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| ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR VW UP! | 2011-10-12 | | THE order books for VW’S intriguing new Up! City car have opened ahead of the first deliveries early next year.
As an all-new replacement for the rather disappointing Fox, the Up! is a complete | |
| WINTER FEARS DRIVE UP USED 4x4 PRICES | 2011-10-12 | | USED 4x4 values are beginning their seasonal climb, fuelled this year by warnings of another sever winter, as drivers seek the security of all-wheel drive.
Leading vehicle auction company, British Ca | |
| SMART BRUSHES 100 MPG MARK | 2011-10-12 | | IT may not be the newest or roomiest in the city car market but the smart is officially the most economical to run as it took an amazing third consecutive win in a two-day eco-challenge with more than | |
| PRICES FOR NEW HONDA CIVIC | 2011-10-04 | | HONDA has confirmed the prices for the new, ninth-generation Civic which will appear in dealers’ showrooms from next January starting at £16,495.
The British-built hatchback is an obvious | |
| SUNSHINE BID FOR CHOLMONDELEY PAGEANT | 2011-10-04 | | THE organisers of the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power have confirmed that next year’s Pageant will take place in mid-June, a month earlier than usual in an attempt to enjoy better weather.
The fa | |
| DISPELLING THE FEARS ABOUT ELECTRIC CARS | 2011-08-09 | | FEAR of the unknown will be the biggest hurdle facing car makers trying to sell all-electric cars which are just around the corner in marketing terms.
Manufacturers are developing purely battery-powe | |
| NISSAN ELECTRIFIES LINCOLN - THANKS TO TOP GEAR | 2011-08-05 | | NISSAN is to fund the installation of Lincoln’s first public electric vehicle charging point, following the recent Top Gear feature which highlighted the lack of charging infrastructure in the E | |
| HONDA'S MANUFACTURING BOOST FOR BRITAIN | 2011-07-29 | | BRITISH manufacturing has received a boost with the confirmation by Honda that the new Civic as well as the next generation CR-V will be built at its Swindon plant in Wiltshire.
The ninth generation | |
| HONDA THE MOST RELIABLE MAKE - AGAIN! | 2011-07-28 | | ONCE again Japanese and Korean makes have utterly dominated a reliability survey with not a single European manufacturer placed into the top ten of the study which saw Honda take top spot for a remark | |
| SKODA - CARS YOU LOVE TO OWN | 2011-07-25 | | IF you’re looking for the most satisfying car to own buy a Skoda because according to a survey of more than 50,000 drivers the Czech manufacturer delivers more in this respect than any other mak | |
| RENAULT MEGANE HEADS UNRELIABILITY INDEX | 2011-07-19 | |
RENAULT’S last generation Megane has been named and shamed as the car most likely to suffer an electrical fault with a staggering one in three of the models built between 2002 and 2009 going | |
| DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME... | 2011-07-18 | | YOU’VE got to hand it to stunt driver, Terry Grant, who managed to take this Nissan Juke all the way up the hill at the recent Goodwood FoS on just two wheels.
It may have taken nearly three mi | |
| SECOND HAND SAABS GET FREE SERVICING | 2011-07-07 | | SAAB is giving away a two-year free servicing package worth £700 on its approved used cars.
The free servicing plan is available on all used cars up to five years old or up to 60,000 miles. All | |
| ASTON ZAGATO GETS PRODUCTION GO-AHEAD | 2011-07-07 | | ASTON Martin is to put this V12 Zagato into production as a road car; that’s the good news, the bad is that only 150 will be built and each will cost from £330,000.
On the back of rapturo | |
| CAR MAKERS HIT BACK AT NEWS OF THE WORLD | 2011-07-07 | | FORD, Vauxhall and Mitsubishi have pulled their adverts from the News of the World in disgust at the developing phone-hacking scandal.
The paper is at the centre of a growing storm over allegations t | |
| BRING BACK THE OLD MCLAREN LOGO | 2011-07-06 | | SIT behind the wheel of a Ferrari or gaze at the badge on its nose and you’ll see the famous Prancing Horse, in a Maserati the Trident, a Porsche the shield based on the coat of arms of its home | |
| SILVERSTONE SOLD OUT FOR SUNDAY | 2011-07-06 | | IF you’re planning to go to Silverstone for the Grand Prix on Sunday make sure you already have a ticket because all the raceday allocation has already gone.
There are still places left for the | |
| INSIDE MCLAREN'S NEW BIRMINGHAM DEALERSHIP | 2011-07-06 | | MCLAREN’S new Midlands dealership has already sold its first 18 months’ allocation of the MP4-12C supercar and says the exotic trade-ins that customers are bringing in is fuelling its new | |
| CAUGHT IN THE CLASSIFIEDS- USED FORD ESCORT XR3i | 2011-07-04 | | YOU will go a long way to find an original Ford Escort XR3i in better condition than this one which is on sale at Specialist Cars in Stoke on Trent.
A 1990 model, it’s had one owner since it wa | |
| ABARTH'S POCKET ROCKET FERRARI | 2011-07-01 | | ABARTH is making this pocket rocket with links to Ferrari. Called the 695 Tributo Ferrari the little head-turner has a 1.4 turbo engine delivering a healthy 180 bhp which is enough to push the Abarth | |
| BRITISH ROADS ARE GETTING SAFER. | 2011-07-01 | | SOME good news for a change British roads are getting safer and the number of people killed last year dropped below 2,000 for the first time since records were kept.
Headline figures published by th | |
| PORSCHE GOES FOR OUTRIGHT WIN AT LE MANS | 2011-07-01 | | GREAT news for motor sport fans Porsche has confirmed it is to return to Le Mans with a proper prototype in 2014.
The most successful manufacturer in the 24 hour classic with 16 wins, the move adds | |
| MINI COUPE - TWO SEATER FUN | 2011-06-21 | | FROM the masters of niche marketing comes this car, the first ever two-seater MINI and the fifth derivative of this remarkably successful design.
The MINI Coupe goes on sale from October with prices | |
| FANGIO - THE CENTENARY OF A GREAT CHAMPION. | 2011-06-21 | | MASERATI is reminding the world that this week sees the 100th anniversary of the birth of a man who is undoubtedly in the top half dozen of all time best racing drivers and probably higher than that | |
| INSURANCE CRACKDOWN STARTS TODAY | 2011-06-20 | | NEW laws to crack down on uninsured drivers take effect today (June 20) with offenders facing the possibility of having their car destroyed.
The new Continuous Insurance Enforcement law makes it an o | |
| FAIRFUEL UK FIGHT REACHES PARLIAMENT | 2011-06-16 | | GIVE this man a medal and sign up to the campaign he promotes. MP Robert Halfon (Harlow) has spoken up for motorists being robbed at the fuel pumps and has called on the Government to impose no more | |
| VW PASSAT PULLS CLEAR IN TOWCAR AWARDS | 2011-06-16 | | VOLKSWAGEN pulled clear of rivals when it scooped the lion’s share of awards in the annual Towcar of the Year competition.
The Passsat Estate 2.0 TDI 170 Bluemotion Sport was voted the overall | |
| SUBARU SMASHES TT RECORD - FOR CARS! | 2011-06-10 | | THE TT course is normally associated with motorbikes but occasionally car manufacturers strap a rally driver into one of their products for a go around the unforgiving 37 mile course.
Rover did it w | |
| £700 MILLION BOOST TO BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY | 2011-06-09 | | IT’S been a good week for the British motor industry with two significant investments from Nissan and BMW giving a much-needed boos to jobs and morale.
At a meeting in Downing Street Nissan bos | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEW VAUXHALL ASTRA GTC | 2011-06-07 | | VAUXHALL is throwing down the gauntlet to the likes of the VW Scirocco and Renault Megane Coupe with this dramatic new Astra GTC which is now available for order priced from less than £18,500.
| |
| NEW KIA PICANTO - BETTER CAR, SAME VALUE FOR MONEY | 2011-05-25 | | KIA is launching a second generation Picanto from mid-June which promises to be significantly better in all aspects while retaining the strong value for money factor.
Prices start from £7,995 f | |
| FORD FOCUS KEEPS YOU SAFE. | 2011-05-25 | | FORD’s new Focus has become the first mass market car to win two Euro NCAP Advanced awards thanks to its crash-prevention technology.
The Focus bristles with safety features including Active Ci | |
| FREE MOT OFFER FROM WARRANTY DIRECT AND KWIK-FIT | 2011-05-19 | | DRIVERS of three- year old cars facing the first MOT can get the test for free thanks to a deal between Warranty Direct and Kwik-Fit.
With nearly a million more cars failing their MOT test in 2010 th | |
| FIAT PROVES SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL | 2011-05-19 | | IT was a clear case of less is more when the tiny 875 cc, two cylinder Fiat TwinAir power unit won the International Engine of the Year award.
The win cements Fiat’s reputation for making world | |
| ALFA OFFERS APP LINK | 2011-05-18 | | ALFA Romeo enthusiasts can now get digital and interactive with the brand thanks to the launch of Alfa UK’s free iPad app version of the newly titled Alfa magazine, formerly known as Feel magazi | |
| NEW AUDI Q3 PRICES REVEALED | 2011-05-18 | | AUDI continues its amazing push into every possible niche market with the third member of its Q SUV family, the new Q3.
The order books for the compact SUV have now opened with prices starting at &po | |
| TOYOTA BACK ON STREAM FROM JUNE 1 | 2011-05-18 | | TOYOTA’S factories at Burnaston and Deeside will return to normal production next month after being affected by a parts shortage following the tsunami in Japan.
Jon Williams, managing director | |
| SECOND HAND SOFT TOPS AT BARGAIN PRICES | 2011-05-11 | | USED car buyers looking for a second hand convertible could pick up a bargain because the market reports that there hasn’t been the traditional seasonal pick up in prices so far this year.
Soft | |
| CITROEN DS3 LANDS MORE TROPHIES | 2011-05-11 | | CITROEN’S brilliant DS3 has been voted Car of the Year by Diesel Car magazine to add to its impressive tally of trophies.
In addition to this latest win, the DS3 has already picked up Car of th | |
| NEW CAR SALES FALL AGAIN - BUT RECOVERY IN SIGHT? | 2011-05-09 | | NEW car sales fell again last month for the tenth time in a row but industry leaders still maintain they are confident of seeing a revival in the second half of the year.
April’s sales figures | |
| JAGUAR C-X75 IS GO! | 2011-05-06 | | GOOD news, bad news; the good news is that Jaguar is to make its stunning C-X75, the bad is that production will be confined to just 250 and that each car will cost from £700,000.
The concept c | |
| CHEAPER ALFA MITO ON THE WAY | 2011-05-05 | | ALFA is cutting the cost of owning its biggest recent success, the MiTo, with a raft of trim, price and engine revisions.
The range has been streamlined from 17 versions to nine, with both Turismo an | |
| IT'S VIRTUALLY HERE _ THE ASTRA GTC | 2011-05-05 | | THIS video may show the forthcoming Vauxhall Astra GTC in a virtual setting but the final validation of the cars is now being done and in just a few weeks the order books will open and we will know ju | |
| SKODA DRIVES TO MORE SUCCESS | 2011-04-14 | | MOTORISTS have again given Skoda a ringing endorsement by voting it the best manufacturer for the third year running! and three of its models were put into the best Car category.
The results of the | |
| TESCO ENTERS USED CAR MARKET | 2011-04-08 | | THE USED car trade is waiting with bated breath to see if Tesco makes a success of its first foray into the market.
The retail giant has launched www.tescocars.com which will give buyers access to th | |
| NISSAN AND HONDA CUT OUTPUT | 2011-04-07 | | THE aftershocks of the Japanese earthquake continue to rumble on with both Nissan and Honda reducing production of their factories at Sunderland and Swindon respectively due to a parts shortage.
Niss | |
| GO GREEN TO SAVE FUEL, SAYS IAM | 2011-03-30 | | WITH fuel costs threatening the £6 a gallon mark drivers can save themselves money by adopting green driving habits.
The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) say that some simple measures can | |
| SKODA RACKS UP THE TROPHIES WITH YETI AND SUPERB | 2011-03-14 | | SKODA is adding to its trophy cabinet with two more awards for its hugely impressive Yeti and Superb models.
The Yeti, one of the new breed of cross-over which combine elements of an SUV with a famil | |
| JAPAN'S CAR MAKERS DEAL WITH QUAKE CRISIS | 2011-03-14 | | DELIVERY of Japanese- built cars could be affected in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake which hit the country last Friday.
Damage to factories both among the manufacturers and their component s | |
| CHANGE FROM £15,000 FOR VOLVO'S C30 | 2011-03-10 | | VOLVO’S sleek looking C30 coupe is now available from under £15,000.
The C30 ES 2.0 litre petrol version has good spec with electronic climate control, 16 inch alloys, leather steering wh | |
| SUBARU PLAYS TO ITS STRENGTHS IN SALES PUSH | 2011-03-07 | | SUBARU will focus on lifestyle cars as it seeks to more than double its current sales in the UK.
In an exclusive interview with localmotoring.com, the irrepressibly cheerful MD of Subaru UK, Paul Tun | |
| GENEVA UPDATE 5 - SUZUKI SWIFT GETS SPORTY | 2011-03-03 | | LOVE the slightly-steroidal Suzuki Swift concept which takes this excellent hatchback very firmly in a sporty direction.
Dubbed the Swift S-CONCEPT, the bright yellow car is 30 mm lower and 600 mm wi | |
| GENEVA UPDATE 4 - MORGAN GOES BACK TO THE FUTURE | 2011-03-03 | | WELL, it's different, you have to give Morgan that much!
Taking pride of place on its stand was this modern take on its classic three-wheeler which is now in production with a price tag of £25 | |
| GENEVA UPDATE 3 - FERRARI FF. | 2011-03-03 | | ANY new Ferrari is guaranteed to generate a lot of interest but the FF really was one of the stars of the Geneva show.
Looking sensational in red (not so good in white though) the FF is the company&r | |
| GENEVA UPDATE 2 - FORD'S NEW COMPACT MPV | 2011-03-03 | | FORD showed off this B-MAX which brings MPV seating flexibility to the small car market.
Based on the new Fiesta chassis but slightly longer, the B-MAX’s most obvious feature is the sliding rea | |
| GENEVA UPDATE 1 - ALFA ROMEO'S NEW SPORTSCAR | 2011-03-03 | | ALFA Romeo caused a stir at Geneva when it pulled off the covers of this new pint-sized sportster, the 4C.
Built around a lightweight carbonfibre and aluminium chassis possibly with input from race | |
| THIRTY YEARS OF CARBON FIBRE, THE MIRACLE MATERIAL | 2011-02-28 | | THIRTY years ago this week a miracle material called carbon fibre made its debut in motor racing as the main component of the chassis and dozens of drivers are alive today because of it.
On March 5 | |
| MERCEDES VOTED TOP SUPERBRAND. | 2011-02-28 | | COMPANIES put great store in having a strong brand, an awareness and set of expectations by customers who know the quality and value of the product.
So it is quite a coup for Mercedes-Benz to be vote | |
| LOWER FUEL COSTS, SAY HAULIERS | 2011-02-28 | | CAR drivers may be grumbling at the cost of filling up but spare a thought for hauliers whose fuel costs have gone up by at least £1,000 a year per wagon.
According to the Road Haulage Associa | |
| STAFFORD GARAGE GETS £100,000 BOOST | 2011-02-26 | | A STAFFORD fast-fit centre has been reopened after a £100,000 investment claimed to make it a model of automotive excellence’.
HiQ Stafford, based on Foregate Street, has undergone an ex | |
| MG - LET'S GIVE IT A CHANCE. | 2011-02-26 | | IT’S hard to know what to think about MG’s plans to effectively make a return to the UK market.
A tour of Longbridge is pretty depressing. Just 40 yes, 40 people work on the `assembly l | |
| CREWE GARAGE IN RUNNING FOR BEST- IN- UK AWARD | 2011-02-26 | | ABP Motorsport at Shavington, Crewe, is in the running to be voted the most professional and reliable service centre in the country.
The garage is one of just 50 in the UK nominated by motorists in t | |
| HONDA JAZZ - NOW WITH ADDED VALUE | 2011-02-25 | | ONE of the best small family cars now offers three years’ free servicing as an added attraction.
The offer applies to both the 1.4 petrol and the hybrid versions of the Honda Jazz; there are sa | |
| YET MORE TOYOTA AND LEXUS RECALLS | 2011-02-25 | | IT’S hard to believe but Toyota and Lexus have announced yet another global recall programme but no UK cars are affected on this occasion.
Come left hand drive Lexus RX models are being recall | |
| USED CAR BUYERS TEMPTED BY FUEL EFFICIENT ECO-MODELS | 2011-02-09 | | USED car buyers trying to minimise running costs are pushing up prices of the most fuel-efficient vehicles such as small citycars and hybrids.
Wholesale (auction) values of cars such as small Citroen | |
| ECSTASY ON A ROLLS-ROYCE. | 2011-02-09 | | ARGUABLY the most widely recognised motoring symbol in the world, the Spirit of Ecstasy which adorns Rolls-Royces, marked its centenary with a special cavalcade through London of 100 Rollers.
Called | |
| NEW CAR SALES HIT BY `PERFECT STORM'. | 2011-02-04 | | TO no-one’s great surprise sales of new car fell in January against a year ago thanks to the perfect storm conditions in a VAT hike, low consumer confidence, bad weather and the comparison to th | |
| DRIVERS WARNED OF POSSIBLE EMAIL LICENCE SCAM | 2011-02-02 | | DRIVERS are being warned by the DVLA of a possible email scam that could trick them into giving personal information.
DVLA's Corporate Affairs Director, David Evans said: "We are aware that some memb | |
| MORE RECALLS FOR TOYOTA AND LEXUS | 2011-01-27 | | TOYOTA’S reputation for quality engineering is taking another battering with news of yet more recalls for its cars, this time the Avensis and Lexus IS 150.
More than 15,000 Avensis 2.0 and 2.4 | |
| DRIVERS BACK ELECTRIC CARS | 2011-01-24 | | THE number of drivers willing to consider buying an electric or hybrid car as their next purchase has risen five fold in the past six months, according to Glass’s.
The arrival of a new generati | |
| FERRARI'S FIRST FOUR WHEEL DRIVE UNVEILED | 2011-01-21 | | THIS is Ferrari’s first ever four-wheel drive car and its new four-seater which is to be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Called the FF, an acronym for Ferrari Four (four | |
| LOOK NO HANDS - DRIVING IN THE FUTURE? | 2011-01-19 | | LOOK no hands- this driver is reading a newspaper while behind the wheel thanks to technology being developed that will let vehicles travel closer together in greater safety and with better fuel econo | |
| STOKE-ON-TRENT PEUGEOT GOES ELECTRIC | 2011-01-14 | | STOKE-ON-TRENT Peugeot dealers, Randles, are one of a handful to have been selected to spearhead the manufacturer’s drive into electric cars with its iOn.
The iOn is based on the Mitsubishi MiE | |
| JAGUAR JET CAR LANDS IN LONDON | 2011-01-11 | | THE sublime Jaguar C-X75 jet-powered hybrid recently stole the limelight at a hotel in London where it was on display.
The C-X75 was built to celebrate jaguar’s 75th anniversary and also to sho | |
| INSURANCE NEEDED FOR VEHICLES KEPT OFF-ROAD | 2011-01-11 | | IT will soon become an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle off the road and not just to drive one unless a valid SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice) is in place.
Currently every responsible motorist | |
| CREWE'S PEUGEOT DEALER TAKES NATIONAL ROLE | 2011-01-11 | | CREWE-based Chris Kidd, Managing Director of the family-run Gateway Motor Company, has been appointed National Chairman of Peugeot UK’s Dealer Council after four years as Chairman of its Norther | |
| VAUXHALL'S 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON USED CARS | 2011-01-07 | | VAUXHALL is offering used car buyers unprecedented peace of mind with a warranty that will cover al the main mechanical and electrical components for up to 100,000 miles.
The company introduced its L | |
| HOW TO TACKLE RECORD FUEL COSTS | 2010-12-22 | | WITH fuel prices standing at record levels what’s the best, easiest, quickest and cheapest way of cutting your fuel bills? Buy a new, more fuel efficient car? Possibly, but it’s not the ch | |
| VAUXHALL'S VAT-BUSTING XMAS PRESENT | 2010-12-15 | | VAUXHALL is offering drivers a VAT-beating Christmas present with a 20 per cent discount on most models which could see you save up to £4,000 on a new Astra.
The scheme runs between December 27 | |
| FORD SETS PRICES FOR DRIVER-FRIENDLY NEW FOCUS | 2010-12-15 | | FORD’S next generation Focus will offer drivers class-leading levels of comfort and convenience features in addition to its brilliant chassis.
On sale from March with prices starting at £ | |
| CHINESE CARS GETS LOW SAFETY RATING | 2010-11-26 | | BAD news for Chinese car manufacturers when the CV9 mid-sized MPV made by Landwind scored a miserable two-star safety rating in the latest round of EuroNCAP crash tests.
I can’t remember the la | |
| ARE WINTER TYRES WORTH IT? | 2010-11-18 | | OK, it’s winter and we all know that the roads are going to be wet, cold and slippery and that’s before the ice and snow arrive!
If the weather forecasters are correct, the coming weeks c | |
| FINAL SEVEN FIGHT FOR CAR OF THE YEAR HONOURS | 2010-11-16 | | THERE is an unusual entry list for this year’s European Car of the Year award and the judges will have a harder time than usual.
We’ll know their verdict at the end of the month but how w | |
| FIAT MULTIAIR POWERS TO MORE AWARDS | 2010-10-25 | | EVERY now and then you’ll come across an engine so startlingly good that your first encounter with it from behind the wheel creates a lasting impression.
BMW’s V10, Volkswagen’s TSI | |
| MORE RECALLS FOR LEXUS | 2010-10-25 | | LEXUS drivers will be racking up more miles going to and from their local dealer for recalls this year than they will on normal driving.
The company famed for its build quality had to issue two more | |
| SMMT WELCOMES GOVT. SPENDING REVIEW | 2010-10-20 | | IT’S early days and it remains to be seen how consumer spending will react to today’s Comprehensive Spending Review but the motor industry’s initial response is positive - especiall | |
| WANT TO AVOID DEPRECIATION? BUY A BMW X6 | 2010-10-19 | | HOW’S this for beating depreciation a pair of BMW X6s have just made almost double their estimate at auction.
At a recent BCA Open Sale at BCA Edinburgh earlier this month were a pair of 2008 | |
| GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR THE MOTOR INDUSTRY | 2010-10-18 | | LAST week was definitely a game of two halves for the British motor industry with some fantastic news and some not so good news.
The best bit was the announcement that, after a lengthy strategic revi | |
| FORD MONDEO - BEST USED CAR. | 2010-10-15 | | FORD’S Mondeo has been named as the best used car of the year by consumers’ champion, What Car? which says a three year old 2.0 TDCi Zetec will give everything a family needs but at aroun | |
| JAGUAR OPENS UP RADICAL POSSIBILITIES FOR CHANGE | 2010-10-13 | | WHEN you sit back and think about it the show-stopping concept Jaguar unveiled last week in Paris has the potential to be remarkably far-reaching in its consequences.
The C-X75 is a 200 mph hybrid po | |
| ASTON MARTIN'S CITY CAR TAKES FLIGHT. | 2010-10-11 | | THIS has to be the most unlikely car ever to wear the Aston Martin badge but the company has confirmed that its Toyota iQ-based Cygnet city car is to enter production next year.
It will be offered t | |
| GOOD RESIDUALS FORECAST FOR ELECTRIC CARS | 2010-10-07 | | ONE of the big unknowns about electric cars is how they will fare for residual values and what will be the likely demand for them on the second hand market.
If there is no demand and RV’s plumm | |
| GOING GREEN NEEDN'T COST THE EARTH | 2010-10-06 | | TALKING to a Vauxhall manager recently about the forthcoming Ampera hybrid which goes on sale in the first quarter of 2012, he made the point that the early adopters are likely to be wealthy people wh | |
| HOW TO SPOT A FUTURE CLASSIC CAR | 2010-10-05 | | WE all have our views on what makes a classic but of the cars in production today, which do you reckon will become future classics?
It can make a big financial difference because classics are obvious | |
| NEXT GEN LOTUS ELISE UNVEILED | 2010-10-05 | | FIVE years from now one of the greatest sportscars of modern times will be renewed with an all-new model that will enhance its defining characteristics and address is one major weakness.
Staying true | |
| LOTUS ESPRIT - THIS TIME IT'S SERIOUS | 2010-10-05 | | IT’S been mooted for years now but this time Lotus seems serious that it will be building a modern Esprit with a plan to have a V8 powered supercar on sale a little over two years from now with | |
| JAGUAR STEALS THE SHOW WITH STUNNING C-X75 CONCEPT | 2010-10-01 | | WHERE did this one come from? Everyone went to the Paris Motor Show expecting Jaguar to reveal a new Porsche Boxster-rivalling F TYPE and instead it pulls the covers of this four-wheel drive, 200 mph | |
| USED CAR MARKET SEES GROWTH AT TOP END | 2010-09-29 | | DESPITE high running costs, the best performing cars in CAP’s latest Used Car Price Index are from three of the least economical sectors.
Bucking the economic austerity trend, 4x4s, luxury exec | |
| STAFFS. USED CAR DEALER IN RUNNING FOR ON-LINE AWARD | 2010-09-29 | | A STAFFORDSHIRE used car dealer is in the running for a major national award for his website and on-line trading.
Umesh Samani, who runs Specialist Cars in Elder Road, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, has b | |
| SKODA PULLS CLEAR IN CARAVAN TEST - AGAIN. | 2010-09-27 | | SKODA’S multi-award winning Superb pulled clear of rivals in the annual Caravan Club Towcar of the Year event with an impressive third time.
The Superb come on top of 35 entrants in the test wh | |
| SMOOTH RIDING CARS ARE BACK. | 2010-09-24 | | ONE of the things I have long complained about in modern cars is the ride quality, especially in sporty or performance cars, because actually it is nowhere near as good as it should be.
Ever bigger w | |
| HONDA JAZZ IS MOST RELIABLE USED CAR | 2010-09-20 | | THE old adage that if you value reliability in a budget used car you need to buy Japanese has been again underlined with the results of a survey showing the Honda Jazz is the least likely to break dow | |
| PEUGEOT PLUGS IN TO ELECTRIC GREEN MARKET | 2010-09-10 | | AS the technology stands at the moment in terms of the recharging infrastructure, pure battery powered cars are not for everyone but there is a significant market where they should appeal.
It is the | |
| FIRST FERRARI, NOW KIA RECALLS CARS OVER FIRE RISK | 2010-09-10 | | RELIABILITY issues have been much in the news recently with the well-publicised recall by Ferrari of its 458 Italia which is prone to catching fire and now Kia is recalling a small number of Soul and | |
| FERRARI PUTS YOU IN THE DRIVING SEAT | 2010-09-10 | | ONLY a handful of drivers will ever get into the cockpit of a Ferrari Formula One car but now you can get the next best thing with an on-line simulator package developed by the race team.
The system | |
| JAGUAR LOOKING GOOD AT 75 | 2010-08-24 | | BY any standards one of the manufacturers enjoying the most success of recent times has to be Jaguar.
OK, strictly speaking that should be Jaguar Land Rover, and credit is due to both arms, but I hav | |
| NEW FORD FOCUS TO STAR AT PARIS | 2010-08-24 | | HERE’S the all-new Ford Focus which will be one of the stars of next month’s Paris Motor Show before going on sale here in the spring.
Ford will be showing both five-door and estate versi | |
| SEAT ADDS A NEW MINI-ESTATE IBIZA | 2010-08-06 | | SEAT has launched its third `silhouette’ in its Ibiza line-up with the arrival of the new ST mini-estate version.
With extra room and carrying capacity over the standard five-door and the SC sp | |
| STAFFS. MG DEALER IN CHINESE FACT-FINDING TOUR | 2010-08-06 | | MG dealers have been on a fact-finding trip to China to see how their next new model, the MG6 fastback, is being received there.
Sales of the MG6 the first all-new MG in 15 years should begin early | |
| VAUXHALL'S 100,000 MILE WARRANTY | 2010-08-06 | | VAUXHALL is giving owners unprecedented peace of mind and challenging rival makes to mach it with a 100,000 mile warranty on all its new cars sold from this month.
The cover will apply to the first | |
| TESTING A TRANSIT - AT 170 MPH... | 2010-08-04 | | THE iconic Ford Transit marks its 45th anniversary this month and it is fitting that one of the most important vehicles in Britain is properly recognised.
The contribution this van has made to Britis | |
| SKODA VICTORIOUS AT AUTO AWARDS | 2010-08-04 | | SKODA emerged victorious at the Auto Express magazine’s annual awards, winning no less than five trophies including the coveted Car of the Year which went to the Yeti.
The Yeti is a truly amazi | |
| MINI GOING BACK TO RALLYING. | 2010-07-28 | | GREAT news for all rally fans with the confirmation of one of the worst-kept secrets in motoring that BMW is to bring back the MINI name to world rallying.
From next year the MINI Countryman will ent | |
| GOVT. HYBRID GRANT TO BE SWITCHED ON. | 2010-07-28 | | THE motor trade has reacted with welcome surprise to today’s government announcement that it will honour the commitment given by Labour to offer a subsidy of up to £5,000 to early adopters | |
| ORDER NEW CAR NOW TO BEAT VAT RISE | 2010-07-28 | | NEW car buyers are being warned not to leave it too long before placing an order if they want to beat next year’s VAT rise.
A shortage of new cars in the supply pipeline and a reduction in prod | |
| MAZDA DEALERS THE BEST FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE | 2010-07-26 | | WITH just about every car these days being good, it’s often hard to know which one to choose; with similar performance, space, price and value for money picking one from another is not easy.
Bu | |
| NEW SUZUKI SWIFT SIGHTED | 2010-07-26 | | YOU will have to look hard to spot the difference but this is the all-new Suzuki Swift due here this autumn.
The current Swift is an excellent car but Suzuki says this next gen version represents a s | |
| VAUXHALL GIVES VALUE WITH NEW ASTRA SPORTS TOURER | 2010-07-23 | | IN sharp but welcome contrast to the recent trend to put prices up, Vauxhall will be giving real value for money when it launches the estate version of the new Astra later this year.
The Astra Spo | |
| FORD SHOWS YOU HOW TO SAVE FUEL COSTS | 2010-07-19 | | IT’S got to be obvious to everyone that fuel will become more expensive, either from rises in duty or the extra VAT or both, but whichever, the fact is that filling up at the pumps is going to b | |
| USED FORD FOCUS SCOOPS MORE AWARDS | 2010-07-16 | | USED car buyers are every bit as conscious about fuel consumption and running costs as those in the new car market and with that in mind they should be looking at the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi diesel which | |
| FARWELL TO THE NISSAN MICRA - FOR NOW... | 2010-07-16 | | 18 years and more than 2.3 million cars after the first one, the last Micra has rolled down the assembly line at Nissan’s giant Sunderland factory.
Taking its place will be the new Juke, a smal | |
| VAUXHALL CUTS CORSA COST TO UNDER £8,000 | 2010-07-15 | | VAUXHALL is slashing the cost of its Corsa to less than £8,000 in a July-only promotion.
Between now and the end of the month Vauxhall dealers are running the Big Summer Vauxhall Countdown whic | |
| FORD CONTINUES THE COST CUTTING | 2010-07-05 | | FORD is cutting thousands of pounds off the list price of its cars to bring them more into line with realistic transaction prices.
The move follows on from the successful `Blue Tag’ pricing exe | |
| FERRARI 458 ITALIA - GOODWOOD FoS STAR. | 2010-07-05 | | NO apologies for featuring this video shot from the cockpit of the Ferrari 458 Italia as it makes its run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed...sit back and enjoy. | |
| NEW COMPACT RANGE ROVER UNVEILED | 2010-07-02 | | THIS is the first official picture of the new compact Range Rover that will be named Evoque and which will be on sale here a year from now.
