Author: Ted Welford

“Whatever the question, the answer is always yes.”

These are the words of Tim Earnshaw, managing director and founder of Windrush Car Storage, as we have a chat sitting next to a LaFerrari that’s draped under a perfectly placed cover.

As you might have guessed, this isn’t your average car storage facility.

We can’t help thinking that amid all this space there must surely be some more exceptionally rare motors – a few McLaren F1s, perhaps? Earnshaw politely declines to respond, but we reckon we know the answer.

That denial sums up Windrush perfectly. Every aspect of it is aimed at pleasing and exceeding clients’ expectations while also being as discreet and as secretive as possible.

Windrush Car Storage was founded in 2004 by Earnshaw after his part-time hobby of storing cars at his parents’ farm spiralled out of control. At the time, he worked for the Ferrari F1 team in VIP hospitality.

“I’ve always been fairly particular, but working in F1, with it being the pinnacle of motorsport, everything had to be immaculate and pin-straight,” Earnshaw tells us.

F1’s pin-point precision and OCD levels of cleanliness have clearly transferred to his car storage company, which he decided to set up as a full-time business – taking its name from the river Windrush that ran through the family’s farm – after realising that devoting just evenings and weekends to car storage wasn’t enough.

The company has grown rapidly as word has spread – after all, if you were lucky enough to be able to afford a new Ferrari, you’d want to know your car was in good hands.

Based in the Cotswolds, Earnshaw set up a London-based storage service in response to requests.

“We were getting a lot of referrals, and people would ask us: “I’ve read a lot about you and I want to put a car with you. Where are you based?” At this point we would have to say we were based in the Cotswolds, before explaining it was two hours outside of London.

“It was a deal-breaker, and it used to hurt me when people would say that it was too far for them.”

Three short years later, the London location is full and Earnshaw has further plans for expansion soon.

Windrush doesn’t publish its address for security reasons, and the safest way of saying where it is is “central London” – albeit a very busy part of the capital.

“Our number-one priority is security. We are very careful about who we show around, we are never blasé and never complacent. We don’t publish our address, and we try to be anonymous and tucked away on a need-to-know basis.” says Earnshaw.

The company charges £52 and £98 plus VAT per week in the Cotswolds and London respectively for its premium service. And when you consider that most of the cars in there are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, it all looks rather affordable to keep such valuable vehicles away from prying eyes. Parking in London is hardly cheap, either, even if it’s in a rough underground car park.

Unlike rival companies, nearly all treatments and pampering are done in-house, or using Windrush-approved suppliers.

“We’re the guys storing the car, pampering it, updating the client and we’re the guys handing the car back with a handshake. That end-to-end passionate service goes a long way.

“I’m a strong believer that if you enjoy what you do, people can see that passion, and we get a lot of people who are also very passionate about their car and trust us with it, as they can see we love our job.”

On our tour, we spot a shrouded Bugatti Chiron, Bugatti Veyron, multiple LaFerraris, Porsche 918s and so much more. Name a modern hypercar or supercar and there’s a strong chance it’ll be in there. Many of the cars are also in zones, with Ferraris, Aston Martins, Porsches, etc, clustered together based on marque.

It’s not all exotica, though, with many cars stored by Windrush for sentimental reasons, too. An old Mercedes has belonged to the client’s mother from new, but there are more ‘normal’ cars such as Ford Capris and Range Rovers as well.

All the cars are protected by matching blue Windrush covers – unless a customer wishes to use their own. It certainly put our car knowledge to the test – looking at nothing but silhouettes and trying to work out what car lay beneath. Easier said than done.

When Earnshaw said “the answer is always yes” he really did mean it. If a customer wants their car shipped to Australia it’s not a problem. “Can you meet our cars from Japan at the port and then look after them before we arrive?” Not a problem. “Can you pick up my car from a Monaco hotel in the middle of the night?” Not a problem. And these are all requests that Windrush has carried out.

More than half of the business’s time is spent going above and beyond to make clients’ lives as easy as possible – by sorting out UK registration documents on cars bought abroad, for example, or having their cars serviced and MOTed, getting them wrapped, detailed and more.

