Cars

Do you rely on your sat nav?

November 21, 2012 by Guest Author

With society becoming more and more reliant on technology, GPS satellite navigation devices have become a part of every day life. You can download them on your smartphone in minutes and, theoretically, be directed to wherever you’re going via the fastest route. Sounds great, yes, but is this all too easy? Are we becoming too reliant on the sat nav to get us from A to B? Here, Izzy from PassSmart, looks at how the sat nav has become a part of our lives, and how our reliance on them could be putting us, and others, at risk.

Distracted driving

The dangers of distracted driving are all too well documented. Texting or speaking on a hand-held mobile behind the wheel are both offences which, in the UK, could land you with a £60 fine and three points on your licence.

So, what’s different about sat navs? They’re legal, yes, but they can still cause a driver to lose concentration. Whether you’re trying to type in an address whilst on the move, or looking at the screen instead of the road, there’s no doubt that – if used incorrectly – a sat nav can be distracting.

In becoming too trusting of sat navs, drivers are at risk of blindly following the directions and missing vital road signs, obstructions or changes in road layouts. Sat navs are, after all, technology, and technology can fail. At best, you’ll find yourself circling the same road, but you only have to do a quick internet search to find stories of accidents in which a sat nav has played a part.

Loss of common sense

Just a couple of weeks ago, a young driver found herself driving onto a Croydon tramline during rush hour, after following the directions of her sat nav. Although the driver escaped unhurt, the results could have been catastrophic.

We’d all like to think that this mistake wouldn’t happen to us, but how often do you trust your sat navs instructions over your own initiative? Have you ever missed a no entry or one way sign because you were simply following your sat nav?

It’s important to remember that a sat nav is just a guide. It’s not in control of the car. It can’t predict the broken down car around the corner, or the child playing at the side of the road. You, as the driver, are responsible for expecting the unexpected, regardless of what your sat nav is telling you.

‘Inattentional blindness’

A study, conducted by researchers at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, addressed the phenomenon of ‘inattentional blindness’, applying it to sat nav use.

They found that drivers who were following a sat nav could be ‘blind’ to visual information that might clutter their already focused brain. In concentrating on the information that the sat nav is feeding their brain, drivers can be ‘blind’ to what they see going on around them.

“Our research”, Professor Nillie Lavie from UCL explained, “would suggest that focusing on remembering the directions we’ve just seen on the screen means that we’re more likely to fail to observe other hazards around us on the road, for example an approaching motorbike or pedestrian on a crossing, even though we may be ‘looking’ at where we’re going.”

Sat navs are, undoubtedly, useful devices when used correctly. Remember that they are simply a guide, can provide incorrect information, and can’t predict hazards. Most importantly, trust your own initiative. You didn’t, after all, pass your driving test by letting a machine do all the hard work for you!

Have you found yourself in a tricky situation after following your sat nav’s instructions? Do you prefer to stick to reading the map and foregoing the technological approach? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

This guest post was written by Izzy Guarella on behalf of PassSmart.com; the UK-based company who match learner drivers with driving instructors in their area.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Cars, Driving, satnav

Team British Gas’ Robert Llewellyn talks energy and EVs

November 8, 2012 by Chris

Right, on to the third of my posts about the RAC Future Car Challenge and Regent Street Motor Show. This time, a transcript of my interview with Robert Llewellyn or, as some of you may know him better, Kryten from Red Dwarf. As with the interview with Ben Collins, my words are in bold, Robert’s are in italics.

I feel as if I’ve been hearing about you ever since I arrived here today. You’re one of the case studies highlighted on the British Gas stand and, I guess, a bit of an ambassador for them. I noticed that you’re now driving a Nissan Leaf – have you got rid of your Prius?

No, no, I have a plug-in Prius as well, and a leaf. The plug-in Prius is actually my wife’s car, but I do drive it sometimes… when she lets me. She drives the Leaf a lot. We do have rows about which car we’re going to drive.

And you’re now running on solar power for your cars?

Yes. Not 100%, but I know that, because some really clever engineers know how to read the meters in my garage, that I did about 4,500 miles last year purely from solar energy, and I’ve done probably about 3,500 this year because the summer was lousy. So, less this year, but the solar panels have certainly given us an extraordinary amount of energy. It really makes a difference, there’s no question about that and it’s great to learn that from actual experience rather than just reading a leaflet that tells you.

Yes, seeing the stats on the wall is all very well, but you’ve actually lived those stats.

Yes, absolutely.

So, you were driving the Vauxhall Ampera in today’s Future Car Challenge. What did you think of it?

