Car Articles

In case you just can’t decide which fuel you want to use, perhaps the new Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel is going to be your sort of thing. It has a top speed of 158mph and charges from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, yet manages to chuck out less of the black stuff than most standard hatchbacks. How’s that work then?

This amazing little car can run on normal petrol, bio-ethanol or methanol – you choose the fuel. Given the current climate, I doubt many will choose normal petrol though. Amazingly, the two biofuels can be added to a part-petrol mix to make this one of the most environmentally friendly sports cars around.

So, is this really a development then? Well yes, of course. Not least because in the current climate, if you’re not driving something a little more friendly than a standard 2.0 litre petrol you’re not exactly going to fit in with the Joneses. Not only that, but climate change is, like it or not, a fact.

Whether you want to debate it is due to cars or not however remains a separate issue. Granted, this car is not a going to change the planet. But, and I use a big BUT here, it does show that traditional sports car manufacturers are actually considering their product and their customers. People are interested in doing their bit, whether that’s switching to a small diesel or a bio-fuel powered sports car. Nonetheless, this car is special.

This car is special because it is a Lotus Exige. If you’ve never been on a Lotus experience day, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Why? Lotus makes simply fantastic cars. The Exige is, without a doubt, the pinnacle of the hard work that goes into one of their creations. It is the perfect pocket rocket whether you’re a track day star or a sports car enthusiast. It has a mix of raw power matched with very light weight (875kgs) making it a superb undiluted sports car.

How does it handle? Well, give it a few revs and you’ll see what the fuss is about. It will simply launch forwards, taking your head with it. Push on hard and at 6,000 rpm the VVT engine will open up for a boost of power. This is matched to a lovely slick, quick-shift gearbox. You won’t be left wanting in that regard.

The car itself is simply a dream – the steering is sharp, with a nicely weighted feel. You’ll get almost completely flat cornering, though if you want to have fun that’s possible too. The miles of grip the car provides will give you a lot of reassurance if you don’t happen to be the next Lewis Hamilton. It’s not all dreams of power though, given that you’ll find the frustrations of the car are evident in a lack of space and not-that-great visibility. Nonetheless, it is an amazing feat of engineering.

I think that shows why I like the Lotus Exige 270E so much. Yes, it’s a Lotus Exige. But it’s better. It gives you all that the standard car offers, then adds a big dollop of ‘yes, we do care’ on top. If you buy one – after it has been showcased at the Co-operative Sexy Green Car Show in Cornwall on 23-31st May – you’ll be the envy of just about anyone on the road, let alone the race track.

If the points above haven’t convinced you of the fact, let me just spell it out to you. The Lotus Exige (especially in this powered up, more environmentally friendly form) is a symbol. It represents all that’s right about driving – control, power and manoeuvrability. Best of all, you’ll never get bored driving it. So, let’s all give some respect to the clever folks at Hethel.

It has been brought to my attention that more than 40,000 uninsured drivers are out on the roads in the North East of England.  In some areas, it has been noted that almost one in five cars will be without any sort of cover at all, whilst arrests have reached a peak in the Northumbria area – with a quadrupling of arrests for driving without cover since 2004.

Safety campaigners are keen to point out the relevant statistical ‘facts’ too – that uninsured drivers are ten times more likely to drink-drive and three times more likely to be convicted (not just arrested there) than your standard, insured citizen.  Not surprising really is it, if someone is quite happy to break the law with regard to insurance, I doubt they’d have a qualm about the legal requirement to drive with due care and attention either.

In the North East alone, there were 3198 crashes involving uninsured drivers.  I’m sure you’ll all agree that is actually quite a high number – especially just for one area of England.  So why do people do it?  Well for one thing, there’s the usual excuse of ‘well my car’s insurance is actually more than the car’.  This is worrying on two levels.  First of all, if you scrimp on the few hundred quid it’ll cost for your (s)crapmobile, exactly how often do you get it serviced?  Do your brakes work?  Are your tyres at the legal tread depth?  No, I didn’t think so.

Secondly, if people feel that there’s no point in purchasing insurance, they’re sorely mistaken.  There are a good number of reasons, but here’s the main one.  Protection.  Insurance can be costly, there’s no doubt about it.  But have you ever taken a look at a liability case where someone has caused the death of another?  Well this will carry a jail sentence, along with a near-unlimited fine.  Insurance gives you legal protection in the face of a lawsuit for whatever reason involving your vehicle.

