Category: News

An amphibious all-terrain vehicle once owned by Jeremy Clarkson is to be sold at auction.

The 2005 Argo Avenger 8×8 was bought new by the journalist and former Top Gear host, before it was sold around 2010, according to auctioneers Cheffins.

It is estimated it will fetch between £2,000 to £4,000 when it goes under the hammer in Cambridge on April 22.

Cheffins described the vehicle as a utility task vehicle (UTV), which is a larger type of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) designed for off-roading.

A UTV is designed to haul heavier loads and perhaps allow additional passengers, rather than an ATV built for one rider.

Tom Godsmark, an associate at Cheffins, said: “UTVs are all-round good fun, but this one with its previous life of having been owned by one of TV’s most popular personalities certainly gives it a whole new level of desirability.

“A true boy’s toy, the Argo Avenger is one of the most iconic amphibious vehicles on the market, and we expect this to do well at our sale.

“Unfortunately this UTV never lived at Diddly Squat Farm; however, Mr Clarkson has an army of fans out there, and, with the recent release of the latest season of Clarkson’s Farm, I am confident this will appeal to a number of buyers.”

The vehicle comes with an operation manual, service manual and safety video.

It is being sold by a machinery dealer based in Oxfordshire, and is part of the Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale.

A grandmother has won a Porsche worth £100,000, but has decided to stick with her Vauxhall Corsa.

Joanne McGuigan, from Fife in Scotland, won the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Coupe in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, which is raising money for Marie Curie.

The 49-year-old and her husband plan to sell the sports car to pay off their mortgage and treat their six children and four grandchildren.

Mrs McGuigan said she does not want to part with her beloved Corsa, which has 44,000 miles on the clock and is worth about £10,000.

She said her husband Iain, a car mechanic, did not believe her at first when she said she had won a Porsche.

“I’d just come in from work and saw an email from Omaze saying I’d won something,” she said.

“I thought it sounded too good to be true so didn’t even mention it to my husband when he came home.

“Later that night I decided to check it again and was flabbergasted to find that my entry code did indeed match – and I’d genuinely won a Porsche!

“My husband was still dubious though and told me not to get my hopes up, but now the car is actually here I think he’s finally convinced!

“I have never won anything before this so I’m still in shock, to be honest.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been inside a Porsche and the car is absolutely stunning – after going for a spin I can safely say it’s definitely quicker than my Vauxhall!

“As much as my husband would love to keep it, the money we’ll get from selling it is life-changing – so we’re going to sell it and use the money to pay off our mortgage and treat our children and grandchildren.”

Full-size, self-driving buses will begin public services next month in what is believed to be a world first.

Stagecoach announced the ground-breaking scheme over Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge will launch on May 15.

It will cover a 14-mile route between the Ferrytoll park and ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park train and tram interchange.

Five single-decker autonomous buses will run to a frequent timetable with capacity for about 10,000 passenger journeys per week.

The vehicles have sensors enabling them to travel on pre-selected roads at up to 50mph.

They will have two members of staff on board.

A safety driver will sit in the driver’s seat to monitor the technology, and a so-called bus captain will help passengers with boarding, buying tickets and queries.

The UK Government believes this will be the world’s first, full-size, self-driving, public bus service.

Kevin Stewart, transport minister for the Scottish Government, said: “This is an exciting milestone for this innovative and ambitious project, and I very much look forward to seeing Project CAVForth take to the roads next month.

“Our trunk road network can provide a wide range of environments as a diverse testing ground, and the ground-breaking and globally significant Project CAVForth will really help Scotland establish its credentials on the world stage.”

Stagecoach UK managing director Carla Stockton-Jones said: “We are excited to introduce the UK’s first autonomous bus fleet in east Scotland which is also home to our headquarters and where it all began over 40 years ago.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of transport innovation with this project that marks a significant milestone for public transport and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board in the coming months.”

Drivers are being warned to expect severe queues on the roads with up to 17 million leisure trips by car predicted to be made over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Major roads in south-west England and some in the Home Counties are likely to experience the worst congestion on Good Friday, according to the RAC and transport analytics company Inrix.