It’s a fabulously engineered car, really beautifully made, really easy to drive. I still have some questions in my mind because, if you were doing, say, a thirty mile commute every day, you wouldn’t buy any petrol. You wouldn’t need to, you’d plug it in at home and drive on electric. And then on the weekend when you want to drive to North Wales or Scotland, you could do it. But what that means is all the time during the week you’re dragging around a tank full of petrol and an engine, and then when you’re driving a long distance, you’re dragging round a huge battery and an electric motor. You kind of ask, “does this really work?”

So it’s either the best of both worlds…

…or the worst, and I can’t decide! I’m not saying one or the other, but I think you would need to drive it for a long time to find out. Certainly the people I’ve spoken to, particularly in the United States, who’ve driven them a long way are saying three or four thousand miles on a tank of gas, because they don’t use the petrol very much. From that point of view, it’s tremendous. I think it’s a huge step forward, and I congratulate General Motors on doing it. From an engineering standpoint, the joining of the electric and petrol, you cannot tell when you switch between them. Suddenly the petrol engine is running and you think, “I didn’t even notice that!”. It is extraordinary.

Having driven pure electric, it feels like a slightly backward step but, that said, what I think it’s done is open that door for a lot of people to see, “Oh, actually, I could drive an electric”, and they then realise that they could drive a pure electric car. General Motors might not be thrilled with that concept, but it’s a proof of concept. You go, “Oh yes, I haven’t use the petrol engine for a month – do I really need it?”

I guess it does away with that whole thing of “range anxiety”.

Yeah. That doesn’t even come into it. I’ve driven the same drive [Brighton - London] in electric cars that were literally on the edge of their range and you’re saying, “Oh god, we’ve got another fourteen miles to go, are we going to make it?”. Didn’t even think about it in the Ampera, so it removes that altogether.

Were there any other cars on the Future Car Challenge you looked at and thought, “I wish I was driving that”?

The Renault Zoe. Today is the first time I’ve seen it outside a motor show – I’ve seen it going along the road today. They are, I think, another game changer; probably the next game changer after the Leaf. The Leaf is a mass-produced electric car that’s just around and people are starting to use and clock up 20, 30, 40,000 miles and they’ve very reliable and just work. I mean, we’ve done 22,000 miles in ours. The Zoe, I think, is the next one. It’s much cheaper to buy initially, has a slightly longer range than the Leaf, is slightly smaller but looks like a normal car, and it’s not really advertising the fact that it’s electric. I can understand that. I’ve driven weird electric cars that I’m happy with but you can get people saying, “Oh, it looks so weird, it’s not like a proper car”. Well these look like proper cars.

You do get some odd reactions, don’t you? I’ve seen some of the comments you’ve had on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

You could call them “odd”.

Yes, being charitable, perhaps!

Yes, but I’ve noticed a slight shift in that there used to be a lot of hostility, and a lot of anger, which I couldn’t quite understand because it’s just a car – it’s made in a factory like every other car. But that’s fading now, and I think there are more and more people thinking, when they will a tank up and it costs £80 or £120, well, for the same amount of money, I could drive 10,000 miles. We’ve worked out that 22,000 miles has cost us around £300. Some of that charging we’ve done outside the home, but not very much – 10-15% maximum. Most of that is charging at home. Now, OK, that’s with solar panels and we try to use off-peak electricity where possible by charging at night.

That’s the other argument people make, actually, “Oh, you’re just burning coal to charge it, so it’s just as dirty as my diesel”. No, it’s not, and night is when there’s the least amount of coal burned and the most nuclear and wind used. It’s genuinely a very low-carbon transport system and, if you’re using solar as well, it drops it even more.

What do you think is the biggest barrier to EVs taking off as a mainstream car?

I think, at the moment, it’s certainly the initial cost of purchasing. If you’re buying a car, which is the most expensive thing people buy other than a house, it’s a lot to ask of people to, instead of buying these cars that we’re used to, that we know work alright, and that you can refuel in a few minutes… buy this one that’s completely different and totally challenging. It’s a big step to make, so I think what we’ll see is, generationally, there will be a shift. So there will be people who are now between 15 and 20, who aren’t learning to drive as much as they used to, the number of people taking their test has dropped quite dramatically, but when they come to be interested in buying a car they’ll be more likely to rent them on a short-term basis, like a car club, and they’ll be much more likely to drive electric cars. Both my children, the first vehicle they moved in under their own power, steering it, was electric. There was none of that stuff with learning how to use a clutch, or hill starts, or anything like that.

I’ve driven a couple of Electric Vehicles, and they are genuinely a pleasure to drive.

They are, because they’re very, very simple and, and this has surprised everybody who’s had a go in my car, and these are blokes who are used to cars with a little bit of power [doing a cracking Jeremy Clarkson impression here], they are always staggered by their performance. They can really shift – you can still lose your license driving an electric car.

