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Bonkers Juke R Launched

January 27th, 2012

Nissan have built some incredible cars over the years, but nothing quite as bonkers as the Juke R. Let me explain if you haven’t already heard about this fire breathing concoction of a thing.

It’s a tiny, little Nissan Juke on the outside, and a ferocious, mind boggling Nissan GT-R on the inside. When I say that it’s a Juke on the outside, it, of course, does have some modifications to set it apart from the styling of the standard Juke, such as air vents on the bonnet, wide arches and side skirts, a rear diffuser, a rear spoiler and some pretty big rims. So, it is more like a beefed out version of the Juke with a big engine, and lots of performance!

Performance Figures

Under the bonnet is a 3.8 litre V6 twin turbocharged monster of an engine that produces 480bhp. Such power in something so small will launch it from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds before pressing on to cover a quarter of a mile in 11.9 seconds.

The Juke R however is built in such a way that it is comfortable and easy to drive. Whilst it can turn into a lunatic if you put your foot down, it will also enable smooth and gentle driving too. The interior of the car reflects this as the cockpit is pretty similar to the standard Juke, aside from the front seat being further back and the fact that it is a bucket seat instead of a normal Juke seat, and there is also a roll cage, and there is a distinct lack of rear seats too.

It Must be Light?

Now, with a car of this size you would think it would be light, very light, except it isn’t at all. Instead it is 76kg’s lighter than its big (but surprisingly lighter) brother, the GT-R. This is as a result of the full roll cage and heavily modified floor.

The Juke R is a truly amazing piece of engineering and a great project by Nissan. They have said that only two will be built, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they put a little production line together. Would they sell? I think so!

All Time Favourite

At this point I must indicate that the GT-R is one of my all time favourite cars. This is because it offers astonishing performance at such a reasonable price. They are becoming more common place on our roads too as more and more people are turning to the impressive Nissan as an alternative to a Porsche or a BMW, for example. Whilst the Nissan would offer lower motor insurance quotes, it is also most probably the most reliable and economical in its class too. It also sounds pretty special as it purrs along.

Furthermore, Nissan has shed its boy racer image that was formed by the Skyline as the GT-R is seen as an executive cruiser rather than a street racing wide-boy. If you are currently looking towards that end of the market for a new car, I couldn’t recommend the GT-R enough.

Tags: Motor insurance, Nissan GT-R, Nissan Juke, Nissan Juke R
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Audi A1 Quattro Coming to the UK

January 25th, 2012

At the beginning of the week we blogged about the new Porsche Boxster that is on its way, and today we can tell you all about another new offering from Germany’s fantastic motor industry – the Audi A1 Quattro.

UK Bound

Audi have a planned production of 333 A1 Quattro’s, and they have decided that 20 of them will be sent over here to the UK, despite being left hand drive. That shouldn’t put too many of you off however as the little Audi is sure to be popular thanks to its great looks, impressive performance and relatively cheap running costs, including getting a car insurance quote for it.

The Figures

The A1 will be fitted with a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 252bhp and 258 lb-ft torque. In a small car those are very impressive figures, and with a four wheel drive system also, the Audi is sure to be a pocket rocket! It will achieve a 0-62mph time in just 5.7 seconds and will go on to reach a very respectable, and in something of such size, quite scary 152mph.

The four wheel drive system will also be one of the best four wheel drive systems out there due to Audi’s history of expertise in producing great four wheel drive machines.

Rich History

Audi have been building brilliantly fun, fast cars for many years now. If we go all the way back to the eighties, they released the original Audi Quattro: a turbocharged coupé that destroyed everything on the Rally scene and was also a great car for everyday use. And more recently, they’ve given us the RS4, the RS6, the R8 and some fantastic little hot hatches, such as the S3 models.

