“The new engine on the Cooper S is every bit as powerful as the outgoing unit and then some. At full throttle, torque steer is a force to be reckoned with, but that’s par for the course on any moderately powerful front-drive vehicle. When the turbo starts to spool, hold on tight. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on both the Cooper and Cooper S. A six-speed automatic is optional, and offers its users the benefit of a Sport button that allows faster shifts. Paddle shifters are also present on the steering wheel, should you find yourself in an automatic Mini and want to get your F1 on” European Car - Full Review

 

Motoring enthusiasts across Britain mourned the passing of the Monaro. The only Australian-built car to be sold in the UK offered raw and exciting performance thanks to its 6.0-litre V8 and rear-wheel drive set up. Continue Reading »
UK: Don’t mourn the Morano - Here come the Vauxhall VXR8!

It’s been announced that Nikolai Smolensky has reacquired TVR trademarks that administrators stripped from him just a few weeks ago. Earlier reports suggested Nikolai planned to restart TVR production in April 2007 but not in the UK as future TVR models are expected to be outsourced with final assembly by Bertone in Italy. Below is the full press release from TVR/Blackpool Automotive. Continue Reading »
Nikolai Smolensky reaquires TVR trademarks

“The power steering, too, seems to have acquired added precision and big Brembo disc brakes stand ready to bring the two-ton sedan quickly to a halt. Add to all of that a set of low-profile performance tires and the result is a Jaguar that can easily take in stride more performance than most drivers will ever ask of it. Fortunately, the performance orientation does not detract from the understated elegance that has been the hallmark of the XJ design that has endured with minor changes for nearly 40 years” The Family Car - Full Review

 

In 2006, MINI dealers invested £21 million in expanding or moving premises to meet the growing MINI range and offer customers more choices in the showroom, rather than just the brochure. Continue Reading »
MINI dealers invest millions….and Robert Stern wins ‘Dealer of the Year’

“It drives like a real Lotus. The steering is unpowered, so heavy when parking, but get going and it lightens up and gives superb feedback of the road. The inch-perfect accuracy with which the Europa can be placed in corners is a never-ending delight, and there are impressive ABS-assisted brakes to back this up. The Vauxhall engine crackles away and fizzes around to the 6,500rpm red-line, with addictive mid-range thrust from the turbo-charger. It was never this easy to extract performance from the Elise, though the small steering wheel and straight-arm, straight-leg race-car driving stance is carried over into the Europa” MSN Cars UK - Full Review

 

Dozens of driven bidders today sent a series of Formula-One-related number plates racing out of auction. Continue Reading »
F1 plates take pole position at DVLA auction

“For now, the most powerful engine you can have is the 1.6 turbo — pretty much the same engine that’s fitted to Peugeot’s lacklustre 207. But in the Mini it’s great. Torquey when you can’t be bothered to change gear and zingy when you can. It’s surprisingly economical as well. The old Cooper S would do 32mpg. This manages 40″ The Times - Full Review

A new website has been launched to help motorists tackle the increasing scourge of Britain’s potholed roads.

The logically named, potholes.co.uk, is designed to assist long-suffering tax-payers highlight poor road surfaces to their local councils, plus advise on how to make a compensation claim should their own vehicle be damaged by a pothole.

Despite the billions of pounds paid into public coffers every year, Britain’s roads are quite simply falling apart. Experts say there has been a 65 percent rise in defects on English roads alone during the past decade, with the shortfall in funding for repairs running at an estimated £1.6bn*. Continue Reading »
UK: Pothole power for the people

“There’s also the interior to enjoy. Nothing in the GTC’s price range even comes close Bentley’s luxurious and hand-crafted cabin. Mercedes models in this price range share components with lesser models, and, good as the leather in a Ferraris is, the rest of their interiors are rather forgettable. In contrast the Bentley feels and looks beautiful” MSN Cars UK - Full Review