One of the UK’s most popular motoring websites is being used by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) to promote the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme, following the launch of a major public awareness drive at the British International Motor Show.

The national campaign, ‘You know you’re OK with ATA’ features on the Top Gear website, in the form of a technical knowledge competition called ‘Are you firing on all cylinders?’.  A survey conducted on behalf of the ATA scheme revealed that 45% of private car owners said that, unlike their parents’ generation, they know next to nothing about maintaining their car.

The IMI’s campaign aims to boost recognition of the ATA brand and encourage businesses employing ATA registered technicians to maximise their involvement in the scheme to help the industry improve public perceptions.

As well as posters, stickers and template for a local press release which have already been sent to more than 4,000 businesses which employ ATA registered technicians, a promotional ‘tool kit’ to help employers highlight their participation in the scheme is being developed, to include point-of-sale material, key fobs and service reminder stickers.

In support of ongoing PR activity, a radio and newspaper advertising campaign will commence in September, initially targeting the Midlands, Thames Valley and East of England regions.  Further online promotion planned will include What Car? And AOL.

Over 10,500 technicians across the UK have achieved accreditation and carry ATA photo ID cards. Accreditation is currently valid for five years before registered technicians have to be re-tested. Motorists can search for their nearest business employing ATA registered technicians at www.OKwithATA.com.

This is a concept that’s been hovering on the fringes for a while (and it isn’t to be confused with the RC Z – a now confirmed car set to be released 2010) – with no-one quite sure exactly what sort of status it has, how close it is to production or indeed what sort of power output it would have.  However, all is set to be revealed by Peugeot at the Paris Motor Show in October.  Expect big things there – including some great looking vehicles.

At the moment, we don’t know the full name of this car beyond RC, but it’s a GT coupe which looks to offer four doors (one of those funky new coupes then) and even (shock) four seats.  Whether it’s strictly 2+2 remains debateable but this wouldn’t surprise me at all.  Not many cars of this size have seats that you’d want to squeeze into in the back.

There’s no doubt that the car has taken a few design cues from some other fashionable vehicles, most notably the Audi R8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo.  It even has some decent power – with talk of upwards of 313bhp – not to be sniggered at by any means.  More importantly perhaps in these ‘green’ days, it will have a tiny 109g/km rating meaning that if this is the final form, you’ll be paying next to nothing in tax for it.

This very low CO2 rating is based on the fact that the car has hybrid drive technology – in other words, when you’re pottering around town it’ll switch to an electric motor to stop nasty fumes being spat out.  Genius.  So, there’s a real tiger in the tank for the one of the most powerful Peugeots produced in a long time (should it go into production).

Rarely, if ever, are there cars that go on and on.  Part of that is our own innate stupidity – we will forget to service them, or think that the interval can wait a little longer if money is tight that month.  Intervals are made known by the manufacturer for a very clear reason – to ensure that your motor is safe to use, week in, week out.

Granted, most minor problems tend to be of a cosmetic nature.  We, as a nation, have issues with parked cars.  Namely, they sometimes become obstacles that we fail to avoid, and not just when parking.  Nonetheless, a quick touch-up is frequently what’s required in this case.  Is it worth it?  Well, certainly, especially if it happens to be on the metalwork.

My first car is a perfect example of, at least at first, very little being wrong.  However, a catalogue of misfortune soon added up to make me think that the bloody thing was cursed.  It started with the battery (or so I thought) repeatedly failing.  Was it that?  No, it turned out that the boot light was staying on, in my Fiat Punto Sporting.  Very annoying.  This was rectified fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, the second problem it had was a tad more worrying – a rather close run-in with a police car resulted in a tyre being blown.  Again, just one of those things, but still it does make you wonder.  The final issue though was the straw that would have broken my back, quite literally.  If you’ve ever been in a car that has brake line failure then you share my horror moment – when you press the slow pedal and nothing happens.  It certainly gives you the chills and is better than any rollercoaster for making you feel afraid.  After that, I simply had to let my car go.

Of course, then there are other issues that people don’t consider, some cases in point being when they don’t regularly check lines and levels of the various fluids that a car needs in order to operate, let alone operate safely.  Cam (timing) belts are always of particular concern.  Find out when your car needs it replaced, otherwise be prepared for potentially a costly engine rebuild as if it snaps you can bend the valves and all manner of other gubbins can be wrecked.