The A1 Quattro, it seems, takes the best elements of the original Quattro and the best elements of the S3 and combines them to be one of the most exciting hot hatches to have been launched in recent years. The A1 Quattro will also be a direct competitor of its bigger brother, the S3 as they have similar performance figures and are a similar size. The A1 will, however, be a rather exclusive Audi due to its scarcity in the UK.

Will you be putting an order in for one of 20 A1 Quattro’s arriving on British shores?

Tags: Audi A1, Audi A1 Quattro, Car Insurance Quote, New car models
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Manufacturer | 1 Comment »

New Boxster Announced

January 23rd, 2012

Porsche has revealed that they are due to launch an “all-new” Boxster…who’s guessing it will look much like the original then? The third generation Boxster despite still very much resembling the original Boxster, has however undergone some redesign work. The front and rear overhangs are now shorter and the wheels are bigger. The side of the car has also been re-sculpted for aesthetic appeal, rather than performance reasons.

Performance Improvements

So, it’s not exactly an innovative redesign is it? Porsche’s main work, as always, comes under the skin. They have worked hard on trying to improve efficiency and performance. To start with, the new model is much lighter than its predecessor, just how light exactly is yet to be announced however.

There are now two shiny new flat six engines available also. The entry level model will be fitted with a 2.7 litre unit, which despite being smaller than the 2.9 litre entry level Boxster of the previous model, squirts out 10bhp more (261bhp), and will get to 62mph in a quicker 5.7 seconds. The smaller engine is also likely to be cheaper to run, fuel wise, whilst resulting in lower motor insurance quotes too.

The S Model

The beefier, Boxster S will come with a 3.4 litre power plant that will have 311bhp and a 0-62mph sprint time of a flat five seconds. So Porsche’s little roadster will be very nippy indeed, and in true Porsche style, will handle well also, which will make a fun drive! This is the reason Porsche Boxster’s have been so popular over the years. They don’t cost a fortune, and will put a smile on the drivers face. They are also, undoubtedly, very pretty to look at.

Styling

Which brings me to my next point. At the beginning of the article I stated that the new Boxster is likely to look very much the same as the original Boxster, well of course it will, why fix something that isn’t broke? Porsche got it right with the original, and they’ve realised this and so kept the design essentially the same over the years because it is a very pretty car, and probably the prettiest in its class, apart from, perhaps, the Audi TT, which I personally think is gorgeous.

Anyway, I digress, back to the new Boxster!

New Additions

Both new versions will come with rear wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox, however a seven-speed PDK twin-clutch gearbox is an optional extra. Furthermore, the larger wheels are not just for aesthetic appeal as they are said to enhance the dynamics of the car while an electro-mechanical power steering system that has been fitted to the 911 will now be used on the Boxster too.

Prices start at £37,589, but if you want the top of the range S model with all the added extras, you will be looking more in the region of £50,000. Any takers?

Tags: motor insurance quotes, New car models, Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Sports Car
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Financial Struggles for Peugeot

January 20th, 2012

This week motorsport suffered a blow as Peugeot announced that they were pulling the plug on all their involvement in sports car racing. They’ve had some brilliant success at Le Mans and in the related endurance series over recent years, however, due to financial difficulties, they’ve had to remove themselves from future events.

The most notable successes for Peugeot came in 2009 when they were victorious in the Le Mans 24 Hours race and in 2011 when they triumphed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series.

Shock Announcement

The announcement from Peugeot was therefore, in the light of their brilliant success in recent years, a bit of a shock to all in the world of motorsport, however, it is a necessary action they just had to take at such a difficult time as the French manufacturer said in a statement: “This decision has been taken in the context of a difficult economic environment in Europe. Peugeot has chosen to concentrate resources on its sales performance in 2012.”

Peugeot’s car sales have been steadily declining over recent times, and so it is indeed understandable that they are now turning their attention to solely boosting sales through increased marketing efforts and through, of course, producing excellent road cars that will pull in more and more customers. At least that is the plan!

Value for Money?

