In case you haven’t ventured out of the front door over the past few days of Feb 2012 (who can blame you either given the apparent sub zero temperatures), we’re now in one of the worst cold snaps this winter has seen. There are currently six severe weather warnings running on the Met Office UK site, flights from Heathrow were halved on Sunday and accidents are abound in areas badly affected.

As always, drive carefully and consider cancelling all non-essential journeys. There isn’t a journey that is worth your life.

The new apprentice programme, which is seeking Advanced and Higher Apprentices, launches on Monday February 6th 2012 – coincident with National Apprenticeship week. This year, Jaguar Land Rover is seeking 133 apprentices to join the company which has a portfolio of hugely successful (and attractive) models in the range.

Commenting on the 2012 Apprentice programme, Des Thurlby, Human Resources Director, JLR, said: “Our Apprentice intake has more than doubled in the last 4 years and I am delighted that this year we are committing to take on a record number of apprentices. Apprenticeships provide a valuable and credible career path for the brightest and best and JLR is committed to providing the highest quality practical and academic training to develop the future generation of engineering talent needed to drive our business forward, indeed many of our senior leaders began their careers as apprentices.”

The JLR careers website opens for applications on 6th February 2012 and will close on 8th April 2012. Anyone interested in applying should visit: www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com.

MG has announced today that they will run an entry in the BTCC in 2012. Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team piloted by double BTCC champion Jason Plato and BTCC rising star Andy Neate.

The cars will be prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful constructors in touring car racing. And completing the ‘dream team’ are principal sponsors Tesco Fuels with their Momentum 99 brand and KX energy drink completing an all-British line-up.

MG KX Momentum Racing will debut at Brands Hatch on April 1 when the 2012 Dunlop MSA BTCC championship season gets under way.

It is a coup for MG to have secured a driver of the caliber of Jason Plato – he is the acknowledged star of the BTCC and the best known face of touring cars. He is also the newly appointed Director of the British Racing Drivers Club.

Plato said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it’s just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on the track.”

Guy Jones, MG Motor’s Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted that the new MG6 will be seen by millions of fans in Britain and beyond and this continues the famous sporting lineage of the brand.”

The BTCC really is going from strength to strength and offers manufacturers of a wide variety of vehicles access to one of the most competitive racing series in the world. 2012 has a huge number of cars on the grid and I for one can’t wait to see the action. Best of luck to Plato, Neate and the MG KX Momentum Racing team.

Finally, it is the information we’ve all been waiting for. Just what is the rocket powered Nissan Juke-R capable of? Fitted with the engine from the Nissan GT-R supercar, the Juke-R has been completely reworked from the ground up to provide exceptional performance and handling whilst retaining the unique looks of the base car.

Nissan has shown during testing that the Juke-R’s 485bhp 3.8-litre V6 twin turbo engine propels the car from a standing start to 62mph (100kph) in just 3.7 seconds, before continuing on to a top speed of 160mph (257kph). This is eye watering performance for something that started off life as a fresh and funky small family car.

I will remind you all at this point that Juke-R the is only a technical study at this stage, and just two working examples will be built (in left and right hand drive respectively). This though speaks volumes. I’m guessing if the public at large show a demand, the car will no doubt be built. I wonder if the price tag will be as hair raising as the performance…

A new survey, commissioned by GEM, reveals that 52 per cent of motorists want to keep the current annual MOT system and do not agree with Government proposals to make it biennial. Only 26 per cent said they would want it to change and 22 per cent were unsure.

The survey of 3,000 UK motorists reveals that drivers would be worried about leaving a two year gap between MOT tests; with nearly 50 per cent being concerned about potential mechanical failure. The survey also shows that more than half of UK drivers believe that the change in the law would see car maintenance standards deteriorate and feel reassured of their car’s safety and roadworthiness with the current system.