Resurgent Range Rover also announced that 1,000 new jobs wi | |
| HONDA TOPS USED CAR RELIABILITY CHART _ AGAIN | 2010-07-02 | | BUYING Japanese is the safest way to avoid expensive repair bills with a survey of more than 50,000 cars aged between three and tend years showing once again that they are by far the most reliable.
| |
| MORE RELIABILITY WOES FOR LEXUS | 2010-07-02 | | RELIABILITY issues have hit Lexus again with the announcement that it is to recall more than 250,000 vehicles, of which over 3,000 are in the UK, because of the risk of engine failure.
Coming just we | |
| TOYOTA HYBRID POWERS UK MANUFACTURING | 2010-06-28 | | THE UK’s claim to be a leading player in the hybrid revolution was strengthened when Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, was on hand to launch the production lin | |
| REVISED MONDEO ON THE WAY | 2010-06-28 | | FORD’s face-lifted Mondeo due in October will feature a variety of technological boosts including radiator grilles that open or close to reduce aerodynamic drag or the engine warm-up time.
The | |
| SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FOR CAR ENGINES | 2010-06-25 | | THE drive towards making ever more efficient engines that squeeze more power from less fuel has been highlighted with the amazing VW Group’s 1.4 litre TSI unit being voted International Engine o | |
| VAUXHALL BULLISH AFTER AMPERA ROAD TRIALS | 2010-06-23 | | VAUXHALL says it is delighted with a road-trial of the new electric Ampera which recently completed the 175 mile trip from the company HQ at Luton to its Ellesmere Port with enough power left to have | |
| MG ROVERS GO ON AND ON AND ON... | 2010-06-23 | | MG Rover owners seem to be a loyal lot with figures showing that despite production ending at Longbridge five years ago there are still more than one million of its cars on the road and the number is | |
| LAMBO SHAMED IN GREEN STUDY | 2010-06-16 | | THERE are still one or two manufacturers who ignore the green movement with Lamborghini apparently being the worst offender.
Its 5.0 litre V12 Murcielago was shamed as the least green car by the Envi | |
| MG TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARDS. | 2010-06-16 | | A FEW years ago I and other journalists sat at a press conference for the `re-inauguration’ of Longbridge and listened in growing disbelief, wondering if MG’s new Chinese owners had the f | |
| LAND ROVER PULLS OFF TOWCAR WIN | 2010-06-16 | | THE greatest fear for any driver towing a caravan or big trailer such as a horsebox is that it should begin to snake out of control.
Conventional wisdom is that the safest way is to accelerate gently | |
| VAUXHALL MAKES ELECTRIC HISTORY. | 2010-06-15 | | HISTORY was made this week with the longest journey by an electric car in the UK when a Vauxhall Ampera made the 170-mile trip from the company HQ at Luton to Ellesmere Port where the Astra is built | |
| KIA RECALLS OVER SAFETY FEARS. | 2010-06-15 | | KIA is recalling around 7,000 cee’d and Picanto models to rectify possible faults with the brakes and fuel-fillers.
Kia has identified that up to 468 cee’d models could suffer from insuff | |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY NETWORK Q. | 2010-06-11 | | WHAT’S the main thing that buyers in the second hand market look for? You might say value for money but I reckon it has to be reassurance the knowledge, no, more than that, the guarantee, that | |
| LEXUS - TEN YEARS AT THE TOP FOR SATISFACTION | 2010-06-03 | | IS there any point in car manufacturers other than Lexus taking part in the annual J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey?
Well, a few might say so but for the tenth year in a row Lexus has retained | |
| BTCC STARS AT CREWE HONDA DEALERSHIP | 2010-06-01 | | MOTOR racing fans will have a chance to meet some of the stars of Britain’s top championship at an evening hosted by Stuart Graham Honda this Saturday.
Current British Touring Car Championship | |
| PRICES REVEALED FOR ELECTRIC NISSAN | 2010-05-18 | | NISSAN has set the cost of its new all-electric LEAF at £23,350 thanks to a £5,000 government grant.
The full retail price is £28,350 but the LEAF qualifies for a government subsidy | |
| LAND ROVER ON THE VERGE OF A GREEN FUTURE | 2010-05-18 | | IS Land Rover developing into the most exciting and innovative manufacturer of them all?
It could be following today’s announcement that by next year it will have in the showrooms a model that | |
| FORD DOMINATES USED CAR AWARDS | 2010-05-17 | | NOT content with dominating the new car market Ford has now been voted as making the best used cars too.
Judges from the influential CAP used car analysis experts voted the Focus the Used Car of the | |
| SCRAPPAGE IS OVER - BUT GREAT DEALS AREN'T | 2010-05-14 | | IT may come as a surprise but despite the dire forecasts of some the new car market has not fallen off a cliff in the immediate post-scrappage period.
Scrappage was a tremendous success and 388,540 n | |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAT | 2010-05-11 | | IF ever a manufacturer exemplifies the fundamental importance of
establishing a strong brand identity, it’s SEAT.
Ask a man in the street today what a SEAT is like and I bet the answer would | |
| PEUGEOT TAKE LION'S SHARE OF DIESEL AWARDS | 2010-05-10 | | PEUGEOT took the lion’s share (no pun intended!) of the honours at a major test of 275 diesel-powered cars.
Its 5008 MPV was voted Car of the Year and best in class by Diesel Car magazine which | |
| AUDI A1 HAS MINI IN ITS SIGHTS | 2010-05-07 | | AUDI is challenging BMW-owned MINI for sales in the premium small hatchback sector with its new A1 which has just gone on sale from just over £13,000.
First deliveries of the distinctive little | |
| ALFA ROMEO SETS PRICES FOR ITS GOLF RIVAL | 2010-04-30 | | EXCITING news from Alfa Romeo which has just announced the pricing for its Golf-rivalling new Giulietta hatchback.
Starting at under £17,000 the car wins handsomely on style with its very disti | |
| VAUXHALL AMPERA PROTOTYPE ON THE ROAD | 2010-04-27 | | THE era of the electric car took a major step forward recently when the first pre-production Vauxhall Ampera rolled off the assembly line at a special plant in America used for building GM’s pro | |
| LPG BOOST FROM RECORD FUEL PRICES? | 2010-04-21 | | MOTORISTS are facing record fuel prices as a combination of increased wholesale prices, higher oil costs and an extra tax rise which came into effect this month have pushed forecourt prices through th | |
| SEAT OPENS THE DOOR TO BETTER DESIGN | 2010-04-20 | | IT seems that designers are finally turning their attentions to the one aspect of cars which have long been forgotten about the rear doors.
At long last we are seeing a bit more creative thinking in | |
| CAN'T GET AN RS500? TRY THIS INSTEAD... | 2010-04-19 | | FORD is offering some consolation to all but the lucky 101 drivers who were able to get their name on an order for the mighty Focus RS500 in the form of an upgrade kit that will give a standard RS the | |
| SECOND HAND TOYOTA VALUES UNHARMED BY RECALLS | 2010-04-19 | | TOYOTA seems to have shrugged off its recent well-documented reliability problems according to trade analysts at Glass’s which says it still enjoys some of the best residual values of any manufa | |
| SKODA VOTED BEST MANUFACTURER - AGAIN | 2010-04-19 | | SKODA is riding high after cementing its reputation for delivering owner satisfaction by being voted the best manufacturer for the second year running in a national poll which saw it take a double vic | |
| FORD STARTS THE COST-CUTTING | 2010-04-16 | | IS Ford’s price-cutting the start of something bigger that will get buyers into the showrooms?
In the past couple of weeks Ford has announced significant price cuts in the order of 15 per cent | |
| LAND ROVER DEFIES CRITICS WITH RECORD SALES | 2010-04-09 | | LAND Rover has given the best possible riposte to critics forecasting the end of the 4x4 industry by recording its best ever sales month in March.
This is phenomenal in the midst of a recession, wit | |
| JAGUAR ENJOYS SALES SURGE | 2010-04-09 | | JAGUAR is enjoying strong sales with its fabulous XF saloon with March’s sales up 95 per cent on a year ago, cementing a continuing trend which has seen its first quarter sales up by more than t | |
| RENAULT FLIES WITH THE WIND | 2010-04-01 | | RENAULT is pitching its small coupe-roadster called the Wind at under £16,000 when the order books later this month.
The two-seater has a clever roof section that can be rotated through 180 deg | |
| FAREWELL TO THE SCRAPPAGE SCHEME. | 2010-04-01 | | THE scrappage scheme has now closed with around a third of a million people having taken the opportunity to buy a new car through it.
Studies suggest that more than half the customers had never bough | |
| BUY USED CARS NOW - BEFORE PRICE RISES, WARN EXPERTS | 2010-04-01 | | THE used car trade is continuing to see stable prices in virtually every sector but prices could start to go up soon due to renewed consumer interest and a shortage of stock.
Supply and demand remain | |
| PRICE RISE FROM KIA | 2010-04-01 | | KIA is increasing the prices of some of its range by between three and four per cent from April 1 and adding the government’s new `showroom tax’ on new cars at the same time.
The move doe | |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLIO | 2010-03-25 | | HARD to believe that the Renault Clio will be 20 this year and that of the 10 million sold worldwide, one in ten of them have found British homes.
There are lots of supermninis but the Clio is a bit | |
| NEW CAR PRICES TO FALL? | 2010-03-25 | | NEW car prices could be set for a fall as manufacturers and dealers try to combat the end of the scrappage scheme and tempt buyers especially fleets - to trade.
Industry watchers predict that retail | |
| BUDGET DETAILS REVEALED | 2010-03-25 | | A DELAY in fuel price increases, wider motorways, a boost for electric vehicles, a further squeeze on company cars and the introduction of the so-called `showroom tax’ on new models are the mot | |
| POST_SCRAPPAGE DEALS TAKE SHAPE | 2010-03-23 | | WE’RE starting to see more details of manufacturers’ post-scrappage sales incentives as they turn their directions towards all drivers and not just those with older cars.
Scrappage has be | |
| MCLAREN'S WORLD CHAMPION TEST DRIVERS | 2010-03-18 | | IF you want to test a high-performance sports car it helps to have a pretty handy driver and McLaren have got two of the best in form of its Grand Prix drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.
Alt | |
| ELECTRIC CARS A STEP CLOSER | 2010-03-18 | | BRITAIN’S motor industry is laying its claim to be among the world leaders in low-emission technology with two major investments this week.
Nissan has announced that its all-electric LEAF will | |
| ALFA ROMEO MITO JUST GETS BETTER | 2010-03-13 | | THERE are some cars which are so good that they develop legendary status and their reputation lives on long after they cease production.
In the sports hatchback sector there is the original VW Golf G | |
| AFTER SCRAPPAGE, WHAT NEXT? | 2010-03-11 | | WITH the scrappage scheme winding down now and into its last couple of weeks it’s time to look back at what an amazing success it has been and look forward to the sort of deals drivers can expe | |
| PEUGEOT GOES THE EXTRA MILE - LOTS OF THEM ACTUALLY | 2010-03-07 | | WITH the cost of fuel high and presumably set to go higher with the likely post-election tax increases in the next Budget it makes sense for all of us to learn how to drive a little more frugally.
Fu | |
| HOW TO CLAIM FOR POTHOLE DAMAGE | 2010-02-25 | | FROM being a minor irritant potholes, and the expensive damage they can cause, are now becoming an increasingly big issue.
The hard frosts of this winter are lifting more of the road surface leaving | |
| TOYOTA'S REPUTATION `NOT HARMED' BY RECALLS | 2010-02-25 | | TOYOTA’S humiliation over its global recalls will not affect its reputation for reliability, according to an industry source.
Warranty Direct, suppliers of warranties on used cars, conducted a | |
| VAUXHALL'S 175 MPG ECO MARVEL | 2010-02-19 | | VAUXHALL has revealed more details of its plans to bring a new generation of electric cars to the marketplace which should be considerably better than the current hybrid designs.
Vauxhall already has | |
| JAGUAR XF NOW FROM UNDER £30,000 | 2010-02-11 | | JAGUAR’S brilliant XF coupe is now available from under £30,000 thanks to the addition of a new 3.0 petrol V6 version and there is a sports diesel model too.
A year on from its launch, th | |
| TOYOTA DEALERS BEGIN RECALL WORK | 2010-02-11 | | TOYOTA dealers have begun work on the mammoth task of fixing sticking accelerators on more than 180,000 cars across the UK and updating software for the braking system on Prius hybrids.
The work shou | |
| RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? | 2010-02-11 | | DESPITE the economic gloom that surrounds most of us it seems that one end of the car market is doing well with reports that buyers are prepared to pay £25,000 over the odds for a new Ferrari 45 | |
| WARM WELCOME FOR NEW JAGUAR XJ | 2010-02-09 | | NEXT month sees the arrival in the showrooms of one of the most significant new cars of 2010, the Jaguar XJ saloon.
As with the utterly brilliant XF coupe before it which set the example, the XJ has | |
| MORE BAD NEWS FOR TOYOTA. | 2010-02-09 | | THE bad news keeps rolling in for Toyota with the announcement that it is to recall its eco-car flagship, the Prius, over concerns about its brake system.
The global recall affects the third generat | |
| HOW TO COPE WITH A STICKING ACCELERATOR | 2010-02-04 | | THE issue of sticking Toyota accelerator pedals has put the spotlight firmly on what can be a terrifying event but it does not need to be a catastrophe because every driver has the instant remedy to h | |
| FIAT'S HAVING TWINS.... | 2010-01-23 | | DOWNSIZING is the name of the game at the moment as engine designers chase greater efficiency, producing more power from less fuel.
Better designs, the increasing use of turbocharging and advances su | |
| WINTER TYRES HELP IN DEEP FREEZE DRIVING | 2010-01-12 | | MERCEDES is helping its customers survive the deep freeze driving conditions by offering special winter tyres.
It is common on the continent for drivers to use the winter tyres but not so in the UK w | |
| HONDA CR-V THE MOST RELIABLE USED SUV | 2010-01-05 | | YET again Japanese brands dominate a reliability survey with this time the Honda CR-V being found to be the best but the reputation for German build quality took a knock with the Audi A6 being the wor | |
| NEW VAUXHALL MERIVA REVEALED | 2010-01-05 | | DON’T you just love it when a company thinks outside the box and brings in something that is not just novel but actually useful, something which moves on the game?
I do and that is why I applau | |
| HURRY TO SNAP UP A SAAB BARGAIN | 2010-01-04 | | BARGAIN-hunters are being steered towards Saabs which are being sold at low prices as dealers cope with the uncertainty over the marque’s future.
An announcement from General Motors over its i | |
| SNOW WARNING FOR DRIVERS | 2009-12-17 | | With snow and ice affecting many parts of the country the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has issued advice for safe winter driving.
Skidding on ice is the main concern for those driving in fre | |
| MG OWNERS RAISE CASH FOR STAFFS. CHARITIES | 2009-12-15 | | MG enthusiasts from the Potteries and South Cheshire MG Owners Club have raised more than £3,000 for local charities.
More than 80 cars did a 70 mile run that started at Amerton Farm by Chartle | |
| LEXUS BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER... | 2009-12-15 | | LEXUS isn’t the first company to acoustically engineer its sportscar, the new LF-A, to make it sound as sexy as possible but it probably has gone further than most. Follow the link below to the | |
| BUY NOW TO AVOID PRICE RISES. | 2009-12-08 | | blogScrap
IS there going to be a mass stampede for the dealerships when the penny drops among the public that now is actually a very good time to buy a new car in fact, quite possibly the best it&rs | |
| VAT-BACK XMAS OFFER FROM PEUGEOT | 2009-12-03 | | PEUGEOT is offering buyers a way to avoid paying the 2.5 per cent VAT rise from January 1.
All new cars ordered this month and which must be registered before March 29 will qualify for an effective s | |
| VW POLO VOTED CAR OF THE YEAR | 2009-12-01 | | THE new Volkswagen Polo has been voted European Car of the Year in a tight contest which saw it just pip the Toyota iQ.
The fifth generation Polo took 347 points, ten clear of the Toyota but both car | |
| FIRST THE ASTRA, NEXT THE AMPERA FOR ELLESMERE PORT? | 2009-11-26 | | BRILLIANT news about Ellesmere Port with the confirmation at a press conference this afternoon that GM is to keep all the jobs there and move to a three-shift system from 2011.
This is the best Chris | |
| ELLESMERE PORT JOBS SECURE | 2009-11-26 | | THE future of the Ellesmere Port plant in north Cheshire where Vauxhall makes the new Astra looks assured after an announcement by GM that it wants to move to a three-shift output from 2011.
It means | |
| IS CAR MAKING AT A CROSS-ROADS? | 2009-11-26 | | I THINK we’re seeing the first steps of a new direction for the UK motor industry which is going to stand us in good stead for the future.
Everyone knows that the next big thing in the automoti | |
| HAS SAAB GOT ANY FUTURE? | 2009-11-26 | | THE future of Saab is in doubt after Swedish supercar manufacturer, Koenigsegg, pulled out of lengthy negotiations to buy the GM subsidiary.
Short of a saviour from the Far East or some Swedish state | |
| FORD'S FOURTH PRICE RISE OF THE YEAR. | 2009-11-26 | | FORD is blaming the weak pound versus the euro for its fourth price rise of the year in a move which will add hundreds of pounds to the cost of its cars and vans.
The average rise of 2.7 per cent com | |
| LEE NOBLE RETURNS TO SUPERCARS | 2009-11-19 | | ONE of the most respected engineers in the business is back in business Lee Noble, the genius behind a series of some of the most remarkable sports cars of the past 20 years has set up a new company | |
| BEHIND THE SCENES AT MCLAREN | 2009-11-19 | | WE’RE taking you behind the scenes at McLaren to get a rare glimpse of what goes into developing a supercar.
This video of work on the MP4-12C which is due to go on sale in spring 2011 shows th | |
| LOTUS DEMOLISHES SUPERCAR RIVALS | 2009-11-11 | | DOESN’T it give you a warm glow to hear that Lotus is going from strength to strength, its products demolishing rivals in independent tests as they pick up yet more awards?
I love Lotus, always | |
| YOUNG DRIVER SCHEME LAUNCHED | 2009-11-02 | | AN innovative scheme that aims to get 250,000 under 16s a year behind the wheel of a car and cut deaths among novice drivers has been launched.
The Young Driver project, sponsored by SEAT and Admiral | |
| DOES SCRAPPAGE GIVE YOU THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY? | 2009-10-27 | | EVERYONE knows that the scrappage scheme has been hugely popular but are buyers really getting the best deal for themselves?
It is being argued by trade writers in Used Car Expert magazine that actu | |
| CLEANEST GOLF YET GOES ON SALE | 2009-10-27 | | VW has added to the line-up of its new generation Golf with its cleanest ever version of the legendary name.
Only a few months ago in July, Volkswagen announced a 69mpg version which returned 107 g/k | |
| LAND ROVER DEFENDER `FIT 4 PURPOSE' | 2009-10-27 | | I think it’s brilliant that the Land Rover Defender has been voted the nation’s favourite vehicle by its owners, beating almost 400 other models in a poll of more than 20,000 readers of Wh | |
| THE RIGHT REGISTRATION FOR JENSON? | 2009-10-20 | | WHAT better way for newly crowned Formula One World Champion, Jenson Button, to celebrate his success than to buy this number plate and possibly the car attached to it.
This Bugatti Veyron, complete | |
| JAGUAR LAND ROVER PLANS A LEANER, GREENER FUTURE. | 2009-09-24 | | JAGUAR LAND ROVER has revealed its future plans rest on a slimmed down manufacturing base and more eco-friendly products.
The company today announced it is to close one of its two West Midlands facto | |
| VW PULLS CLEAR IN TOWCAR AWARDS | 2009-09-24 | | THE new VW Golf pulled clear of rivals to be voted the Towcar of the Year by caravan experts.
The sixth-gen Golf also took the honours in the £16,000 to £20,000 category and the SE 2.0 TD | |
| VAUXHALL'S STYLISH NEW ASTRA | 2009-09-22 | | THE next-generation Vauxhall Astra will cost from just over £15,500 when it arrives in the showrooms in December aiming to do in its segment what the bigger and very successful Vauxhall Insigni | |
| FIAT HITS EU GREEN TARGET FIVE YEARS EARLY | 2009-09-22 | | FIAT is leading the way in reducing CO2 emissions on its current range of cars and joins MINI in being the only mainstream manufacturer to have hit an EU target for 2015 five years early.
The average | |
| RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION, ASKS BUGATTI | 2009-09-20 | | HYPERCAR-maker, Bugatti, has wheeled out a saloon car concept based on its extraordinary Veyron but with room for four instead of two to enjoy the 1,000 hp W16 cylinder engine.
Called the Galibier, a | |
| WE NEED SCRAPPAGE, SAYS MOTOR TRADE | 2009-09-20 | | NO surprise that the car industry is calling on the Government to extend its scrappage scheme once the £300 million fund runs out in a couple of months.
Saying that the scheme has saved jobs, b | |
| CAR WORLD GOES ELECTRIC | 2009-09-19 | | THE car world is going electric and anyone who thinks differently should head to the Frankfurt Motor Show this week where every car maker of significance is showing off battery-powered designs.
The e | |
| HYBRIDS SET FOR BIG STEP FORWARD | 2009-09-19 | | I’VE been a sceptic of hybrids pretty much since they first arrived in the Toyota Prius a decade or so ago. Couldn’t really see what all the fuss was about when a halfway decent diesel wou | |
| BUY NOW WARNING TO AVOID `PERFECT STORM' | 2009-09-19 | | MOTORISTS thinking of changing their car are being advised by consumer groups to do so now before what is being called `a perfect storm’ sees prices rocketing next year.
The scrappage scheme is | |
| FORD DOWNSIZES FOR ECONOMY | 2009-09-15 | | FORD is putting its weight behind the trend to use high-tech turbochargers to get more power and more mpg but lower emissions from smaller capacity engines, allowing drivers to downsize without sacrif | |
| AUDI SUPERCAR GOES TOPLESS | 2009-09-15 | | AUDI has taken the roof of its V10-powered R8 to add an open-topped option to its supercar range,
Costing from £112,000 for the manual gearbox version and £117,000 for the semi-automatic, | |
| NEW LOOK FOR TAX-FREE VOLVO | 2009-09-15 | | VOLVO’S new C30 1.6D DRIVe with Start/Stop is so clean and low-polluting that it is exempt for road tax.
Fitted with the brilliant 1.6 diesel and various eco-friendly technologies, the facelift | |
| McLAREN'S NEW SUPERCAR UNVEILED | 2009-09-09 | | McLaren has thrown down the gauntlet to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche and anyone else competing in the supercar market by drawing on decades of race and car building experience to create | |
| VW GOES GREEN WITH BLUEMOTION. | 2009-09-04 | | VOLKSWAGWEN is to unleash a new range of ultra-green cars with tax-free emission status and tremendous fuel economy.
The new Polo, Golf and Passat BlueMotion cars emit just 87 g/km, 99 g/km and 114 g | |
| TWO MORE MINIS ON THE WAY | 2009-09-04 | | MINI has confirmed that two new extra derivatives, the sporty two-seater coupe for definite and probably a semi-SUV crossover too, will be built at its Oxford factory from next year.
The announcement | |
| HYUNDAI'S AUGUST SALES SHOCK | 2009-09-04 | | HYUNDAI has stunned the market with an exceptionally strong August that has seen it beat Ford in terms of retail sales and selling more cars to private customers than any other manufacturer.
Its i10 | |
| SCRAPPAGE DRIVES AUGUST SALES | 2009-09-04 | | THE scrappage scheme continues to drive customers into showrooms as sales jumped again last month but fears remain about what happens when the government money behind it runs out.
Registrations rose | |
| VAUXHALL OFFERS £6,000 SAVING ON ASTRA. | 2009-08-27 | | VAUXHALL is leading the September sales stampede as manufacturers throw huge discounts at buyers during the new plate month when the 59 registration comes into effect.
In addition to the scrappage al | |
| MINI CHASING AUDI TT WITH COUPE? | 2009-08-27 | | MINI is poised to reinvent itself yet again and push the boundaries of brand development yet again with this startling coupe.
Officially only a concept, it will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show i | |
| SKODA ADDS EXTRA ROOM TO SUPERB | 2009-08-25 | | SKODA is to extend its new Superb range with the addition of an estate version likely to be called a Tourer rather than estate which will be uncovered next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The Su | |
| CITROEN'S AMAZING NEW DS3 BREAKS COVER | 2009-08-25 | | CITROEN will be chasing MINI sales with this beautiful new DS3 which will be officially unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show before going on sale here in the spring.
Based on its curre | |
| PEUGEOT BEST FOR HOLDINGS ITS VALUE | 2009-08-22 | | PEUGEOT’S 107 is Britain’s best car for holding onto its value as small cars predictably dominate the top ten list of depreciation-proof cars.
The baby Peugeot holds onto almost 61 per | |
| MINI-MPVs HOLD THEIR VALUE WELL | 2009-08-20 | | A COMBINATION of strong demand but limited supply is good news for residual values of the growing Mini-MPV sector where new designs are tempting buyers.
Citroen dominates this sector with three of th | |
| LOTUS EVORA - BEST DRIVER'S CAR | 2009-08-18 | | THE new Lotus Evora has beaten stiff competition from the likes of Aston Martin, Nissan, Jaguar, Audi, Lamborghini and the main rival in its sights, Porsche, to be voted the best driver’s car by | |
| NEW KIA SUPERMINI NEXT YEAR | 2009-08-18 | | THIS is Kia’s all-new supermini called the Venga that will go on sale in the UK early next year.
It has an unusually long wheelbase for such a sized car, indicating that it will have generous i | |
| LPG SET FOR SURGE AS FUEL PRICE RISE | 2009-08-11 | | LPG conversions are making a comeback and set for even greater popularity as fuel prices continue to rise and will go even higher this autumn.
Drivers looking to minimise their running costs are payi | |
| LOW INSURANCE FOR NEW SKODA | 2009-08-11 | | SKODA has secured low insurance ratings for its new Yeti which means that customers buying the cute cross-over will be paying lower premiums for cover.
On sale from mid-September, the Yeti’s in | |
| VOLKSWAGEN REVEALS POLO PRICES | 2009-08-11 | | VOLKSWAGEN has announced the prices for its new, fifth generation, Polo which goes on sale in mid-October from just over £10,000.
Continuing a story begun 34 years ago, the latest Polo is the b | |
| SKODA YETI COMES TO NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE | 2009-08-06 | | PROSPECTIVE customers had their first look at a new Skoda which goes on sale next month when one was had a pre-launch preview in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.
The Yeti was on display at Rob | |
| HYUNDAI RACES INTO TOP TEN WITH SCRAPPAGE SALES | 2009-08-06 | | THE success of the scrappage scheme whereby buyers trading in a car ten years or older qualify for a minimum £2,000 discount towards a new car has helped the trade show its first monthly improve | |
| PEUGEOT REVEALS ITS NEW 3008 CROSS-OVER | 2009-08-04 | | PEUGEOT is to join the market successfully carved out by the likes of the Nissan Qashqai with its new 3008 which goes on sale in November from under £16,000.
The 3008 is across-over which means | |
| SKODA YETI TO VISIT N. STAFFS AND S.CHESHIRE | 2009-07-28 | | SKODA’S new Yeti model will be visiting North Staffordshire and South Cheshire for an exclusive sneak preview before going on sale later this year.
The cross-over model, the fifth car in Skoda& | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEW FERRARI | 2009-07-28 | | THIS is the all-new Ferrari 458 Italia which the Maranello manufacturer calls one of its most radical cars ever.
New from the ground up, the 458 Italia benefits even more than usual from Formula One | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST TARGETS BENTLEY | 2009-07-23 | | Rolls-Royce has revealed more details of its new, smaller, model that will be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Called the Ghost, the Roller will use a 6.6 litre V12 like | |
| HONDA DOMINATES RELIABILITY SURVEY | 2009-07-23 | | THE Honda Accord has been named as the UK’s most reliable cars as yet again Japanese cars swept the board in a reliability study.
Which?’s analysis gives the Accord an amazing 99 per cent | |
| TOYOTA PRIUS WINS GREEN AWARD | 2009-07-20 | | A FORTNIGHT before it officially goes on sale the third generation Toyota Prius has already scooped its first award, winning the title of WhatGreenCar Car of the Year 2009.
The Prius was chosen from | |
| NISSAN PLUGS INTO ELECTRIC REVOLUTION | 2009-07-20 | | NISSAN has taken a major step down the road towards an era of green motoring with the announcement that it is to start building lithium-ion batteries that will power a new generation of electric vehic | |
| HONDA AND SKODA MAKE HAPPY DRIVERS | 2009-07-20 | | JAPANESE makes have yet again proven to be the most reliable but if your car does have a problem you’ll be happier in a Skoda which has lower repair bills than any other.
Bad news if you’ | |
| GREEN PEUGEOT GOES TAX FREE | 2009-07-20 | | PEUGEOT is to join the ranks of manufacturers offering cars that emit less than 100 g/km of CO2 with a new version of its 207 hatchback that is so eco-friendly it is exempt from road tax.
The French | |
| SKODA'S YETI BREAKS COVER | 2009-07-19 | | SKODA’S new cross-over model, the Yeti, has finally broken cover and will be on sale from mid-September with prices starting at under £14,000.
Skoda has chosen to offer the vehicle, a cro | |
| MAZDA TOPS SATISFACTION STUDY | 2009-07-19 | | MAZDA has been voted the best car company for customer satisfaction, coming in ten points above the industry average rating.
Mazda came top in the Automotive Sector in the latest UK Customer Satisfac | |
| TOYOTA'S HYBRID BOOST FOR STAFFORDSHIRE | 2009-07-19 | | TOYOTA is to begin building hybrid-powered version of its Auris hatchback at Burnaston on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border a year from now.
Announced during a visit to the plant by Peter Mandelson | |
| JAGUAR REVEALS ITS PAST AND ITS FUTURE | 2009-07-19 | | JAGUAR has relaunched its famous Heritage museum in Browns Lane, Coventry, with a stunning array of its vehicles.
At this week’s press day visitors were greeted with everything from one of the | |
| SUPERCAR DRIVES FOR TEENAGERS. | 2009-07-09 | | TEENAGERS too young to take to the road are being given the chance to get behind the wheel of some of the world’s fines sports cars thanks to a novel driving programme.
The 6th Gear Experience | |
| HYUNDAI JOINS THE PRICE COLLAPSE | 2009-07-09 | | THE cost of some new cars continues to plummet with Hyundai announcing it is slashing more than £5,000 from the cost of its stylish Coupe.
The cut puts on a price par with a typical hatchback a | |
| MAZDA CUTS £6,000 IN SCRAPPAGE DEALS | 2009-07-09 | | MAZDA is adding to the £1,000 government scrappage scheme with discounts of its own that means cuts of up to £6,000 on some models.
Every car maker taking part in the scheme is matching t | |
| VAUXHALL WHEELS OUT ITS MUSCLE CAR | 2009-07-09 | | VAUXHALL is to wheel out the spiritual successor to the fabled Lotus Carlton with this Insignia VXR which hits the showrooms in September packing more than 300 bhp and a price tag starting from just o | |
| SCRAPPAGE SCHEME SHOWS RESULTS | 2009-07-07 | | CAR makers are beginning to feel the benefits of the scrappage scheme as customers part-exchange ten year old cars (or eight to ten in the case of Nissan) for new models.
Since the programme kicked i | |
| SLASH YOUR MOTORING COSTS WITH CITY CAR CLUBS | 2009-07-07 | | THE credit crunch is creating an opportunity for motorists to slash their costs by joining one of the growing number of car clubs.
Car clubs are based on a very simple, but effective idea. Members pa | |
| NORTH STAFFS USED CAR DEALER EXPANDS | 2009-07-07 | | A USED car dealer has defied the economic difficulties and expanded into much bigger premises after just 18 months in business.
Castletown Car Sales has left its former site on the A34 and relocated | |
| FERRARI STARS AT GOOODWOOD FoS | 2009-07-06 | | FERRARI are renowned for making fast cars but even so a few eyebrows were raised at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed when one of its latest models, the limited edition Scuderia Spider 1 | |
| YOUNG DRIVER INSURANCE HELP FROM VAUXHALL | 2009-07-04 | | YOUNG drivers are being given a huge help by Vauxhall which will be provide free insurance on drivers aged 19 or over buying a new Corsa SXi
Available from under £10,000 through the scrappage s | |
| HONDA'S HOTTER TYPE R | 2009-07-04 | | HONDA’S development division, MUGEN, has confirmed that it is preparing a hotter version of the Civic Type R but says there are no plans yet to put it into production.
