MotorMad

Volvo

Ford-owned Swedish firm with a deserved reputation for safety, lasting build and decent capacious estate cars. Good for carrying the dogs to the beach.

Fined For Displaying A St George Car Sticker

A motorist has been fined by police for displaying the St George cross on his front number plate, even though the Government has made it legal. The Mail on Sunday has reported how lifeguard Neil Prendergast had the patriotic sticker on his father’s Opel Corsa when he was pulled over by a policeman and given a £30 penalty for displaying a registration 'not fixed in accordance' with motoring laws.

Michelin Offers Tickets to Fans

Michelin, the world's largest tire-maker, said a lack of on-track testing and an insufficient computer model caused the design problems that forced seven teams to withdraw from the disastrous US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. The tyre manufacturer has offered to buy 20,000 tickets for the 2006 race to be given to fans who bought tickets for this year's US Grand Prix. It is hoped that Michelin's gesture may reduce the risk of the teams being heavily sanctioned by Formula One's governing body, the FIA. A statement released by the company read: "Michelin deeply regrets that the public was deprived of an exciting race and therefore wishes to be the first, among the different groups involved in the race, to make a strong gesture towards the spectators."

However Max Mosley, the chairman of the FIA, has reacted angrily to claims from Michelin that it did everything in its power to prevent the fiasco. In a letter to Michelin chief executive Edouard Michelin, Mosley reportedly wrote: "You failed to bring a back-up tyre to the event and your representatives apparently refused to countenance any solution other than a chicane."

Used Cars Unfit For Sale

Worryingly, every car chosen for a spot-check on forecourts of leading second-hand dealers was found to be unroadworthy and below MoT safety standards. The shocking failures included exhaust and fuel system leaks, bald tyres, cracked windscreens, defective brakes and horns.
If they had been driven from garages, new owners lives' could have been at risk. They could also have faced fines and penalty points for having unroadworthy vehicles. And if you think these failures were limited to old bangers, you’re wrong, some of the cars were only two years old.

New Plates4Less Website Launched

Get your private number plate for less through VRM Swansea’s latest website www.plates4less.co.uk

A new website launched this week promises to offer you the easiest and cheapest way for you to find and buy your own private number plate – the ultimate car accessory.
www.Plates4less.co.uk is the new website from VRM Swansea who has long been established in the cherished number plate market. The new website has a database of over 27 million affordable personalised number plates for you to search and order securely online. www.plates4less.co.uk  is easy to use and offers great ideas, suggestions and innovative ways to help you find your dream plate. The service doesn’t stop there, the friendly and experienced team of advisors will assist you through the entire process of finding and owning a private number plate, whether you’d like them to transfer it to your vehicle straight away, or hold it for the future.

Aston Martin

Arguably the UK's most desirable marque, currently going through a renaissance thanks to genuinely good supercars. The company has reinvented its image to become cool again.

Misuse of Spray-on Mud Designed for SUVs

Spray-on mud is being sold to give urban 4x4s a rural look. Targeting self-conscious SUV owners whose vehicles rarely see obstacles bigger than a speed bump, the enterprising British e-tailer behind Sprayonmud sells the countryside in a bottle. But, while the site promises SUV owners a route around social stigma flung by a growing anti-4x4 lobby, other motorists are thought to use the same technique to freely flout speed limits.

Car Choice: Men vs Women

Marketing data, supplied by NOP World, a market research firm, shows which cars American men and women prefer. The figures show clearly what men want- fast, faster, scarily fast and expensive cars.

Unlucky Cabs Banned From Taxiing Students

Shanghai’s biggest taxi company has banned cabs with supposedly unlucky number plates from picking up students about to take exams. All cabs whose number plates end with the number four will not be used, announced Shanghai Dazhong Taxi Co Ltd. This is because the number shares the same pronunciation as failure in the Shanghai dialect. Sounds silly at first but think about it, how many of you would buy a personal numberplate containing "666"?

Pay-as you-drive Road Charge Plans

A proposed nationwide pay-as-you-go road charge has caused a strong reaction from transport experts and campaigners. Charges ranging from 2p a mile on rural roads to £1.30 a mile for the privilige of driving on a busy route in rush hour - could replace road tax and fuel duty under the government's plans. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has insisted that his proposals for road-charging were not intended to drive motorists out of their cars.