We went in fully expecting the cars to never move but that’s not the case, with the average number of times that a client takes their car out being once a month in London, albeit less often in the Cotswolds.

There are astounding examples too, such as the pristine Jaguar XK120 that is kept roadworthy but has never been taken out by its owner in the seven years it has been with Windrush – such is the life of the ultra-rich.

“Typically, though, because we are a more premium service, we attract people who want their cars to be pampered – the owners who don’t forget about them and want to use them.”

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A few more pictures from my visit to @carstorage the other day. It goes without saying there are some very special cars in there – I’ll let you have a look through and work out what you can see… #Ferrari #Bugatti #Porsche #Windrush #windrushcarstorage

A post shared by Ted’s Car Valeting (@car_photographs) on Mar 23, 2018 at 12:49pm PDT

And perhaps unsurprisingly, Windrush attracts a celebrity or two.

“We do get some household names, let’s say, but I’m not telling you who! Often, they are very private in their own time, so we will never talk about their career with them.

“Of course, they know we know who they are, but we will simply enjoy talking about cars with them. We love it. It’s a privilege.”

After a lengthy chat with Earnshaw, we have a few minutes to mooch around on our own, admiring the detail, attention and procedure that has made Windrush so successful – and, of course, some of the cars on show.

It’s at this point that one of Earnshaw’s colleagues – in the politest way we’ve ever heard anyone say ‘go away’ – asks us to leave as a “very important client is coming to visit, and he likes the place to himself”.

As we exit, with one final glance at the mesmerising underground Aladdin’s cave of automobiles, we resist an overwhelming temptation to ask Earnshaw if he can tell us who the VVIP is. After all, if the answer is always yes…

You might have seen an influx of new pick-ups on the roads in recent years, and you won’t be the only to have noticed.

Pick-up sales are on the increase, with the segment now being one of the fastest growing sections of the new car market.

And often it’s not just builders and those using them as working vehicles who have them, it’s consumers getting them to replace company cars.

But what are the benefits of having one as a company vehicle?

The first thing to remember is that pick-ups don’t fall into the ‘car’ category, they’re classed as light commercial vehicles, and therefore vans – just providing they have a payload of 1000kg or over.

This means there’s big tax savings to be had, as they’re taxed differently.

Company car tax is calculated using benefit-in-kind (BiK), which in the case of pick-ups is set at a fixed £3,350 (2018/19 year). This means that if you’re taxed at 20 per cent, you’ll pay just pay £670 per year (£55.83 per month) to have a truck as a company vehicle.

Unlike car tax, pick-up rates are not calculated based on a vehicle’s P11D value or emissions, meaning that they aren’t affected by list price. For cars, company car tax rates are calculated by the car’s P11D value (list price including options, but minus registration fees) multiplied by the benefit-in-kind percentage then by your tax rate percentage.

We’re pitching the Ford Ranger pick-up against a similarly-priced Ford Kuga crossover here. A Kuga with the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine in Titanium trim has a P11D value of £27,630. This multiplied by its 35 per cent BiK percentage (0.35) equals £9,670.50. Multiply this by your tax rate (20 per cent for example – 0.2) and it amounts to company car tax rates £1,934.10 for 12 months. If you decide to pay this monthly, it works out as £161.18 per month – nearly three times more than you would pay for your pick-up each month. When business users can save £100 a month in some cases just by switching to a pick-up, the attraction of these vehicles all begins to make sense.

What other savings are there for pick-ups?

Another area where you might be able to save money is when it comes to fuel, or more specifically private-use fuel that’s paid for by your employer. For 2018/19, the taxable benefit amount was £633, which is then multiplied by your tax banding (either 20 or 40 per cent).

This is an area where you’ll notice large reductions over using a car instead – and to your employer’s benefit, too.

What are the downsides of having a pick-up?

While there are big savings to be had through driving a pick-up as a company car, there are some negatives to using these vehicles.