The protection afforded by insurance also covers you.  Quite often, good insurance will allow you to drive another car (this is more useful than it at first may seem), cover any valuables you may have in the vehicle or even provide you with breakdown cover through a third party.  All very valuable no?

Of course criminals come in all shapes and sizes and that’s exactly what uninsured drivers are – it is after all illegal to drive a vehicle without insurance.  So what sort of person might do this?  Well first of all, you have the young ‘just passed’ driver.  Their reasoning is normally the one above – cost.  However, I’ll say this.  If you can’t afford all the costs of a car (this includes fuel, oil, serving and insurance) then DO NOT GET ONE.  Cars as a mode of transport are a privilege not a right.  Because you have a driving license you don’t have a license to break the law.

Another type of driver that may not have insurance is the ‘not so savoury type’.  Granted, sometimes people may borrow a car very quickly, but there are others who may ‘borrow’ a car for a longer time.  They are also more likely to be driving unsafely remember – so we’re better off without them on the road too.

Foreign drivers, unfortunately, don’t always come along with the correct level of insurance.  Apparently, cops are told to take just as hard a line with them too – whether this happens or not I won’t speculate but once again, they are braking the law.  They need protection and so do the rest of us on the road.

So what might happen if you get caught?  New powers mean that the police can legitimately seize uninsured vehicles anywhere if found to have been driven uninsured, or if uninsured by the registered keeper.  New technology means that the law-breaker is much more likely to get caught.

What’s the bottom line?  There are a few things that you need in life if you’re going to drive.  The first is a license for the type of vehicle you’re going to drive.  The second is a safe, regularly serviced vehicle.  The third is fuel.  The final essential is insurance.  Don’t leave him without it.

Selling your car these days is not only easier, but you have such a wide variety of choice that it can seem bewildering – especially when it comes to online wheeling and dealing. I’d like to tell you a bit more about your options when being a seller, and highlight some of the sites that I’ve had experience with.

No doubt you’ll find them of use too if you want to use the latest tools to move your motor. Advertising online is one of the quickest and easiest ways to sell your car. It’s a very simple way to get in touch with hundreds (if not thousands) of potential buyers and a great way to showcase your motor in the best possible way.

Of course, the way your ad looks, the length of time it is displayed and the number of images you can use all differ. What about your ad though? Well it’s crucial to get the tone right and emphasize why someone should buy the car. I wouldn’t recommend setting it out like you’re talking to a mate (you aren’t, after all), but I’d certainly make sure that you state why it’s a good purchase, how well it has been looked after and how you have used it.

This part of the ad is really about building up a level of trust and being honest – no-one wants to buy a lemon after all. One thing I would recommend avoiding is a long list of acronyms – unless you’re actually selling to a dealership or a specialist then an online ad (where you can frequently use far more words than a standard ad) can really benefit from having the full description such as Power Assisted Steering.

I’ve heard anecdotes of people selling with only the vaguest of information, but this is rare. The more information you provide in an honest fashion the more likely a buyer is to say to themselves “oh yes, this car is me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for”. If something attracted you to the car in the first place, make sure to mention it. It will certainly appeal to someone else. Without further ado, here are some sites you could use to sell your car.

Ebay
For many, this is the obvious choice. Why is that? Well, how about more than 40,000 cars and one of the best-known auction sites on the Internet. That not enough for you? Well, as a seller you have got a very versatile and powerful formatting tool that can set up everything from single ‘Buy It Now’ auctions all the way through to a much more familiar ‘Classified Ad’. The costs vary depending on how you want to sell your vehicle but a classified costs about £12.99. You have one picture for free to upload, with up to twelve slots being available. You should be able to relist your car if it doesn’t sell.

Pros: A very well known site with a wide range of tools for selling.
Cons: If you get ‘burned’ by a buyer, you won’t be able to offer feedback saying so (new Ebay rules).

Auto Trader
Arguably one of the most famous trade papers for selling a vehicle in the whole of the UK, this is really the bible for those who are looking to buy or sell. The online version is no different really, with access to more than 370,000 motors listed. Sellers get a great deal of advice for free, and there’s the option of paying £2.95 for a proper Glass’s Guide Evaluation (this will allow you to set your car at the correct asking price). The average fee will be around the £18 mark. All ads can be added to or edited once placed.
Pros: Nine images can be used, a huge amount of buyers.
Cons: A lot of competition on the site itself.