Finally, if we’re talking about car upkeep and repair in general, take your car on a reasonably long trip every so often.  Get to know it.  This way, you’re in a better position to realise when something is amiss, whether it’s through a squeak, a rattle or good old ‘something doesn’t feel right‘.

I’m keen for the police to be safely conducting their business, protecting us from criminals and the like.  At times, no doubt they have to exceed speed limits using their extra training they receive to operate with skill behind the wheel to conduct manoeuvres to box in joy riders and so forth.  So it comes as a bit of a surprise those bureaucrats are instructing them to drive slower and not rev their engines.

Police chiefs have issued new driving instructions to driving officers informing them that they should try to reduce fuel bills and protect the environment.  Patrol drivers have been told to cut their vehicle engines off whilst waiting at lights and to keep air conditioning (and no doubt window openings) to a minimum.  This has come from the top, the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Some areas of the country have even told their forces to drive at 50mph instead of 70mph (engines tend to be more efficient at 56mph) and to avoid any aggressive acceleration and braking.  Now, the way I see it is efficient driving should be part of the police driving curriculum at the moment.  However, more important than that, in my mind, is the skill of the police to intercept and safely apprehend offending motorists – whether joy riders or those using unsafe vehicles.

Under new rules, police drivers will be assessed to check that they are following new rules to make sure that their driving is eco-friendly as stated in the new police driving manual.  This also ties in with the fact that for many areas fuel has become a serious problem.  The Met has seen costs rising from £1.5million to £12.2million – an incredible leap!

Luckily, the go-slow guidelines don’t apply to 999 calls or in activities involving direct criminal pursuit.  This should mean that we all remain safe whilst the police (correctly) have to also be aware of the environmental impact of their driving.

So, the next time you are watching ‘Police, Camera, Action!’ you might just see the police cars travelling at a more leisurely pace until pursuit driving is needed.  If this happens to the rest of the population, perhaps we’ll all be a little bit calmer too?

Perhaps we should start naming and shaming everyone who does this – after all, it seriously impedes your reactions when driving and what if a celeb (or heaven forbid) a normal person does it whilst your child is playing out the street?  Not a nice thought is it.

Use of hand held mobile phones in vehicles comes under Section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988.  It dictates what is lawful behind the wheel of a car in relation to a mobile (i.e. holding one and chatting isn’t, using a hands-free device is), and stipulates that this action may be met with the punishment of a penalty of £1,000 and the driver being given 3 points on their license.

The story goes something along the lines of Kelly Brook being spotted in a vehicle pulling away from traffic lights.  Unfortunately, as she was doing so, she was also chatting away on her mobile phone.  Apparently, she “seemed incredibly embarrassed” – she should have been – and “she got teary” – well we all react differently.

Apparently, Ms Brook was, at the time, driving a silver 4×4.  I haven’t had the brand confirmed by some have suggested it was a Range Rover.  This type of vehicle is so tall it’s quite easy to miss (i.e. not see) a very small child when travelling.

I’d like to draw your attention to the message given out by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – “Operating a hand-held phone while driving is not only illegal but dangerous”.  So there we are.  I’m glad that Kelly didn’t bother to try and plead “but I’m a celebrity!” and stamp her heels.  Nonetheless, given all the evidence on how dangerous this is it really, really annoys me.

Well, if you’re a fan of motors you’ll have some respect for the Mini, even if it’s not your bag. I know this, because we’re a nation of Mini lovers apparently. Or so says MSN’s Bangernomics poll anyway. Do you agree? Well here’s what they had to say:

MSN Cars’ Bangernomics poll celebrates our love of second hand motors

Britain zoomed ahead in the recent British Grand Prix and now a poll of 3,500 Brits by MSN Cars (www.msn.co.uk/cars) has revealed that British is best in the world of second hand classic motoring as our own Mini Cooper steams to the top of the list of our favourite classic used car of all time.
With 53% of the votes, the little run around zooms ahead of the German-made VW Golf MK2 (41%) and the Italian Fiat Punto (3%) as the classic starter vehicle we’d buy above all others.

With new car sales continuing to decline as Britain’s credit-fuelled binge comes to an end, MSN Cars has commissioned the study into Britain’s love of the second hand motor to highlight a rising trend coined ‘Bangernomics’ – the process of saving money by buying a second hand car and running it for next to nothing.

Classic Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson’s encyclopaedic knowledge and opinionated manner make him the companion Brits would most want to accompany them when buying a used car with 48% of the votes, followed by 5th Gear’s Tiff Needall (23%), James May (17%) and Lewis Hamilton (4%).

