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.

Format: Xbox 360
Price: Around £40
Review score: 9/10

I’ve long been a fan of the racing series Forza Motorsport on the Xbox and then Xbox 360. The latest variant, Forza Motorsport 4, demonstrates that it is more than deserving of the name. In order to establish a difficulty setting, the game throws you in at the deep end and you are plunged behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia in order to test your skills. Then the game opens up showing you the real depth that’s on offer.

Track and other racing
Forza Motorsport 4 has incredibly strong roots in track racing and it’s really evident in the way that cars handle. Each seems to behave differently and even better, the difficulty level is easy to change depending on your experience or lack thereof. Over 80 manufacturers are in the virtual roster along with 500 cars. The choice is yours, as is the location of the race.

The ‘Top Gear’ connection
As with Gran Turismo 4, Forza Motorsport 4 has identified the popularity of Top Gear and integrated some rather special features such as the Autovista mode, where you can look in huge detail at a number of cars whilst Jeremy Clarkson narrates. Furthermore, the Top Gear Test Track being present means you can be your own ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’.

A host of features
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay to Forza Motorsport 4 after the brief look at it I’ve had is that it is seemingly packed full of features. The sheer range of options on offer is staggering. For example, tuning, painting, drifting, time trialling, track racing, photography, video making and much more is included. If you’re a fan of motor racing then there’ll be something in the Forza Motorsport 4 experience for you.

Any negatives?
Perhaps the only thing I can say is that the ‘World Tour’ is immediately recognisable to any players of Forza Motorsport 3. The old saying though “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” comes to mind, as the game is improved in almost every area I cared to look at after a few hours of play time.

Final verdict
If you have an Xbox 360 and enjoy cars, you NEED this game. It is a must purchase. Oh and if you like to add a bit more depth, you could try out the Microsoft Speed Wheel. It is very tactile and responsive.

Honda make some great cars without a doubt. The new 2012 Honda Civic (it is the ninth generation) is sure to prove just as popular as the previous incarnation. However, one area where it has leaped ahead is in safety. Often overlooked in our buying decisions but never forgotten by manufacturers or legislators, the Civic has truly taken vehicle safety to the next level.

“Honda has a high tech crash test facility in Tochigi, Japan. There we were able to crash the new Civic into vehicles of different weights and sizes, and at different angles and speeds. We wanted to make sure that we are offering the best ‘real world’ safety for our customers.” explains Mitsuru Kariya, Civic Development Leader.

One of the ways that this is achieved in the new Civic is through the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure. This is a front-mounted polygonal frame that is designed to prevent the cabin becoming deformed by distributing forces away from the passenger compartment.

“Just as important as technology that protects you in a crash is technology that helps you avoid an accident in the first place“ says Kariya. “This is the first time that the CMBS system has been introduced on the Civic in Europe.“

Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) monitors the distance and closing rate between your vehicle and the car directly in front of it, warning the driver when a collision is likely and helping reduce impact when a collision becomes unavoidable. The technology automatically assists with heavy braking and tightens the seat belts to reduce loading on the driver during an accident.

The new Civic also features sophisticated pedestrian protection features. “I am very proud that Honda has a leading reputation for pedestrian safety. It’s an area in the new Civic that has been constantly worked upon.” commented Julian Warren, Senior Safety Engineer.

Pedestrian protection features include windscreen wiper pivots designed to break away on impact and energy absorbing front wing mounts.

If you’d like to find out more about the safety technology fitted to the new Honda Civic, you can watch the video on youtube here.

The new 2012 Civic was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and order books at Honda dealerships are now open with cars arriving in dealerships during January.

As the end of August approaches, as the summer begins to near its twilight and as the days grow shorter, we look to the bank holiday weekend with a sense of excitement but also with a sense of panic. It’s almost all over!

August bank holiday is all about creating a last-ditch potted summer so the team at Mio, experts at guiding drivers to their destination, has put together Britain’s must-sea beaches, including post codes to help you construct the ultimate road trip this bank holiday.