Officially just a conce | |
| FORD ENJOYS SCRAPPAGE BOOST | 2009-07-02 | | FORD has taken more than 12,000 orders under the scrappage scheme, the vast majority of them for the little Ka or Fiesta and with more than half the customers being new to the Ford brand.
Ford of Bri | |
| FIAT TARGETS TOPLESS SALES WITH 500 C | 2009-07-02 | | FIAT today launches the soft-top version of its little 500 and to underline the enduring love-affair British drivers have with convertibles, the UK is the first market in the world to get it.
Inspire | |
| NISSAN EXTENDS ITS `BUY BRITISH' SCRAPPAGE SCHEME | 2009-07-01 | | NISSAN is extending its `Buy British’ scrappage scheme which covers cars between eight and ten years old and gives the owner a £2,000 minimum trade-in value if put against one of its new c | |
| FIRST LOOK AT FACE-LIFTED PEUGEOT 207 | 2009-06-29 | | PEUGEOT is to introduce a face lifted 207 in August which will have new styling inside and out and improved engines developed to be even more fuel-efficient and clean including versions that emit less | |
| GREEN SHOOTS SPOTTED IN USED SUPERCAR MARKET | 2009-06-26 | | IF it is true that the supercar market is a barometer of the economy then perhaps the green shoots so often seen by some optimists may indeed grow into something more substantial.
BCA, leading auctio | |
| BUY NOW TO AVOID PRICE RISES. | 2009-06-24 | | HURRY if you want to buy a new car before end-of-month price rises forced on manufacturers by the sustained weakness of the pound against the euro.
Ford is the first of what will doubtless be a rush | |
| HANDY MOT REMINDER LAUNCHED | 2009-06-23 | | AN ingenious device that costs less than £3.50 but which could save millions of motorists a fine of thousands of pounds and a guilty plea at court has just gone on the market.
It is an electron | |
| LIGHTS ON IN THE DAY. | 2009-06-23 | | ALL new cars manufactured from January 2011 will have to be fitted with Daylight Running Lights (DRLs) when EU legislation comes into effect then.
Scandinavian cars such as Saab and Volvo have had t | |
| VOLKSWAGEN DOMINATES ENGINE AWARDS. | 2009-06-23 | | VOLKSWAGEN’S brilliant 1.4 litre TSI has proven there is plenty of scope left yet in the development of internal combustion design by taking the ultimate accolade of being voted Engine of the Ye | |
| WIN VIP TICKETS TO DTM WITH ARAI | 2009-06-23 | | LEADING helmet manufacturer, Arai, is offering tickets worth more than £1,000 and an exclusive behind-the-scenes pit tour at one of the world’s most exciting race series in its prize draw | |
| CASH-FOR-BANGERS PROFIT CHANCE, SAYS GLASS'S | 2009-06-23 | | CANNY buyers taking advantage of the scrappage scheme can turn a quick four-figure profit if they choose an in-demand car.
Glass’s Guide says that cars where the nearly-new value is close to th | |
| CITROEN CHASES MINI WITH FIRST LOOK AT NEW DS | 2009-06-22 | | THIS is an almost production ready version of the exciting new Citroen DS which will usher in a new range of cars allowing owners to personalise and custom-detail their car to a level matched only by | |
| TOYOTA PRIUS SETS NEW ECO STANDARDS | 2009-06-16 | | THE third generation Toyota Prius which goes on sale this summer will set new standards of fuel-efficiency and make the strongest case yet for the benefits of hybrid technology.
It will emit just 89 | |
| SAAB'S FUTURE WITH SUPERCAR MAKER | 2009-06-16 | | SWEDISH supercar maker, Koenigsegg, has reached a tentative agreement to buy Saab from its parent company, General Motors, in one of the more surprising moves resulting from the GM break-up.
Koenigse | |
| FAMILY DAY OUT WITH `WHEELS AT WOLSTANTON' | 2009-06-14 | | A MOTORING-themed family day out catering for all ages from the youngest to the oldest of enthusiasts is being staged at Wolstanton High School on Saturday 4th July 2009.
The event, Wheels at Wolstan | |
| SKODA BOOSTS ITS SCRAPPAGE DISCOUNTS | 2009-06-14 | | SCRAPPAGE buyers looking for an extra keen bargain should turn to Skoda where the Octavia has now had £3,200 cut off its list price which means the drive-away prices falls to less than £9, | |
| LEXUS TOPS SATISFACTION RATINGS - AGAIN | 2009-06-09 | | LEXUS has maintained its stranglehold at the top of the leading customer satisfaction survey by taking the top sot in the JD Power study for a scarcely believable ninth consecutive year.
It means tha | |
| HELPING WHITE VAN MAN TO GO GREEN. | 2009-06-09 | | WHITE van man will find it easier to turn green by cutting emissions and save money due to a new van CO2 data base launched by new Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis.
The online database, the biggest | |
| VOLVO WINS GREEN AWARD. | 2009-06-09 | | VOLVO has scooped what might be one of the most meaningful and relevant awards available with its S40 1.6D DRIVe being voted Green Car of the Year.
The diesel-powered saloon took the honours at the 2 | |
| ALFA RACES CLEAR IN SALES BATTLE | 2009-06-04 | | ALFA Romeo is one of just two car companies enjoying an increase in sales so far this year and puts its success down to the remarkable reception to its new MiTo.
It and Hyundai have both seen an eigh | |
| HONDA FACTORY BACK AT WORK | 2009-06-04 | | PRODUCTION has restarted at Honda’s Swindon plant after a shutdown which took approximately 25,000 cars out of the loop.
The Wiltshire plant currently makes the Civic and CR-V but output will b | |
| BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR VAUXHALL | 2009-06-01 | | IT’S business as usual for Vauxhall at the moment despite General Motors in America going into administration in what is being billed as the biggest failure in US corporate history.
GM Europe s | |
| SIXTH GENERATION GOLF GTI UNLEASHED | 2009-06-01 | | MORE than 35 years since original Golf GTI redefined the market for performance hatchbacks the sixth generation has gone on sale.
This is the most powerful production GTI yet built with its 2.0 litre | |
| TOYOTA PEGS PRICES OF NEXT PRIUS HYBRID | 2009-06-01 | | TOYOTA’S next generation Prius hybrid goes on sale from August with prices pegged to that of the current model despite the newcomer being significantly more advanced.
Costing from £18,370 | |
| STAFFS MG OWNERS CLUB PLAN CHARITY RUN | 2009-05-21 | | MG enthusiasts in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire are staging their annual charity run with what promise to be a spectacular 75 mile route through beautiful countryside.
The Potteries and Sout | |
| ASTON MARTIN CONFIRMS LE MANS LINE UP | 2009-05-21 | | ONE of the most famous names in motor racing has linked up with one of the most famous sponsors to tackle the Le Mans 24 Hours, 50 years after it took its first win there.
Aston Martin has entered th | |
| MCLAREN BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE. | 2009-05-21 | | THERE was more good news from the top end of the car industry with racecar and supercar manufacturer, McLaren, announcing plans to build a new sportscar that will provide 800 jobs in a new factory.
A | |
| JOBS BOOST AT ROLLS-ROYCE. | 2009-05-21 | | THE car trade might be suffering but Rolls-Royce at least sees light at the end of the tunnel and is increasing its manufacturing workforce by 50 per cent.
More than 150 new jobs have been created to | |
| STRONG SALES WEEKEND AT NORTH STAFFS SKODA | 2009-05-19 | | A FAMILY-run Skoda dealership enjoyed a strong sales weekend for new and used cars which it said proves there is still a market for buyers tempted by keen prices.
Robert Eardley and Son, the North St | |
| ALL NEW VAUXHALL ASTRA BREAKS COVER | 2009-05-14 | | VAUXHALL is using the same successful formula it has used with its new Insignia, the reigning European Car of the Year, with its all-new next generation Astra shown here in production form for the ver | |
| YETI SIGHTED AT SKODA | 2009-05-14 | | SKODA has begun production of its Yeti which will be in the showrooms this September.
The Yeti will take its place in the market for what the motor trade calls cross-overs, cars that combine elements | |
| FORD LEADS RACE TO GREENER MOTORING | 2009-05-12 | | FORD’S latest low carbon cars are leading the industry at reducing CO2 levels according to environmental website Clean Green Cars.
Clean Green Cars analysed latest CO2 data for this year's new | |
| BARGAIN WEEKEND EVENT AT NORTH STAFFS SKODA | 2009-05-12 | | BARGAIN hunters in the market to change their car should head to North Staffordshire’s Skoda dealer this weekend where it is hosting a special sale around what it promises are the best value car | |
| ALFA ROMEO MiTO FOR UNDER £9,000. | 2009-05-06 | | THERE are lots of good deals on the back of the Government’s scrappage scheme with manufacturers using the boost in publicity to reveal eye-catching discounts of their own but Alfa Romeo’s | |
| FORD'S `SCRAPPAGE PLUS' ADDS EXTRA DISCOUNTS. | 2009-04-23 | | FORD is giving drivers wanting to take advantage of the £2,000 scrappage grant and move into a bigger car with a raft of extra discounts which could add up to a saving of £4,500 off the co | |
| CAR SCRAPPAGE - THE FACTS | 2009-04-23 | | SCRAPPAGE THE FACTS
Chancellor Alistair Darling confirmed that a scrappage incentive scheme will be introduced with the following conditions.
A total of £2,000 will be offered in a “cas | |
| USED FORD FIESTA AND KA GET STRONG BIDS | 2009-04-21 | | THE first second hand examples of the new Ford Fiesta and Ka to filter down into the used car market achieved record prices from dealers eager to snap them up.
Ford and British Car Auctions (BCA) lau | |
| DON'T BE A DIPSTICK WITH YOUR OIL CHECK | 2009-04-21 | | Despite the credit crunch, millions of motorists are risking thousands of pounds by failing to carry out the most basic of car maintenance tasks.
An astonishing 17 percent of UK drivers or 5.13 mill | |
| CAMERA FINE RISK IN GOVT. SPEED PROPOSALS | 2009-04-21 | | MILLIONS of motorists will be at greater risk of being caught by a camera if Government proposals to cut the speed limits on what it deems to be the riskiest roads go ahead.
According to RoadPilot, a | |
| SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL IN USED CAR MARKET. | 2009-04-21 | | ALTHOUGH the residual values of most used cars have experienced an unprecedented rise over recent months, new analysis from Glass’s suggests that some vehicles with higher-capacity petrol engine | |
| VAUXHALL WELCOMES GOVT ECO-GRANT. | 2009-04-16 | | VAUXHALL has welcomed the news that the Government is to give grants of up to £5,000 to help people buy the new generation of hybrid cars as it gears up to launch its own hybrid, the Ampera, whi | |
| FORD RS SALES SURGE. | 2009-04-16 | | DEMAND for the remarkable Ford Focus RS has been so great that half the UK’s allocation has already been sold before showroom deliveries even start.
Ford plans to bring in around 4,000 RS&rsqu | |
| SCRAPPAGE SYSTEM WORKS, SAYS FORD BOSS. | 2009-04-16 | | PROVIDING grants to persuade drivers of older cars to scrap them has been proven to work, said the boss of Ford, and would provide a vital boost to the car industry.
Speaking at this week’s pre | |
| BEST LARGE CAR? THAT WILL BE THE SKODA. | 2009-04-09 | | SKODA’S aptly-named Superb flagship has been voted the Best Large Car at the What Diesel Car of the Year Awards.
The Superb beat 17 other contenders, including the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5, t | |
| SURVIVE EASTER ON THE ROADS. | 2009-04-09 | | IT’S Easter bank holiday and motorists can expect the roads to be packed as millions set off to enjoy the long weekend break. The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has put together a few tip | |
| PAUL'S DREAM FERRARI DRIVE | 2009-04-09 | | Many of us dream of getting behind the wheel of a supercar and exploring its capabilities in the safety of a race track. Here Paul Forrester tells of his experience of doing that with two of the most | |
| DIESEL AWARD FOR FORD FIESTA | 2009-04-09 | | FORD’S amazing new Fiesta continues to rack up the award, its latest being voted the Diesel Car of the Year.
The supermini edged out the Jaguar XF in the What Diesel magazine awards to add to i | |
| GOVT. HELP NOW CRITICAL, SAYS CAR TRADE. | 2009-04-09 | | THE case for a Government-backed boost to the market by paying a scrappage fee of around £2,000 that can be put towards a new or nearly new car is now overwhelming, say trade leaders.
As the ne | |
| GM GIVES BUYERS PEACE OF MIND. | 2009-04-09 | | VAUXHALL, Chevrolet and Saab are giving customers buying either a new or used car from their dealers extra peace of mind with a ground-breaking, free insurance package that protects payments in the ev | |
| STAFFORDSHIRE IN TOP HALF OF ROAD SHAME LEAGUE. | 2009-04-09 | | IT will come as a surprise to anyone who has to endure the misery of our worn-out, bumpy roads but Staffordshire is actually in the top half of the UK counties when it comes to road quality,
Motorist | |
| CITY CARS NOW THE SAFEST HAVEN FOR YOUR MONEY | 2009-04-07 | | THE recession is continuing to have a profound impact on rates of used car depreciation with the values of small, fuel-efficient city cars now outperforming those of prestige-brand saloons and 4x4s fo | |
| BRITISH TEAM SET TO STEAM INTO THE RECORD BOOKS. | 2009-04-02 | | A BRITISH team of record breakers have completed a vital stage in the testing of their amazing steam-powered car which is well on course to shatter a century old standard.
The 25ft-long British Steam | |
| FIGHT BACK AGAINST POTHOLE MENACE | 2009-04-02 | | MOTORING campaign website, Potholes.co.uk, has been relaunched boasting more interactivity than ever as it seeks to give a voice to motorists whose vehicles have been damaged by poorly-maintained road | |
| CHEVROLET'S CASH-SAVING CRUZE | 2009-04-02 | | CHEVROLET is driving down the cost of motoring with a special offer on its new Cruze which could save motorists hundreds of pounds.
Anyone ordering one of Chevrolet’s new four-door family saloo | |
| THE LEGEND RETURNS - THE GOLF GTI IS BACK. | 2009-04-02 | | THE Golf GTI is back; almost 36 years to the day since a small band of engineers started work on the first prototype GTI, the order books have opened for the sixth generation of the classic hot hatch. | |
| CITROEN CELEBRATES ITS RECORD-BREAKING RALLY DRIVER. | 2009-04-02 | | CITROEN is celebrating the outstanding achievements of its dominant World Rally driver, Sebastien Loeb, by making a new special edition of its C4.
Frenchman Loeb is now the most successful rally driv | |
| DEATH RISK FROM SECOND HAND AIRBAGS. | 2009-04-02 | | DRIVERS are dicing with death through trying to save money by buying second hand airbags.
Leading accident management company, Accident Exchange, says the growing trade on on-line auction websites i | |
| FORD BLAMES WEAK STERLING FOR PRICE RISE. | 2009-03-24 | | IT’S not the best timing given the precarious state of the new car market but Ford is leading what is expected to be a raft of price rises by other car makers citing the weakness of the pound st | |
| VAUXHALL PREDICTS SALES BOOST FROM INSIGNIA ESTATE. | 2009-03-19 | | VAUXHALL is adding a sporty estate version to its stunning Insignia, the current European Car of the Year.
Since its launch in January and despite the severe downturn, Vauxhall has already sold more | |
| APRIL FOOL'S FILL UP BOOST FOR THE GOVERNMENT. | 2009-03-19 | | ENJOY the low petrol prices while you can on April 1 the Government is going to be adding more than eight pence a gallon to the cost of filling up.
Petrol and diesel have slumped since the highs of | |
| NO GO FOR MOTOR SHOW AS CRISIS DEEPENS. | 2009-03-19 | | BRITAIN has lost its place on the world stage for international motor shows with the news that next year’s event has been cancelled.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), blame | |
| `C' THE FUTURE FOR USED CARS AT HOLDCROFT HONDA | 2009-03-13 | | NORTH Staffordshire’s Honda dealer is pioneering a brand new piece of technology that has the potential to revolutionise the way used cars are bought by bringing the showroom to people’s l | |
| GREAT ESCAPE WITH NORTH STAFFS. CARAVANS | 2009-03-13 | | STAFFORDSHIRE caravan enthusiasts are being invited to a special weekend being staged by one of the industry’s longest established dealerships for a festival of tourers, seminars and live demon | |
| GOVERNMENT HELP FOR LAND ROVER'S ECO WARRIOR | 2009-03-13 | | THE Government is to give £27 million towards the cost of developing a car on which the future of Land Rover might rest as proof that the company can answer eco-critics who accuse off-roaders of | |
| LEARN WHILE ENJOYING ON NEW BIKE SAFETY COURSE. | 2009-03-07 | | MOTORCYCLISTS are being offered the chance to develop new skills and increase their confidence while enjoying an overnight riding tour.
Bryans Road Safety Centre, based at Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on | |
| NEW VOLKSWAGEN POLO GOES GREEN. | 2009-03-07 | | THIS is the fifth generation Volkswagen Polo due here in October and with a new ultra eco-friendly version that will average 85 mpg and have by far the lowest CO2 emissions of any car in its class.
| |
| VAUXHALL GOES ELECTRIC. | 2009-03-03 | | VAUXHALL is joining the electric revolution with this emissions-free car that will be in the showrooms within two years.
One of the stars of this week’s Geneva Motor Show, the Vauxhall Ampera i | |
| NORTH STAFFS USED CAR TRADE ON THE UP, SAY DEALERS, | 2009-02-28 | | NORTH Staffordshire used car dealers are reporting an upturn thanks to a combination of falling new car sales and the price drops over the past 12 months.
Chris Berrisford, who runs the King Street M | |
| IS THIS THE BIGGEST REVOLUTION IN 100 YEARS? | 2009-02-28 | | A CAR boldly described by its brilliant and world-renowned designer as the biggest revolution in mass production of vehicles for 100 years is about to go on sale.
Devised by Gordon Murray, the creati | |
| KIA VOTED CAR MAKER OF THE YEAR. | 2009-02-28 | | KIA has been voted Car Maker of the Year by the leading motor trade magazine AM in its 2009 Awards.
It was praised for its `increasingly strong’ relationship with its dealers and for its `clear | |
| HONDA MAKES HYBRIDS MORE AFFORDABLE. | 2009-02-26 | | HONDA has revealed the prices for its new Insight petrol/electric hybrid which will easily be the most affordable car of its type and one of the lowest-priced green’ cars.
The entry level SE mo | |
| HYBRID WARS BREAK OUT BETWEEN TOYOTA AND HONDA. | 2009-02-26 | | TOYOTA is to answer the challenge poised by the new Honda Insight hybrid by unveiling its third generation Prius at next week’s Geneva Motor Show which has more power, is more reliable, more fue | |
| SAAB FACES LIFE AFTER GM SPLIT. | 2009-02-24 | | SAAB has been cut free from cash-strapped General Motors and is again an independent entity for the first time in 20 years but the question is, can it survive without a business partner?
General Mot | |
| CALL FOR £2,000 GRANT TO SCRAP OLDER VEHICLES. | 2009-02-17 | | GIVING owners of older cars and vans a £2,000 Government grant to trade them in against newer designs which are cleaner and more fuel efficient designs could boost the car trade by 250,000 sales | |
| FIAT GOES TOPLESS WITH ITS 500. | 2009-02-17 | | FIAT is aiming for sunshine sales with this soft-top version of its cute little 500 which goes on sale in the spring.
The 500C has a roll-back fabric roof which retracts the entire length of the roof | |
| SAAB TO GO OFF-ROAD WITH 9-3X. | 2009-02-13 | | SAAB is entering the cross-over market with the new derivative of its 9-3 model which has raised suspension and the option of total traction from a four wheel drive transmission making it suitable for | |
| FORD TOPS MARKET SECTORS. | 2009-02-12 | | THE car industry might be mired in the doldrums but some manufacturers are doing relatively well, notably Ford.
With one of the youngest model line-ups around (its oldest car is now the Galaxy MPV) F | |
| SURGE IN DEMAND FOR USED BIG 4x4s. | 2009-02-12 | | THE combination of the snow and ice, cheaper petrol costs and huge falls in value over the past 12 months means that big 4x4s could be coming back into favour on the second hand market at least, if n | |
| NEW ALFA BEATS MINI IN RETAINED VALUE. | 2009-02-10 | | ALFA Romeo’s new MiTo has had a boost just a week after going on sale with industry experts predicting better residual values for it than arch rival, the MINI,
Over a one year period and 10,000 | |
| THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAR OF ALL TIME? | 2009-02-10 | | ASKED to vote for the most beautiful car of all time, it is a fair guess that many fans would come up with something from Ferrari or Lamborghini or opt for a design such as the Jaguar E-Type.
In fact | |
| ASTON MARTIN BLOWS AWAY THE ECONOMIC GLOOM AND DOOM. | 2009-02-10 | | AS the perfect antidote to all the gloom and doom surrounding the car market, Aston Martin is to build the most powerful road car in its 95 year history.
Built to blow away the clouds of depression w | |
| AS YOU WERE AS VAUXHALL GIVES BACK FIVE PER CENT. | 2009-02-05 | | VAUXHALL and Ford may have scored a spectacular own goal by raising prices by five per cent just days after the Government agreed to a £2.3 billion boost for the motor trade but at least Vauxhal | |
| HONDA TOPS SATISFACTION POLL. | 2009-02-05 | | HONDA is the best car company to deal with as a customer according to a national survey of more than 20,000 consumers.
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) is the most wide-reaching measure of | |
| SNOW BOOST FOR COMPACT SUVs. | 2009-02-05 | | THE high cost of ownership might mean it’s snow go for big, thirsty 4x4 but the wintry weather has brought about a welcome boost for some smaller SUVs.
The increased demand has come mainly from | |
| TOYOTA'S iQ BEATS ITS OWN MPG FIGURE. | 2009-02-03 | | TOYOTA’S radical new iQ has beaten its own official fuel consumption figure with a real-world test that showed it has a range of more than 500 miles on a single tank, working out at an average o | |
| FAREWELL TO SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. | 2009-02-03 | | SUBARU is marking 15 years of its Impreza turbo range by cutting back the prices of today’s cars to 1994 levels which means you can save more than £2,000 off list price as its prepares to | |
| LOWER RUNNING COSTS FOR NEW FORD KA. | 2009-02-03 | | HOT on the heels of the brilliant new Fiesta, Ford is launching another small car, its second generation Ka which will be cheaper to run than its ultra-successful predecessor thanks to lower insurance | |
| FORD FIESTA NAMED AS WHAT CAR?'S FAVOURITE. | 2009-01-24 | | FORD’S new Fiesta has been voted car of the year by What Car? magazine after wowing judges with its all-round ability and topping another strong performance from Ford.
What Car? editor Steve F | |
| GREEN SHOOTS OF RECOVERY IN USED CAR MARKET? | 2009-01-22 | | ACCORDING to politicians the green shoots of recovery have been spotted in a few places, from the housing market to the financial world, and now they appear to be sprouting in one sector of the car ma | |
| CAR OUTPUT ALMOST HALVED LAST MONTH. | 2009-01-22 | | THE scale of the downturn in the car trade towards the end of last year has been highlighted by the latest figures showing that production dropped by almost 50 cent in December.
With factories being | |
| SKODA'S WINTER WARMERS FOR BUSINESS DRIVERS. | 2009-01-20 | | SKODA has unveiled a package of winter warmers for business users with a series of competitive contract hire rates.
Until the end of March 2009, the flagship Superb GreenLine is available to fleet cu | |
| KIA'S SOUL GETS THE LOTUS TREATMENT. | 2009-01-20 | | KIA has recruited the suspension tuning talents of Lotus to put the finishing touches to its new Soul that goes on sale in March as the first Kia to have been developed specifically with UK roads and | |
| BENTLEY'S V8 CELEBRATES 50 YEARS. | 2009-01-20 | | BENTLEY’S head of engineering is to pay homage to one of the most remarkable engines by tracing the history of the company’s legendary V8 which is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
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| MINI LEADS THE WAY IN GREEN CAMPAIGN. | 2009-01-20 | | NEW cars are becoming cleaner and emitting less of the greenhouse gas, CO2, thanks in part to improvements made by manufacturer and in part because motorists are downsizing into smaller, more efficien | |
| FIAT AND CHRYSLER IN TIE-UP. | 2009-01-20 | | FIAT and Chrysler have pulled off a surprise move by announcing a tie-up that should benefit both companies.
The deal gives Fiat a share in Chrysler plus its distribution outside North America while | |
| STAFFS SKODA LEADS USED CAR SALES BARGAIN WEEKEND. | 2009-01-15 | | NORTH Staffordshire Skoda dealer, Robert Eardley and Son, is spearheading the traditional New Year used car sales with special discounts for this weekend only that cuts thousands of pounds from the co | |
| SEAT'S TEMPTING FINANCE DEALS ON NEW AND USED CARS. | 2009-01-13 | | SEAT is joining the range of manufacturers offering incredible deals at the moment with a variety of money-saving offers on both its new and used cars. The deals run alongside the recently-revealed S | |
| TOYOTA SAVES YOU MORE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER MAKE. | 2009-01-13 | | GOOD news if you were a Toyota Aygo owner last year your car lost less in value than any other car, at just over £1,500 or around £4 a day. Less good news though if you owned a Maybach 62 | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEXT MERCEDES E CLASS. | 2009-01-13 | | MERCEDES gave journalists visiting the Detroit Show a quick preview of its new E class due to be unveiled at Geneva in March.
It features the edgy new styling and technology from the S and CL class m | |
| FORD GOES GREEN FOR 2009. | 2009-01-13 | | FORD is playing the green card for 2009 with the most fuel-efficient family cars it has ever built and a raft of awards underlining its increasingly eco-friendly credentials.
It enters 2009 with an i | |
| GREEN BIO-BENTLEY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH. | 2009-01-13 | | BENTLEY is doing its bit to go green by planning to have its first ever cars engineered to run on bio-fuel ready for launch in March.
Board member for sales and marketing Stuart McCullough did not gi | |
| VOLVO AND SAAB STILL ON THE MARKET, SAY US CHIEFS.. | 2009-01-13 | | VOLVO and Saab are still on the market as their respective owners, Ford and General Motors, reorganise themselves in the wake of the meltdown in American car making.
Ford Chief Executive, Alan Mulall | |
| VW HINTS AT NEW SPORTS SOFT TOP. | 2009-01-13 | | ALTHOUGH officially only a concept and not earmarked for production this is a remarkably well developed car if it is only intended as a styling and engineering exercise.
Built by VW, this is a mid-en | |
| STOKE-ON-TRENT ON A PLATE FOR DRIVERS. | 2009-01-13 | | NORTH Staffordshire drivers loyal to Stoke-on-Trent might be interested in investing in the registration plate 57 OKE which will be going under the auctioneer’s hammer at a DVLA sale.
The plate | |
| VAUXHALL'S CAR OF THE YEAR ARRIVES IN STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2009-01-11 | | NORTH Staffordshire Vauxhall dealers, Greenhous, are celebrating the arrival of the stunning new Insignia and the reigning European car of the Year which is now on sale.
Replacing the Vectra, the Ins | |
| RENAULT CUTS THE COST OF MOTORING. | 2009-01-08 | | RENAULT is adding an ultra-cheap version to its Twingo range with the sub-£7,000 Freeway.
On sale from next month, the Freeway will be cheap to both buy and run. The price tag is £6,995 o | |
| CITROEN FACELIFTS ITS C1 FOR '09. | 2009-01-08 | | CITROEN’S super efficient C1 city-car has been given a makeover for 2009 and now has a restyled front end, new body colours and trims plus even lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy.
S | |
| NISSAN CUTS 1,200 JOBS AT SUNDERLAND. | 2009-01-08 | | NISSAN is the latest car manufacturer to announce cutbacks by axing 1,200 jobs at its Sunderland factory, a quarter of the workforce.
It says the move is needed in the current state of the market in | |
| IS THE WORST NOW OVER FOR RESIDUAL VALUE FALLS? | 2009-01-08 | | USED cars lost almost twice as much each month during last year as they did in the last recession but trade experts say that the worst of the drastic drop in residuals is almost certainly now over.
A | |
| JAGUAR'S DYNAMIC NEW DIESEL. | 2008-12-29 | | JAGUAR is adding a remarkable engine to its magnificent XF sports saloon in the form of a new diesel which is a third more powerful than the one it replaces but which is also significantly more fuel e | |
| IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS ON LOTUS' LEGENDARY TEST TRACK. | 2008-12-29 | | DRIVING enthusiasts are being offered the chance to follow in the wheeltracks of some of the world's greatest ever race drivers and improve their skills in the process.
Lotus is opening up its famous | |
| NEW HYUNDAI SUPERMINI HOLDS ITS VALUE. | 2008-12-29 | | HYUNDAI is promising some of the best residual values in class for its new i20’s supermini that goes on sale in January from just over £8,000.
Used car market and motor industry analysts, | |
| VALUE FOR MONEY FROM NEW SEAT SALOON. | 2008-12-29 | | SEAT’S new Exeo saloon will offer value for money and sporting performance when it goes on sale in April.
Peter Wyhinny, Head of SEAT UK, said the arrival of the Exeo will be one of the highlig | |
| LOG ON TO GREENER DRIVING WITH FIAT. | 2008-12-29 | | FIAT reckons drivers using its eco:Drive system that logs their driving behaviour which can then be downloaded onto a computer with suggestions how they can drive more economically has saved more than | |
| FIRST LOOK AT CHEAPER NEW HONDA HYBRID. | 2008-12-23 | | THIS is the all-new hybrid-powered Honda Insight that will make its global debut in America next month before arriving in the UK in the spring.
Unlike the previous three-door Insight, this second gen | |
| BIG FALLS IN HEAVY METAL VALUES. | 2008-12-23 | | HEAVY metal cars such as Bentleys, Aston martins and Ferraris are feeling the effects of the downturn despite their reputation for being among the best depreciation-proof vehicles.
A study released b | |
| SUZUKI MAKES A SPLASH WITH HIGH MPG MODEL. | 2008-12-22 | | SUZUKI is introducing a new entry-level variant of the Splash GLS mini-MPV model which was launched earlier this year, as motorists increasingly face pressure to downsize and shift to models which off | |
| CAR MAKERS SET TOUGH CARBON TARGETS. | 2008-12-22 | | CAR makers will have to get even tougher on CO2 emissions with the passing of new standards due to come into effect in 2015.
Six years from now, the average CO2 emissions from new cars must be slashe | |
| FORD BRINGS BACK THE FOCUS RS. | 2008-12-17 | | THE fastest ever European production car built by Ford will leave buyers change from £25,000 when it goes on sale next March.
The stunning Focus RS is the 22nd car to wear the famous Rallye Spo | |
| NEW V10 VERSION OF AUDI'S SUPERCAR. | 2008-12-09 | | AUDI is making a new flagship for its R8 sports car which will be powered by a 5.2 litre V10 developing around 100 bhp more than the current car.
With 525 PS on tap and weighing just 31 kgs more than | |
| BREATH TEST RISK FROM SOME DIY KITS | 2008-12-09 | | DRIVERS are being warned that some DIY breath-test kits are inaccurate and are not to be relied on if you want to stay clear of the law and safe behind the wheel.
A test by Parker’s, publishers | |
| THE FAVOURITE VAUXHALL IS A LOTUS... | 2008-12-03 | | THE classic Lotus Carlton super-saloon has been voted the UK’s favourite Vauxhall in an on-line poll of owners who put it ahead of the Calibra and the Cavalier.
The Lotus Carlton was a technic | |
| MITSUBISHI'S NEW COLT OUTPERFORMS A FERRARI. | 2008-12-01 | | MITSUBISHI’S new generation Colt will have class leading residuals according to industry guides, and better even than a Ferrari.
The Colt may not be a natural rival for the Ferrari F430 but it | |
| VAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR CHRISTMAS FROM SKODA. | 2008-11-29 | | SKODA is going a step further than everyone else in lowering the VAT rate by scrapping it altogether on its Octavia model during December.