It was interesting talking to The Stig earlier on, which is an odd thing to find yourself saying, and he was saying the Leaf is a perfectly fine car to drive.

Interestingly, for him, because we were all teasing him last night that he was just going to thrash it and go really fast, we did follow him through the streets of London and he was slightly more aggressive than I would be, but he did really well. He ended up with quite a lot of extra miles in his battery over other people who’ve driven the same car. That’s the skill of the driver, that he didn’t hammer it. He knew how to get it going, not accelerate too hard, it’s all those things you learn when you’re in an electric vehicle.

This morning was the quietest start to a “race” I’ve ever seen.

It is bizarre, isn’t it, because they’re counting down, AND GO!

…

Nothing. It is very different.

And what would you say is the one big advantage to EVs?

One of the things I think when I’m in London and it’s just jammed solid with traffic, it’s noisy, and all those engines are running but not going anywhere, EVs could transform that so that, sure, they could still be sitting in a traffic jam and that’s really annoying, but none of the engines are running. There’s nothing coming out of the exhaust, there’s no noise, it would transform our city. If taxis were electric, which they are thankfully introducing, that would make such a difference to the middle of London. If the busses were electric it would make an enormous difference.

The ground-level pollution for human beings, nothing to do with CO2 or Climate Change, is really toxic, and particularly for children. Strangely, one of the recent discoveries, is that the particulates from Diesel cars in particular, and trucks and busses, are low-lying. We’re OK, because it’s around our knees, but a toddler walking along the streets is breathing in… you may as well just give them a fag [cigarette for any US readers :) ], they’d be better off. It’s so bad for them!

There’s the takeaway line right there: Robert Llewellyn says, “Give your kids a fag – they’ll be better off”!

Hah! So not what I meant! But the pollution is a really toxic mixture that we’re pumping out into the atmosphere.

So I think of it from the point of view of energy efficiency, and the local air pollution. Those sort of things are a huge advantage. You could then argue that it automatically spurs cleaner energy generation because people start to think they don’t want the electricity for their electric car to come from a coal plant, they want it to come from somewhere cleaner. That encourages people to start investing in those other areas of generating power. That and a combination of microgeneration. When you see microgeneration on a grand scale, Germany, Denmark, or Holland being good examples, where most houses have solar panels… you may say, “Well, they don’t really do that much” but when you’ve got 10,000,000 houses with solar panels on, it makes a massive difference to a national economy.

Germany, last year, got 50% of their energy purely from solar. That is unimaginable in this country, but that is 20 years of investment, 20 years of putting solar panels on roofs, and when we were driving through Germany in an electric car we were playing I Spy for houses that didn’t have solar panels on them. You can find them, but there’s not many.

Again, huge thanks to Robert for his time and his interesting points. It was a real pleasure to chat with him and chew over some of the benefits and pitfalls of Electric Vehicles, and of home microgeneration. What do you think about what he said? Is there anything you particularly agree or disagree with? Do you have experience of running an electric car or, perhaps, powering it by renewable energy generated at home? Please feel free to chip in with your thoughts in the comments.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: British Gas, Cars, Celebrity, electric vehicles, Kryten, Robert Llewellyn

Ben Collins talks electric vehicles at the Regent St Motor Show

November 6, 2012 by Chris

I mentioned yesterday that, as part of my time at the Regent Street Motor Show, I got to interview some of the drivers from Team British Gas. So today, here’s the first of two interviews. This one is with Ben Collins, known for, among other things, being The Stig on BBC’s Top Gear, and stunt driver on Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie. My words are in bold, Ben’s are in italics.

You’re in Regent Street after taking part in the Future Car Challenge. Did you manage to escape the rain showers in Brighton?

Yeah, we got away with that – as soon as we set off the clouds left and we had a pretty good run up, so sweet.

British Gas branded Nissan Leaf

Which car were you driving in the challenge?

I was in the Nissan Leaf.

You’re obviously much more used to driving high-powered cars, so how did you find the Leaf?

Well, I’ve driven pretty much everything; I suppose more famously for the fast stuff and the racing at Le Mans and what have you, and the supercars on Top Gear, but I just as much enjoy driving the other end of the spectrum too. I’ve driven the Leaf before and I was really amazed – it drives like a completely normal car, very easy to use, and really fast to recharge it. When it’s 80% drained, I think you can recharge it in 20 minutes through a high-powered socket. That only costs about £1.60, so it compares pretty well when you think of what we’re paying for fuel these days. Yeah, we had a great run up.