And if we could buy a classic used vehicle from the world of film and TV, the UK wins again with Bond’s Aston Martin DBS top of our list (56%), and Knight Rider’s 80s classic K.I.T.T, Batman’s Batmobile and Del Boy’s battered Robin Reliant a few laps behind with 18%, 11% and 4% of the votes respectively.

Dodgy Dealers
Unfortunately some of us are still put off buying a second hand car due to the legacy of untrustworthy salesmen, with 37% fearing we’ll be ripped off by disreputable dealers.
This image of used car salesman isn’t helped by car experts portrayed on British soaps with 88% saying they would never trust EastEnders’ legendary car dealer Frank Butcher or Corrie cab mechanic, Kevin Webster for used car advice.

Bangernomics
In the current economic downturn, Brits are increasingly abandoning the purchase of brand new vehicles as 44% of us recognise that with cars losing their value the moment they leave the forecourt, we’re likely to get a better deal with a second hand purchase.

James Ruppert, motoring guru who first coined the phrase ‘Bangernomics’, comments, “If you do your homework you can easily get yourself a good, reliable car for very little money and with cars being manufactured to such a high standard, this has never been truer. Couple this with the current economy crisis and there has never been a better time to come onboard and join the Bangernomics revolution!”

Tom Evans, Content Manager, MSN Cars says: “It’s fantastic that British made cars have topped our poll, our readers clearly have very good taste! MSN Cars Bangernomics is the best place to find out what makes a great used car and what can go wrong. Share your experiences and passion for good value and cars with character that won’t cost a fortune to run.” Visit MSN here

If you’re a regular commuter by a mode of transport other than car (or perhaps you have a chauffeur), you may have already read the article that tickled my funny-bone when on the way to work this morning.  It was an absolute, and I mean absolute, classic.  Whilst the government is spending all this hard earned cash on telling us what to do in order to avoid putting out more CO2 than we need to, an overwhelming majority are remaining absolutely bloody clueless.  What do I mean by that?

Let’s put it this way.  Four percent of us think a hybrid car is two cars welded together.  If you’re one of them can I just quickly say “Oh my lord”.  As James May might say, “What a clot”.  I’m sorry, but you are.  Unless of course you were joking.  In which case, I might let you off.  I just have a horrible feeling that you aren’t though.  Let me be clear on this, a car made from two vehicles is called a ‘cut and shut’, is incredibly dangerous and absolutely illegal.  A hybrid car however normally means a car with a petrol engine and an electric engine.  Therefore hybrid as it has two types of power.

Amazingly though, there are the same percentage of people who are firmly entrenched in their belief that those wonderful new electric cars leak battery acid.  How much?  Who knows.  I hope it doesn’t just dangerously spurt all over the road.  Those who think that hydrogen cars produce water are at least partially right though (they also produce some heat).

Most worrying of all for the government is the 25 percent of people who believe that biofuel cars will produce no CO2 at all.  Ironic given that all our petrol is now a ‘bit’ bio-fuel (5% is still from crop sources, unless the government have backtracked on that as well) yet my car still produces the same amount of CO2, I’m sure yours does too.

What about our carbon footprint?  Well, frankly it’s a ridiculous term and far too hard a ‘sell’ for most people.  I’m not surprised that 85 percent of people have no idea what their car’s emissions are.  Who cares?  Well, some people do thanks to the road tax hike.  For a lot of people though, this is still simply a non-issue.  I suppose the irony of surveys in general was shown up in the last statement of the report (from the British Motor Show): 70 percent of people want to reduce their emissions.  A bit weird isn’t it then that 85 percent have no idea how much CO2 their car puts out?

There’s a town in the UK that has seen Gatsos – seen them, had them and had enough.  I’m of course talking about the recent furore in Swindon.  What’s the problem?  Well apparently civic leaders don’t raise a single penny from the £400,000 cost of the cameras that are in and around the area in their jurisdiction.

There’s also talk that it is being seen (unfairly perhaps) as a ‘blatant tax’ on drivers.  Naturally, with that sort of name, the local government is keen to put the money into other road schemes such as sleeping policemen (road humps) and vehicle activated speed signs (whoa scary!!).

Hmmm, not sure I agree with this one.  Almost everyone seems to slow down in case they get a fine, however does everyone slow?  I get the feeling that some out there (perhaps in their Subaru Imprezas or similar) think “look, I managed to get it up to 52 that time!” but it could just be me.