Recent Peugeot’s have been impressive, the RCZ for example is a cracking looking car and I’ve seen a number of them on the road. They look like a supercar and are priced like a normal family saloon, and so they do offer good value for money.

It’s likely also that you will be able to acquire cheap car insurance on such a model as they only have relatively small engines. A 2.0 litre HDI is the top of the range, which will mean the RCZ will also be economical, which is of course very important and attractive to car owners these days. More of the same this year please Peugeot, and maybe they will indeed see sales increase.

What are your views on Peugeot pulling out of the endurance series, do you care? Or are you not too bothered?

Tags: Cheap Car Insurance, Motorsport, Peugeot, Peugeot RCZ
Posted in Car Manufacturer | No Comments »

Retro Renault to Return

January 18th, 2012

We’re always on the lookout for fun little cars here, and this week it’s been announced that French manufacturer, Renault, are thinking about adding to their supermini range. The Clio and the Twingo have somewhat waned in comparison to its rivals. Whilst they both look great, they just don’t seem to provide enough va-va-voom anymore.

The new Clio can be criticised for not being as exciting to drive as its rivals, and the Twingo just hasn’t sold as well as Renault would have hoped. It seems Renault have perhaps realised that they need to inject a bit more fun and creativity to their range. How? By bringing back a fun little classic; the Renault 5.

The Original Supermini

The original 5 was first launched in 1972 and was considered at the time to be the first of its kind, and so it can be seen today as the Great Granddad of supermini’s, and so it only makes sense to bring it out of retirement for one last hoorah.

However, it wouldn’t simply be a case of updating the original with modern technology, as Steve Norman, the global marketing and communications boss for Renault, puts it: “It would be a different type of car, more than a Twingo, and a back up for the Clio. The original 5 made a statement and [it] would have to do the same again. It would be a car to recapture the spirit of the original, but the design would not be retro.”

Redesigning a Classic

So, if the 5 was to make a return, it would almost definitely undergo some redesigns, which is quite necessary and understandable when considering the fact that cars these days need to meet all different types of criteria which are intended to improve safety, and of course they do! These measures may indeed also help to lower a car insurance quote in comparison to a quote for an original 5.

Furthermore, in typical Renault style, we can expect a sporty, hot hatch version of the new 5. Renault did this with the original when they released the Renault 5 Turbo in 1980, and after that the Renault 5 GT Turbo in 1985. Now these are the types of Renault’s a lot of us would want to see return! It would be great to see a new 5 Turbo line up against a new ClioSport.

Concerns

My only query is, how will it stack up against the next generation Clio that is planned for this summer? The original Clio was the successor to the 5, and so, with that in mind, will Renault purposely build the new 5 to be one step down from the new Clio? Mr Norman did indeed comment that it would be “a back up for the Clio”. That surely doesn’t seem right to me however, especially if Renault are hoping to improve their line up.

Surely, if they do indeed go ahead with plans to bring the 5 back, Renault should make the very best supermini they possibly can with all the va-va-voom of old. Why build a half-hearted car to provide back up to a model that is known to have lost some of its passion and integrity? Well, the Clio that is coming this summer is said to “over deliver on design and innovation”, so maybe Renault will restore credibility with the new Clio before they even think about building the new 5.

Tags: Car Insurance Quote, New car models, New cars, Renault 5
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Manufacturer | No Comments »

Fancy a Classic?

January 16th, 2012

Today we’re blogging about all cars classic. Here on the MotorMouthBlog we’re big petrol heads, and we love a good classic! Whether it’s a bare knuckle MKII Escort RS200, or a refined, sophisticated Aston Martin of the DB variety (5 or 6), we welcome them all!

Classic motoring is a somewhat British past-time, and if you venture out onto the roads on a Sunday afternoon, do not be surprised to come across all types of classic car. The amount of MG’s, Triumph’s and Austin Healey’s I’ve seen cruising around our great British roads is staggering.