I think it’s a cracking event. British Gas are sponsoring the Future Car Challenge, which is showcasing all this new tech so people can see it. The best thing for me is that they’re putting the network in place that means you can really take these things home and use them. Until then, who would you go to? You’d be wondering what company was going to supply the energy for it, so I think it’s great there’s a straightforward solution.

Some commentators say that EVs [Electric Vehicles] are not yet a viable solution for everybody; what are your thoughts on that?

That’s true; I mean, I couldn’t survive with just an electric car. I drive huge distances, and anybody that does a big commute intercity, which I do – it wouldn’t necessarily work for them. Saying that, the majority of people don’t do that. The majority of people that do city driving would find you can do a hundred miles on this “tank”, and that’s a lot more than you think. I think it’s a genuine solution for a lot of people, perhaps even the majority of people.

When you think about how many households have two cars, it makes sense to have a long-range and a short-range when you’re saving ten times on the fuel. If you get a solar panel stuck on your house as well it really starts to work. Electric cars are cheaper to service, too, because you haven’t got all the running gear like gearboxes and all that stuff, or all the dirty stuff you get with a combustion engine. So they’re cheaper to service, and it adds up to big savings for a lot of people, but everybody makes their own plan.

So, it really depends on what your own circumstances are whether an electric vehicle will suit?

Yeah. With a Bugatti, you can empty its tank in twelve minutes. You would travel a decent distance in that time, but you wouldn’t get to work.

When Top Gear did their piece on the Honda FCX Clarity, they spoke to Jay Leno. He was saying that he thought technologies like hydrogen and electric would be the saviour of the petrol-engine car in the same way as the car was the saviour of the horse, freeing petrol cars up to be used more for leisure and fun while electric and hydrogen would be used for everyday transport. Would you subscribe to that line of thought?

Well, this has got some way to go on pure electric. At the moment, the best solution depends on what distance you travel. If you are a city driver, electric is perfect. If I was retired and I didn’t have to go far, electric would be the only car I would need. In terms of getting performance, distance and efficiency, for big commuting, you start looking at hybrids, and those are the sort of things that are winning at Le Mans at the moment – solutions where you get performance and longevity. I think the tech’s going to change and develop all the time and, as batteries improve, which they will, you’ll be able to update the battery in your car. So, I think the pace of change is going to be pretty rapid.

If it’s not too cheeky a question, what is your everyday car?

I’ve got a VW Transporter van, diesel, and that’s my family car. I’ve also got an Audi A5. The thing is I work away from home all the time, so I need my car. If I worked in the city I lived in, I would definitely be looking at something like the Leaf to go alongside the van. I guess it’s not the sexiest stable, but I’m saving up for a Ferrari.

The fact is petrol cars at the moment are the pinnacle of supercars – there’s no way around that as a fact. So all the money and development over the last hundred years has taken Ferrari, Porsche and Audi to where they are and it’s going take a while for electric to catch up. Tesla is nibbling at it, and Jaguar is coming in now too. It’s a good sign. If you think about the origins of cars in the nineteenth century, it started with electric and we’ve had a hundred years of developing combustion but the tech is there to make electric work. Motorsport is getting involved now, and so are companies like British Gas and Nissan. There are big companies involved with it now rather than purely being cottage industry with entrepreneurs doing it. The pace of development will kick up another notch.

What do you think is the biggest barrier to EVs taking off at present?

People still worry about the range, but that’s an individual choice. The barrier in my mind was always about the network where you can charge up. That’s still a problem, except that you can now have a charging point in your house, put in by British Gas, so that’s less of a barrier now. You don’t know what you’re missing until you get it. When Waitrose, Tesco, or Sainsburys put charging points in their car parks, when more councils start doing what they’re doing in London where you’ve got charging points in parking bays and tax breaks and all those sorts of things the barriers will really start to fall.

And what’s the biggest advantage of an EV?

It’s cheaper to run. That’s it – it’s just so much cheaper.

Huge thanks to Ben for taking the time to chat with me, for his interesting points, and for being gentle with a newcomer to celebrity interviewing! What do you think of what he said? Is there anything you particularly agree or disagree with? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. If you want more, read yesterday’s post about the Future Car Challenge and Regent Street Motor Show.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Ben Collins, British Gas, Cars, Celebrity, electric vehicles, Stig

Team British Gas tackle the Future Car Challenge

November 4, 2012 by Chris

Nissan Leaf setting off on the Future Car Challenge The annual Veterans Run from Brighton to London is a fairly well known event. Vintage cars meet in the seaside town and then all head up to London. What’s slightly less well known, perhaps because it’s a newer event, is the RAC Future Car Challenge.