The first of these is practicality. They might have huge load bays, but unless you have a lockable cover on the back, a pick-up can be impractical to use on a daily basis. That said, they can carry huge loads at one time, which is a big advantage.

If you also live on a tight street or where parking is at a premium, these vehicles can often be difficult to manoeuvre, which is something you might have to consider. Pick-up trucks can also feel a bit agricultural behind the wheel, and don’t always have all the luxuries you might expect to find from a similarly-priced car.

Finally, there is the overall running costs. Depending on the pick-up you go for, they can struggle to return over 40mpg, which could be much less efficient than other company cars. If you have to pay for your own private fuel, it could be worth weighing up the extra expense in this department, against the other savings you might be making.

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.

 

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.

For many, a clean exterior is of more value than the interior. Most of us, probably without admitting it, would rather the outside of our cars were lovely and shiny for others to see, but allow the inside of our cars to turn into a tip.

If you have a look inside some cars, they’re littered with empty crisp packets, water bottles and coffee cups, and the end result can be anything from mildly distasteful to borderline hazardous.

The problem is many think that taking a bin bag to the car and giving it a quick five-minute vacuum qualifies for an interior clean, but to get the cabin of your car looking its best, a little extra effort is generally required.

Handily this step-by-step guide will have your interior spick and span in no time.

1. The first step is to empty it of any rubbish, whether that be unwanted receipts, sweet wrappers or empty bottles. Whatever it is, just take a bin bag and fill it with anything you no longer need in your car.

2. One of the main errors most make is not taking the mats out of the car when cleaning it. While mats are great at covering the floor beneath, bits of dirt and stones always get trapped underneath. Take the mats out.

3. Clean the mats outside of the car. This could be by taking them into your house to clean, or you can even lay down a blanket on the floor and clean the mats at the roadside. It sounds picky, but there’s absolutely no point going to the bother of cleaning a mat if the underneath is covered in stones.

4. Next, thoroughly vacuum the entire car. Move the seats backwards and forwards to access all areas, including down the side of the seats, too, where a lot of dirt gets trapped. Try and get in every nook and cranny.

5. Spray an interior shampoo/cleaner on all fabric surfaces (including the mats) and scrub the carpets to extract any dirt. Wet vacs (that extract dirt by machine) can be used, but are only really needed on heavily soiled interiors.

6. Next, the pedals – an area most overlook. Wet the pedals and get a stiff, damp brush to extract the dirt. It’s amazing what hides on them.

7. Time to tackle any trim. On any soiled or muddy plastic trim, use a general trim cleaner and spray it on the affected area and wipe off.

8. Leather next. Use a leather cleaner and spray it on the surface. Use a damp cloth to scrub the leather, before leaving it for a few minutes and wiping any remaining residue with a clean dry cloth. For particularly dirty areas – driver’s seat, steering wheel, etc, you can use a leather brush to help with this.

9. Time to tackle the rest of the car. Use a trim cleaner/ dressing to go over any plastics – the door cards, dashboard, any cup holders, dash buttons. Spray this on a cloth and wipe over, before removing any remaining product not long after with a new clean cloth. You can even use special interior brushes to help get out any dust that gets trapped in any areas such as air vents and between buttons.

10. Don’t forget the door and boot shuts. If these are heavily soiled it’s best to clean them with soapy water and dry them, but if there’s only light dirt on them, you can do this with the same interior cleaner already used on the interior.

11. Glass is important too. Use a dedicated car glass cleaner and glass cloth for optimum results.

12. It might seem like a faff, but go around and give the car a quick vac again – it’s amazing the amount of dust you’ll have picked up from the interior when you’ve properly cleaned it.

13. Put the mats back in.

14. Not everyone likes an air freshener, but if you like the smell of them, put one in to help keep things fresh.

And there you have it – one clean interior.

It might have taken you a while, but we guarantee if you followed our step-by-step guide, you’ll have a spotless interior – the sort you’ll never get from a quick whizz through with a vacuum. We guarantee that the effort is worth it.

