Author: Ted Welford

A new year can mean a new start, and that’s definitely one way of thinking about your car.

Over the year, your vehicle might have been neglected inside and out, but starting 2024 off with a thorough spruce-up will get it looking and feeling fresh again, and be a good beginning for a new year.

Let’s take a look at some thorough tips for cleaning your car.

Start with the inside

Cars are usually cleaned more regularly outside than in, which is why the cabin of your car is often the part that’s dirtiest and takes the longest to sort.

The first step is to empty the vehicle, including all the door pockets where rubbish and receipts you might no longer need can gather, as well as the boot, which can be full of sorts of items you’ve accumulated over time. Getting all this emptied will allow you the perfect base to start the next cleaning process

Thorough vacuum

Getting the vacuum out is the next step, and take your time to do a proper job. It’s worth removing any floor and boot mats from the vehicle so you can get underneath them as this is often a place that’s overlooked.

If there’s any ingrained dirt, you don’t necessarily need any cleaning products, but rather a damp cloth to agitate the dirt. If this isn’t working, we recommend getting an all-purpose cleaner, which are widely available in motor part retailers and can be heavily diluted and used for a variety of different jobs both on the interior and exterior.

Don’t forget the touch surfaces

It’s worth going a step further than just a vacuum if you’re doing a ‘new year clean’. Leather is the only real part of the interior that requires a specialist product, so if your car has the material for the seats, gearstick and steering wheel, for example, it’s worth paying for a proper leather cleaner which can be used again and again.

Don’t forget to wipe over the dashboard surfaces and door cards with a clean cloth, either, and it’s worth cleaning the most commonly used buttons and any touchscreens, which can be a magnet for fingerprints. If your vehicle has any gloss black surfaces, be careful not to put too much pressure on it when cleaning as these can easily scratch.

Move to the exterior – pre-wash

Now that the interior is looking much better, it’s time to move to the outside. Over the winter months, your car will likely have gathered all sorts of grime and winter salt, which is why we strongly recommend a good pre-wash.

You could use the all-purpose cleaner we’ve mentioned already, or what’s known as a ‘snowfoam’ cleaner through a pressure washer. Spray this product on, and leave it for five minutes or so, and it will help to break down the dirt, ready for it rinsed off. A pressure washer is best if you have one as the aim is to get as much grime off the car as possible before you begin the contact wash.

The wash stage

For the wash stage, we strongly recommend using a dedicated car shampoo as washing-up liquid can degrade your paint. Use a proper cleaning mitt and not a sponge, as well, and preferably use two buckets – one filled with the shampoo mixture and another with clean water that you use to rinse the wash mitt.

While washing, remember to work from the top down as generally the lowest areas of the car are the ones that will have the most dirt, which you won’t want to spread around. Remember to rinse the wash mitt regularly and work in straight, not circular, motions as this could cause swirls that dullen your vehicle’s finish over time.

Drying and finishing touches

Once the car has been thoroughly washed, give it one final rinse down. While it’s tempting to leave it at that, you don’t want any water spots to be left on the vehicle, which is why we recommend using a proper microfibre towel to pat it dry. Don’t forget to clean the door and boot shuts either, as these can attract water which you don’t want to leave sitting there over time as it can cause rust over time.

If you want to go a step further, it could be worth applying some protection to the vehicle, such as a wax or sealant, which will help to preserve the finish and also make it clean next time. That final point is important, as it’s an easy way to keep on top of cleaning a car because it makes it less time-consuming when you next go to spruce up your car.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched its own insurance product after customers of its vehicles struggled to get cover following a spate of keyless Range Rover thefts.

Autocar reported earlier in the year that owners of Range Rovers in London – a hot spot for thefts – were struggling to insure their vehicles or facing soaring premiums if they could. Vehicles such as the previous-generation Range Rover and Range Rover Sports are among the UK’s most stolen cars.

JLR is now launching its own insurance with the firm saying it has been ‘developed to help alleviate recent challenges clients have faced when seeking insurance’.

Targeted primarily at Range Rover owners, but also available to Jaguar and Land Rover Defender and Discovery drivers, the firm says it has provided more than 4,000 quotes to owners since October, with an average ‘monthly premium of less than £200’, though this is considerably more than the average monthly premium of £74, according to Compare the Market’s data.

JLR has been rolling out a security update on various Range Rover models made since 2018 to help reduce the likelihood of keyless theft, and says it has ‘proactively shared’ its latest data that is said to demonstrate their improved security ‘to help increase the range of insurance options on the open market’.

The firm also says its own insurance makes sure that repairs are completed by a JLR-authorised bodyshop.