The idea of the FCC is to take a bunch of electric, hybrid, and energy efficient vehicles from Brighton to London and see which makes the trip using the least amount of energy. This year, British Gas entered six vehicles in the challenge and invited me down to watch the start in Brighton, and interview some of the drivers in London’s Regent Street after the finish.

Why are British Gas entering cars in an event like the FCC? Well, British gas are highlighting the fact that they are the preferred charging solution provider for a number of the UK’s EV producers, including Nissan, Renault, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, Vauxhall and Toyota UK. So, when you buy your shiny new EV, the dealer will most likely try and point you in the direction of a British Gas installation.

We’ll get to what British Gas offer owners of EVs in a minute, but let me tell you about the day because, if you’re in the area next year, it’s well worth popping along. First up was the start of the Future Car Challenge in Brighton. The cars were on display in the paddock area on Madeira Drive at 7am, and then left at 30 second intervals from the start point. It’s a nice opportunity to see these vehicles up close, and any celebrities who happen to be taking part. The strange thing is just how quiet EVs are, or even hybrids. Everyone set off at a sedate pace (they were trying to do this on as little energy as possible, after all), and it was all very quiet. There weren’t very many people around but it was still a good way to start the day.

The big event, though, is the finish of the challenge. The cars all head off, and finish at the Technical Finish at Imperial College London. At this point their energy usage is measured, and they head to the Ceremonial Finish at the Regent Street Motor Show where, once again, the cars are parked up for the public to have a look around, and the drivers mingle with the crowds as they themselves take in the sights of the show.

There’s plenty to see here, from the ultra-modern EVs and Hybrids, including a retrofitted Morgan, to the classics of yesteryear including Model T Fords and even a car built by the Renault brothers in their mother’s back garden. It was particularly nice to see an Ariel Atom up close. I’m still no closer to my aim of actually trying one of these things, but at least I’ve seen one in person now!

The RAC were on hand with an economic driving simulator and the chance to win a Scalextric for the person who completed the simulated course with the lowest fuel consumption.

Add in live music, celebrity interviews, and some very impressive handlebar moustaches on the veteran drivers’ faces, and the day we well worth it. Not only that, but the Regent Street Motor Show is entirely free… you just wander down the street and you get to see the whole thing.

Right, now back to why British Gas are the preferred charging solution provider for all the companies I mentioned above. British Gas offer a range of services for EV drivers as part of their campaign to “change people’s relationship with the energy they consume”. The major offer they were highlighting at the event is free home installation of EV charging points (in selected areas of the country, currently London, East of England, Midlands and Milton Keynes). That offer also includes free access to the POLAR network of street charging posts until the end of 2013, after which you get to keep your home charging solution but need to pay a subscription for the POLAR network. Still, given that the installation cost for the charging point alone is usually £799, if you can get the deal it represents a significant saving.

If you’re not in the mood for paying £799 for a charging station, you can have a dedicated electrical circuit installed from £375. It’s still not cheap, so hardly a throwaway investment, but it’s less than having a charging station. What you get with this solution is a separate fuse board that powers one outlet for charging an EV. This is apparently the minimum recommendation for charging a car as it avoids putting heavy load on the house’s normal fusebox.

British Gas have also created a special electricity tariff that has you on off-peak charges from 8pm to 4pm, the idea being that you can charge your car at night or during the working day. That’s not going to work for everyone, as many households make heavy use of electricity from 4pm to 8pm, but if your usage fits, it’s worth considering.

Finally, there’s microgeneration – solar PV (photovoltaic) panels particularly – to allow people to generate and use their own electricity. British Gas had a case study on display at the Regent Street Motor Show that showed how Robert Llewellyn, also known as Kryten from Red Dwarf, had used solar panels to keep his Nissan Leaf charged, resulting in a “fuel” cost of £17 per 1,000 miles. You can find more details here - the figures are slightly different (I guess they have been updated since the article was originally written in 2011) but you’ll get some idea of how having solar panels installed could work for you.

Now, all this was very interesting and it’s actually given me quite a lot to think about in terms of how I use and, perhaps one day, generate the energy we use at home, but there’s something else I was very excited about: those interviews with some of Team British Gas’ drivers… namely Ben Collins (previously Top Gear’s Stig) and Robert Llewellyn. I’m not going to bore you with an extremely long post, though, so check back tomorrow for Ben’s interview [now online here], and I’ll post Robert’s [now online here] on Wednesday.

Until then, I’m curious to hear from you. Were you at the Future Car Challenge start, or the Regent Street Motor Show? If so, what did you think? What are your thoughts on electric vehicles, and the services on offer from British Gas? I know EVs can be an emotive subject for some, so I’d love you to share your thoughts in the comments.