Between around September and December last year, nearly every mainstream manufacturer was offering a scrappage scheme – or a ‘low-emission’ or ‘switch’ scheme as some like to call them.

These schemes see consumers trading in their old, more-polluting cars and vans in place of a shiny new motor, and being financially rewarded with a generous discount for doing so.

This not only reduces pollution, but can help consumers slash their running costs with a new vehicle, as well as receiving up to £7,000 towards a new car or van.

While some car makers extended their schemes from 2017 into 2018, most of these stopped at the end of March.

Fortunately, some manufacturers have re-launched their schemes, or extended them even further.

Here we list who is offering such schemes, and the best buy from each brand.

Ford

Ford has had, by some margin, the most successful scrappage scheme of any manufacturer – trading in 19,200 cars in the time its scheme has been running,

The latest offer applies to cars purchased by the end of June 2018 and registered by the end of December, while the car you’re trading in must have been registered before January 1, 2011 and owned by you for at least 90 days.

Discounts of between £2,000 and £4,850 are available on cars, and up to £7,000 across the firm’s commercial vehicle range. One of the most popular picks is £2,000 off Ford’s best-selling Fiesta.

Our pick:

Ford Focus

The unveiling of the new Ford Focus recently means that there are some fantastic offers available on the outgoing model. It still looks the part and is great to drive, if lacking on the technology front. Scrappage savings of up to £4,850 are available on Titanium models, but act fast as these models won’t stay around long.

Hyundai

Hyundai is another manufacturer that has extended its scheme. As with Ford, your car will be eligible if registered before 2011 and if you’ve owned it for three months. Unlike other schemes, though, Hyundai will only scrap the most polluting of those traded in.

Discounts of between £1,500 and £5,000 are available across the range until June 30, with the only cars not included being the sporty i30 N models, the i800 MPV and oddly, the emission-free Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

Our pick:

Hyundai i30

The i30 hatchback has only been on sale a year, but hefty scrappage discounts of £4,000 are available across the hatchback, estate and fastback variants.

Mazda

Mazda is keen to push its low-emitting petrol and diesel cars with its current generous offers that are available on cars registered by June. All cars traded in will be scrapped, while the offer is only available when buying a new Mazda vehicle emitting less than 135g/km of CO2, which excludes the MX-5 models and petrol versions of the CX-3 and CX-5 crossovers.

Savings of between £3,000 and £5,500 are available when trading in cars registered before December 31, 2010, and that have been owned by you for at least two months.

Our pick:

Mazda 3 Diesel

Mazda is offering £5,500 off any Mazda 3 fitted with its diesel Skyactiv-D engines. While discounts are not quite so generous on petrol models, £4,500 savings can still be had.

Kia

Kia has recently added more cars into its updated scrappage offer that started at the beginning of April. Previously only the Picanto and Rio were included in the offer, but now the Stonic crossover and outgoing Cee’d hatchback have also now been added.

Kia’s discounts are not quite as generous as other schemes, but £2,000 is available across the four mentioned models. The scheme requires you to have owned the car for 90 days, and for the car being scrapped to have been registered before June 30, 2011.

Our pick:

Kia Picanto

The Picanto is one of the best city cars on sale, and also has the benefit of Kia’s lengthy seven-year warranty. The £2,000 scrappage discount also applies to the firm’s recently launched SUV-style X-Line and X-Line S models, too.

Toyota

Toyota’s scrappage scheme is one of the widest out there, covering nearly every model in its broad range. Discounts of between £1,500 and £4,000 are available from cars as diverse as the Aygo city car to the Land Cruiser SUV.

Toyota’s scheme runs until July 1, with the car being scrapped needing to have been registered by June 30, 2010 and owned for at least six months before being traded in.

Our pick:

Toyota Auris Hybrid

The British-built Auris Hybrid might not be the most exciting of hatchbacks in the world, but it’s a fantastic family hatchback and is cheap to run in hybrid guise. A new model has only just been revealed, but in the meantime you can save yourself £3,000 off the old one through this offer.