More than double the normal traffic levels are predicted for the A303 westbound near Stonehenge in Wiltshire, the M5 south between Bristol and Bridgwater, and the M25 anticlockwise between Hertfordshire and Surrey.

Queues are likely to be increased by engineering work on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station.

A survey of 2,400 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC suggested 2.7 million car journeys have been planned for Good Friday and Easter Sunday by drivers embarking on day trips or overnight stays.

Saturday and Easter Monday are expected to be slightly less busy, with 2.3 million separate getaway trips on each day.

Many people may be waiting to see what the weather has in store as there is potential for another seven million trips to be staggered throughout the long weekend.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With many people keen to make the most of the double bank holiday this Easter weekend, we’re expecting the customary jams across parts of the road network to make this Good Friday a bad Friday for drivers, especially those who are planning on covering longer distances.

“Traffic volumes could be even higher if the sun chooses to make a welcome appearance.

“The South and West are the areas to watch as they’re home to some vital roads responsible for carrying vast numbers of people to the holiday destinations of the West Country.

“Our advice to anyone heading that way is to get on the road as early as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a different day entirely.”

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “We expect a large jump in holiday driving, with most congestion occurring on major roads around urban areas and popular destinations.

“Nationwide, we anticipate travel times during the holiday weekend to increase about 25% compared to normal.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

Mr Dennis urged motorists to give their vehicles “a bit of TLC before setting out”, such as ensuring tyres are properly inflated and checking levels of oil, coolant and screenwash.

National Highways will temporarily remove more than 1,400 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major A-roads by 6am on Thursday until Tuesday April 11.

That means more than 98% of its road network will be free from roadworks.

Network Rail is carrying out more than 600 engineering projects on Britain’s railways over the Easter weekend.

No trains will run to or from London Euston between Good Friday and Easter Monday as the West Coast Main Line will be closed up to Milton Keynes Central.

This will disrupt Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services, and Caledonian Sleeper trains will use London King’s Cross.

Track and signalling modernisation work on some lines into London Victoria means Southern and Gatwick Express services will not call at the station during the bank holiday weekend.

Some trains will be diverted to London Bridge.

Network Rail said it often schedules major engineering work for bank holidays to minimise disruption for passengers as fewer people travel during those periods.

The government is looking to clamp down on poorly repaired roads by fining utility companies if they leave highways in a poor state after work has been carried out.

Currently, the government says it inspects ‘about 30 per cent’ of street works following utility companies carrying out repairs. However, the new regulations, coming into force tomorrow (April 1) will see all companies initially inspected, and based on their performance, those carrying out good repairs will be visited less, while the worse-performing will be visited more.

Utility companies will be fined £50 per defect inspection, but if a follow-up visit is needed, they will be charged a further £150. The government hopes this will ‘incentivise companies to perform better to avoid incurring high financial charges’.

The average failure rate for street works carried out by utility companies stands out at nine per cent, but the worst-performing firms are said to have a failed inspection rate as high as 63 per cent. Telecom companies will be targeted in particular, as this is said to be the ‘worst performing segment’.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “Potholes not only cause expensive damage to vehicles but are potentially lethal to those on two wheels. Utility companies have a responsibility to ensure roads are properly repaired after carrying out essential maintenance, but unfortunately far too many roads are left in a substandard condition.

“Introducing new regulations to encourage repairs to be done to a higher standard the first time around will benefit all road users.”

As part of the changes, utility firms will also be required to provide the Department for Transport’s ‘street manager service’ with live information on where and when works are being carried out. This information then feeds into navigation apps to provide more accurate travel information for drivers.

The UK government has detailed a new ‘credits’ system that will let EV-dominant manufacturers ‘trade’ allowances to help firms lagging behind on electrification.

It has launched a final consultation on its proposed zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, seeking views on how to manage petrol and diesel vehicles between now and 2030, when sales of new cars and vans using the fossil fuels are to be banned.

The proposal says that from 2024, car manufacturers will have to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), with the proportion increasing each year in the run-up to 2030.

In 2024, each car manufacturer must have a 22 per cent share of EVs (they accounted for a 16.6 per cent mix in 2022), increasing to 80 per cent by 2030. For new vans, the government wants to see a 10 per cent EV mix among manufacturers in 2024, rising to 70 per cent by 2030.

