cars

When it comes to buying new cars, it’s often important to look at the best selling cars over a certain period. This really helps to give consumers an indication of the best cars that are out there, the ones that other people recommend, the ones that have been tried and tested by ordinary motorists. The best selling cars are almost certainly going to be the most reliable and best performing out there.

In terms of the best cars for 2010, it’s pretty much the same story as most other years. It’s no surprise that out of the top five best selling cars, four of them come from Ford and Vauxhall. This is testament to Ford and Vauxhall’s reputation for great performing and reliable cars. These manufacturers have are in a strong position due to their many years of producing cars that appeal to everyday motorists. Again, it’s no real surprise that the car at the top of the best selling chart is the Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta has been around in many different forms for a number of years, it’s a small car with great performance.

The rest of the top five in order is the Ford Focus, the Vauxhall Astra, the Vauxhall Corsa and the Volkswagen Golf. All of these cars share positive qualities, they are suitable for nearly everyone, they’re not hugely expensive and they come from manufacturers with great reputations. They are great all round vehicles, and provide a great balance of price and performance.

Top 5 in numbers:
1. Ford Fiesta: The Fiesta was again the best selling model for the fourth month of 2010, Ford’s baby boomer achieved 6,808 sales for April.
2. Vauxhall Astra: The all-new model was launched in December and the Astra is up to second spot for April, with 6,440 cars sold.
3. Ford Focus: The Focus was down to third spot for April, with 6,279 finding homes.
4. Vauxhall Corsa: The Corsa remains in fourth place for April, with 5,945 sales of the supermini.
5. Volkswagen Golf: The Golf is a non-mover in fifth position, with 5,828 sales for April.

Many people planning a short break, or perhaps a longer holiday, in one of the beautiful far flung corners of the UK, may be worried that their car may not be geared up for travelling long distances. They may also feel daunted by the prospect of a long time spent sat in an uncomfortable environment.

Whilst it is true that certain measures can help with a long car journey, such as making sure tyres have sufficient tread and are fully inflated; and that oil and coolant levels are topped up; no amount of preparation can compensate for the often restrictive, bland, and even possibly unsafe environment of an older model of car. As a result, many holiday-makers say they are looking to treat themselves to a new car for 2010.

Firstly, new cars can benefit from a range of high performance factors that help take the strain out of driving long distances: for example, better acceleration power, 4-wheel drive and automatic transmission.

Secondly, safety features on new cars, such as reinforced bodywork, ABS breaking systems, stability control and airbags will provide added protection for all occupants.

Thirdly, comfort enhancements such as active headrests, sophisticated climate control systems and responsive steering will help make the journey more of a pleasure rather than a chore. A new car can also specifically benefit younger passengers when rear-seat entertainment systems are provided as standard.

The joy of a holiday or short break should begin with the trip getting there, and there is no better way of ensuring the drive is a pleasure than through buying a new car for 2010.

Introduced during the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, the New Vauxhall Astra for 2010 is said to be by far the most sophisticated and refined yet compared to its predecessors. It definitely is one of the best new cars for 2010!

You are probably wondering: what is different from the previous models?

Well, first of all, the most obvious improvement has to be the design. The Astra has been created by a partnership of designers engineers who have integrated great design with dynamic performance.
With its self-confidence and powerful silhouette, the new Vauxhall Astra clearly distinguishes from its predecessors.

The inside of the car is also very spacious and classical which makes it unique, sporty and sophisticated.

The all-new Vauxhall Astra features optional fully Ergonomic Sports Seat to suit your posture perfectly.

This new car is also available with Adaptive Forward Lighting as an optional extra and benefits from the most advanced headlight system in its class. They automatically adjust to different conditions ensuring safer and more relaxed driving.

The new Flexride driving dynamic offers you different driving modes: “Sport” for a more responsive and exciting drive, “Tour” for a relaxed cruising and “Normal” as the default mode.

The new Vauxhall Astra is also available with the ecoFLEX option to ensure a greener drive by saving fuel and reducing emissions.