My photos of the day can be found on Flickr, by clicking here.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: British Gas, Cars, electric vehicles, RAC Future Car Challenge

Honda CR-Z gets more power

October 1, 2012 by Chris

2013 Honda CR-Z side image If you’ve been reading Geek-Speak for some time, you’ll most likely have come across at least one article about the Honda CR-Z. The sporty hybrid is one of the few cars I’ve test driven and been genuinely sad to give back!

January 2013 will see the release of a new version of the CR-Z, with improvements focusing on the car’s style and performance. Subtle updates to the exterior and interior enhance the styling of the car, while the power of the petrol engine and electric motor has been increased to 137 horsepower… apparently without impacting either the fuel consumption or exhaust emissions.

So, those styling updates. What’s changed? There’s a new bumper design and revised grille, rear diffuser and, on the GT model, 17 inch alloy wheels. Two new colours, Energetic Yellow and Aurora Violet, are also available, while updates to the interior include a new colour scheme and improved cabin storage.

The petrol engine now delivers a peak power of 121 hp, and the electric motor a peak of 20 hp. The maths geeks among you will be saying, “But that’s a total of 141 hp, not 137!”. Quite right… the petrol and electric motors deliver their peak powers at different rev ranges, so while they could deliver a total of 141 hp if they were both working at peak power at the same time… they don’t. The peak combined power is a little lower, then, at 137 hp. That’s still enough to give a 0-62 time of 9.1 seconds, and a top speed of 124 mph, all at a combined fuel consumption of 56.5 mpg.

Here’s what’s makes me smile about this new model, though: it has KERS. Formula 1 fans will know KERS as the system that harvests energy from braking and delivers it in a short burst for overtaking or defending a corner. Hybrids harvesting energy to recharge their batteries is hardly anything new, but the 2013 CR-Z includes a button on the steering wheel marked S+. Assuming the battery is more than half charged, this delivers increased acceleration for up to 10 seconds, whether you are in economy, normal or sport mode. I still shudder when I remember a particularly nasty roundabout near where I used to live… and how I hated trying to get onto it in our (at the time) rather underpowered car. An extra boost then would have been more than helpful. Obviously you shouldn’t try racing on the open roads, but there are bound to be times when that little extra power will come in handy.

The new Honda CR-Z will be available from January 2013. Keep an eye on the Honda website for more information, and pricing details when they become available.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Cars, CR-Z, Honda

The Top Cartoon Vehicles We All Wish Were Real

February 22, 2012 by Guest Author

This is a guest post by Ryan Jones. Ryan works with car leasing and contract hire company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts and wishes that certain aspects of some cartoons could become a reality!

If I am the only person in the world to have dreamed of driving the Phooeymobile or sending Optimus Prime out to fight my battles for me then I will admit to being the sad loser that people often call me. The fact is, I am not the only one wishing that cartoons could be real and with that in mind, here is my selection of the top cartoon vehicles we all wish were real.

Optimus Prime

Although you could have picked pretty much any Transformer from the classic cartoon series, the reason to choose Prime can be laid out in three reasons. The first reason is that you can trust the guy (unlike Megatron or any of the Decepticons) and believe me; it is always good to have a giant robot around that you can trust.

The second reason is the fact that not only do you have the leader of the Autobots on your friends list but you also get to drive a kick-ass semi-trailer truck. If you are feeling really lazy then why not just shout out a destination of your choice and get Prime to drive there?

The final reason to have Prime is simply because he would be able to find a way to bring all of the other Autobots into the real world (don’t ask me how) and this can surely be a good thing? As long as you don’t start getting a movie tie-in with rubbish model actors and Shia LaBeouf then all will be well!

Thundertank

Fans of the classic 80s show ThunderCats will recognise the Thundertank as the vehicle that was put together by Panthro in the second episode of the original series. Sure the design might look a little old and the paint job isn’t particularly appetising but the tank does have some pretty awesome hidden features. The attachments that come as standard include a drill, claws, crushing mouth and in-built defence system, surely you wouldn’t say no to that?

The more you get to become familiar with the tank the more adjustments you can make, the first thing I would add is air-conditioning system along with a coffee maker and mini doughnut dispenser.

Phooeymobile

If you haven’t heard of Hong Kong Phooey then shame on you, he was voiced by the legend that was Scatman Crothers! That aside, Phooey had a great car at his disposal, the Phooeymobile, which not only got him from A to B but could also transform into pretty much anything including a boat, plane, telephone booth… you get the picture. Having a car that is able to turn into anything at all certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea!