A JLR spokesperson said: “Customers of luxury cars and other luxury items are experiencing an increase in thefts due to organised criminal activity in the UK. The desirability of our luxury vehicles, coupled with concerns around thefts, has recently led to challenges in obtaining insurance cover for some clients.

“We are fully committed to doing everything we can to address this by adopting a multifaceted approach: from our significant investment in vehicle security, to now providing our own insurance.”

Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas is one of the most popular festive songs, but you could be playing it out of the speakers of the musician’s own Ferrari.

A 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta originally owned by Chris Rea is now up for sale just in time to drive home for Christmas. Described as the ‘world’s finest example’ of this particular Ferrari, it is said to be in the ‘holy grail’ collector specification and is one of the earliest examples of the F355 Berlinetta.

Painted in ‘Blu Scuro Micaalizzato’ with a cream interior, it’s powered by a rare 2.7-litre engine and manual gearbox combination.

It was ordered new by Chris Rea, who is said to be a ‘highly-regarded Ferrari enthusiast’, and has now covered 25,500 miles. Now up for sale with Bell Sport & Classic, based in Markyate, Hertfordshire, the firm says it has been subject to a ‘comprehensive refresh’ by its team of Ferrari experts.

Tim Kearns, managing director of Bell Sport & Classic, said: “We’re proud to offer this ultra-desirable example of the Ferrari F355. This sale represents a rare opportunity to acquire the 355 everyone wants: an early right-hand drive, ‘2.7 Motronic’, non-airbag, manual Berlinetta in a timeless specification. The model also has a compelling backstory, purchased new by noted Ferrari collector, Chris Rea.

“This 355 represents the ‘holy grail’ for Ferrari collectors – a useable example of Maranello’s mid-engined masterpiece, in its purest, most intoxicating form. As the F355 reaches its 30th anniversary, it also represents an astute investment.”

There’s no word on pricing, but it’s likely to be for sale for around £200,000 given the specification and provenance.

Mercedes has revealed the SL63 S E-Performance as its new sports car flagship.

Joining existing V6 and V8 versions of the new Mercedes SL, the E-Performance uses the firm’s latest sporty plug-in hybrid powertrain, as seen in the AMG GT.

Packing a mighty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine on the front axle and a rear electric motor, it develops a significant 805bhp – 240bhp more than the previous range-topping SL, and is the joint most powerful car that Mercedes has ever made.

It allows for a 0-60mph time of just 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 198mph, where permitted. It’s also equipped with four-wheel-drive and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Mercedes says the electric motor ‘provides an extra boost’ when setting off, accelerating and overtaking.

The battery storage of this new SL is said to be ‘inspired’ by Formula 1, with Mercedes saying it’s ‘designed for fast power delivery, and not the longest possible range’. As a result, the small 6.1kWh battery only allows for around eight miles of electric-only running ability, though the electrical power is ‘always available’.

Despite the performance, Mercedes claims a fuel economy figure of 36.7mpg, along with 175g/km CO2 emissions – considerably better than the other SL models.

There are eight different driving modes available, including ‘Electric’ and ‘Battery Hold’, which are exclusive to this hybrid version. Despite the car usually starting in electric mode an ‘AMG-typical sound’ is pushed through the speakers, Mercedes says.

Four levels of brake recuperation can be selected to recharge the battery, though the car can also be plugged in to charge the battery.

The only visual differences to the standard Mercedes SL are the grooved exhausts, a rear charging flap and red logos.

There’s no word on pricing, but the Mercedes SL63 S E-Performance is likely to cost close to £200,000 when sales start in 2024.

Bugatti has shown off its latest bespoke hypercar, which was a husband’s gift to his wife for her 70th birthday.

The Chiron Super Sport, costing more than £3m and produced in limited numbers, is already a rare car on its own. But one customer had a dream to create a bespoke version based on a highly rare and valuable Bugatti – a one-of-four Type 57 SC Atlantic – she had seen 20 years earlier at the Mullin Automotive Museum in California.

The unnamed customer – based in the US – invited his wife for her 70th birthday to visit Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, where she would remember the first time she’d seen the classic car and sit down with Jascha Straub, lead designer at Bugatti’s special ‘Sur Mesure’ division. Over a year, the idea would come to reality, with a host of details created to make this a true ‘one-off’ Bugatti.

Straub said: “During her visit, when we passed a scale model of the Type 57 SC – the very first Atlantic and the exact one she had seen all those years ago – there was an immediate spark of recognition between us that this is the direction we should take.