Lexus

The Lexus scrappage scheme works in a similar way to the Toyota one. The difference being that the vehicle you’re trading in has to be registered by December 31, 2009 – the earliest of all the schemes sill running. As with the Toyota scheme, your car or light commercial must have been owned by you for six months and it has to be registered by July 1.

Discounts of up to £4,000 are available on CT, IS, NX and RX models.

Our pick:

Lexus NX

The Lexus NX is a striking, well-made and cheap-to=run SUV, which is made even more affordable by a £4,000 scrappage discount, even if you’ll need quite deep pockets to buy the car in the first place.

BMW

BMW’s scheme – named the ‘BMW Upgrade Scheme’ – works in a slightly different way to the rest, as the money received can only go towards a BMW PCP finance agreement.

BMW gives you a fixed £2,000 towards any of its models that emit under 130g/km, just as long as your car is an EU4 emission compliant, or lower, diesel vehicle registered before January 2011. The scheme runs until June 30, 2018.

Our pick:

BMW 3 Series

BMW’s 3 Series saloon has been a popular executive saloon for some time now, and the new model is better than ever with its improved infotainment system and driving ability. Not every 3 Series emits less than 130g/km of CO2, though.

The wheels on a car are often the area that end up the dirtiest, and therefore need the most attention.

They attract brake dust like a magnet, particularly front alloys that typically have disk brakes. Mud-splattered roads also mean that rear wheels can end up caked in grime, needing attention to remove safely.

As more wheels are painted in gloss black finishes that are prone to scratching, as well as many being a pricey optional extra on new cars, there is even more of a need to keep them looking their best to prevent marks.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a handy step-by-step guide to get your wheels sparkling again. It might seem a bit time consuming, but it will definitely be worth it in the end.

And unfortunately we couldn’t find a Ferrari with filthy enough wheels to take photos of, so we had to make do with a dented brown 2011 Skoda Yeti. At least it was in need of a clean…

1. Get the wheels their own bucket – they are often the most fiddly, time consuming and grimy area. Get them out of the way first.

2. Spray them with a pre-wash product, or a wheel cleaner, and leave to soak for a couple of minutes.

3. Pressure wash the dirt away – just look at the difference made already!

4. Next,  clean the wheel faces using a soft wash mitt or wheel mitt.

5. Don’t forget the wheel barrels – use long ended brushes to clean them – you often need several brushes to reach all the areas.

7. If the wheels look like they still need a bit of attention, use what’s known as fallout remover to remove any iron particles from the brake dust left on the wheels. The product turns red, and then it can be sprayed off. The reaction shows up better on neglected wheels. 

8. Don’t forget the tyres and wheel arches, either. Spray a strong APC on them and leave for a couple of minutes.

9. Scrub the tyres using a dedicated tyre brush and the wheel arches if ingrained dirt is present on them.

10. Fully rinse the wheel removing any dirt.

11. Once you’ve cleaned the rest of the car, and dried it – don’t forget to dry the wheels and tyre arches, too. This leaves a good base to apply tyre shine to.

13. And there you have it – one sparking set of wheels, we did have to clean the rest of it, too.

While clear smear-free glass looks good, it is just as imperative that it is clean for safety, too.

We’ve all been there when the early morning sun is glaring at your windscreen and all you can see is the horrible marks from when you’ve haphazardly tried to make it clear one morning using an old demister pad. It’s not pleasant and can be dangerous as well, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Glass is notoriously tricky to clean. It’s either too sunny, too dark or too damp, and if you clean it in any of these conditions, it can actually make it look worse than it did initially.

However, by following these top tips you can have your glass looking perfect in no time.

1. It goes without saying, but never try and clean muddy exterior glass – a rear window, for example. Always wash it first.

2. Two cloths is best – keep one wet and one dry. It’s also worth using dedicated glass cloths.

3. Choose your glass cleaner carefully, and don’t use the one you use in your house. Generally car and house glass are made slightly differently and don’t necessary work the same, so keep them separate.

4. Never work in circles, always work up and down and side to side. By doing this, you can often see where you’ve been, helping to make sure you’ve removed all product from the glass. It also prevents smear, too.