Fish 4 Cars
Part of the ‘Fish 4’ brand, this is one of the of the off-shoot sites and provides a range of sales tools. Most of the ads on there are for trade, but private sellers are certainly welcome. It costs just under a tenner for two weeks visibility – this can be stretched up to two months if you think your car isn’t going to shift. There’s more than 110,000 vehicles on there at the moment, giving the sellers a wide choice.
Pros: A huge amount of coverage including 500 local press titles.
Cons: Your ad might be lost in amongst the ‘trade’ offers etc.

Each of the three above offer something slightly different to the seller – though my personal pick would be Auto Trader. The reputation of the service should please most – as will the customer service. You might find you get a better price on one of the others though. If you have any experience as a seller, make sure to give some feedback.

I’d say that currently the Nissan GT-R is probably one of the baddest, meanest, fastest cars on the market – or at least it will be when available over here.  That’s a shame in a way, because Europe really should be the home of fast, sporty cars that everyone lusts after.  However, the GT-R will even leave a Audi R8 standing, so we’re left really with few options.  If you did want something from the true home of the supercar (Italy by the way, in case you weren’t paying attention), luckily Ferrari will give you something that you can almost blast off in.  That car is the F430 Scuderia.

The Ferrari F430, it would be fair to say, is very similar to the F430.  But only in so far as looks are concerned.  It would be an injustice to say that is it the same car, because underneath the bonnet (and along with plenty of the design) there are significant changes.

Weight of course is always an issue, and cars have indeed been getting heavier (but as I pointed out in my last article, a good deal of that weight is used to create safety structures to protect us in the event of a crash).  However, this often means that a car with more power will do the same speed as last year’s model, as the weight has gone up.  Not so with the Scuderia, the weight has in fact gone down.  It comes in at only 1350kg, a whole 100kg less than the standard car.

Both power and torque are up, with the 4.3 litre engine really going for it by providing 503bhp and 470Nm.  Tell that to your diesel driving mate and see the look on their face.  Naturally, the standard manifolds and intakes wouldn’t be enough, so plenty of these are finished by hand.  The exhaust system is now also more free-breathing to give the engine even more life.

Naturally, it’s no use having all that power if you have a duff gearbox.  Ferrari have learnt from their F1 success here and provided the ‘Superfast2’ – this thing will switch ratios (think cogs) in 60 milliseconds.  Luckily, this will drive the Scuderia hard.  So hard in fact, that the 0-60 time of only 3.6 seconds is the same as that of the GT-R.

Of course, the need to get all that power onto the road requires something more than driver skill.  This is where the very clever E-diff comes into play, giving four modes that have a huge impact on the stability and traction control of the car.  This switch is on the steering wheel, just as you would find it on an F1 car.  So, all very inspiring so far.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how much of a purist you are), this is case of paying more to get less.  You see, the £172,500 price tag is rather steep.  Especially given that it is about 50 big ones more than a bog-standard F430.  What do you get ‘extra’ for your money apart from more power?  Let’s take a look.

Carbon ceramic brakes are standard on this beast of a car – and you’ll need them when you are trying to stop at 199mph.  Just remember, you need some heat in them to make them work.  Naturally you don’t get carpet, whilst lightweight specialist sport seats and swatches of carbon fibre keep the curb weight nice and lean.  Fantastic.

The exterior is great.  The F430 is in my opinion a car that you’ll love or hate visually.  I really fall into the latter category.  This one looks even better, with 20 inch alloys, a lowered ride height and a lovely baby blue finish – though I doubt they call it that.

There are rumours that it is quicker than an Enzo – though personally I feel that is not the point.  The fact that the dynamics were honed by a certain M Schumacher is much more to the point.  So, if you’re a playboy or a Russian mafia type, I’d say this is the car to go for.  Especially if you like the odd blast around the track.  Just remember, the £100,000 you’re spending on this instead of 2 GT-R’s will be worth it!

Do you know someone who bangs on and on about how modern cars or rubbish?  Or how about the bloke in the pub who claims that his old Triumph TR-7 is better than anything else on the road?  It always interests me when this sort of argument crops up - not least because I think they are wrong but also because nostalgia has a place and you should be aware that is all it is.

Modern cars are wonderful, wonderful creations.  They are, almost without a doubt, better than anything else we’ve produced historically.  In every area I’m going to look at, you’ll see that not only should you be pleased with your modern car - whether it’s an Aston Martin or a Kia - and you should understand that it is a technological and engineering marvel.

