MotorMad

Renault Clio III Voted European Car of the Year 2006

Clio III has been voted Car of the Year 2006 by a jury of 58 motoring journalists from 22 European countries. Clio III scored 256 points, ahead of the VW Passat (251 points) and the Alfa Romeo 159 (212 points), making this the sixth time Renault has won the award. A total of 28 new models were in the running for the award. The Clio III, which won five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests, went on sale across Europe in mid-October. The Renault 16 was the winner in 1966, followed by the Renault 9 in 1982, Clio I in 1991, Megane Scenic in 1997, and Megane II in 2003.

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Motoring organisations Call for Graduated Fuel Tax

The RAC and the Association of British Drivers have both called for the government to introduce a variable tax on fuel to soften the impact of record oil prices in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Maybe this would prevent the panic-buying chaos that was experienced at the pumps a few weeks ago, because of threatened fuel protests.

Citroen Xsara: Most Popular People Carrier

Citroen’s funky transformer car can now dance some more as the brand has come top in a survey of the most popular models by Quotea.co.uk based on the number of insurance quotes requested by owners of people carriers over a nine-month period to May 2005.

The number two spot went to the Vauxhall Zafira. Third most popular for men was the Renault Scenic, whilst women opted for the Ford Galaxy.
Perhaps surprisingly, only 52% of those wanting to insure their people carriers were married, so they could be just as popular with single mums and dads, or just singles with lots of mates!

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Monthly Petrol Bill Nears £100

Petrol prices have risen to another all-time high, with drivers' average monthly bill now almost £100, it has been revealed. Prices now average 91p a litre, compared with only 79.6p a litre in January, according to the AA Motoring Trust. It all means that UK motorists are now spending a total of £8.32 million more a day on petrol than they were at the beginning of the year.

Drivers Fined £1,000 For Texting

Drivers who send text messages while driving could face a £1,000 fine and six penalty points on their licence. Until now drivers caught sending texts at the wheel have escaped with a £30 fixed penalty. But South Wales police has become the first force in Britain to charge texters with the more serious offence of driving without due care and attention. The charge carries a greater fine and penalty than speaking to someone on a mobile. Surprising that it has taken this long to realise that taking your eyes off the road to text is more dangerous than speaking on a mobile and should have a bigger fine.

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Chinese Cars Arrive in Europe

Reuters has reported that the first Chinese cars for sale in Western Europe arrived in the Antwerp on Tuesday, threatening to undercut European manufacturers already struggling with weak demand for their own models. Dutch car dealer Peter Bijvelds said he had already found buyers for the 200 landwind five-door Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and was confident of selling about 2,000 of them this year.

Dumped cars 'would reach Berlin'

The number of cars dumped in England last year would create a tailback from London to Berlin if laid end to end, the Liberal Democrats have said. Figures from Defra show 221,424 cars were dumped in England between 2003 and 2004 - equivalent to 607 a day. The amount dumped in London alone - 57,000 - would cover the London Marathon route six times.

Toyota Worker Torches Cars

Police have arrested an employee of Toyota Motor Co. for wilful destruction of property. Junji Kubo, 26, admitted to setting fire to several cars.

"I did seven or eight cars," he told the police. He later added: "I did it because I was worried and frustrated."

Toyota has seen 34 reported car torchings since the start of April and the Toyota employee is the prime suspect. Police said the specific case for which Kubo was arrested was for torching the rear light of a car parked outside a Toyota home on the morning of June 30. The area near where Kubo was arrested had been plagued by arson attacks on cars and motorcycles since April 12. A car matching the description of Kubo's vehicle was spotted near the scene of many of the blazes.

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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.

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.