The move means that customers can save up to £3,000 on | |
| NEW HOME FOR STAFFS USED CAR DEALER. | 2008-11-28 | | A STAFFORDSHIRE used car dealer with 25 years’ experience in the trade has moved to new premises as his former site is being redeveloped.
Tras Pankiw, who trades as Village Car Sales, has moved | |
| RALLY GB DEBUT FOR FORD FOCUS RS. | 2008-11-28 | | IF you’re travelling to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium for the final stage of the second leg of Wales Rally GB next month you will be treated to a world-first spectacle - the driving debut o | |
| VW SCIROCCO BREEZES TO TOP AWARD FROM TOP GEAR. | 2008-11-28 | | VOLKSWAGEN’S new Scirocco has been named Car of the Year 2008’ by Top Gear after winning the vote by members of the road test team and journalists from Top Gear magazine,
Chris Craft, Di | |
| FRESH LOOK FOR SKODA OCTAVIA. | 2008-11-27 | | SKODA is to revise its Octavia range in January with styling changes to bring it more into line with the Czech manufacturer’s new and already-award wining Superb.
At the front the Octavia gets | |
| VOLVO'S FIVE STAR CRASH PROTECTION. | 2008-11-27 | | VOLVO’S brilliant new XC60 SUV is one of just five cars to be awarded the maximum five-star rating in a new test designed to measure’s the protection a car gives its occupants against whip | |
| TOYOTA'S INTELLIGENT DESIGN KEY TO ITS iQ. | 2008-11-26 | | TOYOTA has released more details of its truly revolutionary iQ that will go on sale from January aimed at offering a technically advanced, radically designed solution to the needs of the modern urban | |
| FORD STARTS VAT SAVINGS TODAY. | 2008-11-26 | | FORD is to pass on the VAT reduction with immediate effect from today and it will remain in effect until the end of next year, 2009, saving customers hundreds of pounds.
The 2.5 per cent rate cut wil | |
| TOYOTA WELL PLACED TO SURVIVE DOWNTURN SAYS UK BOSS | 2008-11-26 | | THE UK new car market could shrink by 700,000 sales next year compared to 2008 according to the head of Toyota GB who added that his company should be well placed to cope with the downturn.
Miguel Fo | |
| SAVE MONEY WITH MINI BUT LOSE IT WITH ALFA. | 2008-11-25 | | THERE’S good news if you’re the owner of a diesel MINI because yours is the slowest depreciating car of any in the UK at the moment; it’s not such good news if you own an Alfa Romeo | |
| OPEN YOUR EYES TO BETTER VISION, SAY EXPERTS. | 2008-11-25 | | ONE in ten drivers have had an accident or a near miss because they were not wearing their glasses while driving.
A survey commissioned by Specsavers to mark Road Safety Week (24-30 November), reveal | |
| MOTOR TRADE WELCOMES BUDGET PLANS. | 2008-11-25 | | THE car trade has welcomed the chancellor’s Pre-budget Report but said much more needs to be done for both consumers and manufacturers. The PBR has cut VAT to 15 per cent, reducing the cost of c | |
| FIRST VIEW OF NEW PORSCHE FOUR SEATER. | 2008-11-24 | | THESE are the first official pictures of the new four-seater Porsche which will be doing battle with the likes of Bentley and a planned rival from Aston Martin when it arrives in the showrooms late ne | |
| SUCCESS ON A PLATE FOR MILLIONAIRE BIDDER. | 2008-11-21 | | RETIRED businessman Rob Harverson stunned everyone at an auction of personal registrations when he bid almost £200,000 for a plate bearing his initials.
The Surrey-based 47-year-old beat rivals | |
| MINISTERS WELCOME NEW TOYOTA AVENSIS. | 2008-11-21 | | THE new Toyota Avensis rolled off the production line for the first time today (Friday 21) at the Burnaston plant watched by Geoff Hoon, Secretary of State for Transport.
The MP was on hand to offici | |
| EXTREME LAMBORGHINI ARRIVES IN UK. | 2008-11-20 | | WHAT will almost certainly be the rarest car in the UK was delivered recently when its owner took the keys for the only Lamborghini Reventon sold in this country.
Just 20 of the extreme Lambos have b | |
| NISSAN'S Z CAR GETS MORE POWER, LESS WEIGHT FOR '09. | 2008-11-20 | | NISSAN is giving its hugely successful 350Z sports car its first significant overhaul since it was launched five years ago.
Lighter, with a shorter wheelbase and wider track plus a bigger and more po | |
| BIGGEST EVER FUEL PRICE FALL. | 2008-11-19 | | PETROL prices have fallen by their biggest ever amount over a month, dropping 11.54 pence per litre or almost 52 pence per gallon, since mid October. Now at 94.9 pence per litre, the price fall easily | |
| STAFFS. WELCOME FOR MG LAUNCH. | 2008-11-14 | | MG enthusiasts have given their approval to the recently relaunched MG TF which is now owned and built by the Chinese car maker, NAC.
Bob Nason, Secretary of the Potteries and South Cheshire MG Owner | |
| NEW HOME FOR STAFFS. SUBARU. | 2008-11-14 | | NORTH Staffs Subaru, Isuzu and Mitsubishi franchise holder, the Holdcroft Group, has merged the operations under one roof in a significant move that underlines a new spirit of realism in the motor tra | |
| VAUXHALL FACTORIES SAFE, SAYS GM BOSS. | 2008-11-13 | | THE boss of General Motors in Europe says the company will not close any factories on this side of the Atlantic "unless an asteroid hits the earth".
That will be good news for Vauxhall workers at El | |
| DRIVERS OFFERED PROTECTION FROM MORNING AFTER BAN. | 2008-11-13 | | DRIVERS ignorant of the strength of alcoholic drinks are risking their licence if breathalysed the morning.
The warning comes from the makers of a DIY breath tester, AlcoSense, who manufacture the Mo | |
| REVISED LEXUS OFFERS MORE FEATURES FOR LESS MONEY. | 2008-11-12 | | LEXUS is revamping its IS saloon range for 2009 offering more features for less money and lower CO2 ratings for its diesel model.
The list price has been cut by more than £1,000 on some version | |
| CLASSIC CARS FOR BOTH FUN AND INVESTMENT AT THE NEC. | 2008-11-12 | | THE new car market may be suffering but the classic car sector is enjoying something of a surge as people put their money into older vehicles, partly for enjoyment and partly because they can be seen | |
| 30 YEARS OF WRC TO BE CHAMPIONED AT CHATSWORTH. | 2008-11-12 | | THIRTY years of the World Rally Championship will be celebrated next year at one of the UK’s premier motorsport events taking place at the Rally Show staged at Chatsworth.
Just 16 drivers have | |
| LOTUS DRIVES INTO PROFIT. | 2008-11-11 | | THINGS may be dire in most of the car world but specialist sportscar maker and world-renowned engineering consultants, Lotus, has achieved a remarkable turn-around.
And with its first new car in 13 y | |
| BMW TOPPLES JAPANESE IN RELIABILITY TEST. | 2008-11-08 | | BMW’s biggest selling model range, the 3 Series, has been voted the most reliable car in a survey of Britain’s vehicle leasing companies. The poll, which covered the reliability history of | |
| MELTDOWN IN MOTOWN? | 2008-11-07 | | A doomsday scenario sees almost three million auto industry jobs in the US being lost in just 12 months if the Big Three carmakers, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, crash.
The Center for Automotiv | |
| EVEN MORE ECONOMY FROM PEUGEOT 107. | 2008-11-07 | | PEUGEOT is adding a new version of its excellent little 107 next year with a new front end styling bringing it more into line with the look of other cars in its range, plus even better fuel economy, l | |
| FINAL SEVEN SELECTED FOR CAR OF THE YEAR. | 2008-11-07 | | THE final judging is going on over seven finalists for one of the world’s most prestigious motoring awards, the European Car of the Year.
The seven finalists for the COTY 2009 are: Alfa Romeo | |
| HAYNES IN POLE POSITION WITH HAMILTON BOOK. | 2008-11-05 | | WITH a writing and publication process almost as fast as its subject matter, auto publishers Haynes have beaten the rest to market with the first book chronicling Lewis Hamilton’s race to his fi | |
| RENAULTS NEW MEGANE COUPE START AT UNDER £15,000. | 2008-11-04 | | RENAULT’S new Megane Coupe will be going head to head with rivals such as the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch and Kia pro-cee’d at one end of the price range and going up to the VW Scirocco at | |
| FIRST AWARD FOR FORD FIESTA. | 2008-11-04 | | THE all-new Ford Fiesta has picked up the first in what is sure to be a vast array of awards and trophies when Scottish motoring writers named it as their Car of the Year.
A jury of 17 Scottish autom | |
| STAFFS DRIVERS BLOWING MONEY ON TYRE PRESSURES. | 2008-10-30 | | STAFFORDSHIRE drivers are blowing away money for the sake of a little bit more air in their tyres, says Michelin.
The Stoke on Trent tyre giant did a series of `Fill up with Air’ roadshows thro | |
| NEW FORD KA FROM UNDER £8,000. | 2008-10-29 | | FORD has released the prices for its second generation Ka which goes on sale next January from under £8,000.
Sharing its under-pinnings with the Fiat 500 with which it was jointly developed in | |
| HOPE FOR STAFFS. USED CAR SALES? | 2008-10-29 | | BELEAGURED used cars dealers in Staffordshire might take a crumb of comfort from a new report saying there are grounds for optimism of a recovery early next year, starting with the used car sector.
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| BENTLEY TRAINEES RACE FOR CHARITY. | 2008-10-28 | | TRAINEES at Bentley Motors drew inspiration from the company’s heritage to raise almost £13,000 for the Manchester Royal Infirmary Leukaemia Research Fund as a tribute to a former colleagu | |
| DON'T GET `TYRED-OUT' THIS WINTER. | 2008-10-28 | | WITH the onset of winter motorists are being urged to check the tread depth of their vehicle’s tyres to make sure there is enough to cut through rainwater on roads.
TyreSafe, the UK’s lea | |
| NEW ALFA ROMEO HITS THE SHOWROOMS. | 2008-10-28 | | ALFA Romeo’s new sports hatchback called the MiTo will be in dealers’ showrooms from the beginning of November, two months before its on-sale date of January 24.
Although it has Fiat unde | |
| EYE-CATCHING VALUE FROM SKODA. | 2008-10-28 | | SKODA has released an eye-catching special value edition Fabia that gives £750 of extras for a price increase of just £160 but which will be limited to just 500 cars.
Based on the Fabia 2 | |
| CAR THIEVES USE JAMMING, WARNS TRACKER. | 2008-10-27 | | CAR thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and successful in their efforts to overcome hi-tech security systems.
The warning comes from TRACKER, the UK’s leading stolen vehicle trackin | |
| DRIVING TEST FEES SET TO INCREASE. | 2008-10-27 | | THE cost of driving tests could go up next year under plans released by the DSA which oversees the training industry.
The theory test could rise from £30 now to £31 and the practical elem | |
| ELECTRIC CARS IN LINE FOR £100 MILLION BOOST. | 2008-10-27 | | IN the clearest sign yet that the Government is keen to pursue greener transport, the electric vehicle industry is in line for a £100 million boost from public money.
The Department for Transpo | |
| BRITISH JET ACE SHOOTS FOR 1,000 MPH. | 2008-10-24 | | CURRENT Land Speed Record holder and the only man officially at least to have broken the sound barrier in a car, Andy Green, is setting his sights on another motoring milestone, that of reaching 1,000 | |
| NEW VW GOLF SETS FIVE STAR SAFETY STANDARD. | 2008-10-24 | | TO no-one’s great surprise the next generation VW Golf which goes on sale in January has passed the EuroNCAP crash test programme with flying colours, being awarded the maximum possible five-sta | |
| HONDA'S JAZZ FESTIVAL IN STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2008-10-22 | | A STAFFORDSHIRE Honda dealer will be opening the showroom doors this weekend for the launch of its latest supermini, the new Jazz.
This is the second generation of a hugely successful design which ha | |
| A FORD MODEL T FOR THE 21st CENTURY. | 2008-10-22 | | A CENTURY after the Model T put the world on wheels Ford has announced the winners of a global competition that challenged universities to create a similarly revolutionary vehicle concept.
The contes | |
| RENAULT GOES AGGRESSIVE WITH COUPE PRICING. | 2008-10-20 | | RENAULT has confirmed the prices for its svelte new Laguna Coupe which will go on sale in seven versions starting at £20,995 and which the French car maker hopes will challenge the BMW 3 Series. | |
| FIRST SIGN OF A RECOVERY IN USED CAR VALUES? | 2008-10-20 | | THE hard-pressed motor trade is being offered a glimmer of hope with figures indicating a slight rise in the value of used cars last month.
Analysis from both Manheim (the auction giant) and HPI sugg | |
| DON'T BE A ONE-EYED MONSTER THIS WINTER. | 2008-10-20 | | Clocks are wound back an hour at 2 am next Sunday (Oct 26), which means that the nights will draw in and hordes of one-eyed monsters will be prowling the darkness threatening our safety.
The monsters | |
| STRONG USED CAR DEBUT FOR JAGUAR XF. | 2008-10-17 | | JAGUAR’S multi-award winning XF which has helped the company be one of the few to increase sales this year has proven a success in the auction ring too as the first examples trickle onto the sec | |
| ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR NEW VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. | 2008-10-17 | | THE order books have opened for the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf with prices starting from just over £13,000.
Deliveries will begin in January and there will be three trim levels, S, SE and | |
| GOING GREEN SAVES MONEY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. | 2008-10-17 | | GOING green doesn’t just help to save the planet but will also help save you money.
Tests by Which? the consumer group, to assess cars’ real-world fuel economy reveal that the ten most ec | |
| M6 SPEED TRIAL BODES WELL FOR STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2008-10-17 | | A TRIAL to use the hard shoulder of the M42 at peak times and which may be replicated on the M6 through Staffordshire and Cheshire has proven so successful that the authorities are raising the speed l | |
| MICHELIN TEAMS CRUISE TO ECONOMY CHALLENGE SUCCESS. | 2008-10-15 | | TWO teams of drivers from Michelin have scored notable success in an annual fuel economy run, taking top ten places at their first attempt.
Both crews achieved more than 80miles per gallon, and one t | |
| TOYOTA WINS MPG MARATHON - BUT CHEVY CORVETTE STARS. | 2008-10-14 | | A TOYOTA Yaris scored the highest overall mpg figure in a national eco-driving challenge but the prize for the biggest improvement went to a Chevrolet Corvette supercar.
The Yaris 1.4 D-4D diesel ach | |
| ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR TOYOTA'S BRILLIANT NEW BABY. | 2008-10-13 | | THE order books have opened for Toyota’s truly revolutionary new wondercar, the tiny but spacious iQ with the first deliveries due in January.
This amazing little car is the first in what will | |
| BIKE SALES STAY FIRM DESPITE ECONOMIC GLOOM. | 2008-10-10 | | MOTORBIKE sales are holding up better than those for new cars as commuters turn to the cheaper form of personal transport.
Motorcycle sales in September dropped by 9.7 per cent less than half the 21 | |
| SSANGYONG TO PUSH AHEAD WITH EXPANSION PLAN. | 2008-10-10 | | SSANGYONG has served notice that it intends to push ahead with an aggressive new model expansion programme.
This C200 concept, unveiled at the recent Paris Motor Show, reveals a much more contemporar | |
| STAFFORDSHIRE LOTUS DEALER SEES BRIGHT FUTURE. | 2008-10-09 | | A STAFFORDSHIRE sportscar specialist is reporting strong demand for soft-top two-seaters and even more interest in a new model due next summer.
David Bonsall, of Peter Smith Sports Cars, at Tutbury, | |
| STOKE ON TRENT HOSTS MPG MILEAGE RUN. | 2008-10-08 | | STOKE ON TRENT witnessed a cavalcade of cars, vans and even a supercar when Michelin played host to crews in this year’s Fleet World MPG Marathon.
The site at Campbell Road, Stoke, became a pit | |
| FIAT PLUGS IN TO HELP DEVELOP GREENER DRIVERS. | 2008-10-08 | | FIAT is offering a plug-in data logger similar to that used in racing cars that will give drivers an instant assessment of how efficiently they are driving, helping them to save money by not wasting f | |
| THREE-WHEELED WONDER STILL SELLING WELL. | 2008-10-08 | | AMID all the doom and gloom in the car market there is one shining, if unlikely, beacon the humble Reliant Robin.
According to Barry Hawkins, Managing Director of Wem Motors, in Shropshire, the litt | |
| FIAT BUCKS MARKET TREND FOR BEST MONTH SINCE 2004. | 2008-10-08 | | FIAT is bucking the downward market trend and has recorded its best monthly result in the UK for four years with almost 10,000 sales to take three per cent of the total new car market.
In contrast to | |
| VOLVO REVEALS PRICES FOR ITS NEW ECO-CARS. | 2008-10-07 | | VOLVO has announced the prices for its DRIVe range of ultra low emission cars that will be in the showrooms from next January to help drivers with their fuel costs and tax bills.
The C30 sports coupe | |
| LAND ROVER GETS GREENER WITH STOP/START SYSTEM. | 2008-10-06 | | LAND Rover is taking another step towards making its cars greener and more tax-friendly with the first in what will be a raft of new fuel-saving technologies being introduced to its vehicles.
Shown a | |
| STAFFS CAR RENTAL TEAM SHOW CHARITY ENTERPRISE. | 2008-10-06 | | KIND-hearted customers at a North Staffs branch of Enterprise Rent-a-Car helped make it a top fund-raiser when staff hosted a coffee day to generate funds for charity.
The branch on Liverpool Road, N | |
| CAR MARKET SLUMPS TO 17 YEAR LOW. | 2008-10-06 | | THE new car market slumped by more than a fifth last month with industry leaders describing the market as the worst it has faced in nearly a generation.
Figures released from the Society of Motor Man | |
| STAFFS DEALER SAYS SKODA IS SUPERB. | 2008-10-06 | | A SKODA dealer says he is delighted with the growing brand which has picked up two major awards in the space of a week.
The brilliant new Superb won a vote of confidence from the country’s cara | |
| VW ADDS CHEAPER SCIROCCO. | 2008-10-06 | | VOLKSWAGEN is adding a cheaper entry-level and a diesel model to its brilliant new Scirocco coupe which will give drivers ownership of one of the best new cars of 2009 but still leave change from &pou | |
| INVESTORS TURN TO CLASSICS FOR SAFE HAVEN. | 2008-10-06 | | INVESTORS seeking a safer haven for their money than the stock market are turning to rare and classic cars as a means of keeping their money secure.
International car auctioneers, COYS, based in Lond | |
| MICHELIN REINVENTS THE WHEEL. | 2008-10-03 | | IT IS often said that you cannot reinvent the wheel but Michelin appears to have done just that with a truly radical breakthrough which could usher in a new era of eco-friendly motoring unthinkable wi | |
| LEXUS TO OFFER SOFT-TOP VERSION OF IS SALOON. | 2008-10-03 | | LEXUS is to join its key rivals in offering a soft-top version of its best selling saloon, the IS, with this convertible that will be in the showrooms next summer.
The Lexus IS 250C has a three-part | |
| TOYOTA USES HIGH IQ TO CREATE RADICAL NEW DESIGN. | 2008-10-02 | | THE order books have opened for what promises to be one of the most revolutionary new cars in recent years in the form of the genuinely radical Toyota iQ.
The iQ is an exceptional piece of design and | |
| SEAT TO OFFER LOW-EMISSION GREEN IBIZA. | 2008-10-02 | | SEAT is joining other car makers in offering an ultra-low emission and thus road-tax free version of its new Ibiza when the Ecomotive goes on sale next year.
With a CO2 output of just 98 g/km compare | |
| SUZUKI'S NEW SUV FLAGSHIP FROM UNDER £15,000. | 2008-10-01 | | SUZUKI is adding a new flagship model to its hugely successful Grand Vitara range with prices starting at under £15,000.
Available in either three- or five-door form, the Grand Vitara now has a | |
| RESIDUAL VALUE BOOST FOR NEW HONDA JAZZ. | 2008-10-01 | | THE next generation Honda Jazz will have class-leading residual values, helping to make the cost of ownership even cheaper.
Due on sale later this month with prices starting at £9,990, the Jazz | |
| SKODA PULLS TO SUCCESS ON CARAVAN TESTS. | 2008-09-30 | | THE brilliant new Skoda Superb has won an award from the country’s caravanners who have named it the Towcar of the Year.
The Superb, which has just gone on sale, is winning praise for its value | |
| NEW FORD FIESTA VAN REVEALED. | 2008-09-27 | | THIS is the new van derivative of the all-new Ford Fiesta supermini that goes on sale in the next few weeks and it will compete against rivals such as the Peugeot 207 cab and Vauxhall Corsavan.
Due o | |
| STAFFS. BIKE LEADER WELCOMES CASUALTY FIGURE DROP. | 2008-09-27 | | THE numbers of bikers being killed or seriously injured is falling slightly thanks in part to better training, says the Staffordshire-based head of the UK training industry.
Kevin Bryan, Chairman of | |
| TOP GEAR'S THE STIG IS `REVEALED' ... | 2008-09-27 | | TOP Gear fan Rick Fusari grabbed the chequered flag and won the race to buy THE 571G during the climax of DVLA Personalised Registrations’ three-day auction.
The 45-year-old paid a total of &po | |
| STYLE TO HELP NEW FIESTA, SAYS STAFFS. FORD DEALER. | 2008-09-26 | | A STAFFORDSHIRE Ford dealership says the new Fiesta will help it attract younger buyers because of its sleek and futuristic styling.
Gary Swift, who runs Hill and Swift at Meaford Garage, Stone, says | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEW VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI. | 2008-09-26 | | MORE than 30 years and five generations of car since the original Golf GTI was launched, Volkswagen is to reveal the sixth version of this enduring legend.
The core attributes of the GTI family shar | |
| STARS PAY TRIBUTE TO RALLY LEGEND, COLIN MCRAE. | 2008-09-26 | | DOZENS of iconic Ford performance cars will be among the 140 entrants lining up to compete in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally in Scotland this weekend.
With a unique national rally entry list, t | |
| CAR TRADE WARMS TO NEW VAUXHALL INSIGNIA. | 2008-09-25 | | VAUXHALL’S startling new Insignia is being tipped to have much better residual values than the Vectra it is replacing and significantly better than some of its key rivals.
EurotaxGlass’s, | |
| RENAULT PROMISES MORE VALUE FOR NEW MEGANE. | 2008-09-25 | | RENAULT has announced the prices for its all-new Megane which goes on sale at the end of November with what the French manufacturer says will be exceptional value for money.
Clothed in a more convent | |
| NEW FORD DEALER FOR NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2008-09-25 | | AN award-wining motor dealership has taken on the Ford franchise just as the manufacturer is poised for an influx of major new models.
Endon Services has been appointed a Ford Retail agent for the St | |
| WAYNE'S OWN GOAL COULD INVALIDATE INSURANCE. | 2008-09-25 | | FILLING your car with the wrong fuel is a costly gaffe as Wayne Rooney found out when he filled his wife Coleen's luxury 4x4 with the wrong type of fuel.
The Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney sc | |
| PEUGEOT WINS VAN OF THE YEAR AWARD - AGAIN. | 2008-09-24 | | PEUGEOT has retained its hold on the title of International Van of the Year with its little Bipper taking the laurels this time.
It is the second year running that Peugeot has taken the Van of the Ye | |
| DSA SEND COURT WARNING TO TEST FRAUDSTERS. | 2008-09-23 | | A FRAUDSTER who impersonated driving pupils for payment was jailed for eight months this week and three of his `customers’ were also sentenced amid warnings by the authorities that they intend t | |
| NORTH STAFFS CARAVANS LAUNCH 2009 RANGE. | 2008-09-23 | | CARAVAN enthusiasts and prospective customers can see the latest range and a special edition 60th anniversary commemorative model as well as save on special promotional prices with two open weekends a | |
| KIA SOARS ON USED CAR MARKET. | 2008-09-23 | | KIA’S extraordinary cee’d has broken more records in the used car sector and despite the tough market conditions is worth more second hand than the trade guides forecast.
The cee’d | |
| VOLVO'S DRIVe TO GREEN MOTORING. | 2008-09-23 | | VOLVO is joining others in offering special low-emission and tax-friendly green versions of most of its model range.
The DRIVe variants of the C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportwagon (estate) | |
| DRIVERS NOT GETTING FULL FUEL DIVIDEND. | 2008-09-23 | | PETROL retailers have been accused of fleecing motorists by not passing on price cuts at their forecourts.
The AA Motoring Trust says that the recent falls in the cost of crude on the international m | |
| RENAULT CLIO VOTED BEST USED SUPERMINI, | 2008-09-22 | | DRIVERS wanting to know which is the best used supermini to buy should heed the recent win by the Renault Clio in being named the best in its category on the second hand market.
The ever popular Clio | |
| VAUXHALL RACES TO BTCC RECORD. | 2008-09-22 | | VAUXHALL has become the most successful manufacturer in the British Touring Car Championship in recent times after another clean sweep at brand s Hatch saw it win the drivers championship, the teams&r | |
| DIESEL APPEAL FOR NEW SUBARU. | 2008-09-22 | | SUBARU has fitted its excellent new diesel, the only one in the world to have a `boxer’ layout, to its third generation Forester SUV which should give it much wider appeal.
The engine was first | |
| USED CAR BUYERS STEER CLEAR OF WHITE. | 2008-09-21 | | USED car buyers are proving to be less keen on white than their counterparts in the new car market, say trade experts.
White works for some sectors of the market such as certain sports and high perfo | |
| MORE CHOICE FOR USED CAR BUYERS IN STAFFORD. | 2008-09-19 | | USED car buyers in the Stafford area now have more choice thanks to the launch of new site in a town-centre location.
Mike Thompson, the county town’s Peugeot representative, has recently set u | |
| SUPERB RECEPTION FOR NEW SKODA IN CREWE. | 2008-09-19 | | A SKODA dealer says he is delighted with the response given by prospective customers to the new Superb model which has been shown to the public for he first time this week.
Robert Eardley, who runs t | |
| BOOST FOR LAND ROVER WITH USED CAR VICTORY. | 2008-09-18 | | HARD-pressed Land Rover dealers have received a welcome boost with the Discovery 3 being voted the best SUV you can buy second-hand.
The seven-seater Discovery 2.7 TDV6 SE versions should leave you c | |
| FORD FOCUS WINS USED CAR AWARD - AGAIN. | 2008-09-18 | | THE UK’s most popular new car, the Ford Focus, has proven its worth again on the second hand market by being voted Used Car of the Year for the second year running.
The award came from the Auto | |
| FREE SAFETY CHECK FOR VOLVOS. | 2008-09-17 | | VOLVO is offering its drivers a free safety inspection to check over their car’s mechanical components, critical computers and control units. Worth £56, the inspection takes around 40 min | |
| HONDA PLANS HOMAGE TO TYPE R. | 2008-09-17 | | HONDA has invited Type R owners from across the UK to a special celebration event at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Hundreds of Civics, Integras and Accords all wearing the famous Red H’ badge a | |
| MORE VALUE FROM SKODA. | 2008-09-15 | | SKODA is giving even better value for money by improving the specification of its popular Octavia vRS sports hatchback.
From now every vRS will have 19 inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, r | |
| BIKE TRAINERS WELCOME NEW TEST DELAY. | 2008-09-15 | | MOTORBIKE trainers have welcomed the decision to postpone the introduction of a tougher test until 2009 and described it as the only logical course of action.
The new test which requires riders to pr | |
| PEUGEOT SHOWS OFF NEW GREEN RACING TECHNOLOGY. | 2008-09-15 | | PEUGEOT has taken a step nearer to becoming a green racing car manufacturer by displaying this prototype of a hybrid Le Mans car.
On display at the recent Silverstone 1,000 kms event, the 908 HDi has | |
| GREEN LAWS BACK TO DRAWING BOARD? | 2008-09-15 | | A regulation forcing car makers to cut average CO2 emissions to 130g/km for their model ranges, or face hefty fines, has been declared illegal and could lead to talks on future emissions levels starti | |
| NEW HOME FOR STAFFORD MOTOR AUCTIONS. | 2008-09-15 | | A MOTOR auction company with more than 20 years’ trading has moved to new premises as part of its development for the future.
Stafford Motor Auctions, which welcomes both private and trade sel | |
| HOPE FOR THE USED CAR SECTOR? | 2008-09-15 | | THERE could be a glimmer of hope for hard-pressed used car dealers with the latest figures from a car auction company showing an improvement in both second hand values and sales.
Manheim’s late | |
| DOWNSIZE IN LUXURY WITH DAIHATSU. | 2008-09-11 | | DAIHATSU is offering a more luxurious package for drivers wanting to down-size but without foregoing their creature comforts.
It is adding a simple `+’ badge on its Sirion for special value edi | |
| MORE CONVENTIONAL LOOK FOR NEW RENAULT MEGANE. | 2008-09-11 | | THIS is the all-new Renault Megane due to go on sale here at the end of the year to take the fight to the likes of the next generation VW Golf, the Ford Focus and other mid-sized hatchbacks.
Initiall | |
| FORD RS ORDERS ALREADY UP TO 1,000. | 2008-09-11 | | FORD has taken more than 1,000 orders for the new Focus RS which was previewed at the recent British International Motor Show and around 40 per cent of the orders are for the car to be finished in the | |
| LEARNERS OFFERED TIPS ON LOW-FUEL DRIVING. | 2008-09-10 | | LEARNER drivers are to be advised on fuel-saving techniques as part of their practical test as part of a national programme aimed at educating all drivers how to be easier with their right foot.
It i | |
| SKODA DEALER OFFERS TAX FREE BONUS. | 2008-09-09 | | A SKODA dealer is giving away three years’ free road tax on any of its used cars in a special deal that can save drivers more than £1,000 in addition to the already keen prices.
Robert Ea | |
| CATERHAM OWNERS FIND THE FUN ROADS. | 2008-09-09 | | THE famous Snake Pass in Derbyshire has been voted as Britain’s best driving road in a survey by extreme sportscar manufacturer, Caterham while at the other end of the scale for driving thrills | |
| HONDA JAZZ PLAYS TO DOWN-SIZERS. | 2008-09-01 | | HONDA is aiming to appeal to drivers wanting to downsize with its second generation Jazz that it says offers exceptional value for money and practicality.
Priced from £9,990, the new Jazz takes | |
| NEW FIESTA WILL BE CHEAPER TO RUN THAN CURRENT CAR. | 2008-09-01 | | THE sparkling new Ford Fiesta due out next month will have insurance ratings lower or the same as the outgoing model leading to cheaper premiums and while they are going down, trade experts say that i | |
| SPECIAL OFFER EXTENSION AT CHESHIRE VEHICLE SALES. | 2008-08-26 | | A USED car dealership with three outlets in South Cheshire and North Staffordshire is extending its Bank Holiday offer until the end of the month.
Buoyed by a strong reception to its offer which saw | |
| GET £308 FREE FUEL WITH PEUGEOT 308. | 2008-08-26 | | ANYONE buying a new Peugeot 308 before the end of September will qualify for £308 of free fuel which could mean that if the choice is one of the diesel versions that the first 3,000 miles of dri | |
| SEAT GETS COLOURFUL WITH ITS LEON. | 2008-08-26 | | SEAT is proving that everything is `all-white’ with its colour choices after seeing an explosion in sales of its white Leon.
In the seven months to the beginning of August this year no fewer th | |
| MORE COST SAVINGS FROM SKODA. | 2008-08-26 | | SKODA’S aptly named new Superb has secured impressive insurance ratings, placing the model among the most competitively rated cars in the upper medium sector.
The entry diesel 1.9 TDI PD 105bh | |
| F4 FUN FROM DVLA. | 2008-08-26 | | MOTORISTS who enjoy personalised plates can get their hands on F plates soon as the DVLA releases the last set of prefix numbers previously unavailable.
The F series encapsulates F1 to F20 followed | |
| NISSAN EXTENDS QASHQAI APPEAL. | 2008-08-22 | | NISSAN has begun production of the longer wheelbase, seven seater version of its fabulously successful Qashqai.
Badged the Qashqai+2, the new car will be built at Sunderland making it the fifth new c | |
| THE AWARDS KEEP COMING FOR THE JAGUAR XF. | 2008-08-20 | | JAGUAR’S sublime XF has won its fourth major award in almost as many months when it was voted Car of the Year by Auto Express magazine.