Safety
In years gone by, a crash was bad news.  Far worse news than these days, where you’re more likely to be crying over a scratched bumper than you are anything else.  Back in 1970, 7,500 people were killed in road accidents.  In the year 2000, there were less than 4,000 even though there was more than double the amount of cars on the road.

Granted, anyone killed on HM’s highways is a tragedy, but these days cars are without a doubt much, much safer than previously.  Air bags, Safety cells, crumpling single-use bumpers and 3 point safety belts all work hard to help us reach B just the same way as we left A.

Technology
Driving has been made much easier due to a number of new technologies that have been pushed to the forefront of design.  These include ABS and traction control - two race-style developments that mean handling a car is easier.  It can also help you out in a tight spot and stop an accident happening in the first place.

Modern technologies have also made it possible to set up a car to have impressive dynamics at any given speed - such developments include the F1-inspired paddle shift and double clutch technology to handle lots of power.

Materials
The horrendous ‘plastic dash’ not withstanding in very cheap small cars, generally speaking the materials used these days are more sophisticated.  Whether this is the use of lightweight aluminium sub-frames carbon fibre roofs it is clear that modern advances have helped to make a modern vehicle lighter, better handling and prettier.

Exterior
Modern cars aren’t just designed by an engineer - a marketing team also designs them.  Whilst for some that might sound like a nightmare, for others it is very clearly a dream come true.  The reason for this is that there is literally something out there for everyone - whatever your need, style or choice.  Granted there are a lot of bland cars out there, but with everything from the Aston Martin DBS to the Fiat 500 you are certainly spoilt for choice.

A complaint of a certain generation tends to be that new cars have no ’soul’.  Well, whilst your retro-mobile is cool, my BMW M3 offers absolutely wild performance and style in the same package.  It also stops me from looking like I’ve reached a mid-life crisis early.

Comfort/Entertainment
These days we’re doing more and more miles in our cars - something which manufacturers are keenly aware of.  So much so that many motors are now set up to be an almost home from home, with DVD players, cooled gloveboxes for food, cubbyholes for toys and above all space.  None of this would be available in an unmolested oldsmobile and you won’t enjoy the bumpy or too-hard ride in one of those either.

Power/Efficiency
In years gone by, cars were lighter.  They were far less safe as well, as we also covered.  These days, cars are heavier, but they get much bigger engines.  This is fine though, because they emit far fewer gasses on the whole to pollute the planet with.  Not only that, but diesels are far more planet-friendly and a lot less noisy too.

Conclusion
It’s clear from the points above that you’ll find a lot more joy out of investing in a modern motor than a true ‘oldie’, even if it’s what you’d call a modern classic.  With those in mind, here’s a list of the modern cars that I think we should salute as some of the best of their type:
Ferrari F430, Porsche Boxster, BMW 3-series (saloon), Fiat 500, Lotus Elise, Mazda RX-8, VW Golf.

I’ll look at some of the above in further detail in the near future to let you know just why they are so good.

GT cars are wonderful in theory. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I’m referring to Grand Touring vehicles. These are the vehicles that should be able to move you across the countries of Europe with little problem, plenty of comfort and even more style. Alongside this, a GT car should be quick. Really quite quick. After all, you don’t want to get stuck in rural France now do you?

Renault isn’t known normally for GT cars - you could say that’s a shame given that the Laguna GT looks really quite good. Granted, it is perhaps still too mundane for some (if you’ve seen the Alfa Romeo Blackline GT you’ll know what I mean) but nonetheless, the front-end redesign looks stylish and the car has some decent curves.

Fitting into the family saloon segment of the market, the standard Renault Laguna is a car that is really rather dull - that makes it a break away for the company that brings such bizarre designs as the Megane (the only car with a big arse) and the Twingo - the F1 styled variety of which I’m keen to have a go of. So can this lowly start really provide something you’ll be desperate to drive?

Where It Stands
The GT offering is the absolute top of the range for both the tourer (estate body type) and the hatchback (though similarly to the Vauxhall Vectra, it looks more like a saloon than a hatch). Naturally as it is at the top of the tree you’ll get a lot more extra kit for your money. Whether it’s truly worth it depends on what you want.