No wonder this car has been the winner of the Golden Steering Wheel Award this year!

When you have just passed your driving test you feel on top of the world and can’t wait to rush out and choose your first car. However, you need to slow down and choose your car carefully because insurance companies are very hard on new drivers, so buying a car with a large engine or a high price tag may not be a good idea.

Luckily there are many cars from which to choose that offer you safety and low cost insurance, coupled with that need for drive that first time drivers always crave.

Some ideas for cars for first time drivers include the Vauxhall Corsa, Astra and the venerable Nova. The Corsa is a classic car and a favourite among young drivers because it’s cheap to run, yet packs enough power to impress your friends.

Equally the Nova offers affordability yet maintains that all important ‘cool’ factor because of its pedigree and manoeuvrability.

If it’s a larger car that you’re after then the Vauxhall Astra could be to your liking. The Astra is more of a family car, so would be ideal if you had a lot of friends you wanted to drive around, or if your parents insist that you buy a more practical car.

Whichever car you choose, remember that your budget should always be the key and keep an eye on the insurance brackets of cars before you make any purchasing decisions.

An increasing awareness of the impact that fossil fuels are having on the environment has forced manufacturers to seek alternative methods of powering all kinds of vehicles, including vans. Whilst the technology to create commercial vans that are entirely powered by ‘green’ fuels is still in its infancy, hydrogen powered vehicles and hybrid (gas/electric) vehicles are currently the two front runners for medium term environmentally friendly vehicle design.

New vans that are ‘hybrid’ run on a combination of fuel and electricity technology, although with the advent of better battery design some manufacturers are now looking at producing commercially viable vans that run purely on battery power. Recent research into the charging time of standard batteries is producing some interesting developments in ‘rapid charge’ cells, but these are still a couple of years away from being an effective commercial option. So most manufacturers opt for the combination choice or even incorporate other fuels such as LPG (liquid petroleum gas) or natural gas.

New design parameters are placing the drive battery under the van’s flooring, which means that there is no loss of cargo area in the back of the van. This is an important consideration for logistics companies who want to maximise the use of space as efficiently as possible whilst still adhering to a greener transport policy.

Hydrogen-powered trucks and vans could also soon become a reality, thanks to a British technology company. ITM Power, based near Saffron Walden, Essex, has unveiled a converted Ford Focus, which runs on hydrogen, but can switch back to petrol if the hydrogen supply is exhausted.

The firm has also developed a home refueling station, capable of producing the gas from water and electricity. ITM’s demonstration vehicle, which has completed successful urban commuting trials, can travel 25 miles on a single recharge of hydrogen.

An ITM spokesman says: “Although the initial demonstration vehicle is a car, vans and trucks will also be able to use the new fuel system to give CV operators huge potential cost savings on delivery journeys, as well as further reducing CO2 emissions.

The strict new fuel economy standards recently set forth in the Obama administration mean that by 2016 all heavy vehicles such as SUVs, vans and minivans will need to get to the minimum 35.5MPG standard. Manufacturers will have little choice but to move toward either hydrogen or electric hybrid technologies to accomplish this, but right now it still unclear which technology will capture most of the market share.

General Motors and its sister companies such as Vauxhall plan to be the leader in plug-in hybrids starting with the Chevy Volt. In 2012 Vauxhall’s FLEXtreme vehicle looks set to take things further with its new range of technologies still in conceptual stage. It has a major opportunity to extend its E-Flex architecture to SUVs and trucks by 2016.

This blogger is betting on a move towards the fuel/electro hybrid standard over hydrogen fuels over the short to medium term. With the 2016 clock is definitely ticking down and development further along in ‘plug-in’ and electric technologies, hybrids provide easier short term functionality and portability for manufacturers. Although Hydrogen is full of promise, the strict 2016 deadline offers very little chance to develop the technology to the point of commercial viability.

Give us your thoughts, what is the future of full-ups, c. 2016? Hybrids, Hydrogen, or none of the above?