“The customer’s enthusiasm and active engagement throughout the whole design process were a constant source of inspiration. Her perspective, rooted in a profound respect for Bugatti’s heritage, and driven by a desire to craft an authentic homage, guided us in creating a vehicle that stands at the intersection of history and innovative engineering.”

Painted in the same silver-blue colour as the classic 1930s Bugatti, the modern-day Chiron also features a unique ‘horseshoe’ grille that harks back to the original. Polished five-spoke alloy wheels are also used for the Chiron, along with a range of chrome accents. The underside of the car’s spoiler also features a hand-drawn silhouette of the Atlantic.

The personalisation continues to the interior, with a ‘Gaucho’ leather selected, and a hand-stitched silhouette of the classic car on the door panels and centre console.

The Super Sport is one of the more extreme versions of Bugatti’s Chiron hypercar, and was made following the firm breaking through the 300mph barrier. It features an extended body, with its mighty 8.0-litre W12 engine producing 1,578bhpand enabling a top speed limited to 273mph.

Bugatti says the ‘57 One of One’, as this Chiron is named, will ‘achieve the same iconic status as its predecessor’ in the coming years, but that the customer is currently ‘enjoying her Bugatti driving experience’ on a US grand tour.

November was another strong month for the new car market, with sales returning to pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 156,625 new cars were registered last month – 9.5 per cent more than a year earlier. Fleet registrations continue to drive this growth, with almost 60 per cent of sales being to fleets in November.

But what are the new cars that are proving most popular? Let’s take a look at the 10 best-sellers in November.

1. Ford Puma – 4,298 registrations

After a shaky few years in the new car market, Ford looks to have found its feet once again with the Puma crossover, which was the most popular car in November, with 4,298 registrations. It looks set to become the UK’s most popular car overall for the full year as well.

Now that the Fiesta has been discontinued, the Puma is the obvious choice for Ford buyers looking for the most affordable model from the Blue Oval, with its smart styling and enjoyable driving experience giving plenty of reasons to consider it.

2. Vauxhall Corsa – 4,185

Vauxhall has just introduced a facelifted version of its Corsa, and it’s clear this is having minimal impact on its sales, with this supermini being the second most popular car in November with 4,185 registrations.

The Corsa’s latest refresh gives the car a new front-end design, bringing it in line with the rest of the Vauxhall line-up, along with more technology and in the case of the electric version, a longer range of up to 246 miles.

3. Nissan Qashqai – 4,116

The British-built Nissan Qashqai continues to be a hugely popular choice in the family car segment, with 4,116 examples of this crossover being registered last month. Fleet sales are particularly strong for it, too.

The Qashqai’s mix of style, practicality and generous equipment levels make it one of the best SUVs in its class, while the addition of the e-Power hybrid model makes it a good fit for those looking to make the first step into something electrified.

4. Mini – 3,528

A new generation of Mini might be arriving in 2024, but that’s not stopping sales for the existing version of this well-loved hatchback, which was the fourth most popular car in November, with 3,528 registrations.

Even as the Mini Hatch gets on in terms of age, it remains the most stylish and fun-to-drive car in its class. The Electric version, despite its small range of around 145 miles, continues to sell well too, particularly in urban areas.

5. Ford Kuga – 3,202

Ford had a strong month in November, with two of the five most popular cars coming from the firm. Its larger Kuga SUV had a strong month, with 3,302 registrations.

This Nissan Qashqai rival continues to be a hit with families that value its practical interior and generous equipment levels. Ford also offers both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid on the Kuga, with these two versions being particularly popular.

6. Kia Sportage – 3,045

Kia’s Sportage is now a regular in the list of top 10 cars and continues to help drive this South Korean brand’s growth in the UK. Just over 3,000 Sportages were registered during November, too.

There’s a lot to like about the Sportage, including its modern interior and exterior and impressively spacious interior. The good availability of electrified versions continues to make it a hit, as does Kia’s fantastic seven-year warranty.

7. Vauxhall Mokka – 2,917

Reflective of the sharp increase in small SUVs, Vauxhall’s Mokka has continued to grow in popularity during 2023, with just shy of 3,000 examples registered in November.

The Mokka’s striking design continues to prove popular with buyers, as does its efficient engines and smart interior. There’s also the option of an electric version, while Vauxhall is expected to introduce an updated version in the next few months.

8. MG HS – 2,734

MG is a car firm that continues to grow, with strong sales for pretty much all its cars, including its many electric models. But in November, it was the mid-size HS SUV that proved the most popular, with 2,734 examples being sold.