The multi-award winning sports saloon claimed its crown f | |
| SKODA FINDS ROOM FOR EXTRA VALUE. | 2008-08-19 | | SKODA is adding extra value by giving a free trim upgrade worth £1,000 on its family-friendly Roomster MPV.
Until the end of September, buyers can order a Roomster and drive off with the trim v | |
| BANK HOLIDAY BARGAINS AT CVS. | 2008-08-18 | | MOTORISTS looking for a Bank Holiday bargain this weekend might be interested in a special offer at Cheshire Vehicle Sales which is having a special promotion on about a third of the 120 cars in its s | |
| FIRST LOOK AT VAUXHALL'S INSIGNIA ESTATE. | 2008-08-14 | | THIS is the first official picture of Vauxhall’s new Insignia estate which will be added to the saloon and hatchback when it arrives in the showrooms next spring.
Like the other two Insignias, | |
| LEXUS HYBRID SUV REVERSES SALES SLUMP. | 2008-08-12 | | LEXUS is reversing the sharp slump in luxury SUV sales thanks to the fuel economy and CO2 benefits of its unique-to-class hybrid RX 400h.
In sharp contrast to the sales figures of most rival makes th | |
| PEUGEOT'S AUTOMATIC CHOICE FOR GREENER MOTORING. | 2008-08-12 | | PEUGEOT is making its funky new Bipper van even more appealing with the addition of a semi-electronic gearbox that makes life easier for the driver as well as cutting fuel consumption and emissions.
| |
| BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH WITH HYUNDAI. | 2008-08-11 | | HYUNDAI is helping drivers beat the credit crunch and still get behind the wheel of a new car with two special finance offers as well as a price cut.
The 1.1-litre petrol GSI three-door Getz has been | |
| STRONG RESIDUALS FORECAST FOR NEW VOLVO XC60. | 2008-08-10 | | VOLVO is predicting class-leading strong residual values for its forthcoming XC60 cross-over which is due to be in the showrooms by mid-November.
Used value experts at both EurotaxGlass’s and C | |
| DAIHATSU PROMOTES CHEAPER MOTORING. | 2008-08-08 | | DAIHATSU is launching a Cheaper Motoring Campaign to highlight the low running costs of its cars - and one lucky customer will have the price of their new Daihatsu reimbursed as part of the promotion. | |
| SUZUKI GETS STYLISH WITH NEW ALTO. | 2008-08-08 | | THIS is the new Suzuki Alto due here next spring to give the Japanese marque extra presence in the city car segment.
Company insiders say it will have exceptional fuel economy and very low CO2 emissi | |
| DRINK-DRIVE DEATHS RENEW CALL FOR ZERO LIMIT. | 2008-08-07 | | DRINK-drive deaths are at the same level they were ten years ago, adding fuel to campaigners who say that our current laws are far too liberal and need revising to set the legal limit much lower.
The | |
| GREENHOUS PEUGEOT'S INTUITION FOR SAFER DRIVING. | 2008-08-07 | | GREENHOUS Peugeot is encouraging drivers to stay safe on the roads and has teamed up with Intuition Driver Training in Stoke-on-Trent to give new drivers a helping hand.
The Peugeot dealership on Cob | |
| FORD RIDES HIGH WITH SALES BOOM. | 2008-08-07 | | FORD is shrugging off the poor market conditions by riding high in the sales charts with orders up nearly a tenth on this time last year and is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the growing demand | |
| VW TEES OFF WITH THE NEXT GENERATION GOLF. | 2008-08-06 | | THIS is the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf due here in January to continue one of the most remarkable motoring stories of the modern era.
After 34 years and more than 26 million sales since the ori | |
| A BIG THANK YOU FROM LOCALMOTORING.COM | 2008-08-05 | | LOCALMOTORING.COM would like to thank everyone who helped make our stand at the recent Signal Motor Show such a success.
Thousands of show visitors made the localmotoring.com stand their first port o | |
| P1 IN POLE POSITION FOR SUPERCAR GROWTH. | 2008-08-05 | | PROVING the adage that every cloud has a silver lining, the economic downturn is good news for a supercar timeshare club that has seen interest soar by a third in the past six months,
P1, the superca | |
| PEUGEOT'S PERFECT PARTNER. | 2008-08-05 | | PEUGEOT is adding a new family MPV to its range in the form of the Partner Tepee.
The replacement for the popular Partner Combi, the Tepee is the same length as a typical family hatchback, but provid | |
| NEW SKODA SUPERB SET TO LIVE UP TO ITS NAME. | 2008-08-01 | | PROSPECTIVE customers had their first look at what promises to be one of the most impressive cars of the year, the new Skoda Superb.
Robert Eardley and Son, the Skoda dealer for North Staffordshire a | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEW FORD KA. | 2008-08-01 | | HOT on the heels of the stunning new Fiesta Ford has announced another small car with the revealing of the all-new Ka.
Replacing the ultra-successful current car which has enjoyed remarkable sales fo | |
| KYLE AND AVANTI GET THE PERFECT SCORE. | 2008-07-31 | | A NORTH Staffordshire learner has proven himself to be one in around 15,000 by passing his driving test with not a single mistake in either his theory or practical exams.
Kyle Whittington, 17, of Kid | |
| VAUXHALL VANS HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES. | 2008-07-31 | | VAUXHALL is helping small businesses cope with running costs by offering five years’ or 100,000 miles worth of free servicing on its small van range.
Available to private or small business cust | |
| FIRST SIGHTING OF NEW HONDA JAZZ. | 2008-07-30 | | THIS is the first official view of the new Honda Jazz due here in the autumn to replace one of the most successful superminis of recent years.
Honda has managed to squeeze even more interior room int | |
| LPG FINDING FAVOUR WITH USED CAR BUYERS. | 2008-07-28 | | USED car buyers are increasingly turning to LPG-powered cars as a way of reducing their running costs.
BCA (formerly British Car Auctions) say that LPG which sells for around half the cost of unleade | |
| WATCH OUT FOR SPEED CAMERA TRAP ABROAD, WARNS IAM. | 2008-07-28 | | MOTORISTS holidaying abroad this summer are being reminded that they must either remove or disable speed camera detectors because most countries are not as lenient (!) as the UK on their use.
The IAM | |
| RENAULT HINTS AT MORE CONVENTIONAL MEGANE. | 2008-07-28 | | RENAULT has given the clearest indicator yet that its next generation Megane will not continue the distinctive rear end styling of the current one.
It has just shown this concept of a Megane Coupe wi | |
| SEAT COUPE £400 CHEAPER THAN HATCHBACK. | 2008-07-28 | | HOT on the heels of the stylish new Ibiza hatchback which has just gone on sale SEAT has revealed more details of the coupe version that hits the showrooms in October.
The three-door SportCoupe will | |
| FORD GOES GREENER. | 2008-07-28 | | FORD is underlining its eco-friendly credentials by having its Focus 1.6 TDCi diesel named as the winner of What Car?’s first-ever Green Awards, held in association with Warranty Direct.
The F | |
| SUNSHINE SALES BOOST CONVERTIBLE VALUES. | 2008-07-28 | | CONVERTIBLE cars are bucking the downward trend in the motor industry with a recent auction revealing strong demand for the soft-tops.
The sunshine factor may have been working but BCA (formerly Brit | |
| DON'T BE A `DIPSTICK' DRIVER. | 2008-07-27 | | `DIPSTICK’ motorists are risking repair bills of thousands of pounds for a new engine simply by not checking their car’s oil level.
It is estimated that 215,000 engines seized last year t | |
| BIKE TRAINERS URGE GOVERNMENT TO DELAY NEW TEST. | 2008-07-27 | | THE new Stoke-on-Trent based Chairman of the Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA) is calling on the Government to put on hold its plans for a tougher bike test this autumn.
Kevin Bryan, who r | |
| SSANGYONG BULLISH ABOUT FUTURE. | 2008-07-27 | | SSANGYONG is confident it can dramatically boost sales if it can raise its profile, recruit more dealers and get people to test drive their vehicles.
Paul Williams, Managing Director of the recently | |
| BENTLEY DRIVES AWAY FROM CREDIT CRUNCH. | 2008-07-25 | | BENTLEY has been able to make up a shortfall in credit-crunched economies by securing more sales in newer markets.
Although the high luxury sector is down by 20 per cent in the UK, its second biggest | |
| PLUG IN TO ELECTRIC MOTORING VIA THE INTERNET. | 2008-07-24 | | DRIVERS wanting the zero-emission, battery driven TH!NK, that should cost around £100 per 10,000 miles will be able to buy the car from the internet when it goes on sale next summer.
A spokesma | |
| SUBARU ANSWERS IMPREZA CRITICS WITH POWER BOOSTS. | 2008-07-24 | | SUBARU is to join rival Mitsubishi in offering more powerful version of its performance-oriented Impreza hatchbacks as an answer to critics who say its Impreza range lacks drama.
Starting with a 225 | |
| ALFA MITO - THE BEST HANDLING CAR IN YEARS. | 2008-07-24 | | ALFA Romeo says its MiTo is the best handling car it has made since the 156 sports saloon which won universal acclaim for its chassis and steering and has also confirmed that there will be a turbochar | |
| SLEEK NEW VAUXHALL FROM UNDER £16,000. | 2008-07-24 | | VAUXHALL has confirmed a sub-£16,000 entry price for its sensational Insignia which will replace the Vectra later this year.
With its beautiful, sleek styling and advanced technology the Insign | |
| FORD REVEALS PRICES FOR STUNNING NEW FIESTA. | 2008-07-23 | | FORD’S brilliant and sleek new Fiesta was one of the stars of the London motorshow when the company revealed that its entry price will be £155 less than that of the current car, despite al | |
| BELL CONFIRMED FOR BENTLEY AT SOUTH CHESHIRE POP. | 2008-07-23 | | RACING legend, Derek Bell, has been confirmed for the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power where he will be at the wheel of the Le Mans-winning Bentley Speed 8.
Bell, himself a five-time winner in the 24 ho | |
| LOTUS CREATES AN AURA WITH THE EVORA. | 2008-07-23 | | LOTUS has named its stunning new Porsche Cayman-rivalling car Evora, a combination of the words evoke and aura.
Unveiled at yesterday’s British International Motor Show, the sleek 2+2 will be t | |
| SPORTY NEW FIESTA GIVES MORE MPG, LOWER EMISSIONS. | 2008-07-21 | | FORD’S all-new Fiesta range will get this sporty Zetec S edition when the cars go on sale in October, continuing a highly successful series stretching back almost ten years.
Fiesta Zetec S adds | |
| MERCEDES TO FOLLOW BMW and VW's ECO-LEAD. | 2008-07-21 | | MERCEDES-BENZ has followed the leads set by two other German car makers, VW and BMW, to create a much more fuel-efficient version of its A Class.
Mild cosmetic tweaks hide much more significant chang | |
| GIVE YOUR CAR A PREMIER LOOK. | 2008-07-19 | | A MOBILE valeter who has worked for wealthy clients on cars ranging from Ferraris, Bentleys and Zondas is bringing his skills and expertise to a wider audience.
Matt Bonell, who runs Premier Auto Val | |
| BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH TO GET YOUR NEXT CAR. | 2008-07-19 | | DRIVERS wanting to change their car but being caught by the credit crunch and unable to get funding are being offered help by a company specialising in sourcing cars.
Total Finance Solutions (UK) Ltd | |
| FIRST GLIMPSE OF NEW LOTUS EAGLE. | 2008-07-16 | | THIS is the first glimpse of the all-new Lotus sportscar that promises to combine supercar levels of performance and the handling for which Lotus is famed plus levels of comfort and luxury for which i | |
| FIAT AND MINI ARE GREENEST MANUFACTURERS. | 2008-07-15 | | FIAT and MINI are the only mainstream manufacturers whose cars have average CO2 emissions of less than 140 g/km but others will have to respond if they want to keep sales.
That’s the message co | |
| JAGUAR TO MARK 60 YEARS OF ITS XK. | 2008-07-15 | | JAGUAR is celebrating 60 years of its legendary XK engine with a new derivative of its coupe and convertible.
Badged the XK60, the car will sit alongside the famous XK120, registration number NUB 120 | |
| COST HIKE BOOSTS ALTERNATIVE-FUEL CARS. | 2008-07-15 | | RISING fuel prices are giving a boost to alternative fuelled cars according to studies of demand at auctions which show that in addition to motorists reducing their mileage, car sharing and down-sizin | |
| MAZDA ADDS HIGH VALUE RX-8. | 2008-07-14 | | MAZDA is to launch a new version of its ultra-successful RX-8 four-door sports coupe with an improved version of its unique rotary engine.
Badged as the RX-8 R3, it has the more powerful 231 PS engin | |
| MERCEDES' NEW SUPERCAR BREAKS COVER. | 2008-07-11 | | FOR those to whom the price of fuel or the environment is of no concern, Mercedes-Benz has built another toy to play with in the form of the SL 65 AMG Black Series.
Powered by a twin-turbo V12 with 6 | |
| PEUGEOT BLOWS IN WITH MORE SOFT-TOP MOTORING. | 2008-07-11 | | THIS elegant car is the next coupe-convertible from Peugeot, the company that claims to have pioneered the folding roof.
The 308 CC will be publicly revealed in September and add to Peugeot’s b | |
| STAFFS. DRIVERS UNDER PRESSURE ON TYRE CONDITION. | 2008-07-11 | | CAR drivers have been queuing at a Michelin roadshow touring Staffordshire where they can have their vehicle’s tyre pressure and condition checked free of charge.
In the first few hours of one | |
| DMS DOUBLES IN SIZE AS IT BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE. | 2008-07-11 | | A USED car dealership has expanded just months after it opened to cope with the growing demand for its cars.
DMS, at Strongford on the A34, has doubled the size of its forecourt and says its prime lo | |
| VENTURING INTO THE 240 MPH ZONE. | 2008-07-09 | | TRACK DAYS are a rapidly growing phenomenon in the UK as motorists frustrated by congestion and speed cameras seek their thrills legally in the safety of race tracks. But localmotoring.com reporter, J | |
| NEW VAN CENTRE OPENS IN NORTH STAFFS. | 2008-07-09 | | A VAN expert with more than 15 years’ experience in the trade has opened a new centre catering for everything from small car-derived vans to 4x4s, tippers and minibuses.
Phil Leese, who has a b | |
| MICHELIN ROADSHOW FOR NORTH STAFFS. | 2008-07-07 | | DRIVERS will be given free advice on safety and saving fuel and their vehicle’s tyres a quick top-up if needed at a series of Michelin roadshows starting in Stoke-on-Trent.
The programme begins | |
| ALFA RIDES WITH DUCATI. | 2008-07-07 | | ALFA Romeo maybe best known for its cars but it is paying homage to world of high speed motorbikes with its latest special edition.
Alfa is the official car supplier to the factory Ducati racing team | |
| BMW TO LAUNCH MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT 7 SERIES. | 2008-07-07 | | BMW is to use lightweight construction and its multi-award winning EfficientDynamics technology to create the most fuel-efficient 7 Series it has ever built when the new generation car goes on sale in | |
| WIN A FAMILY HOLIDAY AT GREENHOUS PEUGEOT. | 2008-07-04 | | A SPECIAL family-motoring event is being planned for next week at North Staffordshire Peugeot dealers with a chance to win a dream holiday for anyone road-testing one of the latest models.
Greenhous | |
| BENTLEY TO POWER SOUTH CHESHIRE PAGEANT. | 2008-07-04 | | BENTLEY is to be the title sponsor of the inaugural Cholmondeley Pageant of Power which promises to become the best event of its kind in the Midlands and north of England.
The Pageant is being staged | |
| RETURN OF THE LEGENDARY RS. | 2008-07-04 | | ONE of the great names in motoring is to return early next year when Ford begins sales of its new Focus RS.
Due to take centre stage at the forthcoming London International Motor Show, the RS is a mu | |
| MAZDA VOTED BEST CAR MAKER BY CONSUMER GROUP. | 2008-07-03 | | MAZDA’S success in being voted the best carmaker in the recent Which? magazine awards is no surprise according to the head of the North Staffordshire franchise.
Nigel Shaw, of Holdcroft Mazda i | |
| MG REVEALES PRICE FOR RELAUNCH ROADSTER. | 2008-07-03 | | THE relaunch of the MG brand has taken another step with the release of prices for the LE500 roadster which will come in at under £16,500, rivaling the Mazda MX-5.
Before MG Rover collapsed the | |
| GLASS'S GUIDE MARKS ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY. | 2008-07-03 | | GLASS’S Guide marks its 75th anniversary this month but it could have been so very different if engineer and founder, William Glass, had taken up on offer to join Cecil Rolls in building high qu | |
| NEW 100 MPG BIKE COSTS £1 A DAY, SAYS INSTRUCTOR. | 2008-07-02 | | A MOTORCYCLE instructor says drivers unable to cope with the ever-rising fuel costs should consider turning to two-wheels instead of four and save themselves a fortune.
Kev Bryan, who runs Bryan&rsq | |
| SEAT TO UNVEIL NEW COUPE. | 2008-07-02 | | SEAT will be taking the wraps off one of its most important new models in years as it gears up for the world debut of the stunning new Ibiza SportCoupé at the British International Motor Show.
The co | |
| HYUNDAI-KIA ENTER TOP FIVE CAR MAKERS. | 2008-07-01 | | THE Hyundai-Kia car group has shot into the top five auto producer in the world, out-selling rivals such as Honda, Nissan, Fiat and Peugeot-Citroen (PSA).
In 1999 the Korean manufacturer was only 11t | |
| ALFA MiTo FROM UNDER £11,000. | 2008-07-01 | | ALFA Romeo is hoping to recreate the magic of cars such as the Alfasud and the Sprint with its new compact sports car, due to be unveiled later this month and going on sale early next year from less t | |
| KNIGHTS BMW GOES FOR GOAL WITH STOKE FC DEAL. | 2008-06-30 | | STAFFORDSHIRE BMW dealership, Knights, is hoping to score after extending its sponsorship deal with new Premiership team, Stoke City FC.
Knights, which has premises at Radial Park on the A500 and jus | |
| DON'T BE A DIPSTICK, SAYS OIL COMPANY. | 2008-06-30 | | Car care company, Comma, is urging motorists not to be a dipstick and to check their vehicle’s lubrication is at the right level by launching National Oil Check Day.
The campaign, hosted at www | |
| USED VAN CENTRE OPENS IN NORTH STAFFS. | 2008-06-30 | | A NATIONWIDE van and commercial vehicle dealership is piloting a used van scheme in Stoke-on-Trent and will roll it out to other areas if successful.
Imperial Commercials, on Leek New Road, Cobridge, | |
| WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT BY EVOS. | 2008-06-30 | | IF you own a Mitsubishi Evo you might want to take part in a world record attempt being planned by organisers hoping to have the biggest ever parade of the charismatic cars.
On Saturday July 12 the M | |
| SAVE MONEY WITH DIESEL DEVICE. | 2008-06-29 | | DRIVERS of diesel-engined cars,SUVs and vans being paralysed by the colossal pump price rises this year are being offered help by a tuning company which has turned its expertise from boosting horsepow | |
| NORTH STAFFS CARAVANS TO UNVEIL NEW TOURER. | 2008-06-29 | | CARAVAN enthusiasts will get their first detailed look at a new model from Britain’s best selling single brand at an open weekend being staged by a Staffordshire dealer.
The Bailey Pageant Seri | |
| RESIDUAL VALUE BOOST FOR FIAT 500. | 2008-06-26 | | SPECIALISTS who calculate future used car prices for the motor trade have upgraded their predictions on what they reckon the new Fiat 500 supermini will be worth in three years' time.
Residual values | |
| MONDEO AWARDS NO SURPRISE, SAYS DEALER. | 2008-06-25 | | A MAIN Ford dealer says he is not surprised at the raft of awards that have been picked up recently by the hugely impressive Ford Mondeo.
The Mondeo has just been voted Towcar of the Year by judges f | |
| SMALL CAR DEMAND HELPING STAFFS. USED CAR TRADE. | 2008-06-25 | | A USED car specialist says that the demand for small hatchbacks is helping the trade in the current difficult climate.
Kevin Machin, of Q Motors, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, said demand is very high f | |
| PEUGEOT VAN ROADSHOW GETS UNDER WAY. | 2008-06-25 | | THE North Staffordshire Peugeot van dealership is staging a roadshow this week demonstrating its new range of award-winning vehicles.
Greenhous of Stoke is holding the event outside Wickes DIY store | |
| VAUXHALL TO GIVE SPEED LIMIT WARNING. | 2008-06-23 | | VAUXHALL will be helping drivers avoid fines and points on their licence with a unique system that reads speed limits and no-overtaking signs and displays them on the dashboard, alerting the motorist. | |
| STRONG DEBUT FOR FOCUS IN USED CAR SECTOR. | 2008-06-23 | | FORD'S new Focus was launched into the used car market at a BCA Nottingham sale and even in the current down market achieved a higher RV than did its widely acclaimed predecessor.
Just eight Focus mo | |
| TOYOTA AIMS TO STAY ON TOP OF THE WORLD. | 2008-06-23 | | A YEAR ago the Toyota Hilux was quite literally on top of the world, being the first car to be driven through the Arctic wastes to the Magnetic North Pole. Now it is top of the pile again with a new r | |
| PEUGEOT CC TOPS SAFETY TEST. | 2008-06-23 | | BRITAIN'S top selling coupe-cabriolet has just been given a vote of confidence in its safety standards after coming top in a crash test programme.
One of the biggest concerns of any driver in a soft | |
| RETURN OF THE CLOVERLEAF BADGE FOR ALFA GT. | 2008-06-23 | | ONE of the great badges in motoring, Alfa Romeo's famous Cloverleaf, is back and this time on a special series Alfa GT which goes on sale on July 1.
The symbol is associated with Alfa Romeo's presti | |
| MEAN LOOKING ST 500 VERSION FOR FIESTA. | 2008-06-23 | | WITH the all-new Fiesta waiting in the wings ready for launch later this year Ford is giving its little classic a good send-off with a special edition ST version.
Called the ST 500 and limited to a p | |
| SOUTH CHESHIRE SPEED FESTIVAL FOR AUGUST. | 2008-06-20 | | THE calm of the South Cheshire countryside will be shattered by the roar of powerful engines this summer as the first Pageant of Power gets under way at Cholmondeley Castle.
Historic and modern cars | |
| FORD PULLS CLEAR TO TOWCAR VICTORY. | 2008-06-20 | | FORD'S acclaimed Mondeo has been voted the caravanners' friend after winning a major towing competition. The 2.0 diesel estate was voted Towcar of the Year as judged by experts from What Car?, Practic | |
| PRIME LOCATION CHOICE FOR STEVE ELLIS CARS. | 2008-06-20 | | A USED car dealer with more than 15 years in the North Staffs. motor trade has set up in a prime location on a busy main road.
Steve Ellis has started his own business on the showroom at the junction | |
| NEW VW SCIROCCO BLOWS IN. | 2008-06-20 | | VOLKSWAGEN has opened the order books for its new Scirocco with deliveries scheduled to begin in September and prices starting at £20,940 for the launch model, the 200 bhp 2.0 TSI.
The original | |
| THE SMART WAY TO LOW CO2 DRIVING. | 2008-06-20 | | WHAT is being billed as the world's CO2 champion, the smart fortwo cdi, is coming to Britain next year in right hand drive form.
Sales of the new smart diesel model, which boasts the lowest CO2 emis | |
| HONDA EYES CONQUEST SALES WITH NEW ACCORD. | 2008-06-19 | | HONDA is confident its new Accord will bring in conquest sales from rival marques with customers being attracted by the styling, comfort, technical quality and the dealership experience.
Philip Cross | |
| SOFT TOP PRICE FALL IS GOOD NEWS FOR BUYERS. | 2008-06-19 | | GIVEN that sportscars are usually a good barometer of the economic climate, the outlook doesn't look too favourable according to used car trade guides - but if you have got the cash to buy one, the wo | |
| SKODA DEALER APPOINTS NEW FLEET SALES MANAGER. | 2008-06-19 | | A SKODA dealer has appointed a new Business and Fleet Sales Manager to capitalise on the marque's growing reputation in the fleet sector.
Clive Corry will look after corporate sales for North Staffor | |
| ALFA OWNERS GET TO SEE THE 8C. | 2008-06-19 | | ALFA Romeo enthusiasts had a good look at one of only 41 of the new 8C supercars destined for the UK when North Staffordshire dealer, Platts, hosted an evening for Owners' Clubs.
The sensational 450 | |
| `SUPERB' NEW SKODA FROM UNDER £16,000. | 2008-06-16 | | SKODA has announced the prices for what promises to be one of the exceptional new cars of 2008 in the form of its new Superb that will take the manufacturer to another level in terms of value, technol | |
| TOYOTA WINS GREEN VOTE. | 2008-06-13 | | TOYOTA has won yet another green car award but this time with its Yaris and not the hybrid Prius.
The little supermini was named Green Car of the Year 2008 by the Environmental Transport Association | |
| ALFA 8C ARRIVES IN NORTH STAFFS. | 2008-06-13 | | LOOKING rather exotic amid the normal cars on display at Platts garage is this gorgeous Alfa Romeo 8C, one of only 41 from the 500 being built that will come to the UK.
The car is at the North Staffo | |
| SCORPIONS HEADING FOR NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2008-06-13 | | NORTH Staffordshire Fiat dealers, Platts, has become one of just 12 in the country to be appointed as agents for the exciting Abarth range.
The first cars should be appearing in the Stoke-on-Trent de | |
| FORD PREPARES RETURN OF THE LEGENDARY RS. | 2008-06-13 | | THE FORD RS name is heading back to the showrooms and development drivers racking up the miles on prototypes say it is already exceeding their expectations in terms of traction, steering and handling. | |
| DEBBIE VOTED BEST IN THE UK. | 2008-06-13 | | AN ALFA Romeo service advisor has been named the best in the country after passing a gruelling extended test.
Debbie Tuttle, who works at Platts Alfa Romeo, the family-run firm in Longton, North Staf | |
| CROOKS TARGET DEALERS IN NEW CRIME WAVE. | 2008-06-13 | | CROOKS are targeting vans and cars parked on dealership forecourts in what the trade fears is a new crime wave.
Over the past week, dealers in the southern end of the city have reported fuel tanks be | |
| HYBRIDS-THE ANTIDOTE TO HIGHER FUEL COSTS. | 2008-06-12 | | HYBRIDS offer the least compromised solution for drivers wanting a combination of acceptable performance, fuel economy and social conscience until the motor industry develops the ultimate answer, acco | |
| IAN BEATS THE ODDS TO WIN 365 DAY LEXUS TEST | 2008-06-11 | | NORTH Staffordshire IT businessman and loyal Lexus driver, Ian Heathcock, has beaten odds of thousands to one to land a plum job - that of testing a new hybrid SUV for the next 12 months.
Ian, of Utt | |
| 20 YEARS ON - JAGUAR RELIVES LE MANS GLORY. | 2008-06-10 | | JAGUAR is to commemorate one of the most emotional wins ever in the long history of the Le Mans 24 Hours by leading a special parade lap before this weekend's event to mark the 20th anniversary of a f | |
| CREWE'S MISSILE SPEEDS INTO RECORD BOOKS. | 2008-06-09 | | BENTLEY is to produce its most powerful ever four door saloon with a new version of its Flying Spur packing 600 bhp under its bonnet.
The Flying Spur Speed builds on the success of the Continental GT | |
| TOYOTA TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS OIL-FREE DRIVING. | 2008-06-08 | | TOYOTA is pushing ahead with development of the next generation power source for cars as manufacturers seek alternatives to oil.
Already the world leader in hybrid technology - as used in its Prius a | |
| LOTUS HONOUR THE LEGENDARY JIM CLARK. | 2008-06-06 | | FOUR decades after he died Lotus is honouring the memory of one of the greatest drivers of all time, Jim Clark, with a commemorative edition of the Elise.
Two-time World Champion Clark is considered | |
| NEW BMW X6 BREAKS COVER IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. | 2008-06-05 | | NORTH Staffordshire BMW dealers, Knights BMW, ushered in a new era with the unveiling of the latest model, the X6.
It is the third X model to be launched by BMW, following on from the hugely successf | |
| APPRENTICESHIP AWARD FOR ENDON SERVICES. | 2008-06-04 | | A FAMILY-run motor business has been voted Apprentice Employer of the Year in Staffordshire for the benefits its apprentice staff get from the training there.
Endon Services, on the A53, was voted th | |
| FIRST LOOK INSIDE NEW VAUXHALL INSIGNIA. | 2008-06-04 | | VAUXHALL has released the first images of the interior of its striking new Insignia, this summer's replacement for the Vectra, and a car which is destined to inject an extra dose of glamour into the b | |
| UPTURN FOR LAND ROVER SPECIALIST LRC 4x4. | 2008-06-04 | | A LAND ROVER specialist has reported a welcome - if surprise - upturn in sales after suffering what its Sales Manager called a `triple whammy.'
Roger Burchell, of LRC (4x4) ltd, at Buglawton, on the | |
| FAMILY-RUN FORD DEALERSHIP WELCOMES THE KUGA. | 2008-06-04 | | A FOURTH-generation family run Ford dealership has welcomed the arrival of the sleek new Kuga cross-over vehicle as further evidence that the manufacturer is becoming an aspirational brand.
Robert Bu | |
| VOLVO REVEALS PRICES FOR NEW XC60. | 2008-06-03 | | VOLVO has released the prices for its new XC60 which goes on sale this autumn starting from just under £25,000.
One of the new generation of so-called `cross-over' cars that combine off-road ab | |
| DOWNSIZING THE ANSWER TO HIGHER FUEL COSTS. | 2008-06-02 | | DEALERS are reporting a healthy trade in people downsizing so they can capitalise on the lower running costs of today's small cars.
Steve Bayfield, General Manager of Greenhous Peugeot, the North Sta | |
| JOIN FORD'S GREEN DRIVING CHALLENGE - WE HAVE. | 2008-06-02 | | FORD has released details of how drivers can enter a green driving challenge to find the one with the lightest right foot and learn skills that can save them a fortune in fuel bills - and www.localmot | |
| MAKE A DATE FOR UNMISSABLE GOODWOOD. | 2008-06-02 | | WITH the finishing touches being put to this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, arguably the world's premier historic motorsport event, organisers are delighted to confirm that Lewis Hamilton will be | |
| BMW ED EVENT HAILED A GREAT SUCCESS. | 2008-06-02 | | NORTH Staffordshire BMW dealers, Knights BMW, says it was delighted with the positive response to its first EfficientDynamics weekend which saw dozens of motorists take advantage of a health check on | |
| SKODA SOARS IN FLEET MARKET WITH MORE TO COME. | 2008-06-02 | | SKODA is making gains in the fleet market and is set for even further growth with the launch of the new Superb later this year.
Last month Skoda registered 2.2 per cent of the UK fleet sector with mo | |
| EFFICIENCY CHECK AT KNIGHTS BMW. | 2008-05-30 | | DRIVERS wanting to make sure their car is operating at peak efficiency to maximise its mpg can take it to Knights BMW this weekend (May 31/June 1)for a health check - and while they are there, to lear | |
| FLEET WIN FOR NEW PEUGEOT BIPPER. | 2008-05-30 | | A NEW Peugeot van has got off to the best possible start by winning the accolades of the country's fleet operators just days before it goes on sale.
The cute Peugeot Bipper van was voted 'Best New Va | |
| NO EFFORT SPARED AT NORTH STAFFS. ACCORD LAUNCH. | 2008-05-30 | | NORTH Staffordshire dealers, Holdcroft Honda, pulled out all the stops to give the new Accord a stunning debut which involved food from caterers who have served royalty, entertainment from singers who | |
| CHEVROLET ON VERGE OF NEW ERA. | 2008-05-29 | | CHEVROLET is poised for a step change in the way the brand is perceived on the back of a raft of new models which have already started appearing in the showrooms.
Steve Thakara, (pictured) General Ma | |
| HONDA TO EXPAND GREEN PROFILE WITH CHEAPER HYBRIDS. | 2008-05-29 | | HONDA is to launch an expanded range of cheaper hybrids aimed at bringing the eco-technology within a wider audience.