Source: ITM Power, Vauxhall Concept Cars, Politico

If you thought the domestic car industry was going to the heap, turns out you might be right.

You might remember the car scrappage scheme that existed some years ago in Ireland and other parts of Europe. It offered a money incentive to consumers who were prepared to trade in their old cars in an effort to remove cars ten years and older from our roads. It seems this scheme, or one similar, is set for a return. This week, tucked into the UK budget, introduction of a car scrappage scheme in the UK seems a certainty.

Well done Gordon, that’s only a year behind every other major country in Europe. Maybe he was waiting for Liechtenstein to get onboard as well, we’re not sure, but one thing we do know is that EU giants Germany, France, Italy and Spain are already in the midst of clearly successful government funded scrappage schemes. With calls for action for the UK’s struggling automotive sector have growing louder by the day, it finally looks as though some sort of plan is on the way here too.

As you might imagine, domestic major car manufacturers like Vauxhall are completely sold on the plan as well. Why? There is plenty of evidence that getting bangers off the road is just good business. In Germany, the coalition government is set to extend the €2,500 scrappage premium for consumers who trade in their 10-year-old cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models. The plan has attracted 570,000 new car buyers so far. The French equivalent, worth €1,000 for each car, has also boosted sales, prompting Renault to move its production of the Clio model back to France and create 400 jobs.

The proof is in the pudding. While sales have been falling dramatically in the UK - new car registrations in Germany rose 40% in March and in France increased by almost 10%.

On the back of the obvious success indicators, there has also been a public outpouring of support for the plan. From E-Petitions on the official website of the Prime Minister’s office http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/scrappagescheme/ to the UK blogosphere, majority opinion seems to be in support of anything that gets the industry jumpstarted. In an unprecedented move, the editors and publishers of Britain’s biggest car magazines and websites have recently joined forces to urge the Government to support demands to stimulate new car sales in the UK.

When the scheme gets the expected go ahead, the voucher would apply to cars and light vans which produce more than 150g/km CO2 and which are more than eight, perhaps nine, years old. When consumers trade in their older, less environmentally-friendly cars, they would save up to £2,000 on a new or nearly-new vehicle. For this reason, scrappage should appeal to ministers since it would help the Government achieve its target of a 20% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2020 and furthermore a market recovery would see an increase in tax from car sales. This makes the scheme virtually self-funding, thanks to the resultant increases in VAT takings.

Will the bangers for bucks scheme be the savior some make it out to be?

We’re about to find out.

SOURCE: The Times | Vauxhall.co.uk

Let the debate begin.

Today’s question in the ‘Desert Island’ series, we ask the age old question - if you could only choose one (1) - which reasonably priced car manufacturer would you take (imagine: on a desert island / to dinner with you / in a cage fight / wherever).

You know what we’re on about.

Just one. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Consideration has to be given to the entire line of cars within the manufacturer’s fleet. From the bottom feeders (ie. lower priced models) up through their very best. When you make your choice, remember, you get them all, good and bad. The idea of today’s debate is to find the one economy car manufacturer that shines across the entire range. Or, at least stays away from that one truly unsightly blemish, the one car in the entire line that looks like it’s been set on fire and put out with a chain. Or should do.

I’m looking at you, Picasso.

When you think about it, they all have ‘that ONE pig ugly car’, don’t they. Some, like Citroen, have plenty of mingers to choose from. Others are let down by that one model so very bad that the whole line is tainted. Pick Volkswagen and yes, you get the Golf, the new Beetle and the Passat. But you also get the new Rabbit. Are YOU going to drive the new Rabbit? Thought not. For purposes of THIS debate, consider Volkswagen ‘nicht gut’.

Toyota surely have some lovely cars in their fleet. They also have the Verso, the Yaris and across the board the worst set of car model names of any manufacturer in automotive history. Avensis, anyone? Sorry, Toyota.

Mitsubishi? Some of the best looking vehicles on the road, without doubt. And, a mini-van straight out of 1989 in the Grandis. What it lacks in Grand, it makes up for in Diss.