Mean Machine 00

The fact is, if it wasn’t for Dick Dastardly and Muttley always stopping to try and make other racers in Wacky Races crash they would have won every single race that they participated in! This is thanks to the Mean Machine 00 being the fastest car in the cartoon. It comes equipped with a number of gadgets that are in place to stop other cars but in reality you just wouldn’t need to use them.

Who wouldn’t want a car capable of beating pretty much anything else in a race?

The Ones We Don’t Want

Of course, there are also vehicles from throughout cartoon history that we would rather not have in reality. The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo would simply get stared at and everyone would assume that he owners were hippies and Mr Magoo’s car would simply not be road worthy in the 21^st century!

There are many more vehicles that could have been included in this list such as the bikes from the Biker Mice From Mars, The T.M.N.T van and a number of the other cars from Wacky Races, what’s your favourite cartoon vehicle? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Filed Under: Fun, Uncategorizable Tagged With: Cars, Cartoons, Fun, Vehicles

British Beauties … Cars that is

January 19, 2012 by Guest Author

This is a guest post by Dilpreet Bhagrath on behalf of Fulton Leasing – a professional car leasing and contract hire company with the best leasing deals on all manufacturers and models, including Audi, BMW and Land Rover leasing.

There are many impressive British cars that do our country proud. Not only do these cars look effortlessly stylish and sleek, but they are also high-performing vehicles guaranteed to put the fun back into driving.

Land Rover is an iconic British brand as it not only represents power and style, but also has a strong presence on and off-road. It is a brand with such a unique build and design, and inevitably turns heads. Land Rover leasing is a popular option as it allows drivers to get behind the wheel of this innovative vehicle, without having to worry about depreciation of its value as you would with buying. Leasers can also work their way through the Land Rover family, as they can change their car every time their contract finishes. Range Rover leasing and Range Rover Sport lease deals are also a hit as these trendy cars exude a strong feeling of luxury.

Another car manufacturer which is engrained in the British automotive industry is the opposite of the large, domineering Land Rover – the humble Mini Cooper. Made by the British Motor Corporation, the Mini is a front-wheel drive with great road handling. Initially, it was put into production due to a fuel shortage which deterred people away from bigger cars. However, its popularity and success has grown immensely since then. The Mini Sports models have also experienced great success in rallying.

When discussing iconic and memorable British cars, there is one car manufacturer which cannot go unmentioned. This car has appeared in one of the most famous action movies in the world. I’m talking about Aston Martin, of course. Aston Martin’s collection of supercars have appeared in mega-hit movie James Bond. It is therefore instantly recognisable and associated with power and luxury. The Aston Martin DB9 is a particularly desirable supercar due to the exceptional adrenaline-satisfying drive it provides. Unfortunately, the hefty price tag which it comes with means the closest many of us will get to this British beauty is in the next James Bond flick.

Although many believe that other countries are further ahead in the automotive industry, it is important not to write-off our country too hastily as we have many British beauties that everyone would love to get their hands on.

What cars do you think do Britain proud? Jaguar? McLaren? The classic Mini? Let us know your favourite in the comments section.

Filed Under: Art and Design Tagged With: Art and Design, Beauty, British, Cars, Engineering

Honda and MUGEN Euro team up to produce CR-Z iCF

November 29, 2011 by Chris

Honda and MUGEN Euro team up to produce the CR-Z iCF Back in May, I wrote about the Honda CR-Z MUGEN prototype. I had already been quite taken with the CR-Z, but the MUGENed version was even more impressive. I said at the time that it was a bit of a shame the CR-Z MUGEN was going to be a one-off, but that maybe if there was enough interest we would see a production version too.

Well, here we are at the fat end of the year, and Honda have announced that they will indeed be teaming up with MUGEN to produce a 130+ mph version of the CR-Z, with Civic Type-R levels of performance. It won’t have exactly the same spec as the prototype (that was “a concept car produced in one-off halo form and designed to demonstrate the potential and versatility of the Honda IMA system”) but the CR-Z iCF, as it will be called, is still a huge step up from the standard CR-Z.

According to Honda’s press release, “MUGEN Euro engineers ‘breathed over’ the 1.5-litre power unit, retaining the 3-button IMA modes, adding a centrifugal forced air induction system, charge-air cooler and induction system and importantly, a MUGEN Euro-mapped ECU. The result is outstanding power to weight, and increased torque helping to deliver 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds – over 3 seconds quicker than the standard car.”

Martin Moll, Head of Honda (UK) marketing said, “MUGEN Euro magic has created a super responsive yet eco-conscious model building on our sporting credentials and giving us the ability to compete in the “hot hatch” marketplace as we move into 2012.”

I remember being so impressed with the CR-Z’s economy, but also how it retained the potential to be a sporty and fun car at the push of a button. The CR-Z iCF promises the same but, well, more power.