Classic Alternatives

With cars developing more and more these days in all sorts of different ways, sometimes it’s nice just to hark back to the raw pleasure of driving. Getting out on those clear country lanes and opening up a rare classic can be a thrilling experience.

Classic cars, it seems, are becoming more popular these days also, especially as an increasing number of people look at cheaper forms of motoring. A small second hand classic could work out to be cheaper than a new, modern alternative. Furthermore, car insurance quotes for classics may just turn out to be cheaper also.

What would you have?

Of course, not all classic cars are about leather driving gloves and relaxing country lanes. There are those that will rattle your bones and shake your teeth. The Lancia Delta Integrale for example, or the Lancia Stratos. Both of which will kick you in the back whilst firing flames out the tailpipes.

Meanwhile, the Ford RS200 and the Renault 5 Turbo are both all out speed demons that derive from rallying thoroughbreds and they both need taming each and every time you get behind the wheel. Such cars offer a slightly different experience of traditional classic motoring therefore. These are cars that are perhaps better suited to track day experiences in order to really see what they’re about.

Personal Favourite

However, my all time favourite classic car has to be the Ferrari F40. Okay, so it’s a bit of a step up to the aforementioned machines, but it was first built in 1987, and so does indeed fall into the classic car category. It’s also a car that most owners would only take out on a Sunday for a cruise, or indeed to the track to pound some laps in.

What I love about the F40 is the true, honest nature of it, the fact that there is absolutely nothing inside apart from a steering wheel, a manual gear shifter, and a couple of seats. It’s a very simple car with true, honest engineering and no electronic wizardry. It was so far ahead of its time also, and was built by Ferrari in an attempt to go one better than their rivals, Porsche, who had recently launched the 959.

Furthermore, the F40 was by no means perfect. It had terrible turbo lag and the designers couldn’t even be bothered to hide the glue that held everything together, because of course covering the glue would mean adding weight. And that attitude to just build a true speed machine rather than care for silly little details is another reason why I love the F40.

It represents every petrol heads thoughts and feelings of what a true, performance car should be like. And the fact that it is now a classic, and that, in my opinion, it is the King of all classics, shows that there has never been anything quite like it!

Tags: Car Insurance Quote, Classic Cars, Classic Motoring, Ferrari F40
Posted in Car Insurance, Classic Cars | 1 Comment »

New Honda NSX Looks Innovative

January 13th, 2012

We bring you some exciting news today! That is the news that a new Honda NSX is to be built. The original NSX was a thrill ride that cornered tremendously and went like stink, yet it only had 270bhp; staggering really when you think that it was the best Japanese supercar for a number of years. Now, of course, one has to consider the Nissan GT-R as the King of Japanese supercars…but for how long?

Old Meets New

The new NSX will likely be fitted with a fantastically high revving V6 once again which gets the thumbs up from us here! Furthermore, it will be a very clever hybrid in a bid by Honda to mate classic V6 reliability and performance with new technological ingenious. The fact that it will be a hybrid will also help reduce motor insurance for those looking to buy one. The NSX will include two small electric motors at the front in order to control independent drive in each wheel whilst also enabling the driver to tighten, or indeed loosen, the cornering line the car will take.

There will also be an electric motor embedded within the gearbox in order to enhance the power from the brilliant V6. It seems that Honda are approaching the new NSX with the very same attitude that they approached the first; handling and performance favoured over raw power. This is likely to be a lap time conqueror!

New Tech Will Benefit Overall Package

Honda’s boss, Takanobu Ito, has been commenting on the clever hybrid system, saying: “The NSX will enhance dynamic driving abilities without getting in the way.” So basically, the hybrid qualities will add to the overall brilliance of the car, as the new technology will work hand-in-hand with some traditional engineering. This isn’t going to be a traditional hybrid however by any stretch of the imagination.