The key attraction to the HS is its value for money, with a £23,495 starting price significantly undercutting rivals. A recent facelift has helped to freshen up the HS’ styling, while there’s also the option of a plug-in hybrid version.

9. Volkswagen Golf – 2,733

Volkswagen’s Golf is the kind of car that can be mentioned anywhere and instantly imagined. The ever-popular hatch entered its eighth generation in 2020 and, despite being hampered initially by Covid-related shutdowns, has only gone from strength to strength in terms of sales.

Available in a variety of guises including efficient-yet-sporty GTE and out-and-out performance R, the Golf continues to hit the mark for all different types of drivers.

10. Audi A3 – 2,726

Few cars have the all-rounder appeal of the Audi A3, which has been the German firm’s core hatchback for decades now. These days, the A3 is more tech-heavy than ever with loads of great features inside pulled together with Audi’s traditionally strong sense of build quality.

There are loads of engines to choose from with the A3, too, including an efficient plug-in hybrid which can help reduce monthly running costs.

Motoring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are to leave Amazon’s The Grand Tour after a ‘final special’ airs next year.

The trio, who previously starred on the BBC’s Top Gear together for more than a decade, were snapped up by Amazon’s Prime streaming service in 2015 and have done five series’ for the firm, along with various special episodes.

The trio have just returned from Zimbabwe after completing their final special for Amazon. While away on filming, the trio posted after British Airways had cancelled their flight and they were ‘stranded’ on a ‘sunset safari with gin and tonics and meerkats’.

Jeremy Clarkson posted on X, formerly Twitter, thanking the Zimbabwean people. He said: “My profound thanks to the people and government of Zimbabwe for helping to make a very special Grand Tour special, very special. We absolutely adored everything about your country. Apart from the potholes maybe.”

In an Instagram post, Clarkson confirmed that The Grand Tour was “no more” after next year.

Amazon Prime said they had ‘no official comment’ on the presenters leaving, but added that ‘options are being explored’ for the show’s future.

An Amazon spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Jeremy, Richard and James have just returned from shooting in Zimbabwe, this final special with the trio is heading into the edit and will launch at a later date next year.

“The next The Grand Tour special set in Mauritania will launch in February 2024. Options are being explored for the future of a new The Grand Tour, it’s yet to go through greenlight.”

It follows the news last week that Top Gear was being rested for the “foreseeable future” by the BBC, following production being halted in December 2022 after former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff was involved in a serious accident during filming at the Top Gear test track in Dunsfold, Surrey.

Clarkson has, however, confirmed that Clarkson’s Farm – which follows the motoring star’s journey in running a farm – will continue, and has been commissioned for a fourth series, adding that there was “a LOT more” to come.

An Audi RS6 that was first used by Duke of Sussex as his personal car is currently up for sale.

The 2017 Audi RS6 was delivered to Harry shortly after the car was registered, with the royal covering around 4,500 miles with the car during his 15-month ownership. He also had the car during the time of his marriage to Meghan Markle in May 2018, too.

Though likely leased by Audi to Harry, the Audi RS6 had a list price of £91,530 when new, including additional extras such as a Daytona Grey Pearl paint, Alcantara seats and carbon interior trim.

This RS6’s number plate KX17 ZBN can be seen in pictures with Harry behind the wheel of the car.

The RS6 is of a C7 generation, sold between 2013 and 2018, and uses a 552bhp 4.0-litre V8 engine that allows for a 0-60mph time of under four seconds.

The duke’s Audi RS6 is currently up for sale with a private seller in Grantham on the online automotive marketplace Pistonheads for £42,000. Despite the royal connections, it’s priced similarly to those without the provenance.

This Audi RS6 last came up for sale in August 2018 shortly after Harry had returned the car, when the car was advertised for £71,900.

Matt Bird, deputy editor of Pistonheads, said: “The Audi RS6 is a firm favourite among performance car enthusiasts, and rightly so. Even with royal blood running through its fuel lines, this example is now available for less than half the car’s original purchase price.

“While most people would be forgiven for mistaking the RS6 as any other Audi-badged estate, the RS6 is genuinely capable of going toe-to-toe with most supercars when it comes to straight-line performance.”

The listing arrives just days after a 2004 Range Rover specified and used by the late Queen Elizabeth II sold for a record £132,750 at an auction over the weekend after the previous keeper – who only bought the car in July 2023 for £33,000 – managed to unearth its incredible provenance.

While the royal family are known for their connection to Land Rovers, they also frequently use Audis courtesy of a deal the German brand has with the household.

Harry and his brother William have been spotted in various Audi models over the years, while Princess Diana was known for using a 1994 Audi 80 Cabriolet.