Sayanora.

Our American cousins from Ford excel at truck manufacturing and lay claim to many fine car models as well. With 2009 offerings like the Kuga (Cougar, spelled in American?) on the way, it looks like they’ve just given up now. The end is nigh. Ford, may you rest in peace.

Volvo. Volvo, yes! Decent looking cars. Maybe plain, but nothing horrendous. Wait, they make the V50 Tank/Wagon thing, don’t they? Scratch Volvo.

In this debate - one weak link lets down the entire family. Maybe your parents were right after all.
It’s hard to argue with Jeremy Clarkson and the UK Top Gear team. In an episode last season they gave some serious, intelligent, well thought out discussion to the issue (1 minute, 30 seconds to be exact).

And who did they pick?

They came up with Vauxhall.

Vauxhall?

TOP GEAR UK VAUXHALL REVIEW

Don’t sound so surprised (to our North American friends, visit - Vauxhall.co.uk). Vauxhall has come a long, long way in their design recently. In fact, they now have to be considered across the board the best looking car manufacturer. And if Jeremy Clarkson says so, it has to be right doesn’t it? Are YOU going to take issue with the biggest petrol-head in Europe, a man revered, a man with such gravitas he was put forward by 475,000 Facebook members to become Prime Minister of England?

Maybe we’ve gone too far, but take a look at each model in the Vauxhall range individually and you’ll see Clarkson has a point. The entire 2009 Vauxhall line is solid, top to bottom. Let’s take a closer look…

We’ll start with what’s bound to be the most contentious pick first. The Meriva. While admittedly not possessing the Hollywood good looks of some of its stable mates - let’s face it, it’s no Berlingo.

The Corsa is, well, the Corsa. Like most of the girls you used to date - not SUPER attractive, but small and light enough that you can get away with it. Maybe a bit more popular than your girlfriends tended to be though.

The Vauxhall Antara. If not the best looking SUV in its price range, we welcome your opinion to what you think might be. Pretty.

The Corsavan? Automobile review website WhatVan.co.uk just awarded the Vauxhall Corsavan “Small Van of the Year”. Small vans have never been so popular and according to ‘What Van?’, Corsavan is the best of the lot. Nice going, Corsavan.

The design of the Agila and Astra easily hold their own against the competition, and the Tigra, VXR and New Insignia are undeniably some of the best looking cars in the world, at any price.

All in all, the author sees no reason to veer from PM (to be) Clarkson’s view that Vauxhall has ‘no mingers’ in the range. And you? What’s your input… agree? Disagree?

Digg?

Who’s on the desert island with YOU?

Let the debate begin. We’ve stated our case. State yours below!

1970 Vauxhall SRV

The Vauxhall SRV (Styling Research Vehicle) was a 1970 concept vehicle designed by Vauxhall Motors. Never intended for production, the car was an attempt to raise Vauxhall’s profile and image, while providing a platform for researching some unusual design concepts.

1970 Nissan 270x

The 270x concept was introduced at the Tokyo Motorshow in 1970. The aggressive style was not matched with its performance - the base mechanicals were from the Nissan E10 Cherry. The Cherry’s 1171cc motor was slope mounted into a FWD design in which the exhaust system exited the back in order to conform to the sloping design.

1973 Chevrolet Aerovette

The interior was more fully engineered than the typical concept car, another indication that the Aerovette was indeed a serious production prospect. The Aerovette displayed a strongly triangulated “mound” shape, balanced proportions, and artful surface detailing. “Gullwing” doors harked back to the original Mercedes 300SL coupe but were articulated for easier operation in tight parking spots.

1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo

The Ferrari 512 S Modulo is a concept car designed by coach maker Pininfarina, unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. The Modulo was the last in a series of studies. The concept car has an extremely low body with a Canopy-style roof that slides forward to permit entry to the cabin. All four wheels are partly covered. Another special feature of the design consists of twenty-four holes in the engine cover that reveal the Ferrari V12 engine.