The flagship will be a new five-door hybrid of which details are sketchy but Hond | |
| NEW SUPERCAR SALES RECORD. | 2008-05-29 | | JUST weeks after Manheim sold a McLaren Mercedes SLR for £160,500 the auction giant has increased this record to £187,000 with another McLaren selling under the hammer.
The 2007 model fi | |
| NORTH STAFFS. HONDA DEALER POISED FOR SUCCESS. | 2008-05-28 | | A DEALER Principal leading a high profile franchise is cementing his reputation for being one of the best in the industry by getting into the finals of one of the trade's best prestigious awards schem | |
| KUGA SCORES TOP MARKS IN CRASH TEST. | 2008-05-28 | | FORD'S new Kuga compact SUV has scored excellent results in the latest round of EuroNCAP crash tests.
Due on sale from next week, the Focus-based Kuga is the latest in the fast-emerging market of cro | |
| SSANGYONG PROTECTS TAXI DRIVERS. | 2008-05-28 | | RECENTLY-reformed SsangYong is adding another weapon to its armoury by offering taxi drivers buying one of its very capable Rodius seven-seaters a 250,000 mile warranty plus the offer of a replacement | |
| FIRST GLIMPSE OF NEW ROLLS-ROYCE. | 2008-05-28 | | THERE'S not much detail at the moment but these sketches are the first officially-released indications of how the new Rolls-Royce will look when it goes on sale 18 months from now.
Called the RR4 by | |
| RED CARPET DEBUT FOR RENAULT'S NEW GLAMOUR CAR. | 2008-05-28 | | RENAULT gave its latest glamour model the red carpet treatment when the Laguna Coupe made its public debut at the recent Cannes Film festival followed by demonstration laps at the neighbouring Monaco | |
| SPORTS VALUE FROM LEXUS. | 2008-05-25 | | LEXUS is adding a sporty version to its IS range in the form of the IS 250 SR which offers excellent value for money.
A combination of 17 inch alloy wheels, a full sports body kit and internal stylin | |
| MAKE A DATE WITH KNIGHTS BMW TO SAVE MONEY. | 2008-05-23 | | DON'T forget to make a date in your diary for next weekend when Knights BMW is running a special event where your car can get a free efficiency check and you can sample the wonders of the German car m | |
| FLEET BOOST FOR NEW VAUXHALL. | 2008-05-23 | | THE startling new Vauxhall Insignia which signals the dawning of a more exciting era for the manufacturer had a pre-launch boost from its key market of the fleet industry.
Due to be officially unveil | |
| MAZDA2 OPENS NEW DOORS. | 2008-05-23 | | MAZDA is introducing a three-door version of its brilliant Mazda2 supermini with prices starting at just under £8,000 for the entry level 1.3 petrol version.
The car continues the pioneering th | |
| THE AWARDS KEEP ROLLING IN FOR LEXUS. | 2008-05-22 | | LEXUS is celebrating yet again after winning more awards, this time enjoying a double success in the 2008 Fleet World Honours, taking the Security Award and, for the second year running, the Best Luxu | |
| FORD THROWS DOWN A GREEN CHALLENGE. | 2008-05-22 | | FORD is throwing down a challenge to drivers to find the greenest motorist in the country with a series of eco-driving tests.
Ford and the Energy Saving Trust want to promote smarter, better driving | |
| SUBARU TO UNLEASH NEW WRC IMPREZA. | 2008-05-22 | | SUBARU will delight its legions of fans around the world with the news that it is set to commit its new Impreza to the World Rally Championship from the next round, being staged in Greece at the end o | |
| PEUGEOT DRIVES INTO THE RECORD BOOKS. | 2008-05-21 | | WITH drivers' attention focussed on spiralling fuel prices, Peugeot has been very timely in driving into the record books and proving that family hatchbacks can be ultra-economical.
A showroom standa | |
| BIGGEST PRICE JUMP FOR DIESEL THIS CENTURY. | 2008-05-21 | | THE forecourt pain for motorists filling up with fuel is getting worse and it is diesel drivers suffering the most with new figures showing that in the past month diesel prices rose by their highest m | |
| PEUGEOT MOVES DRIVERS TOWARDS LOWER RUNNING COSTS. | 2008-05-21 | | PEUGEOT'S little 107 which was the UK's top selling low emission car last year will become even more attractive to drivers seeking to cut their motoring costs with an extra-value version.
Available i | |
| YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR A SPORTS CAR... | 2008-05-21 | | WITH a combined age of 177 years, Hugh Martin-Leake and friend Rosemary Blakiston are living proof that you're never too old to enjoy the open-air fun of a Daihatsu Copen.
Admittedly, 95-year-old Ros | |
| ALFA'S £1 MILLION HALO. | 2008-05-21 | | ALFA Romeo has spent £1 million developing a limited edition with a production run capped at just 500 as another step in its bid to build class-leading sports and GT cars.
Although admitting th | |
| THE VAUXHALL FOR RAIN OR SHINE. | 2008-05-16 | | VAUXHALL is adding two new versions of its excellent Astra Twin Top coupe convertible, one of which has a full VXR bodykit.
The four-seater Exclusiv and the Exclusiv XP both have a range of engines t | |
| EVEN BETTER VALUE FROM CHEVROLET. | 2008-05-16 | | CHEVROLET'S successful Captiva SUV has become an even better proposition thanks to the addition of a new entry level diesel version.
Launched almost a year ago, the Captiva is performing ahead of exp | |
| STAFFS. BMW OPEN WEEKEND FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGY. | 2008-05-14 | | NORTH Staffordshire BMW dealers, Knights BMW, is giving drivers the opportunity to have the miracle of the manufacturers' multi-award winning EfficientDynamics technology explained and the chance to d | |
| CALIFORNIA DREAMING... | 2008-05-14 | | FOR those not concerned with the economic slowdown or rising fuel prices, Ferrari has a new toy to play with in the form of the latest California.
Powered by a 4.3 V8 developing around 450 bhp, the | |
| TOWBAR WARNING TO DIY-ERS. | 2008-05-09 | | ONE of the most experienced tow bar fitters in North Staffordshire is urging car and van drivers not to try a DIY fit because of the increasing complexity of modern vehicle electrics.
Andy Ryder, who | |
| BMW POWERS TO VICTORY - AGAIN. | 2008-05-09 | | BMW has once again dominated an international competition to find the best engines with no less than six category wins including the overall title in the International Engine of the Year Awards.
It i | |
| NISSAN'S BOLD STRATEGY PAYING OFF. | 2008-05-09 | | NISSAN'S bold decision to replace two slow-selling models, the Almera and Primera hatchbacks, with a single car is paying off with sales soaring by more than 30 per cent so far this year.
The success | |
| LEXUS VOTED THE BEST - FOR THE EIGHTH YEAR IN A ROW. | 2008-05-08 | | LEXUS has cemented its reputation as being able to provide a matchless ownership experience by taking an unprecedented eighth successive win in the influential J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey. | |
| REBIRTH OF A LEGEND- MG TO RETURN THIS YEAR. | 2008-05-08 | | ONE of the best-loved names in British motoring will finally make a reappearance this autumn with confirmation that assembly of the MG TF roadster will begin at its spiritual home of Longbridge in Aug | |
| NOW'S THE TIME TO LEARN TO RIDE. | 2008-05-07 | | THE bike industry is predicting a surge in the number of people applying for licences ahead of a rule change later this year that will make it harder to pass the test.
Launching its Now's the Time ca | |
| ALFA GETS THE PRODRIVE MAGIC. | 2008-05-07 | | ALFA Romeo is promising to deliver `the best of Italy and the best of Britain' in collaboration with Prodrive to improve the handling of the oft-criticised Brera coupe.
Prodrive is the engineering ta | |
| HONDA CIVIC FOR £150 A MONTH. | 2008-05-02 | | HONDA is running a finance offer that can put you behind the wheel of a brand new Civic for less than £150 a month as part of a raft of incentives across its car range.
Customers can choose any | |
| FIAT BRAVO MAKES GOOD SECOND HAND CAR. | 2008-05-02 | | NORTH STAFFS USED CAR ROAD TEST - FIAT BRAVO
LAUNCHED just under a year ago, the first examples of the Fiat Bravo now appearing on the second hand market are being snapped up by canny buyers with an | |
| RANDLES TAKE ON PEUGEOT FOR NEWCASTLE. | 2008-04-30 | | THE SUZUKI dealership for North Staffordshire has branched out to take on the service work for Peugeot in the Newcastle area - because Suzukis are too reliable for its workshop to be at full capacity. | |
| STRONG FIRST QUARTER FROM BENTLEY. | 2008-04-30 | | BENTLEY has shrugged off the effects of the credit crisis and falls in property values in one of its key traditional markets by enjoying strong growth in new and emerging ones.
Despite global sales i | |
| BENTLEY REVEALS NEW CONTINENTAL MODEL... | 2008-04-29 | | IT isn't quite as luxurious or as powerful as Bentley's other cars but the team behind this eco-challenger won a special award for their fighting spirit.
Built by apprentices at Bentley Motors for th | |
| 30 YEARS OF LIFE-SAVING FROM BOSCH. | 2008-04-29 | | A DEVICE that has almost certainly saved thousands of lives celebrates its 30th birthday this year.
It was back in 1978 that Bosch first fitted anti-lock brakes to a car, a Mercedes S Class, but now | |
| AN APPLE A DAY...KEEPS THE FUEL COSTS DOWN! | 2008-04-29 | | WITH worries about the cost of fuel dominating the headlines a group of A Level students may have come up with an ingenious home-grown solution - apple juice!
Pupils at the Prince William School in N | |
| FIAT CUTS YOUR FUEL COSTS. | 2008-04-27 | | WITH fuel prices going through the roof Fiat is adding a new generation of ultra-efficient engines that return more than 60 mpg and have CO2 emissions of less than 120 g/km.
First appearing in the Br | |
| ALFA STRATEGY PAYING OFF. | 2008-04-25 | | ALFA Romeo says that its strategy to transform its vehicle reliability and customer satisfaction is bearing fruit with a national survey showing a dramatic improvement.
In a poll of some 32,000 drive | |
| PICK UP A BARGAIN - AND ENJOY A BBQ TOO. | 2008-04-25 | | USED car buyers can pick up a bargain - and enjoy a barbecue at the same time at an event being staged at a North Staffordshire dealer.
Friendly Motor Company, on Leek Road, Hanley, opposite the junc | |
| VAUXHALL GETS A RED HEAD. | 2008-04-25 | | VAUXHALL has turned its already eye-catching Tigra soft-top into a glamorous red head with this latest edition featuring - among other things - a dark red roof.
The Sport Rouge replaces the Sport mod | |
| A NEW ERA FOR NORTH STAFFS. USED CAR SECTOR. | 2008-04-24 | | A NEW era has dawned for the North Staffordshire used car market with the launch of www.localmotoring.com's classified sales section.
We are offering private sellers the opportunity to advertise thei | |
| MITSUBISHI IMPRESSES THE CUSTOMERS. | 2008-04-24 | | CUSTOMERS had their first look at the all-new generation Mitsubishi Lancer at an open evening staged at the North Staffordshire dealers, Holdcroft Mitsubishi.
Almost 100 people attended the event hel | |
| HOLDCROFT MITSUBISHI TO REVEAL NEW LANCER. | 2008-04-22 | | THE all-new Mitsubishi Lancer and the Evo X high performance version will get their public unveiling this week at North Staffordshire dealers, Holdcroft Mitsubishi.
The open evening is being held tom | |
| FIRST ALFA SUPERCAR ARRIVES. | 2008-04-22 | | THE first example of just 41 Alfa 8C Competizione supercars destined for the UK, arrived here last week.
The ultra-rare £138,500 hand-built Italian sportscar was collected by award-winning Manc | |
| FOR WHEN 240 PS JUST ISN'T ENOUGH... | 2008-04-20 | | FOR drivers who want something even more spirited than the standard 240 horsepower Astra VXR, Vauxhall can supply them with a special version named after the legendary race track where much of its dev | |
| TRIBUTE TO SOUTH CHESHIRE MP. | 2008-04-18 | | ONE of the UK's leading motoring organisations has paid tribute to Gwyneth Dunwoody, the veteran Crewe and Nantwich MP, who died after a short illness.
The long-serving MP was highly respected within | |
| VAUXHALL REVEALS NEW INSIGNIA. | 2008-04-18 | | THIS is the first complete view of the striking new Vauxhall insignia, the all-new replacement for the Vectra.
Scheduled to be publicly unveiled in July, the car has a much more dramatic look and mor | |
| CAN BMW POWER TO ANOTHER ENGINE VICTORY? | 2008-04-17 | | BMW has a fight on its hands as it guns for a fourth consecutive International Engine of the Year title. The German marque, which has scooped more trophies for engine excellence than any other company | |
| JUST £35 FOR A SUMMER SAFETY CHECK FROM VAUXHALL. | 2008-04-17 | | IF you are planning to drive to your holiday destination this summer, the best way to ensure safe and trouble-free motoring is to give the safety critical components of your car a clean bill of health | |
| YAMAHA'S BIG-STYLE SMALL BIKE. | 2008-04-17 | | THE first examples of the new Yamaha YZF-R125 are arriving in dealers' showrooms bring the style and look of bigger bikes to the 125 market.
The four-stroke, fuel injected 125cc steals most of its de | |
| NEW BIPPER VAN FROM PEUGEOT. | 2008-04-17 | | PEUGEOT has revealed the price and specification of its exciting new Bipper van range which arrives here in June from under £8,000.
Fitting into the Peugeot light commercial vehicle (LCV) range | |
| £34,000 `WEL' SPENT. | 2008-04-17 | | A Welsh business man from Oxford paid £34,400 for the number plate WEL 5H at a DVLA Personalised Registrations auction.
The business man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he made the purcha | |
| PLATTS DRIVES ALFA TO NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE SUCCESS. | 2008-04-17 | | NORTH Staffordshire Alfa Romeo dealer, Platts of Longton, is celebrating its best ever month thanks to being able to offer highly competitive contract hire rates fuelled by increasing residual values | |
| VW GOLF IS BEST USED DIESEL. | 2008-04-16 | | THE VOLKSWAGWEN Golf has been voted the best diesel-engined used car you can buy, taking both the overall title as the champion second hand diesel and the one for the best family car.
The awards, jud | |
| DIESEL POWERS JAGUAR XF TO AWARDS WIN. | 2008-04-16 | | JAGUAR'S new XF saloon has been voted Diesel Car of the Year by a panel of experts won over by the smoothness of its V6 and its sublime chassis.
The Jaguar beat off tough opposition from some other n | |
| VAUXHALL HELPS VAN DRIVERS BUDGET. | 2008-04-15 | | VAUXHALL van drivers are being offered an easy way to budget their motoring costs with a new service and maintenance plan that costs from just £29.99 a month.
By replacing the unpredictability | |
| WHEEL-Y GOOD NEWS FROM HOT HATCH CORNER. | 2008-04-15 | | A CAR accessory specialist is reporting a boom in business following the introduction of a classic style of alloy wheel that hasn't been on the market for more than a decade.
Jamie Barrow, General Ma | |
| CLASSIC RACERS TO VISIT THE MIDLANDS. | 2008-04-11 | | MIDLANDS-based motor racing fans can get their first classic fix of the season when some of the most charismatic cars ever built visit Donington Park next weekend.
The Grande Passione event on April | |
| SALES SURGE FOR SUNSHINE MITSUBISHI. | 2008-04-11 | | MITSUBISHI has seen a sales surge of almost 900 per cent since a price cut dropped the cost of its sensational Colt CZC convertible to below the £10,000 mark.
The price cut in January dropped t | |
| BE A PARTNER TO PEUGEOT WITH ITS NEW VAN. | 2008-04-11 | | PEUGEOT has released the prices for its new Partner van that goes on sale in June from just over £10,000.
Joining the original Partner van - now named Partner Origin - in the Peugeot light comm | |
| PEUGEOT ENJOYS GREEN SALES BOOM. | 2008-04-10 | | PEUGEOT is making light of the current economic uncertainty and selling strongly in the retail, fleet and van markets with its most eco-friendly cars finding favour with buyers. The French manufacture | |
| IS YOUR MAZDA SERVICE ON-LINE YET? | 2008-04-10 | | MAZDA is urging all fleet operators to make sure their cars' records are maintained on the manufacturer's unique online database to enable fast track access of digital service records. Since July 1, 2 | |
| DRIVE OFF IN A NEW HYUNDAI FOR JUST £99. | 2008-04-10 | | HYUNDAI is running a special finance promotion which could see you drive off with a brand new i10 for just £99 a month.
For example, a customer who buys a mid-range i10 1.1-litre petrol Comfort | |
| SAAB CUTS THE BREEZE. | 2008-04-10 | | SAAB convertible drivers are being offered a wind deflector that cuts unpleasant gusts in the cockpit by at least three quarters, making life on board much more comfortable and allowing greater opport | |
| LEXUS, THE CHOICE OF CHAUFFEURS. | 2008-04-10 | | THE only hybrid-powered car in its class, the Lexus LS 600h L, has been awarded chauffeur car of the year, by The Chauffeur magazine in the highly competitive £50,000 to £100,000 category. | |
| BMW MAKES BIGGEST GREEN STRIDES. | 2008-04-10 | | CAR makers are responding to the challenge of reducing CO2 output of their cars but the rate of improvement between this year and last needs to double if the industry is to meet a target set by the EU | |
| SECOND HAND KIA VALUES DEFY GRAVITY. | 2008-04-10 | | DEMAND for used Kias is so strong that one leading guide to second hand values has taken the rare step of actually increasing its estimate of their residual values.
The cee'd in particular is perform | |
| A NEW LOOK FOR VAUXHALL. | 2008-04-09 | | THIS is the new, more modern face of Vauxhall which will appear on its stunning new Insignia this summer and be adopted on all new cars thereafter.
The more dynamic badge reflects Vauxhall's growing | |
| SUZUKI ENTERS NEW LOW TAX BRACKET. | 2008-04-09 | | REVISIONS under the bonnet mean that the excellent Suzuki Swift supermini now has even lower exhaust emissions which means it now costs just £35 in annual road tax, a saving of £80.
The 1 | |
| EVEN MORE STYLE FOR HYUNDAI COUPE. | 2008-04-08 | | HYUNDAI has always done well with its stylish Coupe and now it has added a limited edition that adds more style, comfort and sportiness.
Badged as the TSIII and starting from £19,595, the two-d | |
| ORDERS FLOOD IN FOR NEW NISSAN SUPERCAR. | 2008-04-08 | | THE Nissan GT-R supercar is proving to be as fast in the showrooms as it is on the road with almost 700 deposits being laid within the first 48 hours of the order books opening.
Deliveries are still | |
| HIGH FIVE FROM DAIHATSU. | 2008-04-08 | | DAIHATSU has extended a five-year unlimited mileage warranty across its entire range following a successful trial with the Terios compact -SUV and Sirion five-door supermini.
Introduced on these two | |
| SPRING OFFERS AT KNIGHTS BMW. | 2008-04-07 | | NORTH Staffordshire BMW dealers, Knights BMW, is offering a special spring promotion that can give buyers thousands of pounds in added value.
For a limited time only, customers purchasing a new Editi | |
| FAST-LANE SERVICE AT KNIGHTS BMW. | 2008-04-07 | | NORTH Staffordshire's flagship BMW and MINI dealership has been specially chosen by BMW to pilot its new fast-lane servicing programme.
Knights BMW and MINI, which operates from arguably the most imp | |
| RESIDUAL BOOST FOR REVISED FOCUS. | 2008-04-04 | | THE superb new-look Ford Focus, launched in February, is expected to be worth up to £500 more than the model it replaces when the first examples reach the second-hand market later this year, acc | |
| DON'T FEAR THE AIRBAG - IT'S A LIFE SAVER. | 2008-04-03 | | A SAFER driving group says that every car user should understand what happens when an airbag goes off and be pre pared for what is literally a mini-explosion happening right in front of their face.
G | |
| TOYOTA LEADS JAPANESE DOMINATION IN USED CAR AWARDS. | 2008-04-03 | | JAPANESE quality has again shone through with the Toyota Avensis Verso being voted Used Car of the Year 2008 by a warranty company that gauges reliability of second hand cars.
Warranty Direct, the in | |
| TEST DRIVE A PEUGEOT - TO LE MANS. | 2008-04-03 | | PEUGEOT is offering drivers the chance to win a VIP trip to the Le Mans 24 Hours race to watch its diesel-powered racer compete for honours in the Blue Riband event.
Dealers are hosting a special 10 | |
| RALLY SEASON KICKS OFF IN NORTH STAFFS. | 2008-04-03 | | NORTH Staffordshire plays host to one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport next weekend when rally drivers from around the country converge near Eccleshall.
The Britpart MSA British Cross-Count | |
| SEE A SHOW - AT THE SHOW. | 2008-04-01 | | CAR fans attending this summer's British International Motor Show can also enjoy a concert from a selection of top groups.
The Motor Show Music Festival, in partnership with Virgin Radio, takes place | |
| MITSUBISHI IMPROVES L200. | 2008-04-01 | | MITSUBISHI is revising its successful L200 pick-up truck in line with customer feedback and to make it more eco-friendly.
The manual transmission variants now emit 225 g/km of CO2 which will save dri | |
| PEUGEOT KEEPS ITS PARTNER. | 2008-03-31 | | PEUGEOT is rebadging its hugely popular Partner van to distinguish it from a new model to be launched this summer.
It will be called the Partner Origin to keep it distinct from the new Partner and B | |
| CHEVROLET WINNER HITS THE JACKPOT. | 2008-03-27 | | A RETIRED worker has scooped the motoring jackpot by winning not just one car - but three.
Former HGV driver and hospital porter, Anthony Pointon, 71, of Newcastle, was the lucky winner of a pan-Euro | |
| CIVIC TYPE R OUT RUNS THE OPPOSITION. | 2008-03-27 | | HONDA'S latest, more refined Civic Type R is the biggest-selling three-door hot hatch in the UK with more than 5,000 being sold since its introduction a year ago.
From its launch in March '07 to the | |
| RESIDUAL HIT FOR WORST POLLUTERS, SAYS GLASS'S. | 2008-03-27 | | THE recent almost-doubling of road tax for the worst polluters will affect residual values, according to the publishers of Glass's Guide.
EurotaxGlass's says the 98 per cent increase in Vehicle Excis | |
| FRIENDLY MOTOR COMPANY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME. | 2008-03-26 | | A GARAGE dealer who heeded the advice of friends to call his company by the way he would want it known has come up with the perfect label - The Friendly Motor Company.
Adam Sieradzki has renamed what | |
| NISSAN PICKS-UP IN THE LCV SECTOR. | 2008-03-25 | | NISSAN is expanding its presence in the light commercial market with the addition of a new pick-up, badged the NP300.
Making its debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC on April 15th, the NP3 | |
| BMW HEADS PREMIUM SUV MARKET. | 2008-03-25 | | BMW is now the leading manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles in Europe in the premium car segment. In 2007 BMW sold 320,900 vehicles with its innovative xDrive system - 4,500 vehicles more than th | |
| HYBRIDS GAIN MOMENTUM. | 2008-03-24 | | TEN years ago a revolution began, perhaps not exactly with a whimper but also not quite with the bang its architects intended either.
A decade on though and its momentum is increasing rapidly as more | |
| WORLD AWARDS FOR MAZDA, BMW AND AUDI. | 2008-03-20 | | THE brilliant new Mazda2 supermini has been voted the World Car of the Year 2008 which also saw eco-awards going to impressively green BMW 118d and performance and design awards heading Audi's way for | |
| VAUXHALL HIDES ITS NEW INSIGNIA - FOR NOW. | 2008-03-18 | | UNDER the camouflage intended to thwart snoop photographers getting a sneak shot is the all-new Vauxhall insignia, the replacement for the current Vectra, which will be revealed for the first time - w | |
| DVLA TAXES MOTORISTS' HUMOUR. | 2008-03-17 | | IT seems that motorists are becoming quite inventive for making up excuses why they haven't got road tax.
For many years the old chestnut `it's in the post' was a stock reply but the DVLA has come up | |
| DRIVING SCHOOL APPEALS FOR ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. | 2008-03-17 | | A GROWING driving school is looking to take on another instructor to help it meet it customer demand.
Wayne Farmer (pictured) who runs Avanti School of Motoring, already has one other instructor but | |
| BIGGEST FLEET ORDER YET FOR PRIUS HYBRID. | 2008-03-15 | | TOYOTA has clinched the biggest fleet order yet for its Prius hybrid by signing a deal with Sainsbury supermarket for 400 of the eco-friendly petrol/electric cars.
Tim Copland, General Manager Toyota | |
| BREAKTHROUGH IN ANTI-SPRAY TECHNOLOGY. | 2008-03-15 | | AN anti-spray device inspired by the aerodynamics of a turbine engine is claimed to reduce hazardous spray from lorries by more than 40 per cent.
On show at next month's Commercial Vehicle show at th | |
| BIKE SALES DEFY ECONOMIC GLOOM. | 2008-03-14 | | MOTORBIKE sales increased last month despite poor weather and a weak economic outlook and the trade is confident it can maintain its momentum.
Figures from the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) | |
| ALFA'S MINI-CHASING SPORTS HATCH BREAKS COVER. | 2008-03-14 | | THIS is the new Alfa Romeo compact sports hatch which will be on sale here early next year as another major component in the marque's impressive come-back.
Called the Mi.To, it is loosely based on th | |
| NISSAN IMPROVES NAVARA SAFETY. | 2008-03-14 | | NISSAN has improved the firing mechanism of the airbags on its Navara pick-up and scored a much better result in a crash test.
In a previous round of the EuroNCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) crash | |
| HYBRID BOOST AT HONDA. | 2008-03-13 | | HONDA'S low-emission Civic Hybrid has recorded rapid growth during the first months of 2008, with sales up by 206 per cent as more drivers switch to eco-friendly vehicles.
Its CO2 emissions of just 1 | |
| ABD CRITICISE GOVT. ON ROAD CHARGING. | 2008-03-13 | | MOTORISTS lobby group, the Association of British Drivers, has criticised the Government for ring-fencing money to fund the development of a national road-pricing structure.
In the recent Budget, Cha | |
| HONDA'S PRICES STRIKE A CHORD. | 2008-03-13 | | HONDA has released prices for its new Accord which goes on sale on June 1 with the aim of attracting sales in what it calls the `alternative premium' market.
It starts at £19,250 with the key g | |
| SUBARU AIMS TO DOUBLE SALES WITH DIESEL. | 2008-03-07 | | SUBARU is looking to double its sales within the next two years on the back of its new diesel engine but UK distributor IM Group is looking to add to its portfolio with Chinese and Malaysian brands.
| |
| JEEP PROVES THAT SUV'S CAN BE GREEN. | 2008-03-07 | | THE myth that all SUVs are gas-guzzlers has been nailed by a husband-and-wife team who drove two Jeeps on an economy drive that took them from London to Poland on a single tank of fuel.
John and Hele | |
| SKODA VOTED BEST BUY FOR USED CARS. | 2008-03-07 | | SKODA has received a major boost with its Octavia being voted the Used Car of the Year by a leading trade magazine.
The Octavia scooped the title at the AM awards this week with the judges saying: "I | |
| MOTIVA DIRECT BINS PAPERWORK. | 2008-03-06 | | A GROWING used car dealership has taken another step on its development path with the introduction of a web-based management system that will make its processes more efficient.
Motiva Direct, of Divi | |
| ROBERT EARDLEY SKODA JOINS GREEN REVOLUTION. | 2008-03-06 | | SKODA is joining the green revolution by offering the Fabia hatchback and the new estate version with some of the eco-technology developed by parent company, Volkswagen.
Badged as the Fabia GreenLine | |
| DRIVE A £20,000 CAR FOR £250. | 2008-03-05 | | MOTORISTS are being given the chance to drive away in a £20,000 car for just £250 a month and with a £250 deposit under a novel finance scheme launched by Kia.
The offer applies to | |
| FORD KEEPS FIESTA NAME - JUST. | 2008-03-04 | | FORD has unveiled the production version of its new Fiesta and revealed that there was a heated debate within the company over whether to retain the name or replace it with an alternative, Verve.
Joh | |
| NEW VW SCIROCCO BLOWS IN. | 2008-03-04 | | THIS is the new VW Scirocco coupe which resurrects a great name and gives the German car maker a presence in this sector.
From the launch of the original in 1974 and through its successor, the Corrad | |
| ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR GT-R. | 2008-03-04 | | THE order books are about to open for the latest Nissan sensation, the GT-R which is being billed as the most practical supercar available today.
Just ten dealers have been appointed in the UK and wi | |
| TEN YEARS OF YAMAHA LEGENDS CELEBRATED AT K2. | 2008-03-03 | | A DECADE of a ground-breaking motorbike is being celebrated later this month with a competition that will give three winners the chance to hone their skills on a privately owned racetrack at an offici | |
| RACE CAR STYLING FOR SEAT. | 2008-03-03 | | SEAT is making one of the best looking sports hatchbacks on the roads eve more distinctive with a race-bred body kit for its Leon Cupra.
The impressive additions to the Leon's already lithe lines giv | |
| AUDI TT FOLLOWS LE MANS LEAD. | 2008-03-03 | | AUDI is to make a diesel version of its TT for the first time, combining 50 mpg fuel economy and low emissions with excellent handling and if you think a diesel-engined sports car sounds odd, bear in | |
| CHILL OUT WITH LEXUS'S ICE SYSTEM. | 2008-03-03 | | LEXUS is raising in-car entertainment to a new level with an advanced new premium ICE package for the RX luxury SUV. It delivers better quality, improved performance and even greater versatility but a | |
| FORD FOCUSES ON IMPROVEMENTS | 2008-02-29 | | IT'S hard to think of any other car which has enjoyed such a sustained run of success as the Ford Focus.
Launched in 1998 it became an overnight sensation, instantly making every rival obsolete thank | |
| DAIHATSU POISED FOR GREEN SALES SUCCESS. | 2008-02-27 | | DAIHATSU is poised to capitalise on the growing green market with sales forecast to double within the next few years.
Speaking at an open evening at North Staffordshire dealers, Platts of Longton, to | |
| COLOURTEC'S 5P REPAIR PROCESS. | 2008-02-27 | | A MOBILE company specialising in removing minor scratches, stone chips and knocks says it can add value to your car and make it more saleable with its `5P' process.
Colourtec will visit either your h | |
| IS YOUR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR LEGAL? | 2008-02-27 | | BOGUS driving instructors who teach illegally are being targeted as part of a crackdown on law breakers.
Only those people who have qualified to become approved driving instructors and whose name app | |
| HOT HATCH OWNERS GET ULTIMATE ROAD CHALLENGE. | 2008-02-26 | | HOT hatchback owners and enthusiasts who enjoy driving them as they are meant might be interested in a challenge that starts at Calais, ends in Monaco and takes in some of the best roads and race trac | |
| MOTOR TRADE TO DOUBLE APPRENTICESHIPS. | 2008-02-26 | | THE motor industry is committing to doubling the number of apprenticeships it offers to reach 20,000 `graduates' a year.
Licensed by the Government as the Sector Skills Council for the automotive ret | |
| SHORTAGE OF QUALITY USED STOCK FOR TRADERS. | 2008-02-26 | | USED CAR dealers are having to work harder to acquire retailable stock in the face of a shortage of quality part-exchange vehicles, according to new research from industry benchmark used car values pr | |
| HONDA'S `ALTERNATIVE PREMIUM' NEW ACCORD. | 2008-02-25 | | HONDA is chasing the likes of Audi and BMW with its all-new Accord that goes on sale later this year.
It is billing the car as an `alternative premium' product, good enough to take on the Germans and | |
| HYUNDAI STRETCHES OUT. | 2008-02-25 | | HYUNDAI is adding a small estate version of its excellent i30 hatchback with a stretched chassis and easy-load design feature.