Swindon is a conservative-run council that operates 16 fixed speed cameras, three red light cameras, eight mobile vans and three speed-gun equipped bikes.  Last year, 30,000 motorists were ticketed, generating revenue of £1.76 million pounds.  That’s quite a lot of money, I’m sure you’ll agree.  Let’s look at the math.  1.76 million divided by 30,000 is about £59 quid each.

However, the organisation that runs the cameras, the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership, said that the amount of deaths that have occurred has been cut by two thirds.  Putting that in perspective, it starts to make a lot more sense.  Especially when serious injuries have also been significantly reduced.

Cllr Peter Greenhalgh is the civic leader behind the scheme to remove the speed cameras.  Do I agree with him?  Well, as a motorist I should take the stereotypical view that speed cameras are universally bad.  However, in this case, I can’t – at least not in good conscience.  Simply put, this does sound a little like the Cllr in question is annoyed because his ward pays the money out, yet sees nothing in return.  However, I for one see a huge reduction in death and serious injury well worth paying for.  Perhaps he would be less annoyed if some of that £1.76 million went the council’s way?

There’s no doubt that speed cameras are a great way in which to control people’s speed.  There’s also no doubt that in a lot of cases they aren’t necessary.  Is this one of them though?  I’m not convinced, at least not until there’s more evidence as to why they should be removed.  Sometimes, money isn’t the most important thing.

Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  Nope, it’s the new BMW.  Not exactly known for really pushing out the boat and making crazy new models or variations on the theme, BMW nonetheless make cars with pretty damn good reputations – and in the case of a significant number of their vehicles, excellent performance to boot.  However, the Gina eschews the usual BMW storyline and is a concept worthy of the more exotic manufacturers out there.  Why is that?  Well, the body is fabric.

Fabric?  Yes, you read that right.  The GINA Light Visionary Model is a two seat roadster that has a textile cover resistant to water and extremes of temperature.  This fabric ‘overcoat’ is pulled across a moveable metal framework for a lovely outer shell.  The lightweight aluminium spaceframe underneath has only four body sections – this minimises roll and provides stability.

Perhaps the most astounding part (the crazy looks aside) must be the ability of that aforementioned spaceframe to move.  Electro-hydraulics allow the car to shift into place for greater downforce and concealment of various elements until desired.  One such example of this would be the lights, as they remain under the fabric until lit, before it is peeled away to reveal them.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most stunning concepts we’ve seen in a long time.  Whether it actually tells us about the future of motoring however is another thing.  There’s no doubt that one way to increase the level of fuel efficiency is to lower the weight of a vehicle – however I’m convinced we’re not going to be driving around in fabric cars in the future (there’s safety concerns for starters, but this is a concept after all).

However, as you can see from the picture, it does tell us something.  That something is revealing the nature of the next BMW Z4.  There are some obvious similarities between this in side profile and the current model.  It looks like one attractive car indeed.  Mark my words – you’ll be rubber-necking when it hits the road, though I’m sure the finished model will have a roof.

Regarding looks, to me it comes across more ‘shark like’ in appearance than just about any other BMW model ever produced.  That nose is incredibly aggressive – I really hope that it makes production.  I’m sure those raised-and-extended doors will go amiss too, which is a shame.  Nonetheless, all of the design cues make me curious as to what the finished article will look like.

As part of Car Articles commitment to bringing you the very latest and best industry news along with features, previews and event coverage, it gives me great pleasure to provide the first in our new ‘daily news’ segments.  It’s just a shame that it is yet again a story about fuel prices – but then we really feel you should know about this.

Due to rising demand and global tensions, there’s been a jump yet again in the price of oil per barrel.  It has hit almost $139 and is expected to reach $150 by July.  It arrives as energy officials from around the world meet in Tokyo to discuss what can be done about supply and demand – especially in light of surging economies such as India and China.

Some analysts have predicted that there could be a rise to about $200 in only 18 months – this news has been enough to put my new car purchase on hold.  This could mean prices of petrol (per litre) going up to around £1.70 or more.  Naturally, this is a worry for anyone using their vehicle regularly.

In related news, talks continue in an attempt to avert a four-day strike involving drivers who deliver fuel for Shell.  Members of Unite are meeting the employer to attempt to agree a pay deal after a 6.8% increase was snubbed.  If going ahead, the strike will begin on Friday and continue until Tuesday.  Approximately 10% of fuel stations in the UK could be affected by this move.  If you want my advice, don’t panic.  Staying sensible should mean there’s enough fuel to go around.