Achmelvich, Sutherland (Best for tranquillity)

photo credit: Saskia Heijltjes

Achmelvich is three miles from the fishing village of Lochinver on the remote west coast of Scotland. It has held a blue flag for 13 consecutive years and in reality is a small collection of beaches huddled around rocky bays and headlands. Turn your back on these peaceful beaches and you’ll see the giant Mount Suilven looming right in front of you.
Mio Postcode finder: IV27 4JB

Sennen Cove, Cornwall (Best for Surf)

photo credit: Dewfs™

A blue flag bearer and one of the best places in the UK to surf, Sennen Cove sits one mile north-east of Land’s End and boasts grassy hills and spotless sands. Experienced surfers take note – the waves get bigger as you head north up the beach.
Mio Postcode finder: TR19 7AW

Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon (Best for exploring)

photo credit: Markles55

A golden, rural beach, with low cliffs and warm waters. Burgh Island lies out to sea, where Agatha Christie partied in the 1920s. At low tide, the island is accessible across a sand spit, but at high tide, you’ll need a ride on the big-wheeled sea-tractor.
Mio Postcode finder: TQ7 4AS

Canford Cliffs Chine, Poole, Dorset (Best for relaxing)

A quiet sun trap in between busier surroundings – this blue flag beach is where the locals go to avoid the crush of tourists. The beach has all the facilities you’ll need but none of the hassle of more developed beaches.
Mio Postcode finder: BH13 7HX

Yellowave, Brighton, East Sussex (Best for fitness)

Yellowave is a beach fitness centre between Brighton Marina and the pier. A 2012 Olympics training venue, it holds six beach volleyball courts, which can be turned into two five-a-side beach football or rugby pitches or one international-size beach football pitch, while there is also room for ultimate Frisbee, bouldering, “beachminton” and a play area for kids.
Mio Postcode finder: BN2 1EN

West Beach, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex (Best for the family)

photo credit: Southern_Comfort

A sandy blue flag beach surrounded by the buzz of a traditional seaside resort. Kids can pick up a colour-coded wristband from the lifeguards to avoid getting lost in the furore and the annual air show takes place above the beach on 26th and 27th August.
Mio Postcode finder: CO15 2LF

Hunstanton, Norfolk (Best for activities)

photo credit: Duncan~

This blue flag beach is framed by red-and-white-striped cliffs and the traditional beach boasts candy floss, doughnuts, donkey rides and a bandstand. There’s also a busy kite-surfing community (http://www.hunstantonwatersports.com/). Hunstanton is the only coastal town in East Anglia to face west so all action stops every evening to watch the sun set into the sea.
Mio Postcode finder: PE36 5BB

Central Beach, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire (Best for tradition)

photo credit: steve p2008

A classic British bucket-and-spade type resort. There’s a Victorian gardens and waterfall, the Lollipop Express steam train which takes you along the Victorian promenade and a free Punch and Judy puppet and balloon show to keep you entertained – 11.30am on Wednesdays until 1st September.
Mio Postcode finder: DN35 8SE

Bamburgh, Northumberland (Best for heritage)

photo credit: paul.mcgreevy

A horseshoe-shaped stretch of sand that is overlooked by the imposing turrets of Bamburgh Castle. The beach extends for three miles from the village of Bamburgh to Seahouses and there is ample opportunity to explore more, with the Lindisfarne, the Holy Island and the Farne Islands nearby.
Mio Postcode finder: NE69 7DB

Burntisland, Fife (Best for bad weather)

photo credit: bazhall81

A blue flag winner for 13 consecutive years. The beach hosts old favourites like crazy golf, bouncy castles and an annual summer fairground and if the weather fails there’s a swimming pool with waterslides and a wave machine a short walk from the beach.
Mio Postcode finder: KY3 0BF

Have you got a favourite beach? Leave a comment below or join Mio on Facebook.

The latest round of the Scirocco R-Cup is due to take place at the Nürburgring this weekend, 5-6 August 2011. Volkswagen has released a new live-streaming application in celebration, ‘R-Cup Mobile’ which allows you to catch all of the racing action no matter where you are.

The latest update of the ‘R-Cup mobile’ app is available to download from Apple’s app store or direct from www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/R-Cup_iPhone.

Driven.co.uk have just published an interesting list of iPhone apps aimed at drivers. The list includes some useful and some novelty apps. We’ve written about some others apps a couple of times before but never worked on getting a decent list together.

Personally I get most use out of Navfree which is a free GPS app. I’ve never tried CoPilot Live because I’m too tight to pay for it so I’ll make do with the free alternative

I’ll be downloading a few of these to give them a try. Any more to add to their list?

If you’re going abroad, you may want to consider the fact that if you commit any offences on the road then you’re unlikely to be treated with much sympathy. That being the case, read on how a company might just be able to save you money…

Motoring across the Channel can work out expensive. In Europe speed cameras, overzealous policemen and on-the-spot fines await the unwitting Brit.

An EU directive began in March allowing European countries to share driver information. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said, ‘Foreign drivers account for 5% of traffic on Europe’s roads, but 15% of offences. If you are that driver, I have bad news. It’s about to stop.’