5. Always check thoroughly that you’ve cleaned the glass fully, and go over the area again if necessary. You don’t want streaky glass for sure.

Taking the roof off a car is a fantastic marketing tool that manufacturers love to use.

It usually gives cars a sporty and classier feel – but sometimes that’s just not the case. While we’re not saying that every convertible is bad, there have been some shocking convertibles over the years. It certainly doesn’t help that the cars they are often based on are usually pretty lousy, too.

Here we take you through the worst ten from recent years.

1. Chrysler PT Cruiser

The PT Cruiser Convertible is probably the worst convertible to hit the market ever – an achievement in itself. The PT Cruiser was a vile looking car in itself, but removing the roof made it even worse.

It wasn’t helped by the fact Chrysler had to add a cross bar to help hold up the roof – something that hadn’t been seen for at least a decade before. In short, it was a shocker, and wasn’t helped by the thirsty engines offering mundane performance.

2. Peugeot 308 CC

The 308 CC has to go down as one of the tubbiest convertibles ever made. Wide wheel arches can often make a car look muscular, but in this case it just made the 308 look plain fat, and it wasn’t helped by some lacklustre engines.

For a relatively hefty convertible, it was also impressively impractical, with near-useless rear seats and a poor-sized boot. Its comfort is probably its only redeeming feature.

3. Ford StreetKa

The Ford Ka was a quirky car for Ford, and proved a big hit with first drivers and city dwellers. Ford tried to maximise on the Ka’s success by taking the roof off it, which ultimately just made it look odd.

Time hasn’t been kind to the StreetKa either, with the convertible (and the hatch) renowned for plagued with rust issues. It’s definitely one to avoid unless you can find a rust-free example for pennies – but good luck with that.

4. Range Rover Evoque Convertible

It might be a bit harsh to include the Range Rover Evoque Convertible in this list – it is quite a good car after all – it’s here just because Land Rover decided to fill a niche that didn’t exist, or shouldn’t have existed.

It’s actually not bad to drive, but you just can’t wonder why anyone who bought one just didn’t buy the handsome hard-roofed version. The convertible is slower than the standard car, and also has a stupidly high list price, too.

5. Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

We would love to tell you that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible was the first SUV convertible, but unfortunately it wasn’t. No, that accolade has to go the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet.

When a concept of the Murano Convertible was first revealed in 2010, everyone just thought it was another ridiculous concept that would never make production. But it did, somehow. Thankfully it was never officially brought over to the UK, but knowing that it actually exists still makes us shiver inside.

6. Renault Megane CC

We could have realistically included any of the Megane CC generations in this list, but we decided that it had to be the second-generation convertible here. The second-gen hatchback model was famed for its quirky rear end, but even that was lost on the convertible.

Instead, this was replaced by a flat boot and an unnecessarily big aerial. The heavy folding glass roof also had a negative effect on performance, resulting in a mundane convertible. It does serve as a relaxing convertible, if that’s all you’re after, though.

7. Lexus IS Convertible

The fact there is very little to say, neither good or bad, about the Lexus IS Convertible is pretty much all you need to know about it. It’s one of those cars that people ask, “Did Lexus actually make one?”. And yes, it did.

The Lexus IS saloon is a refined and luxurious cruiser, and the convertible version was no different. Unfortunately for Lexus, no one ever really ever bought one which seals its fate in this list.

8. Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

The fifth-generation Vauxhall Astra will probably go down in history as one of the dullest cars ever made. The convertible TwinTop certainly looked better than the hatch – but that doesn’t say much.

The value of a car is usually a good indication of a car’s popularity, and the fact that an Astra TwinTop can now be picked up for pittance shows just how un-loved this Astra convertible really was.

9. Nissan Micra C+C

You may have noticed a theme in this list so far with convertible versions of mid-2000s hatchbacks appearing prominently. It wasn’t a good era for convertibles to say the least, and the Micra C+C is just another one from this period.

Richard Hammond once famously drove a pink one on Top Gear with a paper bag over his head, which is really all that needs to be said for the Micra C+C.