GEM Chief Executive, David Williams MBE, comments: “The results prove that having such a regular service gives the public peace of mind when it comes to driving a safe and reliable vehicle. We know that drivers rarely check their cars themselves and leaving it two years will mean we will have unsafe and sub-standard cars on our roads. The proposed biennial MOT system will undoubtedly have a negative impact on road safety and put more lives at risk unnecessarily every year.”

The survey also shows that 44 per cent of drivers believe the MOT law change would have a negative impact on road safety in the UK.

“Road safety should never be compromised and we are fierce supporters of the ProMOTe campaign to lobby the government against these plans.” David concluded.

For more information on the ProMOTe campaign please visit www.pro-mote.org.uk and the GEM Motoring Assist website www.motoringassist.com.

It’s a MINI New Year quiz – so it’s only got one question! When Prime Minister David Cameron drove the two millionth MINI off of the production line at Plant Oxford in August last year, how far would all of those cars stretch if placed bumper to bumper?

That production landmark was just one of a host of achievements during 2011, the most significant of which was that MINI recorded its highest ever UK sales since launch in 2001 and captured a record 2.58 per cent of the market, with sales of 50,135 vehicles, an increase of more than 14 per cent compared to 2010.

April saw the launch of the Cooper SD, the most powerful diesel MINI ever. Available in all body types, the 2.0-litre 143hp four-cylinder engine delivers more power, better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

Soon after came the all-new MINI Coupé, the first two-seater sports car in the brand’s history. Bringing the fun and personality of MINI to a new sector, it offers a dynamic performance that owners are already growing to love.

And in October came first details of the sixth unique MINI model; the Roadster. The taut-handling Roadster is packed with MINI character and will offer open-topped thrills to a new type of customer when it goes on sale in the spring.

The MINI Inspired by Goodwood limited edition made its European debut at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed in June. A unique collaboration between Rolls-Royce and MINI, it blends the best elements of both brands. Just 1,000 examples are being built, priced at £41,000, and the first will be delivered in March.

Last year saw MINI hint at a possible solution to the challenges of urban mobility, unveiling its innovative 3+1 seater Rocketman Concept at March’s Geneva Motor Show.

The pioneering MINI E UK Field Trial came to an end in 2011. Scores of private, corporate and public sector drivers gave feedback on living with a full electric MINI Hatch. Together they covered more than 250,000 miles, at an average charge cost of under 2p for each one.

Also looking to the future was the MINI production triangle, where it was announced at Downing Street that £500 million of new investment is to be spent over the next two years. Plant upgrades to build the next generation of cars will safeguard more than 5,000 UK jobs.

Auto Express has reported on the latest from Renault – five models are going to be axed from the UK line up. These include the Laguna hatch, Sport Tourer, Coupe, Espace, Grand Espace, Modus, Grand Modus, Wind and Kangoo. This is not a quiet drop by a manufacturer of a car that isn’t selling. This is a major move by Renault and one that may come as a shock to fans.

For my money? I’ve driven a Laguna hatchback and a Sport Tourer. I actually quite liked both. I think the Coupe variant is a handsome car. The others I’m less keen on, though the Wind (however terribly named) did have some appeal. I’m always sorry to see a car go. However, if you’re in the market for a car, you could just get one from Renault soon…

Some cars are not just made of their power and prestige, they also represent a lineage of expert design, passion and expert engineering. The new 2011 BMW M5 is just such a car and I have decided this year to award it with the inaugural Car Articles Useful Performance Car Of The Year award.

This is the fifth generation of a car that is world renowned for offering space, comfort and simply brutal rear wheel drive performance. It is the most powerful series production car for BMW and one of the most able rear wheel drive machines currently on the road.

This new car features a turbocharged power unit – a high-revving 4.4-litre (4,395cc) V8, making its world premiere. Developing 560hp from 5,750-7,000rpm, it is the most potent series-production engine ever to emerge from BMW’s high-performance M division and provides thrills like few other saloons can provide. It’s mated to a seven speed double clutch gearbox with the ubiquitous flappy paddles.