Brits are being forced to hand over 90 euros for not displaying a GB sticker or failing to carry a high-visibility vest. Not having a warning triangle or spare bulbs can cost another 90 euros. In France licence and vehicle confiscation is another possibility.

Different countries have various rules on what you need to keep in your car. Check out www.fco.gov.uk for full details on what you’re obliged and advised to take. Ignore the rules and drive at your peril.

Mail Order Company carparts-direct.co.uk supply a bespoke European Travel Kit. A basic kit includes a bulb pack for the specific car. It comes with a warning triangle, tyre-weld, high-viz jacket, GB sticker and beam deflectors. It even includes a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

Martin Mosley of Car Parts-Direct says, ‘We work from each customer’s car registration number and their destination. When the order comes in we assemble exactly what the customer needs and deliver it to them the next day. It’s correct for the specific country. The Travel Kit matches the exact vehicle and comes in a compact holdall.’

The European Travel Kit costs from £69. Go to www.carparts-direct.co.uk/.

Here’s the latest from GEM Motoring Assist, this time on how to best look after your pet this summer by keeping it cool in your car.

This summer, No.1 for breakdown cover in the UK and road safety charity GEM Motoring Assist, is reminding motorists to take special care of their pets when travelling and asking owners to make sure their hound is properly hydrated, cool and safely secured on long and hot car journeys.

When the temperature begins to rise, drivers may often forget how the heat can affect animals and ultimately, if not carefully considered, it can be extremely harmful or even fatal. To ensure your dog is cool throughout the journey, make sure they have enough air, water and space and do not leave them in the car alone for even a short period of time in hot weather, even with a window open.

David Williams MBE, GEM’s Chief Executive said, “Many people simply do not link dehydration with their pets, but they need to be fed and watered just as much as we do. UK holidays are becoming increasingly popular, and if the recent weather is anything to go by it’s going to be a scorcher. We expect to see even more animals being taken on long journeys so we are urging drivers to consider their pets’ needs as well as the rest of the family’s when it comes to hydration”.

GEM is teaming up with Prestige Pets www.prestigepets.co.uk this summer to champion the latest product in keeping your dog cool during the hottest months. The Cool Coat™ isactivated by water and is light, cool and soft to the touch, making it luxurious and comfortable for your dog to wear. As the heat of the day slowly evaporates the moisture from the Cool-Coat, this in turn draws the excess heat out of the dog’s body, leaving him feeling far cooler than before.

David Williams continues, “The Cool Coat™ is a brilliant gadget which will ensure your dog stays cool all summer especially in the car. We love that it is so easy to use and all you need is water to be able to revive it during the day.”

As part of the summer partnership, GEM is offering dog owners a chance to win a Cool Coat™, and has 10 to give away in July. To be in with a chance of winning, simply visit the GEM Facebook page www.facebook.com/gemmotoringassist and ‘like’ or follow GEM on Twitter @motoringassist for more details.

Don’t forget to visit the GEM website at www.motoringassist.com to download a safety leaflet produced by ROSPA with more information about travelling with your pet.

Trusteddealers.co.uk are offering a new book as a free download. The Hypermiling Handbook does exactly what it says on the tin, with some great advice on how to get the most mileage for your moulah! Take a read through it now to see some top tips and find out for yourself how you can save. It’s no cost so it is a win win download.

If you are regular in London, you’ll know how difficult it can be finding a suitable parking space. The new iparkmycar App for iPhone and iPod Touch is designed to take out the stress from the experience so you can get on your way hassle free.

The app uses the iPhone’s GPS capabilities to help users make informed decisions on where to park by showing every option, whether
it’s a car park, on street or Pay and Display, plus the relevant costs, revealing parking hidden gems and helping to make finding a parking space that much easier.

iparkmycar gives Londoners and those visiting the city the inside track on how to be one step ahead of the parking wardens. Wherever you are in London, iparkmycar shows the closest car parks and residential parking zones (know as Controlled Parking Zones, or CPZs) which can also have a pay and display option. Often, council car parks and CPZs are only patrolled during certain hours which vary from borough to borough and zone to zone, but iparkmycar will indicate when the parking wardens clock off so that you can take advantage of the free parking on offer.

The app was created by Chris Bocsardy, a frustrated Londoner who was beginning to question why he bothered with his car in London after receiving one parking ticket too many. Chris was motivated to create a solution to his parking nightmares and painstakingly compiled information on over 1000 car parks and residential parking zones throughout Greater London.

iparkmycar is available for iPhone and iPod touch on the iPhone App Store at an introductory price of £1.79 (£2.39 normal price). Every borough in Greater London is covered and there are already plans for more versions of the App covering different cities around the world. Further information is available at www.iparkmycar.co.uk.