The NSX will also be very fuel efficient as the car will use a type of kinetic energy recovery system as it will reclaim braking energy, and thus save on fuel usage. The weight distribution will, naturally, be very good also with the engine and battery pack being mid-mounted and the overall weight of the new NSX is promised to be low, much like the original aluminium model.

Do you think the new NSX will better than the original? And more interestingly, will it knock the Nissan GT-R off its perch?

Tags: car technology, Honda NSX, Hybrid, Motor insurance
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Survey Reveals We Do Not Understand Our Cars

January 11th, 2012

Whilst searching around the daily motoring news and views I came across the news that motorists are increasingly unaware of what all the lights and information on their dashboards actually meant.

It is in some ways quite amusing, but mostly it is not surprising at all!

Cars Increasingly More Complex

Cars are becoming increasingly more complicated both under the bonnet and inside too. A number of weeks ago I was riding in the passenger seat of a new Honda Insight, and I have to say, I had absolutely no idea what the futuristic dashboard was telling me without reading the manual. Which to be honest, most people don’t.

Including my very own mother who has owned her Vauxhall Corsa for three years and only last week found out that the windows can be controlled from outside the car by holding down the buttons on the key fob to make the windows go up or down, depending on whether you are opening or locking the car, and she only found out because we were at a Vauxhall dealer looking at newer models and the salesman explained it was a feature that had been around for a while now!

Study Reveals Shocking Stats

Furthermore, a recent survey that was carried out revealed that we spend around 360 hours in our cars every year and yet nearly half of us could not name some of the basic warning lights. It would seem that men are slightly more knowledgeable than women in this area with around 39% of men being able to identify where the main beam hazard was compared to just 28% of women.

The figure that concerns me is that only 12% of women and 7% of men could point out the handbrake warning light. That is worryingly low, and the handbrake warning light, you would have thought, is quite an important thing to be aware of.

Costly Damage

By not knowing the simple warning lights, someone could potentially be driving around unaware that there is a fault with their vehicle, which could increase the likelihood of a driver having an accident, which could in turn lead to them having to pay out on an excess on a motor insurance claim if the accident is proven to be their fault. In addition, by driving around with a fault it is also likely that the issue with the car could develop and thus end up costing owners thousands of pounds more to have the problem repaired.

The moral of the story here is quite obvious: we should all take time to read our car manuals and familiarise ourselves with all aspects of the car before setting out on our first drive in a newly purchased car. Whilst some people may indeed not be too interested in the particular features of a car, it is still very important to know what all the lights on the dashboard mean!

Tags: Dashboard, Motor insurance, motoring, motoring costs, Warning Lights
Posted in Motor Insurance | 1 Comment »

New Ford Mondeo Coming

January 9th, 2012

American car giant, Ford, have announced that a shiny new Mondeo is on its way, however, over here in the UK, we won’t be able to buy one until 2013, whilst the American market will be able to get their hands on one this year.

Rapide Resemblance

At first glance, the resemblance the new Mondeo has with an Aston Martin Rapide is quite uncanny, but is it really a surprise when you consider Ford and Aston’s ties? Ford, as of 2007, no longer own Aston Martin, yet they still do have a stake in the British company, and anyway, even if they have decided to make the Mondeo look like a Rapide, well, who can blame them?

The Aston Martin Rapide is a beautiful car, and this new Mondeo looks very pretty indeed. Ford, I think, has thoroughly stepped up their game in recent years. Whether they have a new design team, or whether they have just decided to get creative, it’s working, and all their cars are decent looking machines now. The Mondeo is also likely to be quite a bit cheaper to run than a Rapide whilst still looking like one, and another great thing about Ford’s is that they are always so reliable and cost effective, especially when it comes to car insurance quotes.

Comfort and Ride

A few weeks ago I was a passenger in the back of the latest estate Mondeo and I remember being very impressed. There was, of course, plenty of leg room, but the whole car just felt luxurious and, to be honest, quite executive.