The Look
Externally, there’s a much larger black mesh front grill to provide a more menacing look. The headlights stand out a lot more with this look, whilst the eighteen-inch alloys are one of the standout features of the car. They really do make a different to the look and feel. Darkened rear lights, twinned chrome exhausts and lots of GT badges round off the look of the car.

Inside
It is really the internals however of the car that will sell it to you (if you’re going to buy). It is just as good (luckily) as the standard Laguna, with added styling in the shape of two tone leather seats and alcantara sports seats that’ll hug you nicely as you’re driving down to Dover. There’s also a three spoke steering wheel that is flat bottomed in true racing style - just another touch that makes the car a little bit special.

Driving Dynamics
But what’s actually changed when moving from a boring saloon/hatch/estate to something a bit more involving like a GT car? I’m always sceptical about a current car being made into a GT, but luckily the Laguna doesn’t disappoint. Renault has used their much-acclaimed Active Drive four-wheel-steering system on the chassis to create a much more involved driving experience. The science behind this is simple but the level of control is much improved - essentially all four wheels will turn, instead of just the front two. You’ll like it a lot.

Performance
A GT badge, as mentioned, should always mean a bit more power. In this regard, the Laguna is no slouch (it’s hardly a supercar either mind you). The time of 0-60 in 7.8 seconds is very reasonable for the petrol, along with a 145mph top speed. These figures are for the 2.0 litre turbo, however you could opt for the diesel that should give you closer to 40mph and similar power.

And Finally…
With the coming of May seeing this car going on general release, it looks like we’re in for a GT time for Spring. Prices start from a not inconceivable £21,050 for the Petrol.

What happens when you take a regular hatchback and make it really, really quite fast?  You get the Vauxhall Astra VXR.  What happens when you then decide to mod the car in honour of one of the most famous race tracks in the world?  You get exactly what is shown above - an Alpine white racer with matching alloys, chequered flag graphics and much more.  This is the Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition.

The Vauxhall Astra VXR has 240PS and 320Nm of torque, which is a lot of power.  This is all channelled through to the front wheels - so you may find it a little happy with the understeer.  Not only that, but if you recall Clarkson’s test drive on Top Gear, you might remember how it was quite happy to decide where it wanted to go through the use of torque steer.

For those who don’t know, this where the sheer force of torque running through the car will pull the steering wheel - in the case of the test car on Top Gear it went to the left.  Great if you’re… um… turning left.  Not so useful if you’re doing anything else really.

In spite of the faults listed above, the Astra VXR is a very useful car, having enough shove to pull you to 60 in only 6.2 seconds - making it one of the fastest hot hatches money can buy.  The 2.0 litre Turbocharged engine is nicely smooth, with continuous power all through the range until you hit about 5,500rpm.  The same really applies to the torque so you can push to almost the top rev range and know you’ll be working the car nicely.

The dynamics of the car are very well balanced - you get a low, flat ride for your money with absolutely brilliant Recaro seats that feature leather side bolsters.  They’ll hug you nicely and provide comfort for a long or short journey.  The overall experience of driving the VXR is that it is a bit of a bruiser.  All the power from the front wheels can make it tough to handle at times, but that power is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  The setup makes it quite characterful to drive too.

Whatever version of the Vauxhall Astra VXR you choose, you’ll get your piano black centre console, your head restraints, the unique gearknob and instrument panel, the multi-CD player, trip computer and keyless entry and start.  All in all, a wonderful package.

So what about the other part of the name then - what’s this Nurburgring all about then?  The Nurburgring is a racing track that was built in the 1920’s and originally had four configurations.  The modern setup is over 20km long (well the Nordschleife is anyway) and is still to this day considered one of the most dangerous and tough circuits anywhere in the world.  So this is where the inspiration for this edition came from then.

The differences, it has to be said, between the standard VXR and the Nurburgring Limited Edition are mainly cosmetic.  The interior leather is slightly different and features ‘Nurburgring’ design on the backrests.  The doors have a carbon-fibre effect and facia inserts and the door sills are custom-spec.

Of course there are a few minor differences though - notably the alloys wheels are race-track in style and are ultra-low profile and high performance.  The exhaust is a Remus and could provide up to 15PS extra power - something that’s an easy way to differentiate this car from the standard, as the sound is different between the two.

Whether it is worth the extra outlay remains to be seen, but as this is one of the hottest hatchbacks on the planet it certainly has me begging for a test drive.  Whilst it might be a big OTT for some, I’d certainly love one.