1970 Porsche Tapiro

The Porsche Tapiro was designed legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1970. It was based on the Porsche 914/6 platform and featured a mid mounted 2.4 litre flat 6 cylinder Porsche engine, giving 220 bhp and 7200 rpm. Like so many concept cars of the time, it had gullwing doors and the profile of the windscreen was almost the same angle as the bonnet. In recognition of his talent, Giurgiaro was awarded the Car Designer of the Century by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.

1972 E25 BMW Turbo

The E25 BMW TURBO prototype was built as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The car had a Turbo fitted 1,990cc BMW 4 cylinder engine. The car weighed just 980kg and featured gullwing doors and an ergonomically considered interior. Safety was another consideration in its design, with an integrated passenger roll-cage, crash safe deformable structures front and rear of the car and a collapsible steering column, thanks to 3 universal joints. Only 2 E25 cars were ever built.

1978 Vauxhall Equus

The Equus was the last concept car designed for Vauxhall under the guidance of Wayne Cherry, who was at the time head of European design for General Motors. After the Equus, Vauxhall did not resume producing show cars again until 2003. The Equus was an elegant but simple two-passenger roadster design based on the Panther Lima chassis - a typical, hand-built British roadster, featuring a Vauxhall drive train.

SOURCE: Conceptcarz.com | Vauxhall.co.uk

For years now the mystery which is the Stig has been shrouded in the upmost of secrecy. But now it appears that the identity of this well kept secret has been reviled. We can now announce that the Stig “the tame racing driver” is in fact ex- LeMans, Nascar and Formula 3 racing driver Ben Collins.

Ben Collins - The Real Identity of The Stig

There has been much confusion to when and where the story broke. Some suggestions that Collins himself gave away the secret, other rumors suggest that his identity was given away by his see through visa and further rumors suggested that he was caught out whilst on route to the BBC. But whatever the speculation about the source of the story, one thing’s certain and that’s he is Ben Collins.

Having begun his career in 1994, Collins became TopGear’s masked racing driver in 2004. The role of the Stig is to test drive a whole host of new cars, used cars and super cars, putting them through its paces around the infamous TopGear test track. With its iconic circuit featuring Gambon’s Corner, Chicago and the Hammerhead, Ben “The Stig” Collins has put all variants of cars, all shapes and sizes through its paces.

Memorable moments of the Stig’s careers involve; Racing a modified Renault Avatime people carrier, Putting the the new Fiat 500 Abarth through its paces, Driving a Renault F1 Racing Car and Comparing the Bugatti Veyron against the Pagani Zonda F.

Now that the Stig’s identity has been revealed, who will replace him? Well new footage has surfaced sparking rumors that the original Black Stig is set to make a return after a 5 year absence. Having been killed of in 2003 when his identity was reveled as Perry McCarthy, Black Stig (because he always wore black overalls and crash helmet) was promptly killed off by driving a modified Jaguar XJS of the back of the HMS Invincible at109mph, paving way for the now familiar White Stig Ben Collins.

The Stig’s iconic status as part of the TopGear royalty means that a replacement with the same caliber and skill as the originals is more important than ever. Extended family members of the much loved and admired Stig can be found across the globe making their cameo appearances with:

The Stig's African Cousin

The Stig’s African Cousin: who has a helmet and gloves like the Stig’s, but wears only a pair of Pumas and loincloth. Raced used cars around a sandy rally track in TopGear’s Botswana Special. Series 10, Episode 4.

The Stig's American Cousin

The Stig’s American Cousin: nicknamed “Big Stig” by Clarkson and Co. due to his rather large and obese frame. Unlike the regular Stig, Big Stig opted for a preferred relaxed style of driving. Series 9, Episode 3.

It remains to be seen if the BBC will defiantly bring back Black Stig but whatever the outcome, be sure to watch this space for breaking news on the arrival of the New 3rd Generation Stig.

Source: Arnold Clark | The Sun | The Times