Production development continues at MUGEN Euro, with cars available for test drive through the eight Honda UK MUGEN dealers in spring 2012. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but are expected to be approximately £24,000.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Cars, CR-Z, Honda, Hybrid, MUGEN

Celebrity Cars: What do the rich and famous drive?

October 26, 2011 by Guest Author

This is a guest post by Dilpreet Bhagrath on behalf of Fulton Leasing – a professional car leasing and contract hire company with competitive leasing deals on all car manufacturers and models, including Ford, Mercedes and Audi leasing.

Have you ever wondered which cars celebrities drive when they give their chauffeurs a day off? Unlike most of us who have a budget, celebs live in a world where they can choose from almost any car in the world, without hesitation. For these stars, a car isn’t just a vehicle for practicality to get you to and from work or to your local Tesco, but a symbol of status and wealth.

Corden’s Corker

A League of Their Own presenter James Corden decided to treat himself to a new car after he announced his girlfriend was pregnant with their first child. You would expect a father-to-be to opt for a sensible and family-friendly motor that you can rely on once the baby arrives, but the comedian had other ideas.

Corden bought himself the high-performing 285bhp Jaguar Convertible XKR. Reaching 60mph in just 4.6 seconds, the luxurious vehicle ticked all the adrenaline-seeking boxes. However, the one thing this sports car is missing is the space for a baby seat. Good luck explaining that to the missus.

Beckham’s Beauty

David Beckham is often seen behind the wheel of his Black Cadillac Escalade ESV. The sleek car boasts 26” TIS Drop Star rims, leather interior, a Bose speaker system and an abundance of space, seating up to eight people comfortably.
This sleek car is perfect for the global style icon and his ever-growing brood. With power to face the worst weather conditions, the Beckham family can always rely on their Escalade. We wonder if Victoria Beckham has ever tried (and failed) to take this beauty for a spin in her 6-inch Louboutins.

Carr’s Car

Funny man Alan Carr drives around in a British classic – the Mini Cooper. With its sensibly fast speed and great road handling, it’s perfect for the cheeky comedian. The small size means that Carr can park easily without getting into a huff and look trendy while he cruises around.
Alan Carr (no relation to Jimmy Carr) recently realised how popular his Mini is when a thief broke into his home, took the keys to his beloved motor and drove off. His replacement was another British classic – the push bike. He reveals: ‘I’ve been driving around on my push bike – and I fell off’. Poor Alan.

Simon’s Stunner

When talking about celebrity cars, there’s one celeb that cannot go unmentioned. The ultimate car collector has got to be Simon Cowell. Simon’s garage is overflowing with some of the best supercars in the world. The most breathtaking machine is undoubtedly the Bugatti Veyron.
The Bugatti Veyron is not only the most expensive car in the world, but also the fastest (well, legally that is). With an impressive top speed of 253mph, Simon can definitely let off some steam in this stunner.

It’ll come as a big relief to car lovers that this car won’t just sit in his garage or not utilised to its full capacity as Simon Cowell knows how to handle a car the way it should be. The X Factor judge proved his driving ability on Top Gear during the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ segment when he impressed Jeremy Clarkson and co to become the third fastest non-professional driver to complete the challenge on Series 8.

Celebrities are lucky enough to have a different motor every day of the week if they please – and many of them do. It’s a great way to spend their money on something fun and impress everyone around them. If money was no object, what would be your dream car? What do you think about the above mentioned cars? Please post your comments below to share your thoughts.

Image post used under Creative Commons License – originally by Sudhanwa..

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Cars, Celebrity

New Honda Civic – first pictures released

September 14, 2011 by Chris

Honda Civic gets a redesign I really didn’t intend to post twice about the same company this week, but sometimes news arrives and switches things around a little. The original intention was to publish a guest post today, but keep an eye on your feed reader on Monday for that instead.

Rather, we’re talking about Honda again today. When they released the new version of the Civic a few years back it was, quite simply, stunning. The angular looks, the glass-encased badge, and the general feel of the car gave something of an impression of a rocket ship that appealed on many levels. Now Honda have released the first images of their latest Civic.

The new Civic has lost that rocket ship look but, from certain angles, bears a striking resemblance to the Insight or CR-Z. I’ll admit that from the teaser pictures I had seen I thought the Civic was going to be incredibly ugly, but I’m pleasantly surprised. The only thing I’m not sure about would be that this Civic has one of those split rear windows I seem to have so much trouble with.

Anyway, have a browse through the image gallery and see what you think. Why not tell us your thoughts in the comments? Do you like the new design? I’d love to know your opinion.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Cars, Honda