Manufacturers selling fewer than 2,500 cars every year in the UK would be exempt, with the government ‘recognising their smaller contribution to emissions and more limited resources’.

The proposed EV rules will initially be based on a ‘credit’ system, with manufacturers able to ‘freely trade’ allowances with other car firms ‘for any price’ if they exceed their EV mix until 2026. To qualify as a ZEV – the term the government uses – models must ‘emit no CO2 at the exhaust’ and have a ‘minimum range of 120 miles’.

Manufacturers selling EVs to car clubs will also earn additional credits under the proposals, with the government saying these vehicle-sharing schemes can ‘decongest our roads and offer a zero-emission transport solution to a wider set of users’.

Car makers unable to meet their targets, even with credits, will be fined, with the government proposing a steep £15,000 for every non-electric car and £18,000 per non-electric van they miss their target by.

The government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans that don’t feature any kind of electrification by 2030, before moving to EV-only models from 2035 onwards.

It doesn’t, however, look to be following the EU’s position of permitting vehicles running on e-fuels after 2035 – something for which Germany strongly campaigned. An agreement reached on March 28 is set to allow combustion engines to be allowed in EU countries after the 2035 deadline. The government’s 56-page consultation document contains no mention of ‘e-fuels’, though.

The decision for the UK to stick with its original EV plans and not embrace e-fuels has been welcomed by many, with Ginny Buckley, founder of EV website Electrifying.com, praising the government for ‘pressing ahead’ with the proposals.

She said: “In recent months, it seems some manufacturers who haven’t made the investment in electric powertrains have been trying to change the rules around the 2030 petrol and diesel ban.

“This isn’t fair on others who have been working towards this for some time now, so I’m pleased to see the government isn’t succumbing to pressure from those who haven’t done their ‘homework’.

“In any case, we’re moving in the right direction by pressing ahead with plans and not watering down the rules like our European counterparts, who seem to be using inefficient e-fuels as a distraction.”

The government today also launched a £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund, alongside an extra £15m for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme, to support installing tens of thousands of new chargers across the country. It says this’ll ensure that the UK’s charging network can support the increasing number of EV drivers and those considering making the switch.

The government has today (March 30) announced £381m of funding for new ‘local’ electric car chargers.

Revealed as part of a wider ‘transport decarbonisation’ package, the government has set up the £381m ‘local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) fund. An additional £15m has also been put aside for residential on-street chargers.

The government says that the two schemes will ‘support the installation of tens and thousands of new chargers across the country’.

Each region is allocated a set amount of money to put towards new chargers, with the South East receiving the most at £54m, while the North East is receiving £22m. The money is also split into local authorities, with London receiving by far the largest share of funds with £36m. Rutland will receive the smallest share of £257,000.

Technology and decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman said: “As today’s announcements show, the government is doing more than ever to help the UK move away from petrol and diesel and towards electric vehicles.

“That means investing in charging infrastructure and giving a clear direction to manufacturers, so they can roll out new electric vehicles faster and more efficiently. Overall, the UK is leading the way in decarbonising transport, a sector that is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases.”

The government has also today announced its proposals for a ‘zero emissions vehicle mandate’. Kicking into effect in 2024, car manufacturers will be required to meet a certain percentage of fully-electric sales, but will be able to ‘trade credits’ with more EV-dominant carmakers in order to still meet criteria.

Manufacturers that do not meet this certain share, even with credits, face fines of up to £18,000 per vehicle they miss their target by.

While the extra funding for chargers has been welcomed, many are calling on the government to set out yearly targets for the number of EV points to be installed.

RAC electric vehicles spokesman Simon Williams said: “Extra funding for charging infrastructure is welcome as we know around a third of all homes in the UK don’t have a driveway for a chargepoint to be installed, which makes switching to an electric vehicle less straightforward.

“With the government imposing a mandate for zero-emission vehicle sales on manufacturers, it seems logical that this should be matched by targets for local authorities and charging networks to install a certain number of chargepoints, to meet demand from the expected increase in electric vehicles on the road.”

Lamborghini has unveiled its new flagship supercar – the Revuelto.

It’s equipped with the Italian firm’s first plug-in hybrid V12 engine, which combines the 12-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors that are coupled to a 3.8kWh battery.

