fairly easy to lift out, ready for a new unit to be placed in.

How should I dispose of an old battery?

By law, car batteries must not be disposed alongside regular household waste.

Fortunately, many recycling centres have dedicated facilities for car batteries. Take the old unit to your nearest centre, where it can be safely and legally disposed.

It’s happened to most of us before. You come back to your car only to find a damning yellow square underneath the windscreen wiper – a parking ticket, and not a cheap one.

While parking tickets don’t carry the same weight as speeding fines, they can be equally annoying, and if ignored can end up costing you even more. Worst of all are tickets handed out in private car parks, where there’s little incentive to be kind – fines aren’t regulated and you could end up paying a fortune.

Here are the rules when parking – and how to appeal a fine if you think it’s not legitimate.

Read the rules

Most public or private car parks will have a board or sign with the regulations on, and these differ from place to place so be sure to read them carefully. They’re likely to detail when the car park opens and closes, how long you can park for, whether you need to display a ticket and how much and where you should pay.

Assuming these rules are clearly legible, you have no excuse to break any of them – in the parking operator’s mind. You therefore have little recourse against breaking the rules unless the signage is missing, damaged or misleading.

Park carefully

We’re all aware that parking in reserved spaces is well out, as well as disabled bays unless you have a clearly displayed blue badge. But take care when parking in a regular bay – car park operators can sting you if you’re poorly parked or taking up more than one space. Keep your wheels within the white lines, and if you’re driving a very large vehicle, a van, or perhaps a car with a trailer or caravan you may need to pay for two bays.

Take care when street parking

Learning the rules of street parking is essential, too. If you’re in an unfamiliar area, check carefully to make sure you’re not parking in a controlled residential zone or somewhere you might need a permit. Take note of yellow lines too – double lines mean you must not park there at any time, while single lines will be accompanied by a sign with specific times. Also watch out for zig-zag lines, which must not be blocked.

Watch the time

Most parking tickets, especially in pay-and-display car parks are time based, and you must pay up front to park for a specific time period. Overrun this, and you risk being fined. Some car parks operate a short ‘grace’ period, but you shouldn’t rely on this.

The same applies for parking restrictions on-street, too. If the sign gives a limited time you’re allowed to park there, you must adhere to that – and don’t think moving 50 feet down the road will help, as wardens check registrations.

Appealing tickets

If you feel you’ve been given a ticket unfairly, you can appeal it. There are several reasons you may be able to appeal a parking fine:
– Ticket machine inoperable
– Signage damaged or misleading
– Bay markings illegible
– Yellow lines or road markings covered by debris
In special circumstances you may be able to appeal your own errors – if you’ve typed your registration incorrectly, for example. You may also be able to appeal on emergency grounds, for example if you broke down or were taken ill.

You’ll find details of how to appeal and who to appeal to on the fine itself. For on-road or public car park violations, it’s likely to be the local council of the area in which you’ve parked. In a privately-operated car park, you’ll be appealing directly to the company.

Remember to take photos of anything that might help your appeal. Keep your paperwork, too, including the ticket or receipt if possible. Send off your appeal as soon as possible, and don’t pay the ticket unless your appeal has been rejected.

And remember, only appeal a parking fine if you’ve actually got a legitimate reason to do so. Appealing a perfectly valid parking fine only wastes time.