Priced from under £13,000 the high value i30 Estate goes on sale o | |
| PORSCHE TO FIGHT CARBON CHARGE. | 2008-02-22 | | PORSCHE is to make a legal challenge to a plan by London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, to increase the charge for entering the capital's congestion zone by more than three thousand percent for the most poll | |
| PRICE HIKE FOR L DRIVERS. | 2008-02-22 | | THERE is bad news for learner drivers with the announcement of a price hike in the cost of tests.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has confirmed that theory tests for car drivers and motorcycle rid | |
| OPEN NIGHT AT PLATTS DAIHATSU. | 2008-02-22 | | DAIHATSU dealer, Platts of Longton, is staging an open night next Tuesday (Feb 26) to mark the completion of the showroom refurbishment and the facelift of the Sirion model.
The event is being staged | |
| SALES BOOST FOR PROTON AT PLATTS GARAGE. | 2008-02-20 | | MALYSIAN manufacturer, Proton, is enjoying a sales boost thanks to the arrival of new models which keep the value for money but add extra quality.
Sean Cosgrove,(pictured)Proton Sales Manager at Plat | |
| HONDA MARKS MILESTONE WITH £80 MILLION INVESTMENT. | 2008-02-20 | | HONDA marked a milestone this week by announcing a further £80 million investment for the UK factory which has just produced its two millionth car.
The car, a silver CR-V will leave the assembl | |
| FIAT REVEALS ABARTH VERSION OF NEW 500. | 2008-02-20 | | THIS is the first official picture of the high performance Fiat 500 Abarth, the sports version of the amazing current European Car of the Year.
Inspired by the legendary Fiat 500 Abarth's of the 1960 | |
| PREPARE FOR A BUMPY ROAD AHEAD. | 2008-02-20 | | IT will come as no comfort to anyone who has to navigate North Staffordshire's pockmarked roads but the icy conditions will be causing even more damage to the surfaces, leading to more bills for motor | |
| FORD GETS RADICAL WITH NEW FIESTA. | 2008-02-15 | | THIS is the radical new Ford Fiesta which will be publicly unveiled next month and go on sale towards the end of the year.
Markedly more stylish than the current model, the Fiesta retains much of the | |
| NEW MODELS FLOOD IN FOR CHEVROLET. | 2008-02-13 | | CHEVROLET is set for a busy year with the launch of two new models within the next few months, starting with this new saloon car, the Epica.
Priced from a competitive £13,595 the Epica will hav | |
| CHEVROLET GIVES DRIVERS AN EDGE. | 2008-02-13 | | CHEVROLET is offering a special value version of its very capable Captiva seven-seater MPV that will give drivers `an edge' over others.
Available until March 17, the Captiva Edge limited edition com | |
| CHECK RECALLS, LEARNERS ARE WARNED. | 2008-02-12 | | NORTH Staffordshire driving instructor, Rob Matthews, who runs the Bat out of L school, is urging candidates with a Renault Clio II going for their test to make sure they have a valid certificate show | |
| LOG ON FOR A FREE SET OF WINDSCREEN WIPERS. | 2008-02-12 | | MOTORISTS are being offered a free set of replacement windscreen wipers for their vehicle as part of a safety drive.
On-line mail order company, Car Parts Direct, said its studies revealed that Briti | |
| GREENHOUS GETS PROFESSIONAL FOR VAN DRIVERS. | 2008-02-12 | | PEUGEOT van dealers, Greenhous, is set for a boost with the launch of the `Professional' series of extra-value LCVs which should be tempting to businesses.
There are Professional versions of the awar | |
| KNIGHTS BMW ON THE BALL WITH RUGBY DEAL. | 2008-02-12 | | A Staffordshire BMW dealership has shown its support for a local rugby club with an exciting sponsorship initiative.
Fast-paced Knights BMW has provided the kit for both senior and junior teams at N | |
| FIRST JAGUAR XF TEST MEETS WITH APPROVAL. | 2008-02-12 | | THE first member of the public to test drive the new Jaguar XF from the North Staffordshire dealership said he is hugely impressed by the car which he says "will put Jaguar back on the map.''
David L | |
| KEN JERVIS PROCEEDS WITH NEW KIA. | 2008-02-11 | | KIA has unveiled the third member of its hugely impressive cee'd family with this sleek new coupe version, called the pro_cee'd.
The three-door version shares only the bonnet and front wings with the | |
| NISSAN'S EVERYDAY SUPERCAR. | 2008-02-08 | | IT is still a year from being on sale yet already the motoring world is getting revved up about the next generation Nissan GT-R.
With a 3.8 V6 twin turbo producing 480 PS being fed through one of the | |
| STRONG INTEREST IN KIA. | 2008-02-08 | | THE increasing power of the Kia brand was underlined when one of the first auctions of its new Cee'd attracted buyers prepared to pay top prices.
A special BCA sale saw ten, 56-plate cee'd hatchbacks | |
| FANCY RACING YOUR TOYOTA? | 2008-02-08 | | TOYOTA owners who fancy their skills behind the wheel are being invited to join a novel motorsport series being backed by the manufacturer, regardless of whether they drive a road-spec MR2 or a souped | |
| STRATSTONE UNVEILS THE FUTURE OF JAGUAR. | 2008-02-08 | | ONE of the most keenly anticipated cars in years had its first public airing when the covers were pulled off the Jaguar XF at North Staffordshire dealers, Stratstone Jaguar.
More than 150 guests atte | |
| MOTIVA DIRECT PREDICTS STRONG AUDI SALES. | 2008-02-05 | | A USED car dealer which sources its stock from the contract hire arm of the parent company is predicting a good year for its latest batch of Audi A4s.
Motiva Direct, on Dividy Road, Bucknall, will be | |
| DAIHATSU OFF TO A FLYING START. | 2008-02-01 | | DAIHATSU dealer, Platts of Longton, is shrugging off stories of economic doom by getting 2008 off to a flying start.
The Longton franchise trebled its sales target set by the manufacturer with 12 new | |
| BMW HEADS GREEN REVOLUTION. | 2008-02-01 | | BMW is carving out a rapidly growing reputation for being at the forefront of the green revolution, with its EfficientDynamics programme picking up awards - and customers.
EfficientDynamics is the mo | |
| NEW FAMILY RUN GARAGE BUSINESS IN BURSLEM | 2008-01-31 | | A NEW family-run garage business is offering servicing and maintenance for cars and vans at a price that undercuts many rivals.
MGM Motor Services has just opened its doors for business near the form | |
| HAULIERS TELL GOVERNMENT 2P OFF. | 2008-01-30 | | HERE'S an idea whose time has come - the haulage industry is calling for fuel receipts to show just how much of the bill is made up of tax, highlighting the fact that two-thirds of what you pay on a f | |
| USE THE SEATBELT, STUPID. | 2008-01-30 | | DRIVERS and passengers are needlessly throwing away their lives by not bothering to take a couple of seconds to belt up when they sit in their car.
Making seatbelt use compulsory in 1983 was one of t | |
| PEUGEOT'S HIGH VALUE 407 COUPE. | 2008-01-30 | | PEUGEOT is adding a special high value addition to its glamorous 407 coupe badged the Bellagio.
Costing £21,995 and available only in Flamenco Red or new Nera Black Metallic, the Bellagio is po | |
| SKODA TARGETS FLEET DRIVERS WITH FINANCE DEALS. | 2008-01-24 | | SKODA is targeting fleet drivers with a series of finance deals running to the end of March which can put them behind the wheel of the flagship Octavia vRS FSI from under £250 a month.
The comp | |
| BMW TAKES THE TOP OFF THE M3. | 2008-01-23 | | BMW's new M3 Convertible will offer drivers the benefits of a new seven speed semi-automatic gearbox, a lightweight V8 engine built alongside its Grand Prix powerplants and the first car wearing an M | |
| FIAT 500 BOWS IN AT PLATTS. | 2008-01-23 | | GUESTS and prospective customers were treated to the official unveiling of the new Fiat 500, the 2008 European Car of the Year, when North Staffordshire dealers, Platts, put on a reception evening.
T | |
| CAR SHOW PUTS ON A SHINE. | 2008-01-22 | | CAR club members and enthusiasts were shown the magic of detailing at a show staged by one of the few companies in the region using this new technique for restoring and protecting paintwork.
Dozens o | |
| SKODA WINS ANOTHER VALUE AWARD. | 2008-01-21 | | SKODA'S practical Octavia estate has been voted 'Best Buy Estate Under £15,000' by What Car? magazine.
The Octavia 1.6 FSI Classic which costs £12,965 saw off fierce competition from the | |
| LPG SOLUTION TO HIGH FUEL COSTS. | 2008-01-21 | | THE LPG market is poised for a boost as fuel prices remain stubbornly above the £1 a litre mark, making more drivers willing to consider converting their car or van and reaping the benefits of u | |
| NEW SUBARU DIESEL, QUIETER THAN A ROLLS-ROYCE. | 2008-01-21 | | SUBARU has thrown down a challenge to established diesel engine cars by unveiling its - and the world's - first ever `boxer' design diesel which is so smooth and refined that the cars it powers are qu | |
| GREENHOUS PEUGEOT IS BEST IN UK, SAY CUSTOMERS. | 2008-01-18 | | STOKE-ON-TRENT Peugeot dealer, Greenhous, has been voted the best in the country by the most demanding judges of all - its customers.
The Etruria-based franchise was the best in the UK network for cu | |
| SHOW SHINES FOR ENTHUSIASTS. | 2008-01-18 | | CAR enthusiasts will be out in force this Sunday at an event being staged at a company specialising in the latest American techniques for paint enhancement that leaves bodywork looking factory fresh a | |
| TWO MORE AWARDS FOR JAGUAR XF. | 2008-01-18 | | JAGUAR'S new XF has won two major national award just days before the car is formally unveiled to the public.
The mid-sized saloon won the coveted Car of the Year title at the What Car? magazine awar | |
| DOUBLE BOOST FOR KIA SUV. | 2008-01-17 | | KIA has a double celebration with its newly revised Sportage compact SUV with production shifting to Europe plus wining a national award.
The Sportage is now being made at the same brand new Slovakia | |
| FIRST LOOK AT ECO-FRIENDLY LAND ROVER. | 2008-01-17 | | THIS is Land Rover's first response to eco-critics who say that 4x4s are planet-killers as it plans to develop a new generation of economical cars capable of 50 mpg.
This concept, called the LRX, was | |
| FINAL HOURS TO FIAT LAUNCH. | 2008-01-17 | | THE final countdown has begun to the launch of one of the most eagerly-awaited new cars of the year, the Fiat 500.
Already crowned European Car of the Year, the brilliant little Fiat goes on sale nex | |
| HOLDCROFT SUBARU JUDGED BEST OF THE BEST. | 2008-01-16 | | SUBARU has called North Staffordshire's franchise "the best of the best'' after it was judged to be the top dealer in the country for its used car operation.
Holdcroft Subaru, of Brunswick Street, Ne | |
| SKODA DRIVES DOWN COST OF FAMILY MOTORING. | 2008-01-16 | | SKODA'S new Fabia Estate that goes on sale on February 7 will help families drive down the cost of motoring with exceptionally low insurance ratings.
The roomy estate's insurance ratings start at jus | |
| BENTLEY POWERS INTO FIVE FIGURE SALES. | 2008-01-15 | | BENTLEY had the best year in its history in 2007 when it sold more than 10,000 cars for the first time.
Global sales ended the year at 10,014 units, an overall increase of seven per cent. The Crewe c | |
| MEDICS PUT THEIR TRUST IN LIFE-SAVING SUBARU. | 2008-01-15 | | FAST response medics stuck with what they know and trust when they needed to replace their vehicle - and stayed with the tried and tested Subaru Forester.
BASICS ((British Association for Immediate C | |
| STRONG START TO '08 FOR CARAVANS. | 2008-01-15 | | A CARAVAN dealer has reported a better-than-expected start to the year with a strong response to its first in a series of three weekend roadshows.
Tim Keats, Managing Director of Silverdale-based Nor | |
| FERRARI HIGHLIGHTS ITS GREENER FUTURE. | 2008-01-14 | | FERRARI has given the clearest signal yet that makers of ultra high-performance and luxury cars view the reduction of their carbon footprint as the most important technical issue of the moment by disp | |
| SAAB TO BUILD `COOL' CROSS-OVER. | 2008-01-14 | | SAAB's is trying to embellish its reputation as a `cool' brand with this new cross-over which also ushers in new styling which will be used on other cars in its range.
Called the 9-4X and unveiled at | |
| SUBARU PLANNING FOR DIESEL FUTURE. | 2008-01-14 | | SUBARU is facing a critical year which sees it introduce new models and - finally - its first ever diesel which could see it recapture a lot of lost ground.
Dave Brennan (pictured) Dealer Principal a | |
| BUY MINI AND SAVE MONEY. | 2008-01-14 | | THE MINI reclaimed its crown as the UK's slowest depreciating car in 2007, according to latest research from Parker's Car Guides.
In its annual depreciation report, Parker's compared last January's n | |
| HOLDCROFT MAZDA SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR NEW ARRIVAL. | 2008-01-11 | | A MAZDA dealer is predicting that the company's latest arrival will continue the remarkable success created by its predecessor.
Nigel Shaw, (pictured) Sales Manager at Holdcroft Mazda, on Leek Road, | |
| KIA HAS THE POWER TO SURPRISE AT UNDER £6,000. | 2008-01-10 | | KIA is living up to its logo of `The Power to Surprise' with a facelifted version of its hugely popular little Picanto, a car that starts at less than £6,000 on the road and uses so little petro | |
| PRESTIGE PUTS A GLOSS ON LOCAL CAR SHOW. | 2008-01-10 | | A VALETING and detailing company is hosting a special event later this month for owners' clubs, plus styling accessories and where it will be demonstrating the truly remarkable effects its processes h | |
| NEW SKODA IS SUPERB. | 2008-01-10 | | THE all-new Skoda Superb has broken cover for the first time with these official pictures of the car which goes on sale here in September.
Like the current model, the Superb will have a huge interior | |
| DEMAND STRONG FOR ULTIMATE LUXURY CARS. | 2008-01-09 | | DEMAND at the very top end of the luxury market remained strong last year with both Rolls-Royce and Bentley posting good results.
BMW-owned Rolls saw sales increase by 25 per cent compared to 2006, w | |
| NORTH STAFFS. DATE FOR NATIONAL RALLY SERIES. | 2008-01-09 | | A GROWING national rally championship will be visiting North Staffordshire again after a hugely successful inaugural event last year.
The British Cross-Country Championship will kick-off its season a | |
| GO GREEN WITH MINI. | 2008-01-09 | | MINI has bucked the trend among car makers who are only making small reductions in their average CO2 output by engineering a drop of more than 17 per cent last year.
Indeed, so effective is MINI's ra | |
| `TIME WARP' CONDITION MGs FETCH TOP MONEY. | 2008-01-09 | | WITH an announcement expected soon confirming a start date for production of the MG TF under Chinese ownership at the historic Longbridge site, interest in the brand is running high as an auction hous | |
| VAUXHALL AIMS FOR TOP SPOT WITH TEMPTING OFFERS. | 2008-01-08 | | VAUXHALL is aiming to be the best selling car maker to private buyers with an aggressive policy delivering value-for-money cars.
It was the top selling retail brand in the UK for three months of last | |
| JANUARY SALES BOOSTS USED CAR DEALER. | 2008-01-07 | | A USED car dealer is defying talk of economic gloom and doom with his start-of-year sale and says he is targeting at least 60 orders this month.
John Munro, of Clough Street-based cars by John Munro, | |
| FIVE YEAR SECURITY FROM DAIHATSU. | 2008-01-03 | | DAIHATSU is offering extra peace of mind to customers of selected models by extending its warranty from three years to five.
Both the Terios mini-SUV (you can watch the recent road test video of one | |
| NEW YEAR BOOST FOR HONDA. | 2008-01-02 | | HONDA is going for a New Year boost by adding another version of its hugely popular Civic with extra styling touches to boost the appeal of its five-door models.
Called the SE+, the new model's disti | |
| PEUGEOT'S NEW PARTNER FOR 2008. | 2008-01-02 | | PEUGEOT is to launch a new generation of its ultra-successful Partner van in the second half of 2008 and build on the success generated over the past 11 years by the original.
In terms of practicalit | |
| USED CAR BARGAINS FOR BUYERS. | 2007-12-28 | | USED car dealers in the North Staffordshire region are gearing up for what is traditionally a strong start to the sales year when customers can snap up bargains although there are fears that this time | |
| MITSUBISHI SERVICES CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. | 2007-12-28 | | A SUBSIDISED service scheme for Mitsubishi customers has boosted satisfaction levels with the marquee to record levels.
The Mitsubishi Service Plan was launched in July and six months on internal aud | |
| TOYOTA ADDS SPORTING FLAGSHIP. | 2007-12-28 | | TOYOTA is adding a new sporting flagship to its Auris range with this SR180 which has been developed by the company's motorsports division.
Costing from £17,995 for the three-door model and &po | |
| MAZDA2 TAKES THE DIESEL ROUTE. | 2007-12-28 | | MAZDA has confirmed that its new diesel-engined supermini will cost from under £9,500 when deliveries begin in March.
The 1.4 litre, 68 PS Mazda2 will cost from £9,499 and should have ver | |
| MERC TO REVISE SLK ROADSTER. | 2007-12-21 | | MERCEDES is to update its SLK roadster next year with around 650 new parts and developments from the styling, to the engines, comfort and user-friendliness.
Key styling changes include a more pronoun | |
| HONDA BOOST FOR ITS HYBRIDS. | 2007-12-21 | | HONDA has committed itself to the bold strategy of making ten per cent of its car sales hybrid-powered within the next two years.
Company President Takeo Fukui said Honda intends to build on the deve | |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY HYBRIDS! | 2007-12-21 | | THE hybrid petrol/electric-powered Toyota Prius celebrates its 10th anniversary this month and a decade during which it has pushed the boundaries of automotive innovation and set benchmarks in low emi | |
| HOLDCROFT HELPS CHARITY RIDE. | 2007-12-21 | | NORTH Staffordshire dealership, Holdcroft Subaru and Isuzu of Newcastle, helped raise nearly £7,000 for Cancer Research by supporting a motorcycle charity ride from John o'Groat's to Land's End. | |
| CRASH TEST PROVES ITS WORTH. | 2007-12-20 | | MAZDA is changing the computer software controlling the airbags on its new Mazda2 supermini and Volvo is modifying the firing sequence of some of the airbags on its V70 estate after potential problems | |
| BMW UNVEILS ITS NEW SUV COUPE. | 2007-12-20 | | BMW is to create yet another new market segment with this X6, a range of vehicles it calls the world's first Sports Activity Coupes.
The X6 goes on sale in May starting at just under £42,000 an | |
| BRITAIN'S GREATS TO BE CELEBRATED AT FoS '08. | 2007-12-19 | | BRITAIN'S central role in world motorsport over many decades from drivers to designers will be celebrated at next year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The theme of 'Hawthorn to Hamilton - Britain's Lo | |
| LOOKING FOR VALUE? BUY A NEW CAR. | 2007-12-19 | | SKODA is forcibly making the point that new cars are better value than ever by comparing a current Fabia estate with its predecessor and finding it to be almost £1,000 cheaper in real terms, des | |
| SIZE MATTERS WITH NEW RENAULT MODUS. | 2007-12-18 | | RENAULT is increasing its already significant presence in the small car market with an extra version of the new Modus mini-MPV next February, one that is several inches longer creating more leg and lu | |
| LAND ROVER ANSWERS THE ECO-CRITICS. | 2007-12-18 | | LAND Rover is to reveal its response to the problem of 4x4s being perceived as being environmentally-unfriendly with a concept packed full of technologies that could be in production within a few year | |
| RETURN OF THE RS. | 2007-12-18 | | FORD is to take the fight to Mitsubishi and Subaru with a high performance version of the Focus which will wear the iconic RS badge.
Few details are available yet but a concept will be shown next sum | |
| NEW BMW 1 SERIES SOFT TOP FROM £24,000. | 2007-12-13 | | BMW has confirmed that its 1 Series Convertible will cost from £24,000 when it arrives in the showrooms next spring.
The car will be launched in April with an entry price of £24,055. Init | |
| NO MORE MIS-FUELLING WITH BMW. | 2007-12-13 | | BMW is fitting a device to stop its customers filling up with the wrong type of fuel. Every year there are some 150,000 cases of motorists mis-filling with diesel or unleaded, leading to repair bills | |
| NISSAN HITS THE JACKPOT WITH QASHQAI. | 2007-12-13 | | NISSAN'S brilliant compact crossover, the QASHQAI, has just hit the landmark of 100,000 customer sales in Europe with the UK being the biggest market.
The same size as a Ford Focus except for being | |
| CORSA RECALL OVER FIRE RISK. | 2007-12-12 | | VAUXHALL is recalling around 355,000 Corsas built between 2004 and 2006 as well as Combo van and Tigra roadster models built between 2004 andup to the present day to replace the ABS anti-lock brake co | |
| SUBARU FOR SALE - ONE CAREFUL (!) OWNER. | 2007-12-12 | | THERE will be added poignancy at an auction being organised of historic cars early next year when a World Championship-winning Subaru once driven by the sadly missed rally legend, Colin McRae, comes u | |
| FIRST LOOK AT NEW SKODA SUPERB. | 2007-12-12 | | FEW details are available yet but this is a teaser shot of the new Skoda Superb due to be revealed next March.
As with the current car and indeed all of Skoda's range, the new Superb will again have | |
| ESP - THE LIFE SAVER WE NEED NOW. | 2007-12-11 | | A LIFE-SAVING electronic system that campaigners want to see fitted to every new car has been given further recognition by being awarded the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Techno | |
| ALFA REVIVAL - THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL, SAYS MD. | 2007-12-10 | | Interview with Christopher Nicoll, Managing Director of Alfa Romeo GB.
PROMISES of an Alfa Romeo revival are nothing new; over the years there have been several initiatives, rethinks and relaunch | |
| STOKE-ON-TRENT PUPILS MIX FASHION AND SAFETY. | 2007-12-10 | | PUPILS from a Stoke-on-Trent college held a fashion show with a crucial safety theme when they took centre stage during Youth Day at the recent International Motorcycle Show at the NEC.
The youngster | |
| LAND ROVER SETS NEW SALE RECORD. | 2007-12-07 | | LAND Rover has set a new record by breaking through the 200,000 sales barrier within a 12 month period for the first time in its 59 year history.
Global sales for the legendary 4x4 manufacturer reach | |
| LOW COST PLUS AUTO' OPTION ON NEW AGILA. | 2007-12-07 | | VAUXHALL'S next generation Agila will be a lot sportier looking, environmentally friendly and low cost when it arrives in the showrooms next April.
It starts at £7,595 and with a low CO2 emissi | |
| CLASSICS END YEAR ON A HIGH. | 2007-12-06 | | CLASSIC car buyers were out in force for one of the last sales of the year and spent more than £200,000 defying the predictions of economic gloom.
Nearly 500 buyers turned out to the British Ca | |
| ASTRA RUNS `RINGS' AROUND THE OPPOSITION. | 2007-12-05 | | VAUXHALL has added an even sportier version of its Astra VXR - and named it after one of the greatest race tracks on the planet and where much of its development was carried out.
Based on the standar | |
| LOCALMOTORING.COM TAKES TO THE AIRWAVES. | 2007-12-05 | | LOCALMOTORING.COM has teamed up with Signal Radio to spearhead our advertising campaign in the New Year.
You can click here to listen to our 20 second advert that will be aired during what is traditi | |
| TEN TIMES AROUND THE WORLD - AND STILL GOING STRONG. | 2007-12-04 | | IF you have ever been frightened of buying a second hand car with a high mileage, this remarkable car should prove that a well-cared for vehicle can have what looks like a telephone number on the cloc | |
| LOEB - THIS WAS HARDEST CHAMPIONSHIP YET. | 2007-12-04 | | FOUR-times World Champion Rally driver, Sebastien Loeb, has described this year's victorious campaign as his hardest yet after a year-long battle with Ford.
The Frenchman clinched the title at the wh | |
| TECHNICIANS - ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE? | 2007-12-04 | | TECHNICIANS are being challenged to prove they have the right stuff in a national competition that will give the winner a priceless career boost and £2,500 tax free in cash.
If you are an exper | |
| NEW ESTATE FROM SKODA. | 2007-12-03 | | SKODA has released the prices for its new Fabia estate which goes on sale from February starting at £9,360.
Bigger than its predecessor in every key dimension, it also has a lot more features a | |
| CHEAPER FLAGSHIP FROM SUBARU. | 2007-11-30 | | SUBARU is pitching the high performance WRX STI version of its controversial new Impreza cheaper than expected and £1,600 less than the car it replaces. The Impreza flagship will cost £24, | |
| JEEP PATRIOT VOTED 4x4 OF THE YEAR. | 2007-11-30 | | THE acclaimed diesel-poweredJeep Patriot 2.0 CRD Sport , already winner of a green award, has been named 4x4 of the Year by specialist magazine 4x4 and MPV Driver.
The Patriot has been attracting cus | |
| 40 YEARS OF FORD MOTORSPORT ON SHOW. | 2007-11-30 | | FORD will be the featured marque at next year's Race Retro 2008, one of the world's biggest historic motorsport show which will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ford Escort's involvement in | |
| SPORTY VALUE FROM SKODA. | 2007-11-30 | | SKODA has unveiled a new addition to its Fabia line-up called the Sport which gives excellent value for money.
The Sport costs from £10,660 and has a few styling tweaks such as a deeper, more s | |
| VAUXHALL GOES RADICAL WITH VECTRA REPLACEMENT. | 2007-11-29 | | VAUXHALL is to ditch the Vectra badge from its next new mid-sized car due to be revealed next summer and replace it with Insignia name, to emphasise its more upmarket and sophisticated nature.
These | |
| NORTH STAFFS BODYSHOP AMONG THE TOP IN UK. | 2007-11-27 | | A NORTH Staffordshire body repair shop is punching well above its weight against rival firms according to an authoritative industry review.
The report from AM, a motor trade journal, ranks M and M Ve | |
| DAWN OF A NEW ERA FOR JAGUAR WITH FIRST XF. | 2007-11-26 | | A LANDMARK event happened at Jaguar today when the first XF saloon rolled off the production line at the company's Castle Bromwich plant.
The first production car, a Vapour Grey 4.2 litre SV8 has bee | |
| CHEAP MOTORING FROM SUBARU'S TRUSTY JUSTY. | 2007-11-26 | | SUBARU is joining the ranks of the superminis and resurrecting one of its oldest established names with the arrival of this new Justy which promises ultra-low running costs.
It costs from £8,49 | |
| MOTORSPORT `OSCARS' GET TV SLOT. | 2007-11-26 | | THE `Oscars' ceremony for motorsport will be screened on TV for the first time this year, reflecting the increased awareness of the sport in the wake of the `Lewis Hamilton effect'.
The Autosport Awa | |
| NOT YOUR NORMAL 0 TO 60 TEST... | 2007-11-26 | | LAMBORGHINI continued a tradition of pitting supercars against jet aircraft when its exotic Reventon took on a Tornado.
The £780,000 Reventon, of which just 20 will be made and only one schedul | |
| ATTENTION TO DETAIL AT PRESTIGE VALETING. | 2007-11-26 | | A VALETING firm says it is getting a lot of interest from customers eager to tap into the latest development in car care coming from America.
Prestige Valeting, based at Beech's commercial vehicle si | |
| JAPANESE IS QUALITY GUARANTEE FOR USED CARS | 2007-11-25 | | USED car buyers looking for peace of mind should make a beeline for Japanese cars which have yet again dominated a reliability survey.
The Toyota Corolla built between 2000 and 2002 at Burnaston, on | |
| SCHOOL LEAVERS OFFERED CAREER START. | 2007-11-22 | | SCHOOL-leavers are being offered help to get on the first rung of what can be a satisfying and well-paid career through a scheme launched by Jaguar and Land Rover.
Jaguar and Land Rover Technical Aca | |
| HIGH FUEL COST BOOST FOR LPG CONVERSIONS. | 2007-11-22 | | RECORD fuel costs are driving more motorists towards LPG conversions which can halve their running costs.
Neil Worthington, Director of Car-Gas at Great Fenton Business Park, said with petrol costing | |
| FENTON BUSINESS RACES TO SUCCESS. | 2007-11-22 | | A FAMILY of motor engineers is celebrating after one of them clinched a hard-fought motor racing championship against tough opposition.
Dave Matthias, 19, who works in the family-run French Connectio | |
| DEALERS NEED MORE WEB PRESENCE SAY EXPERTS. | 2007-11-21 | | DEALERS need a bigger and better web presence if they are to compete in the internet age. They need to be more switched on to the possibility of brand building via the net and to invest more in on-lin | |
| SMALL CARS IN FAVOUR AT COTY | 2007-11-20 | | SMALL cars dominated the European Car of the Year award because in addition to the success of the Fiat 500, runner-up spot went to the Mazda2.
This new supermini breaks new ground in being one of the | |
| FIAT DEALER SEES SALES BOOM FROM NEW 500. | 2007-11-20 | | A FIAT dealer predicts the success of the amazing little 500 - crowned this week as the European Car of the Year 2008 - will add an extra 300 sales to his business next year.
Tony Littler, Managing D | |
| MAZDA UNVEILS PRICE FOR NEW 6 | 2007-11-19 | | MAZDA has announced the pricing structure for its eagerly-awaited new 6 series that goes on sale from Boxing Day starting at £15,100.
The car will build on the remarkable success of the current | |
| DRIVERS SAY AYE TO i | 2007-11-19 | | MITSUBISHI'S charismatic new i City Car has been a run-away success since it was launched here in July.
The first batch of 300 units sold out within two and a half weeks of going on sale, and more th | |
| VW GOLF PROVES FLEET FAVOURITE. | 2007-11-19 | | The Volkswagen Golf has underlined its reputation for delivering operational performance, whole-life cost control and driver appeal as well as an environmental edge to win the ACFO Car of the Year Awa | |
| FIAT 500 WINS CAR OF THE YEAR. | 2007-11-19 | | FIAT'S cute 500 has been voted the European Car of the Year after beating stiff competition from Mazda and Ford.
In addition to winning the award outright, the little Fiat distinguished itself by obt | |
| HYBRIDS? NOTHING NEW THERE... | 2007-11-18 | | HYBRIDS might be all the rage at the moment but there is nothing new in them as this remarkable photo of a Porsche from 1901 reveals.
This was the Lohner-Porsche that was a development of an even ear | |
| FUEL COSTS AT RECORD LEVEL. | 2007-11-18 | | THE cost of filling up our vehicles is at record levels due to a combination of international events and our own tax regime.
Nationally, the average for a litre of unleaded stands at 101.5 pence per | |
| TINY CARS MAKE BIG IMPRESSION. | 2007-11-16 | | THE importance of the next generation of minicars being planned by car giants such as Volkswagen and Toyota was given a further boost when a tiny VW design billed as the Beetle for the 21st century wa | |
| HONDA'S RELIABILITY IN ACCORD WITH FLEET USERS | 2007-11-16 | | HONDA'S world-beating build quality has been graphically underlined by a remarkable victory in a survey of almost one million cars which saw it being named the most reliable manufacturer - for the thi | |
| CLASSICS CAN PUT MONEY IN YOUR POCKET. | 2007-11-16 | | THE investment potential of looking after classic cars was graphically underlined during a recent show at the NEC when cars were pampered, had a few parts replaced and in one case saw their value more | |
| PEUGEOT REVEALS 80 MPG FAMILY HATCH. | 2007-11-16 | | PEUGEOT is entering a car in a Michelin-sponsored eco-challenge to showcase workable technology that will be on sale around two years from now and which will allow its 308 family hatchback to average | |
| SALES SURGE EXPECTED BY VOLVO. | 2007-11-15 | | VOLVO is to add two new entry level versions of its recently launched V70 estate and the S80 saloon which should give both models a major sales boost.
Powered by a 2.0 petrol or 2.0 diesel, prices fo | |
| ROAD-PRICING CURE FOR MOTORWAY HOLD-UPS? | 2007-11-15 | | VOLUNTARY road pricing whereby drivers opt into a pay-to-use scheme in return for a cut in fuel duty could be a way out of our chronic motorway congestion, says a major road pressure group.
The call, | |
| FIRST SIGHTING OF NEW MURANO. | 2007-11-15 | | THIS is the first look at the second generation Nissan Murano due to hit our streets a year from now.