It can be charged either via a plug or directly from the engine, with the former taking around 30 minutes and the latter around six minutes to fully charge.

Combined, this setup produces 1,000bhp and results in a 0-60mph time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217mph. It’ll also manage the zero to 124mph sprint in just seven seconds flat.

The exterior has distinctive Y-shape daytime running lights, while the V12 is celebrated by being fully exposed. Inside, there are many references to that exterior ‘Y’ design trait, while much of the cabin is centred around the driver. Lamborghini calls this its ‘space-ship’ design and it’s this which encloses the central air vents and 8.4-inch vertical touchscreen.

Plus, there’s a 9.1-inch display ahead of the passenger which mirrors the information relayed on the driver’s 12.3-inch digital cockpit. There’s also a clever ‘swipe’ function which means that driver or passenger can ‘move’ applications from the central screen to their respective displays.

The steering wheel is also packed with functions, with buttons mounted on it to activate the indicators and lights. Four rotors change which driving mode is selected, and these can be tweaked without the need for the driver to take their hands away from the wheel.

Lamborghini says that the Revuelto is also more spacious than the outgoing Aventador Ultimae, with extra headroom and legroom. Plus, there’s extra room behind the seats which is able, according to Lamborghini, to accommodate items ‘up to the size of a golf bag’.

Carbon fibre is used across the dashboard, while there’s also a combination of leather and a special Corsa-Tex fabric made from recycled polyester via a water-based production process.

Lamborghini has yet to announce a price for the Revuelto, but expect it to far exceed the £365,000 required for the previous equivalent Aventador.

Learner drivers should soon be able to access tests more easily following changes to the booking system which aim to tackle the backlog.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it is altering the system to discourage drivers from booking tests before they are ready, which will free up slots for those who are.

Tests were banned over lockdown, with the resulting backlog forcing drivers to wait months before getting the chance to lose their L-plates.

According to the DVSA’s data from February 2023, around 53% of tests are failed, and examiners are having to physically intervene in more than 12% of tests for safety reasons.

The DVSA plans to extend the period that those who fail their test have to wait before booking another test from 10 to 28 days, and extend the notice period during which a cancelled car test will result in a lost fee from three to 10 days.

The measures aim to discourage learner drivers who are not ready to take a test from booking one, and will come into effect in the summer.

Loveday Ryder, chief executive of the DVSA, urged learner drivers to check the agency’s website for advice before booking a test.

She said: “With more than half of people failing their driving test, it is clear more needs to be done to make sure learner drivers only take their test when they are fully prepared.

“These new measures will help make sure test-ready learners find appointments and give those who fail more time for more practice.

“I also urge learners to check out our Ready to Pass? website to make sure they’re ready – and delay their test if they’re not.

“This will help make more tests available and prevent them having to pay to retest.”

Alfa has developed a new concept version of its Tonale SUV designed to make travelling with children easier.

Called the Tonale Edizione Bambini, it’s a model equipped with a range of accessories to help parents out, including a built-in slide-out baby changing unit, an in-car baby monitor and a custom-made cleaning mat.

When opening the Tonale’s electric tailgate, the changing unit slides out from the parcel shelf and, when no longer needed, slides back again to ensure that it doesn’t dent boot space whatsoever.

There’s also an in-built boot organiser which, thanks to a concertina design, can be stowed away when not in use. A cleaning bag located in one of the compartments contains handy items, too, including a boot-cleaning brush, leather cleaner, tissues and wipes.

In the cabin, Alfa has fitted custom-made seat organisers which are shaped against the contours of the driver and front passenger seats. These are also made from grey leather to match the rest of the cabin, and even get their embossed Alfa Romeo logo. It includes a drinks holder, a bento box for snacks and a rattle-free pen holder.

A survey by Alfa Romeo? of 2,000 adults who drive with children between 0-11 years old also found that 55 per cent of parents reported that children complaining of boredom caused them stress while driving, which is why the Edizione Bambini gets a number of entertainment-focused features.

There are tablet holders fitted to the back of the front seats, for example, while a foldable central toy tidy helps to keep kids occupied. There’s a leather tablet holder for each rear-seat passenger, too.