Packed with all manner electronic gubbins including a Head-up Display, DAB digital radio, front and rear Park Distance Control, four-zone air-conditioning, Xenon headlights, Adaptive Headlights and front seat heating it’s extremely well equipped.

Ultimately, if you need to ferry around four people in style (and notably with exceptional speed), you will not go wrong at all with the mighty BMW M5 2011 edition. The fact that it can then easily transition to an extreme track day machine makes it perhaps one of the ultimate cars on the road today.

If you’ve never heard of it, here’s the skinny on this exciting new way to get in touch with other petrolheads:

Launched in October 2011, monkeyplate.com is a clever website that lets car fans connect in the real world and share online, with the innovative use of customised stickers displayed on members’ rides. An online first, monkeyplate has already been dubbed ‘Facebook for cars’ by a rapidly-growing global audience of petrolheads, with photo and video albums, messaging, chat, news and blogs all available now – and a host of other features in the pipeline.

The concept is simple. Anyone can sign up to monkeyplate.com for free, and create an online profile. Users then put a customised monkeyplate sticker on their ride. This tells the world how to find their profile online simply by entering the unique username from the sticker on the monkeyplate website.

Users can even open their profiles to the public so anyone can look them up online – whether it’s on the highway, at an event or on pit lane – and also share their news on Facebook and Twitter.

Customised monkeyplate stickers can be ordered directly from the monkeyplate website and delivered worldwide. Alternatively users can buy stickers from their local vehicle graphics shop, or scratch, scribble or spray a monkeyplate on their car – as long as the monkeyplate brand and individual username are visible it’s all good.

Founded in January 2011, monkeyplate.com is the invention of Oliver Thomas, a motoring journalist and professional driver. He says, “We wanted to make a direct link between enthusiasts, their rides and the internet. With monkeyplate, the car becomes a mobile billboard for whatever the user wants to show online. News, event pictures, track day videos… anything. It works 24/7, all year, anywhere.”

Lead developer Russell Cox emphasises the importance of privacy and security. “We have made it very easy for our users to access, understand and control their privacy settings. We do not trade our users’ personal details in any way, and actively protect that information.”

Whether you are a petrolhead, grease monkey or just a social animal, this unique website is the way to tell the human race how to find you online, anywhere in the world.

Here’s the latest from Blablacar regarding the true cost of running a motor in the current economic climate:

With 90% of Brits feeling that the overall cost of running a car has become increasingly difficult to manage, people are resorting to sometimes desperate measures to manage these costs according to new research from carpooling experts BlablaCar.

20% of women have regularly driven with the fuel light on because they feel they can’t afford to fill up, with 18-55s being the worst age offenders[i]. And this is set to continue with 87% of people concerned about the rising costs of petrol, including 9% who don’t even drive. Over 50% think car cost rises are a critical concern.

The AA recently identified that, compared to a year ago, “a typical 50-litre petrol refill now costs £9.61 more, adding £40.81 to the monthly petrol spend of a two-car family”.

And this car cost concern also means that we are driving less with 38% admitting to having reduced the number of long distance they have taken in the last year. Those from Scotland (42%) and Yorkshire (42%) have reduced the most across the country, with the older generation reducing their journeys the most against other age groups. With trains recently branded the ‘rich man’s toy’, many people are being forced to stay at home rather than make a trip.

Nicolas Brusson, Co-founder of BlablaCar, said:
“Car cost concern is certainly causing UK drivers to think twice about getting behind the wheel. Long distances in particular are clearly affected. An easy way to reduce the cost of the journey is to share it and carpooling is a very real option now in the UK.”

Interestingly, 11% have already started to share more of their journeys to reduce running costs. Carpooling can help drivers save a significant amount of money each month, reducing the impact that the increase in the price of petrol has on their budget. BlablaCar for example could save drivers as much as £60 on a single journey[iii] for a route such as London to Manchester , offsetting not only their entire petrol cost but also most of their vehicle running costs.

Nicolas Brusson, continued:
“Whatever the journey we would warn against deliberately driving with the fuel light on of course, safety must always come above costs saving for everyone.”