Unveiled at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show the Murano is built on an all-new chassis yet to be | |
| POWER BOOST FOR MG ROVER DIESELS. | 2007-11-15 | | Owners of diesel powered Rover 75 and MG ZT models can now boost their engine's performance by more than 10 percent with the relaunch of a diesel upgrade by XPart, the spare parts division of the form | |
| RACING IMPROVES THE BREED FOR TOYOTA. | 2007-11-14 | | TOYOTA may have had a poor season in Grand Prix racing but it has scored one outstanding success with its hybrid powerplant being voted the Race Engine of the Year.
The result may come as a bit of a | |
| CHEVROLET GETS FUNKY. | 2007-11-14 | | IT is still a couple of years away but what you are looking at is a radical new car that will eventually become the replacement the current Chevrolet Matiz as part of the company's major offensive it | |
| FORD PUMPS OUT TOP INVENTION | 2007-11-13 | | FORD is to fit its brilliant and effective system that prevents drivers filling up with the wrong type of fuel to more of its cars.
Launched this summer on the Mondeo and due to be built into the fac | |
| SUPERCARS IN STOKE-ON-TRENT. | 2007-11-13 | | IF you are on the A50 on Thursday morning you might be in for a bit of a shock as £2 million worth of supercars cruise past on a charity run.
A collection of exotics, including Ferrari's, a rar | |
| JAGUAR XF WOOS CRITICS - AND YOUNGER CUSTOMERS. | 2007-11-13 | | THE Jaguar XF due early next year has won another prestigious industry award as dealers say the order books are filling up, with the sleek saloon tempting drivers out of rival makes and attracting you | |
| MAZDA'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO FLEET DRIVERS | 2007-11-12 | | COMPANY car drivers are in for a Christmas present from Mazda when its new Mazda6 goes on sale on Boxing Day delivering tax savings of hundreds of pounds a year thanks to its improved eco-performance. | |
| LAUNCH BOOST FROM MINI CLUBMAN, SAYS KNIGHTS | 2007-11-12 | | MINI dealers, Knights BMW, say the new Clubman five-door version got off to a flying start with strong interest from people visiting the flagship premises alongside the A500 at Radial Park for the lau | |
| REVISED FOCUS PROMISES MORE SAFETY AND BETER VALUE. | 2007-11-12 | | FORD is promising increased value for money with its facelifted Focus that goes on sale early next year.
With virtually every body panel being new the Focus's mid-life nip and tuck should keep it loo | |
| EXTRA VALUE MODELS FROM FIAT. | 2007-11-12 | | FIAT is adding two limited edition, high value versions of its most popular cars, the Panda and the Punto.
Called the Series 360, the Panda is based on the 1.2-litre Dynamic and has £1,600 of e | |
| MONDEO LEADS FORD'S RETAIL CHARGE. | 2007-11-08 | | FORD'S latest products are finding favour with private buyers with the all-new Ford Mondeo leading the charge.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show how the Ford ran | |
| LIMITED EDITION FOCUS ST ARRIVES. | 2007-11-08 | | FORD has announced a limited edition version of magnificent Focus ST which will be limited to a production run of just 500 in the UK.
Called the Focus ST500, and priced from £20,495, it is base | |
| VAUXHALL TOPS SALES CHARTS IN STRONG MARKET. | 2007-11-07 | | VAUXHALL topped the sales charts again last month, continuing the momentum which has seen it record an impressive ten per cent volume increase so far this year.
The car trade was pleasantly surprised | |
| MORE FUN BUT LESS MONEY FROM RENAULT | 2007-11-07 | | RENAULT'S new generation of its high performance Clio will cost £1,000 less than the car it replaces.
The Clio Renaultsport 197 Cup will cost £14,995 when it arrives in the showrooms next | |
| AUDI TO GO HYBRID? | 2007-11-06 | | AUDI could be joining Lexus in offering a hybrid petrol/electric SUV later next year if it gauges there is enough public demand for it.
It has unveiled a fully working hybrid prototype based on the Q | |
| SKILL TEST FOR TECHNICIANS. | 2007-11-06 | | ENTRIES are being invited from technicians who think they have what it takes to compete with the country's best in the Top Technician 2008 contest.
Technicians can be nominated, or can nominate thems | |
| OFFER ON A PLATE FROM DVLA. | 2007-11-05 | | March may be a long winter away, but the race to track down a personalised 08 registration will get underway this month with DVLA Personalised Registrations releasing its next number series to view fr | |
| SEASONAL OFFERS FROM SKODA. | 2007-11-05 | | SKODA has revealed a raft of finance schemes running until the end of they ear which could put you behind the wheel of a new car from as little as £169.
The excellent Fabia supermini (see our v | |
| SMALL CAR BUT BIG VALUE PROMISED FROM HYUNDAI. | 2007-11-05 | | HYUNDAI has revealed its next-generation city car due here next March and which promises to offer exceptional value for money with prices starting at under £6,500.
It is being badged as the i10 | |
| FIAT REVEALS PRICES FOR NEW 500. | 2007-11-05 | | FIAT has confirmed that prices for its chic little 500, one of the most eagerly-awaited new cars of next year, will start at just under £8,000 which is considerably cheaper than many pundits had | |
| USED CAR VICTORY FOR MAZDA. | 2007-10-30 | | WITH its replacement waiting in the wings the current Mazda6 is going out on a high after being named the best used car of all.
The Mazda 6 has won the What Car? Used Car of The Year 2007, beating a | |
| LAW CHANGES STUB OUT DEMAND FOR ASHTRAYS. | 2007-10-30 | | RECENT law changes banning smoking at the wheel is having a knock-on effect among car buyers who are increasingly using the cigarette lighter to power electrical accessories rather than for lighting u | |
| CHRYSLER 300C BUCKS RESIDUAL TREND. | 2007-10-30 | | Almost two years to the day from the original launch of the Chrysler 300C saloon, trade experts say that the charismatic car has been a tremendous residual value success story.
The 300C in both salo | |
| FRESH LOOK AND AUTO' DIESEL FOR JAG X-TYPE. | 2007-10-22 | | JAGUAR is giving its X-TYPE a facelift with revisions inside and out and a new automatic gearbox for the diesel version.
Almost 500 components are new giving the car fresh appeal. Externally the car | |
| CHECK NOW FOR WINTER. | 2007-10-22 | | MOTORISTS concerned that their car might not stand up to the rigours of the seasonal weather are being offered some peace of mind by Vauxhall MasterFit centres that can do a special Winter Check.
For | |
| NEW RENAULT LAGUNA - MORE QUALITY, LESS COST. | 2007-10-22 | | RENAULT'S new Laguna has gone on sale with trade experts being impressed by the improvement in quality levels and forecasting strong residual values.
Estimates indicate that this new generation Lagun | |
| PEUGEOT - AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE. | 2007-10-18 | | Peugeot's new 308 hatchback is now available in three door and automatic gearbox versions.
With the introduction of the 308 three door range in December, which will be available in Urban, S, Sport | |
| TOYOTA'S INTEREST-FREE OFFER | 2007-10-18 | | Toyota is running a zero per cent finance offer on some of its most popular models this autumn.
This special deal is available on selected Yaris, Auris, Verso and RAV4 models.
The offer is available | |
| MERCEDES STAMPS OUT SERVICE BOOKS. | 2007-10-18 | | MERCEDES is helping customers maximise the value of their car with a new electronic service record.
A fully stamped service booklet is traditionally seen as a cast iron guarantee that a car has been | |
| SEAT ENTERS OFF-ROAD MARKET | 2007-10-17 | | SEAT is launching a new cross-over vehicle from October 20 which combines elements of its Altea MPV people-carrier with a 4x4 Sports Utility Vehicle.
Called the Altea Freetrack4, the car is aimed at | |
| FRUGAL PERFORMANCE FROM SEAT LEON | 2007-10-17 | | THE SEAT Leon FR might be known for being a performance hatchback but works racing driver, Jason Plato, also proved that it can be frugal too when he took part in an economy run.
Jason used a rather | |
| ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR NEW VW 4x4 | 2007-10-17 | | VOLKSWAGEN has opened the order books for its new Tiguan, a compact 4x4 being built as a rival to the Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander, with prices starting at just under £20,000.
Deliverie | |
| GO FURTHER ON A GALLON WITH PEUGEOT. | 2007-10-17 | | The Peugeot 308 has scooped the title of most economical family-sized car in the 2007 MPG Marathon.
Entered in 1.6-litre HDi 110hp SE guise, the French manufacturer's newest model returned an impres | |
| STRONG SALES FROM FORD | 2007-10-17 | | Ford has added the key September registration month to its March sales result to outperform the industry in each of the twice-yearly number plate change months that dominate UK vehicle registrations.
| |
| £300,000 HANDOVER BETWEEN GREENHOUS AND M-WAY | 2007-10-16 | | Greenhous LDV Van Centre has handed over the keys to the first of 20 new vans after clinching a deal worth more than £300,000 with a rapidly growing rental company.
The new Maxus vans are being | |
| FIVE DOOR MINI ALMOST HERE. | 2007-10-16 | | MINI is about to add a new model to its range for drivers who want the fun and style of the hugely successful hatchback but also a little more room.
The MINI Clubman, on sale from November 10, is sli | |
| BMW'S NEW DIESEL EXPRESS. | 2007-10-15 | | BMW has unveiled a facelifted version of its 6 Series Coupe and Convertible and taken the opportunity to add the world's first diesel-powered GT which averages more than 40 mpg.
The BMW 635d is the f | |
| TOP PRICES PAID FOR USED MONDEO. | 2007-10-15 | | THE used car trade is paying top prices for the new Ford Mondeo which has won almost universal praise since its launch this summer.
At a sale organised by Manheim Auctions, Leeds, the new models achi | |
| MORE AWARDS FOR LAND ROVER. | 2007-10-15 | | The Land Rover Discovery 3 added another award to its already bulging trophy cabinet after being named Britain's most practical 4x4 in a test conducted by Planet 4x4 Magazine.
In the first assessment | |
| RADICAL NEW SUPERMINI FROM MAZDA. | 2007-10-12 | | Mazda's striking new supermini has taken a radical approach which has seen it buck the trend for cars to become heavier and as a result it is both remarkably economical on fuel and has some of the low | |
| ALFA POWERS AHEAD. | 2007-10-11 | | ALFA Romeo is enjoying a surge of popularity with its sales rocketing by almost a third so far this year and by two-thirds during September which introduced the new `57' registration plate.
So far th | |
| COUNTDOWN TO CAR OF THE YEAR VOTE. | 2007-10-11 | | The clock is ticking towards the announcement later this month of the seven finalists in the European Car of the Year award.
The seven models for the prestigious title are the Fiat 500, Ford Mondeo, | |
| HANDOVER TO THE STARS AT PLATTS ALFA ROMEO | 2007-10-11 | | STARS of the screen and the pitch received the keys to a fleet of Alfa Romeo Spiders when they attended a handing-over ceremony at Platts of Longton.
Actor Jimmi Harkishin, who plays Dav Alahan on Co | |
| FOUR NEW PRODUCTS FROM CHRYSLER JEEP | 2007-10-10 | | CHRYSLER has revealed four new models due here next year with a product offensive that sees most of its range renewed and a greater emphasis on its Dodge brand.
The biggest news is the arrival in May | |
| RELIABLE KIA CUTS NEED FOR BREAKDOWN HELP | 2007-10-10 | |
Kia is cutting the length of its roadside assistance scheme covering breakdowns from three years to one because it says dramatically improved build quality and reliability means most owners will nev | |
| RECORD AUTUMN FOR MERCEDES | 2007-10-09 | | Mercedes has just recorded its best-ever September registration performance, beating the previous autumn high by more than 1,100 cars.
Of the 16,265 new Mercedes and smart cars registered, the bigges | |
| NEW HYUNDAI CHEAPER THAN A TV! | 2007-10-09 | | As the nights draw in fast and the wind carries a bitter chill, you may think it's only the leaves that are falling this autumn. But a quick visit to your nearest Hyundai dealer will show that prices | |
| SECOND HAND VALUE BOOST FOR DODGE CALIBER | 2007-10-09 | | The Dodge Caliber has been given a boost with independent expert analysis giving it better residual values than many rivals.
According to EurotaxGlass's, publisher of industry 'bible' Glass's Guide, | |
| MAZDA TOPS COST LEAGUE | 2007-10-09 | | UK convertible car owners may not have had the best weather this year to enjoy top-down motoring but Mazda MX-5 drivers can raise a smile, as they stormed to the top of a study of convertible car reli | |
| MITSUBISHI CUTS THE COST OF MOTORING | 2007-10-09 | | Mitsubishi is cutting the cost of ownership with a service package that will give customers savings of up to 75 per cent on maintenance.
The Mitsubishi Service Plan (MSP) offers considerable savings | |
| BE SAFE, BE SEEN CAMPAIGN STEPS UP A GEAR | 2007-10-08 | | THE campaign to make it compulsory for UK motorists to carry high-visibility vests to give them more protection if they are standing by their broken down vehicle has taken a new turn with a study show | |
| LIMITED EDITION OFFERS FROM PROTON | 2007-10-08 | | Proton is making high value limited edition versions of its cars for this autumn offering buyers four-figure savings.
The GEN-2 GLS LE comes with either 1.3 or 1.6 litre engines and has £1,000 | |
| NEW HUMMER H3 DOWNSIZES FOR EUROPE. | 2007-10-08 | | One of the world's most famous four-wheel drive brands has finally arrived in the UK and it's like nothing else on, or off, the road.
HUMMERs were originally derived from US military troop carriers b | |
| BMW TAKES THE TOP OFF ITS 1 SERIES. | 2007-10-08 | | BMW is to create yet another niche market next year with the arrival of the world's first premium hatchback-based convertible.
The 1 Series soft top is the fourth in the family range, joining the thr | |
| LUXURY FOR THE ECO-MINDED | 2007-10-08 | | LEXUS has launched its new hybrid flagship which combines luxury with low emissions and good fuel economy.
Demand has been strong for the LS 600h and order leadtimes are already extending into sprin | |
| SAFETY SYSTEM CAN HELP YOU ESC-APE FROM A CRASH | 2007-10-08 | |
HUNDREDS of people could be alive today of cars were fitted with electronic stability control (ESC) systems.
The latest Government statistics revealed that 35 per cent of fatal road accidents invol | |
| TURN YOUR DAIHATSU INTO AN IMAGE CAR | 2007-10-08 | | Daihatsu is helping owners of its new Materia mini-MPV turn it in to an image car with a range of eye-catching accessories.
Priced from £10,995 on-the-road, the 1.5 litre five-door belongs to a | |
| RETURN OF THE SRi | 2007-10-05 | | One of the nation's best-loved hot hatches has returned to Vauxhall showrooms after a two-year absence with the arrival of the Corsa SRi.
The SRi version of the already successful Corsa revives one o | |
| NEW 120 BHP T-JET UNIT FOR FIAT BRAVO | 2007-10-05 | | Fiat is adding a 120 bhp version of its amazing 1.4 T-Jet turbo petrol engines to the new Bravo range of hatchbacks, starting at just £12,895 which gives it a significant price advantage over 1. | |
| CAN YOU PASS THE WAGGLE TEST? | 2007-10-05 | | THE standard eye test for drivers of being able to read a number plate at just over 20 metres is woefully inadequate and leads to many drivers lacking the vision needed for safety and especially so as | |
| MAZDA ZOOMS INTO USED CARS | 2007-10-05 | | USED car buyers can now have more confidence in selecting a previously-owned Mazda from a franchised dealer thanks to a radical overhaul of its Approved Used Car Programme.
Now called Mazda ZZ+, the | |
| RECORD MONTH FOR SEAT | 2007-10-05 | | SEAT has enjoyed its best ever September with sales of the new 57 plate racing ahead of the same period last year.
SEAT ended the month with 6,851 new cars registered, a jump of 12 per cent
over Se | |
| NEW SPORTS VERSIONS FOR YARIS | 2007-10-04 | | Toyota's eye-catching Yaris supermini has been given a sporty makeover with the launch of the new TR versions.
The focus is on extra style at a bargain price: the Yaris TR comes with all the features | |
| VOLVO CHASES ECO SALES. | 2007-10-04 | | Volvo is continuing to chase eco sales with a new version of its C30 coupe due next summer.
Called the C30 Efficiency, it is powered by a 105PS 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. It too uses a mix of high | |
| VAUXHALL CORSA - ONE `L' OF A CAR | 2007-10-04 | | Newly qualified young drivers have given the image of boy and girl racers a back seat after choosing Vauxhall's Corsa as the top choice for their first motor.
The survey, by used car hypermarket gr | |
| TOYOTA VERSO-TILITY WINS AWARD | 2007-10-04 | | Toyota's Corolla Verso has won the award for Best Small MPV in an annual award scheme staged by the UK's fleet operators.
The Fleet World Honours are presented annually to those motor manufacturers a | |
| TOYOTA GETS WIRED FOR SOUND | 2007-10-04 | | Toyota has devised a simple wiring system that connects cars to iPods that allows drivers to control the player safely and easily while on the move.
The iPod Integration Kit means drivers will no lon | |
| ECOnetic - FORD'S GREEN FUTURE STARTS HERE | 2007-10-04 | | Ford is badging the first fruits of its £1 billion offensive to reducing emissions and improving fuel consumption as ECOnetic cars.
ECOnetic cars will use the latest common-rail diesel powertra | |
| HONDA ANSWERS SUV-ECO CLAIMS | 2007-10-04 | | Britain's SUV buyers are making 'greener' choices in the showroom, according to latest industry sales figures. Cars like Honda's CR-V are selling better than ever, as they offer a cleaner, smaller alt | |
| IMPREZA WRX - BE QUICK IF YOU WANT ONE | 2007-10-04 | | Subaru is to offer a WRX version of its new Impreza after all but only in very limited numbers.
Just 300 of them will be available this year and around 650 to 700 next. However, at £19,995 it i | |
| PERSONALISE YOUR KA | 2007-10-04 | | Ford Ka owners can now personalise their pride and joy thanks to a new range of specially created exterior graphics.
Known as Ka-ligraphy, the vinyl graphics complement the cute curves of the loveabl | |
| MORE TROPHIES FOR PANDA | 2007-10-04 | | Fiat is celebrating again after its Panda supermini was voted City Car of the Year in the 2007 Auto Express New Car Honours for the fourth time running.
This latest award follows Panda's Best Small C | |
| PRICES FOR QUALITY NEW LAGUNA | 2007-10-04 | | Renault has announced the prices for its crucial new Laguna that goes on sale in October promising to usher in a new era of build quality and reliability for the French manufacturer.
In the past few | |
| KIA PRO-CEEDS WITH COUPE | 2007-10-04 | | Kia is developing a sportier three door version of its cee'd hatchback and which is to be called pro-cee'd.
It retains the same lengthy wheelbase as the five-door model which means it should have a r | |
| FORD TO LEAP INTO SUV MARKET | 2007-10-04 | | Ford is to go into Land Rover Freelander territory next summer with this exciting new car called the Kuga.
Combining elements of SUV and estate car design with a coupĆ-like profile in a package simil | |
| FORD IS ACTIVELY BRILLIANT ON SUSPENSION. | 2007-10-04 | | Ford engineers have made a major breakthrough with the launch of an active suspension system on its stunning new Mondeo that not only provides a comfortable ride but combines this with sportiness and | |
| FIVE STAR SAFETY FOR TINY FIAT | 2007-10-04 | | It's not yet on sale but already a huge amount of interest is building around next year's introduction of the cute little Fiat 500 and the good news is that despite its tiny dimensions it has just bee | |
| NEW FIESTA HAS VERVE | 2007-10-04 | | What you are looking at is a close likeness to the next generation Ford Fiesta due within 12 months promising a radical new look for the supermini market.
Containing elements of what Ford stylists ca | |
| FIAT'S VAN-TASTIC PUNTO | 2007-10-04 | | Fiat has made a van version of its ultra successful Grande Punto car with a price tag of just £8,600 plus VAT.
It has Fiat's dependable and economical 75 bhp 1.3 16v MultiJet engine that averag | |
| DODGE AVENGER - MUSCLE CAR LOOKS, MONDEO MONEY | 2007-10-04 | | This is the fourth new Dodge for the rapidly growing brand bringing American muscle car styling but in a European package.
The Avenger comes with a choice of diesel and two petrol engines and prices | |
| DIESEL DO NICELY FOR ALFA | 2007-10-04 | | The Alfa Romeo Brera proved it is a car for both the heart and the head when it was voted the Best Sports/Coupe sector at recent awards hosted by What Diesel Car? magazine.
Short-listed against the B | |
| DAIHATSU ROADSTER - BIGGER ENGINE, SMALLER PRICE | 2007-10-04 | | Daihatsu has substantially revised one of the best value little roadsters to give customers an incredible package.
It now has a 1.3 litre engine in place of the former 660 cc turbo engine, improving | |
| DAIHATSU GETS FUNKY WITH MINI-MPV | 2007-10-04 | | Daihatsu new mini-MPV built as a rival to the likes of the Vauxhall Meriva and Renault Modus is nothing if not eye-catching.
Called the Materia, it costs from £10,995 and offers outstanding int | |
| HOT NEW CLIO FROM RENAULT | 2007-10-04 | | Following in the footsteps of the much-admired Clio II 172 Cup and 182 Cup, the Clio Renaultsport 197 Cup is being launched in the next few weeks.
Renaultsport fans in the UK have been eagerly await | |
| CLICK ON TOYOTA FOR SUCCESS | 2007-10-04 | | Toyota's customer website has been acclaimed as the best in the business, claiming a hat trick of honours in the inaugural Auto Trader Click Awards.
As well as taking top prize for Motor Manufacturer | |
| CITROEN PROTECTS ITS OWNERS | 2007-10-04 | | Citroen's fight to make sure its customers are not among the 200,000 drivers annually who face the misery of having their car stolen has been recognised by the insurance industry.
Its highly secret i | |
| CITROEN PROVES GREEN CREDENTIALS. | 2007-10-04 | | For the second time running CitroĆn has been named Car Manufacturer of The Year at the GreenFleet Awards, ahead of fierce competition from runners-up Toyota and Honda.
Specifically commended for its | |
| CITROEN CROSSES INTO NEW TERRITORY | 2007-10-04 | | Citroen has joined the SUV market with this C-Crosser, the result of a collaboration with sister company Peugeot and Japanese manufacturer, Mitsubishi.
The four-wheel drive C-Crosser has five normal | |
| MONDEO - ALREADY A CHAMPION | 2007-10-04 | | Ford's new Mondeo is the Auto Express overall champion of 2007, the car rated as the number one by the highest selling motoring weekly in the UK.
In fact, so impressed were the judges that as well as | |
| BMW'S GREEN ENGINEERING. | 2007-10-04 | | EVERY manufacturer is chasing ways of making their cars better on fuel and emissions but BMW has been doing that while still keeping the essential ingredient of driving fun which is a core part of its | |
| BMW'S SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR TO ORIGINAL M3? | 2007-10-03 | | BMW will be adding this exciting new two-door 1 Series coupe to its range in November and with it some incredible engine options.
In addition the 120d entry level diesel there will also be the 123d d | |
| BENTLEY V8 - THE LEGEND CONTINUES | 2007-10-03 | | If you want to get a measure of the progress made in engines and their environmental impact, just consider that the Bentley V8 made today is so clean and the first ones built 50 years ago so polluting | |
| MORE CHOICE OF 'A5' | 2007-10-03 | | Two more A5 versions have been added, one petrol and one diesel, giving customers a wider choice in Audi's beautiful rival to the BMW 3 Series Coupe or Mercedes-Benz CLK.
The 2.7-litre TDI diesel and | |
| INTRODUCING THE AUDI SLEDGEHAMMER. | 2007-10-03 | | Audi is slotting its most powerful road car engine ever, a twin turbo V10 producing almost 600 bhp, into a new RS 6 quatro Avant which goes on sale from November with a price tag expected to be around | |
| AUDI STRETCHES ITS ADVANTAGE | 2007-10-03 | | Audi is introducing a fundamentally revised A4 which follows the lead set by the recently launched A5 coupe in having a stretched wheelbase both in the interests of extra cabin space and better handli | |
| FIRST LOOK AT REVISED SAAB. | 2007-10-01 | | Prospective customers had their first look at the facelifted Saab 9-3 at a dinner evening arranged by North Staffordshire dealers, Holdcroft Saab.
The revised cars introduce a new look based around S | |
| MORE VALUE, LESS MONEY, FROM MAZDA. | 2007-10-01 | | Mazda's clever RX-8 four seater, four door coupe is becoming even more appealing with zero rate finance and the addition of a Sport Pack costing just £350, a saving of £1,400 over the norm | |
| IMPROVEMENTS AT HOLDCROFT MITSUBISHI | 2007-10-01 | | A family-owned Mitsubishi dealership is racing up the customer satisfaction ratings but says there is still room for improvement.
Holdcroft Mitsubishi started the year ranked a lowly 119th out of the | |
| GO GREEN WITH HYUNDAI. | 2007-10-01 | | Hyundai is helping to cut running costs and being kinder to the environment with the addition next January of a special version of its exceptional new i30 hatchback.
Distinguished by the green `i' ba | |
| ICE COOL ASTON MARTIN | 2007-09-28 | | Aston Martin has been voted the UK's coolest brand for the second year running. CoolBrands is an initiative operated by the Superbrands organisation and presents expert and consumer opinion on the UK' | |
| DAIHATSU MAKES A SPLASH | 2007-09-28 | | Daihatsu's popular Terios sport utility has been voted a '4x4 Of The Year' winner for the second year running following tough testing by 4x4 magazine.
The 1.5 litre, five-door, five-seat Daihatsu n | |
| LAND ROVER - THE BEST 4x4xFAR | 2007-09-28 | | Land Rover has swept the board in 4x4 magazine's 4x4 of the Year awards 2008, winning three out of the eight categories and the overall title of 4x4 of the Year for the new and improved Defender.
Th | |
| `POT' OF CASH ON OFFER FOR DRIVERS | 2007-09-28 | | Automotive warranty specialist, Warranty Direct, is stepping up its campaign against the blight of potholes on the UK's roads by offering a cash reward for successful compensation claims.
Any Warran | |
| NEW PHANTOM FOR ROLLS-ROYCE. | 2007-09-28 | | Rolls-Royce has confirmed that it is to expand its model line-up in the Phantom range to four with the introduction next year of a two-door coupe.
The new car will be an elegant two-door, four-seat | |
| LAND ROVER TOWS THE LINE | 2007-09-27 | | The Land Rover Freelander 2 has scooped the accolade of 'Best Towcar over £32,000' at the Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2008.
Judges hailed the Freelander 2's exceptional capability, saying: | |
| VW TIGUAN OFFERS MAXIMUM PROTECTION | 2007-09-27 | | The new Volkswagen Tiguan has underlined its safety credentials by scoring the maximum five-stars in the EuroNCAP crash test programme.
The highest award possible was for occupant protection and it w | |
| ULTIMATE SPORTS CLIO ON WAY | 2007-09-27 | | Following in the footsteps of the much-admired Clio II 172 Cup and 182 Cup, the Clio Renaultsport 197 Cup will be launched in October.
Renaultsport fans in the UK have been eagerly awaiting this | |
| SKODA SCORES WITH CARAVANNERS | 2007-09-27 | | Skoda has had a good result in the annual contest to find the best towcars for caravanners.
The Czech manufacturer walked off with three category wins in the contest organised by The Caravan Club tha | |
| FORD PULLS CLEAR OF RIVALS. | 2007-09-27 | | Ford pulled clear of the opposition with its superb new Mondeo Estate being voted the Towcar of the Year in the annual contest organised by the Caravan Club.
The Mondeo Titanium X Estate was voted th | |
| AUDI TURNS BLUE FOR GREEN | 2007-09-26 | | Audi is starting to tap into the development work done by parent company, Volkswagen, to produce a new generation of more eco-friendly cars and give it an answer to the lead carved out by BMW.
The fi | |
| ALFA TI-ES UP A LEGEND | 2007-09-26 | | Alfa Romeo has resurrected one of its most famous and best loved nameplates for its excellent 159 sports saloon and Sportwagon (estate) range.
The TI badge, short for Turismo Internazionale, now appe | |
| LOTUS'S CLUB RACER | 2007-09-26 | | Lotus has released its latest limited edition car, the exciting Club Racer which is a visually distinctive
version of the Exige S.
The Club Racer costs £39,950 and is distinguished by its sky | |
| SAAB GOES `BLACK TO THE FUTURE' | 2007-09-26 | | SAAB is going `black to the future' as it celebrates 30 years of turbocharging with a special edition version due here early next year.
The stunning Saab Turbo X will be available only in black in ho | |
| SCHUEY'S ROAD RACER REVEALED. | 2007-09-26 | | MARANELLO'S favourite son, Michael Schumacher, was on hand to pull the covers off a new version of the Ferrari F430 which moves road cars still further into race car technology.
Badged as the 430 Scu | |
| SAAB GOES `BLACK TO THE FUTURE'. | 2007-09-25 | | SAAB is going `black to the future' as it celebrates 30 years of turbocharging with a special edition version due here early next year.
The stunning Saab Turbo X will be available only in black in ho | |
| TARGET BAD DRIVERS NOT OLD ONES, MINISTERS ARE TOLD | 2007-09-25 | |
Government plans to introduce mandatory re-tests at the age of 70 have been attacked by a drivers' lobby group which says efforts need to be focused on bad drivers, not merely older ones.
Some thre | |
| SKODA VOTED BEST FRANCHISE | 2007-09-25 | | Skoda has been named the 'Car Franchise of the Year' by a panel of industry experts at the Motor Trader awards.
The title has previously been won by prestige brands such as Audi and Lexus. It's given | |
| CITROEN'S MEAN GREEN SPORTS MACHINE. | 2007-09-25 | | Citroen has added an eco-friendly sports hatchback to its range in the form of the arrival of the 110hp C2 1.6HDi VTS, an exciting new diesel hot hatch that offers punchy performance, low emissions an | |
| `DEATH BY DROWSINESS' WARNING | 2007-09-24 | | Road safety campaigners are warning drivers to be aware of the deadly killer that can claim their lives and those of others in a fraction of a second and one which is even more lethal during the dark | |
| SEAT JOINS THE GREEN REVOLUTION. | 2007-09-24 | | SEAT is joining the green revolution with the debut of its most eco-friendly car yet, the Ibiza Ecomotive.
Due to arrive next year, the Ecomotive has a CO2 output of just 99 g/km and it can average a | |
| SEAT JOINS THE GREEN REVOLUTION. | 2007-09-24 | | SEAT is joining the green revolution with the debut of its most eco-friendly car yet, the Ibiza Ecomotive.
Due to arrive next year, the Ecomotive has a CO2 output of just 99 g/km and it can average a | |
| A `LAMBO' FROM RENAULT? | 2007-09-24 | | Renault may be intent on launching its crucial new Laguna on October 12 but it was this coupe concept that caught the eye at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show.
Looking more like a Lamborghini than a La | |
| SCHUEY UNVEILS FERRARI ROAD-RACER | 2007-09-24 | | MARANELLO'S favourite son, Michael Schumacher, was on hand to pull the covers off a new version of the Ferrari F430 which moves road cars still further into race car technology.
Badged as the 430 Scu | |
| NEW CLUB RACER LOTUS | 2007-09-24 | |
Lotus has released its latest limited edition car, the exciting Club Racer which is a visually distinctive
version of the Exige S.
The Club Racer costs £39,950 and is distinguished by its sk | |
| SLIP-SLIDING FOR FUN. | 2007-09-24 | | Sportscar maker, Caterham, is offering a memorable Christmas present in the form of a voucher for one of its track, slalom or drift sessions.
Starting at £99, the events get you behind the whee | |
| SLEEK NEW MAZDA6 REVEALED. | 2007-09-22 | | A DASH of glamour will be added to the medium saloon car market next year when the beautiful new Mazda6 hits the showrooms.
One of the stars of the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the Mazda6 repalces th | |
| 60 mpg VW Golf next year | 2007-08-22 | | Volkswagen is adding another model to its impressive range of fuel-sipping, eco-friendly BlueMotion models with this Golf due here early next year. Figures released for the German market version show | |
| Green luxury from Audi | 2007-08-21 | | Audi is to set a new benchmark for eco-friendly luxury saloons with a second generation A8 which is petrol-driven but still manages to emit less CO2 than diesel or even hybrid-powered rivals.
The new | |
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