Festival of Speed will feature Honda Eye

Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin

It may be true that the British International Motor Show has been cancelled this year but car enthusiasts are still getting the chance to congregate and discover what is happening in the motoring world courtesy of the Goodwood Festival of Speed due to held on the last weekend in June.

News from the shows organisers yesterday divulged that just like many of the major cities in England the Goodwood show will have a Goodwood “eye”. Well in actual fact it will be the “Honda Eye” but just like visitors to London, those buying a ticket for the Ferris wheel will get a bird’s eye view of the famous grounds and its surroundings.

The Festival of Speed is renowned for the famous hill climb competition and the course which takes competitors round 9 turns while continuously climbing up the 1.8 kilometre track will be no less daunting than in previous years. The difference with show now is the multitude of attractions besides the hill climb. The organisers seem to be adding to the show year on year.

This year the “Moving Motor Show” is a new addition and has caused great interest amongst the elite motor manufacturers. Visitors to the show will have the chance to get a motor insurance quote on some of the most desirable cars in the world. Porsche, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes are all displaying new models in the event and it is bound to draw huge attention from the estimated 175,000 visitors.

The Concourse D’elegance will as usual feature some of the famous Classic Cars that have graced the Goodwood track and this year in a celebration of 100 years of TT racing at the Isle of Man Bike riders who have taken part in the TT racers have been invited. It is anticipated that hundreds will attend. The show runs from June the 30th through to July 3rd at the famous Sussex venue.

Nissan Leaf arrives on the streets of the UK

Posted on November 19, 2010 by admin

Journalists in the UK got their first chance to drive the world’s first mass produced electric car this week, and it left them asking a few questions.

Although it has been restricted for use to journalists so far, it will not be long now before ordinary motorists will be getting a motor insurance quote on a Nissan Leaf.

The car billed as the world’s first mass produced zero emission car is really noticeable for its lack of exhaust pipe but apart from that looks remarkably ordinary from the outside. The Leaf will be eventually built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and so many workers in the UK have a vested interest in the car.

The Leaf has a range of around 100 miles fully charged, which makes it first and foremost a car for commuters. Already in London there are a number of charging points and the cars on-board computer informs the driver of his proximity to them, this feature is a must at the moment and the real sticking point for sales of the Leaf will be access to charging points.

The computer also informs the driver of the distance he can travel before recharge, giving the shortest distance he will get if he drives aggressively as well as the farthest point he can reach driving economically. Nissan estimate a careful driver will run up costs of about £2 driving 100 miles and with a top speed of 90 mph, the car should provide all that is necessary for the average commuter.

The car is recharged via a three pin plug just the same as those in homes across Britain and really is a matter of opening a flap on the bonnet and putting the plug in. There are obvious issues for owners who don’t have a drive or garage as it will mean trailing a cable from their property over the pavement to fit in the car, the same problem could apply to the charging station in the towns and cities although the ones already in place in London only require a cable length of around 2 metres.

Another unusual feature motorists and more importantly pedestrians will have to get used to is that the car engine is completely silent. Nissan have installed a speaker at the front of the car that activates at 20mph and creates a sort of turbine noise that will alert pedestrians that there is a vehicle behind them.

London is motor fine capital

Posted on July 14, 2010 by admin

A report into motoring fines by a leading online insurance company, revealed that there is a massive gap between regions on the amount of fines incurred.

The poll for the insurance company, Esure, consulted over 1000 of the UK’s motorists and the results show that London is far and away the capital city when it comes to fines for traffic offences.

The average London motorist can expect to hand out £680 to local authorities via motoring fines throughout his motoring life. Compare that to the conscientious drivers of Northern Ireland who will only pay out £90 in their lifetime. The motorists in North-East England came a distant second to Londoners, dishing out an average of £352 per person per life with drivers in the South-East coming in third on £303.

The poll split the fines into sexes as well and no surprise here with men averaging more than women £344 and £210 respectively. It is widely known that women usually get a cheaper motor insurance quote than men because they are seen as safer drivers, it would be interesting to know if insurance companies assess insurance on regional behaviour as well. If not, after this survey, perhaps they soon will.

A spokesman for the insurance company behind the poll observed “Owning and running a car in the UK can be very costly, particularly with rising fuel costs, and avoidable charges for driving offences only make this more expensive.

Offences such as speeding and using a mobile phone while driving not only add points to a motorist’s driving licence but are deemed offences for a reason. They are actions that put drivers and other road-users at risk.”