10. Citroen C3 Pluriel

The bubble-shaped Citroen C3 was a pretty poor attempt at a car in itself. You’d like to think that the bosses at Citroen would have had enough sense to leave it at that, but no, a convertible ‘Pluriel’ version was launched.

Featuring the most complex roof design ever fitted to a car, where you have to remove the roof bars before realising there is nowhere to actually store the wretched things, it should have been canned before the first one even drove off the production line.

Cars get mucky, it’s a fact of life.

A crazy amount of people would never even consider cleaning their car themselves, but it’s easy to clean like a pro – just as long as you have the right equipment.

It could also save you some money too – but only if you get the steps right. Here we consulted an expert car detailer to help create this step-by-step guide to getting your car clean, in the safest and best way possible.

1. Get it wet

Never, and we mean never, start washing a dry car. It must be wet for optimum results. Ideally use a pressure washer, but not everyone has the access to one, so at the very least use a hosepipe with a nozzle attachment to wet the car first.

2. Pre-cleaning is the way forward

A pre-cleaner can come in the form of a snowfoam – used with a pressure washer – or as a diluted all-purpose cleaner. These can be sprayed on, left for several minutes, and then washed off. The idea is to remove as much dirt as possible before you even touch the car.

3. Bin that old sponge

You probably have an old sponge lurking at the back of your shed, but for the sake of your paint, bin it. In short, sponges mean swirls – unsightly wash marks that detract from the look of your paint – so never use them. Instead use a wash mitt, made from either lamb’s wool or microfibre.

4. Two buckets

Yes, you probably only own just one bucket, but they’re cheap so you might as well buy another. The idea is you have one filled with clean water and one with shampoo, and don’t mix them. Dunk the mitt in the shampoo, clean the car, rinse it in the clean water, and repeat.

Washing-up liquid is for dishes, not cars, so don’t use it. It contains bleach and ammonia that break down the wax on the paint, leading to dull paint, and in extreme cases, can even lead to the paint cracking. Dedicated car shampoos should always be used instead.

5. Use grit guards

Grit guards are effectively small plastic guards that sit at the bottom of the bucket. They trap the dirt, meaning you can’t reach it with your mitt, meaning less paint marring. They are a worthy investment.

6. Wash top to bottom and in straight lines

It goes without saying that the most dirt lies near the bottom of the car. To avoid rubbing it around, clean the top areas first. This means roof and windows first, sills and mud flaps last. Cleaning in straight lines will mean less swirls in the paint.

7. Don’t forget your wheels

Clean wheels make or break the cleanliness of a car, so don’t overlook them. Specialist cleaners and brushes can both be used, but providing your wheels aren’t too filthy, they aren’t always needed.

8. Suds away

Never let suds dry on the car, so rinse them off straight away. Cleaning and rinsing section by section tends to work best.

The sun is a pain when it comes to car cleaning, so be very careful about not letting water dry on the car and be quite picky about when you choose to wash your car.

9. Throw the chamois away

It’s probably ingrained in your memory that a chamois is a good way to dry a car, but this is no longer the case. A chamois can trap dust or grit left on the car, leading to light scratches. Plush microfibre towels are what you should be using, because of their deep pile.

Don’t ever let a car dry on its own, instead use a microfibre towel to dry every surface, being careful to wipe up any drips coming from panel gaps and from wing mirrors.

10. Add protection

There’s nothing quite like giving a clean car a once-over with some spray wax. It will remove any leftover water marks, add a layer of protection – allowing for an easier clean next time – and make the car look extra glossy.

11. Don’t forget the tyres and glass

Finishing touches are important, and while there are too many to name, the glass and tyres are the basics. Clean the glass using a good quality glass cleaner, and not one you use for your house windows. Applying tyre shine also makes a huge difference, and is quick to do.

All done

And there you have it, one extremely clean car. If you are wanting to take it a step further, we strongly recommend polishing your car. Look out for a future guide we will be doing about how to polish a car properly, helping you to have your car to look its absolute best.