The smell of new leather probably helped somewhat, but the car was a very impressive bit of kit. The ride was comfortable and quiet, and everything about it felt well built. The door, for example, made the exact noise you would want from a new, luxurious car. It felt, and sounded, robust, sturdy and hearty. It’s those little details that can make a car stand out.

New Features

We would expect much of the same with the new car, and Ford has said that it is, pretty much, an all new car. New features include a new multi-link rear suspension and electric steering, which will, using some nifty technology, keep you inside your lane if you begin to straddle two lanes.

The electric steering system will also steer you into a parking space, however, I’m not so sure I would trust such a device when parking in some of the tighter spaces. For example, if there was an electrical fault during the parking procedure it would likely end in tears with no-one to blame but the poor car; at least if you make a mistake yourself, you can blame human error.

The engine to have would be the petrol 2.0 litre Ecoboost Turbo. So, who’s interested? The new Mondeo is expected to sell well in the US this year before then doing the same over here next year. Now may be the time to think about ordering yours! Are you a fan of the blue oval?

Tags: Aston Martin, car insurance quotes, car technology, Ford Mondeo
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Excitement for the Year Already High

January 6th, 2012

Here at MotorQuoteDirect we like to keep you up to date with all the latest in the motor industry, and at the start of a New Year it only seems right that we should look ahead to the fun and games that will inevitably be had this year in the world of motoring.

Petrol heads (including myself) all around the UK will be eagerly anticipating a whole host of motorsport events and new car launches this year, and so we thought it would be a good idea to have a general rundown of some the events and cars to look forward to!

The British GP

Naturally, we have to start at the home of British motorsport: Silverstone! This year will see the 67th British Grand Prix take place at Silverstone, deep in the heart of rural Northamptonshire. Now whilst there has been a lot of controversy and unrest surrounding the television rights for the F1 in the UK, this year’s Grand Prix is certain to be a sell out and one of the highlights of, not just the F1 season, but the year. I for one will hopefully be there! Who else is coming?

Silverstone will also host the exciting action that the MotoGP brings. With the tragic end to last season when Marco Simoncelli sadly lost his life, all in the MotoGP world will be keen to honour Marco’s memory in fine style by doing what he loved best – racing, hard and fast!

Goodwood Festival of Speed

Another event that should be penned in petrol head’s diaries is, of course, the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is always a brilliant weekend when everyone can get up close and personal with iconic racing machines and motorsport heroes from all around the globe. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button love meeting and greeting the fans that turn up and this year should be no different.

The famed climb up the Goodwood hill is also definitely worth turning up for as the drivers that take part are sure to put a show on. A particular memory of mine is watching Petter Solberg in his World Rally Championship winning Subaru Impreza from 2003 blast up the hill whilst rally-style-drifting round every corner. The word exciting doesn’t cover it.

Of course, in addition, there will also be the Rally GB, the Goodwood Revival, and several notable days out at Santa Pod.

Now the Cars

In terms of some of the most exciting cars arriving on our shores this year, the Pagani Huayra should, hopefully, finally get released. It has been delayed since 2010 whilst Pagani iron out every little detail. The Huayra will pack over 700 horsepower thanks to its V12 powerplant. Getting a car insurance quote on such a machine may well prove expensive with that sort of power. Nonetheless it will all be worth it when you get behind the wheel!

Bugatti’s new Galibier is also set to launch in 2012 and I have picked this out of a bunch of cars because it is basically a four door Veyron. It will have over 1000 horsepower and will probably weigh over two tonnes. Price tags are thus far unknown, but expect them to be near, if not over, the seven figure mark!

There is so much more to look forward to this year in the motoring world, and we will be sure to blog about those big events as they happen, and those special cars as they are launched. Stand by ladies and gentleman for another fuel injected year!

Tags: British Grand Prix, Car Insurance Quote, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Silverstone
Posted in Car Insurance, Events | No Comments »